ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL OPERATION

YESTERDAY WAS A DAY OFF AND ON "THE LIST" WAS TO REPAIR THE DOOR LATCH ON THE HALF TIME OVEN. TO SAVE ROOM IN THE RV, THEY INSTALL A HALF TIME OVEN, WHICH LOOKS LIKE A MICROWAVE, BUT ALSO WORKS AS AN ELECTRIC CONVECTION OVEN COMPLETE WITH FAN. A GREAT APPLIANCE AND WHERE THE OVEN USUALLY IS INSTALLED THERE IS A WONDERFUL CUPBOARD IN THE KITCHEN.

TO START AT THE BEGINNING MARY WAS USING THE OVEN AND PUSHED THE DOOR RELEASE BUTTON IN, AND IT STUCK THERE WITH THE DOOR CLOSED. IN AN EFFORT TO HELP HER I GAVE THE OVEN A LITTLE "LOVE TAP" WITH MY FIST AND WE BOTH HEARD THE LATCH BREAK AND CLINK DOWN INSIDE THE OVEN. THE DOOR HOWEVER REMAINED CLOSED !!!

BACK TO THE MOC (MONTANA OWNERS CLUB) INTERNET DISCUSSION BOARD TO POST MY PROBLEM. SURE ENOUGH THIS HAPPENED TO ANOTHER MEMBER AND THEY GAVE THE NAME AND PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THEIR RV OVEN AND THEY HAVE SINCE RE-ENGINEERED THE PART AND CHANGED FROM PLASTIC TO NYLON. TAMMY, FROM APOLLO OVENS, SAID NO PROBLEM, WE WILL SEND YOU THE NEW PART AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS RIGHT AWAY FREE OF CHARGE. THAT WOULD BE THE "GOOD NEWS" PART.

NOW YOU ALL KNOW I'M "TOOL CHALLENGED", AND TO USE UNCLE NEIL'S LINE, I ONLY HAVE TWO TOOLS IN MY TOOL CHEST: A PHONEBOOK AND A CHECKBOOK..........

MAYBE I'LL LET MARY TELL "THE REST OF THE STORY".......

Well I guess I am up!! Rex is so good at sharing or should I say passing the tuff stuff off to me. Anyway, I know Rex's limitations when it comes to tools and I am real careful about the timing of such projects. First on the list, no projects late in the day when it is hot...his frustration level increases with every degree the temperture goes up. Second on the list....before "beer time".

The first step was to remove the plastic frame that holds the oven in place. This I did...too bad that wasn't to be my only contribution. OK so now the oven goes out the door and onto the table outside. Step 2 in the instructions is "Remove metal wrapper from unit." Sounds easy right--the directions are real nice letting us know that there is 11 screws, plus 2 screws - 1 on each side of the cabinet. In the directions these are referred to "Safety Screws". In reality they are screws that have labels that say DO NOT REMOVE..INTERNAL GROUNDING or some such shit....and they have a metal tip sticking up in the star shaped center of the screw. The directions say you can remove this ridiculous screw using a needle nosed plier..ya right! We made several failed attempts using needle nosed pliers and the suckers didn't budge...so Rex made another trip to the tool box and came back with a hack saw!! Now we're talking!! It took a LOT of effort, but the first screw succumbed to the saw. The second screw was in a location, that made use of a hack saw impossible, but with a pair of pliers, Rex was able to get it off.

I am not going through the step by step directions, but the oven is now back in it's home and the door is working...a job well done by two amateurs!

AND NOW IT'S "MILLER TIME" !!!!