Protech awarded RVRN Certification; Benton, KY

On April 25, 2007, after three days of training, Ed received his certification from the RVRN(Recreational Vehicle Refrigeration Network) Association. Protech Mobile RV Service and Repair will now specialize in rebuilding RV refrigerator cooling units.



The RVRN trade organization was started by Roger and Onna Lee Ford of Ford RV Refrigeration located in Benton, KY. The Fords have been in business for 23 years and have developed procedures for rebuilding RV refrigerator cooling units. These systems are ammonia based, unlike Freon-based systems in our residential refrigerators and freezers. When the coils that hold the ammonia corrode, they develop leaks, requiring either a new refrigerator or a new cooling unit. Most dealers don't repair RV cooling units. Instead, they install new ones that cost over $1100. They will generally give a one-year warranty. But by rebuilding the unit using the Ford procedures, the cooling units are better than new. So good, in fact, that the warranty is five years unlimited, including parts and labor. But the best part is that the customer saves hundreds of dollars on the repair.

Roger and Onna Lee founded the RVRN to teach the procedures that they have perfected over the years to other technicians. They have already trained over 300 techs. The goal is to have a complete network across the country that will honor the warranty. Once a tech is trained and has joined the RVRN network, he has a 100-mile radius protected territory. Protech Mobile RV Service is the exclusive distributor for Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Ed's training was abbreviated since he already holds Master Certification in RV Repair from the RV Industry Association. These photos were taken during Ed's written and practical tests. Here Onna Lee is getting Ed set to begin.



This is the charging board, one of the specialized tools that Roger has developed. Each make and model of RV refrigerator has its own formula for the ammonia solution. This tool ensures that the correct charge is applied.



Exacting quality standards and rigorous testing set the RVRN system apart from other rebuilders. Any leak in the steel evaporator is repaired by welding.



Ed and Roger are comparing cooling units from Dometic and Norcold, the two major brands of RV refrigerators.



Ed and I believe that this specialty is a perfect fit with his mobile RV repair business. Now that Ed has the training and the tools, our next step is to get a shop location in CT where he can do the work. Then we have to get the word out. So...don't throw that camper refrigerator away! Call Ed at 860-803-2359 or visit www.protechmobilerv.com for updates and more information.

Mammoth Cave National Park; Cave City, Kentucky

Three years ago, we stayed in Bowling Green, Kentucky while Ed completed his training at Camping World RV Institute. We never took the time to visit Mammoth Cave, only 40 miles away, and Ed had promised me that we' d come back and see it. So I was determined to seize the opportunity on this trip. Last weekend, we made our home base at the brand-new Cave Country Campground in nearby Cave City, KY.

Mammoth Cave is so-named because it is the longest cave system in the world, with over 367 miles of mapped tunnels. Jewel Cave in South Dakota and a cave in Russia are the second and third longest caves - and Mammoth Cave is longer than the two of them put together! Mammoth Cave was established as a national park in 1941 and became a World Heritage Site in 1981. Geologists estimate than there may be another 600 miles of unmapped tunnels that extend beyond the 53,000 acres of the Park's borders.

The guided tours of various sections of the cave sell out every weekend and this Saturday was no exception. We had a few hours until we could get on a tour, so we decided to take a boat ride on the aptly named "Miss Green River". The Green River flows through the park and is the culmination of all the underground rivers that have carved Mammoth Cave out of the limestone. The river was high and muddy from all the recent rains. Our captain pointed out turtles, warming themselves on the fallen trees on the riverbank.




After lunch at the Mammoth Cave Hotel, we returned for our tour. Members of our group boarded three schoolbuses that had been converted to run on propane. Our driver took us to a man-made entrance to access one the prettiest parts of the cave. Most of the cave is dry, but this part has a short section where dripping water created stalagmites, stalactites, and other formations over thousands of years. We climbed down 250 ft. via extremely steep and narrow stairways and passages.


Our ranger explained that the earliest cave guides hoped to lure wealthy New Yorkers to come visit Mammoth Cave. So they named many of the chambers and formations after places in New York. For example, here is our guide giving us information as we are all seated in a great big "room" they called "Grand Central Station".



After a brief rest, we continued our 3/4 mile walk through another dry portion of the cave.



Finally, we descended 75 steps into the only part of the cave with formations. Here is a type known generically as "draperies". See the curtain folds?


The grand finale of our tour, with yet another New York reference, is the multi-story wall called "Frozen Niagara". As impressive as Mammoth Cave is, we still think no other cave rivals Luray Caverns in Virginia for sheer beauty, interesting formations and colors. But each is unique - we've seen Jewel Cave and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico also - and Mammoth is well worth a visit.