I put the jeep batteries on the charger a few days before the parade just to make sure she'd start for this one.  On a beautiful Saturday morning, I headed to downtown and made it to the TXDOT parking lot for our staging.  There, I learned we wouldn't be having any big trucks in the group this year so we started to scramble on how we could carry everyone if we had a large turnout.

Danny was there with his M37 as was Madison and his M37.  Scott C showed up in his really nice M170 ambulance sans top, Fred in his Navy CJ, Toby with his MB/M100 combo, Ward and his slat-grill MB and my with the M38A1.  Bill B also joined us in his Indian attire.

When it was time to stage on the bridge everyone fired up their vehicles and started off.  I hit the ignition switch, then the starter and all I heard was a "pfft" and some some smoke under the battery boxes.  Argh.  I figured I had blown a fuseable link somewhere in the wiring harness so I was out and now wondering how I was going to get my truck and trailer down to haul it back home.

I hit the ignition switch and sure enough, no power to anything.  Removing the battery box cover, I noticed the jumper between the two batteries had come loose and the "pfft" sound I heard was a high-amp arc between the coupler and the battery post.  So much in fact that the lead post was melted and some slag ran down the post itself.  I dug out my wrenches and undid the coupler, popped it back on the post and tightened it up.  Next was hit the ignition and sure enough, all was good.  Hit the starter and presto, she fired right up and I caught up to the group who had never even missed me!

We staged on the Congress Ave. bridge and had a good time.  The scouts we haul (Pack 395 out of Oak Hill) brought donuts and sausage wraps for us and another scout troop had a mobile canteen which was passing out coffee.  What a great breakfast!  While eating on the bridge, Jeff M arrived in his MB, and Claude V came meandering in.  

This is when I also noticed I picked up a screw somewhere.  Being tube tires, I figured it was either going to leak or not and wanted to pull it out but everyone said to leave it alone.  As scouts/parents were loading in the jeep I thought "oh no - the extra weight will push it in further".  Alas, that didn't happen and it stayed up for the parade.

The parade started about 9:15am or so and took it's time making the run up Congress Ave.  Not a lot of spectators this year either.  We made the turn at the Capitol and headed back to the TXDOT lot where everyone off-loaded and went their separate ways.

When I got home, I pulled the screw and she held air with no leak.  Overall, another Scout parade in the books.