Yet another annoying test of the subscription services attached to the Blog Site.
No action required!
I am getting to the bottom of how this process works and that helps me with future readers.
Just a tip for anyone that gets the Blog but has trouble with the photos. All you need to do is go to the top right of the Post and click on “Read on Blog”. This brings you from the emailed version directly into the “online” version.
Thanks!
I am happy (no… ecstatic would better describe it) to report that the needed repairs to our House on Wheels have been done! Both the Big Slide-Out and the Airbags have been worked on and that work has been completed very satisfactorily.
The large slide-out had remained slid-in for approximately Forty days (and nights) which is reminiscent of another event of Biblical Proportions. And while we did not encounter rains and flooding of that magnitude, our stay aboard our then squished-in ship felt like what Noah must have experienced being squeezed into a vessel with all those critters (even if there’s only just two of us) ‘cuz his “motorhome” was 300 cubits long, ours is but 24 cubits!
True to their word, the folks up at Country Classic got us in at the prescribed time which was waaaaay shorter than anywhere else! The next-best timing scenario was from Winnebago up in Iowa and that was sometime in the latter part of November! We were told by Country Classic “Give us two days’ notice and we’ get you in.” Well they obviously got more notice than that as we were still in Montana and our travels would bring us even further westward to Washington, Oregon, Utah, and Colorado before we made any turns to bring us back to the East Coast.
Tommy’s (Yetter’s Diner) parking lot never looked better on that Wednesday afternoon that we pulled in. And at 8 am the next day we were sitting at County Classic waiting for the boys to look us over. In a previous post I diagramed how these slide-ins work so I won’t bore you with a rehash of that but one does need to have some experience with how these things work and what may cause it to go kerflooey. These guys have it in spades because this is what they do. And they do it well! With about fifty (50!) Google Reviews, all with a perfect Five Star Rating…. well it just doesn’t get any better than that!
I was fairly sure that we were going to find some crunched gears or something of that nature, but the guys thought otherwise after “testing” it a few times. Sure enough, with a tad of sleuthing going on, a small gouge was discovered in the underneath of the slide-out indicating that something was scraping on it. One look under the sofa inside revealed the culprit, a small piece of wood that had been removed (by me four years ago) because it was marking up the floor. I stashed it under there in case it was needed again and after some bumps and such, it had worked itself loose and proceeded to “jam” itself, hindering the in and out progress of the slide.
Ta-Daaa!
Just to make sure all was well, they lubed a few spots and checked a few more and in a total of two hours I was on my way with not even a bill to pay. I never expected that, and even though I had been in twice before for cosmetic work, I would not consider myself a regular customer! (I guess in this case being a regular customer of a body shop would not be very good thing to brag about!) So, to show our gratitude for a job well done we’re going to bring lunch over for the entire crew next week. We’re going to stay and partake of the victuals also…… it will be fun sitting there with them, I’m sure that we’ll hear some good “war” stories!
Our next venture was over to Campbell’s in Lafayette, our go-to guys for all of the “underneath” maintenance stuff. Campbell’s is an authorized Freightliner maintenance facility, the place is immaculate, and they’re very friendly and easy to work with. This is the kind of place that you want to be a regular customer of. Not because something is always breaking (which does happen) but because you are performing and scheduling your periodic maintenance items as they need. That old adage, or commercial “You can pay me now, or pay me later,” could not ring truer when it comes to these big units. It’s one thing to stretch an issue and have a problem locally, it’s totally different when “local” is over two thousand miles away.
This “airbag” issue is a good example.
These puppies are expensive at almost $400.00 a piece and we have four of them. Only one (1) was giving us an issue, but we asked them to order four new ones for us, thinking that if one was bad could the others be far behind?
Then doubt starts to creep into the checking account part of your brain…..
Hmmm, what if the other three are still good? Maybe, it’s just one bad one…. Then you reluctantly (?) say, “Nah, let’s do ‘em all!”
When I went out into the shop area and asked Sean (the mechanic) to see the others that came off, well there it was….. the tell-tale signs of what every rubberized aficionado fears…..
Dry Rot!
It was only a matter of time when the others would have poofed out on us also……. so, we paid them then 😊!
This is a place that treats us like we should be treated, maybe a little better. This is definitely a truck place, but we are definitely not truck drivers. A lot of those guys know their vehicles inside out and perform a lot of the periodic maintenance themselves. So when it comes to communications between them, well, they all speak the same language… “Yea your rizomizer‘s cam flangerizer has a few burrs on the semi-circular rotary plate just above the thermo-coupling indicating that your secondary fuel atomizer is delivering not enough PSI to run your motor efficiently.”
Huh?
And even though I have some mechanical experience we get the regular-person version delivered with a genuine smile. “The scheduled maintenance of your fuel pump is coming up soon.”
We feel very safe because we know that when these guys are underneath they are checking for “issues” before they become catastrophes.
That sums up the Maintenance Portion of today’s Post, and I’m afraid that there is no other Traveling News to report to you all. Texas is still clocking in at about 14 million degrees (Fahrenheit) so we’re gonna take our time going back and maybe stop along the way and see some sights.
We shall see.
But don’t think that your traveling days are over just yet! It is only 66 days until we embark on the Majestic Princess for another Multi-Month Cruise, this time it will circumnavigate South America. You will be aboard with us, and we will all be jammed into another interior cabin because that’s how we get to afford these things! We will leave Los Angeles on December 1 and return on January 20 something in Fort Lauderdale. Since this is going to the extreme south of the Southern Hemisphere, (around Cape Horn) the voyage needs to be taken during their summer, which is our winter, hence the dates. As much as I would have preferred to go ’round Cape Horn in their winter, the powers-that-be in the Princess High Office thought better of subjecting their passengers to the famously tumultuous seas and weather that frequent that area at that time.
Rats!
No worries….
Just another “Subscription Test”, no actions needed!
Hello Everyone!
There will be no funnerized aspects to this post as it is simply a request for information. Most of you are what is considered a “subscriber” in that you have requested in one way or another, for the Blog to automatically come into your In Box of your email. There appears to be varying success rates with this operation and the folks at my Blog Posting/Hosting Service are only somewhat helpful. As of late there has been a nice number of newer subscribers/followers, some of which are having difficulties getting attached to the subscription services.
So, (and this is strictly voluntary) I am going to ask you a favor….
Could you please respond in one way or another to this Post? – The first way would be to simply go to the end of this Post and leave a comment like All’s good, or I get the Post but still no photos, or I need to log onto the website when I want to check your site, or anything that you would like to say or add that you think may be appropriate. Be sure to leave your email there also (it does NOT get published!) – The other way would be to simply email me directly at donhall930@gmail.com and leave your comments there. I already have your contact emails (if you are a subscriber) so I can easily match everything up and if I didn’t, when you do this process, I will have it!
I thank you in advance for your cooperation and as always, I thank you for reading the blog and following us, for while it is fun to just write, it is way more satisfying to write and have someone read!
Best to you all,
Don
The Parking Lot at Yetter’s Diner is filled with curious onlookers waiting for an event that usually occurs in the Spring. There are numerous folks outfitted with the latest in digital binoculars while others are clambering to the highest positions that they can find, primarily on the top of the dumpster. The Buzz has reached crescendo-like proportions as each day passes waiting for the rumored return of the Freeloaders, those gypsy-like travelers who appear out of nowhere and take up numerous parking spots with their gigantic migrating vehicle of choice…. The Wallowing Winnebago.
The Good-byes had been all accomplished back in the beginning of August with the promise of “See ya next year!” ringing in everyone’s ears.
The applause was deafening as the Freeloaders left their roost, little did they know that it was an applause of relief as those sending them off were all employees eager to get their coveted parking spots back.
Hah! Fooled ya! Here we come again, jostling our way back into your lives and parking lot for what is being touted as (“Oh No! Here they are Again?) The Return of the Parasites.
This has apparently upended everything as all of the usual Rites of Spring have been sent into chaos. Reports of tulips sprouting and birds migrating northward have filtered back to this region.
The Monks over at San Jaun Capistrano are having fits.
See you soon!
This one may seem to be a little out of sequence, so an explanation is in order…. When we were visiting Phillis and Steve in Seeley Lake, Montana we had the opportunity to visit the ‘job site’ of a gentleman who was at first an acquaintance that did a kitchen renovation for them, and then became a friend. We were invited to visit his current multi-year project that is being crafted for a family who will remain anonymous. It is this anonymity that needed to be affirmed, and permission sought (and granted!), before any publication could proceed.
So, I will now introduce you to Kris Mitchell, Woodworker Extraordinaire, and his current creation of a mountaintop retreat.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One of the best aspects of traveling around is that we get to meet folks that we never would have had the opportunity to meet. I know that sounds obvious, and it is, but when we come across an individual who has positioned themselves in life to be “Of Interest” and we get to interact with them, then they become one of those “better features” of our travels. So, similar to our meeting Henry and his Hawks back in New Hampshire (June 29th), you will find that Kris excels at what he does…..
So, here for that “I Can’t believe That Someone Can Do These Things” part of your brain, I give you, Kris Mitchell.
Kris has no superpowers, he is just a tried-and-true carpenter at heart, learning his trade from both is father and grandfather. He said, “From about ten years old my Saturday mornings consisted of about ten minutes of cartoons before my Dad announced, ’Let’s go! Job site’s a callin’!”
We came across Kris because he is doing some work for our hosts, the McNeill’s. Kris installed a new kitchen area in the apartment attached to the hanger here at Seeley Lake Airport. They in turn found him when they ordered the new cabinet’s et al, from a local supplier and Steve asked if they knew of anyone that could install them. The guy mentioned Kris’s name and that “he’d probably like the work in the winter ‘cuz his regular project sits dormant until the spring.”
Well, it’s this ‘regular project’ that we are here to see and learn about.
High up in the mountains, just a little southeast of Seeley Lake, on almost sixty mountaintop acres, sits a collection of buildings designed to honor the past while also being as modern as they can be with regard to functionality and environmental aspects, and of course working in, and honoring, those old aesthetics.
The gentleman who owns this mountain top is the premier concert/event lighting guy in the nation. If you’ve been to any concert or event of late where they need to have total control of their own lighting, then you’ve probably witnessed his work. The owner is smart enough to not only listen to Kris’s suggestions when it comes to how things need to be done, but he also receives Kris’s input on some of those aesthetical parts that bind all of this project together. Kris is uniquely qualified in this area as he has truly positioned himself “off the grid” and while this aspect is noteworthy in itself, it lends a certain way of thinking when constructing buildings for someone who gave Kris this challenge…. “I want to be able to walk fifty yards away and turn around and not ‘see’ anything” No ostentatious clearing of mountain tops for all to see way in the distance for this guy!
Now let’s take a look at these homes and outbuildings. This project and Kris’s demeanor could qualify in this day and age for their own reality show. Not Gordon Ramsey screaming obscenities if he finds a fallen souffle, more like Julia Child smiling as she is teaching us how to make Boeuf Bourguignon. His crew is as loyal as the day is long and this is crucial, as you may imagine, to achieving the desired results both in quality and timeliness. Many of the crew stay up on the mountain for weeks at a time because commuting is not an option. When the best guys sometimes come from far away, then conditions need to be guided so that results are in fact realized.
That’s why the first building erected up top was a combination garage, storage, dance barn, and temporary bunkhouse for these guys. Kris and the owner knew that in order to complete the rest of the facilities (which include the main house, two guest houses, and a caretaker’s cottage) the all-important workforce and their relative comfort would become a priority. It also allowed them to get some practical experience here on the mountain before tackling the other buildings. That practical experience is the part of this project that Kris is best at. When you see the materials that they are working with your admiration for the accomplishments so far, skyrockets.
They use whole trees.
Not just any tree.
48’ diameter Doulas Firs.
The really big ones come from another part of Montana, but the ones used for the ‘regular’ lumber that they mill have come from right here on the property.
Then they cut those giants into incredibly large posts and beams and the rest into something that resembles a 4 ish x 12 ish x 16 ish rafter, all cut on the premises at the mill that’s set up a quarter mile down the driveway (or road). As you can tell, they cut their wood to the dimensions that work the best for their application. Now, not all of the materials need to be manufactured on site as they are not needed to be. Take the interior walls for example. The white ‘painted’ boards came from a barn in Pennsylvania, while the red boards came from Ohio and one of the floors in here came out of an old wheat barn in somewhere I cannot recall (when they did all of the threshing of wheat by hand). Those planks are over four inches thick, and you can see their wear and tear just by looking at them. This kind of an effect cannot be ‘manufactured’, but it does need to be sourced. Authentic is the watchword of this project.
“That’s all well and good Don, but where do they find all of these different kinds of wood and materials?”
I’m glad you asked that oh great Director of Procurement!
Kris’s next area of expertise is this exact attribute. He has worked all over the USA and has contacts in about twenty-seven states, so this makes it easier to get things done. He travels around and when he finds an old barn for example, one that’s ready to come down, he gets someone to disassemble it, pack it up, and haul it either back to home base or wherever the current project dictates. He has the ability to “store” materials that he knows can be used in current and future projects on his property not far from here. Kind of like Joanna Gaines rummaging through her antiques barn in search of the perfect door hardware.
You get the idea.
The “Big House” will actually not be very big. It will be rather normal and that is exactly what is wanted. Coming in at a little over 2000 square feet, you can see that it is not a grandiose edifice, but then, it is not wanted to be. Remember that the owners want it to sort of just “blend in”, hence it’s relatively normal size. Instead of a large house with many bedrooms, the property will have two separate Guest Homes for visiting family and friends leaving the main house for the owners. Now don’t go thinking that that main house will not be set up for entertaining the folks staying on the mountain with them because a good part of the 2000+ square feet is taken up with a great room, an awesome kitchen, and ancillary entertainment spaces which will allow the main home to be a gathering place for all. It will even have a two-sided fireplace constructed of the rocks found on the property.
While the plans are fairly secure in theory and design already, there is enough wiggle room for the owners and Kris to modify aspects of this design as esthetics and practicality come to light as the project advances. Since this is obviously a totally custom build, there was no opportunity to tour a Model Home and envision how it would turn out. Many a detail and sketches were scribbled on a cocktail napkin during some of the building meetings!
The main part of the home was just being started when we were there so I don’t really have any good photos of that to share ….. yet! We cannot wait until next year when we return to Seeley Lake for a visit and with any amount of luck, we’ll be able to visit Kris again and see how all of these “artists” have progressed with their “Masterpiece”!
We have illegal aliens on board.
To make matters worse, in the eyes of the law they are considered stowaways. Depending on which country and/or port you embark from should determine the severity of the hopefully ensuing penalties. I say should because there are some mitigating circumstances. And provided of course, that the ‘alleged’ offenders are, in fact, apprehended.
So far they have been successful in eluding capture. We have the finest equipment available to us, but even this advantage has not borne any fruit as The I.A.’s (Illegal Aliens) have been trained by the best masterminds of this century in what is now being touted as the latest and finest A.I.W.R.T.A.C. tactics.
A.I.W.R.T.A.C. (Artificial Intelligence With Regards To Avoiding Capture) is nothing new, but it seems that no matter which way we turn, our efforts have been thwarted.
We find ourselves stymied at every turn when it comes to acquiring the latest technology for the detection and capture of our stowaways. We will be resorting to some older tried and true strategies in a very short order.
To make things even more problematic, these I.A.’s are considered an Invasive Species as we are not sure of which port they hail from. And with most of the States that we have traveled through of late being “Open Carry” States, we are quite sure that they are both armed and dangerous.
The normal penalties for Stowaways usually include being deported back to the country of origin and/or up to a year in a federal prison.
Our “local” penalty is a little more severe.
For all of you that have already been brow-beaten into purchasing my book, my sincere apologies for foisting this message on you again but there have been a significant number of new victims, er, I mean readers, added to the Subscribed List since this was posted. So, here it is again!
But before you delve deeply into this Post, an Update is in order. When we last left our Intrepid (or is it Inept?) Travelers, they were working their way across the West via Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico back to Texas with an Un-Sliding Slide-Out and some (possible at times) Non-Inflating Inflatable Suspension Bellows. I am happy to report that we have arrived in the Great State of Texas in time for a possible Hurricane (Francine) and also for Madison’s 8th Birthday Swimming Party which went off without a hitch! We will stay here for about a week more and then vacate the State and continue our Quest for Mechanical Measures of Great Importance in the Humble(?) State of New Jersey (Yo! You talkin’ ta me?). There we have two appointments with our local friends that actually know how to fix these things. No planned Excitements of any kind are scheduled for our time here in Texas except a haircut which has already been acquired and hopefully there will be no others on our Three-Day Journey back up North. Only time will tell.
Now, without further ado, may I present, for your reading pleasure, a plea for even more of you to procure this most obvious Collector’s Edition!
So I wrote a book.
Let me clarify that.
I wrote about 21 stories that I’ve compiled into a book.
It’s a big book….. about 650 pages.
It was going to be titled: War and Peace
But someone’s already used that one, so I settled for:
A Collection of Short Stories for Young Bookworms.
The reason that you all are seeing this now is that I’d be a fool not to reach out to folks that I already have an acquaintance with. It’s like the guy who becomes an insurance salesman…. the first people he speaks to are his family and friends, who in turn refer him to what eventually becomes his extended business family, etc. etc. etc.
Make no mistake here, this is a self-published project. Simon and Schuster did not compete with Random House for the honor of getting the publishing rights and in turn send me a hefty advance for my troubles. I used a wonderful indie-publishing outfit called BookBaby, which happens to be right here in New Jersey but may as well be in Timbuktu because everything is done on-line. They offer many tutorials to help authors write, organize, and promote their books. One of the first things that they recommend is to reach out on whatever social media platform that one may have and start there.
That would be here.
Now the backstory……
About ten years ago, my (at that time, seven-year-old) granddaughter Madeline, came to me with some questions about the Titanic. Mostly questions about a big diamond and Jack and Rose, but I was able to set records straight and answer her other questions as I’ve been a student of the Titanic for as long as I can remember.
An idea came to me to take Maddie, her brother Andy, and parents Heather and Jim, and insert them into a custom storyline with the Titanic as the focal point. This is similar to an old book series that I read as a kid called “We Were There at / with….” This series took a young girl and boy and inserted them into historical situations and told the story from their point of view. A classic example of Historical Fiction that was very successful in its quest to have young readers experience history from their points of view.
That story, Maddie makes a Friend, is about Maddie meeting and making a friend of Thomas Andrews, the designer of the Titanic whilst they were aboard. When you write about people that you know, you get to weave their personalities into the fabric of the story, which in turn makes that story just a little more special than just placing them there. That became my goal in this and all of the subsequent stories that followed.
After I wrote that story, I needed to write one about Andy. And then about Augustus, and his sisters, Adelaide, and Eleanor, and then my grand-cats, CubScout and LingLing (who you already know from Critter Sitting). This developed further when I added Nieces, Nephews, and Others into this family of stories. Not all are historical in nature, as matter of fact, most just revolve around those particular person’s interests. These range from princesses, unicorns, and orcas to Top Gun, big trucks, F-18’s, and furry animal families. I don’t make up the kid’s interests, they already have those. I just get to write a story about them and their particular fascinations.
That’s how one gets to over twenty different stories just itching to be compiled into a book! This book is suitable for anyone that can read from youngster to adult, and the stories also lend themselves to being read to kids even before they learn how to read.
This is not just any book mind you…. this is a hard-bound, complete with dust jacket, real, no cheap imitations of, hefty tome of stories that are good for all to read. You need not be one of the subjects (as the stories stand well on their own) just as any story would with characters that have names attached. It’s just that these are a little more special to those that are the subjects.
I need to go on about the dust jacket for a moment as this alone is a work of art, no pun whatsoever intended, it truly is. I commissioned Erin Brady who is an artist/website designer/graphic artist who designed our new website and menu at the Chatterbox. She is absolutely wonderful to work with. I asked her to come up with a hand drawn rendition of the subjects of the stories and incorporate them all into a book cover. She succeeded in doing so, way beyond my wildest dreams! She read each story and worked all of the subject matter into a seamless front and back of the cover and dust jacket. It is a sight to behold!
I elected to go the Hardbound, dust jacket route because if there is one central theme to my life, it is probably books. I have had a library in one form or another for as long as I can remember.
With mostly hard-bound books in my collection.
If I came across a book that I liked in soft-back, I would scour the internet in order to find the oldest (First Edition!!!) version of that book, procure it, and add it to my Library.
Hence my affliction of Hardbounditis.
Thankfully there is no cure for this malady.
There is a cure, however, for my desire to propel this endeavor to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list and that’s where you all come in!
Well, not really as I don’t harbor any anticipation of that becoming a reality, but I’d be a fool not to admit that it is any author’s aspiration for that to occur!
But….. if you so desire, here is how you may procure a highly-prized First Edition of this relatively unknown Literary Masterpiece 😊
First, I need to let you know that this is not an inexpensive book.
It is considered rather pricey at $48.00, but if you do the math, there are twenty-one stories inside which makes it just $2.28 per story! What a bargain! (FYI, I don’t set the price, it’s a formula based on size and binding)
But wait!
If you order now I will add to your order a free Ginzu Kitchen Knife Collection and an additional one-hundred square feet of your choice of floor covering!
Order now! Operators are standing by!
Ok, really, here is how you may order this book. It is obviously print-on-demand, as no one is inventorying it!
And….. yes, there is a discount available for you and anyone that you care to forward this to (think friends and relatives that have kids, grandkids, etc. that you think may enjoy some fun stories)
This book does have an official ISBN # but you do not need it to place an order.
Go to: www.bookbaby.com
Find their ‘Bookstore’ and enter my name (Don Hall) or the title, A Collection of Short Stories for Young Bookworms, and it will bring you to my “page”.
Order a book (or several!) use code Chatterbox to get $15.00 off of that $48.00 cost which brings it down to $33.00 or just $1.57 per story!
If you do decide to purchase one, I would truly like to get your feedback on any aspect of the book. My personal email is in the front pages of the book, so there’s no secrets, but here it is again now for you, donhall930@gmail.com I welcome any comments or questions even before you may decide to procure one.
Thanks for reading this! (and hopefully the book!)
We are now safely bedded down in our spot in Durango at my daughter’s little spread, Tomboy Farm. This is the site of our Critter Sitting episodes. We were supposed to arrive here on Sunday, wanting to see a few sights along the way but, I wanted to get a few things done on the motorhome and Lorelyn and Travis promised to take us to Weminuche Grille, one of favorite restaurants up in the mountains, so here we are!
For the most part all is good.
This can be compared to that old aviation saying,
“Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing”
I alluded to several issues with Miss Biggie that have popped up recently. These issues have given us reason enough to alter our plans and further our Travels, adding an additional Eastbound Leg to what was supposed to be a Final Stop in Texas.
Explanations, repairs, and some general additions to Posts of the Past will be the subject of today’s report.
I’ll start with the fact that wherever we go and visit, I usually snap around 100 to 150 photos. Some are terrible, some are ok, and some are Post Worthy. But with that number of pics to choose from, even of just the good ones, leaves too many other good ones “laying on the cutting room floor” to borrow a phrase from the movie industry. In addition, some of the places we’ve been to deserve their own Post and an in-depth one to boot! So…. I will present to you, in no particular order, some additional photos, and information about places we’ve recently visited.
But first, let’s get caught up on our Mechanical Mayhem.
The Big Slide-Out. This issue has not changed, and we elected not to take any chances on it totally fritzifying itself (meaning getting stuck in the “out” position) and we have not extended it since leaving Seeley Lake, Montana several weeks ago.
This is not a Life-Changing Event.
We can certainly survive with it in, we just don’t have much room and need to slink by each other as we walk from front to rear. It has also made our already “One Person Kitchen” into a “Half-Person Kitchen”.
So, on to New Jersey for repairs.
Everyone has been asking, “Can’t you get it repaired somewhere closer?”
The answer to that one comes with its own set of caveats.
The answer is Yes.
But……
Finding someone that works on what are called Super-Slides, (our slide-out is 28’ long) is extremely difficult. We could go back to Clear Lake, Iowa, the home of Winnebago and have them work on it.
Their next available appointment is sometime in the latter part of November.
That particular situation has been repeated as these places are booked solid for months and even though Paula and I are (relatively) good people, that in itself does not move us up on the List!
Enter Country Classic Auto Body in Sussex, N.J.
These guys only repair motorhomes, fifth wheels, pull-behinds, etc. They are specialists in RV/ Motorhome bodywork and if you are ever unfortunate enough to get into an altercation of mass proportions and need it fixed, these are THE guys.
Fortunately, I have a very nice relationship with the Cecchini family as they were at the top of the list of customers at the Chatterbox. Our Saturday Cruise Night was organized in part by the Lou Cecchini, the dad of Mike, the owner of this enterprise.
So, this has some bearing on what they said to me when I relayed my tale of woe to them, “Just give us two days’ notice and we’ll get you fixed.”
Now you can understand why we’re headed back to New Jersey to get it fixed. But here’s the best part…. if you go on Google and read their reviews you will find a perfect 5.0 with over fifty verified reviews. This is in a category (auto repair) that someone always finds faults with. ‘Nuf said.
This was the impetus behind altering our Western Schedule that had included several National Parks in Utah that we have yet to visit. But we did decide to slide back into Texas in time for Maddie’s 8th birthday so that sweetened the trip East a bit! We will “hole up” at the Texas hide-out for a spell (enough time for some doctor’s appointments and a haircut) and then Three-Day it to Jersey.
That was all well and good until a few days ago when that “Suspension Problem” unveiled itself in the wilds of the Oregon forests. Before I describe this problem, I will tell you that our wonderful local, family owned, Texas Truck Repair facility closed up shop last year. We had been fortunate to have two great places for fixing stuff, this one in Texas, and Campbell’s in Lafayette, N.J., and finding a replacement in Texas has not yet been a successful proposition.
So, we’re goin’ to Jersey anyway!
Here is the issue. These big units use airbags as one of the components of the suspension. They act like shock absorbers in your car. They add an element of support and linkage to the frame and when one goes “Poof!” you can see the tilt of the vehicle on the side of the deflated air bag. We had this happen once before and those guys in Texas (sniff!) were able to just pop it back on, somewhat like restoring a tire on a rim… all good!
The reasons for this issue can vary but, in our case, we think that when we leveled the motorhome at Crater Lake the rear had to come up a little too much. The tires never left the ground, but the distance between the body and the suspension was just a little too great for ten-year-old rubber “balloons” to stretch to and the right side one gave up the ghost and quit on the spot. This was totally noticeable when we let the motorhome come off of the leveling jacks. The issue then became…. no phone service, no internet, and no cities within 80 miles of where we were. We limped out of the Campground and headed for the biggest city that we could find, Klamath Falls, Oregon, which luckily was on our way.
Now, it is not advisable to drive extensively in this condition but as long as the tire is not rubbing on the wheel well and you take it easy, you can drive. We finally got to a point where we could get a call out to our guys at Campbells who advised us of the same. Feeling a tad relieved we ventured on to Klamath Falls with Paula researching (when we had service) some truck repair places. This is not an RV related problem as the Motorhome sits on a Freightliner chassis and requires truck type folks to work on it.
Goldilocks would have been proud as it was the third repair facility that would even give us the time of day. They had never seen this particular issue before but they’re mechanics and when I related to them that once before the guy had “popped” it back on, the solution kind of presented itself. Fingers crossed.
Lucas was our guy and after just a few minutes underneath, he resurfaced and said, “Let’s give it a try” Sure enough, it was an instant success. I queried Lucas as to how this system works and he explained it to me which in hindsight became invaluable because the very next day, after a stint in the Walmart of Price, Utah, we encountered the same issue when we came off of the jacks in the morning. Now, we were extended nowhere near the length that we were at Crater Lake which means that this issue is little more far gone than we realized. We could have limped the almost three-hundred miles down into Durango, but just for fun I decided to crawl underneath and see what’s what. There it was, obviously dislocated, and laughing at me. Again, looking at it, the solution presented itself, but the application of a repair was quite iffy. Wrestling with this big rubber balloon and trying to position it correctly was not a guarantee of success. I did what I could and then dropped us off of the jacks, the Big Balloon settled nicely into its base, and all was good with the world!
The ride from Price, Utah to Durango, Colorado went off without a hitch, the weather was superb, and we arrived a little ahead of schedule. Tuesday morning, (Monday is Labor Day) I will be calling our friends at Campbells and scheduling a repair appointment. Good thing we’re headed back there anyway!
So that sums up our Mechanical Mayhem issues.
On to more fun stuff that I promised! Here you will find a rambling set of various photos from the past few weeks, I hope that you enjoy them!
So that will end this exhibit and hopefully bring everyone up to speed on the Issues. We truly love having everyone along with us and thanks a million for reading! It’s no fun writing if no one reads! 😊