Departed Howe, IN

We left Howe and was on the road about 8AM after a visit to the dump.

We went about 575 miles with several stops which included Walmart, a power nap, and Cabela’s Sporting Goods.  We ended up in Hagerstown, MD at a SAM’S.  It was nice and quite most of the night.  We forgot to take off that magnet on the side of the rig.  About 4 AM a tractor trailer parked next to us and he didn’t have an off switch for his motor.

Here our some pictures of the Forbes’ rig getting pulled out by the “gang” of Keystone Cops.

Luckily we had a fifth wheeler and could use his truck.  Denny Orr had the tow strap.  It was old like Denny and it broke.  The strap not Denny. The tow strap is a good “gadget” to have.

The skinny boats on the car did very well.  I think they cut my fuel mileage down in half…..not!

See ya.

Rowing, Rowing, Rowing Down The River

This picture reminded me of the management of the Freightliner dealer.

Name three things you don’t want to upset in the AM

A little restaurant in Howe, IN.  Very nice.

These two breakfasts were under $10 WITH coffee. 

Shipshewana Flea Market.  It takes about 2 hours to walk it.  Whew…it was tiring.  We got there early so the crowds were light but had really picked up by the time we left – a lot!

Then we went on to Fluid Fun in Bristol, IN to get some skinny boats.  You know you are getting old when the workers look really young! The young staff helped to peel the wrapping off my boat. It’s a 12 foot something or another..

I hope he don’t think that hole is a potty! 

These are BIG dogs and very very friendly.

 

It’s a family business and they can use all the help they can get.  Here I’m swinging their 3 month old in the swing and I thought I was petting the head of the dog.  No I was petting/rubbing the other end.  I think he “coughed”.

 

Now I got the right end of the dog or I should say front….still swinging the baby.  The owners spent over 5 hours with us.  We put boats on the ground and sat in them.  When we were happy we took them down to the water and got launched.  He taught us how to enter/exit the boat and use it in the kinda swift water that was right behind his place.  Then I put the heavy boat – mine, up and down off the top of his van about 6 times to get the feel for the weight.  It was heavier than I wanted but I wanted this particular boat – why – just because. Carol went with a 9.5 foot and me a 12. Mainly a 12 foot for me because I weigh about 100 lbs more than Carol.  Carol got a carbon paddle ($) and I got a wrought iron one. Life jackets was the same way – she got the good stuff and I got a string and a cork.  Then we went to the roof racks and they installed them for us.  We paid the bucks but we got the very personal and fun service to go along with it.  If you don’t know jack about these skinny boats – this place FLUID FUN in Bristol, IN comes highly recommended.  Don’t forget your wallet.  Thanks for the referral Nick…

We then went to Walmart and it was hard finding a covered parking space.

My boat….is a Current Designs 12 foot something – yeller because they didn’t have an orange in stock..

Carol’s boat is a Perception 9.5 Tribute..red/yellow.

You know, when Carol was out in the river in her boat I think I caught her smiling a couple of times.  She handled it real well!

Tomorrow we head for the eastern shore to a less known Thousand Trails park called Va Landing.  It’s a little over 800 miles and we got two days to get there. We are meeting Carol’s two brothers there. It’s the 4th of July weekend, crabbing, boating, beer and all that kind of stuff.

Sorry Steve, we didn’t get back and situated in time to call you about the datastorm. Let’s try this weekend if it’s OK with you.

See Ya……………….

Away We All Go

Eight of us went to Bob Evans for breakfast this morning and told each other our plans.  We got back to the fairgrounds and someone got stuck.    I won’t mention Larry & Marilyn Forbes names though.  We used a pick up and a tow strap and pulled them out. Welcome to the club.  No pictures – yet!

The fairground animals were waiting for us to leave so they continue on with not being interrupted.  Here we have a black squirrel.  Maybe I should say African-American.  I don’t know anymore.  He’s cute……..

And these little cuties would even let you pet them.

We drove a whooping 100 miles to Howe, IN.  It’s a SKP discount park, C2C park and Passport America park.  We first came here back in the late 90’s.  Hasn’t changed one bit. Nice and quite.  Park on grass with 30AMP/water and some are even 50 AMP.

The friggin “Check Engine” remained on until I turned the engine off. I called Freightliner and they said to put coolant in it to the top.  I shined the wheels while Carol does the laundry down the road.  Tonight Walmart and try to find some place to send this stuff.  Our Datastorm is down.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is kayak day…stay tuned…

See Ya……

Friggin Engine Light

We moved over to this spot Saturday AM and off the soft ground.  When we did the friggin CHECK ENGINE came on.  Hey, run it till the STOP ENGINE light comes on or blows. 

Susie Orr decided to put the laundry in front of my camera.  What can I say, it was too tempting.

Here are the Forbe’s (left) and the Orr’s.  We are behind the Orr’s.  Almost everybody left this morning.  We were number 57 and last rig to get here yesterday.

This couple purchased Joe Green’s New Horizon.  They’re members of Chp 6 and are getting ready to go full timing when their house sells.  I would say about 2020…..

There wasn’t many of us left come 4 o’clock Sunday.

We had the gathering in here because…..a storm was coming..and it hit us with rain.

 

Then the sky cleared up and all was well.

See ya……………

Arrival – two days late

We left our overnight spot and went to Cracker Barrel.  Always parking there somewhere.  Some have designated RV parking if you are 40 feet or less – total.

 

Frugal tip…  We get the Old Timers breakfast for $6.59 and split it.  Carol likes the grits, biscuit & gravy. I get the two eggs, turkey sausage & taters. Two coffees at $1.89 each plus two to go (free).  Total bill with tax was $10.57 then a $2 tip. 

We left and ran into a little fog.

then we arrive Van Wert, OH.  Denny Orr had a big 22 oz cold beer waiting for me.  I needed it.  Went to the pot luck which was great.  I even got asked to tell some Mom Hill jokes which I did.

Then some of us sat out and fixed the world problems.

 

Tomorrow will move again day – about 100 feet.  We are in a real soft spot on grass and they are calling for rain – duh – move to avoid the possibility of getting stuck – been there done that. The rally ends tomorrow morning with donuts and coffee.  We will stick around with a few others so we can pick up our mail tomorrow (Monday).

See Ya………

YO YO

I wonder if the Duncan Company is still making Yo Yo’s.  If so, the management at Hagerstown,  Md Freightliner could get a job there very easy because they are bunch of Yo Yo’s for sure.  We got out of there at 6:30 PM.  They insisted that we stay there until they finished their paperwork.  Yea right!  We left with them saying you can’t do that. I had talked to Freightliner Hq twice about these Yo Yo’s so they know what’s going on.  Three days to diagnosis an injector and replace is not even close to being normal. It’s because we were a RV at a truck repair.  I’m sorry, I thought it said Freightliner and we are a truck…just a pretty one.  They’re jealous.

We drove about 150 miles towards Van Wert, OH.  The temps dropped with the sun going down and being in the mountains of WVa and PA.  It was nice.  We found a closed inspection station about 20 miles inside Pa off I-79.  Trucks don’t like parking in closed inspection stations because they are afraid they will open before they leave and want to look at their log books. Been there done that.  So, it turned out to be a very peaceful night.  Yes our jacks are down and slideouts are out.  It’s  an end space with plenty of room.

Of course our Datastorm (internet) is acting up.  Our blog will be a little late until we figure this out.  I will give Steve O’Bosky a call tomorrow or Sunday.  He’s really good….

Maybe we can find a Cracker Barrel tomorrow morning.

See Ya………………..

Waiting due to poor service

Well, service work was distributed here at Freightliner early  this AM and we weren’t among it. I waited in the service office 45 minutes (2nd in line) to find out why.  Once I got to speak to the service rep a tech was at our rig 15 minutes later.  Opps, we were left off the work list.  About one hour later the tech diagnosed that an injector shorted out and in turn made two others stop working.  He left.  About an hour later I found the tech and asked what now. He said they (part dept) were trying to find one.  I asked about the driveshaft not being installed yet and the two recall items not being worked on.  He said he was pulled off our job to work on other trucks that came in after us.  Not good.  I went and saw the service manger and let him know that the tech didn’t finish the job yesterday AM (Wednesday) but could have.  Then the night crew blew us off and now our guy was pulled off our job today (Thursday).  He also informed me that it wouldn’t be ready until about 5/6 PM tomorrow (Friday). I was pissed and they knew they screwed up.  Bottom line – mechanics don’t like working on motorhomes because one they have to be careful about grease and the customers are more ….. alert to when they are being screwed.  RVers can get away calling Freightliner Hq and making a complaint. A company truck driver can not do that.  I know – been there done that.   So, I called Freightliner HQ and gave them just the facts.  Shortly there after the service manager here gave me a call and informed me they would do all the work except the injector -  now.  Then when the injector comes in tomorrow morning (Friday) they would start on the repair immediately.  Most of the repairs where completed in about 1 hour.  Now let’s wait till tomorrow AM.  Freightliner Hq also waived the $100 deductible because I should have been on the road today (Thursday).

Meanwhile the local area tied the all time temps high again today – 96 degrees two days straight.  Glad we’re not in Livingston.  Heard it was hotter.

Carol is out enjoying spending the $100 we saved.  The animals and I just laid around not trying to move to much.

If they get us out by 2/3 PM (1 hr work) we decided we will still go to Van Wert to the Escapees Tri Chapter Rally.  We told several people we would be there so we will be there!

Sorry for all the verbiage (no pictures) but I figure no one wanted to see pictures of broke down trucks.

See Ya…….maybe……

Still Broke

What is Paradise when you are broke – if you are a trucker and looking at our setup.

 

A Freightliner tech came out about 10 AM Wednesday to diagnosis the problem.  On his Freightliner shirt his stitched  name was Rookie.  It took him about 45 minutes to find the engine.  Well, it was from the inside rear and covered very well with carpet.  He hooked up his computer and said “Oh!”.  Not a good term around a RVer.  He started the engine and immediately turned it off.  He said, Yep, it’s broke”. I don’t remember what he said but I evaluated it as it could be this or that or even maybe something else.  If its “this” it would take a few days.  If it was “that” it could take a lot longer.  And if it was “something else” it would have better to let it burn.  He said he would check with his boss to see what to do next.  I went in to the service desk about 3 PM to get an update.  “Oh they all went home and we are the new shift.”  “We will look at it later tonight.”  They close at 11PM.  We might make Ohio by Christmas.

This is our driveshaft next to the tire.  I guess you could say I got a “stumpy.”  Notice those shiny wheels?

As you can see we are really living high the hog with this 110V outlet.  Good thing it only hit 96 degrees today vice 100.

No tech tonight.  Send Christmas cards to us via Hagerstown, MD

See ya in the far future……………

Broke Down – Big Time

We left Fredericksburg about noon and headed northwest up thru Winchester and Rt 522 to I-68 & I-70.  About a 100 miles out it was time to stop.  As we were going on to an exit ramp into a rest area it happened.  The engine light came on “Check Engine”. We stopped and idled the engine up since we were coming off a a long drag up a hill .  All gauges were normal.  I looked under the coach for liquids – none.  I got back in the coach and turned the engine off. Waited about 15 minutes and turned it back on.  No power what so ever, barely would run and a very loud knocking from the engine.  It was broke.  We called Coach-Net Towing at 3:30PM.  A tow truck came at 11 PM.  We were towed 60 miles to Hagerstown Freightliner.  When the tow truck left us it was 2 AM.  Needless to say we were tired.

So here we sit with a broken motor in a truck repair shop (Freightliner).  Oh, isn’t full timing great.  Hey, “Everyday’s An Adventure.”

See Ya………..maybe

PS – we don’t have WiFi here but we can go down the road and get it, so things might be a little slow until we get the “word” on repairs.

Unidentified Heard

Before we left Baltimore (Columbia area) I caught a glimpse of  unusual mammals traveling in a heard.  They are scarce in the roads we travel and very seldom seen in such an organized large heard. I was lucky to catch them with my fast action camera.  

 

This is Carol’s bro’s place that he built – yep he did. Of course he had other help but it was his plans and sweat.  He’s a master electrician so he does have connections. We look pretty small next to his garage.

His/our neighbors are pretty quite most of the time.

We left Baltimore at 7 PM to try and miss some of the DC traffic.  Well, who ever called everybody and told them that we would be on the road and to stay off – we appreciate it.  For some weird reason traffic was light to medium on the I-95 corridor. We got down to Fredericksburg about 9 PM (100 miles). We dropped off our son at his place and went looking for a night spot.

Here it is.  It was peaceful and no one bothered us. We ran the generator and both AC’s for about 30 minutes to cool us down. We watched TV until 10:30 PM and we called it a night. I took this pic about 5:30 AM Tuesday.  Yes, I’m an early riser. 

Tuesday we got to run around for our son.  His Doc said that CVS really over charged us on some of his meds.  We are going to go “talk” to them. Plus, we are going to see if he is eligible for food stamps. We should be on the road about 1PM or so.

See ya……………