Slow Day, Gumbo Time,

It’s 5 AM and 33 degrees out and that’s good.  That sure does sound crazy but compared to the teens we are in a heat wave.  Today expected high is 36 with some rain.  Tonight's low is expected to be 36 degrees with some chance of rain.  That’s enough on the weather.

Today will be a slow day for repairs.  Check on why they didn’t do a good job on our seats is on top of my list.  Where’s Bob Tiffin’s number….

Took care of a little task for Don & Sharon which was basically returning a ladder and getting some lights for them.  Tiffin couldn’t find the correct ladder for their Phaeton.  Hey, it’s only the manufacture what do you expect?

Bob & Molly took me out for lunch to this little restaurant in the nearby state.  I wanted to go on to Arizona and warmth but they had to get back to baby sit their coach.

They came over later for some of Mark's gumbo that I had frozen.I made available a few more of my fixin’s to make it just right.

Tomorrow starts the flooring replacement under the water tanks.  This will be interesting.  I’ve been watching these guys all week.  They got it down to a science.  Also, the lack of the proper repair of our Pilot and Co-pilot seats reached Bob Tiffin’s office late today.  Let’s see what happens tomorrow.

I had pictures to insert above but lost track which file they went into.  Use your imagination….

See ya…………..

Damn Cold, Hospitals & Escapees Number #42

It’s 5:30 AM and 13 degrees outside and 63 degrees inside the coach.  The front windshield had ice on the inside again.  I don’t like using the LP furnace. I just don’t like them. I rather be uncomfortable with cold than be uncomfortable with the LP furnace in a RV at night while trying to sleep.  Here’s how I defreeze the front windshield.  I put a heater on low and turn the two overhead fans on and towels (Carol’s). Takes about 15-20 minutes.

 

Water lines did not freeze so far.  I put towels around the exposed lines.  The hot shower was great.  Coming out of the shower was the killer. No pictures allowed.

 

The workers did some more work on the bedroom slide with more silicone and new gizmos (now on 2011 models) that helps keep the water out.  It’s that strip of metal along the bottom of the slide out (facing you).  They had it painted first then installed it – great job.  They did an extensive water test with no leaks. they also checked the entire area for any water damage – none.

 

They tore apart Carol’s Co-pilot seat.  How does Carol’s new seat look? Then did mine.

The end result was not acceptable on neither seat.  They (different worker) only replaced half the bad material.  I will share my feelings tomorrow.

No wind today so it was pretty good even with the temps in the 30s.

 

Family – Carol’s Mom (in Md) went back in the hospital Sunday for trouble breathing for the third time this month. She’s still in the hospital pending more tests. Our daughter’s husband got admitted to  ICU at a hospital (in Ca) Sunday for extremely high blood pressure which they still haven’t got control of yet.  He’s still in ICU..So, our plans have gone  to watery jello just about overnight.

 

A  very sad note to pass on……

Just got word today that Bob Bear (SKP #42) passed away.  Everybody who met Bob liked him.  He was just one of those kind of guys.  Him and his wife Betty were among the very first Escapees.  Carol & I worked for them the last year they made Bob’s famous biscuits and gravy at the Goshen Escapade.  He really loved making his hearty biscuits and thick sausage gravy for all SKPs to enjoy.  He will be so dearly missed.  I know he’s up there making his biscuits and gravy for everybody, I just know it!  Our deepest sympathy to Betty and family.

See ya Bob…….save some biscuits & gravy for me!

Experience

At 7:15 AM no one had assigned me a repair bay yet.  I have learned from experience that you don’t want to set here at Tiffin and wait for them.  I went and saw Jimmy who said “Oh yea, I got your paperwork somewhere.”  He found it and said “I will get you in soon.”  I just remarked I needed to be gone by this weekend.  He said “Oh yea.”  I didn’t ask what “soon” was.  Here at Tiffin you have to ask for more details like what is “soon”.  I goofed.  Anyhow, I was in a repair bay by about 8:30.  That was good because my water lines near my water pump froze and that’s after sun up.  I had the light on overnight but had to put a heater on them.  They hadn’t thaw out by the time I went in. They did shortly after going in the repair shop. The heater went on the table, etc.  Tonight I will wrap the visible water lines with towels (Carol’s). No heater until daylight.  

 

They worked on my slide out leak, replaced the driver window, took the dinette chairs to reupholster.  My worker took me over where they do the flooring on the tank compartment.  He said they’re were 3 other rigs ahead of me and they would get to me Thursday morning.  Now I have to find the upholster guy.  I didn’t get to talk to him but he supposedly was saying the Pilot and Copilot seats were a problem.  I want to see what the problem is then go from there. Where’s that Bob Tiffin?

Bob & Molly Pinner (pic from past) are here and I think they will apply for squatter rights this week.  They are very happy with the work so far on their coach.  New tile floors and now working on replacing all the cabinets. 

Bob & Molly brought the little green guy back. They couldn’t control him and left him locked up all the time.  At least that’s what he told me. 

We went to Swamp John’s for lunch.  Hey, we are at Red Bay.  I didn’t take my camera. I did find a pic of my kitty cat while looking for an old Swamp John’s picture.

Tomorrow I go back in at 7AM for them to finish working on the slide out.  They are adding some parts and they were getting them painted today.  Tonight it’s suppose to get into the teens.  I don’t have a lamp to put in the compartment but will expect it to be frozen again but a lot earlier.  I did wrap the exposed pipes with towels (Carol’s) before and after the water pump so time will tell.

Carol called me and said she was just laying around.

 

It’s 6:30 PM and it’s 25 degrees out and going down. At least the wind has died down a lot.

It’s now 4 AM and it’s 15 degrees out.  It’s 62 in the rig and dropping slowly.  I opened the windshield shades and not to my surprise there was ice just like the night before.  Folks, the ice is in the friggin inside. Isn’t there a full timers law against this? It’s so cold my – never mine……

See ya…………

It Did What At Tiffin?

The howling wind woke me up at 3AM.  It wasn’t even the slide out toppers because I didn’t have any out. It was the actual wind.  Now I’m awake.  I was rested being that I was in bed by 9 PM.  Way to windy to drive and it was starting to get real cold.  I went back to bed to get warm.  Got up at 4AM and the wind had died done a LITTLE.  With 125 miles to go I wanted to get there and get that 50 AMP hook up and heat this baby up.  I stopped about 40 miles away at Wal-Mart and waited for their fuel station to open.  Hey, $2.99 gal I can wait. They opened and I took about 63 gal and went 567 miles. That’s 9 MPG, love it.  Last tank was 8 MPG in Livingston.  I arrived at Tiffin at 7 AM and got checked in their campground right away.  No water for the winter but they have a community water fill. 

I went 600 miles in 24 hours.  Could drive other 600 miles today but don’t have to.  Now my goal today is to get very warm with three electric heaters

At 8 AM it was 30 degrees and dropping, no sun, over cast  and the wind was really bad.  Then it happened.  I wasn't even thinking it could happen but it did, unbelievable! It friggin snowed and it was snowing sideways.  Just enough to say, “look at this.” Not much unless you are a full timer who chases the sun normally. Look Hard!  Gimmie a break, it’s snow.

I did have a problem with the new Garmin early this morning (Sun).  It didn’t want to give voice instructions.  I did just about everything you could to include turning off, rebooting it, changing settings, plus others, then it just started working.  Our other one had problems with obtaining voice instructions too.  With that we would get out of the route go into the language and reset it, but not with this one.  I will figure the glitch out sooner or later.

As most of you realize I prepare this blog during the evening and very early the next morning.  It’s now 6AM Monday and my handy dandy outside temp gauge is reading 18 degrees and the wind is still ripping. I got three electric heaters going in the living room and it’s barely staying at 63 degrees.  I guess I will break out the Buddy LP heater today.  Tonight it’s suppose to get colder. Why am I here?

See Ya……………..

Chased By A Tornado

After filling up with fuel ($3.05) I got on the road a little before 8 AM.  The northern route to Red Bay was about 614 miles and right into rain.  I decided to go the more southern route which is about 625 miles but it is also a slower route which is fine.  I was trying to avoid all the rain.  My first stop was about 300 miles out.  I made a sandwich, got something to drink, bathroom and back on the road.  Then about 4 PM on the LA & MS state line my radio went bananas. Dog on a tornado was chasing me.  It was coming behind me about 40 miles or so.  That was fine but I was about ready to hang a left and go north and I did.  Well, the rain caught me about 100 miles from Red Bay so I stopped.  The tornado and the 60 MPH winds, hail, went south of me.  I just got some rain and it was all over by about 8PM.  I stopped about 6 PM. I figured I would just stay the night.  I’m parked in some cancer research center on asphalt near Starkville, MS.  The Garmin trucking GPS works great.  I couldn’t use it though because it wouldn’t let me run on the Natchez parkway which I did for about 125 miles or so.  Otherwise I like it.  It gives to give more voice commands when exiting off a road onto another one.  My other one wouldn’t tell you what was next into you completed the first turn.  This one gives a heads up.  I might switch over to truck (one button) the last 100 miles and see how it does.  It lets you put in height, weight, width and a few other things.  It’s pretty neat and would prefer it over the old one so far.

The roads around Fort Polk are terrible.

Don’t follow this guy…

Hey, birdges.

When I go over a bridge I concentrate on my left lower convex mirror. Why? Because I watch the side of the rig and how close I’m to the white center line and I get close to it.  No need to really look in the left mirror once you learn to use that left mirror and white line.  I won’t mentioned Nick and his troubles with the such. Concentrate being in your lane near that center line and not the big picture of being in a unusual situation. 

I like traveling the Natchez Trace – double the pleasure.

The best shot I could get of the rain and I spent the night here.

See Ya…..

Moving Day

We’re moving Carol’s “stuff” out of the coach toady and realize my “stuff” pile is a lot smaller that hers.  What’s up with that?  I know. It’s the old I throw something of mine away and she gets something new for her.

I plan on leaving between 7-8 AM tomorrow (Saturday).  Why, because I can.  I would like to make this 600+ mile trip in one day.  Why, because I can, again. It’s like if you got a sport/hobby you like and when you can do it you would like to do it as much as possible.  Like sex, right? Well, when it comes to driving I really enjoy it and want to do a lot of it.  The only way I can describe it is that it’s like watching an interactive big screen TV.  People rave about the Wii play game. I got a real one out my front windshield.  My brother in law is in the 1,000 miles in one day range.  I use to be but it’s real ruff on the heard anymore to include Carol.  I can crank out a 700-800 mile day ever once in a while if need be and Carol has a good book.  Oh no I’m addicted.  Where’s a 12 step program for addictive driver?   We can call it Driver’s United Anonymously and DUH for short. Now that there should have at least brought a smile. If you didn’t get it, I can only say..duhhhhhhhh or have some with an IQ of about 80 or less tell you.

Around 2 PM today I got the final OK to come to Tiffin so they can start work Monday.  They are replacing the driver window, reupholster the driver and passenger seats, replace the flooring under all tanks with a water proof material (duh) and replace the seal around the bedroom slide (3rd time).  Then one or two little things.  I think they will be done on Wednesday or earlier if more than two guys work on it.  I have to leave Saturday no matter what.

Rain is expected most of the day tomorrow afternoon.  I’m going to drive around it.  It’s coming from the northwest.  I’m going to go south by southeast as long as I can, maybe even stop so the rain can go by.  We will see.

See ya………….

Free Dogs and Garmin

Chapter 10 had a luncheon get together today.  It’s one of those affairs that starts at 1PM.  Yea, and if you show up at 1PM you are late.  We arrived at 12:30 and the place was already jumping.  I took this picture at 1PM and as you can see people are in line getting their free dogs.

After lunch they had in auction.  It's a lot of fun every time we gone.  This time I got a bottle of Vodka for $18.  I’m preparing for cold weather like the Russians do.  As you know we will be close to Russia up in Alaska next year.  I see on Nick’s blog that he’s having an Alaska rally. His blog is at http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/. I don’t know how to do those fancy entries so you can just click on a title. I just have to enter the whole address like above.  Joe & Vicki will be there.  I can smell the garlic bread already!!!!!! It’s an inside joke.  Either that or they are Italian.

We got back to the coach a little before 4 PM just in time to pick up our mail.  I got my Garmin 465T just like the company on EBay said I would – great.  This is the trucker one.  Pete – yes the truck icon is BIG.  I put in the height, weight, width and max axle weight (20,000 lbs).  So far so good.  It’s a lot like my other Garmin but this has Truck fuel stops, truck repair places, truck this and truck that.  You can also switch it to a regular car route real quick if you wish.

  Saturday I will be able to try it out.  Saturday I leave for Tiffin to get some more free repairs done.  It will cost about $500 in fuel round trip but I’m getting about $2,500 worth of repairs done.  I will get into all that when I get there.  The key word here is “I”. Carol will be staying in a tent here on the lot.  Not even a dream.  She’s staying in Mom Hill’s mobile with the rest of the heard. 

Being at Red Bay, AL (Tiffin manufacture) any more than once would be considered by most as too much. We’ve been there I think about 6 or 7 times at least.  I’m afraid to count. Never say never but this could be the last trip for us (me). 

Tomorrow we have to divide our “stuff” up into what will stay with Carol and what she will let me take.  The coach will be a little lighter I’m sure.

Side note – Ron & Ann email me at rvschool@wizwire.com and I will tell you about Quartzsite.  Or anyone else for that matter…

See Ya…..

Normal RV Dealers -

I’ve been doing a lot of back and forth with two dealers about a used coach.  One is here in Texas and the other is in California.  They are treating us pretty much the same - like poo.  I guess it’s a sales tactic.  They don’t call when they say they will most of the time.  I thought we were pretty close on a deal with each of them.  The same with Lazydays in Flordia.  Lazydays started off like that and I don’t call them at all now.  I think I know too much about the price/quality of coaches thus they can’t “land a big one.” I had one dealer tell me that the dealership only makes $1k to $1.5k on a $200k coach.  Yea, right!  And I own three Prevosts too.  The idiots. Well, here’s my otter telling them all what he thinks of them. He’s crooked like they are.  They need to straighten up.

Back to the other kind of butts.

Yesterday ready for the smoker with a total of 18 lbs of butt.

22 hours later…today

Left side are hunks of butt and the right side is the crust.

Here it is as pulled pork.

This time I did not mix the crust with the clean pork.  Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.  There are people out there that would just like the crust with a little of the regular pork and that is in the two upper bags. Real heavy flavor on the seasonings with the crust portion.  It takes about 1 1/2 hours to clean the pork to this stage from the smoker.  I’m slow.  When it was all said and done the 18 lbs of uncooked pork turned into 8 lbs of no fat smoked pulled pork. 

ALL DONE THIS YEAR!.. I know 22 lbs of cooked pork will feed 75+ people.  I have over 50 lbs of some of the best Texas smoked pulled pork around if I say so myself.  I have smoked with Tabasco pulp down to the Pappy’s seasonings.  Quartzsite – I’m ready.  The last two years the weather has been a little rough but we still had a blast.  We are over due for some really outstanding weather this January.  If not, oh well, I guess we will have to settle just for the fun. I’m so excited about quartzite I might have to start wearing wee wee pads.

See Ya………….

Demco

When we got back yesterday about 7 PM I had an email from Demco about my being disappointed with their new Dominator two bar for the second time.  They asked me to take my tow bar to West RV Repair and they would box it up and return it to Demco.

Demco said they were aware of the new problem and would repair it and send it back before Christmas if I was OK with that. I said yes and took it to Rick at West RV Repair here in Livingston, TX.  He’s a great guy and has a great relationship with his customers.  I also gave him information/number about Mac the Fire Guy.  He saw my automatic fire extinguisher in the back of my Norcold frig compartment and fell in love with it.  Back to Demco.  If you have a Dominator tow bar and it’s giving you a fit to unhook from you two vehicle, basically won’t relived the tension on the bar so you can easily disconnect, here is my point of contact. Use it wisely. 

Scott Johnsen

Demco - Dethmers Mfg. Co.

4010 320th St. Boyden, Ia. 51234

800-543-3626  Ext.162

And his private #712 725-3162

After dropping the hitch off we went to the Court House Cafe for breakfast.  Nice little local place, nothing fancy.  They got a nice “stuff” shop hooked to it also. Try it when you are here in Livingston. 

On the way back to the coach I saw a sign that I couldn’t believe – diesel up 10 cents a gallon since yesterday.  What the hell, $3.09?

As Howdy Doody use to say, “What time is it?” It’s Butt time. These babies are big at 9 lbs each. 

I use a variety of chips.

Soak them anywhere from an hour to a day or two.

Then to the smoker for about 22 hours at 225 degrees.

Later that day I decided to wash the coach from the tippy top to bottom.  It was 50 degrees with no wind, perfect.  Mission accomplished.  It took about 2 1/2 hours and she shines pretty.  Maybe the wheels tomorrow.  Got to keep the wheels shiny…

That evening it rained and all night a slight drizzle/rain and into the next day.  Hey, I’m not driving in it so it will just take a quick hose spray to get the dirt splashed on  off – probably Thursday.

Dr’s Are Part of RVing

Monday..I took Carol to the Dr’s in Conroe for her annual check ups.  This is something we do once a year when we come back to this area.  I had my turn in the barrel now it’s Carol turn.  It’s an hour & 15 minutes each way and her appointments were 11, 1 and 3.  It’s one of those days we chalk up of as a necessity but not what we want to do.  At least we can get ur done in a day just about.  She has one more trip the week of Christmas for one of “those” tests.

I picked up my scrips from my Dr’s office.  Two out of the 5 scrips they had made mistakes on.  That’s a little scary isn’t it? It took them 15 minutes to correct them.  Maybe I should charge them an office visit. No apologies either.  Just a “here you go” like I was a burden.  Then in one of Carol’s dr’s office I spoke out about her being there the required 15 minutes early, then waited one hour for her to be taken to the back where there are 6 patients rooms.  After setting a half hour there I went off.  It didn’t do a bit of good because it took another 15 minutes before she was seen by a PA and never did see the doc.  I was pissed.  No the doc did not have any emergencies because I asked first before I gave them (big office) a class on time management of patients with nurses and patients watching/listening.  Then I very calmly sat down and picked up a magazine on health and stress management.  I needed a “happy pill” and I don’t have any of those but bet I could have gotten one pretty easy about then.

This isn’t RVing but it is part of RVing if that makes sense.  We have to geter ur done.  Sorta like changing the oil in your RV.  You just have to do it and go on. 

Hey, my Demco Dominator tow bar.  I sent an email last week to them telling them how disappointed I was in their product for the second time in less than 8 months.  I had an email waiting upon my return.  The rest of the story tomorrow. 

See Ya……..