Highlights of today

  Another exciting day. We actually went to two, yes two, Walmarts today. What could get better? Truthfully it's nice here. The weather has been in the 70s today and will be in the 80s the rest of the week. 88 when we leave for New Orleans on Thursday. And the people here are SO polite, courteous, and friendly. The Northeast could learn a few things from them.
  Missed joining Lars and Dana Anderson at their dance weekend at Spring Gulch (Cityslickerscountrykickers.net). Was glad to hear, and see on Facebook, that there was a great turnout. We do a dance here in the RV every other Saturday night to maintain the connection with the dancers at Bogart's. And we're looking forward to joining Nicky and Keith Riess at Olivet Presbyterian Church in Prospect Park on Mondays when we get back (delcolinedancing.com). Hopefully we'll be able to do some dancing near San Antonio.

Legends

Nothing much done today. Put a missing mud dauber screen on our reefer vent. Then we went to Walmart for some clothes for Nancy, and had dinner at Legends Steakhouse in Florence. We each had the classic burger. Very good and very filling. Just watching TV right now. Probably won't be much going on tomorrow so may not blog until Monday. Will have to keep all of you dear readers on the edge of your seats in breathless anticipation. Will he or won't he blog tomorrow? You'll just have to wait and see. Night all!

Astonished!

   Thank y'all for viewing our blog (notice the southern accent?). So far this month it has been viewed 823 times. Who'da thunk?
   So anyway, we made it to Muscle Shoals yesterday. To call this an RV park is to emphasize the park. Four spots in a field between two highways.
   We had a panel to our water tanks start flapping on the way up here. Seems two of the four bolts that hold it on stripped the hole. Had to get bigger bolts and use locktite to secure it. Hopefully it will be okay when we leave on Thursday.
   We thought we had it bad having to wait til Wednesday for service but the couple next to us have to wait until Friday! We went to a restaurant in Florence last night that was recommended to us, called Ricatoni's. Not great. We both had chicken marsala but we think they left out the marsala. And the pasta side had more tomatoes than pasta. Not a way to ensure we come back as we greatly dislike tomatoes.
   Tonight we plan to go to a "burger hotspot". Hope they don't forget the burger.

Goodbye Red Bay

  Well, our last night in Red Bay is here. The trees are in bloom, and blocked out our satellite for two days, which sucked because it rained all day today. Finally moved our RV two feet over and 3 feet forward and now it's back. Had to call our rug guy to find out where our rugs we're only to find he hasn't started them yet. After informing him that we are leaving tomorrow he promised to have them to us tomorrow morning.
  Spent a couple hours talking to the neighbors, really nice people. He is retired and dotes on his RV. She teaches painting classes and jewelry making at RV rallies and has a great blog, which we discussed a lot.
  Tonight we went to a place named Reeves, billing itself as a fish and steak house. It's actually an old home converted into a restaurant. Tastefully decorated walls and ceiling of modern particle board and floors of painted concrete, it has been opened for 35 years and quite packed with customers. Belying the appearance, the food was quite good.
  More after our move tomorrow.

Chillin'

  Haven't posted in a few days, so here is the update. Yesterday the tile work was finished. We contacted the entryway rug guy because we wanted a modification. He came by this morning and is working on the changes. We drove to Muscle Shoals yesterday in the car to check out the location of our next repair location, and stopped in to T-Mobile. They have a new plan for military/veterans/retirees that we signed up for. Same benefits for all on our plan but it is around $80/month cheaper. That's always nice.
  While our LEDs were being installed several days ago, we were unable to pull in one of the slides all the way. In checking out why, we discovered something that was lost almost as fast as we purchased it. In 2013, yeah, 5 years ago, we were at the Baths in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with Betty and Bill and we purchased a very plush wrap-around for Nancy. When we got back to Pennsylvania it couldn't be found. We figured it was lost forever. Well, we have storage under our bed which is where we thought we had stored the wrap-around. Apparently the sliding in and out of the slide-out pulled it out of the storage area to a small area between the rear of the storage area and the slide out wall containing the air pump and electronic components for the bed. What a surprise to see that!
  Also on our lost list was the battery cover of our TV remote. That's been missing for almost 2 years and Nancy looked everywhere. Yesterday her captain's chair refused to rotate to the forward position as it is supposed to do. Caught up in the chair's electronics was, you guessed it, the battery cover! I guess strange things happen when you drive your home down the road.
  We are leaving Red Bay for Muscle Shoals on Friday. It's actually cheaper to stay here for a few more days. When I went to pay for the repair work at Tiffin Motorhomes yesterday, the Friday opening at the next repair shop had been given away, so we will be chillin' up there with nothing to do until Wednesday morning. We were told if the RV is not at the doors of the repair shop by 6 am, they won't do the work. You read that right: 6 am! Actually, we will have things to do. Besides the Alabama Music Hall of Fame we plan to drive to Huntsville to the Air & Space Center and maybe even catch a movie or my favorite, go to Wal-Mart.

Almost Done

Today was a productive day. We got our entrance rug made and installed, LEDs installed under both sides and the front of the RV, and two tiles replaced. The tiles take 1-1/2 hours each as they have to Dremel out the grout, chip out the old tile, and replace and regrout the new tile. We had an exact match of tiles as we brought them with us from the extras they gave us when we bought the RV ten years ago. Tomorrow at 7am we get the final tile replaced, pay our bill, then move Muscle Shoals (if they can get us an appointment). There is one slot available for Friday, otherwise the next is not til next Wednesday. Hopefully they can get us in Friday. If so, it's off to New Orleans this weekend. Nancy wants to revisit the Alabama Music Hall of Fame so that's one thing we will do while still in Alabama.

Beautiful!

Yesterday they painted the area they filled in the day before and buffed out some scratches. The RV looks beautiful again! The guy worked from 8 am to 7:30 pm to finish it so that we wouldn't have to come back a third day. That opens up Monday for us to get some add-ons we want done: LED lights under the RV, and a new entry rug. Tuesday morning the tiles get replaced and then on to Muscle Shoals. Hopefully we'll have everything done and able to continue our travels end of next week.
  Got out the drone and was flying it over the town. Lost sight of it the sky was so bright and got scared, thinking the drone was over the forest somewhere South of town, the last place I could see it. Hit "return to home", a great feature built into the drone because they know there are idiots like me flying. Turns out it was in the Northeast corner of town. Will have to be more careful in the future.

Mississippi travels

Today we dropped our RV off at 8 a.m. and had to spend the rest of the day finding something to do. So we drove to Booneville Mississippi which is the home of the Mississippi Northeast Community College. That's its sole claim to fame. From there we drove to Tishomingo State Park. Archaeological excavations confirm the presence of Paleo Indians in the area now encompassed by the park as early as 7000 B.C.; the park takes its name from the leader of the Chickasaw Nation, Chief Tishomingo. The famous Natchez Trace Parkway, the premier Highway of the early 1800s and a modern Scenic Parkway, runs directly through the park. Tishomingo offers a unique landscape of massive rock formations and fern-filled crevices found nowhere else in Mississippi. Massive Boulders blanketed in moss dot the hillsides, and colorful wildflowers border trails once walked by Native Americans. The Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles long. The portion that goes through Tishomingo State Park is 140 miles south of the northern Terminus and 340 miles north of the Southern terminus.
  Tomorrow we take the RV back at 8 a.m. and have to spend another day trying to find something to do. On Monday we will take the RV to have our broken tiles replaced and on Tuesday or Wednesday  we will go to Muscle Shoals to get the subfloor of the slide-out done.
  The temperature here is going to 39 degrees tonight which I realize is not as cold as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Sunday we will have thunderstorms and rain and then hopefully nothing until we leave the area, hopefully by the end of next week.

We can hear!

Went into the express bay yesterday and got most of our issues resolved. Decided to get our roof satellite system, which we never used because by the time we went to use it it was outdated and we'd have to replace all the electronics in it. So anyway, we had a new system put on the roof and found out our HDMI splitter was outdated also and causing our lack of sound issue. With the new dish we could only get sounds on the main tv if we turned on a second tv. Had the splitter replaced and now everything works as it should. We can even watch TV while recording two other channels and play the recordings back anywhere, even on our laptops, phones, or tablets. So we are very happy.
  Tomorrow at 8 am we go into the paint shop and that leaves only two items to be finished: replacement of two tiles in the living room, and an underfloor replacement on a slide out. These should be done by early next week and then, yeehah, we can get on our way.

Ready for Service

Service coordinator came by at 8 this morning, went over our list of things to get done. They changed their service policy here. If your rig is over 4 years old you have to go to the express bay where you get two technicians to work on your list for 3 hours. You can only get in once every 60 days, so hopefully you get all your work completed. Anyway, we got the call to go in tomorrow morning at 7am. There are 4 camping areas here in Red Bay, and all are full with RVs waiting for service, so we are pretty lucky to be going in so fast. So we'll be up at 5:30 to put stuff away and get there on time.
  We've been able to use their WiFi and our firestick to watch TV. It's the only way we get sound. Nothing via antenna or satellite. So we've been streaming a lot.

We found the water, or the water found us

Shouldn't have asked that question on our last post. We've had rain and thunderstorms all last night, today, and so far tonight. Flooding in a lot of areas. Sucks because we can get satellite picture but no sound, and can't pick up over the air tv around here either. And I don't think they've heard of WiFi around here.

Where, oh where, is the Water?

Went to Hiram 'Hank' Williams Museum this morning. Wasn't aware that he started singing at 7 yrs old and died at 29 of heart failure in the back of his baby blue 1952 Cadillac on the way to a new year's gig in Canton, Ohio. The poster for the show advertised "If the Lord is willing and the creek don't rise, I'll see you in Canton".  Apparently He wasn't willing.
  After that we went back to the RV and drove 189 miles to Red Bay, AL. We were suprised at the camping prices. Two years ago the cost was $10 per night. Now it is $25. Registered for service on the RV which might begin on Monday and then went to Spark's restaurant in Belmont, MS, for a fried chicken dinner. Will have to entertain ourselves this weekend as the whole area shuts down for the weekend. And we get satellite, but no sound. Barely telephone service, and no wifi! Ya gotta love it!
  Fact: there is no Bay in Red Bay, except for the name. It got it's name from the red clay soil and the bay trees in the area, which are similar to wild magnolias.
 

Sweet Home Alabama

Drove 400 miles today to Montgomery, AL. For some reason the GPS took us on State and county roads avoiding interstates, which would have been faster. The biggest problem with these roads are no diesel stations. Almost ran dry until we came to a station in the Southwest corner of Georgia. Nancy swore she would not push if we ran out of fuel, and the dogs snarled when I mentioned hooking them to the front of the RV to pull it. Lucky we found that place.
  Got to our campground and got hooked up just as the sun went down. Tomorrow we will go to the Hank Williams Museum which is only 4 miles away, and maybe the Dixie Railroad Museum before continuing on to Red Bay.

Sayonara Florida

A knock on the door precisely at 6:30am this morning and the window team went to work. By 9:45 am the window was repaired and reinstalled. Will be on the road within the hour and heading for Alabama tonight.
   We had a great time with Kathy last night. Ate at the Tarpon Tavern in Tarpon Springs then she escorted us to the harbor, where we found a store open in The Sponge Exchange. We bought two wool sponges for washing and two silk sponges for facial cleansing. Sponges are the exoskeleton of sea creatures which attach to the bottom of the river in this area. In order not to decimate the sponges, the divers cut them several inches from where they attach to the bottom so they will regrow.

Hudson, FL

After a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we hit the road for a short jaunt to Bradenton, where we meet up with Arthur (Steinberg) and Coby, his husky. They are both doing and looking well. We all went for South Philly cheese steaks, and yes, it has Amoroso rolls, Hank's soda, and Eagles memorabilia on the walls. After lunch, we continued our journey to Hudson where one of our windows will be replaced tomorrow. This evening we will be dining with Kathy Mitton, a friend we've known for 2 years from Timberlane Campground, who snowbirds at Tarpon Springs. We plan to walk around the gentrified area but be back early, as they knock on your doors here at 6:30am to start your windows.

Back "Home"

We said our goodbyes to George and Phyllis and are now back in the RV. They were very gracious hosts and we very much enjoyed the three days that we spent with them. We reminisced about our meeting 51 years ago at college orientation and our many escapades thru the years.
  Now we are back home and the work done by Ugly Shield Removal is outstanding! Highly recommend them to anyone who needs an ugly shield removed. I will try to post before/after pictures.
   We got here just in time. Got the RV set up and items transferred from the car just as the rain started. They are in a drought condition here even though the sun shines almost all the time. Temperature today was 87, with feels like of 98, but with the breezes you didn't feel it.

Just relaxing

Have spent the past 3 days here at George and Phyllis' home chillaxin. Went out to dinner with their friends a few times, swam in their heated pool, and otherwise did not much (well, except for teaching them some iPhone skills).
  Helped George get his 30 foot Sea Ray on the boat lift and took a drone movie of the home and property for them. Pretty cool!
  Went to check on the progress of the RV yesterday. They got the old ugly shield off the front without so much as a speck of paint coming off. It looked beautiful! Today they are putting on the new shield. We are going over there today to see the final product and stay the night in the rv. (They have water and electric hookups). Tomorrow morning we will go to Bradenton and visit with Arthur, then continue to Hudson to have one of our windows replaced.

No Problems

Left at 7:30 this morning after topping off the tank and now in Lawtey, FL, having breakfast. Pleasantly uneventful so far. Left early so we could get as far along our way before the thunderstorms they're calling for hit us. Tiffin and Cocoa are great travellers. So is Nancy, although I almost couldn't say this when we couldn't get decaf coffee at the Pilot truck stop. Apparently they only serve high test coffee and sodas for the truckers.
_-_-_-_
Decided to drive the whole way in one final shot. We were trying to outrun a storm heading our way, which we caught a corner of and was chasing us from Gainesville. While we mostly avoided the downpours, we had high winds the whole way down, trying to blow us all over the road. Arrived in Ft Myers around 5:20 pm, packed some bags so that instead of staying at the facility where they are removing our protective shield we would stay a few days with George and Phyllis. Went to dinner with them and am now going to sack out for the night

On The Road Again

Last night had a great time with some folks we met from Ontario who are getting work done on their coach as well, Ron and Bonny Hare. Had dinner together at a place called The Grandson's. It is like a Golden Corral but 1/2 the price. Very good! Then we went back to their room (they stayed at the same motel as us) where they introduced us to a game called Pegs and Jokers. A lot of fun and strategy required. The guys beat the gals.
  Had breakfast with them and are now waiting for final testing of our rig, then we'll be out of here.
   We're going to fill out propane tanks here at Cummins 'cause they have a great price: $1.95/gallon, compared to $4 plus at campgrounds.
_-_-_-_
Left at 12:52 PM, and after a few stops trying to find something we needed, we finally decided to stop at a Pilot truckstop in Hardeeville, SC, 234 miles later and less than 9 miles from Georgia. Every campground we called for reservations were completely booked so that kind of decided for us. Now to get some dinner and get some sleep. Then only 473 miles to our destination.

Almost, but not quite, but maybe

Went shopping this morning, then the repair shop around noon. Really not much if anything to do in Kenly except leave town. So today our shopping took us to Raleigh and Clayton.
   The RV might be ready today but we won't know until around 3PM. If not, another night at the Motel 6. But it was promised, at any rate, no later than noon tomorrow, which still leaves 2-1/2 days to get to Ft Myers, around another 800 miles. The bill will also be higher than the estimate because they hadn't added a part but not by that much.
   Only time will tell.

Repairs

Sitting here at Denny's after we got our estimate. The prognosis was touch and go for a while but the patient will make it with major surgery. The EGR cooler needs replacement as well as the crankcase breather. Big $$. We will both be hooking for a while to pay for it, but it's doable. Since we're in the South the rates will have to be reduced, so it will take us longer. Of course, Nancy will make more than me. BTW, anyone got deep pockets? Where, oh where, is our next meal coming from?

Backtracking

After some research, looks like we're heading back north to Kenly. It is the closest Cummins repair shop to us (50 miles). There are only 3 in the state and the other 2 are 2-1/2 to 3 hours away. Hopefully they will be able to get us in.
  It will take 1-2 days to get us in. ITMW, we drove 14 miles and had to pull over. Will continue limping on our way. The good news is our coolant level is full. The bad news? Something else is setting off the sensor. Oh yeah, and our sewer hose broke. When it rains, it pours!
   12:26pm. So here we are, but not where we want to be. Went another 13 miles and stopped at a rest stop for 1/2 an hour. Yep, Stop Engine warning again.  Barely pulled out of the rest stop, literally, then the warning again. This time 1/8 of a mile. Our location? On the shoulder of I-95 North, being blown around by every truck that passes. And only 8 more miles to go.
  Well, we're finally here and checked in with Cummins. A little good news, they have electric hookups,water, laundry, lounges, and shower facilities at no cost so until they take us in tomorrow morning  we won't need a motel. So that's it for today.

On Our Way

   After 45 minutes of being connected to a computer, the technicians could find no leaks and no faults showed up, so on our way we went, lighter by a hefty diagnostic charge. They indicated it sounded like an EGR problem. (Exhaust gas recirculation is a strategy to control NOx emissions from diesel engines. The EGR reduces NOx through lowering the oxygen concentration in the combustion chamber, as well as through heat absorption). They explained it is a major effort and fairly big bucks to replace the EGR system and that since there were no faults detected, they suggested we continue with our travels. All went well for 62 or so miles, then BOING!, the check engine light came on. We called the repair shop back and they said if we didn't see steam out the back and the performance of the engine was not affected, we should be okay. So on we went.
   So we went on, finally stopping to fuel up the RV and our bellies in Kenly, NC. Checked the coolant level, and it was almost gone. We filled the reservoir and went on our way, but 23 miles later, another check engine light warning. So we decided to pull over, doing so in Fayetteville, NC, at the Fayetteville RV Resort and Campground. As we pulled off I-95, the warning turned to a serious warning: STOP ENGINE! We went another 1/2 mile, pulled into the resort (which is actually quite nice) and are stopping for the night.
   Our plan for tomorrow entailed either backtracking 43 miles to Kenly to the nearest Cummins diesel repair shop, or continue 81 miles to the next one, which would at least put us in the right direction. Either way, we will probably be held over for at least 3 days for ordering and replacing the EGR system. We decided on the latter, filling up and pulling over as necessary until we get to the  repair shop. If it takes longer than 3 days, we may have to change our appointments in Ft Myers and Hudson, FL.
   On the bright side, we are fortunate to have two good travel companions. Tiffin and Cocoa are getting along much better, and are great travellers.

At the Repair Shop

All packed up and got to repair shop. Waiting for them to complete their diagnosis and give us the bad news. Just kidding, we HOPE it's not bad news.

Our First Day on The Road 2018

Left an hour behind our schedule due to a low coolant issue. Filled the reservoir and had no more problems. Well, until we got 220 miles south, and the same problem occurred.  Found an Advance Auto Store that was open on Easter. Who'da believed it? Got another 10 miles and a repeat performance! So we stopped at the next campground we found, Richmond/Kings Dominion KOA and got a site. This place puts Philly South KOA to shame. They have a whole village of cabins, all are two levels with central air. Anyway, left a message for a truck repair company (closed for Easter) and hopefully we can get in tomorrow and get this problem fixed for good. Such a good thing we left ourselves  eight days to get to Ft Myers, Florida.