Melvin fixes Grace
6-15-14
Now that we've be traveling for two weeks, it was time to name our Monaco Windsor coach. Melvin decide on Grace after Princess Grace of Monaco. What else? After all the plate reads Castle3 !
Sunday (Father's Day ) was a total rain out. Ruth began our day by making blueberry pancakes for breakfast. The rest of our day was spent relaxing and watching movies.
6-16-14
We woke up to rain again. But it was a travel day, so we broke camp and headed out. Just after the causeway leaving Cape Bretton, we stopped for a rest and a bit of shopping. Upon our departure Grace began throwing a fit! Every time she started up a hill it sounded like the transmission was being dropped out on the road. The dash also started lighting up. ATC automatic traction control.
After cursing her out several times I decided we had little choice but to continue to our. Campsite in Truro. As we checked in the desk clerk told us not to worry as her husband Winston new a few things about motorhomes. By the time I had power hooked up he arrived at our site.
After we talked a bit he crawled under Grace and checked the tranny fluid. Just on the low mark so we added a couple quarts. No good. Winston went to the office and called the next big town on our way Moncton, to find a repair shop. He returned with a phone number I could call in the morning.
I paid him for the fluid, but he refused anything for himself. We shook hands and he wished me "good travels"
Now I'm thinking tow truck if I don't make it, $5000 for a tranny and 3 days in Moncton.
Could you sleep? I took a short nap due to exhaustion, then stayed up till midnight surfing the web for an answer. Voila! After hours of reading blogs I found the answer. Clogged fuel filters. My good fortune, Marshal the previous owner left a pair on board.
6-17-14
At 8 AM I was on a mission. **** they were too tight to remove without a filter wrench. Back to the office to get Winston's help. He finished his breakfast, I had interrupted an was at the coach in 30 minutes with wrench in hand. 20 minutes later we broke camp, said goodbye to my new friend Wilson, crossed our fingers and anticipated slow painful ride to Moncton. By the time we got to speed on the back road Winston had suggested, things were looking better. Grace was driving like a new coach. After 30 miles we hit the highway to Moncton 
.
Ruth spotted a Tim Horton's just as we entered town. Not only was there a truck dealer 2 blocks away, the place beside Horton's was doing truck washes. We decided to give Gracey a bath and then go get the spare filters. Life is good now.
On to St. John NB.
I set the GPS for tonight's campsite and off we went. Not much scenery top look at, but the road was smooth and the traffic was light. Then the GPS instructed me that in 2 miles I should go straight onto the ferry. WHAT !!
Sure enough I rounded the corner and there it was waiting for us. Who in the **** picked this campsite? I wasn't sure they would let Grace on, let alone towing Lucy. As I approached I kept waiting for the crew member to wave me off, all the while I was planing my escape route without needed to back up. When he waved me aboard my sphincter tightened up like wet rawhide in the desert heat. The middle lane was no more than 2 inches wider than Grace and one side was already parked. Don't know how I did it without hitting someone. I had just 10 minutes to calm down and it was time to abandon ship. Whew, made it off without incident.
Next the GPS sent me down 18 miles of the two lane road from ****. Switchback curves, narrow lanes and several places had washed out shoulders. I don't think Ruth opened her eyes the whole time. Except for about halfway there when she insisted I pull into a church parking lot and spend the night. Too late, I was already past the driveway. As the GPS told us we had arrived, we were sitting in front of another ferry ramp. Guess how we 're leaving tomorrow?
Once we checked in our site guide ask if we wanted by the river or hilltop. Stupid me said hilltop. What a ride. I thought my driveway was steep. It was a 2 mile trip up a bumpy dirt road to the top of a mountain overlooking the river. Again major sphincter issues,
OK, that should do it for RV boot camp. I think we have had one of everything now.
Early to bed tonight and off to Bar Harbor for a 4 a 6 day rest. Perhaps by the time we leave my constipation will have resolved itself.
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