Just 14 days left... whoopee!!!
This past week has been fairly busy, remember in our previous entry I mentioned my rotary club was hosting a GSE Sweden Team from May 8 until May 13.... wellll, we did that.... hence, getting ready for the trip was on the back burner.... it was a great week and the Sweden Team was taken to the airport this past Wednesday morning.
Sooooooo, back to getting ready for the Trip.... on Thursday the RV was taken in to the local RV shop as planned to install a replacement bedroom slide topper.... and, one of the AC units motor had locked up, along with the plastic squirrel cage was shattered... so the AC motor was also installed along with a "metal" squirrel cage. I did discover that the squirrel cage was the first one of that design ever supplied by the distributor. I'm glad I ordered an extra squirrel cage in case the second AC unit plastic cage comes apart.
OK, so the last minute large repairs are done... that was yesterday, May 14.
Over several days, May 15-16-17, we have the RV parked at a local campground for testing of all functions and features.... as of tonight everything is working! Yahoo!!!!!! Even the 2 TVs.... and the ice maker is turned on... it would be nice (not critical) to have ice in the morning.
Tomorrow, Saturday, I plan to pickup a water filter, and take care of small nit-pick little things.
We have not yet made campground reservations for the trip back, which is down the East Coast and then I10 back to Palm Springs. Tomorrow we'll start that process... allowing for 2 days in New Orleans and 2 days in the Dallas/Austin/Houston area. For the trip back we'll be towing a car on a car dolly... so we'll need campgrounds with pull-thrus.
Any ideas or suggestions regarding campgrounds are welcome.
Signing off,
Trudy and Doug, Dale the dog
Today was a better "get the RV ready" day.
This morning I checked in with the RV store that is servicing our RV ... they said they didn't have my cell number, so they couldn't call and tell me the AC motor and squirrel cage came in and also the replacement fabric for the bedroom slider. I kept my thoughts to myself about them not having my telephone number .... With the parts in, I now have an appointment set for next Thursday to install the replacement parts.
Next, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, we'll be renting a Uhaul car dolly in Washington D.C., to bring back a Honda Accord. I wanted to make sure the RV towing hitch and wiring worked now so we wouldn't have surprises back in Washington, D.C., when we pick up the auto dolly. So this morning I took the RV to the local Uhaul Center and had them test the built-in wiring and tow hitch ... and everything worked! Yaaa!
All in all, a good RV day.
I didn't mentioned before that I'm a Rotary International member and I belong to the Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club. For the next five days I'll be coordinating the activities of a Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team from Sweden. So my getting the RV ready will be somewhat on the back burner ... and that is all part of our trip master planning process.
Replacement tires are still a concern ... in the morning I'll check in with the tire dealer ...
and the end of another day....
Doug and Trudy.
Howdy Ya All,
I've been lazy with the blog....
but moving right along.... in 23 days we leave, that's May 30, in the morning... the master trip planner (me), kinda like a load-master in the Air Force, has got more lists started than one person can keep up with, most are not up to date... but, lists are a bit like a security banket... a list and a cold beer, a great way to relax
Three of us are going on the month long, 7,000 mile trip... my significant other (Big Boss), Dale the dog (Little Boss) and me (labor.)
I think I deleted a blog entry... it had the trip itinerary.... here it is again,
May 30, leave Cathedral City, CA stay in Campe Verde, AZ, 341 miles, stay at Distant Drums RV Resort.
May 31, June 1, drive to Taos, NM for two days, 505 miles, stay at Taos RV CG.
June 2, drive to Amarillo, TX, one night, 314 miles, stay at Oasis RV Park.
June 3, next to Oklahoma City, OK, one night, 256 miles, stay at Oklahoma City East KOA.
June 4, next to Branson, MO, one night, 323 miles, stay at American Best CG,
June 5, 6, next to Nashville, TN, 455 miles, stay at Two Rivers CG.
June 7, next to Hillsville, VA, one night, 390 miles, stay at Lake Ridge RV Resort.
June 8, next to College Park, MD, 326 miles, stay at Cherry Hill CG, for 10 days.
So that trip plan gets us to Washington DC.
Some other things on my to do list,
- I've been attempting to buy 2 RV tires for 3 weeks, and they are still on back order....
- one of the AC unit's motor failed, it has been on back order for 2 weeks...
- the bedroom slide topper is ripped... and guess what... it's on back order
.... I was told by the local RV service folks, also by Newmar Corporation, that a distribution plant burned down in Mexico.... I find it hard to accept there is only one distribution plant that produces all RV parts...
Today I had a doctor appointment, the Doc suggested we take along our recent medical history... which he provided.
We also joined Coach-Net Road Service... so now we have three roadside services, the RV insurance company, the extended maintenance company, and now Coach-Net. I did call the Medex Service that is provided with the FMCA benefits and they were helpful in explaining the services they prov One of the benefits the Boss likes, is if I get sick and can't drive, Medex will get the RV back to our home in California.
That's it for tonight...
Doug and Trudy
April 28,
"T" stands for the "Trip"...
One of the items that is part of the across the county round trip is that we are picking up a car, a 2002 Honda Accord, in Washington DC and bringing it back to California. It may turn out to be a toad, not sure yet.
I spent several hours this morning researching tow systems versus shipping the car back by a private carrier versus renting a auto tow dolly. You would think we were launching a space shuttle with the amount of information I gathered today.
The conclusion is to rent a auto car dolly for $440 dollars, the rental place gives us 11 days travel time. To add a permanent tow system took to much time and several thousand dollars, and the auto shipping cost was about $800. Plus, we want the use of a car on the return trip.
I was back at the RV today checking lights and found a license plate bulb burned out. I know, its a very small item, but I'm a bit quirky about all the RV stuff working.
It's about 8 pm now, the rest of the evening I'm researching RV campgrounds for the trip coming down from Washington DC to Jacksonville Fl.
We continue to plan and currently the first phase of the planned trip from Cathedral City CA to Washington DC is the following:
Day 1, May 30 - The general route is starting with I10 from Palm Springs CA to just outside Phoenix, then I17 to Distant Drum RV RSRT at Camp Verde AZ.
Day 2 & 3, May 31-June 1 - on day 2 we continue on I17 to I40 and turn East to I25, turn North at Albuquerque NM and drive to Taos RV CG in Taos NM. The idea is to spend two days in the Taos NM and Sante Fe NM areas as tourist. I'm not quite sure what the attractions are in Taos and Santa Fe... but we'll find out
Day 4, June 2 - we leave Taos NM, come back south on I25, then turn Eeast on I40 to Oasis RV Resort in Amarillo TX.
Day 5, June 3 - we continue on I40 to Oklahoma City KOA EAST in Oklahoma City OK.
Day 6, June 4 - we continue on I40 to state road 7, which is just past Clarksville AK, and then we head North to Branson MO. for the night and a show.
Day 7 & 8, June 5-6 - on day 8 leave Branson MO, and pick up federal highway 65 south to I40, turn East and head for Nashville TN. That is a 500 mile drive for the day. We stay on I40 to Two Rivers CG in Nashville TN for two days.
Day 8, June 7 - we leave Nashville TN and stay on I40 to Knoxville Tn, then we pick up I81 going North, spending the night at Lake Ridge RV RSRT in Hillsville, VA.
Day 9, June 8 - leave Hillsville, VA continue on I81 to I66 at Front Royal VA, completing the trip at Cherry Hill RV Park in College Park MD.
As of today that is the plan!
Newbie Blogger here.
I received some very helpful blog process information from the FMCA IT Manager and another member, but now I misplaced their responses ....
Anyway, thanks for the helpful information.
Howdy,
Ok, it appears we have the FMCA blog started... we now have to figure out how to have family and friends, outside of the FMCA community, read the blog. I find that is easier said then done.
By now, after a days worth of blog stuff, I probably have a number of blogs set up out in the Internet universe, none of which are connected to each other or FMCA.
Soooo, it seems to avoid retyping everything, I have to decide to continue with the FMCA blog and then copy and paste the blog into an email account for family and friends, or go with a separate Internet blog. However, right at this moment, I'll pause for a cool one.
Doug
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Doug & Trudy
F407567
2003 Newmar Kountry Star 3702
Freightliner Chassis, Cat 3126-330 HP, Allison 3000 6 speed
Mileage: 32,210
7.5 KW Onan Quiet Diesel Generator
Precision Temp Water Heater (instant heat)
