tbutler

It's tough duty in the best of weather. The sacrifice of the honored dead of course is even greater. We are all thankful for their service, keeping America strong and free. Each generation takes a turn and our young people today are answering the call just as their parents and grandparents did. Don't forget all the others who are out in the storm and cold rendering assistance to others. There are firemen, police, National Guard, tow truck and wrecker drivers, power company workers, ambulance crews, hospital workers, and so many more on duty helping us all deal with this storm and hundreds of other events we have, hurricanes tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and more. They are our friends and neighbors, our children and grandchildren, all helping out those who are in need. Contribute what you can to help, money, time, thanks, everything helps. Thanks to them you all!

It is just a choice that you can make when you set up your blog. I'm glad to have comments on my blog and don't screen them. Others feel differently. It is meant to be a screening process, if comments aren't negative they should be cleared for posting unless the blog owner simply doesn't want any comments posted.

I had Cummins/Onan replace ours. It had about the same number of hours yours had. When they brought me the old belt, it had places that were in shreds. It was shot and would have broken within a very short period of time. As it was, I was amazed it was still working. The generator won't run without the water pump working so I'd have it replaced as soon as possible. It is possible to remove the cover and get to the 7.5 KW Onan Quiet Diesel. If you have reasonable mechanical ability you should be able to do it yourself. I'm sure you can order the belt from Onan if you can't get it from an auto store.

I share your feelings about floor plans. We have seating for six without using the dining table chairs, a nice pantry and some counter space. With one bath and a good size closet plus a coat closet, we found it very comfortable for full timing for seven years. We're still out on the road all summer long and this coach meets our needs. I haven't been looking at the newer coaches too closely. When we were looking before buying this coach we saw many coaches that were not really designed for eating meals on a regular basis. Small pantries, hardly any counter space. Many had outdoor TV's in the basement storage area so you could entertain, watch a game, outdoors. Quite a few have very little cabinet and storage space which makes the coach look much more open but isn't practical for full timing. Not everyone wants the same thing in a motor home. Some use their motor home for weekend trips and don't need a lot of storage. For some it is an ideal tailgating vehicle, impress your friends and live in comfort while you party before the game. You'll also find some today with built-in space for the quads. If they can sell them, they will keep building them. Keep looking, I'm betting you'll find something that fits your needs. If not, our 2004 is still a dependable coach. We parked it with 150,000 miles this fall. If you don't have to have the latest greatest thing, the one you have will last you a long time! Remodel if needed and keep her rolling.

One other favorite highway I forgot to mention, US 2 runs along the northern border from Duluth, MN, to Glacier National Park and beyond. Two lane and easy driving with only a few small but interesting towns along the way. We loved Duluth. North of Duluth there is Voyagers National Park. The park has interpreters that will help you understand the lives and times of the early fur traders and Great Lakes travelers. There is an RV park at the marina in Duluth right next to the "High Bridge." You can sit in your motor home and watch the lake freighters coming and going from Lake Superior into the port. We got a real kick out of seeing the Algowood pass under the High Bridge. Several years earlier we had watched her pass through the Eisenhower Locks. We followed her up the St. Lawrence Seaway and saw her several more times that year and then never saw her again until we were in Duluth. We were only there for a few days but there she was again. A walk across the bridge and you will find a nice array of restaurants and the Great Lakes Aquarium. The Fort Peck Dam in eastern MT is on the Missouri River and is the largest earthen dam in the US. There is a Corps of Engineers campground there but I'm not sure if it can accommodate large motor homes. US 2 also takes you by several US Air Bases. It's not uncommon to see some of the Air Force planes out practicing take-offs and landings as you travel near those bases.

So how did you find all this? Is this your home area or did you just take US 93 and go exploring. We love to do that and just wander along to see what is along the way. There are books that feature "off the beaten path" tour guides. I've used them occasionally. If you've got a favorite guide book, share it with us.

The forts were built in the early 1800's and they were building them to military specs. There was a plan and you followed it, no allowance for rain or snow or heat. I suspect that Lewis and Clark only had a hint of what the winter would bring when the chose the site for the fort and built it in that location. Traveling in the footsteps of the Corps of Discovery impressed me in many ways. The men were no strangers from hardship. They did things in the wilderness that I can't imagine any modern man attempting. Ferrying their large wooden canoes and their gear around the Great Falls of the Missouri River 20 miles though lands covered with cactus plants in thin leather moccasins had to be just one of the miserable experiences the Corps of Discovery experienced. These were hearty men and one woman with a baby who fought the elements to achieve their goal. What's a little water! As I'm writing the above, I was thinking there are so many things that could be mentioned. I agree, I'd definitely see the Badlands of South Dakota (but not in August), Mount Rushmore any day, Little Bighorn, all great stops. There is a Smokejumpers Base in Missoula, MT that I would recommend and Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho is fun for those of us who love exploring volcanic features. We've been criss-crossing the US and Canada since 2001 and there are still things we haven't seen. It's a great country and we're fortunate to be able to travel and see whatever we're able to in the time we have here on this earth.

I'm also in the take the toad camp! The hassle of moving for every little trip takes much of the joy out of having the motor home. Think about it, do you really want to take the entire motor home to town (some really small towns out west) for a grocery run? Sure you can plan ahead and pick up these things while on the road but eventually you'll run into a need for something and it will be pick up the motor home and take it to town for some silly little thing you need. If you had a medical emergency, do you hop in the car and run to the hospital or do you pack up the motor home, bring in the slides, disconnect the utilities and then go to the hospital? You could ask a neighbor to take you to the hospital, we did that one time, a woman and her mother, mom fell and she asked us to take her rather than driving their class C at night on unfamiliar roads. We put about as many miles on the toad as we do on the motor home in a typical summer of travel. What it costs in additional diesel to haul it along is more than offset by the convenience and the reduced cost of driving a smaller, high mileage vehicle (compared to the mileage of the motor home) for all those side trips on small roads and into parks with roads that are unsuitable for motor homes. Now about the trip. Leaving NY you are headed into PA, OH or KY. I'd stay to the north, you are leaving in late July. It will be hot across the west until you get to the mountains. I would guess that you have probably explored areas close to New York or at least have an idea where to start there. Here are some suggestions for things to see as you travel. These reflect our interests and may or may not appeal to you. If you love National Parks, buy a National Park Annual Pass at your first park if you don't already have one. If you are over 65 you can pay $10 for a pass for the rest of your life! When we did that I made a commitment to join the National Park Foundation which supports our national parks as a way to keep contributing to this wonderful resource we have. In 2004 we took at history trip following the route of Lewis and Clark across the country. That was the 200th anniversary of the beginning of their trip. It added an interesting theme to what would have been an enjoyable trip under any circumstances. There are guide books for such a trip. We picked up Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark at the visitors center in Clarksville, IN (across the river from Louisville, KY). Louise, my navigator and literary muse, read an entry from the diaries of Lewis and Clark that matched the area we were traveling. The route runs along the Missouri River into Montana and then over the mountains into Idaho and Washington. Along the way you can see a variety of other spots by making side trips. Yellowstone and Grand Tetons are great for hiking and sightseeing. Glacier National Park and Waterton Glacier International Peace Park are sisters across the border from each other. Both are worth a multi-day visit. You will need a passport to cross the border into Canada for Waterton Galcier Park. There are also restrictions on what materials, food, liquor, guns, etc. that you can bring across the border going in both directions. A toad is much easier to take across the border than a motor home but we have crossed the Canadian border with our motor home many times without any serious incident. Going west from the area of Glacier, the Lewis and Clark Tour follows a tributary of the Columbia River and then the Columbia River out to the Pacific Ocean. Stop and see Grand Coulee Dam and learn about the process that formed the Grand Coulee terrain. The Columbia River Gorge has some spectacular waterfalls along the southern shore of the river. There is a small road that leads from one to another. Basically all the falls are dropping from the slopes of Mt. Hood into the Columbia River Gorge. Follow the Columbia out to the coast to Ft. Clatsop National Park where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1805 before their return to the east coast. There are great sights along the Columbia River east of Portland. More than a few of the dams have tours, some better than others. There are fish ladders at some with windows where you can watch the salmon that are climbing the ladder to go upstream. Portland has some interesting old mansions to tour. Mt. St. Helens is just to the north and there are several visitors centers there as well as plenty of trails to allow you to explore the area around this most recent volcano to erupt in the US. Mt. Ranier National Park is larger and has great scenery and trails. We put off a visit to Olympic National Park and the Olympic Peninsula for many years because we felt it was just too far. When we finally got there, we had many great experiences traveling all around the peninsula. It is a temperate rain forest but during the summers and early fall there is very little rainfall. There are great bike trails along the northern end of the peninsula. The coastal highway, US 101 is a scenic route south from the Olympic Peninsula. We enjoy Astoria, OR which as a nice marine museum highlighting ship traffic along the coast and into and up the Columbia River. South of there is the Tillamook Dairy Cheese Factory which is a must stop for cheese lovers. There is even an RV park across US 101 from the factory and if you aren't ready to stop for the day, the parking lot is very large with plenty of room for RV's. Florence, OR is a quaint town with many interesting shops and stores. We can never pass through Florence without a stop at the Olive Shop. Louise loves their specialty olives. There is a huge sand dune field south of Florence. We've stayed at a campground on the fringe of the dune field and hiked in the dunes. You can also rent ATV's or take ATV rides with experienced drivers to see the dunes. The first time Louise walked over the top of the first dune she was completely stunned at the sight which is right out of the movies of the Sahara Desert. Sand as far as you can see. There are other stops along US 101, the Devils Thunder Hole, Devils Elbow State Park, lots of beaches and small state parks along the beach. There is Seal Rock and Seal Cave, the list goes on and on. Inland in Oregon, Crater Lake National Park is awesome. The lake has to be seen to be believed. There are trails, a boat ride, just scenic views driving all around this lake which is in the caldera of an ancient volcano. South of there Lava Beds National Monument has lava caves that you can explore and the history of volcanic activity in the area which leads back to Mount Lassen, Mount Shasta and others. In California there is a whole year of things to see from the Redwood Forest, both the state forest and the national park are worth a stop. Walking among the Redwoods is an experience that you will never forget. The same can be said for the Sequoia National Park. Yosemite never fails to amaze, waterfalls, sheer cliffs, beautiful country and great trails. Death Valley National Park sounds foreboding but a fall visit there would be well worth the stop. The stark scenery has its own beauty. Stop to see and tour Hoover Dam and everybody has to stop in Las Vegas once. There are parks in the downtown area that have you within walking distance of the "strip." They are parking places on a parking lot with full hookups but for a city residence, they work well. South into Arizona as the fall becomes colder there are desert parks like Saguaro National Park and Organ Pipe National Monument. In northern Arizona along I-40 you can see the Petrified Forest National Park and Meteor Crater. New Mexico has interesting sites near Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Taos has some great examples of pueblos that you can visit and learn about the native culture. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a great place to visit any season. Stop to see the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City or visit the River Walk in San Antonio. Come see us in Edinburg, Texas and I can show you the border fence that some people seem to find such a panacea for our immigration problems. You can visit the NASA Manned Spaceflight Center in Houston. Visit the Texas Gulf Coast and follow it through Louisiana, New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. There are great beach parks all along the way. Another alternative would be to take the Natchez Trace Parkway, a great drive through the southeast along a trail followed by the early settlers in the area. If you time your trip right you can see the Natchez Pilgrimage which features some of the most amazing house tours you will ever take. The Natchez Trace ends in Louisville, KY, back where you started the Lewis and Clark tour. Along the Natchez Trace you will find the grave of Meriwether Lewis. Now there is no way to do justice to all of this so you just set out and pick what interests you. What you miss this trip you can stop to see on your next trip. Check in at each states welcome center or regional visitors center and pick up the brochures that interest you and travel on. We frequently set out to do or see one thing and find amazing things to see along the way. I never plan a trip in detail before I start, I'm always looking at the map and visitor center information to find the interesting things. I never plan RV park stops ahead unless we are headed into a high use or urban area and then only a few days in advance. I'm willing to settle wherever I can get the services I need. We don't stay in RV parks for the experience of the park, we're interested in the natural areas nearby, the parks, trails, volcanoes, beaches, trees, cactus, and so much more. We love the freedom the motor home gives us to live comfortably wherever we travel. Even if only traveling for a short period of time, wherever you go, you're home! If you are looking for luxury RV Parks there is a publication for Big Rigs that lists parks that cater only to the biggest of RV's. I'm happy if I'm near the place I want to spend time. We're frequently the most classy rig in the park. All I want is good electric, water and electric. I have everything else I need. We use RV Park Reviews to find our parks. Another useful source is an app for your phone, ALLSTAYS Camp and RV. They also have ALLSTAYS ONP Walmart which will help you find Walmart stores that allow overnight parking and also let you know those that don't allow overnight parking. We stay at Walmart on occasion when we can't find a park where we want. We do this mostly when we are traveling cross country but occasionally when we are touring we'll make an overnight stop at Walmart. For service I recommend that you find a regional facility for your engine like Cummins Coach Care, check your engine manufacturers web site for their facilities. Freightliner facilities are good for chassis service. Find a dealer for your brand motor home for any manufacturer installed items. The internet is your best friend when looking for service. If you let them know you are on the road, not able to leave the rig and go home, they will usually work with you to get you in and out quickly. Depending on the job, quickly may be a week. In that case, find out what is interesting and take the toad and go exploring while they work or wait for parts. Finally, if you prefer smaller roads, there are many like US 20 across the Great Plains and pick it up again in Oregon. There aren't a lot of tourist spots or National Parks along the way but it's a great trip through backroads America. It rivals US 50 across Nevada and Utah for the loneliest road in the US. Look at a map (computer, paper, gps, take your pick) and take the smaller road. There is an app for our Garmin GPS that lets us travel with confidence, Low Clearances POI works with many GPS units and has worked well so far to warn us when we are approaching roads with clearance that would stop our travel in the motor home. Louise likes a large print truckers atlas, expensive but really easy to read, which shows all the truck routes, also a way to ensure you are on road suitable for a large motor home. You can pick up an atlas at most any truck stop.

I replaced the belt on the generator (7.5 KW Onan) at 1028 hours - and it was in shreds in places, probably only a few hours from failure! I tend to take manufacturers recommendations as the maximum and try to schedule things before their limits. Until the Cummins Coach Care facility asked about the belt for the generator I didn't even know it had one. I'm so glad that they asked.

I think it is the Commemorative Air Force!

Great idea! I'll have to look at the propane compartment on our rig to see if that would work. I've been using 4" PVC drain pipe cut in half lengthwise to do what you do with the gutter. I store all four (2x10') nested together with the sewer hose sections in the top drain pipe section. I kept the 2' cut- off sections for the miscellaneous odd lengths that sometimes occur. I use small bungees, the tiny ones, to wrap around the hose and pipe assemblies to hold them together. Whenever possible I'll cover the hose to keep it from exposure to the sun, especially on extended stays.

Given the weights you report, your front tires if split evenly between the two would have a load of 6,450 pounds each. Add 500 pounds because you don't have individual corner weights. The difference probably won't be that great, others may have a more conservative number, but you really don't want to come up short here. That would give you an empty weight per tire of 6,950 pounds. On the tire chart look at the weight capacity for single tires. For the drive tires, 13,932 divided by 2 is 6,966 pounds on each side, add 500 again since you don't have corner weights. Figure an empty weight of 7,466 pounds for each side of the rear axle. Divide this by two as you are splitting this load by 2 tires on each side. That gives you an empty weight of 3,733 per drive tire. On the tire chart look at the weight capacity for dual tires. Dual tires don't carry as much because they don't cool as well as a single tire. Being close to the other hot tire will affect the ability of the tire to support a load at any given inflation. Your tag axle weighs 7,840, again add 500 pounds for the lack of individual corner weights, 8,340 pounds divide by two gives 4,170. Again, use the single tire column in the tire chart for these tires. Now, before you look up weights you need to calculate the weight of a full propane tank, a full fuel tank and a full fresh water tank. If your propane tank was full and your fuel tank was also full, you don't need to calculate, it is already included in your weights above. Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon. You can use the water weight for the waste tanks as well as the fresh water as the wastes are mostly water. Calculate the weight of each tank and add it to the weights above. Assign the axle for each weight based on where the tanks are located in your coach. In our coach the waste tanks are right in front of the rear axle and the fresh water tank is about 4 feet behind the front axle. So most of the weight of the waste tanks on our coach goes on the rear axle and most of the fresh water tank weight goes on the front axle. Since the total capacitie of the two waste tanks almost exactly equal the fresh water tank, I simply assign their weights to the closest axle. You will have to make a determination how best to assign the weight of the tanks in your coach depending on the locations of each tank. If midway between axles, split weights between the two axles. If they are behind the rear axle or in front of the front axle, the calculations get more complicated as part of the weight in front of the front axle will be subtracted from the rear axle. Imagine the coach like a teeter-totter. Weight on one end lifts the other end. Each axle acts like a fulcrum with the weight being levered from one end of the coach to the other end. The tag axle creates another variable, the weight it carries can be varied and as it takes more weight it reduces weight on the drive axle and adds weight to the front axle. The level of complexity of this calculation is beyond what most of us are willing to do so we'll just keep in mind the general principle. My guess is that most motor homes have the tanks located between the two main axles. Finally, you need to compute or estimate the weight of any personal items that are not in the coach, where they are stored and assign their weights to the front or rear axles. Loading personal items into the coach is where the 500 pounds added to the end of each axle comes in as these items my be stored anywhere in the coach and can create uneven weight distribution. Now you are ready to look up the weight supported by each tire in the appropriate column on the table. If you figure on the maximum loading of your coach you should always have sufficient tire pressure. The above is why I do my level best to get corner weights when the fuel, propane, fresh water and waste tanks are full and we are traveling with our usual load of personal items. If you can do that, there are no or minimal calculations to do and the uncertainty factor drops almost to zero. Well worth the fee charged at FMCA rallies where they offer this service. I get the coach corner weighed every time I'm at a rally where the service is offered. That gives me a history and thus an idea of how much our load varies under different circumstances over a period of years.

I had to chuckle at the comment about drilling holes in your coach. I read a posting a few years ago, can't name the author, said it was a bad day when he hadn't drilled a hole in his motor home!

I generally make it a practice to drive a short distance when we leave home, a campground or an overnight parking spot, just to give everything a look before driving for a long distance. It gives me a chance to look at everything one more time before we drive for hours and hours with something going wrong. I also have more peace of mind knowing that I've looked at everything again. Looking at everything is really difficult, there are things that become so routine that you don't check carefully. I have a habit of hanging the wash brush on the rear ladder to dry. One time in Alaska we had driven for a while and as I did my check there was the wash brush still lodged on the ladder where I left it. We'd gone about 40 miles and it was still there. Don't have any idea how long that would have lasted. Now I always look at that ladder to make sure the brush isn't there.

I've been a long time Goodyear customer and switched to Michelin in the fall of 2013, steer tires only. There was a significant difference in the ride, the Michelin tires ride much smoother. With Goodyear I was always fighting to get the tires as round as possible to reduce the vibration. With the Michelin's the out of round condition was not a problem at all, they both measured well within tolerance and the vibration I had with Goodyear is gone. The load ratings are a little different, I have to run the Michelin's at 115 PSI, Goodyear's carried the same load on the front axle at 110 PSI. I am willing to spend a little more for a good tire. I have been replacing tires two at a time, moving the tires from the steer to the rear replacing the oldest tires on the rear. This year I'll have to do four tires, two steer and two rear and move the Michelin's from the steer to the other side rear so all the tires are the same type. So far, I've had no problems with the condition of the Michelin's but two years is hardly a service length that would be an indication of serviceability. I expect to drive 60,000 to 80,000 in the six years a tire is on my coach. I had two blow outs with Goodyear, the first a steer tire with minimal damage. That is why I want the tires on the front to go no more than two years. The second blow out took off the fiberglass panel from behind the rear tire to the back of the coach. That was the last straw, I switched. If you don't put many miles on a coach and the miles aren't necessarily tough (cool weather, good roads, light loads) then a cheaper tire might work fine. The ad says, "You have a lot riding on your tires." This is particularly true with a motor home.

We full timed for years and when we look at coaches, we're looking for livability. We don't tow heavy so our preferences may not apply here. The ultimate pulling power would be the bus conversions but the livability in those coaches drops considerably when you look at practical things like the kitchen/pantry, closet and storage space. Most that we have looked at are more designed as party buses than for full time living. I'm sure that some would find them workable for their living style but as a full time coach, we don't see them as more desirable. The same goes for some of the other high end coach models. Within any brand we see some coaches that have plenty of storage space and others of the same brand that have little storage space. That isn't bad, everyone has different ways to use their coach. Some vacation, some tailgate, others boondock, each would be interested in a different kind of coach - so there are models for most everyone!

When we are in a campground for any length of time we always leave the grey tank open to the campground sewer. I route it straight to the sewer, no loop to collect sediment and act as a trap. We have never had a problem. This includes years of being stationary for the entire winter at our winter park. The black tank is always closed until it is ready for emptying but otherwise, if we have utilities the grey tank is open.

Do you have a washer/drier in your coach? Is it located in or near the rear bathroom. If so, are you using it on a regular basis? If you yes to the first two questions and no to the last, it could be your problem. We have to add water to the W/D drain to keep the trap filled if we aren't using it on a regular basis. It is very difficult to identify exactly where an odor comes from in my experience. If the trap for the W/D dries out, it will allow gases from the grey tank into the coach. The air admittance valve or vacuum breaker should be a one way valve that allows air only when there is negative pressure of the drain. It's purpose is to keep water draining from the sink from siphoning the P (or S) trap leaving no water in the trap to prevent gases entering through the drain trap. It should never allow air to flow in the opposite direction if it is functioning properly. If there is water in the trap for the sink and shower then they wouldn't allow gases from the grey water to enter the coach.

I carry a ladder so I can wash the windshield between fueling stops. I get a lot of bugs between fuel stops. I like to start each days drive with a squeaky clean windshield. I hand wash my windshield with a sponge and chamois. Periodically I'll give it a Windex wash and it gets Rain-X once a month. I've never found the squeegees at truck stops to be very effective in cleaning the windshield. The view is so fine I hate it when it is covered with smashed bugs and smears and streaks. When you drive in the rain then the side windows will need a good cleaning. The top of my windshield is nearly 11 feet off the ground so a two step ladder won't help me. It's not frequent but there are times when it becomes necessary to access the roof and while I can get onto the built-in ladder, it is much easier if I have several steps to get me from the ground onto that first step. We are no longer full time but I still wouldn't leave home with my ladder, it is my most used tool. If you read my previous post, my ladder is thin enough to store in a basement compartment so you don't see any stuff attached to my coach.

Great idea, great article. Additional insulation could also help reduce the interior noise level but I don't know if it would be significant. Have you noticed any reduction in the noise level in the coach when you are traveling?

We're plugged in all winter long. Never any problem. Keep a watch on the batteries. Keeping the batteries at top charge is much better than letting them discharge completely as can happen when they aren't being charged during a long term idle period. Our inverter/charger, Xantrex, handles the job without worries.

You don't indicate where your trip originates. We usually stay on the east side of the park. There are two locations cited in RV Park Reviews, Cut Bank, Montana which is near the East Entrance to the park and St. Mary, MT which is near Going to the Sun Road which takes you through the heart of the park. Going to the Sun Road is a highlight of the park. Just driving it will give you a spectacular look at glacial terrain. There are trails for hiking and stops with information about the scenery you are seeing. Going to the Sun Road isn't open until late spring or early summer. If you are planning on going in June, check on the status of the road at the Glacier National Park website. Anything other than a small Class B is prohibited on this 1930's WPA mountain road. There are tour coaches, circa 1930's, no roof for absolutely the best views of Going to the Sun Road in case you don't have a toad for sightseeing. Just across the Canadian border is Waterton-Glacier National Park which is worth a stop as well. The headquarters area has a hotel which is right out of the 19th century. You will need your passports to visit this park. If you plan to take your motor home, check Canada Customs for regulations related to any number of things from food to liquor and guns that are checked at the border as you cross into Canada. As for as Idaho, Washington and Oregon, you'll have to give us an idea of your interests. There is everything from Olympic National Park to Mt. Hood, Mt. Ranier, Oregon Dunes, great winery areas, the whole Columbia River Valley with multiple dams to tour, Grand Coulee Dam being a spectacular one. The whole coulee system around Coulee City, WA is interesting. There are some spectacular waterfalls on the south side of the Columbia River east of Portland. Water coming off the north side of Mt. Hood drops into the Columbia River Valley in that area. The is also great wind surfing on the Columbia in that same area. If you've never hiked a volcano, Mt. St. Helens is the most recently active volcano in the lower 48 states. There are several visitors centers and some spectacular trails to hike. Who manufactured your motor home? The area around Coburg (just N of Eugene) on I-5 in Oregon is home to many motor homes and there are some great service areas, both manufacturer and independent where you could get repairs or modifications done on your motor home while on the road. So let us know what you are interested in, where you are starting your trip and how long you plan to be on the road. It is a great part of the country to explore.

It's a good point though. I'd still run both furnaces if you really needed them. Just keep a close watch on your propane level. It's available in many locations and only takes a short while to refill. We have a 55 gallon tank which at 80% holds 44 gallons. We also do our best to stay out of cold weather! If we aren't way up north in the summer, we'll fill the tank once in the spring and again in the fall. I still keep an eye on it, DW gets real upset without heat and hot water!

We need to know more about your system set-up. What brand and model dish is on top of the motor home? How many receivers, I would guess 2 since the code you mentioned comes from the receiver. Is the second receiver at the rear TV? What devices are in the circuit from the dish to the rear TV? How old is the system and each of it's components? What make and model motor home do you have? Is the A/V system a factory installation? Has it been modified? Without more information we are just making blind guesses. Installation of A/V systems in motor homes varies significantly from one manufacturer to another. The more information you can give us the more help we'll be able to offer.

If you think about it, you have already figured out the retirement thing. If you hadn't been retired, would you have been able to make the trip to be with your father through his hospitalization and recovery? One of the privileges of retirement is being able to spend your time where you want to be. There will be time to relax and pursue your interests. There will also be times when you can put those things aside and take care of your family knowing that eventually you will get back to some of the things you enjoy more than sitting in a hospital. We have been fortunate to be able to travel for family needs frequently since we retired. We've spent considerable time with our mothers during their declining years and their deaths (both within 3 weeks). We've been present for the birth of all of our grandchildren (not in the hospital but nearby). When our children have needed some assistance with child care, their own medical emergencies or moving to a new location, we've been able to drop all the fun stuff and pitch in and give a helping hand. We've taken all of our grandchlidren (except the latest, just 2 year old) on extended trips to share with them the fun of traveling in the motor home and explore some of this great country. We also get to know them better and vice versa. So welcome back to the fun of retirement and the RGV. Have a happy retirement and a happy new year!