Classic Winnebagos & Vintage RVs

Well we finally managed to take off this afternoon about 1:pm. The gas and propane was full, we filled the water tank and away we went. The weather didn't co-operate and it started raining just as we left and hasnt stopped yet. We drove 195 miles to Walpole MA without incident. YEAH!! We did get stuck in rush hour traffic tho around Boston. The plan now is to drive from about noon until 4pm then stop for the night to make dinner, bathe the little tyke and get some sleep.

One hitch we did run into though, I never get around to replacing my heater core. So every time the windows fogged I had to blast cold air from the defrost onto it, which just about froze me to death :( I hope the rain stops before we hit the road tomorrow.

Good luck.. I'll be opening the dog house tomorrow to find my over heat at idle issue.... our defroster is the batch of white terry towels on the dash... LOL...

Tina

Our heater and defroster work, but we also keep a small squeegie right where I can reach it to swipe the insides of the windows dry...works great, especially when you have 2 big mouth breather dogs filling the air with condensate...lol!

In the rain or on cold days that little squeegie is the way to go...gets the inside of the windows clear of fog and condensate in a jiffy.

We were also going to hit the road yesterday, but I hate driving in the rain.  Today is supposed to be much nicer weather so we'll be hitting the road around 9am.

Safe travels!

Kev

OH Lordy, I am SOOOO LOST. We were supposed to stop at a walmart in Norwalk CT but it was so small there was no where to park. So we continued onto my next option for stopping, the Darien service plaza.. The were closed for renovation :( . My son tried to find me a walmart using the gps on my phone but we are now thoroughly lost somewhere in NY and the Homebago decided to start over-heating. I managed to find a big empty office building parking lot to stop and cool the rig down, so now to figure out where we are and where to go

I have found that when you make planes to stop something always goes wrong then cascades into chaos ! I think this is the travel gods laughing at us for planning .   I have a small 12V (plugs into cig lighter)  Defroster fan blows warm/hot air Does a terriffic job at those times syestems fail to do the job  Frank

Hope you get through New York okay. All the roads lead south, but iust don't get on a road that takes you to Long Island or you may have a lot of driving to nowhere.  Get some antifreeze and keep dumping it in, you're going to need it. 

Well once the rig cooled down we checked the antifreeze level and it was full, so I have no idea why it was over-heating. We managed to finally figure out how to get back onto I-95 and somehow missed NYC. We ended up going through the Bronx instead and finally found a good service plaza with plenty of truck parking in Ridgefield,NJ. .. Went inside to get some cash from an ATM for tolls tomorrow and my card was deactivated. :( I managed to call the banks 1-800 number and found out that the gas station I stopped at earlier today had somehow declined my card too many times so they deactivated the card. But we got it straightened out thank god, I thought I was going to be stuck here until at least Monday.

Oh yeah, when I gassed up earlier I found that I got 8.4 mpg. Better than the 6 I thought I would get but not as good as I was hoping. We did climb alot of hills though, so I am going to check it next time I fill up too.

Frank, I want one of those 12v defroster fans, any clue where you got it?

You can get those plug in defrosting fans at most any Auto store, most likely at truck stops, and even Wal-Mart carries them.

Call ahead to make sure so you don't waste a trip.

AH, we have arrived in Rosedale MD, I am now kissing the ground thanking my lucky starts we made it this far. We headed out around 11:am today and everything was running perfectly. I cannot tell you how happy I am that we have not had any malfunctions yet. Since we got lost in NY yesterday we someone got off I-95 and ended up on the New Jersey turnpike instead, a $43 toll.. Glad I went to the ATM yesterday. DAMN ! The next toll before we got back onto I95 was another $20, no take out for us tonight :( .

So the driving was pretty easy keeping it at 55mph UNTIL we hit the Deleware bridge, OMG that thing is so high in the air it was like driving through the clouds. And it was so windy I had a strangle hold on the steering wheel and still was blown all over 3 lanes. I do NOT want to come back that way.

So we will probably head out about 11:00 again tomorrow and right now I think I am going to try and stop in Ruther Glenn, VA but will have to wait and see what happens. We are having difficulties finding places to park over night. We had originally stopped in Abingdon, MD today at a wal-mart but even though they had a HUGE empty parking lot, they told us we couldnt park over night.

Yeah, the tolls up north can be pretty high for an RV, since they hit you for every axle, including the ones on the tow vehicle!  Worse for us, since our RV has 3 axles by their reckoning!  Biggest toll we got hit with so far, in New York, was 37.00 bucks!  When I asked what they were smoking, that particular toll plaza not only went by number of axles, but by your total length as well...yikes!

Then there is the Jersey Turnpike, where they not only hit you for a toll coming on and off the highway, there are toll plazas every 30 miles or so...highway robbers!

The one toll I never mind paying at almost any price is the toll for the Chesapeak Bay bridge tunnel system...if you are coming from the Virginia Beach area to the northeast, this cuts off miles and miles and hours and hours and is worth every penny...and its pretty neat driving in what appears to be the middle of the ocean, then diving down under it into the long tunnels...then back up at ocean level, etc...almost feels like being in a submarine again...lol!

And don't be mad at the Walmart.  Its not the store that sets the policy, its the county.  Every Walmart WANTS RVers to park there overnight because they know we are going to go in and spend money and stock up on stuff.  Some jerky counties though don't like us RVers, or else they want us to go spend our money at campgrounds.  My guess is that the counties that don't allow the overnight parking have campground owners on the council seat!

And the same thing happened with our debit card on this last trip.  Too many gas stops in different states and they froze our account for fraud.  A phone call settled it right away, but it can be frustrating and annoying, although its nice knowing that Chase keeps our account secure so thoroughly.  We just wish they would call us before freezing the funds...since this is the fourth time its happened on our road trips...couldn't they just call us and ask if its us using the card?  There is even a note on our account about how we travel all over the country, but they still shut it down sometimes and we have to call them.

Keep on driving and have a safe and uneventful...mechanically...trip!  Its a lot warmer down south right now than it is in Maine!

Kev

You never truly know your Motorhome or the hiccups in your planning until you are at least 100 miles from home.  But, thank goodness for good fortune because we usually come through the problem okay and carry on.  Hope the rest of your travels are worry free.  There are a couple of websites devoted to Walmart overnighting.  Walmart itself is not the problem with refusal to stay in their parking lot.  As Kevin said, it is usually the local government that sets the rule.  I live within 10 miles of three Walmarts and all three allow overnighting.  There are campers there quite frequently.  They don't bother anyone and no one bothers them.  However, don't call it "camping".  You are just "resting".  Some people get bent out of shape over whether it is polically correct to lower "leveling jacks" (well, Kevin couldn't), or putting out the awning, or opening the slides (most vintage folks don't have to worry about that one!), or sitting outside in lawn chairs.  I've seen it all done at the local Walmarts and nobody seems to care except the other rv owners that think it is "improper".  I don't think I would start a campfire or dump my tanks in the sewer drain.  Good Luck with your trip.  Wish I was going along. 

Thanks guys.

I did pay for and download an app for my phone on wal-mart over nighting but it was WRONG, because the one we were told no at was listed as a yes you can overnight.

Anyways, we are just taking a short break right now in VA and then we will head back out. We are only doing a short trip today because the baby is getting fed up of being buckled in all day.

After Washington, D.C. it's all smooth, quiet cruising the rest of the way!

Thats great to hear Mark. I was extremely nervous before heading out but feeling much better now. I sure will be glad to leave the big cities behind tho. The traffic at times is awful. We are now stopped at a Flying J in Ruther Glenn VA, Got laundry done, vacuuming done, showered and now enjoying some relaxation. The weather is much nicer too. :)

Gotta love the Flying Js!  We actually plan our trips out west around them...X amount of miles until we pull into the next Flying J for the night, etc.

Keep safe, and fair weather, low winds, and a mechanically uneventful trip to you!

Kev

We have arrived at a flying J in Kenly N.C and the weather is HOT and HUMID, but much better than freezing in Northern Maine.

No major mishaps with the Homebago BUT the homemade baseplate we had made for the car has somehow stripped out a few bolts. So hubby has been driving the car today and will continue to drive it until we arrive in Georgia where we will have more time to look into it. Small problem with the winny that I will post in the appropriate section to get help with is the smell of exhaust or gas while driving.
Tomorrow we are heading for Lake Marion SC or somewhere around there. Just 2 more days should see us in Baxley Georgia :)

MJ

MJ Be extremely careful with the little one and possible exaust fumes The small body cannot handle them as well as larger people Any sign of headache and or upset stomache is bad !!  Fresh air is only cure till body processes Carbon Monoxide  posining   Serious stuff   Frank

I know Frank, thats why I opened all the windows. I just couldnt for the life of me figure out exactly what it smelled like. It just seemed like a mix of things and for some reason today my doghouse didnt want to stay down so I am sure that wasnt helping. I am going to have to find some bolts for the doghouse so I can keep all the engine smells out of the winny.

Hope you missed all the rain and storms...we had a really doozie down here near Charlotte, NC yesterday afternoon. 

Our doghouse just sits in place as well, although I did find a bunch of the rubber tie downs...they look like mini versions of the ones used to hold my Jeep hood down...at a junkyard, but haven't installed them yet.  We never get any noise or fumes from it though, so it hasn't been a priority.

Keep on truckin'!  And have a safe and pleasant rest of the trip.

Kev

Hubby just picked up a job in Chattanooga TN so we are going to start  heading west. He has to be there for the 10th so we should have plenty of time. Got to hit the road now.

It's 2:20pm now and we just stopped to take a break. The smell has disappeared by closing the drivers and passenger window. But I am getting really worried, I have been using cruise control the whole way but I stepped on the gas today to get up a hill and the engine started chugging. I havent done any work to the engine since I bought it so I'm thinking if/when we make it to Chattanooga I need to check things out. I dont like the chugging for sure.

Chugging uphill, may be the fuel filter BTDT. Easy fix.

Oh what a day, I am exhausted.

It all started about 11:pm last night when the baby woke up scratching. He came down with a rash 2 days ago which I thought was just a heat rash and it would go away. When he refused to go to sleep unless I stood there scratching his back for him, I decided a trip to the ER would be beneficial. So away we went. 2.5 hours of kicking and screaming later from a boy that hates doctors and  the docs somewhat agreed that it was either hives or some sort of eczema. SO they gave him a dose of steroids and a dose of benadryl. We finally got back to the Homebago about 2:am and got the baby back into bed asleep. I managed to finally pass out about 3:00, then got woken at 7:30 from a boy that doesnt understand the concept of sleeping in.

So instead of heading out first thing this morning, we had to head into wal-mart to get his prescription filled, got him medicated and slathered with some lotion. Then fought with him for 30 minutes to get into his car seat so we could head out. Over tired munchkins are no fun to deal with.

We finally pulled out about noon, stopped to gas up and let the dogs out. Then finally got on the highway towards Georgia. We decided the best route was to go down into GA on 85 then head north to Chattanooga. After we crossed into S.C it was constant up hill, down hill. I managed to maintain 55 up hill but it was still chugging on the steeper hills.

We finally managed to pull into a wal-mart in Commerce GA about 5:30 tonight. Got dinner made, baby bathed and into bed then headed into wal-mart. We had to pick up a set of Lynx blocks (someone forgot to pack the 2x4's). Now it's 9:15 and all I want to do is sleep. Tomorrow we should hit Chattanooga TN. So I really need to figure out where we are going to park/camp out.

Good night Y'all !! 

MJ

WE didnt make it to Chattanooga yet, the laundry bag was full and I needed a shower after all the heat so we only drove 2.5 hours today to a flying J. Got the laundry done, showered and enjoyed some relaxation. Tomorrow we shall reach our final destination of Hollywood,AL. Just got to hope there is a campground somewhere close by.

There is at least one CG just past Scotsboro,Al on Hwy 72W.  Then there is our favorite at Guntersville-Little Mountain Marina, Langston,Al.  Call me at 205-567-3663.  Ed. :)ThmbUp

Member Area drop down - Interactive Campground Map

Hey ED, is that CG named Crawford RV Park? We tried to call them but they never answered.

I did check the interactive campground map, thank you.

Change of plans.. Hubby got a call this morning and the job was cancelled :( so we turned around and headed South. We will finally get into Baxley Georgia tomorrow afternoon, where we will visit with family and take a much needed break from driving. And now after this long trip I can add 2 things to my to do list for the Homebago, #1 change fuel filters and #2 find new captains chairs, my drivers seat is so uncomfortable my back is screaming at me. It has no lumbar support at all. I will be very glad when we pull in and I know I wont have to drive again for at least a few days.

I agree with you on the driver seat.  Even though I have the six way power seat, I have to prop a pillow behind my back to have enough support.  I would like to find a way to make the seat back come forward a little ways.  I'm sure there must be some kind of adjustment at the bottom of the seat back to make this happen.  However, so far I haven't found it yet.  I would like to have the leather seats out of my Suburban instead of Flexsteel seats that would be more fitting in my living room.
Good Luck on your travels.  We are traveling right along with you on our computers.
Dan

Yep, the Flexsteel seats aren't the most comfortable things for very long trips.  Even with all the adjustments....which is why I tend to lean on the steering wheel a lot with my forearms and change positions a lot.  Losing the extra weight helped a lot, but my back can still get pretty sore after 400 miles or so.  Didn't even think about sticking a pillow behind me...I'll have to try that on the next voyage!  They are making some really nice memory foam seats that you can get for around 600 bucks each on eBay, nice leather and all...but 1200 bucks is way too steep for our budget right now for a non priority item.

Sorry your hubby's job fell through.  Hope he finds one soon!  Have a very safe rest of your trip!

Kev

It's been over a week since we've heard from them;  let's throw some positive, Vintage RV karma in their direction!


BanDan

Hey all, sorry I have not posted before now, I have tried a few times but the internet goes out just as I hit post. :(

So just a quick update..

We arrived in Baxley Georgia on time with no major problems and visited with family for the 1st couple of days. Then we moved to an RV park named Stagger Lee Music Park which was supposed to have full hook ups with wi-fi. Well the full hook ups are here but the wi-fi only works for about 10 minutes every couple of days. The owners are in Key West and the camp host knows ZERO about internet and gets VERY upset when I ask him to reset the router. We are the only people here so his attitude is very puzzling. We also asked if he could put out one of the many trash cans we see stored in the shed but this also upset him so we are hauling our trash 2-3 times a day since we only have a tiny can which holds a wal-mart bag.

Anyway, we have done some fishing and caught our first ever Bowfin or as they are locally named a mud fish. We harvested pecans from a family farm and I made my first ever pecan pie, YUMMY !! Not really much else to do here as we are in a tiny town.

We are now thinking of heading to Shreveport LA when our month is up here at the campground.

OH YES how could I forget.... The ants are terrible, the day we parked, the winny instantly got infested with millions of ants. We bought some raid ant killer and sprayed everything on the outside and around the edges on the inside and they are for the time being under control. BUT the fire ants are even worse, they move so fast that it's almost impossible to keep them off you and the poor baby has these little pimple looking bites all over him from the fire ants. So if anyone has any cures for the bites I'd love to hear them.

Thats all I can remember from my earlier attempts at posting, I'll try to come back again before we hit the road again. But for now Y'all take care and enjoy your Vintage RV's :)

Fire ants are evil!  And there is nothing you can do for the bites.  And don't try to pop them like a pimple...it isn't puss inside, its dead tissue, so all you'll do is open up a wound that might get infected.  They hurt like hell the first few days, then itch for a week! 

Wanna keep them away with something that's safe for the baby?  Sprinkle your whole campsite with a bottle or two or three of Sevin Dust, an insecticide.  And then gently water it in with a sprinker or hose.  It kills the fire ants and then repels them for a while, its cheap, and its safe around kids and pets...its actually safe enough to use as a flea powder right on your dog's skin, so its pretty much only toxic to insects...wouldn't recommend eating it though...lol!

DEET helps repel the ants from climbing up your legs...saturate your feet and legs and pants with the stuff to keep them from climbing up and biting you.  DEET is perfectly safe for most folks, including kids.  It was a Vietnam military experiment that surprisingly DID'NT fail...doesn't cause cancer, doesn't make you a mutant, etc.  The higher the deet content, the better the protection, especially from fireants crawling up your legs!  And then of course there is the added protection from mosquitoes and ticks, which carry all kinds of diseases.

I would contact the owners through email or phone and tell them how obnoxious and lazy their caretaker is being.  He shouldn't be upset, his job it to help you, and I'm sure the owners would like to know about it!

Glad you guys are okay and having fun!  I know all about crappy or slow internet connections, or gigabyte limits...thus the reason I rarely post pictures even though I LOVE showing off my projects!

Kev

there is a product called Amdro out on the market as well.... they are getting in by climbing your tires, water hose,electric lines... I'd put a layer around anything that contacts the ground.  WD40 also has been found to work against ants....  fire ants are nasty... cortizone or benedryl cream for the bites but like Kev said don't pop them if you can help it...

Tina

You'll find these conditions throughout the south.  Louisiana is just as bad, if not worse.  If your rig is going to be parked for any period of time, termites are also a major threat.  The types of "barrier" treatments Tiinytina mentioned are a must.

sorry it took so long, but here is a pic of when we first arrived..


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We have finally really settled in and are just taking it easy doing some fishing and hunting and enjoying ourselves. The ants have pretty much disappeared, YEAH!! We bought a 5 cf deep freezer which fits nicely right behind the passenger seat. Now I dont have to go shopping every 3 days. But I think we are going to have to make sure it isnt full before we hit the road. I'm guessing it could be pretty heavy. Today we decided to add an external 100 lb propane tank so we dont have to move every 3 weeks to go fill up. But now we are going to have to figure out how to take it with us when we leave. Anyway, we got that hooked up and working so we should be good on propane for a few months now.

Projects still needing to be done..

Oil change
Fuel filter change
heater core replacement
oil pressure sensor replacement
air bag replacement
roof taping and coating
exterior wall clean and shine

I sure hope I can get it all done before we need to leave.

Nice pic!  What a pretty and happy looking family!  Your list is shorter than mine, but I'm always adding to it....lol!

Kev

The only things I managed to get done on that list was the fuel filter replacement and the roof. Oh yeah also did the exterior wall clean but not shine. Will get to that someday, lol.

We have now left Georgia and are staying a few hours away in Alabama, looks like we will be here at least 2 months. No problems on the trip, and no chugging uphill so far and we did climb a couple of steep hills. We are staying in an RV park named "Shallow Creek" It is quite expensive compared to the other parks but it was the only one that has wifi available. The owner seems quite nice and laid back. We have been here for 3 days and have yet to pay because he is almost never around and when we do seem him, he says, " dont worry, I'll catch you later or tomorrow" Anyway, it seems to be a nice place to be for awhile, they have laundry, pool, a pool table, BBQ area and it's far enough away from town that there isn't a ton of traffic.

I think I should have named this topic, Our US Travels since we will be traveling around wherever hubbys work takes us. But I didnt know that was the plan until it happened. Good thing we are flexible.

 :laugh:

Ah, Thank you Mark, you read my mind.  :laugh:


Finally got our spot paid for and laundry all caught up. Went looking for propane last night for our exterior 100lb tank and we found that u-haul fills tanks, BUT they wouldnt fill ours. The gentleman there explained to us that our tank has to be upright for an hour before he can fill it and it has to leave his lot in an upright position. We never had a problem in Georgia, so we went looking for another location and found a Flying J that fills propane, they wouldnt fill it either. But for different reasons. The woman there explained that they cant fill propane in the rain because it causes some sort of safety issue. So we asked if they could fill a vertical tank if it was laying down went we bring it in and if its ok to lay it down when we leave. They said thats fine as long as they dont help us to load it. So we are going to head back over there today when hubby gets back from work and see if they will fill it. Oh what a pain in the arse, guess we should have filled the winny tank before we parked.


Oh well, now I need to search online for a fishing spot that isnt too far away.

Found a great fishing spot and have caught some really nice size striped bass, I have never caught those before and they put up a really good fight. But now Eddie is working 7 days a week so I have been stuck in the campground, cant wait until the job is finished and we can get back to fishing. :)

Worked on the AC today, pulled the covers off and there was a spot about 6in x 3in that the fins were all bent over flat. So got those straightened back out the best I could and vacuumed everything out, it really needs to be hosed down but my 2yr old didn't like mommy on the roof without him and let the whole park know it. So will have to wash it at a later time. But got it back together and what a difference, I turned the AC on about an hour ago when my thermometer said it was 90 degrees in here, it is now down to 81 degees. I happy with the difference for sure.

Looks like we will be pulling out of here on May 8th, at least thats when we are paid up until. Not sure where to head from here, right now it's still too cold in Maine to even think about going back there.



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Stripped bass make great eating!  Or as we call them in New England, Strippers.  Just be careful about eating too much of them, since they spend a lot of time in rivers and pick up a lot of heavy metals.  If you trim off the belly fat before cooking them, that pretty much gets rid of all the lead and mercury.  This might not be true of all stripped bass, but the ones in the New England rivers pick up a lot of toxins from all the old factories. 

Hope you get back to fishing soon!  I miss taking Patti out on the boat and spending a whole day pullin' them in!

Kev

Man that sounds appetizing. D:oH!

Why is it that everyone wants to call stripers, strippers? Dont we all know by now that strippers are those men and women that take their clothes off for a living?  :)

Took Michael swimming in the Chattahoochee river and he had a blast, got some pics but haven't uploaded them to my computer yet. I finally realized I need to start a photo album of our travels, ya I know I'm slow but that's what a 2yr old does to the mind.

Hubby got laid off today, YEAH!! Now he can entertain Michael while I trace wires out tomorrow, it was tough working on batteries today with him begging for mommy to play. A 10 minute job turns into an all day job when your alone with a kiddo.

So I plan on getting these batteries straightened out and doing some more fishing before we head out. I would LOVE to hook a big catfish.

Quotestripers, strippers?

I thought that had something to do with paint removal.

Dave

Well Dave, I guess you know where my mind is  :laugh:


Gave up on the wires after a couple hours and decided to head to camping world instead. We got some of the foil covered bubble wrap for the windows. Since we dont have an awning it gets pretty hot in here with all the sun beating down and into the windows. We also stopped at walmart to get another chassis battery since ours has been drained way too many times for comfort, but I didnt measure the one we have first and the gentleman at walmart showed me 2 different batteries and they were different sizes, so will have to measure the one I have and go back to get one. Well shoot, now that I typed that up, I realize I forgot to get the battery cables i needed to attach the 3rd house battery. ..


It's been a long day so I sent Eddie out for pizza, going to bathe the brat and get him to bed so we can head over to the GA side of the Chattahoochee and try to catch us a catfish or something.

QuoteIt's been a long day so I sent Eddie out for pizza, going to bathe the brat and get him to bed so we can head over to the GA side of the Chattahoochee and try to catch us a catfish or something.

Sometimes thats just what we need!  Have fun - Dave

Went fishing last night and didn't catch anything :( But that's ok just being able to enjoy some peace and quiet made the trip worth it, even though we got soaked since it decided to rain on our parade... I am NOT against fishing in the rain :)

Got the new chassis battery today but walmart doesnt sell the cables we need to hook up the 3rd house battery, will have to stop at an autozone somewhere and see what they have.


Well, It's countdown time, we have 10 days until we pull out.

The plan

get the grocery shopping done
Install the new chassis battery
Make a list of ALL possible stops along the way (state parks,flying J's and walmarts)
Make sure all laundry is clean
Fill the winny propane tank and fresh water tank

Hope I'm not forgetting anything.



OH and the most important, for me anyway, go out for drinks and dancing tomorrow night, as it is my 41st Birthday tomorrow :) Dont worry, I'll have a drink for each of you, let's see that's got to be at least 10 drinks right? Happy times ahead  :)clap

Happy 'B" day

Happy birthday for tomorrow... if we keep this up every year, you'll have a leap year somewhere in there...

Well good morning, I made it to 41, sometimes I wondered if I would see that day. So for today I cant decided on making myself a cake or working on the homebago.

Eddie and the boys want cake so I think I will get that done and then work on the bago, I still need to get the chassis battery installed and empty out the deep freezer since no power while on the road... Did I ever mention I killed my generator? LOL. I think the starter froze up. We will tear it apart when we get back to Maine. Just another thing to add to the growing list of things to do.

I am going to have so many posts going when we get back to Maine, you guys are going to get tired of me, the top projects we are going to get done when we get back will be, generator, new carpet in the living and bedroom, tiles or linoleum in the bathroom, brakes, fix an oil leak, air bags and whatever else I can think of.

Well time to get dressed and get started on the cake.


PS, thank you JD and Mark :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY & Wishing you many more Frank

Well now if you thought you had fun in your Teens and Twenties and partied in your Thirties. Ain't knothing like your going to do in your Fourties. Happy Birthday :)rotflmao :)clap D:oH! :)rotflmao

Happy Birthday YOUNG LADY.
with me and Janie, its our tradition to bake each other's birthday cake
Did you get the pm I sent?

Happy birthday!  Hangovers suck with crying kids by the way...lol! :)rotflmao

Kev

Thank you all I feel so special, last year on my birthday hubby was in CO and I was in ME and I did NOTHING.


oldrockandroller, I make my own cake so it's edible ,lol and no I didn't get any messages.


Kevin, it's a darn good thing I dont get hangovers then, huh? But just in case I do, I have a roll of duck tape and saw a pic that inspired me, a kid ducktaped to the wall..  :)rotflmao

Now thats a real good baby sitter eliminator  :laugh:

Storage compartments are good for that too... :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao

Kev

Had a great time last night, kicked Eddies butt playing pool :) And got a new diamond ring, What a wonderful man I have :)


8 days to go....

New chassis battery installed, 2 new house batteries installed. I went with a walmart battery that has 114AH for $99.89 each.
Laundry done but will have to do it again before we go.
Going to move everything from the deep freezer to the regular freezer today and make sure it all fits.
And I have to figure out how I messed up the 12v outlet I installed in the back room, for some reason it wouldnt charge Michael's mp3 player after I put it in. I didnt really think I could mess it up, hot wire to battery and ground wire to ground, how hard can it be. Obviously pretty difficult for me. :)

Change of plans, going to do more traveling around.

Oh NO! Thoughts are with you guys.  :(

Mike & Janie

Your in our prayers. - Dave

Thank you,


If anyone has any suggestions as to a good place to spend the summer I am all ears. I need to find a place to stay where I can work on the winny, we have many projects to get done including, new carpeting,tiles,awning,air bags and whatever else I am forgetting at the moment.


oh yes and possibly a new toilet, the valve on my quit closing all the way, so it doesnt hold any water in the bowl anymore.

Are we back to thinking about Kentucky?

Good to hear MJ.  I am keeping good thoughts and wishes going your way.  If you ever want a northern holiday, let me know.  It is pretty far from Maine.

The Dakotas have BLM lands and national forests...summers aren't too bad, and at least they are dry (low humidity).  That's where we plan on going for some of the summer this year. 

You are in Georgia right now, right?  Not a lot of high elevations around you for a short trip for good summer weather. 

And unless you go as far west as the Dakotas, you are going to hit hot and humid no matter where you go.

Minnesota, Wisconsin...all that area near the great lakes is hot and humid in the summer.  Not sure how far you want to travel to stay in a nice climate.

Keys are beautiful year round if you don't mind heat and humidity, and not too far from Georgia, but expensive to stay in.

Kev

Quote from: oldrockandroller on May 02, 2013, 07:37 PM
Are we back to thinking about Kentucky?

We still need to take the trip to Ohio to go to sands for an awning and possibly captains chairs, so our original route wont change, just where we go from Ohio is whats going to change.

Actually Kev, we are in Alabama right now, but pulling out in 6 days. Dakotas might be an option after Ohio, we have been there once and I wouldnt mind going back.

Ugh, after all this stress, I have no idea how close I am to being ready to pull out. I guess it doesnt matter much since we arent in a hurry to get anywhere. We can always stop somewhere along the way for anything we forgot.

Well dont forget about Visone RV near Berea off I65. They might have what you're looking for without the extra hundreds of miles north since you aren't going on to Maine any more.

Thats in KY right?

Yes ma'am. www.visonerv.com. we've been there. 3 hour drive for us but it was worth the gas.

When I looked up Berea in KY it was actually off 175, but it may still be possible to get there. Just take a side trip south off of 64 I believe it is.

You are correct. I thought I had sent the wrong highway. I've pasted thier information below. It was super easy to find from which ever insterstate it is.

Visone Auto Mart
243 Fields Lane
East Bernstadt, Ky 40729
606-843-9889 Office Hours of Operation:
9-AM TIL-6-PM Monday thu Friday.
Open on Saturday 9-AM TIL 2-PM.

I was surfing Visone's website, and they have a 1990 Chieftain they are parting out. The pictures show an awning and nice looking beige cloth captains chairs.
I called them and found out that awning had been sold but he said they have 400 RVs and for a standard manual awning they get around $600. The seats in that motorhome are still there and he said those go for around $600/pair also. I don't know if that' s good, bad or what. He said for good used they try to get half price new. When I bought my water heater and rooftop antenna, I negotiated and helped them remove what I needed and got a better deal. Just saying.

I want to go back. Kinda sad seeing all those once grand beasts all burnt and wrecked but its interesting as well.
Good luck.

Thanks for that info, I actually did check out their website for a minute this morning. I find it difficult to get much internet time when Michael is awake. Thats a good price for an awning as far as I am concerned, but higher than I'd like to pay for captains chairs. Mine are still livable so they can wait at that price. Right now I am researching free camping, there isnt much but I did find one in AL we can stay at for 14 days and maybe do some fishing. We need to do as much free camping as possible, because even at $20/night it would be $600/month which is double what we are paying here.

5 more days until we pull out and I feel like I havent got anything done, but really there isnt too much I can do until the day before we go. Tried some fishing this afternoon but it was drizzling and the fish didnt want to bite. :( Off to make some home made hamburger helper for dinner.

I'll pm you with some info for more options in this area.

Tomorrow is our last full day here so we have a lot to do. Got to do all the laundry again, pack up the dog fence, put the rooftop carrier on the jeep, pack up all Michael's outdoor toys, empty and rinse all the tanks... Going to be busy busy busy.

Have a safe and fun trip!

Kev

Were you able to find something MJ? I wished I could have been more help.

I take it you have seen this?
http://freecampsites.net/attribute/states/al/ (http://freecampsites.net/attribute/states/al/)

Dave

Thank you Dave, I have seen that and have used it quite a bit already. Although not all the places they say are free, are really free.

ORAR, I have not got as far as planning my KY stay yet, we wont be leaving AL for another 2 weeks if things go right. I think I found a free place we can stay for 2 weeks, and also a childrens museum I want to visit. But from what I remember just taking a quick look at the free places in KY I dont think there was anything in your area. But I DO want to stop at Visone RV when we get up in that area. I really need to pick up some parts.

Going fishing tonight, I need a break from all the packing. All I have left for tomorrow is to empty the tanks and do 1 more load of laundry, then we will hit the road. :)

Enjoy you break and have a safe trip - Dave

Ok MJ. Your delay is better for us since will be on a weekend trail ride/camp the middle of the month should your travels bring y'all our way. The Daniel Boone National Forest is right up the road - less than an hours drive west on 64 from us.
We'll keep looking for options in the meantime.
Via con Dios mi amiga.
Happy trails, please be safe.

I am so bummed, we pulled out this afternoon as planned but only managed to tow the Jeep about 15 miles before I decided I didnt like it. The winny seemed ALOT heavier and less comfortable driving while towing the Jeep. So we pulled over and unhooked the jeep and had Eddie follow me in the jeep. The winny felt much better without the extra 5000lbs connected to the back. But I was so looking forward to us all riding together. :(

We pulled into a flying J in Montgomery for the night, and I got to thinking we might spend tomorrow here as well since it's free and we still need to fill the propane and re-empty the tanks.

Then a minute ago, I got to thinking... I have 114 AH on my batteries that I could use, BUT, how do I use it? I dont have any 12v outlets.. Guess I'm gonna have to do some reading. 

LOL - You are at a flying J truck stop.  For the truckers, they normally have an automotive section that typically has 12VDC outlets you can wire in.  Didn't you already add one for a baby monitor a while ago?

Dave

Yes I did, but it's in the back room with his mp3 player plugged into it. I actually have one in the dash, but it seems like the last time I used it, it didnt last very long. Maybe it's connected to the chassis battery instead of the house batteries.

Do you have a TV jack someplace?  That is most likely a 12VDC source.

Yes, dash lighter is chassis battery.

Dave

Theres actually 2 dash lighters, I know one is chassis battery but for some reason I always thought the other one was from the house batteries. My inverter has battery clamps on it, so I can hook it direct to the house battery, but it just seems a pain to do it that way since I would have to undo it it all the time. Ah well for tonight I may just have to do that so I can run the baby monitor. .. I must have the only child in the world that doesnt call out loudly when they wake and want something, no Michael likes to lay there and beg in a whispered voice for a drink.

I used battery cables with ends cut off for the leads to run the cables up.  I inserted a CB in the path at the battery so I could shut it off when not using it

(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frvpartssource.com%2Fimage%2Fcache%2Fdata%2F7187-500x500.jpg&hash=e02fe0800b69181fae11ce9cc465917a5b60d769)

CB size depends on size of inverter.   Available at auto supply stores.   There is also versions of the CB in the "I want every one to hear my music section while I go down the road" parts section.    W%

Dave

I love the way you add pics Dave, it makes it easier to understand.

Our first planned stop fell through but we did find a boat ramp where we can spend the night and do some cat fishing at the same time.

On a side note, the Winny is having over heating issues. The fan doesn't seem to kick on when it should. Another problem to be fixed when we find a more stable place to stay

Same breakers we used between the Morningstar charge controller and the solar panels and batteries on our solar power system.  Ours are made by Blue Sea, 80 amps, and sold at every West Marine.

Kev

As they say, A picture is ....  :)

Dave

Fished until 2:30 this morning and only got a couple of small cats then Michael woke and refused to go back to sleep until 5, yuck. So got him laying down resting while we sit here hoping for a fish to bite before we take off for the day. Going to head up to the next flying j and get  showers and laundry done. Tomorrow I hope to be at another lake, can you tell I love to fish. :)

LOL I'll be nice!  Enjoy your relaxing trip down the road.

DAve

Thanks for being nice Dave, but I don't mind wise cracks.


Pulled into flying j but I'm feeling really shaky so going to rest a bit

If i was driving a motorhome and typing a messege in a forum i'd be shaky too.

lol, actually I think the shakiness was a lack of sleep and way too much caffeine, I feel better now after eating and resting. Going to do some research and find a lake to visit tomorrow. So far all is well with the winny, except for the over heating issue. I hear the clutch fan kicking on so thinking there may be a problem with the electric fans.

Hi ML are you sure its actually overheating or is the gauge lying to ya ? You can buy a radiator cap that has a temp gauge on it (advance auto) or get a thermal imager to see what the real temps are . If you are not boiling over and loosing coolant its probably not hot Frank

Thats a good question Frank, It hasn't gotten hot enough to make me pull over yet so I dont know if it is boiling or not. Usually when the gauge starts getting higher than normal I will try to coast a bit faster to get some air going through it, then it will cool down. I think I will check into one of those radiator caps with the temp gauge on it. Thanks.   MJ

Getting ready to empty the tanks, fill the fresh water, add some gas to this beast and hit the road. Going to Guntersville, AL to do some fishing for a couple of days. It should only take us about 2 hours to get there then I can relax and enjoy mothers day :)

Eddie just looked at the front radiator and he thinks it might be getting hot because it is covered with dirt and grime. Gonna have to find a way to wash it off and see if that helps.

Hi ML A lot of car wash,s have a hi pressure washing wand Just make sure it will reach as close as you can get to the bay . Before paying  The only thing that needs protecting is the alternator The water wont hurt anything else Also make sure the engine has had some time to cool off . If you would have unlimited hose removing the engine cover and doing the blowing from the rear of the rad would be optimal !   Other ways are strong vacuume From the frt or hi pressure air from the rear !Frank

We have arrived in Guntersville and paid for 2 nights to start with, we need to see if there is any decent fishing before we decide if we want to stay any longer than that. Got the Winny all set up and Michael has already taken his brand new (1st) fishing rod down to the water to cast his rubber practice fish into the water. That boy loves fishing even tho he has no idea what he is doing. :)

The ride was nice, lot's of hills up and down all the way. Lots of green tree's and grass, Alabama is actually quite pretty.

Seen a bunch of DEAD armadillos on the side of the road, they must be some pretty dumb creatures. I have yet to see a live one so I wouldnt  know if they are worth looking at when they arent laying there with 4 legs stuck straight up into the air. And buzzards picking at them.

The winny didn't heat up at all until we got pretty close and the hills started getting steeper. But then she cooled right off as we went down the other side. Going to figure out what to make for dinner then check this park out. Hoping it's not as trashy as it looks.

MJ,
Several times I have seen people get pdf drawings of their rigs electrical and plumbing diagrams for free from Winnebago.  Try using this request form to get the information: http://www.winnebagoind.com/company/visit-us/request_information.php (http://www.winnebagoind.com/company/visit-us/request_information.php)

Dave

Thanks Dave, I'll look into that. Cant fill it out now as I dont have the VIN number. It should be on my new registration when I get it. First I have to find a post office and sit still long enough for my father to send it to me. :)

The fishing wasnt very good last night, but we didnt stay out too long as it was down right freezing. Tonight is supposed to be a touch warmer but not warm enough for my taste so we are going to pay for another 2 days so we can get some fishing in during some warm weather. Still looking for the elusive 5lb or bigger catfish. They keep saying there are some in here over 80lbs... I wont believe it until I see if for myself tho. :)

Possible VIN sources:
Insurance card/policy
Title / registration
On dash at base of windshield on drivers side
Drivers side wall plate
Front engine access area
Winnebago info sticker (tires, GVW, etc.) stuck to a wall inside a cabinet or closet.

Dave

"The ride was nice, lot's of hills up and down all the way. Lots of green tree's and grass, Alabama is actually quite pretty.  Seen a bunch of DEAD armadillos on the side of the road, they must be some pretty dumb creatures. I have yet to see a live one so I wouldn't  know if they are worth looking at when they aren't laying there with 4 legs stuck straight up into the air." 


Those are actually the smart ones. They're real stealthy.  Those you're seeing are the ones that made it all the way from Texas before... well you know.   

 :)rotflmao  They must have got tired of looking both ways before crossing.

Quote from: DaveVA78Chieftain on May 13, 2013, 07:01 PM
Possible VIN sources:
Insurance card/policy
Title / registration
On dash at base of windshield on drivers side
Drivers side wall plate
Front engine access area
Winnebago info sticker (tires, GVW, etc.) stuck to a wall inside a cabinet or closet.

Dave

The mice ate my registration and insurance card, and we dont have a title since it is so old. In Maine they wont give you a title for any vehicle older than 20 years. And I have not found the winnebago info sticker. I think it fell off sometime in the past.

Do you have access to your policy via the internet with your insurance carrier?  If I remember correctly, my Progressive web site even allows you to print replacement insurance cards.

Dave

Correct with Progressive.  You can make any and all changes and can print all docs from their website.

Finally have some decent internet, so I wanted to show a picture of what I have been after all this time...

Here is the catfish before.. (bad pic, it was dark outside)




(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi210.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fbb38%2Fmoonlitcoyote%2FIMG_20130507_222023_zps13c64cd1.jpg&hash=341ee1bd4c16e5b34198c66bdd12e981e28e722f) (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/moonlitcoyote/media/IMG_20130507_222023_zps13c64cd1.jpg.html)




and after... (catfish nuggets in a delicious honey batter)


(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi210.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fbb38%2Fmoonlitcoyote%2F102_1782_zps3e79bc9d.jpg&hash=7d6ffa0bfbbf272ffcd3d2a9b83eb627f8031228) (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/moonlitcoyote/media/102_1782_zps3e79bc9d.jpg.html)

I resized those down to 256x192 cant imagine why they came out so big???

Here's the striper I caught in the Chattahoochee River..
(https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi210.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fbb38%2Fmoonlitcoyote%2FIMG_20130405_152146_zpsb822d7d9.jpg&hash=1cb2feeb450eba52114d6e88cc0e0e97cabd793b) (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/moonlitcoyote/media/IMG_20130405_152146_zpsb822d7d9.jpg.html)

I'll have to wait until I find out why these are coming out so big before I post anymore.

They look alright on my computer although not as small you you indicated.  Of course now I want fried catfish...   :)ThmbUp

Awesome catch MJ> Now I want fried catfish too.

Thanks guys, the fried catfish was really yummy :)

We have made it into KY, the hard way. The homebago is running great no problems there But since we are so close to Memorial day all the campgrounds are full. :( So we are stuck with truck stops, which really isnt a big deal (except when you stop at one that doesnt have rv dump or water). But I can get internet for $5 for 24 hours and it's free to park.

The drive today was quite windy and then we drove into a storm with lots of rain so we quit early and stopped at a Flying J truck stop. Going to get the laundry done and let someone else do the cooking for a change (denny's) Planning on heading out 1st thing in the morning and heading on to the next state park. Will rest there for a couple of days and maybe do some more fishing. :)

The catfish looks yummy!!!  Kentucky is a beautiful state.  Very hot in the summer, but the scenery is spectacular.  Lots of fireflys.

Kev

Phone typing so this will be short and sweet. At 1:30 this morning we had to change parking spots because the flying j got full and a truck needed our spot. Eddie forgot to close the hatch on the jeep so it has a dead battery this morning.

Going to head out shortly, we have about two hours to go today to a state park that I Hope has an opening.

We arrived at the state park we were hoping to stay at but they were full up, so we stopped at a place just across the road and decided to stay here until Monday morning so the holiday will be over and we shouldn't have any more problems finding a camping spot. Got everything all set up, the family fed an early dinner now just relaxing for a few until it's bath time for the munchkin.

Hi Moon Just thinking Loose belts could be the cause of both your overheating on hard pulls & loss of power steering at low speed or a fluid leak onto the belts wopuld do the same  Nice catch ! Frank

Thanks Frank, when we get set up to stay somewhere for a little while we are going to check it all out. She's actually running really well. Been up a lot of BIG hills and no over heating at all. But will check belts and fluids and see if anything is obvious.

Well Memorial weekend is almost over and we are heading out tomorrow. Tried to go fishing tonight but all the banks in all the fishing spots were full up :(.

Heading East tomorrow to stay in another state park for 2 nights and go to Visone RV to try and find an awning and maybe some captains chairs. It's going to be interesting to see where I store the awning, if I get one, until I get to the next destination and can install it.

I keep wondering, is anyone going to the Jimco Jamboree? We RSVP'd for it yesterday and am sort of excited to see all the old rigs.

Hit the road this morning for a 2 hour drive to our next stop along the way. And boy did we put the old gal through the paces. Up the mountain, down the mountain, up the mountain, down the mountain, over and over and over. I havent seen a flat piece of land yet. The good news is, NO chugging at all, not even when the fuel economy gauge was below 0 mpg. I thought for sure I was going to run right out of gas on a couple of the climbs. I swear I watched the gas needle go from 3/4 tank down to 1/4 tank during one very long climb.... And another thing, my husband keeps wondering how in the world this rig can climb mountains faster than it goes down them.. Must be some sort of optical illusion, you think your going up when your really going down. (I didnt tell him it's because I hate the feeling of free falling so I let off the pedal when going down).. But let's keep that between us, I knew there was a reason I liked the fact that he cant use a computer.

Anyways, going to go to visone RV tomorrow and see about an awning and maybe some other small parts.

Yeah but no sand, endless pine trees. Fire ants...... Its gorgeous down there.

Kentucky really is a beautiful state, it's very green and lush. But for a person with motion sickness, the up and downs are not the best. Good thing I'm driving or I'd be really sick. I cant wait to stop somewhere for awhile and be able to really check out the area.

What a trip, we went to Visone RV and bought an awning, 2 captains chairs and some latches for the storage doors. Strapped the awning to the roof, put the captains chairs on the couch and hit the road.....

Our next stop was in a walmart parking lot because Michael was teething and grumpy and he couldnt deal with riding any longer. We got some shopping done and hit the road the next morning, we only had about 2 hours to go to get to the next RV park we were planning on staying at.

Up and down a bunch more mountains and while going through a construction zone I could smell antifreeze really stong, so I checked the temp gauge and it was still holding right about 1/2 way. Continued on and the smell went away, gauge still holding at normal. Then suddenly the cab is filling with white smoke and I'm worried the engine caught fire. I gently applied the brakes and realized I wasnt slowing down, so I pressed harder and I was still doing 50mph, my heart sank.. Here I am with my 2 yr old sitting by the door, we are filling up with smoke and I have no brakes. GOT TO GET THE BABY OUT, was the only thing going though my head. So I stood on the brakes and we finally started to slow down, it took awhile but I managed to get her stopped and out of the way of traffic. As soon as I came to a complete stop we were overcome with smoke and the smell of antifreeze, so I told my son (19yrs) to get the baby out quick. While he did that I grabbed the fire extinguisher and started to open the doghouse. Thats when Eddie showed up and told me I blew a radiator hose. He had seen it all explode out the back but couldnt get around me to tell me to pull over. The other drivers seemed to get scared and were afraid to pass me...

After letting the rig cool down and with some help from some very special members here, we found the blown hose and headed to Autozone to find a replacement. They didnt have an exact match but we got one that was close and put it back together.. While searching for the culprit we also noticed another hose had a bad weak spot and another one was almost cut through from rubbing on something. SO after getting that hose installed we headed back to AZ with the winny to replace the hose that looked almost cut through.

What should have been a 1/2 job became a 2 hour job trying to find a hose to fit and then finding a way to make the hose so it wouldnt kink.. While working on it the manager of AZ came out and told us there was an outlet we could plug into so that we could use our AC to help keep us cool. Thanks to a member here, we now had the AC running and cooling things down a little. Finally got the job done but by that time it was way too late and Michael was way too tired to continue on, so we started thinking what to do and where to go....

Within 5 minutes of finishing poor Michael was vomiting all over me and he looked pale, NOT good. While working on the rig it was 100 degrees in there, Michael had spent time in the store trying to stay cool, but I was worried sick he was suffering heat stroke or heat exhaustion. ..

I have no idea where we are or where we can go to hook up to some electricity and get this boy cooled off, bathed and resting. But members here came to my rescue again and found us a camping spot not too far away and even gave us directions to get there and talked to my son on the phone to be sure we were ok and going the right direction.

We finally landed in the camping spot, got hooked up and set up as best we could, then took care of Michael. Gave him a cool bath, liquids and tried to get him to eat. He refused the food so we got him ready for bed. All cleaned and dressed  for bed and he starts vomiting again :( my poor baby, I feel so guilty, what did I do wrong to make him feel so poorly. ... Finally got him recleaned and redressed and into bed, then gave him 3 ounces of fluid every hour until morning to make sure he wasnt dehydrated.

Morning time and Mike seems better, he still doesnt have much of an appetite but he has color back in his cheeks. So the question is do we stay for a few days to let Mike feel better or press on the last 82 miles?.. Where we are has electric but no water or sewer and our fresh tank is empty so we decide to push on and just keep a close eye on Mike. We took a break about 40 miles into the trip and made Michael eat and  drink. Then we hit the road for the last leg of the trip, stopped for gas before hitting the interstate and when I stopped Eddie noticed antifreeze pouring out the bottom.. OH NO not again!!... We pulled out of the way and checked everything and didnt see any problems so we headed out and prayed.. The praying must have worked because the winny didnt heat up and it didnt seem to leak anymore. We figure it must have been leaking from the overfill tube. Must have put too much in.

Finally pulled into our destination this afternoon and I have never been happier to hang the keys up and forget about driving for a little while.

Hi Moon Heres an idea for traveling with 2 veh Get a set of walkie talkies  My Brother and i used them on a trip from Pa to TX they worked good up to about 2 miles apart  Frank

do you happen to know what brand they were? We have tried them before but never found any good ones.

I've used Cobra and Uniden and never had a problem with either.

I bought the second from cheapest Cobra and the low end Uniden.

Fredric

And an upgradable dash mount GPS.

Oregon Scientific NOAA Weather radio with FRS model WRF 108 I do not remember where i purchased them from back in 2000 Try google   Frank

Thanks I'll check them out :)


We took the toilet apart today and managed to clean it up so the valve would close but when we re-installed it and turned the water on to it, we found that the water would not shut off. Went to an RV place about 5 minutes away and were told that it is becoming near impossible to get the parts for such an old toilet so we went the easier route and ordered a new toilet with the same bolt pattern.. The new toilet should be here Wednesday, so going to rip up the carpet on Monday and start preparing the floor for some vinyl tiles. Then Wednesday I will put the tiles and the toilet in and have a new bathroom :)

I like Frank's recommendation of using 2 walkie-talkies.  Tambra and I used them all the time when traveling with the RV and the car.  Got some from Wal-Mart.  Cobras as I remember.  Worked great! 

OR, you can go with the newer handheld two way radios, they are more compact, there are versions that have ranges of up to 10 miles, fit in the pocket and you can keep them on you while walking around the park your at you could contact each other in case of, say, an emergency or to update a to buy list in case the park has it's own store.

Thanks To oldrockandroller and his wife we got the awning installed yesterday. It's so nice having an awning now, it really makes it nicer to sit outside when you have shade to sit in.... Hopefully oldrockandroller will post some pics of the before and after and us working on it here..


Today I cleaned the captains chairs I got at Visone and installed them, it took 4 cleanings each but I finally got them looking clean. Now I just have to figure out how to get rid of the old ones.

Tomorrow's project is to cut out the bathroom carpet and prepare the floor to install tiles and a new toilet.

I'm really glad we are finally getting some things done. But now I am pooped so maybe more tomorrow.

Glad to hear things are finally on the good side MJ.  You get all the water hoses replaced also?

Dave

MJ   Put your old ones on Craigs list, someone will take them off your hands.

Nice MJ, grats!

Ok MJ, I'll try to post some pics of us installing your new awning. Thank goodness the weather cooperated. It was a cool 70 degrees and overcast the whole time we were installing the awning. It would have been 10 times the job if we were doing this in high 80 degree weather we had a couple days before.

Eddie, with MJ on the roof and Oshen installing the awning rail on the side of the coach.
Then me on the left, MJ on the roof (smiling of course) and Eddie while we mount the center storage support. She's smiling because this was the last step before we opened it up for the first time!

FINALLY done and Janie, MJ & Eddie admiring 3 hours of hard work.. Looks great and the shade is a WELCOME addition to their Winnie.

And lastly Eddie enjoying an adult beverage sitting in the doorway IN THE SHADE!

We'd never done anything like this before so it took us a while to work through and think through the process. An 18 ' awning is heavy! About 2 hours actually doing the work and the first hour was thinking through the process (And a quick trip back to Lowes for self tapping screws).

It looks great MJ & Eddie. We were happy to help out and finally meet you guys.

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Thanks for posting the pics Oldrockandroller, I was too pooped to say much about anything yesterday. It was great to meet you guys and have some adult company for awhile :)

Dave, Eddie will be working on the water hoses today while I work on the carpet in the bathroom, we also need to replace the belts, but before we remove them we need to make sure we can buy new ones.

JD, no one would buy my old captains chairs, they are in sad shape, the fabric is ripped and the foam was falling apart. Thats why we had to get new ones. :)

Thanks Coachman, when are you coming East so we can meet up?

You guys did a great job.  Hope the toilet replacement all works out just as well

Dave

Your welcome Guys, Not much longer now, to do list getting shorter..
Can't wait to meet all of you guys that I can get to in my travel home..
Do I understand this right?  Does the awning roll back up INTO the aluminum tube? ???
If so, that's pretty cool!

Fredric

The aluminum tube wraps around the awning when its rolled up. Its kinda cool how its done.

Due to life's very cruel way of working I wont be traveling anymore, and I find it very difficult to even put together 2 thoughts about what needs to be done to the winny and how to do it, so I wont be doing anymore repairs for awhile either. I wish every one the very best and happy/safe travels.

God Bless, Best Wishes and i hope you land on your feet ! Frank & Louie :(

So sorry to hear that.  I am sending prayers your way.  God bless.

Very sorry to hear, I wish you all the best. Hope things will turn better for you.

I tried to type something witty, but, I'm out of words at this moment.  Suffice it to say, all I know of life is that sometimes you have to suffer through rough times before you are rewarded with good times. And it's cyclical..

Please keep in touch anyway, just because you may not be traveling dun mean your not welcome to stay on the boards and contribute to life here as well..

Respectfully,
Fredric

Yes, please stay in touch!  Life always turns around, and we will all still be here for you.

Kev

After a very difficult few weeks we have pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and decided that we will deal with what life is giving us the best we can, but we still need to live, love and laugh as much as possible..

So for the living part...

we put 2 coats of Zep floor wax on the winny we still need to put 2 more coats but we cant seem to get away from the rain long enough to get it done yet.

We re-named the Homebago.. "The RockinBago" .. Due to the Winny rocking in all the wind and storms, it just seemed to fit.

We got the oil gauge working so now I know there's oil in it..lol


Changed all the belts, now the PS works great :)

And we "plan" on fixing the starter on the onboard generator and checking the brakes in about a week.

For the "love"...

We are learning not to take time for granted, you never know when your time with someone will come to an end, so we make the most out of every minute we have together and make lots of memories to fill our minds and hearts.


For the laughter..


Besides laughing at the wonderful people here on this site (joking) we find laughter in many ways, sitting on a dam fishing (about 20 minutes from the jeep) when it starts pouring, yup that gave me a real good laugh. Watching a wonderful little boy try to find a baby red bird because he saw it on tv, watching a bird bathe in a mud puddle so dirty you have to wonder if the bath is doing any good...There is laughter everywhere you just have to open your eyes to see it. And open your heart to feel it.

Well spoken.

Indeed... 

If you get a moment, listen to Baz Lurmans' song, "Everyone's Free to Wear Sunscreen"...  Sums up my feelings on things..

Fredric

With that attitude MJ you will be the winner.  God bless.

We are still dealing, each step of the process of losing Mike brings another round of depression. For me it feels like having a doctor tell you that you only have 6 months to live. You have people tell you that this or that might happen but in all reality you know the odds are against you. So at this point we have 6-8 months to enjoy our sweet baby boy before it all comes to an end.

But we are still living..

Put the last 2 coats of zep floor wax on the rig and it looks FANTASTIC!!
Installed a new fridge circuit board and got the fridge working on AC power again.
Removed, fixed and re-installed the starter on the genny.

We are still loving...

Taking lots of pics of Mike to keep with us forever and we are making him his own little photo album to take with him so he can remember all the good times we had. Like swimming in the Chattahoochee, seeing the Easter bunny for the first time and trying to catch his first fish.


We are going to take Mike to a place called Pioneer today, its a cool water park that has a kiddie pool with its own water slide, playgrounds for tots and bumper cars that Mike can ride with mommy and daddy in. The park also has water slides and other attractions but those are for older kids and adults.


Still Laughing...


There hasn't been much to laugh at the last week but Mike always brings a smile to our faces and we cherish every moment that we are able to spend with him. He is learning and growing so much and so fast that sometimes it feels like you miss so much even tho you never leave him.

Plans for the future....

Somewhere around August 7th we will be heading back South to Georgia, where we have found a very cheap house to rent and we will stay there until our time with Michael is up. So when that time comes to hit the road, we will need all the safe traveling vibes possible to get us there in 1 piece and hopefully with no major problems as our finances have been depleted with lawyers fee's and such.


Safe travels and happy camping to everyone, dont forget to hug those you love today.

Even though I don't know you guys in person my heart goes out to you guys, I am saddened to hear your circumstance. Memories are important, Living life to the fullest every day and taking it not for granted is something I learned from the loss of my mother and father in law. god bless you.

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Rest in Peace my baby girl, you brought us lots of joy and laughs and we will miss you terribly. We loved you for 16 years and will continue to love you forever.

You have my condolences guys..  I know what it's like to lose a Furry Family Member..  Just remember the good times you had with her..

I'm so sorry MJ. I had the pleasure of meeting the little lass. Peace be with her for always.

 :-[ What's to be said....we met at Jim's this pass summer and WOW we feel for you. :( even if we went poof it wouldn't make it better.

Thank you all. It has been a rough day.

My deepest condolences guys.  She'll be waiting for you on the Rainbow Bridge. 

Kev

Sorry MJ But they all will be waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for us  ! Frank    Google it if you have never read it now is the time .

Sorry MJ. Just got back and read that you lost your little babe.  I know how you feel, it sucks, it does get easier.  Thinking of you.  Joan

Every time I see a butterfly, I still smile sadly thinking about my Sheba, and its been almost a year.  She loved butterflies!  She would watch them and even let them land on her nose.  She'd snap at bees or flies, but she had a thing for butterflies!

Just think of the good times, and someday you'll be reunited with her.

Kev

Thank you. I find myself thinking of her so many times during the day. I got her when she was a year old and she has slept by my side more times than not in the last 16 years. I feel so guilty for doing what I did but I know she was miserable, and I couldnt bring myself to keep pushing more meds into her when they didnt ease her suffering.

I always wish that our beloved animals could let us know when the time has come and they want to go.  It would be easier on us.  They don't understand what is wrong, it is us as guardians that know what is going to happen and we won't have them in our lives anymore.  We can be selfish and hold on to them for however long we can, but it is not fair if they are in pain.  You did all you could and she shared your life for 16 years,  How wonderful.  Remember all the good times you had while she was in your life.  She may not be with you physically but she will always be in your heart forever.