Time to let vintage rubber meet the road!

[das_BoxenMeister]

Greetings, fellow enthusiasts!  After a winter of non-camping, we're readying ol' Boxen for a trek from Greenville, SC to near Elberton, GA, to stay at Richard B. Russell St. Park.  The weather seems a bit iffy, but, well, frankly that's not going to be allowed to be an issue.  Just put new windshield wiper refills (14" Anco's) on, and checked the fluid levels.  Later this week, air in all 6 tires.  We hope to leave Sunday and stay through Thursday lunch.  I will try to document our excursion & post pics to this glorious new site.  Work has been hectic, but a vacation should put things to rights!  Hope the driveshaft doesn't fall off as it did a few years ago!.  That was a bad day, but a memorable one.  Hope others are also getting their rigs ready!  More later... maybe even sooner!

[Clyde9]

Wow, the drive shaft dropping, that had to be startling to say the least. Did it fall from the front or back (Just curious). Hope you have a wonderful time not only when you make it to your destination, but the drive as well!

Jack

[tiinytina]

Gone has already been out on 2 weekends.  Always get smiles  , pointing fingers and stares as folks  are greeted with Rosie, Rufus ,Abigail or Charlotte happily panting and peering out of her windows, noses planted firmly into the screens!  Ordering a new awning this week.... Carefree brand. Last trip the tears in the old vintage 1987 awning finally have gotten large enough to irk me... especially the biggest one which is right over the only window we can open in the rain under the awning... ah well. Think the cookie jar has almost enough in it to cover most of the cost.... 

Tina

[das_BoxenMeister]

Recalling the driveshaft episode, we were west/south (?) - bound on I-85, still in SC not too far from the GA state line, going ~63 mph when, all of a sudden, increased vibration and drivetrain noise, then clang/thunk... and the engine went racing, free as a bird!  Deceleration was noticeable, immediate, and inexorable.  No more torque to the 4 rear wheels!!  Hmmm, what to do.  A quick inventory of what my options were revealed an amazing set of "coincidences" -- a) I had no cell phone!;  b) my wife and one son were in our station wagon out of sight ahead of us!;  c) we were at the top of a pretty long downhill slope;  d) traffic was very light;  e) just ahead on the right was a sign for an upcoming rest stop near Anderson, or maybe Clemson...;  f) the exit, as I recall, was near the bottom of the hill;  g) we appeared to have enough momentum to make it to the exit, so I signaled for a lane change into the exit lane;  h) we DID have enough momentum to make it(!), not only to the exit, but, if you can believe it, into a parking space at the rest area!!!  To top it all off, right in front of us was a SC State Trooper, either rendering assistance or meting out discipline to a fellow traveller!  HE had a cellphone, and so I could call ahead to the campground and leave a message for my wife, as well as arrange for a heavy-duty tow truck to take us back to Greenville.  35 mph all the way back up to home, for $120.00, as I recall.  Worth every penny!  We ransacked the attic for our tent camping stuff, transferred all necessary gear and supplies to our other wagon, turned the lpg to the Dometic fridge off and transferred all foodstuffs to a cooler, bought ice, and arrived in GA around midnight in time to farm our 2 boys who were with me out to friends, while my wife & I slept in the back of a wagon, and thanked the Lord for His goodness amidst trials & tribulations!  What a day!  But we all grow from facing and overcoming life's little (or BIG!) adversities, and so it has proven.  Whew!  I'm exhausted from all that "re-living of experience" -- but very happy!