We have had very tentative plans to go south this winter and the time has come to fish or cut bait. For a number of reasons, we have put off making the decision until now - and it looks like a go. Got things to do with taking care of business - taxes, paper stoppage, cable, etc. - before heading out. Oh, and to get the rv ready, a small and important detail.
The rv should have the oil changed and the air conditioning fluids checked. Have to find a place to do that. Our rv resource works on the rv parts of the unit only. The motor and chassis stuff needs to be done elsewhere.
The rv needs to be dewinterized also. I'll have to read up on that on the internet. As usual, there will be a lot of articles, blogs, and tips on how to do that. Even though most are good, there is always that nagging doubt about whether it can be done right or not. The pesky heater bypass valve is already calling my name and saying, "I'm one of the seventeen valves near the hot water heater and you have forgotten which one I am." Never mind that turning the wrong one will unleash nuclear tipped missiles from North Korea or reveal the true cause of "global warming" - no pressure here.
In going to the rv to assess what we need to do for the trip, Gin alertly noticed parts of a yellow light cover in front of the rv. Turns out that the main tactic for holding the parts of the rv together, spit and bubble gum, failed and caused a lens cover to pop off in some high wind and break when hitting the ground. Of course, finding a one-of-a-kind lens cover specific only to this manufacturer in stock anywhere is nearly impossible, so a call to the manufacturer of the rv, to a recommended dealer, and the dealer back to the manufacturer was in order. With expedited shipping, it may delay our trip by a day. Weather may do the same thing, so ..... oh, well.
Then there was the $125 oil change.... but they don't work on air conditioning.
Gin is already planning the stops and has put every rv campground into a itinerary on the AAA website, the best we have found in planning for mice and men. Three days of driving look to be in store, with a full six hours of playing chicken with the speedsters from New York and Quebec on I95 each day. We hope to avoid any freezing weather because we will have dewinterized. I just hope that the rv knows that it has been done. Water damage to an rv is like a tusami to an earthquake or some such analogy that is unlikely to ever appear on the SAT.
We are watching the weather. We will try to avoid the rain down the east coast, but it is a balancing act between delay by the rain and traveling on the first day of the long weekend. Patience patience, weather reports that are conflicting - changing by the minute, more patience, nature is a mother...
A major obstacle or variable in the planning is the Daytona race week. Apparently, nearly a million race fans descend upon and around the environs of the Daytona Raceway that they affectionately call Race Week, which last eight days. They must use the metric system or something. Car race fans, bikers, and the such are in abundance and apparently rvers love it too. Not my cup of tea. After all, we are mice and men according to the above.
On a sad note, one of our dogs is gone. Age caught up with her, as it will with all of us eventually. Although we have only one dog now, the title will remain the same as she will always be with us in our hearts and adventures.
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