Gin is the planner. I am the plodder. I especially plod when it comes to plans.
We arranged to have a 12 volt line running from the rv to toad so that the battery of the toad will not be dead after towing for several hours. It has not been tested yet. I hope it works. It wasn't cheap to put in. RV mechanics charge about $100 an hour and the guy who installed the line for us probably gave us a break on the hours, but it was still enough for about eleven rounds of golf (at senior rates), 12 good lunches, 13 days of car rental, and 14 partridges in a pear tree.
The pressing issue, pun intended, for the brakes in the toad is critical as we begin to plan for our New England trip. We probably qualify as "leaf peepers." The fall foilage is beautiful and what better place to enjoy it than New England. New England means hills, mountains, and severe circumstances for an rv towing a vehicle. A supplementary braking system is in order just to protect the rv braking system and probably by law, although the laws are about clear as mud when it they are looked up.
The cost for a supplemental braking system for the toad is about one and half times the total value of all things in the paragraph before last and a gold record by the Partridge Family to boot. So, being a frugal person (cheap also fits many times), I wanted to shop around for a "deal." Long story short, places were either not experienced at putting in the system I wanted, too expensive, or did not seem reliable.
We had heard and seen wondrous things about the Hershey RV Show, the one in Pennsylvania and appearing on tv several times. Gin and I have had basically positive feelings about the ones we attended, so off we went in the car. It was a nearly 2 hour trip and we got there one-half hour after the opening of the first day. The place was jam packed already. There must have been a thousand, no embellishment, rvs there by dealers and more than a hundred vendors with products, not to mention a walk from the nearly filled parking lots that had Sherpas for hire to help with the lengthy hike.
One of the vendors did indeed offer a deal on installation of the exact braking system that I wanted. The only problem was that the dealer was over 2 hours away and could install it with the earliest time being 3 days after we wanted to leave for New England. It was decided to make the dealership a stop on the way to New England and get the work done by delaying the trip for 3 days.
We belong to AAA. We have more than gotten our money's worth with maps, campground guides, and some discounts for tickets, etc. The time for making tentative arrangements, times, and routes for our trip had arrived.
Long ago in a place far from away, I was involved in professional development with the topic of data analysis. I preached that to determine causal relationships, one must reduce variables in order to make decisions. How many variables are there for a trip like this? Well, there are places that are absolute must sees or stops (see dealership above), highways that have different numbers of lanes, mountains, forests, driving distance capacities for me, places that dogs are allowed or not, 30 or 50 amp services, non-refundable reservations, trains that go by in the night (just like every village having an idiot, campgrounds have trains that travel by only at night with 3000 decibel whistles), reviews of scenic areas on the internet, the electromagnetic flux of the earth, and so on. We tried the route planning of several services and found the AAA one to fit our needs the best. I didn't have to gargle that night. I just poured in the mouthwash and the shaking did the rest.
It remains to be seen how all of this planning turns out, but being a cynical person like I am about some things, perhaps it is time that you reread the title.......
Friday, September 21, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Williamsburg with the Kids
Our next trip in mid July was determined by the vacation the children and grand cuties were taking at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. A major decision to be made was to tow or not to tow. Being concerned about another dead toad upon arrival and some faulty financial calculations on my part resulted a decision to rent a car once there and not to tow. It turned out well.
For the first time, I was largely comfortable in driving the rv. The major understanding that caused this was not overthinking the size of the rv and how it fits into lanes. As long as the focus was on a distant point without worrying about constantly staying in the lane on a close proximity basis, things seemed to go fine. At least, that is my story and I'm sticking with it! We traveled between 55 and 65 miles per hour with the average being close to sixty. Sixty five is really too fast and fifty five is just a mite slow. We averaged around 9.3 mpg, which is good in my book.
The drive was uneventful, but tiring. Five hours is about my limit. I-95 is not the place for Gin to get comfortable with handling the rv, so that is to come later.
The rv camp was nice. Set-up was no problem. The only glitch was moving the rv and redoing the setup after discovering that the leveling jacks really had one side of the rv up in the air. I don't know whether that is a problem or not, but it concerned me. Therefore, the adjustment by unhooking, moving the rv on the pad, and then hooking up again was made. It had everything to do with the way I pulled onto the pad initially, so it was another learning experience.
The next morning, I was picked up by Enterprise Rental Cars to get the rental car. It was a bright red, very small car with a red and white interior. Gin thought it was "cute." It did quite well for us in and around Williamsburg and although it was an additional cost compared to towing (see faulty calculations above), it was worth it not to have to tow, worry about a dead toad, and for the experience of renting as an option.
We spent all day at Busch Gardens with the kids and had a lot of fun. It rained cats and dogs for about an hour, but it turned out alright as it gave us time to get ice cream and for the kids to rest. We wouldn't let the cats and dogs have any of the ice cream - well, only what was dropped on the ground.
I had previously wanted to go to Jamestown because of recommendations from family and friends. Truth be told, history can be a real bore for me for the most part and Gin wasn't that exited about it either. So...
We did Williamsburg sightseeing the next day as the kids went to the water park. We did the old historical district by what I call mechanized hiking, that is, we drove by. Next, we went to the new Williamsburg Pottery. It appealed to the eye, but lacked the charm, unique items, and pricing of the old one. Lunch was had near the historical district and was good. Although intrigued by the three cheese grit with shrimp offering, I had crab cakes. Too much mustard or similar spice in the recipe and I was tasting them all day.
Shopping was next on the list and that went okay. Gin posed with the statue as seen below. It was our only picture as we were remiss in taking some of the kids at Busch Gardens. This will have a bearing on the content of the blogs in the future with the purchase of a small, portable camera that is easy to use, I hope.
One highlight (I am easy to amuse because of previous exhilarating outings such as going down to the Safeway and watching 'em check out on Saturday mornings) for me was the purchase of a chocolate truffle for me and one for Gin - when she wasn't with me. That is just about the only way that goodies can be bought and eaten by us. She will not buy them, but enjoys them when offered. Oh well...
We met the kids, saw their condo, and went to an ice cream store that night. It was fun and we got frozen yogurt (low or nonfat), but in a waffle cone (definitely a no-no with the fat and calories). Go figure - it's like eating a doughnut with a diet soda. The last time I looked though, I was still on the right side of the grass - above instead of below.
The trip home was long, but uneventful. I resolved to get the dead toad problem fixed...
For the first time, I was largely comfortable in driving the rv. The major understanding that caused this was not overthinking the size of the rv and how it fits into lanes. As long as the focus was on a distant point without worrying about constantly staying in the lane on a close proximity basis, things seemed to go fine. At least, that is my story and I'm sticking with it! We traveled between 55 and 65 miles per hour with the average being close to sixty. Sixty five is really too fast and fifty five is just a mite slow. We averaged around 9.3 mpg, which is good in my book.
The drive was uneventful, but tiring. Five hours is about my limit. I-95 is not the place for Gin to get comfortable with handling the rv, so that is to come later.
The rv camp was nice. Set-up was no problem. The only glitch was moving the rv and redoing the setup after discovering that the leveling jacks really had one side of the rv up in the air. I don't know whether that is a problem or not, but it concerned me. Therefore, the adjustment by unhooking, moving the rv on the pad, and then hooking up again was made. It had everything to do with the way I pulled onto the pad initially, so it was another learning experience.
The next morning, I was picked up by Enterprise Rental Cars to get the rental car. It was a bright red, very small car with a red and white interior. Gin thought it was "cute." It did quite well for us in and around Williamsburg and although it was an additional cost compared to towing (see faulty calculations above), it was worth it not to have to tow, worry about a dead toad, and for the experience of renting as an option.
We spent all day at Busch Gardens with the kids and had a lot of fun. It rained cats and dogs for about an hour, but it turned out alright as it gave us time to get ice cream and for the kids to rest. We wouldn't let the cats and dogs have any of the ice cream - well, only what was dropped on the ground.
I had previously wanted to go to Jamestown because of recommendations from family and friends. Truth be told, history can be a real bore for me for the most part and Gin wasn't that exited about it either. So...
We did Williamsburg sightseeing the next day as the kids went to the water park. We did the old historical district by what I call mechanized hiking, that is, we drove by. Next, we went to the new Williamsburg Pottery. It appealed to the eye, but lacked the charm, unique items, and pricing of the old one. Lunch was had near the historical district and was good. Although intrigued by the three cheese grit with shrimp offering, I had crab cakes. Too much mustard or similar spice in the recipe and I was tasting them all day.
Shopping was next on the list and that went okay. Gin posed with the statue as seen below. It was our only picture as we were remiss in taking some of the kids at Busch Gardens. This will have a bearing on the content of the blogs in the future with the purchase of a small, portable camera that is easy to use, I hope.
One highlight (I am easy to amuse because of previous exhilarating outings such as going down to the Safeway and watching 'em check out on Saturday mornings) for me was the purchase of a chocolate truffle for me and one for Gin - when she wasn't with me. That is just about the only way that goodies can be bought and eaten by us. She will not buy them, but enjoys them when offered. Oh well...
We met the kids, saw their condo, and went to an ice cream store that night. It was fun and we got frozen yogurt (low or nonfat), but in a waffle cone (definitely a no-no with the fat and calories). Go figure - it's like eating a doughnut with a diet soda. The last time I looked though, I was still on the right side of the grass - above instead of below.
The trip home was long, but uneventful. I resolved to get the dead toad problem fixed...
Sunday, September 2, 2012
A Dead Toad ..., Part 2
It was time to tend to our major goal with the rv. It is not so much the camping that we look forward to, but the sights we can see in our travels. At this juncture, our sights defined include the scenery wherever we go and the local habitats, which include shopping at the not-run-of-the-mill places and local restaurants.
We went to the less developed side of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. We did some minor hiking in addition to seeing the canyon. It really was very impressive, much more than I anticipated. The trees and general environment were pristine and what a state park should be. My cynical nature, no pun intended, is characterized by states and tourist offices describing their attractions in an embellished way. By being born and raised in West Virginia, embellishment is fine with me as long as I am the one doing it and I do it exceptionally well on occasion - that's no kidding or as my father used to say, "I'm not pulling your leg" on this one. If embellishment is being used to sell me something, that is another story.
We used the rest of the day to shop in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. It is a nice, quiet, interesting place to shop. Gin really liked the different types of merchandise sold in the unique shops and probably would have liked to spend more time there. For me, it was okay. I bought a seven piece screwdriver set for a buck - my kind of shopping. When asked why it was so quiet, a salesperson said that Wellsboro is really busy during a music festival and again during the leaf changing season.
We like to eat in local places rather than chains. On a back street, we saw what looked like a family restaurant that was somewhat busy. To be off the beaten track and thriving is usually a good sign. I had a real hamburger for the first time in well over a year, not the 93% fat free cardboard that we usually eat, and french fries. Actually, the hamburger was split between Gin and me as prearranged and negotiated before ordering. One of the great dilemmas in life as one gets older is being full before dessert can be ordered and eaten. Normally, when we eat out, it is usually lunch, we do not eat dinner or just have something very light. We resolved the dessert issue, I saw that this restaurant had real home made pies, by coming back later in the day and ordering a piece of pie apiece to appease us personally. The pie was good, but not amazing considering that we deprive ourselves of that goodie as a rule. Oh well...
The owner of the campground advised Gin that the canyon was spectacular at sunset. We went to the more developed side. This is a much easier side to see the canyon with much larger views and we enjoyed it very much.
The drive home was relatively uneventful. With less wind, it was much less stressful. We did return to the same gas station as on the way, an independent one, to get cheap gas. It is amazing to me that there was as much as a thirty cent difference in prices along the way and with the rv getting about 8 miles to the galleon, this was important.
When stopping for the gas, I dutifully started the car as had been done on the way up. The manual said to do this as part of the towing procedures.
We were concerned about having a dead toad when arriving at the storage lot for the rv. I ignored Gin's advice for the direction of the rv in relation to the toad. Bad, bad move... The toad was dead and sitting at an angle which put the hereto told release handles for the tow in a locked position (see the previous post for the details. By putting the toad in park once again in desperation, I now had an rv sitting in a position that could not be turned around and a toad that could not be moved. Woe is me. It was hot in the late afternoon. We could have called a wonderful neighbor for assistance, but preferred not to bother him if possible.
So I did it with an Army solution. If something does not work, bang it with a bigger hammer. I will spare you the gory details, but one tow bar side was eventually disengaged from the toad which led to the other one having the pressure taken off and we were free. The rv had to be driven home and another car picked up to bring back for jumping the battery for the dead toad. Mission accomplished. However, something has to be done about the dead toad after towing for more than five hours.....
We went to the less developed side of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. We did some minor hiking in addition to seeing the canyon. It really was very impressive, much more than I anticipated. The trees and general environment were pristine and what a state park should be. My cynical nature, no pun intended, is characterized by states and tourist offices describing their attractions in an embellished way. By being born and raised in West Virginia, embellishment is fine with me as long as I am the one doing it and I do it exceptionally well on occasion - that's no kidding or as my father used to say, "I'm not pulling your leg" on this one. If embellishment is being used to sell me something, that is another story.
We used the rest of the day to shop in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. It is a nice, quiet, interesting place to shop. Gin really liked the different types of merchandise sold in the unique shops and probably would have liked to spend more time there. For me, it was okay. I bought a seven piece screwdriver set for a buck - my kind of shopping. When asked why it was so quiet, a salesperson said that Wellsboro is really busy during a music festival and again during the leaf changing season.
We like to eat in local places rather than chains. On a back street, we saw what looked like a family restaurant that was somewhat busy. To be off the beaten track and thriving is usually a good sign. I had a real hamburger for the first time in well over a year, not the 93% fat free cardboard that we usually eat, and french fries. Actually, the hamburger was split between Gin and me as prearranged and negotiated before ordering. One of the great dilemmas in life as one gets older is being full before dessert can be ordered and eaten. Normally, when we eat out, it is usually lunch, we do not eat dinner or just have something very light. We resolved the dessert issue, I saw that this restaurant had real home made pies, by coming back later in the day and ordering a piece of pie apiece to appease us personally. The pie was good, but not amazing considering that we deprive ourselves of that goodie as a rule. Oh well...
The owner of the campground advised Gin that the canyon was spectacular at sunset. We went to the more developed side. This is a much easier side to see the canyon with much larger views and we enjoyed it very much.
The drive home was relatively uneventful. With less wind, it was much less stressful. We did return to the same gas station as on the way, an independent one, to get cheap gas. It is amazing to me that there was as much as a thirty cent difference in prices along the way and with the rv getting about 8 miles to the galleon, this was important.
When stopping for the gas, I dutifully started the car as had been done on the way up. The manual said to do this as part of the towing procedures.
We were concerned about having a dead toad when arriving at the storage lot for the rv. I ignored Gin's advice for the direction of the rv in relation to the toad. Bad, bad move... The toad was dead and sitting at an angle which put the hereto told release handles for the tow in a locked position (see the previous post for the details. By putting the toad in park once again in desperation, I now had an rv sitting in a position that could not be turned around and a toad that could not be moved. Woe is me. It was hot in the late afternoon. We could have called a wonderful neighbor for assistance, but preferred not to bother him if possible.
So I did it with an Army solution. If something does not work, bang it with a bigger hammer. I will spare you the gory details, but one tow bar side was eventually disengaged from the toad which led to the other one having the pressure taken off and we were free. The rv had to be driven home and another car picked up to bring back for jumping the battery for the dead toad. Mission accomplished. However, something has to be done about the dead toad after towing for more than five hours.....
Friday, August 31, 2012
A Dead Toad and Bedeviling Breaker, Part I
It was the best of times. It was the worse of times. It was time to test the towing experience with our rv. We decided to go to the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania." I was a little concerned about the five hour drive while towing as a test. I ought to pay more attention to my concerns...
The car was hooked up to the rv without much of a problem for at least 2 minutes or so. The handles on the tow bar were not in the upright and tight status. I figured that they would lock in with a little bit of movement from the rv. Gin pulled the rv up some two or three times and one side would seem to lock and then the other, but not both. When focusing on an exasperating task, I really can focus. Sometimes, it is too much and too narrow and important things get forgotten - LIKE LEAVING THE CAR IN PARK WHEN MOVING THE RV UP A FOOT OR TWO! Really, I am smarter than I look, but it could not be proven in this instance. It was eventually decided to drive the rv for a bit -without the car in park! - and then check to see that the tow bar was locked on both sides. Surely, this would happen. Or not...
After about four miles, we pulled over in a convenient spot and checked the tow bar. It appeared to be not locked on both sides. We called the dealership, got service, and as usual, got a nice person. In this case, they talked me through it. I had watched videos, seen the connections made at the dealership, and had gotten the wrong impression. The handles on the bar do not have to be in a locked position up at all. That just happens when stress is placed on the bar unevenly and presents difficulties in releasing them. The problem was solved, but it had taken about thirty minutes or so.
It was a dark and stormy night. Wait a minute, that is the beginning of the novel I'll never write or a blatant rip-off of Snoopy - can't remember which one. Anyhow, it was a somewhat sunny day, hot, and a little breezy. To refresh your memory, I was still in the process of learning how to drive our expensive dog house. With the wind and attention to the towed car (what veteran rvers call a "toad"), I was having to focus all of my attention plus more to keep the rv between the white lines. I developed a knot in my upper back that was painful and it was exhausting. Gin was enjoying her ride, but was also trying to comfort and support me. We had considered having Gin drive on a suitable stretch of road for her first experience. My discomfort and tension with the driving conditions resulted in that not happening.
We got to the camp ground after what seemed like an eternity or at the very least, better than five hours if you use the metric system. At the Stony Fork camp, the folks signing us in were nice and genuinely pleasant, something that is not always the case in our limited experience. We stopped in front of our site and unhooked the car. In doing so, I hit a knuckle hard on the tow bar, but thought little of it at the time. So far, so good. At least that is what the man said as he passed the 15th floor after jumping off the 22nd story. The toad was dead. In trying to revitalize the car, a hybrid which is still somewhat of a mystery to me, it was put in park. Interestingly, in this hybrid, once the car is put in park with a dead battery, it cannot be taken out of park and thereby, cannot be moved. Hmmm, car - an immovable one - parked in the middle of the main road through the campsite. I felt like there was a village somewhere looking for a resident idiot and furthermore, I felt highly qualified for the job.
The owner of the campground happened to be mowing nearby and graciously jumped our car. We got into our site and hooked up successfully. Had you fooled there for a moment, yeah, right. I only need glasses for seeing and was not wearing them at the time of putting the electrical connection into the power box. It seems that each campground is a little different. Some have the circuit breaker on and some off when connecting or the previous person leaves it incorrectly. Anyhow, the air conditioning in the rv was set for on and in snapping the circuiting breaker at the box off and on due to not being able to read the fine print, it caused the air conditioner to initialy operate, but then zip, zilch, nada, no way, etc. As previously mentioned, Gin is an Eskimo of sorts and I felt badly for her because of the heat in the rv, but no air.
For a brief moment, my brain operated beyond the village level and I surmised that the air had had its circuit breaker in the rv "kicked." Just a minor problem though, where in the hell is the circuit breaker box in the rv. Hell is an appropriate term here because Gin and I spent two hot, awful hours scouring the rv looking for the breaker box. The kindly owner of the campground had a good idea, but it did not pan out.
I usually turn to the internet for assistance in problematic cases and this time I did the same - except I had no idea of how to access the wireless network for the campground. I tried calling the dealership, but there was no signal where we were. I drove to higher ground near the office and did get a signal, but the dealership was closed at this time in the evening (see long drive a time spent looking for breaker box above). Once again, the owner proved to be heroic, even though he was not wearing a cape or riding a white horse. He told me how to access the internet. The second hit gave us what we needed and glory hallelujah, we had air!
Did I happen to mention that my hand via the busted knuckle was now the size of a small cantaloupe? Actually, it was not hurting too much and I was too tired to care that much either. Gin was happy with her air and we settled in for the night.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this (mis)adventure....
The car was hooked up to the rv without much of a problem for at least 2 minutes or so. The handles on the tow bar were not in the upright and tight status. I figured that they would lock in with a little bit of movement from the rv. Gin pulled the rv up some two or three times and one side would seem to lock and then the other, but not both. When focusing on an exasperating task, I really can focus. Sometimes, it is too much and too narrow and important things get forgotten - LIKE LEAVING THE CAR IN PARK WHEN MOVING THE RV UP A FOOT OR TWO! Really, I am smarter than I look, but it could not be proven in this instance. It was eventually decided to drive the rv for a bit -without the car in park! - and then check to see that the tow bar was locked on both sides. Surely, this would happen. Or not...
After about four miles, we pulled over in a convenient spot and checked the tow bar. It appeared to be not locked on both sides. We called the dealership, got service, and as usual, got a nice person. In this case, they talked me through it. I had watched videos, seen the connections made at the dealership, and had gotten the wrong impression. The handles on the bar do not have to be in a locked position up at all. That just happens when stress is placed on the bar unevenly and presents difficulties in releasing them. The problem was solved, but it had taken about thirty minutes or so.
It was a dark and stormy night. Wait a minute, that is the beginning of the novel I'll never write or a blatant rip-off of Snoopy - can't remember which one. Anyhow, it was a somewhat sunny day, hot, and a little breezy. To refresh your memory, I was still in the process of learning how to drive our expensive dog house. With the wind and attention to the towed car (what veteran rvers call a "toad"), I was having to focus all of my attention plus more to keep the rv between the white lines. I developed a knot in my upper back that was painful and it was exhausting. Gin was enjoying her ride, but was also trying to comfort and support me. We had considered having Gin drive on a suitable stretch of road for her first experience. My discomfort and tension with the driving conditions resulted in that not happening.
We got to the camp ground after what seemed like an eternity or at the very least, better than five hours if you use the metric system. At the Stony Fork camp, the folks signing us in were nice and genuinely pleasant, something that is not always the case in our limited experience. We stopped in front of our site and unhooked the car. In doing so, I hit a knuckle hard on the tow bar, but thought little of it at the time. So far, so good. At least that is what the man said as he passed the 15th floor after jumping off the 22nd story. The toad was dead. In trying to revitalize the car, a hybrid which is still somewhat of a mystery to me, it was put in park. Interestingly, in this hybrid, once the car is put in park with a dead battery, it cannot be taken out of park and thereby, cannot be moved. Hmmm, car - an immovable one - parked in the middle of the main road through the campsite. I felt like there was a village somewhere looking for a resident idiot and furthermore, I felt highly qualified for the job.
The owner of the campground happened to be mowing nearby and graciously jumped our car. We got into our site and hooked up successfully. Had you fooled there for a moment, yeah, right. I only need glasses for seeing and was not wearing them at the time of putting the electrical connection into the power box. It seems that each campground is a little different. Some have the circuit breaker on and some off when connecting or the previous person leaves it incorrectly. Anyhow, the air conditioning in the rv was set for on and in snapping the circuiting breaker at the box off and on due to not being able to read the fine print, it caused the air conditioner to initialy operate, but then zip, zilch, nada, no way, etc. As previously mentioned, Gin is an Eskimo of sorts and I felt badly for her because of the heat in the rv, but no air.
For a brief moment, my brain operated beyond the village level and I surmised that the air had had its circuit breaker in the rv "kicked." Just a minor problem though, where in the hell is the circuit breaker box in the rv. Hell is an appropriate term here because Gin and I spent two hot, awful hours scouring the rv looking for the breaker box. The kindly owner of the campground had a good idea, but it did not pan out.
I usually turn to the internet for assistance in problematic cases and this time I did the same - except I had no idea of how to access the wireless network for the campground. I tried calling the dealership, but there was no signal where we were. I drove to higher ground near the office and did get a signal, but the dealership was closed at this time in the evening (see long drive a time spent looking for breaker box above). Once again, the owner proved to be heroic, even though he was not wearing a cape or riding a white horse. He told me how to access the internet. The second hit gave us what we needed and glory hallelujah, we had air!
Did I happen to mention that my hand via the busted knuckle was now the size of a small cantaloupe? Actually, it was not hurting too much and I was too tired to care that much either. Gin was happy with her air and we settled in for the night.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this (mis)adventure....
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
A Smidge from the Bridge
Due to the our nature of wanting to take things sloooooowwww, our next trip was two days, one to Hershey, Pennsylvania and then to nearby Lancaster the next day. We are still trying to iron out some perceived problems, real or not, and get experience.
Driving was still a concern to me. In my mind, there is the width left over in the traffic lane on either side of the rv of one of my ten year tee shirts . However, with optimism that was unwarranted and eventually unrealized, I decided that the more direct route over the Conowingo Dam Bridge was doable. Part of this bridge is narrow, which is an understatement. I do mean NARROW. With trepidation, we approached the bridge and lo and behold, the narrow part of the bridge was void of traffic. I could make it across that part by riding the middle line without being pushed toward the edge. I stepped on the gas harder as there was a car in the distance just starting on the other end of the bridge, the wider part. Please understand that rvs are not rockets, even slow ones. Please understand that cars can be. Guess what, the car coming was an evil person who was attempting to break all land speed records. I hunched over the wheel and put the petal to the metal. The evil incarnate in the car, probably some Democrat, did the same. It was a race to the end of the narrow part of the bridge or wide part depending on your perspective. I was doing at least fifty-seven and one-half miles per hour and was not going to make it the wider part of the bridge before the other car, so I moved more toward the middle of lane - TOO MUCH. As if in a Batman, episode, I saw the word cloud in front of me that said, CRUNCH!! (I heard it too.)
Do you remember what your tummy felt like after eating too much candy as a kid? Yeah, that was the feeling and from the look on my wife's face, her's felt like it too. We got to a spot to stop about a minute later and inspected the damage. The side mirror had been pushed toward the side of the rv and had a big, black mark on it. I gingerly pushed the mirror back in place, expecting it to break. Other than the black mark, there was no damage. Well, maybe the guy wasn't a Democrat after all.
We visited the Hershey chocolate factory and took the tour. We declined to take the "make your own personalized five pound chocolate bar", which was the best for our health. We camped in Elizabethtown that night down in the valley of a campground without incident (I expected to see Burt Reynolds or hear banjos at any moment) and proceeded the next day to Lancaster.
Our favorite restaurant in Lancaster was closed because it only serves lunches. We did not know that as we had only been there at lunch time before. The restaurant is in Bird-in Hand. It is near Blue Ball and Intercourse, little towns in Pennsylvania. Okay...
We shopped a little, spent the night in a Lancaster campground, and did well for the most part. We had hot water without creating a radioactive cloud or pushing global warming over the edge. The awning was put out for the first time and we are still curious about some buttons on the rv. I guess they fall in the mysteries of life category.
I managed to break the end of the sewage hose, but was able to dump successfully the next morning.
We went home without incident. We did not have to return across the NARROW bridge with any rampaging, evil, accelerating, political entities in sight.
We are enjoying our rv experience, but there are downsides too with being overwhelmed by things we are anxious about. Stay tuned.....
Driving was still a concern to me. In my mind, there is the width left over in the traffic lane on either side of the rv of one of my ten year tee shirts . However, with optimism that was unwarranted and eventually unrealized, I decided that the more direct route over the Conowingo Dam Bridge was doable. Part of this bridge is narrow, which is an understatement. I do mean NARROW. With trepidation, we approached the bridge and lo and behold, the narrow part of the bridge was void of traffic. I could make it across that part by riding the middle line without being pushed toward the edge. I stepped on the gas harder as there was a car in the distance just starting on the other end of the bridge, the wider part. Please understand that rvs are not rockets, even slow ones. Please understand that cars can be. Guess what, the car coming was an evil person who was attempting to break all land speed records. I hunched over the wheel and put the petal to the metal. The evil incarnate in the car, probably some Democrat, did the same. It was a race to the end of the narrow part of the bridge or wide part depending on your perspective. I was doing at least fifty-seven and one-half miles per hour and was not going to make it the wider part of the bridge before the other car, so I moved more toward the middle of lane - TOO MUCH. As if in a Batman, episode, I saw the word cloud in front of me that said, CRUNCH!! (I heard it too.)
Do you remember what your tummy felt like after eating too much candy as a kid? Yeah, that was the feeling and from the look on my wife's face, her's felt like it too. We got to a spot to stop about a minute later and inspected the damage. The side mirror had been pushed toward the side of the rv and had a big, black mark on it. I gingerly pushed the mirror back in place, expecting it to break. Other than the black mark, there was no damage. Well, maybe the guy wasn't a Democrat after all.
We visited the Hershey chocolate factory and took the tour. We declined to take the "make your own personalized five pound chocolate bar", which was the best for our health. We camped in Elizabethtown that night down in the valley of a campground without incident (I expected to see Burt Reynolds or hear banjos at any moment) and proceeded the next day to Lancaster.
Our favorite restaurant in Lancaster was closed because it only serves lunches. We did not know that as we had only been there at lunch time before. The restaurant is in Bird-in Hand. It is near Blue Ball and Intercourse, little towns in Pennsylvania. Okay...
We shopped a little, spent the night in a Lancaster campground, and did well for the most part. We had hot water without creating a radioactive cloud or pushing global warming over the edge. The awning was put out for the first time and we are still curious about some buttons on the rv. I guess they fall in the mysteries of life category.
I managed to break the end of the sewage hose, but was able to dump successfully the next morning.
We went home without incident. We did not have to return across the NARROW bridge with any rampaging, evil, accelerating, political entities in sight.
We are enjoying our rv experience, but there are downsides too with being overwhelmed by things we are anxious about. Stay tuned.....
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Our First Real Night in the RV
Okay, when is a night real and not real. This post speaks to the first night and related events on our own.
We were anxious to do a test trip. It was decided that some place close and no towing would be best. Elk Neck State Park is close and the grandkids were going to be camping, real camping in a tent, there, so it was a no-brainer. We invited the oldest grandchild to stay with us and that made it special too.
The road to the park is narrow and the branches that overhang need trimming. These are not opinions, but facts based on the whipping of the rv by said branches with subsequent grimaces from Gin and me and my heart rate that easily exceeded the worth of Mitt Romney in dollars on the narrow, curvy road. Remember that I was still having issues with driving on a regular road at that point.
We got there, backed in, got hooked up, and started to explore the rv in earnest for answers to questions that caused the anxiety closet door to screech open at night.
Mostly, it went well. Oh, about the hot water heater.... We had not been able to test the hot water heater at the dealership through ignorance, forgetfulness, and other traits peculiar to rv newbies that start from scratch (or maybe it is just us). After an hour of stumbling and bumbling about, removing a panel to the bottom of the hot water heater, a call to a salesman at the dealership, and severe gashes in my scalp from scratching, it was determined the vaunted check list of the service department had let us down again. Apparently, a bypass valve was on that should have been off or some such variation on the seemingly 142 valves, water lines, and radioactive cores related to the water heater. After figuring out the correct connection/valve position, the ominous words of the orientation service person were raging in the decision making center of my brain and saying that the Western Hemisphere was in danger if cold water or some such thing filled the tank while the heater elements are hot. That yellow streak down my back is not a racing stripe. Discretion is the better part of valor and so on - we did not want to devastate mankind or even womankind in any hemisphere, so it was no hot water for the trip.
In general, we had fun for the evening with the granddaughter, the dogs did well, and my heart rate receded to below one thousand or thereabouts. We slept terribly as expected. The next morning was fine and then it was time to go home. The granddaughter went to join her family.
The time had come to perform the task, that for me, is probably comparable to child birth for a woman, but thankfully there is no bundle of joy at the end. It was time to empty the BLACK WATER TANK. I dutifully got out the black water hose while given immoral support from my faithful wife of 43 years. If you have not guessed by now, this is the most intimidating and frightful task an rver can have for me. Yes, it is a somewhat minor hangup, but it is mine and approached the terror of imaginary spiders crawling over one's body that some people experience.
I unhooked the cap leading to the water drainage system on the rv and started to put the hose on the line. The hose was broken! Alas and Alack or some such profane words.... We did not tow, so we had to go to a local Walmart in the rv - down the narrow, curvy road with branches whipping us unmercifully along the way - and then back again on the same road to the park to dump the tanks. It was anticlimactic. We made the trip, bought the hose, and dumped with no problems to speak of. And there was no bundle of joy from the black water tank either.....
We were anxious to do a test trip. It was decided that some place close and no towing would be best. Elk Neck State Park is close and the grandkids were going to be camping, real camping in a tent, there, so it was a no-brainer. We invited the oldest grandchild to stay with us and that made it special too.
The road to the park is narrow and the branches that overhang need trimming. These are not opinions, but facts based on the whipping of the rv by said branches with subsequent grimaces from Gin and me and my heart rate that easily exceeded the worth of Mitt Romney in dollars on the narrow, curvy road. Remember that I was still having issues with driving on a regular road at that point.
We got there, backed in, got hooked up, and started to explore the rv in earnest for answers to questions that caused the anxiety closet door to screech open at night.
Mostly, it went well. Oh, about the hot water heater.... We had not been able to test the hot water heater at the dealership through ignorance, forgetfulness, and other traits peculiar to rv newbies that start from scratch (or maybe it is just us). After an hour of stumbling and bumbling about, removing a panel to the bottom of the hot water heater, a call to a salesman at the dealership, and severe gashes in my scalp from scratching, it was determined the vaunted check list of the service department had let us down again. Apparently, a bypass valve was on that should have been off or some such variation on the seemingly 142 valves, water lines, and radioactive cores related to the water heater. After figuring out the correct connection/valve position, the ominous words of the orientation service person were raging in the decision making center of my brain and saying that the Western Hemisphere was in danger if cold water or some such thing filled the tank while the heater elements are hot. That yellow streak down my back is not a racing stripe. Discretion is the better part of valor and so on - we did not want to devastate mankind or even womankind in any hemisphere, so it was no hot water for the trip.
In general, we had fun for the evening with the granddaughter, the dogs did well, and my heart rate receded to below one thousand or thereabouts. We slept terribly as expected. The next morning was fine and then it was time to go home. The granddaughter went to join her family.
The time had come to perform the task, that for me, is probably comparable to child birth for a woman, but thankfully there is no bundle of joy at the end. It was time to empty the BLACK WATER TANK. I dutifully got out the black water hose while given immoral support from my faithful wife of 43 years. If you have not guessed by now, this is the most intimidating and frightful task an rver can have for me. Yes, it is a somewhat minor hangup, but it is mine and approached the terror of imaginary spiders crawling over one's body that some people experience.
I unhooked the cap leading to the water drainage system on the rv and started to put the hose on the line. The hose was broken! Alas and Alack or some such profane words.... We did not tow, so we had to go to a local Walmart in the rv - down the narrow, curvy road with branches whipping us unmercifully along the way - and then back again on the same road to the park to dump the tanks. It was anticlimactic. We made the trip, bought the hose, and dumped with no problems to speak of. And there was no bundle of joy from the black water tank either.....
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Song - Learn, Learn, Learn (Sorry Turtles)
A constant in the whole rv experience for us has been learning. Thus, the title above is most appropriate.
The next morning after our first night on the back lot of the dealership, we were up and out with questions for the sales and service folks. There is just so much to learn for the truly new newbie.
The service folks were gracious and patient. They helped us at length in our next endeavor- the first towing of our car. They were meticulous in following the manual of the car and adding in their own personal knowledge and experiences.
Towing can slow an rv down to practically a snail's pace. However, in one shining moment, I threw caution to the winds and passed a dump truck going up a hill. At that point and every opportunity after that, the refrain of, "Eat my dust," has been used.
Long story short in regard to the one hour and fifteen drive, we made it nearly home and began fretting about disconnecting the towed car. At times, I had anxious moments about the unhooking and at other times, I was too blase. At any rate, we plotted a strategy that was carved in Jello and proceeded. The handles for the release of the tow bars were stuck, in hindsight, as we learned very quickly. Following the advice of the service folks and a video I had seen online, we tried several things that eventually worked. The old saying is, "The hurrier you go, the behinder you get." Well, I was not behind at the end, but between the rv and the car when the tow bars became disengaged - on a slight hill - downward toward me - with the car in NEUTRAL. Newton, a man of gravity, being the guy that he was, dictated that the car would drift toward me and catch me between the rv and car. NOT A GOOD THING! Fortunately, both Ginny and I recognized what was occurring and she jumped in the car to apply the brakes and put it in park. We had been told to do that, but in the increasingly frenetic situation of dealing with the unknown of unhooking, we forgot. Needless to say, it will not happen again - until the next time....
Our first night was a qualified success with much learning. The towing experience was the same. Because this is being written about five to six posts behind, the reader, if there are any of you out there, will find that Roger has much to learn, learn, learn, about towing. To be continued.....
The next morning after our first night on the back lot of the dealership, we were up and out with questions for the sales and service folks. There is just so much to learn for the truly new newbie.
The service folks were gracious and patient. They helped us at length in our next endeavor- the first towing of our car. They were meticulous in following the manual of the car and adding in their own personal knowledge and experiences.
Towing can slow an rv down to practically a snail's pace. However, in one shining moment, I threw caution to the winds and passed a dump truck going up a hill. At that point and every opportunity after that, the refrain of, "Eat my dust," has been used.
Long story short in regard to the one hour and fifteen drive, we made it nearly home and began fretting about disconnecting the towed car. At times, I had anxious moments about the unhooking and at other times, I was too blase. At any rate, we plotted a strategy that was carved in Jello and proceeded. The handles for the release of the tow bars were stuck, in hindsight, as we learned very quickly. Following the advice of the service folks and a video I had seen online, we tried several things that eventually worked. The old saying is, "The hurrier you go, the behinder you get." Well, I was not behind at the end, but between the rv and the car when the tow bars became disengaged - on a slight hill - downward toward me - with the car in NEUTRAL. Newton, a man of gravity, being the guy that he was, dictated that the car would drift toward me and catch me between the rv and car. NOT A GOOD THING! Fortunately, both Ginny and I recognized what was occurring and she jumped in the car to apply the brakes and put it in park. We had been told to do that, but in the increasingly frenetic situation of dealing with the unknown of unhooking, we forgot. Needless to say, it will not happen again - until the next time....
Our first night was a qualified success with much learning. The towing experience was the same. Because this is being written about five to six posts behind, the reader, if there are any of you out there, will find that Roger has much to learn, learn, learn, about towing. To be continued.....
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