Getting New Parts - For Phannie and Us!

I took this photo today of a really neat little desk for Phannie we got at The Container Store.  We've been looking for something like this for ages, and we were turned on to it by a nice couple, Donna and Brian, at the RV Dreams rally in Kerrville.  While we were there, Donna and Brian invited us over to their beautiful fiver to see the desk, and we vowed to check it out when we returned to Fort Worth.  A clever design feature is that the lower section rolls out at the perfect height for a keyboard.  It comes with a nice cubbyhole module that sets on top of the desk, but we elected not to use that feature.  Best of all, it's on sale now, at $100 off the regular price.  Sweet!


So, that's the latest new stuff for Phannie.  Looks like Sandy and I will also be getting some new parts this summer.  Sandy's getting her other knee replaced in a few weeks (she had one of them done a year ago).  Then I'll get hip replacement surgery once she gets to a point where she's able to wait on me again after her surgery.   That had better be sooner rather than later, as I admit to being somewhat spoiled and fussed over by my wonderful helpmate.  I won't go too much into detail here, for fear that some of you may take her aside and corrupt her thinking.  However, I will just say, perhaps at my peril, that I have no idea how to make a bed, do laundry or, well, anything else that falls into the category of housekeeping.  (I may have vacuumed the floor at some point.)  I guess my only saving grace is that I do most of the cooking, which doesn't amount to much, as we eat out a LOT.  The other excuse I toss about is that I am still working and not retired, as she is.  Could it be one of the reasons I haven't retired is that I might have to learn to do some of this stuff that, mercifully, I have skated around up until now?    


I  failed to mention a couple of other minor surgeries that Sandy is having this summer, and one of those also has me worried a bit, as it is being done to give her some relief from carpel tunnel syndrome and involves having her left hand out of commission for a while.  


The only thing I have to say about that is that I've got to talk her into learning to fold clothes with one hand.

Rally Wrap-Up and Back Home

Fort Worth - Our drive back from Kerrville was in good weather with a peppy tailwind, something that helped a little with Phannie's thirst for diesel fuel.  For a change of scenery, we chose to make a dogleg over to Johnson City and up U. S. 281 to U. S. 67 to I-35 and into Fort Worth.  We didn't like this as well as the much less traveled U. S. 84 that we followed on our way to the rally.  The problem with U. S. 281 in this part of Texas is that it is mostly only two lanes wide, and there was a great deal of traffic today.  This made for a lot of frustration, I'm sure, on the parts of drivers who lined up behind Phannie at her usual 60 mph gait.  I hugged the shoulder as much as possible to let them pass, but there were a lot of miles that I couldn't give them any room at all.  Drive faster than 60, you say?  Well, I don't think so.  Once you get past 60, the fuel mileage for Phannie is downright frightening; at 60, it's merely breathtaking. It must not have been too bad for the other drivers, though, as I didn't see anyone give me an obscene gesture as they passed.


Howard and Linda made arrangements with Buckhorn for a really deluxe catered meal for the rally attendees on Saturday evening and a nice breakfast at the Sunday morning farewell.  The meal last night included a monster grilled pork chop with all the trimmings that was delicious.  


We had the good fortune of meeting a great couple new to us, Mike and Marian.  They are newly retired and fulltiming, and we share the good fortune of having mutual friends in Ed and Marilyn of Happy Wanderers blog fame.  We had a lively chat during breakfast and expressed our hope that we might run into them again down the road.  Maybe in Colorado this summer, who knows?  Happy travels, you guys!

Mike, Marian, Sandy and Mike

We really enjoyed ourselves at Buckhorn this week, even though some of the presentations were geared more toward less experienced RVers.  Howard and Linda did a great job, and I would highly recommend this rally if you're new to RVing or thinking about jumping in.  You'll be glad you made the investment.  And the people you'll meet?  Priceless!

A Side Trip to Fredericksburg

Kerrville, Texas - We decided to spend the afternoon in Fredericksburg on this day.  We didn’t do much walking, as Sandy’s remaining original knee just won’t take much of that due to arthritis.  She had one knee replaced last year, and now it’s time for the other one.  That will be done this summer, for sure, along with my hip which, alas, has the same malady.  Doesn’t sound much like a fun summer, does it?

We had lunch at the Auslander German restaurant, where we ordered wiener schnitzel, fried chicken and sausage.  That sounds like a lot, but the schnitzel was in a sandwich and there was only one sausage link.  (I’m still trying to think of a way to make the fried chicken sound less gluttonous; let’s see...we didn’t have dessert!  That sounds much better.)  Anyway, the food was very good, and we definitely didn’t go away hungry.

Dooley's Has a Little of Everything

We took a tour through Dooley’s Five and Dime store on Main Street, a true throwback to an earlier time and very interesting.  They have a huge inventory of clever curiosities and long-forgotten gadgets that I’m sure I need but can’t figure out why.

We stumbled around through a few other shops and made note of the new building for the Pacific War Museum, which we had toured in its old location. We will return to see what’s new after we get our new bionic joints.

For dinner, we chose Mamacita’s, a large and very busy Mexican restaurant on the main drag.  Let me just say that we were underwhelmed, but then we admit to being awfully picky.

After dinner, we went to the RockBox Theater for a ‘50s-60s-70s live music review show.  When we made reservations for this earlier in the day, we were a little put off by the $42 ticket price, but we were very surprised at what a nice venue it was!  This theater could vie with many in Branson for its size, cleanliness and modern appointments.  

Barney Fife Lives!

The show, much to our surprise, was outstanding!  It more than justified the ticket price, and the musicians were just marvelous.  Highlights included a Barney Fife impersonator who was spot-on with his impression, and the singer who gave tribute to Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight was amazingly good. I still haven’t figured out how this little town of 10,000 is able to support such a great theater with this caliber of performers.

Performers Doing a Blues Brothers Tribute

We made the short drive back to Kerrville, ready for a good night’s sleep and fun days ahead at the rally.

Buckhorn RV Resort and Rally Review

Kerrville, Texas-The Buckhorn RV Resort will definitely go on our list of preferred camping locations.  Everything here is well planned and meticulously maintained.  The sites are all concrete and level and the interior roads are all asphalt with curbs.  There is a nice-sized swimming pool, a playground and a basketball court!  The huge barnlike meeting facility is perfect for large groups like the RV Dreams rally.

Entrance to Buckhorn

Park Office

RV Rally Headquarters

Main Traffic Circle at Buckhorn (Howard and Linda's Rig in the Background

Phannie and Mae Tucked Into Our Site

Upscale Private RV Community on the Property-Priced up to $500,000

Typical RV Pads at Buckhorn

A Fifth Wheel With a Built-In Patio!  Don't See This Every Day!

You may have gathered from this journal that we are not so much into “roughing it.”  If so, your inference would be entirely correct.  I suppose I admire those folks who enjoy boondocking and communing with nature, but we just find that the comfort and conveniences we enjoy win out over bugs, reptiles, varmints, dirt, heat, cold and wind.  As I sit here, watching our HD TV from a satellite receiver and using the Internet to post to this rag, I’m not entirely sure that I would be sufficiently challenged, intellectually, from an off-the-grid existence.  At the same time, there is the awful paradox of my being extremely appreciative, even reverential, of the beauty of God’s creation all around us.  It’s just that I would like to commune with it from my recliner with conditioned air blowing down my collar! 

And I can just hear the clucking sounds from the sinewy nature-hugging purists who think someone with such an attitude needs to be confined in a remote rehab facility for intense reprogramming.  That may be true, but until then, someone please top off my drink and add a little more ice from the icemaker.  Like I say, I admire these folks; I'm just not as tough as they are!

 I can see that I have digressed, so I’ll talk a bit about the rally. Howard and Linda put on a really fine event, but it seems to be tailored more for wannabe RVers or those who own RVs and are preparing to enter a full time RV lifestyle (meaning giving up their traditional home and living entirely in an RV.  We like the concept and the freedom of jettisoning the upkeep of a house, but we haven’t been able to reconcile the nomadic existence versus the roots represented by our current house and community).

So, having been RV owners for seven years, we have found these seminars to be somewhat elementary.  That doesn’t mean that we haven’t picked up a few pointers, but we have skipped quite a few events that involve subject matter that we don’t think would be all that useful.  The camaraderie is great, however, and Howard and Linda are talented presenters who keep things funny and moving along.  The group had a potluck dinner one evening followed by a game based on the old Newlyweds game show that was a hoot.

Visiting with Howard and Linda Payne

Howard Emcees a Newlyweds-Type Show

Sandy Cutting Veggies for Her Famous Bean Salad - Our Contribution to Potluck Dinner

Howard Presenting a Seminar

Seminar Audience (and Sweet Thang in the Foreground)

The best part is just being away from work, relaxing in beautiful surroundings and visiting with friendly RV folks.  We’re going to drive Mae over to Fredericksburg this afternoon to do a little sightseeing, so our next post will be about that adventure.

A Rally in the Texas Hill Country

Kerrville, Texas - As April draws to a close, we realized we have not taken traveling advantage of one of the two months of the year when RV travel is sensible in Texas; the other month besides April, of course, is October.  From May through September, the distance between the sun and Texas shortens to roughly 300 miles, causing our freeways to melt and the Gulf of Mexico to evaporate.  From November through early March, the weather is utterly unpredictable, but it doesn’t matter, because all the vegetation is either brown or missing, and the landscape unfit for recreation--or even viewing, for that matter.  (One should not infer from this mini-rant that I do not love my native state; I certainly do, as can be discerned from earlier posts from, say, the Texas hill country or Big Bend.  However, had I been consulted by the Almighty during Creation, I would have suggested that He give it a climate something like, well, San Diego.  However, I do not question His purpose; we merely compensate by air conditioning everything, and I do mean everything.)

Before the approaching inferno of the summer months, we decided we would take Phannie and Mae down to the RV Dreams rally in Kerrville, located in the midst of the winsome Texas hill country.  We had not previously attended an RV rally, so we thought this would be a good one for an initiation, as we had been following the promoters, Howard and Linda Payne, on their website, RV-Dreams, for quite a long time. Besides that, we have some wonderful mutual friends, Ed and Marilyn.

The trip to Kerrville was almost uneventful.  On I-35 south of Fort Worth, we were following an eighteen-wheeler fairly closely when I suddenly spotted a huge chunk of tire tread lying in the middle of my lane.  I had perhaps three seconds to catch sight of the derelict piece of tread as it appeared instantly from underneath the truck in front of me and disappeared under Phannie. I was utterly powerless to take any evasive action.  I was pretty sure that Phannie’s axles would clear the jagged tread remnant but, in a flash, it occurred to me that Mae, blissfully unsuspecting as she followed Phannie via her Blue Ox towbar, would likely get creamed by the piece of tread, which may have weighed as much as 20-30 pounds.  As I suspected, the tread did indeed clear Phannie’s undercarriage, and then I spotted in the right rear view mirror the piece of tread, now airborne and careening toward the highway shoulder, obviously having been launched into the air by its collision with something, which I assumed was poor Mae.

The engine brake was already slowing Phannie as I steered her toward the shoulder and stopped to see what mauling might have been done to our faithful little toad.  I hadn’t noticed anything amiss via the rearview camera, but only the top portion of the car is visible on the dashboard TV monitor.  To my amazement as I approached the car, Mae was totally blemish free!  I couldn’t figure it out until, turning around, I noticed that the mud guard that stretches the entire width of the coach behind Phannie’s rear wheels was bent backward about 30 degrees on the curbside end.  Further inspection revealed that the metal stringer holding the rubber flap had been bent, skewing the piece of rubber and the chrome nameplate upon which “Phaeton” is inscribed.

Phannie's mud guard saves Mae from injury!

I was so happy to learn that the mud guard had done its job in protecting Mae by deflecting toward the highway shoulder the piece of rubber that would certainly have damaged the little red car.  I’ll get son-in-law Tyler to bend it back into shape next time he’s over at our house.

We pulled into our spot at Buckhorn RV Resort as the sun was setting and hurried over to the rally headquarters to check in late.  Howard and Linda raced over and gave us a big hug, as though they had known us for ages.  What a nice greeting!  There were about 75 other RVers in the meet-and-greet gathering, but we didn’t stick around since we hadn’t begun to get set up after our arrival.  After that was done, we made a quick trip to one of the H. E. B. grocery stores in Kerrville to purchase a few food items that we would need for the next few days.  (We do not load much food into Phannie for departure from home--only those things that might go bad if left behind.  The other things we need--or might crave--are always available at our destination, so we don’t bother to schlep a bunch of food out to Phannie before departure.)

The park is very upscale and in a beautiful setting west of Kerrville on I-10.  I’ll have some photos in the next post.

A Fine Visit With RV Pals

I am often chided for my sometimes, uh, uneven posting schedule for this blog. The truth is, there is no schedule; I post something when I feel like it or when some significant event happens having to do with our travels—especially our RV travel.


Well, something significant DID happen last Sunday: A much-anticipated visit with longtime RV chums Ed and Marilyn and a first-time visit with their traveling partners, Bob and Janet. Ed and Marilyn enjoy somewhat of a celebrity status in the RV blog world, due at least partly to Ed’s dedication to their daily journal, “The Happy Wanderers.” The other reason for their popularity, of course, is Marilyn. Sorry, Ed, but I call ‘em like I see ‘em. (Grin)


Typical of many snowbirds, Ed and Marilyn established for several years a migration pattern that took them to the Rio Grande Valley in the fall and back northward in the spring. Located in Fort Worth, Sandy and I have the good fortune of sometimes being on or near their RGV arrival or departure route, and we prevail upon them for a little face time when we can catch up with them. Such was the case on Sunday, when they stopped at Mitchell’s Resort and RV Park near Perrin, Texas, not far from our current digs. We scurried out there for a little frivolity and immensely enjoyed meeting Bob and Janet, their longtime friends—a double treat! These two are relatively new to fulltiming, but they have chosen excellent mentors in Ed and Marilyn and have acquired what appears to be a twin of their friends' beautiful new Mobile Suites fiver.

Janet, Sandy, Marilyn, Bob, Bubba and Ed 

After a few hugs, we piled into our car and motored up to Jacksboro, where we met our longtime friend and RVer, Bubba, at the Casa Grande Mexican restaurant. We all had a great time together, laughing hysterically over our misadventures and just enjoying the fellowship of friends old and new. The highlight of the evening was Marilyn’s sharing of what had to be the funniest—and easily most disgusting—practical joke we have ever heard. It involved new Canadian fulltimers Trent and Teresa during their recent stay in the RGV, and I can’t possibly disclose the details here. It is a story that can only be told in person for ultimate effectiveness, and Ed and Marilyn (and Bob and Janet, who were witnesses) retold it masterfully. What a wonderful bond we all enjoy among these members of this great community of RV vagabonds—they have to be some of the finest folks anywhere!

Mike, Marilyn, Sandy, Ed, Janet and Bob at Casa Grande in Jacksboro

Afterward, we drove back to the park and took a tour of Ed and Marilyn’s and Bob’s and Janet’s new rigs, with Bubba (who’s looking for a new FW) drooling as the proud owners pointed out all the features of the high-end coaches.

Ed Shows Bubba and Bob Features of His New Mobile Suites

Bob, Janet and Marilyn Trading Stories

After much more laughter and talk about our current and future plans, we reluctantly parted, happy to have crossed paths once again with friends old and new.  Bob says Janet is getting ready to start a blog; we hope she does.  We'll be readers for sure.

Stuff I Think I Need

One of the things I find fascinating about RV bloggers is their seemingly limitless imagination and ingenuity in repairing, customizing or just tinkering with their RVs.  Some folks are remarkably gifted in performing their own mechanical repairs, like Clarke of Our Newell Adventure.  Others, like Mui of  2 To Travel’s Phaeton Journeys, do careful research and seem always to acquire just the right thing to fill every need or whim and then perform an expert installation as well.  Sadly, I am nothing like these talented people.  It is my lot in life, I guess, to expend my hard-earned treasure to hire professionals to do what they seem to do easily.


However, since I do have a few very basic mechanical skills, I carry along a fairly rudimentary set of tools, and I have attempted to assemble a small collection of parts, hardware, lubricants and fasteners that might come in handy if something breaks on Phannie which, of course, it will. That is not to say that it would necessarily be me using this stuff, but it might; who knows?


Besides things like spare bulbs, fuses, clamps and fasteners, I also carry spare parts that might not be readily available outside of large cities, like fuel and oil filters and an extra fan belt for the Caterpillar engine.  I also carry a good quality folding ladder and some of those triangular emergency reflector thingies that you set out to warn drivers of a disabled vehicle ahead.

I also carry a few specialized tools like filter wrenches, a voltage tester and even a socket that will fit the large lug nuts on Phannie’s wheels.  I learned that from a blogger who wrote that he had waited for hours in the middle of nowhere waiting for a service truck to change a tire only to be thwarted in the effort when the road service tech discovered he didn’t have a socket of the correct size.

Once frustrated by not having the correct adapter for Phannie’s electrical power cord, I now carry adapters for every conceivable power configuration that I might encounter.

Again, because I learned the hard way, I also carry an extra 50-amp extension cord.


Same is true for a regular extension cord and water hoses; I carry three hoses, again, learning the hard way.  (Yes, I know this doesn’t meet the neatness standards of some folks, but hey, I don’t have ulcers from worrying about it.)

And what could be handier than a good worklight?

I also carry a little label machine, something I’ve found that has a myriad of uses.  It’s amazing how much more organized I feel when boxes and bins are labeled with their contents and when obscure switches, handles, controls and gauges are clearly labeled.  (I defy anyone to tell me immediately which direction is hot on a single-lever faucet.)  They also come in handy to attach placards showing brands and specifications for fluids that might need to be added.  As I get older, I’m aware of needing more of these helpful little reminders; If you find a label on my forehead with “If Lost, Return to Sandy,” you’ll know it’s time for me to hang it up!

So, that’s a peek at just some of the stuff I think I need to take along in Phannie; I would be interested to know what you carry with you that the rest of us may not have considered…

To Protect and To Serve…

Sandy’s eyes were closed, her head nestled in the soft leather of the front passenger seat  as I guided the Escalade swiftly and smoothly toward Dallas from Little Rock on I-30 Tuesday evening.  The cruise control was set at 75 and, having occupied the passing lane for many miles, the big SUV drifted effortlessly past an unending queue of mostly trucks that were growling along in the right lane.  Using the remote control on the steering wheel, I skipped from one favorite preset on the XM radio to the next, not thinking about much of anything except how many bugs had given their lives as they collided with the windshield for the last couple of hundred miles. 

Suddenly, I noticed far ahead a set of flashing red and blue emergency lights in one of the oncoming lanes.  Instinctively, I pressed the cruise cancel button on the left side of the steering wheel and allowed the car to slow slightly.  As the lights drew closer, I was able to discern their attachment to the roof of a black and white state police cruiser with the familiar gold symbol of the state of Texas on the door.  Without warning, the oncoming trooper braked hard and made a skidding left turn onto the grassy median and into my lane, stopping crossways in front of me and the 18-wheeler beside me in the right lane.  Fortunately, the distance was sufficient for me to bring the Escalade to a safe stop, but the Kenworth alongside headed for the right shoulder as he stood on his squalling brakes.  I could see the headlights of other vehicles behind me as they dipped or skewed to either side of the roadway, the drivers in both lanes fighting to avoid collision with the stopped vehicles ahead of them.

I couldn’t imagine what had caused the trooper to execute this dangerous maneuver—that is, until I looked up, horrified, as two headlights suddenly appeared directly ahead, on the other side of the cruiser, coming toward the now motionless lines of vehicles.  The lights quickly grew larger and brighter, indicating the wrong-way driver was closing the distance at a very high rate of speed and in MY LANE!  I glanced over at Sandy, who had awakened by now, and I only heard myself shout, “Look…!”  as the black BMW roared past on my left, missing the police cruiser and our car only by inches as the driver edged over to the shoulder.  I don’t know what I was trying to say to Sandy…maybe “Look Out!”  I still don’t know.


After the BMW passed, the trooper gunned his engine and sped off to our right, across a grassy embankment and onto the service road parallel to the Interstate, flashing his headlights and doing all he could to warn other drivers behind us of the danger.  I noticed in the rear view mirror that he was being joined by other patrol units as another two sets of flashing lights appeared in the distant darkness.


It took a few moments for the Kenworth driver and me to collect our thoughts and slowly begin to drive forward.  We knew that things might have turned out very differently had it not been for the trooper who willingly placed himself in harm’s way between our car and the speeding BMW.  The lawman obviously had no inkling of the wrong-way driver’s mindset; for all he knew, this could be someone too drunk to avoid a collision or a lunatic in a suicide attempt.  Yet, the trooper sat there, motionless, as the glare of the BMW’s headlights outlined ever more starkly his silhouette at the cruiser’s steering wheel.  Had there been a collision, the cruiser would certainly have been totaled and the survival of the trooper definitely in question.  


I don’t know the ultimate outcome of the chase, but I’m pretty sure things got ugly when the BMW was finally stopped.  I hope no one was injured by this madman.  I so wish I could have thanked the trooper for his bravery. Were it not for him, I might not be writing this, and Sandy might not be able to continue spoiling our grandson, as she feels is her calling.  (Not mine, of course.)


This unknown brave trooper is now in our prayers; we’re counting on God to bless him.  Where do we get such heroes?

 
    

 

February…My Least Favorite Month

Yes, I am aware that our posts have been, well, nonexistent for the past few weeks.  The reason is that it was largely February during that time. 


If bad stuff is going to happen to us, it will likely happen in February, you can be sure. And, alas, this February was no different.  The five of us in our immediate family—Son-in law Tyler, daughter Mindy, grandson Mason, Sandy and I—had, at various times, bouts with colds, bronchitis, ear infections and stomach flu.  Besides that, I had to have a couple of steroid injections for arthritis, so we were ready for February to be finished in terms of our health issues.
 
As if that weren’t enough, our good friend Bubba lost his dad, Barry, to cancer.  We have known Bubba and his family for many years, and his mom and dad, Barry and Algene Barker, have been sort of our adopted parents after Sandy and I lost our own parents over the last several years.  Barry was much loved by lots of people, and we will surely miss him.  Sandy and I couldn’t help but think of the sad irony that we both lost our own fathers in the month of February. (See what I mean?) 

Bubba (Brent) and LouAnn

Barry Barker (1927-2011) and wife Algene (Bubba's parents)

Sandy and I drove Phannie out to Lockney, Texas (near Plainview) for the funeral, and we had our first “moochdocking” experience there.  Some neighbors who lived across the street from Barry and Algene insisted that we park in their driveway and hook up to their water and power for the two nights we were in Lockney.  This worked very well, and we’re grateful to the Teeters for their hospitality.  At peace now and with God for the ages, Barry; yours was a life well lived.

New Stuff for Phannie

As I get older, I'm finding that I give a good deal more consideration to those persons, activities and things that make me comfortable or at least that reduce stress and strain.  The last several posts are replete with examples of creature comforts we have added to Phannie, and I've just acquired a couple of new ones.


In terms of relieving stress, my recent acquisition of a TireTracker tire pressure monitor was essential.

This replaces my PressurePro system, with which I've had nothing but trouble.  I know many folks swear by that brand, but I just could never get the thing to work right.  I've made one trip with the new system with the sensors installed only on the wheels of our toad, Mae.  I must say, this thing is a jewel!  Not only is it the least expensive of all the monitors I've seen, it is no larger than an iPhone, easy to operate, wireless, and it requires no booster to display Mae's tire pressures, even though she's WAY back there behind Phannie!  It monitors temperature in addition to pressure, and I'm now going to order six more sensors for Phannie's tires.


This was a great stress reliever, as I had become increasingly worried about pulling Mae with the Pressure Pro system inoperative.  I figured it was only a matter of time until one of her tires would go flat, and it is doubtful that I would know it way up in Phannie's cockpit without a tire monitor alarm.  The rear TV camera was of little help, as Mae's wheels are not visible on the monitor screen in the cockpit.  I knew that Phannie's powerful engine could drag Mae for miles--probably even  with a wheel missing--and I would never know it unless another driver alerted me.   I feel much better now about this.


The other purchase was an LED light fixture to replace the cheaply-constructed one over Phannie's entrance door.  The old fixture was the el cheapo kind with the orange plastic lens that you see on, well, 487,000 other RVs.  These flimsy things have been installed on every RV I've owned and they have been an unending source of irritation.  The model originally installed on Phannie was a slightly heftier metal version, but it was no less cantankerous because of its frequent jettisoning of the stupid plastic lens cover! I had bought a couple of cover spares before it dawned on me that they were probably designed to pop right off any time you run over a bump in the road bigger than an acorn.  I'm sure there's some dude sitting on the beach in Key West right now, watching the sunset and thinking about his good fortune in inventing those pop-out lens covers.


I ordered this fixture from Camping World, and I love the cool light and modern look, and the LEDs will last a very long time.  It was easy to install and, best of all, it has no plastic cover to lose! 

 

Motor Home...Airplane--Same Thing!

One is wise to perform a degree of introspection before entering the world of RV ownership for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the degree of tolerance one may have for annoyances like dealing with mechanical stuff that breaks down. 

RVs--especially motor homes--are, by design, fiendishly complex because of the difficulties in marrying a house and a vehicle. In terms of opportunity for things to go wrong, you get the worst of both worlds. The degree of complexity follows a general formula: The more expensive the RV, the greater its complexity and the number of things that can break.  There is also another irrefutable fact:  Breakdowns will occur at precisely the most inconvenient time and at a location that has been devoid of human beings since the Mesozoic Period.

The fact is, motor homes are marvels of engineering and, in terms of reliability, are much like airplanes, in that there is almost always something wrong with them; and I know a few things about airplanes, having flown them many thousands of hours in my flying life. The difference is that the large passenger-carrying airplanes I flew are built with redundant systems, so that when something critical fails, there is a backup to lessen the likelihood of a catastrophe.  In fact, airlines are permitted to operate their aircraft with certain components inoperative, but these are tightly controlled through the use of a Minimum Equipment List, approved by the FAA, that sets forth those things that are "go" or "no go."  Most passengers would be surprised to learn that the aircraft on which they are flying is more likely than not to have something wrong with it.  This appears to be true of motor homes, as well.


Now, you may be thinking something snarky like, "Well, duh! What exactly did you expect in buying one of these mechanical monstrosities?"  


Actually, I was fully certain there would be more maintenance issues when we traded our fiver for Phannie, and this has proven true.  However, I still think the positives outweigh the negatives if traveling comfort is the primary consideration and, of course, it is, as I was definitely built for comfort and not speed.


Lately, Phannie has suffered a couple of additional mechanical discrepancies (that's aviation industry terminology for mechanical things that are broken; a pilot knows that it's much less alarming to tell passengers there is a "mechanical discrepancy" than to say something is "broken" or "busted" or "crapped out" or "tango uniform"--an impolite pilot term that I probably never used).  It's for that same reason that, as an airline passenger, you may hear an announcement from the cockpit asking if there is a doctor on board, but you will never hear a pilot asking if there is a mechanic on board!  But, I digress.


I'm a little reluctant to chronicle all of Phannie's mechanical issues, lest someone gets the idea I consider her a "shop queen."  Well, I don't but, because she is a 2006 model, it would be unrealistic not to expect some problems to be appearing.  On the positive side, there have been no issues with the high-cost items like the engine, transmission, chassis, appliances, etc.  Besides the one broken wire that affected the engine's computer, most of Phannie's "discrepancies" have been related to convenience items.  


Except for one instance--the broken wire that required a tow--the repair costs have been sufficiently low that they have not reached the level of the insurance deductible. So, I've decided that, by blogging about these hiccups, I'm not complaining, but figure I may provide a little insight that may be useful to someone considering the acquisition of a motor home:  Here's the bottom line:  Mechanical problems are inevitable; it's all about how you deal with them and whether you have a history of being arrested for assault.


I drove Phannie down to Vogt RV in Fort Worth to have the slides inspected (recommended by Tiffin every six months) and a repair done to the electronic brain that controls the coach levelers.  This brain--actually a black box--is located in one of the forward cargo compartments.  The mechanics found that the levelers' control box  had not been properly secured to the ceiling of the cargo bin and it was hanging down, held at a crazy angle by its wiring bundle.  This was creating problems with the levelers, as the electronic gadgetry had no internal reference as to what "level" is because of its cockeyed position.  The Vogt mechanics did a great job securing the box back to its level position, and all the levelers work fine now.


Soon afterward, I found that the power awning would not extend.  At the same time, a faint beeping noise began sounding from inside the cargo bin where, among other electrical components, the black control boxes are located for the levelers and the awning.  I didn't connect the awning failure and the beeping, but I could tell that it was in the general area of all the electrical stuff I mentioned.  Because the beeping was not very loud, I elected to shut the cargo door let it beep until I could get a mechanic to look at it.  By the time I got around to calling Jesse Sees, my favorite mobile RV repair guy, the beeping had sounded for a couple of weeks!  When people came over, they would invariably ask, "Why is your coach beeping?"  Embarrassed to tell them I didnt' know, I made up answers like, "It's the alarm system," or, if it was an older person who asked, I would say, "What beeping?"


When Jesse arrived, he quickly found the problem.  The wind sensor had failed (retracts the awning automatically when its gets windy), and the beeping was a fault alert.  Because the awning's brain was located in a corner, I did not notice the little switch on the outside cover that disables the alarm.  


Since the wind sensor was not something I considered worthy of repair, I told Jesse just to turn off the switch, and he collected eighty bucks for his mighty effort and the service call.

The culprit...see the little switch on the left just above the screw?

These are the little revelations that come my way as I get used to Phannie.  Let's hope the learning phase is done before my cash supply is done. 

Shades of Glory

A couple of posts ago, I vented my frustration with the window shades in Phannie, and I really don't think I wish to revisit that rant except to include a few photos that precipitated our visit to McKinney last week and the acquisition of new custom shades:

We had made an appointment with MCD Innovations after reading about other RVers' experiences with this firm.  Upon our initial telephone inquiry, they gave us an overview of the installation process, and we settled on an appointment that would be available in about a month.  (Apparently, they have plenty of RV business.)  They also mailed us a packet of information about the product and the installation and pricing plans, along with some samples from which we could choose shade textures and colors.


The normal installation scheme involves showing up at MCD's headquarters on a Monday morning with your RV, being prepared to leave it there until 5:00 p.m. the following Friday.  They can easily accommodate fulltimers, as they have 50-amp electric hookups serving about 20 spaces in a large concrete parking lot alongside their factory.  (There is no water or sewer, though; you would need to show up with a full water tank and empty black and grey tanks.)  Although McKinney is only about an hour's drive from our house in  the D/FW mid-cities area, we elected to drive up on Sunday and spend the night in Phannie, to avoid the Monday morning demolition derby that is rush hour in the D/FW Metroplex.  

MCD Offices in McKinney

We arrived late Sunday afternoon and, although MCD's headquarters facility was clearly closed, we were soon met by a friendly gent named Mac, I think, who directed us as we backed into our preassigned spot #11 among perhaps ten other RVs.  Mac lives in a motor home near the entrance to the parking area and apparently serves as a greeter and host.  From his vantage point, he can easily see the flow of RVs into and out of the parking area.

RV Parking Area at MCD

All settled in for the night...

After getting settled, we went to Shogun, a Japanese hibachi restaurant for a nice dinner, then came back to Phannie, where we watched a movie and turned in for the night.  


On Monday morning, the order taker, a pleasant young lady, made her way to every coach to finalize the orders and receive the initial payment, which was for the materials ordered.  The installation fee would be paid on Friday, as it is calculated by the hour and based on the amount of time required for the work involved.  We already had our fabric selections picked out (the really attractive ones are more expensive--imagine that!), so it was only a matter of deciding which windows were to be done.  Because of the large number of orders that day, we were among the last to place our order, so we had some time to kill well beyond the 8:30 a.m.  time that we were told to expect the order-taker's visit.    


After our order was taken, a young man showed up to do the measurements, which took only a few minutes. Then he disappeared into the factory, and soon the order-taker reappeared with an invoice, which we paid by credit card.  She said we would pay for the installation on Friday, at which time the installation charges would be known.  We told her that we were planning to pick up our coach on Saturday, so she said we could do the credit card transaction over the phone on Friday.  We left the keys with her and hopped in Mae for the drive home, but not before stopping for lunch at Baker's Drive-In, a legendary local burger joint.


Upon our return the following Saturday, there were only a few RVs in the parking area, and no one appeared to meet us.  We picked up Phannie's keys from the agreed-upon hiding spot and went inside to inspect the new shades.  We were not disappointed; these are the American Duo models with two rollers, one for the day shade and one for the night shade.  The shades operate much like the old-timey roller window shades in that you pull them down to the desired level, then pull again and the springs in the rollers roll them up.  However, these are much improved in that when you pull down on the shade to retract it, you can release it and it will gently rise to the fully retracted position.  Pretty neat!  A motorized, remote-control version is also available, but Sandy and I thought we would probably not wear ourselves out by raising and lowering the shades manually.  

BEFORE

AFTER

Comparison Night Shade (Left) and Day Shade (Right)

So, everything went just about as planned, and we're very pleased.  The cost?  Well, they are priced according to window sizes, and we had large, medium and small windows to cover which, I suppose, would be the case with most rigs.  For these particular day/night shades (with an upscale fabric choice), you can figure an average of slightly less than $300 per window, including the removal of the old shades and installation of the new ones.  


And the end of my frustration with Phannie's old window shades?  Priceless!