Move Day

 

Move day for us.  Trailer goes to Lagrange, IN while we move out for a few nights & go to a hotel in Howe, IN.  Almost a routine we've become used to when we're in the area, and leaving the trailer with Paul & Kay Cross of Indian Interstate Enterprises.  Hope to have the trailer back by next weekend.

We're fine.  New wheel on truck.  Give it a couple of weeks to see if it's a fix.  New wheel was needed as it was chipped where the tire pressure monitor attaches to the valve stem.  But if you'll google "2017 Ford F350 dual rear wheel valve stem failure", you'll quickly find that a new wheel is not always a solution.  And there may not be a solution.  OK, maybe the rubber, high-pressure valve stems work as our rear passenger tire has stopped...did I just jinx myself?

Bicycles were serviced, and we worked in a bicycle ride on part of the Pumpkinvine Trail.  Mostly walked on other days.  Still in the area another week, so there may be more bicycle rides coming up if the weather cooperates.

Oh, you should hear the story of me trying to make an appointment to get Donna's military dependent ID card renewed while we're spending the winter in Gulf Shores (we hope).  Anyone that worked with me knows my distain for Navy Marine Corps Intranet or NMCI.  Well, I'm told NMCI is dead & gone, but apparently, the ghosts remain.  Ended up working with the Army guys' help desk.  It appears that the reCAPCHA test for whether you're a human or a robot thinks you're a robot if fill in the online application like a human.   OK.  I'm giving things to do to try to fake it out.  It's a pain, of course, but it works. Well, it works until you make you're appointment and you get a "Google" error (unexpected response from "Google" or so the error states).  OK, go through the process all over, again, and the response is that you already have an appointment.  Good - where's my confirmation email?   No confirmation email.  Can't talk to NAS Pensacola as they're still trying to clean up from Hurricane Sally.  Go back to the help desk, give them the information and requested date/time for an appointment.  Within minutes we have our confirmation email.  Great!  Now if NAS Pensacola will open back up before her ID expires, we'll be fine.

Anyway, that's it for this week.  Hope everyone is doing well and the gulf coast recovery is going well for everyone down there, too.  Until next week, David

Elkhart 4H Fairgrounds, Elkhart, IN

We arrived safely late Monday afternoon.  It's our first time here in the fairground's campground as there is usually a rally (generally the trailer brand Montana rally) this time of year that takes over the campground.  Campground about 50-60% full.  Lots of Montana branded trailers here.  Talked with one owner who's here.  Even though there was no rally this year, they came, anyway.

The fairground is located on a spur of the Pumpkinvine Bicycle Trail, so it's easy to walk to.  We've got our bicycles in for service.  When we get 'em back, we'll probably ride the trial some.  Surprising to us, the bicycle shop was empty of new bicycles.  This shop - Family Bicycle Center - normally has 4 or 5 dozen new bicycles.  There has been so many in previous visits, that it was hard to walk through the shop.  They hope to have more "product" by next spring.

Funny how you get to meet everyone in the campground when there's an RV tech or Lippert service truck parked in front of your rig.  For those of you looking to take a mental break from the aftermath of Hurricane Sally (way worse than anything we've suffered), let me take you back a few days.  

First, note that it's a rare stay in the Elkhart/Lagrange, Indiana area for us that anything goes as planned.  As I said above, we got here late Monday afternoon.   First service date was Wednesday morning at 7 AM.  Nice 15 minute drive to the Lippert Service Center.  When we get there the hydraulic Level-Up system works flawlessly. We have them do a full service to the hydraulic system.  We're pronounced healthy and off we go.  

Next up is tires on Friday.  We replaced all of the trailer tires including the spare.  As we are doing things early before the sun is up, I'd gotten what I though was condensate on my hands from one of the utility access doors, but couldn't really see what I had felt.  Unusual for water to be there, but a backflow valve could be going bad and leaked water there.  When we got back to the fairgrounds and I went to that utility door, it was covered in hydraulic fluid.  Yep, we've broken another hydraulic line and we were just there Wednesday! Why now?!  Why didn't it break Wednesday while we were there and they had the bottom of the trailer off?!

So I called Lippert to get another appointment.  The lady asked where we were.  When I told her we were at the fairgrounds, she said she'd have a tech out to us in about 30 minutes.  You know someone is looking out for you when the same tech that worked on your trailer's hydraulics on Wednesday is the same tech that comes out.  Care to guess what he found?  Yep, when they reinstalled the bottom of the trailer, they pinched a hydraulic line and cut it.  How could that happen?  Well, once you're past the storage compartment under the bedroom, not a single hydraulic line is routed where it's suppose to be routed in our trailer.  Those lines lay anywhere and as it just so happens, one line lays right where the fasteners go into the floor.  As our fasteners are really sheet metal screws, it's not hard to drill a hole in a hydraulic line.  Sounds like a job for a future visit to Lippert to have those lines routed properly.

Truck tire:  You knew this wasn't going away, didn't you!  As soon as we started east from Sioux Falls, the front passenger tire stated leaking.  Took it to Auto Park Ford in Sturgis, MI.  They see the truck as often as anyone else.  Did a quick check on the valve stem for an air leak and the soap was bubbling just as pretty as you please.  As they confirmed they'd followed the Valve Stem Leak Tech bulletin from Ford back in May, they went to work on it, again.  They found the real problem.  The hole for the valve stem - tire pressure monitor is chipped & damaged.  New wheel on the way.  

(OK, maybe the real problem: The alloy wheels that come on Ford's F350 dual-rear wheel trucks' are designed prior to the design of the various tire pressure monitoring systems that's mandated on all new vehicles.  That valve stem hole may not be designed to handle the dynamics that result for the extra weight of the tire pressure monitoring system.  As we travel our "smooth" US Highway system, the wheels just may not be able to handle the dynamics of that monitor's extra weight.  And given we've hit potholes that's broken our trailer's suspension twice and cut two hydraulic lines, it could be doing that to the alloy wheels on the truck, too.)

So that's our excitement.  Next service appointment for the trailer is Monday, September 28th.  Unlike some folks that we know on the gulf coast, our trailer is upright and not flooded...well I haven't walked out and checked this morning, so that may be a little premature!  Things seem to be working, though. Weather is cool.  Woke up to 35 degrees outside this morning.  Our high is in the mid-60s.  The fairgrounds is having a drive-thru, fairground-food weekend.  All the food vendors are here.  You can't walk up to them.  You have to drive.  We'll go get something bad & delicious later this afternoon.

Anyway, thanks for dropping by and checking up on us.  Until next week, David

DeForest, WI

We're back near Madison, WI awaiting for the rain to pass.  We had a great visit to Sioux Falls, SD.  Unfortunately, it's time to move to the Elkhart, IN area for trailer service and repair.

We left Sioux Falls on Thursday - a day later than planned due to weather.  Wednesday, our planned departure date, was a cold, rainy, unpleasant day for traveling.  We stopped Thursday night near Rochester, MN and moved to Deforest on Friday.  We got in about a couple of hours before the next round of rain came through.  This area is soaked!

Our plans are to move to Goshen, IN tomorrow to the Elkhart Fairgrounds.  This will be our first time to stay at the Elkhart Fairgrounds.  In a normal year, the fairground's campground is full with some RV rally.  No rally this year, so we get to check it out.  First service stop is Wednesday with Lippert.  New tires for the trailer on Friday if all goes well.  Our appointment with Indiana Interstate Enterprises is for Monday, September 28.

Somewhere in there we'll get the oil changed in the truck.  Donna's older brother, Doug, jinxed us.  Our attempt to stop the valve stem leaks on the truck's wheels appears to have failed.  We'll take it back to a Ford dealer letting them know that following Ford's technical service bulletin has failed as has the attempt to change to rubber, high-pressure valve stems.  Maybe time to look at new wheels has come.  Unfortunately, we can find no aftermarket wheels to fit our truck.

Other items of note:  Donna fished out two dead mice in the AC ducting for the front (bedroom) AC.  Not the easiest thing to do looking in a mirror and facing backwards while standing on a step ladder.  Why two mice and why up there we'll never know.  

So that's our week/our plans.  Thanks for dropping by and checking upon us!  Until next week, David

  

Sioux Falls, SD Week 2

We've had a great week visiting the Sioux Falls area and did get to meet up with Ken & Sue at the zoo.  We've tried to get out and walk each day.  Visits this week were to the Old Courthouse, the Great Plains Zoo (as already mentioned), Good Earth State Park, and various parks along the bicycle path around Sioux Falls (Greenway Trail).  We've had varying temps from comfortable to hot, light showers, and Wyoming wind.  After having spent most of the summer in Voyageurs Natl Park where we had less than optimal power (5,500 watts or less), the KOA is refreshing where we can run three appliances on the same line without voltage dropping below 110 volts.  Otherwise, it's a great overnight stop along I-90.  (Should Jeannie & Craig read this blog, the KOA sites aren't long enough for you.)

Unlike last year when we came through, it's a dry Sioux Falls and water in the Big Sioux River is down.  We have noticed people kayaking it, though.  The Greenway Trail system is well used on the weekends, and the parks along the south end are busy.

Pictures below are from our visit this week.  Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us,  We're prepping for an upcoming cold spell and plan to move east beginning Wednesday.  Until next week, David.   

Old Courthouse Clock

Great Plains Zoo

Big Sioux River (Good Earth State Park)

Cherry Creek (Cherry Creek Connector Trail - Greenway Trail Spur)

Big Sioux River (Greenway Trail)

Big Sioux River (Greenway Trail)