Yesterday, we made the 345 mile trip from Barboursville, WV to Raleigh, NC. This trip through the mountains of WV and VA into NC was longer than we usually do in one day, but the beauty of the mountain fall colors helped to pass the time. We did forget about the NC State home football game right across the street from the NC State Fairgrounds and the campground we were headed to. The game had just ended and couple of state troopers helped us get through the traffic, and once inside the camping area, there was just a short wait for the road to clear up the hill to the campground.
The Raleigh area is as close to a home base that we have since we owned a house nearby for 14 years, and have been back here so many times. We both have medical visits to take care of. There will be meetings to attend, and friends to catch up with during our stay which may last a couple of weeks before we head further south. Lucky for us, the weather here is still nice and warm!
Our life on the highways and byways of America.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
CELINA, OH: One More Repair
CELINA, OH: One More Repair
October 23-27, 2016
REV in Decatur couldn't replace our faulty Navion R5000(AM/FM radio, Sirius Radio, CD player, camera monitors, motor readouts, alarms, etc) during our earlier visit because it's no longer made. This unit had a price tag of $1800. Hank had called Kevin Mallory, who owns Cruising America RV Service in Celina, for advice and found out Kevin has some units at a much lower price. So we went to Celina for our appointment on Thursday to get that unit replaced. We camped at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina which has 250 campsites and was only 5 minutes from Kevin's shop., There were no other campers around until we left on Thursday, when campers started arriving for a big Halloween weekend. There was some activity around the horse (trotters) barns since the track is available for training. Our site was in an area with some trees so we enjoyed the changing colors and shade. Kevin had a cancellation and asked us to come to the shop early on Wednesday. Besides replacing the R500, Kevin put LED lights in two of our flourescent fixtures, and repaired the entry door harness which was showing signs of wear. Kevin worked for American Coach for over 20 years, and helped design the American Tradition line, so he's very familiar with the ACA products, and he also works on other brands. His hourly rate is a little less than most repair facilities charge and his prices on replacement items are very reasonable. It's very nice to once again have music while we travel, and to see that the car is still following us down the road!
Lately, our Verizon Jet Pack has not been working as well as it should. Hank opened the unit to reset it and noticed that the battery was a little swollen. After a long phone call with Verizon, a new unit was ordered to arrive at the local Verizon store in Celina. Thursday, we left the campground, parked Little House in a shopping center lot while we had a late breakfast, and then picked up the new Jet Pack. After hooking up the car to Little House, it was time to get the wheels moving once again.
October 23-27, 2016
REV in Decatur couldn't replace our faulty Navion R5000(AM/FM radio, Sirius Radio, CD player, camera monitors, motor readouts, alarms, etc) during our earlier visit because it's no longer made. This unit had a price tag of $1800. Hank had called Kevin Mallory, who owns Cruising America RV Service in Celina, for advice and found out Kevin has some units at a much lower price. So we went to Celina for our appointment on Thursday to get that unit replaced. We camped at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina which has 250 campsites and was only 5 minutes from Kevin's shop., There were no other campers around until we left on Thursday, when campers started arriving for a big Halloween weekend. There was some activity around the horse (trotters) barns since the track is available for training. Our site was in an area with some trees so we enjoyed the changing colors and shade. Kevin had a cancellation and asked us to come to the shop early on Wednesday. Besides replacing the R500, Kevin put LED lights in two of our flourescent fixtures, and repaired the entry door harness which was showing signs of wear. Kevin worked for American Coach for over 20 years, and helped design the American Tradition line, so he's very familiar with the ACA products, and he also works on other brands. His hourly rate is a little less than most repair facilities charge and his prices on replacement items are very reasonable. It's very nice to once again have music while we travel, and to see that the car is still following us down the road!
Lately, our Verizon Jet Pack has not been working as well as it should. Hank opened the unit to reset it and noticed that the battery was a little swollen. After a long phone call with Verizon, a new unit was ordered to arrive at the local Verizon store in Celina. Thursday, we left the campground, parked Little House in a shopping center lot while we had a late breakfast, and then picked up the new Jet Pack. After hooking up the car to Little House, it was time to get the wheels moving once again.
DECATUR, IN; Change in Plans
October 19 - 23, 2016
We originally planned to go from Branson, MO to Celina, OH. on Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday, October 20. Wednesday night, we stayed in the parking lot of the Sullivan, IL Walmart. While in Branson, and then while traveling on the 19th in the rain, we realized that there was a problem with some water dripping coming from the front rooftop A/C into the coach. Thursday morning, we decided to head back to the REV facility in Decatur ( only 30 miles from Celina, OH) to have this problem looked at. We arrived in Decatur on Thursday afternoon in time to check in as a "drop-in" and were told to be ready to move the coach inside at 6 A.M. on Friday. We were skeptical about that really happening, but at 5:50 A.M on Friday morning, our service writer called to see if Little House was ready to roll! The problem turned out to be the seal between the A/C and the roof. The A/C unit had been removed during the previous service visit and had not been reinstalled properly. The repairs were completed 5 hours later at no charge and with an apology for our inconvenience. We decided to stay in Decatur until Sunday to get some laundry done before heading to Celina.
REV's new Visitor Center is now open and is a very comfortable place to pass the time, and make new friends, while waiting for repairs. Downstairs is the Service Desk, along with a large seating area that is pet-friendly, rest rooms, refreshment area with free coffee, and free laundry area with a big screen TV. Upstairs are several seating areas, all with their own large screen TVs, a conference room, game tables, kitchen area and computer work stations. There is good free Wi-Fi throughout the building. Outside, there's a partially covered and shaded patio with comfortable chairs, tables and a 4 ft. patio wall fire-pit table to provide some heat and ambiance. At check-in, customers are provided with a special guest tag that will provide access to the rest rooms and laundry after hours. Pictures can be seen here: http://www.revgroup.com/news/2016/09/rv-service-center-opening/.
We originally planned to go from Branson, MO to Celina, OH. on Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday, October 20. Wednesday night, we stayed in the parking lot of the Sullivan, IL Walmart. While in Branson, and then while traveling on the 19th in the rain, we realized that there was a problem with some water dripping coming from the front rooftop A/C into the coach. Thursday morning, we decided to head back to the REV facility in Decatur ( only 30 miles from Celina, OH) to have this problem looked at. We arrived in Decatur on Thursday afternoon in time to check in as a "drop-in" and were told to be ready to move the coach inside at 6 A.M. on Friday. We were skeptical about that really happening, but at 5:50 A.M on Friday morning, our service writer called to see if Little House was ready to roll! The problem turned out to be the seal between the A/C and the roof. The A/C unit had been removed during the previous service visit and had not been reinstalled properly. The repairs were completed 5 hours later at no charge and with an apology for our inconvenience. We decided to stay in Decatur until Sunday to get some laundry done before heading to Celina.
REV's new Visitor Center is now open and is a very comfortable place to pass the time, and make new friends, while waiting for repairs. Downstairs is the Service Desk, along with a large seating area that is pet-friendly, rest rooms, refreshment area with free coffee, and free laundry area with a big screen TV. Upstairs are several seating areas, all with their own large screen TVs, a conference room, game tables, kitchen area and computer work stations. There is good free Wi-Fi throughout the building. Outside, there's a partially covered and shaded patio with comfortable chairs, tables and a 4 ft. patio wall fire-pit table to provide some heat and ambiance. At check-in, customers are provided with a special guest tag that will provide access to the rest rooms and laundry after hours. Pictures can be seen here: http://www.revgroup.com/news/2016/09/rv-service-center-opening/.
BRANSON, MO: Rally Wrap-up
October 10-19, 2016
Our time in Branson at America's Best Campground was very enjoyable as we spent the week celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. There were about 23 people attending the rally including 3 in a cabin and 4 in area hotels. The Branson area is very scenic with hilly terrain, and we enjoyed watching the fall colors starting to appear. There's plenty of things to do and see in the area for the price of admission. Two of our outings were to the Showboat Branson Belle and the Branson Scenic Railroad.
The Showboat Branson Belle cruises on beautiful Table Rock Lake. After being seated and greeted by our server, meal service started as the paddle wheeler pulled away from the dock. Our lunch included salad and roll, "Fork Tender" Beef Pot Roast with Espagnole Sauce, Baked Chicken Breast with Honey Dijon Sauce, Garlic Mashed Potatoes.Buttered Sugar Snap Peas with Julienne Carrots, Apple Cinnamon Ice Cream Pie, lemonade, tea or coffee with great service. After our meal, there was time to explore the 4 levels of the boat. The weather was cloudy, cool and windy so we didn't spend too much time outside on the decks. The show that followed included: "the multi-talented Janice Martin, making a musical mark with awe-inspiring vocals, piano arrangements and her one-of-a-kind, world-renown aerial violin act! Funny man and world-traveled ventriloquist Phil Hughes, alongside a live band, vocalist Jason Yeager and magician and emcee Aaron Radatz." Overall, this was an attraction that was definitely worth the price of admission and the trip was so smooth that you didn't even realize you were moving on water unless you looked out the window.
The Branson Scenic Railroad travels from downtown Branson north or south depending on freight rail traffic which shares the tracks. Our trip went north into the mountains near Branson. There were some scenic views, and more fall color as we entered the higher elevations through a tunnel. The train cars included some dome cars and that was where we chose to sit. Passengers can move through the train as it travels along. There were periodic announcements about the area's history and the areas we were passing through. The trip lasted almost two hours.
We extended our stay in Branson by two days to have some down time before moving to our next location.
Our time in Branson at America's Best Campground was very enjoyable as we spent the week celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. There were about 23 people attending the rally including 3 in a cabin and 4 in area hotels. The Branson area is very scenic with hilly terrain, and we enjoyed watching the fall colors starting to appear. There's plenty of things to do and see in the area for the price of admission. Two of our outings were to the Showboat Branson Belle and the Branson Scenic Railroad.
The Showboat Branson Belle cruises on beautiful Table Rock Lake. After being seated and greeted by our server, meal service started as the paddle wheeler pulled away from the dock. Our lunch included salad and roll, "Fork Tender" Beef Pot Roast with Espagnole Sauce, Baked Chicken Breast with Honey Dijon Sauce, Garlic Mashed Potatoes.Buttered Sugar Snap Peas with Julienne Carrots, Apple Cinnamon Ice Cream Pie, lemonade, tea or coffee with great service. After our meal, there was time to explore the 4 levels of the boat. The weather was cloudy, cool and windy so we didn't spend too much time outside on the decks. The show that followed included: "the multi-talented Janice Martin, making a musical mark with awe-inspiring vocals, piano arrangements and her one-of-a-kind, world-renown aerial violin act! Funny man and world-traveled ventriloquist Phil Hughes, alongside a live band, vocalist Jason Yeager and magician and emcee Aaron Radatz." Overall, this was an attraction that was definitely worth the price of admission and the trip was so smooth that you didn't even realize you were moving on water unless you looked out the window.
The Branson Scenic Railroad travels from downtown Branson north or south depending on freight rail traffic which shares the tracks. Our trip went north into the mountains near Branson. There were some scenic views, and more fall color as we entered the higher elevations through a tunnel. The train cars included some dome cars and that was where we chose to sit. Passengers can move through the train as it travels along. There were periodic announcements about the area's history and the areas we were passing through. The trip lasted almost two hours.
We extended our stay in Branson by two days to have some down time before moving to our next location.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
BRANSON, MO: Rally Time With Friends
Sunday morning after dumping the tanks, we pointed Little House south and west for our journey to Branson, MO. After 7 hours on the road, we spent the night in the Walmart parking lot in Cahokia, IL just south of St. Louis. Monday, we drove another 4 1/2 hours to our home for the next week - America's Best Campground, on the north side of Branson, MO. The RV Radio Network will hold its fall rally at this location. The campground is a large one in a hilly setting. Campsites are close together and some are not very level, but it seems to be well run and there is a large, enclosed pavilion for our gatherings.
One of our friends was already on site, two more rigs arrived yesterday, and the rest of the rally attendees should arrive today with some staying in hotels or cabins. There is a lot to do in this area with many types of shows and attractions. Branson is in the Ozark Plateau, a very scenic part of Missouri.
We have a couple of activities booked as we continue our 50th wedding anniversary celebration. There's sure to be some group plans coming up as well. The weather has been fine since our arrival, with some rain this morning. Fall colors are starting to appear in some of the trees which only adds to the pleasant surroundings.
One of our friends was already on site, two more rigs arrived yesterday, and the rest of the rally attendees should arrive today with some staying in hotels or cabins. There is a lot to do in this area with many types of shows and attractions. Branson is in the Ozark Plateau, a very scenic part of Missouri.
We have a couple of activities booked as we continue our 50th wedding anniversary celebration. There's sure to be some group plans coming up as well. The weather has been fine since our arrival, with some rain this morning. Fall colors are starting to appear in some of the trees which only adds to the pleasant surroundings.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
DECATUR, IN: Time to Celebrate
Over the last week or so, we have worked through several issues,
each with its own share of ups and downs, stress and relief.
Monday, Hank received word that the sleep study definitely showed he still has sleep apnea and clearly needs a CPAP machine. The local hospital's equipment provider couldn't help him because of Medicare requiring the purchase to be made in the 'zone' covering our legal residence (Florida). They recommended a national company (Lincare) with HQ in Clearwater FL, and offices all over the country including one in Ft. Wayne, about 30 miles from Decatur.
On Tuesday Lincare agreed to work with him, but Medicare had a number of additional requirements including an office visit with his care provider during the 90 days preceding the sleep study, and a follow up visit with the care provider between 30 and 90 days after the CPAP device is provided. Hank had seen his doctor while we were in Raleigh in July and we agreed to have a follow up with him in early November. They also needed a copy of an order/prescription with some diagnostic information from a care provider. A call to Hank's doctor in NC provided that after some delay because the doctor doesn't write call in prescription requests until after the day's office visits are over.
On Wednesday, Lincare called and said that Medicare requires a copy of the doctors notes from our July "face to face" appointment - notes to include a discussion of what sleep apnea is and how it is treated with CPAP. (They didn't care that Hank has been on CPAP for over 22 years!). In order to meet this requirement, Hank had to find some care provider to fill that requirement, and Lincare needed that info from the care provider no later than Thursday afternoon in order for them to get their order and paperwork done in time for us to get the new machine on Friday. After some arm twisting, Hank got a couple of suggestions of doctors in the Fort Wayne area that might be willing to give a quick appointment. Luckily one agreed to set us up with an appointment on Thursday morning.
Thursday morning, we went to the doctors office in Fort Wayne to meet with a PA who did an hour long respiratory / cardio physical and consultation of what sleep apnea is and how it is treated (CPAP). We returned to Decatur and that afternoon got word from Lincare that they had the needed report from the appointment earlier today, but now they were having trouble getting it through their system because we were "out of zone" (back to that again). Their system was not accepting the orders and they were having to contact their headquarters to see if/how they could fill the order. In the mean time they gave us a tentative appointment for noon on Friday.
At 8:30 Friday morning we got a call from Lincare that they were still trying to get the order placed but so far had not been successful, and in the mean time they needed yet one more piece of information. They need the NPI (National Provider Identifier) number of either my doctor in Raleigh or the one who saw us Thursday morning. Hank suggested they call the doctor directly, but they may not get word back from Raleigh until late afternoon. Lincare said they would call the Fort Wayne office we had visited Thursday morning. They subsequently called back and said that doctor was out of the office and would not be back until Monday. They then called the doctor in NC and Hank followed up with a personal call to the office explaining the situation and asking them to expedite the information. Lincare soon called back and told us they now had all that was needed but were still struggling with the order,and we shouldn't make the 50 minute trip to their office until we heard from them. At about 11:45 we got a call that they were able to fill the order by assigning us to their Fort Walton Beach office but filling the order in Fort Wayne, so everything was finally in order and we could high tail it up there for our noon appointment. We were out the door in 5 minutes and arrived there at about 12:18 where the receptionist informed us that we were late!, but the tech knew the situation and was much more friendly. We got back to Decatur at about 2:30.
After well over 100 emails and phone calls, numerous delays, and nervous waiting periods in between each step, we finally have the new CPAP machine and it appears to be a very good one (about 3 times the $500+ cost of the one proposed by the hospital). Last night Hank had his first good sleep in a long time!
In the meantime, Little House has been waiting for its turn in the repair bays to get needed repairs (listed below). Monday, we got word that the warranty claim had been approved but an inspector's visit would be necessary, which we expected. We also found out that the most important and most expensive items on the list was no longer available. Tuesday afternoon, the inspection took place, and a final approval for the work arrived on Wednesday. Thursday afternoon, the work began. Friday morning, at 6 A.M., the RV returned to the work bay and all was completed by 2:15 P.M.... or so we thought. Through an oversight on REV's part, they didn't install the new awning motor, so that had to be done this morning.
The items taken care of over the last 12 days included:
Today is also an important day because it's our 50th wedding anniversary. Tonight we celebrated with a delicious buffet dinner at the Back 40 Junction Restaurant with our friends, Carmen and Jim, who are also here for repairs.
Our life together has been blessed in so many ways, and we are grateful for each and every one.
Monday, Hank received word that the sleep study definitely showed he still has sleep apnea and clearly needs a CPAP machine. The local hospital's equipment provider couldn't help him because of Medicare requiring the purchase to be made in the 'zone' covering our legal residence (Florida). They recommended a national company (Lincare) with HQ in Clearwater FL, and offices all over the country including one in Ft. Wayne, about 30 miles from Decatur.
On Tuesday Lincare agreed to work with him, but Medicare had a number of additional requirements including an office visit with his care provider during the 90 days preceding the sleep study, and a follow up visit with the care provider between 30 and 90 days after the CPAP device is provided. Hank had seen his doctor while we were in Raleigh in July and we agreed to have a follow up with him in early November. They also needed a copy of an order/prescription with some diagnostic information from a care provider. A call to Hank's doctor in NC provided that after some delay because the doctor doesn't write call in prescription requests until after the day's office visits are over.
On Wednesday, Lincare called and said that Medicare requires a copy of the doctors notes from our July "face to face" appointment - notes to include a discussion of what sleep apnea is and how it is treated with CPAP. (They didn't care that Hank has been on CPAP for over 22 years!). In order to meet this requirement, Hank had to find some care provider to fill that requirement, and Lincare needed that info from the care provider no later than Thursday afternoon in order for them to get their order and paperwork done in time for us to get the new machine on Friday. After some arm twisting, Hank got a couple of suggestions of doctors in the Fort Wayne area that might be willing to give a quick appointment. Luckily one agreed to set us up with an appointment on Thursday morning.
Thursday morning, we went to the doctors office in Fort Wayne to meet with a PA who did an hour long respiratory / cardio physical and consultation of what sleep apnea is and how it is treated (CPAP). We returned to Decatur and that afternoon got word from Lincare that they had the needed report from the appointment earlier today, but now they were having trouble getting it through their system because we were "out of zone" (back to that again). Their system was not accepting the orders and they were having to contact their headquarters to see if/how they could fill the order. In the mean time they gave us a tentative appointment for noon on Friday.
At 8:30 Friday morning we got a call from Lincare that they were still trying to get the order placed but so far had not been successful, and in the mean time they needed yet one more piece of information. They need the NPI (National Provider Identifier) number of either my doctor in Raleigh or the one who saw us Thursday morning. Hank suggested they call the doctor directly, but they may not get word back from Raleigh until late afternoon. Lincare said they would call the Fort Wayne office we had visited Thursday morning. They subsequently called back and said that doctor was out of the office and would not be back until Monday. They then called the doctor in NC and Hank followed up with a personal call to the office explaining the situation and asking them to expedite the information. Lincare soon called back and told us they now had all that was needed but were still struggling with the order,and we shouldn't make the 50 minute trip to their office until we heard from them. At about 11:45 we got a call that they were able to fill the order by assigning us to their Fort Walton Beach office but filling the order in Fort Wayne, so everything was finally in order and we could high tail it up there for our noon appointment. We were out the door in 5 minutes and arrived there at about 12:18 where the receptionist informed us that we were late!, but the tech knew the situation and was much more friendly. We got back to Decatur at about 2:30.
After well over 100 emails and phone calls, numerous delays, and nervous waiting periods in between each step, we finally have the new CPAP machine and it appears to be a very good one (about 3 times the $500+ cost of the one proposed by the hospital). Last night Hank had his first good sleep in a long time!
In the meantime, Little House has been waiting for its turn in the repair bays to get needed repairs (listed below). Monday, we got word that the warranty claim had been approved but an inspector's visit would be necessary, which we expected. We also found out that the most important and most expensive items on the list was no longer available. Tuesday afternoon, the inspection took place, and a final approval for the work arrived on Wednesday. Thursday afternoon, the work began. Friday morning, at 6 A.M., the RV returned to the work bay and all was completed by 2:15 P.M.... or so we thought. Through an oversight on REV's part, they didn't install the new awning motor, so that had to be done this morning.
The items taken care of over the last 12 days included:
- 29 point inspection
- chassis lube
- replace 2 diesel fuel filters
- manufacturer recall - replace/relocate exhaust clamp
- steering components lube
- leak sealed around patio awning and exterior slide out moldings
- locate/replace fuses for patio light and exterior lighted grab bar
- replacement of Electrical Management System control board.
- Toilet flush ball seal replaced
- Wiper seal on rear of driver's side slide out re-secured
- Front roof A/C unit's control unit replaced (this also was the source of a Aqua-Hot problem)
- Patio awning motor replaced
- R-5000 dash unit is no longer available (we've since found a replacement source at much lower cost)
Today is also an important day because it's our 50th wedding anniversary. Tonight we celebrated with a delicious buffet dinner at the Back 40 Junction Restaurant with our friends, Carmen and Jim, who are also here for repairs.
Our life together has been blessed in so many ways, and we are grateful for each and every one.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
DECATUR, IN; Playing the Waiting Game
It's been a quiet time for us as the process continues to get our
repair & maintenance jobs taken care of here at the REV Visitors
Center in Decatur, IN. After doing the diagnostics on Tuesday, they
had to send a claim to the extended service company, with prices of
parts and hours of service needed for each item. Yesterday, we were
told the claim has been sent and received and the claim is being
reviewed. This facility does not work on weekends, so it will be
Monday before we hear anything else, but then we expected these kind
of delays when we got here. The major parts needed have been
ordered since the work will be done even if the warranty doesn't
cover everything.
Hank has used a CPAP machine for over 20 years, and this week it died. He's had several nights with little sleep and he's spent several hours on the phone with his doctor's office, Medicare, home test sources and durable medical equipment providers. Yesterday he received a home test kit which he used last night. Now he waits to hear the results before his purchase of a replacement machine can be covered by Medicare.
REV is closed on weekends, so it's very quiet in the RV lot now. There's beetween 16 and 20 motor homes here waiting for work but the lot will start filling up tomorrow with rigs coming in for appointments on Monday. The weather has remained cool, with occasional rain during the last 3 days.
Hank has used a CPAP machine for over 20 years, and this week it died. He's had several nights with little sleep and he's spent several hours on the phone with his doctor's office, Medicare, home test sources and durable medical equipment providers. Yesterday he received a home test kit which he used last night. Now he waits to hear the results before his purchase of a replacement machine can be covered by Medicare.
REV is closed on weekends, so it's very quiet in the RV lot now. There's beetween 16 and 20 motor homes here waiting for work but the lot will start filling up tomorrow with rigs coming in for appointments on Monday. The weather has remained cool, with occasional rain during the last 3 days.
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