Rockwood, TN: Sixth NIght

The last two days have not been exciting, but valuable nonetheless.

We found a another few problems that need to be taken care of, and today the various parts were ordered.  The good news is the dealer continues to fix problems on his dime, even though most were not on the original paperwork.  The frustrating part is having to wait for delivery of said parts, and then the process of repairs.  Remember this coach is 6 years old, so problems are not unusual, but sometimes it is hard to be patient.  But better to find the problems here, with the techs available to fix them, while camping at no charge.

The dealer-owned campground we're in only has a few occupants.  It's not widely advertised and really isn't anything special, but it works for us.

We hope to see the Tahoe tomorrow and if all is as expected, that deal will be wrapped up.  Meanwhile, Hank is continuing to read and learn about the workings of the RV.   We're hoping that Little House will be ready to roll by the end of the week.

Rockwood, TN; Fourth Night

Yesterday morning we were eager to start the process of moving from one RV to another.  This process started with a 2 1/2 hour walk-around-and-thru our new home with David, one of the many techs employed here.     This type of one-on-one, inch-by-inch process is even more important when it involves a larger unit with a lot more systems to learn about, and I tried to take notes as Hank asked most of the questions.  After another comped lunch, we waited around awhile for the next step - the demo drive - but went back to the trailer for  some relaxation as the staff was very busy.  Soon Reese, the  general manager, was knocking on the door asking if we were ready to go riding and driving.  He went down the interstate a ways, showing and telling about the differences  Hank could expect while driving the motor home.  Again my job was to take notes of anything I deemed noteworthy.  Then it was Hank's turn behind the wheel.  After a few more reminders from Reese, we were off again as Hank got a feel for the power of the rear diesel motor, the air brakes and the exhaust brake, the turning radius, and driving through a congested area - that being the RV dealership storage area.  He passed all the tests without any mishaps.

We returned to the campground to start unloading the fifth wheel's contents into the motor home which was parked beside us door to door.  Three hours later, we decided to call it quits for the night, and after a quick supper, we cleaned up and started relaxing a little.

This morning I baked cinnamon rolls using the convection over and passed that test.  Then it was back to the chore of moving in.  Several hours later, the fifth wheel was almost empty, and we headed to the dealer to some shopping in their supply store with their gift certificates in hand.  Once again, the sales manager gave us free lunch tickets. We finished emptying the fifth wheel, and a little later, tech David showed up to address a couple of problems we had found, while we continued to put away all the "stuff" we had moved in.  .

Staying here on site has proved invaluable in many ways.  We've met and dealt with many of the staff who treat us like valued customers, we've been fed numerous times, received gift certificates for store items, have free camping, and most importantly, we're learning about the motor home, and have found a few problems that will be addressed before we leave, which may not be until the middle of next week, depending on the arrival of ordered parts.  Tonight, Hank is learning about the tv setup - we have two inside and one outside- although we're sort of in a no-tv hole here.  We're starting to read some of the manuals in the 6 inch thick pouch as well.

The Discovery is starting to feel like home, and by tomorrow night perhaps our Little House on the Road will look more like a home as well.  Life is good.

Rockwood, TN; Second Night

We are still in the free campsite across the road from Boat-N-RV, and today they gave us vouchers for 4 meals in their restaurant (yes, this dealership has a good-sized bar and restaurant and sells RV's, boats, ATV's, electric vehicles and alternative fuel systems as well as having a truck stop on the property and owning the campground).  However, today was not as productive as we would have liked, but progress is definitely being made.   The paperwork on the deal is all finished and signed.  We're still living in the fifth wheel and the truck is still in our possession.  Tomorrow morning we begin our orientation and walk-thru on the motor home.  Not sure how long that will take or what will follow.  Another interesting sidelight is that this dealership literally sits on the timeline - some doors take you to central time and some take you to eastern time.  They choose to operate on eastern.. 

Last night when we arrived, we found that part of the vent cover over the bed was missing  (broken off).  We're guessing it took a hit from something on the last camping trip, and didn't show any damage until being subjected to 60 mph speeds as we traveled yesterday.  Since rain was forecast for this afternoon, we kept reminding the dealership of this problem, and it was finally covered just before a torrential thunderstorm rolled in.  The patch is holding and tonight we're nice and dry in the Little House on the Road that we no longer own!

Tomorrow should be a lot more fun!

Rockwood, TN: First Night

Yesterday we made the 7 hour drive the BOATNRV dealership campground in Rockwood TN.  Today after the paperwork is completed, we hope to take possession of our new home and start the transfer of items from the 5th wheel to the motor home as well as learning about the operation, accessories, etc of  our next Little House on the Road.. It should be an exciting day!!

Wade, NC: Third Night

Yesterday, our day was mostly spent enjoying the wonderful weather as we sat outside in a growing circle as more members arrived for the weekend. By the time 6 P.M. rolled around we had 7 RV's and a few visiting members that gathered for a pot luck dinner.  After dinner, some of us played Skip-Bo before calling it a day.

Today Our total was up to 9 Rv's, one couple staying in a cabin, and several more who came for our 9 A.M. club meeting.  At 12:30, we journeyed 20 miles south to Grandsons' Buffet to enjoy an abundance of country cooking and many dessert choices.  Most visited the nearby Camping World for some shopping.. After returning to the campground, we visited some more.  Dinner was a combination of items left from last night's pot luck, as well as leftovers from members' RV's - another large spread.  After-dinner entertainment included two groups playing spirited games of Mexican Train Dominoes, while others discussed the world's problems outside.

All too quickly, the weekend activities are coming to a close.

Wade, NC: First Night

Today we made the two-hour drive from near Tabor City, NC to the Wade KOA at Wade, NC for our local Good Sam Chapter's campout.  We're expecting 10 RV's plus several more couples will attend our meeting and lunch on Saturday.. We're in site 48, a nice shady pull-thru, near the clubhouse which we have use of for the weekend.  This campground is a top-notch large KOA with lots of amenities far enough off the interstate that road noise is not a problem.  Occasionally you hear the rumble or dull booming of artillery from nearby Fort Bragg.  Tonight, the 3 early-arriving couples went out for dinner at Hudson Bay in Fayetteville, a very good seafood restaurant, followed by conversation in the nice clubhouse.  More members will arrive tomorrow.  We'll be here until Sunday when we head home.

Tabor City, NC: First Night

The days, since last Wednesday when we arrived at Sycamore Lodge, went by quickly. Thursday was a day just to relax with our computers.  Friday we packed up laundry and other 'stuff" and headed home without the RV to get ready for the  weekend Tour de Cure bicycle event. Saturday and Sunday, we were up before dawn, to get to the start line for final instructions before heading out on the course, where we spent the day looking for riders who needed help or transportation.  By the time we ended our day,  I was too tired to think about a blog post.  Sunday night we headed back to Sycamore Lodge, and we left that campground this morning for a 2 1/2 drive to Carrollwoods RV Park at the Grapeful Sister Vineyard. The campground is small, about 10 miles from town in a rural area, so it's very quiet.  Luckily, the campground has good wi-fi as we're not getting good cell phone signals and we have cable tv.  We're here on a scouting mission for a club campout in August which we will be co-hosting (that means we make the plans for location, meals, activities, etc.)  Tonight we visited Dale's Seafood and Steakhouse in Tabor City and I'm sure we'll sample a couple of other restaurants during our stay before deciding where the group dinner will be.  We'll stay here until Thursday morning, enjoying the peace and quiet surrounding our Little House on the Road.