Clayton, NC: Fifth Night

It's been a busy week as we're getting use to living in the Discovery.

Our trip here on Sunday had some humorous aspects, at least they seem that way now.

After we hooked up the 'toad' at the TN campground, the tire pressure monitoring system alarmed. One of the tires was very low, so our first stop was the gas station at the campground entrance to add air.  That turned out to be a 30 minute delay due to positioning problems, and waiting for other vehicles to clear the driveway for our big rig to exit.

Not too far down the road, the monitor for the backup camera went out, so instead of being sure the 'toad' was still attached with just a quick glance at the monitor, we had to watch for its shadow as we changed directions in the sunlight.

We found out that the a couple of drawers were not repaired correctly, so they came open as we followed the curves of the highway.  Selene got a break from sitting as she got up to close the drawers many times so they wouldn't get damaged slamming shut as we rounded the next curve. And there were lots of curves as we traveled through the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains.

The windshield wiper control knob is missing, and of course it rained a couple of times. So Hank used the 'intermittent' button to activate the wipers as needed

The sounds of dishes and other items possibly rearranging themselves meant that caution was needed when opening the cabinets upon arrival (not an unusual occurrence when traveling in an RV).

Hank pulled off on an exit to check out a mysterious item flapping at the rear of the coach.  It turned out to be reflections of the lane markings in the shiny dryer vent located in that area, and not something flapping after all.

We were anxious to arrive at the campground by dusk so the parking and setup process could be done with some daylight left. However, we didn't quite remember the exact campground location, and the numeric address didn't add up, so we ended up driving too far east, doubling back to the west and finding the campground entrance, but not soon enough to make the turn, which meant  another turn-around to the east, turning around  in Walmart's lot  toward the west AGAIN and finally pulling into the campground and finding Lot 37.....  home at last as the light was rapidly fading.  The last necessary items were completed with the aid of  flashlights, and the Discovery had survived her first journey as our Little House on the Road.

Off the Road

Little House is off the road for awhile. We arrived at Cooper's RV Park in Clayton, NC at twilight after about 8 1/2 hours of travel. This is where the motor home will be parked when we're in the Raleigh area since is a little too long to maneuver into the driveway.  Hank did a great job in adjusting to the different handling of the motor home, staying aware of the extra footage as we towed the Tahoe, and we both had to get use to the sounds and movement of the new rig.

Boat-N-RV finished the work on the  RV late yesterday afternoon and one of their techs finished prepping the Tahoe to be towed.  We celebrated by ordering a large barbecue dinner in their restaurant and as were eating, one of the managers gave our waitress the word that the meal was on him..  Overall we're very happy with the treatment we received over the last 12 days even though the process was slow-moving at times..

We won't be traveling for about 2 1/2 weeks and we have a long list of items to take care of as well as getting back to sorting and disposing items in the house.  But for tonight, it's time for a well-deserved rest and happy dreams!

Rockwood, TN: Eleventh Night

Too tired to post many details tonight, but we think the work on the RV is completed.  Plan to head Little House toward Raleigh tomorrow with the "toad" behind us. More details later.

Rockwood, TN: Seventh Night (pictures)

Today was just a day of waiting for parts to arrive so repairs can be made before we leave.  The 'toad' is supposed to be here tomorrow.  There is nothing interesting to report about today.  The weather has been hot and sunny the last few days with more to come.

As requested, here are the pictures of  our new Little House on the Road.  http://k4hm.net/pix/Discovery/

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!