MARION, NC: Repairs, Relaxation and a Reunion

The last week has flown by, even though we've been stationary and we haven't been doing anything very exciting to write about.

Monday, after leaving Mocksville, we came to Tom Johnson's Camping Center for repairs to our rear air conditioner / heat pump, our rooftop TV antenna, and to get a replacement for the electrical connection on the tow hitch on the front of our car. 

Tuesday, Little House was in the shop for the A/C problem diagnosis. We spent most of the day in the comfortable lounge area. We got Little House back that afternoon and Mike (service writer) said the problem appeared to be a bad freezestat (a temperature sensor that detects when the unit is starting to freeze up).  While this is an inexpensive part, they don't have one in stock for this A/C unit (remember it is no longer in production) and have not found a source for a replacement, so they temporarily swapped the freezestat from our front A/C into the rear unit to make sure it solved the problem.  He told us to use the rear unit in both Heat Pump and A/C modes to make sure this had resolved the problem.

Wednesday morning, we met with Mike to further discuss the problems and a possible fix.  WE reported that the unit had performed perfectly since Tuesday afternoon in both A/C and heat pump modes.  This confirmed the problem was the freezestat so the problem now was to find another freezestat. After luncth we took the car to the hitch shop to have the electrical connection replaced.  While we were there, we found that our front tires needed to be replaced and we were referred to a nearby tire center.  Instead of having the hitch wiring repaired we went directly to the tire center where we were taken care of right away. When we returned Hank replaced the wiper blades on Little House's windshield wipers.

Thursday morning at breakfast, Mike sat with us and discussed the air conditioner situation.  He said that if they couldn't locate a new freezestat then they would "borrow" one from one of the used RV's in the dealership RV inventory.  Mike was determned that we would NOT spend another 3 months at TJ's finding a solution as we did during the summer but would get us on the road in less than a month.  After breakfast we went back to the hitch shop and the hitch electric connector was replaced and ran some errands.  About noon, we got the call that they had a freezstat in hand so we shouldl bring Little House up to the service center for the freezestat installation and testing.  While getting Little House ready to move from our site, we noticed that the Lancasters, whom we had become friends with during our summer stay, were once again parked next to us.  What a nice surprise that was!  After Little House was delivered to the shop, we spent time with JF & Carolyn catching up on news.  By late afternoon, we were back in Little House with both A/C units running to see if the new part was doing the job. Everything seemed to be working as it should. Then we enjoyed a nice dinner (all you can eat ribs) with the Lancasters at Fatz Cafe.

Friday morning  we said farewell to the Lancasters and continued testing the A/C. The TV antenna repair estimate was submitted to the warranty company.

The A/C-Heat Pump problem continues to be operating as it should. Now, we're just waiting for the warranty approval to replace the TV antenna.  Once approval is received the new antenna can be ordered, then we wait for it to be shipped (usually 2 day delivery) and finally it can be installed (a 2 hour flat rate job).  So it looks like we'll probably be here until at least next Tuesday or Wednesday. The weather has been cool and sunny all week, and the fall colors continue to develop on the hills around us. While we're enjoying our surroundings here in western NC, we're anxious to get to Raleigh and visit with Mike and many friends before we head further south. 

MARION, NC: It's Almost Like Coming Home!

We spent a quiet night in the parking lot of Hunckler Fabriation, Mocksville, NC.  The office opened at 8 AM and we were told the windshield had to warm in the sun before the Magnashade could be installed.  Our shade was also hung in the sun so that any folds or wrinkles would flatten.  A while later a tech came out and cleaned the inside of the windshield where the magnets would be installed, then just before lunch the owner and the tech came out and positioned the magnets on the inside of the windshield, and the shade (with its own magnets sewn in) on the outside of the windshield, so that they held each other firmly in place.  This was to let the shade warm in the sun to perfectly spread and match the windshield. These are some very, very strong magnets and a firm grip is required when installing them to keep from letting them smack together cracking the windshield - which is the main reason for having a professional installation rather than a do-it-yourself job.

After lunch the magnets were precisely positioned and adhesive was applied so they would remain in place when the shade was stored for travel.  We then waited several hours while the magnets on the inside of the windshield, and the magnets outside in the shade, pulled together pressing the adhesive firmly in place.  During all this time we were able to stay in Little House and spend some time on phone calls and computers.  Finally, at about 3:00 the owner came out and gave a quick lesson on placing and removing the shade, and how to care for it, and at about 3:30 we had Little House buttoned up and ready to hit the road.  We highly recommend Hunckler Farbrication in Mocksville, NC  and their various products to our fellow RVers.  Their latest products are tire covers that are designed differently than any we've seen.  They are attractive, easy to put on when parked, and easy to remove for travel, and they store in less space than the types you typically see.

It didn't take long for us to hit the road for the 82 mile drive to Tom Johnson's Camping Center in Marion, NC.  It's where we purchased the latest Little House back in April and where we spent 3 months this past summer while difficult problems were solved.   As happens in the RV world, a couple of problems have appeared over the last couple of months that need attention, and we were sort of in TJ's neighborhood already, so we're back in one of our favorite sites (#57), and will start the process of diagnosis and repair tomorrow.  Items to be repaired include the rear A/C unit (again!), replacing the TV antenna, and replacing an electrical connection for the tow hitch on the front of our car, so we look forward to seeing our friendly RV doctors once again as well as many of the staff who've become our friends. We hope we're only here a couple of days, but as experience has shown, repairs often don't go as quickly as we hope. That's why plans are usually written in pencil!

MOCKSVILLE, NC: Just Down the Road

We enjoyed our time at the Bill Plemmons RV dealership in Rural Hall, where we've been since Wednesday.  We enjoyed  free camping, (even if it was in close quarters), lots of free food, played Bingo for great RV prizes (didn't win), met some interesting people and had some enjoyable entertainment last night in a spoof of the tv show "Hee-Haw".  Last night was also Chicken Stew night, when the surrounding residents pile in to the service bay building for a $5 All You Can Eat Chicken Stew" (similar to oyster stew but with shredded chicken instead of oysters) and dessert.  All proceeds go to charity.  We didn't do a lot of walking around this year due to Hank's bruised knee (from kneeling on hard tile floor) and Selene's injured foot, both of which are slowly getting better.

Today we took our time getting things ready for travel, added some water to the fresh water tank and drove about 35 miles southwest to Hunckler Fabrication in Mocksville, NC.  Recently, friends gave us a MagnaShade for the front windshield that they could no longer use since they purchased a different RV.  Tomorrow, Hunckler's will install the needed magnets on the front windshield of Little House so we can use the shade when parked.  When parked, this shade will keep out much of the sun's heat while allowing us to still see what's happening outside.  Hunckler's invited us to park overnight in their lot and even furnished a 20 amp electric hookup for our use.

If everything goes well with tomorrow's installation, we'll head a little further west to Tom Johnson's in Marion to have them look at our roof-top TV antenna and rear air conditioner.

RURAL HALL, NC: Move Day

Since Sunday, we've had a couple of days of occasional heavy rain and high winds, and late Tuesday night was the big finale.  Luckily, there was no lightning or hail to be concerned about, and being on high ground we didn't have any concerns about flooding,  but we did experience more heavy rain and wind gusts approaching 50 MPH (estimated).  Little House shook a few times from the wind's power.  One of the sections on our 30 ft. ham radio antenna telescoped down (no damage) and everything else appeared okay in the morning light.  Tuesday, the campground and surrounding area lost power for about 7 hours, but for situations when we don't have commercial power available Little House has a 2KW inverter that provides 110V AC power from 4 big batteries.  And if the batteries are depleted, an on-board generator will provide 7.5 KW of power to run our systems and recharge the batteries, so we hardly knew there was an outage - life went on as usual for us. 

Since last week, Hank has been suffering from a badly bruised knee and  Tuesday night Selene jammed her foot in the middle of the night, so yesterday's departure routine was slow-moving to say the least.   We left Cool Breeze RV Park at 12:45 P.M. Surrounded by beautiful fall scenery, we  headed down the mountain on Hwy. 89 to start our 50 mile trip to Bill Plemmons RV World in Rural Hall, NC just north of Winston-Salem.  This weekend is the dealer's annual camp-in with free camping, free food, prizes, and entertainment.  We enjoyed this event last year and since we were already close by, it seemed like a good idea to take advantage of this gathering once again.

We're parked on gravel in one corner of the sales lot with a dozen or so other early-birds.  Nothing fancy here - RV's are right next to each other and the only hookup is 30 AMP electric. It's very easy to get to know your neighbors whether you want to or not!  We were advised to arrive with full fresh water tanks and empty black and grey tanks. There will be a dump station available for use as we leave.  TV reception gives us a few stations, and with strong cell signals, the JetPack is working well.  The event officially gets under way this evening (Thursday).

We'll be in staying at this location until Sunday.

GALAX, VA: Another Great Week!

Sunset Thursday

Until the last couple of days, the weather has been fairly pleasant although very breezy at times. Rain returned to the area on Friday.

 

Wednesday, Oct. 8, was our 48th wedding anniversary.  We went to a Chinese buffet for lunch (Hank's choice), and drove around the mountains north and west of Galax, ending up in Floyd about 35 miles from the campground.  There's a general store in the old downtown area that's famous because on the weekends they roll all of the merchandise out of the way and have mountain music concerts and jam sessions.  The store wasn't as large as we expected, but interesting nonetheless.


 We treated ourselves to some homemade ice cream treats just down the street.  It was a beautiful fall day to be out and about, and we finished the day with a great dinner at Bogey's (Selene's choice) which overlooks the Galax Municipal Golf Course. When we returned to the campground, we found that Dave and Kay from the camping club had arrived.


Thursday we decided we needed a new American flag as the old one had deteriorated too much to be saved.  Once again, we we made our way to WalMart for a new, and better quality,  3 ft. x 5ft. flag which should hold up better to wind, rain and sun.   Three more of the couples in our group arrived, and we all went to dinner at the Mountain Surf Seafood  Restaurant just down the road from the campground in Ennis, NC.





Friday, we drove north on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 40 miles to Mabry's Mill near Meadows of  Dan, VA.


Once again we had a beautiful drive surrounded by  developing fall colors.  We joined our friends in the  restaurant for lunch and conversation.  Another couple joined us at the campground in the afternoon.  Friday evening, we shared a pot luck dinner with more great food and small talk.  Dinner was followed by our Good Sam chapter's meeting and a short devotional service.

Saturday morning brought some partly cloudy skies but rain returned by afternoon.  The group drove to downtown Galax and had dinner at the Galax Smokehouse .  After dinner,  we all thought we needed some more nourishment, so we made an after-dinner stop  at The Dairy Bar for ice cream treats.

This morning (Sunday), it was time for good-byes as everyone else in our group left the campground, with rain falling again. By afternoon, we were one of only a few RVs left on the premises.  We'll be here until Wednesday, when we'll drive down the mountain to the Winston-Salem area.

GALAX, VA: Country Life

We're enjoying our stay at the Cool Breeze RV Park south of Galax, VA.  We've made a couple of trips to town for banking, gasoline, phone shopping, and have enjoyed some back road scenery.  We ate lunch at a small local diner that had great reviews on Thursday and while the service was friendly and the food was good, there was nothing spectacular to warrant the 5 star reviews.  We got the impression they had cut back the menu and the hours since the reviews.

At the rally in Goshen last month we won a small charcoal grill.  We opened it up Thursday evening and (after some assembly) Hank grilled some brats.  Then overnight Hank had a bad time with a stomach and intestinal problems, but since we both ate the same food on Thursday we don't know what caused it.  In any case, he recovered quickly on Friday.

Saturday, Hank upgraded his phone to an LG G3 model.  His two-year old Samsung Stratosphere was rapidly dying.  Important factors were a large 5.5" display, and a better battery - the Samsung was requiring multiple recharges in a single day and requires a proprietary Verizon battery that is not available.  So far the new phone looks like a keeper!

Yesterday (Sunday), Little House got a bath which it needed badly but we did not want to tackle that big job on our own.  We met Carlos Ramirez last week when he visited the Escapees Rally in Mt. Airy.  He has a mobile wash service based in the Galax area so we got in touch with him when we arrived here.  It took 3 hours for Carlos and his wife to get the job done, which required being on a wet RV roof, lots of ladder climbing, and having the right equipment to get the job done efficiently, so it was well worth the price.

The weather has been on the chilly and windy side with lows of 38 yesterday and today.  Other than rain on Friday, its' been sunny during most of the days, and crystal clear at night.  We're away from any city lights, so the night sky is awesome!

GALAX, VA: Relaxing in the Mountains

On Wednesday,  we left the Mayberry Campground in Mt. Airy, NC and made our way up the mountain road 20 miles to 7 miles south of Galax, VA. and settled in at the Cool Breeze RV Park.  We've been to this campground several times, although this is the first time we've stayed in the rear part of the park (site 34).   We'll be here until October 15.   Around October 9th, we'll be joined by fellow Good Sam chapter members for the monthly campout.  Until then, we'll just enjoy the quiet country environment and watch the fall colors intensify all around us.