It was a great idea... but just wasn't working out

Goodbye Marge.  

Apparently I got a flat tire on the I-15 North when I felt Marge shaking and pulled over. When I stopped her I made the mistake of  letting her idle and she started to get hot.  Well, I revved the engine like mechanic Steve had told me to do and a whole bunch of coolant decided to spill out of the second overflow hose (which wasn't attached to any tank).  Well, that freaked me out something major and convinced I would destroy my engine if I drove her any further, I had Marge towed back to Vegas to be looked at. 

Well, they did some work and came to the conclusion that she really needed her radiator taken off and cleaned out.  I didn't have the money for that, so I decided to just put her on the road and see how far I got.  I was going to wait until night so I went to the Flying J to do some Internet research and post a CL ad.  I got a hit so I drove down to Henderson to meet my potential buyer.  He wasn't interested so I decided to take a nap before going back on the road. 

Well, after my nap I was getting nervous because the wind was strong and I thought it might be unsafe to drive.  Then when i decided it was ok, Marge wouldn't start.  Grrrr....  So I just called it quits and called and booked a rental car.  Low and behold, she started right up the next morning so I took her over to the bank to make sure I had enough cash in my acct to cover the rental.  Once I did that I asked to use their Internet and they let me (cause they're nice like that 

here) and found someone else had expressed interest in Marge.  God had answered my prayers. But after they agreed to buy it, she wouldn't start again..

Long story short, Marge is sitting in their driveway right now not because they decided to buy her, but because they proved to be the kindest people I've ever met.  They came and helped me unload the rig and load up the rental car, let my dogs run around in their back yard, kept me company, fed me, and let me sleep in the rig in their driveway so I wouldn't head out exhausted. 

 

They even agreed to hold Marge until their mechanic neighbor could determine whether or not she was a rig they could invest in, at which point they agreed to either buy it or move it to a lot where I could sell it.  They even agreed to ship the books I couldn't fit in the rental.  I don't know what I would have done without them.

They rescued me and renewed my faith in humanity at the same time.  I will forever hold a place for them in my heart.  And they will always be in my prayers.

So, off with the rental car I've driven over the Hoover Damn and made it to the Grand Canyon Caverns, where I took an elevator over 150 feet underground to explore, and where I also took a horseback ride around the desert. Who knew my few times riding as a kid would come back to me so quickly.  It was great! 

 

After that I headed over to the Grand Canyon, walked the dogs around the rim trail, took lots of pictures, and then ended up at an AA meeting at sunset overlooking the canyon.  Talk about a spiritual experience.  

Last night I slept in the car behind a gas station and this morning watched the sunrise over the canyon before heading off to Flagstaff.  Buddy had to go to the bathroom and whining uncontrollably, I turned into the Northern Arizona History Museum parking lot where I discovered a trail.  So, we ended up taking an hour hike around this beautiful wooded canyon and the dogs got to walk through and drink crystal clear brook water.  What a way to start my day!  Who knew I could actually get up and get moving at 5:30 in the morning?!

Right now I'm on the 40 headed into New Mexico.  I've been enjoying route 66 as well.  

Learning on the Road

Well, I guess I'm learning on the road.  Here's what I've learned in the past 24 hours:

Engine getting too hot on hills?  

Pull over if it's too hot to continue.  Rev the engine to make the fan cool it more.  If you shut it off... wait 30 minutes before checking the coolant.  Do check the coolant.  Do add water if you have nothing else in your rig.  Not doing so will make the same thing happen.  It won't get better.  Even if you wait all day and sleep in the 116 degree heat.  The dogs will just pant a lot and you'll begin to smell.  

Think that gas gauge is correct?  Think again. 

Always put some extra gas in your rig every time you stop... just to make sure.  Cause those gauges can lie and leave you stranded on the side of the road in the middle of the desert at 12:30 in the morning and the tow guy will take an hour and charge you a lot (especially when your RV insurance hasn't registered you with their underwriters like they said they had... oh and do call them to complain the next day).

Think the lever of your septic tank is stuck? Think again.  

Pull hard but don't have your head right underneath the hose cause it will leak all over you.  If it does, the water pumps in the island work well for cleaning off.

So far, I think that's enough.  

More to come... pray for us ;)

We're on the road!

Hello All!

We've left Hollywood and are on the road!

Our first night in the RV has been an interesting one. Where to begin...

Well, first of all, who knew we'd only be able to go 35 mph up some steep hills? Or that going over 55 mph would make the rig shake shake shake!

When we landed at the Barstow Flying J we found a nice spot to park and then prepared to deRV. ;) When we got outside (all the doggies and me) we discovered that a beautiful Pit mix had taken a liking to us. Argh. I hollered for him to go away but he wouldn't. Chica threatened him with her bad ass alpha "I'm going to eat you" bark, but he didn't care and after a second we were having doggie meet and greet and Chica was totally cool with him. Huh. I was stumped, really. Then we did a pack walk and he walked with us for the whole 40 minutes, back and forth and back and forth in this big dirt area between the RV parking and the 18 Wheelers. Every now and then he'd try to mount one of the dogs but I firmly told him "No" and he listened every time. The kids were glad for that and no one got out of line. Not another growl or bark or threat. Just some peaceful walking and sniffing and ... can I say shocking!?!

It's 6 am and the sun is just coming up. I only fell out of my bunk twice when the dogs started barking and I jumped out to see what the problem was. I'm discovering a few bruises now. Ouch. Oh, and Buddy got so thirsty that he chewed the top off the 5 gallon water jug and knocked it over. Good thing I'm attuned to running water and was down and picking it up with only 1/3 spilled. But, I do have a wet carpet near the door. Grrr.... if he only knew that meant less water for him in the future... would he have made the same decision? ;) I'm sure he would have. He's a mischevious boy. Yes, he is.

Well, I need to go get in the rig now and have the Flying J people show me how to dump my sewer tank and check my propane and all of that. I can't believe I don't know these things already, but that's ok. I don't mind being a novice. ;)

Look forward to more updates and soon... pictures. I signed up for Flying J WiFi so at our next stop I'll post again.

Time to get the tanks done and get on the road for a few hours before it gets too hot to drive.

Be well!