What Else Can Go Wrong? and The End

  Let's recap the trials and tribulations of a four month camping trip through 17 states and 23 campgrounds:

"TEAR THE ROOF OFF THE SUCKER" INCIDENT

  5/31/17- day one, stop one. Twin Oaks Campground, Elko, GA (see June 1 post)

Roof damage that delayed the rest of the trip 22 days.

"THEM!" THE GREAT ANT INVASION

  6/29/2017- third stop Hidden Cove RV Resort Arley, AL. We picked up a batch of ants. We arrived at Downtown Riverside RV Park at North Little Rock, AR and opened the trailer and saw them marching in lines across the ceiling and walls, across the counters and in the pantry. A trip to Lowe's was in order to pick up ant killer.

We had to empty the entire trailer, wipe everything down with a solution of vinegar, Windex, and dish soap. The key is breaking the trail that the scouts leave. The solution accomplishes this as well as killing them. The process went on for days. The ants kept coming and we had no idea where they were coming from. After researching the issue on the Internet Doreen learned the habits and patterns of Monomorium minimum, little black ants, we discovered a nest they built. It was under the refrigerator which I got to by removing the panel outside where the back of the fridge is accessed. I cleared out their nasty mud huts and sprayed them to kingdom come. We were victorious at last. Maybe.

TIRES AND BODY

  6/29/2017 On the trip to North Little Rock I almost lost a piece of the trailer body and saw it flapping in the wind. Pulled over, climbed into the bed of the truck to dig out a screwdriver and reattached it. 

Just for good measure I noticed during a fuel/bathroom stop a bulge on the inside sidewall of the right rear trailer tire.

7/5/2017 Had to stop after leaving North Little Rock to get a new tire. Pouring down rain of course:

  7/5/2017 With a new tire mounted we were on our way to Texas, and guess what? That body piece came off again so this time I dug the power drill out and tapped new holes to hold the piece in place.

 7/14/2017 Needed to get an oil change for the truck in Oklahoma City.

THE HITCH SAGA PART 1 

 8/14/2017 An entire month without any issues. Pulled into Steel Wheel Campground in Deadwood, SD and noticed my hitch clip had shifted a half inch or so. I didn't give it much thought at that point.

DEAD IN THE "WATERLOO"

  8/23/2017 Two Rivers State Recreation Area, Waterloo, NE. I am settled in with a cold beer and listening to the Pirates playing the Dodgers on the truck's SiriusXM radio. Rich Hill of the Dodgers is pitching a perfect game when about the seventh inning the radio goes silent. I have killed the battery.

 8/24/2017 I enlist the help of my camping neighbor to give me jump. No luck. Now I call Allstate Roadside Assistance. 

  The local towing company sends a truck but the battery jumper does not have enough juice and he has to call for backup. The next truck shows up and it takes half-an-hour to get me started. I miss Josh Harrison's homer in the 10'th and Hill looses the no-no and the game.

THE HITCH SAGA PART 2

8/25/2017 Arrive at Sandy Beach Camp in Solon, IA and notice the a fore mentioned hitch clip has bent. I find a metal shop in Cedar Rapids and have it bent back to the correct angle. 

The bolt should be vertical in this pic. 

"IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?" THE DEAD ANTENNA

  9/5/2017 Bear Cave Camping Resort, Buchanan, MI. This a resort in name only. We have to take a site near the river as there are no full hook up sites available.

It is a nice woodsy site making satellite reception impossible. I try the new King Jack HDTV antenna that I had installed at Camping World Tampa. This is supposed to pull in over the air signals that other antenna cannot. The antenna can be rotated to achieve the strongest reception based on the LED lights on the meter:

The more blue lights lit the better the signal. Unfortunately the red light should be green and the only time the blue lights come on is when a cell phone is near it. I am out in the middle of nowhere and can't haul in a single station. I now strongly suspect that Camping World in Macon did not reconnect it when they repaired the roof. I make an appointment for October 16 to stop there when we will be returning to Florida.

THE HITCH SAGA PART 3

  9/9/2017  The bend job lasts three trips until Mercer, PA. It has bent again. Luckily there is a trailer shop nearby and I get a brand new one for $45. Also I notice I have lost a lens cover for the side marker light on the trailer.

THE HITCH SAGA PART 4 AND NEPA DRAMA

  9/15/2017  We arrive at my mother-in-laws house in Jessup, PA and the new part has bent. The photo above is actually the new one that I bought in Mercer. I am now officially fed up and I forget about it for the two weeks we are there.

  While parked in Tootsies drive way I decide to hook the water up to the trailer using her garden hose. The hose is old and the dry green rubber cracks and leaks so now I attach my hose. A few days later that springs a leak. Now I need a new hose. I go to the closest RV store, about half-an-hour away in Pittston. I get one of those kink free hoses and a new lens cover. Did I also get a new hitch clip? Nope, I forgot. Did I get the correct size lens cover? Nope.

  

  9/29/2017 Now we are hooking up to leave Tootsies and realize the hitch clip is bent. I give it a try and it bends beyond the point of usefulness. Now I have to drive back to Pittston. Luckily they have a new improved replacement part. There have been many reported failures of the REESE CORP HITCH CLIP they nice lady tells me and they have ceased selling them. She sells me a reinforced version that should not be a problem.  I also get the correct lens cover.

New:

Notice the reinforcement around the entire clip.

 Old:

  9/23/2017 The lost cell phone episode at Oktoberfest in Scranton. (see prior post). 

NO PLUMBERS NEEDED

  10/4/2017 PA Dutch Country Camping Resort, Manheim, PA.  Doreen discovers a water leak under the kitchen sink. After further investigation I see the under the sink water filter is leaking at the fittings. The fittings are quick connect fittings and are simple pieces of plastic inserted into the brass:

  After a few hours of futile attempts to correct the leak I gave up. So of course I was off to Lowe's the next morning. The associate was very helpful and I switched all the fittings to brass. Problem solved.

"EXHAUSTING" THE DEF

  10/6/2017 We leave Manheim 

and are on the road to Lynchburg RV Resort in Gladys, VA. 

We stop to refuel at a Pilot Truck stop in Mt. Jackson, VA and I knew I was getting low on diesel exhaust fluid so I decided to use the dispenser right at the pump. I put in 2.5 gallons which is the normal amount when i use a jug from the store. I started the truck but the DEF warning did not reset as it normally does. From there the countdown was on. The warning comes on when there is less than 1,000 miles from empty, and I was already down to about 100 miles. We were about 45 minutes from our destination when the real warning comes on: In 400 miles engine speed will be limited to 65mph. REFILL NOW. I pull over and break out a spare jug of DEF to fill it but it is not empty. I call the nearest GMC dealer (according to Google Maps) It is now about 5 PM on a Friday so I know my options are limited. Can you say Roadside Assistance?  The service guy I spoke to on the phone was friendly and he recommended that I continue to my destination and seek service there since he was 30 miles in the opposite direction over the mountain. (we were driving in the Shenandoah Valley near the Blue Ridge Mountains). He recommended Pinkerton Chevrolet in Lynchburg.

  We got settled in at our campsite made some more phone calls. First to Pinkerton where no one answered the phone. We left voice mails. The next day we finally got in touch with someone at a different dealer in Altavista, VA. George the service manager told me to come in Monday at 10:30 AM. He stated mine was a common problem with the DEF systems in the diesels. Just a matter of installing a new kit. Margaret the service advisor got me in and out by 1 PM on Monday and everything was covered under warranty. What a relief! 

"THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA VIRGINIA"

  Our last night in Virginia was spent in a power failure. About 8 PM the power went out in our loop and we decided to stay put. There was power in a different loop of the campground but I saw n reason to pack everything up for one night since we were leaving in the morning for South Carolina. We left about 11 AM and the power was still not restored.

"THEM!" THE SEQUEL

  So here we are back where the whole thing started; the Peach State, or more like the bug state. As I stated earlier we have an appointment at Camping World here in Georgia and we pulled into Interstate RV campground on October 14. This is the closest CG near Camping World, directly across the road. We can leave here at 8:50 AM and be there for our 9 AM appointment. This morning I went for a walk and when I returned to the trailer the floor was soaking wet. Doreen had been cleaning ants! We got them again but not nearly as bad as the first incident. We had everything cleaned sufficiently to be able to watch the Steeler game at 4:30 but what a hassle.

ONE LAST LOSS

  I almost forgot to mention  my missing LP tank cover lid lost somewhere on the highway between Georgia and Lakeland  

"A DAY OF BROKEN DRAWERS"

  October 16 and we are finally home. Two days of unloading and cleaning the trailer and I believe I am done with the trailer until next year. Oops, Doreen was putting clothes away in her drawer when her knee gave out and she fell onto the open wardrobe drawer breaking it into several pieces and breaking the slides. I can only shake my head and pick up the pieces. I put the pieces away and tell myself that this is a project for the spring. 

  Stay tuned for next year because the planning has already begun. Thinking California and the Pacific Northwest.

Return to the Keystone State

  Greetings to all in the Keystone State. We left Michigan on September 9 for Mercer, PA. We set up the trailer in the yard of my old friend TC:

The next day was the opening week of the NFL season and of course we all gathered for the Steeler's game:

The original plan was to watch the game on the big screen in the house but we never made it inside because it was such a splendid day. Basked in sunshine we enjoyed a victory over the hapless Brownies while "tailgating".

  We all enjoyed each other's company, got caught up on life, and reminisced about the past. We also planned our trip to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Doreen and I would get a campsite and TC would rent a camping cabin with Ron tagging along.

The Grand Canyon is located near Wellsboro, PA in north central PA. There was a trail at the campground that led to the visitor center of the state park that the three of them took and Doreen and I drove over.

A very nice overlook:

We hung out each night by the fire and enjoyed the rustic environs:

The men did all of the cooking and cleaning:

Tres amigos:

After visiting the overlook we took a stroll along the trail at the bottom of the canyon along Pine Creek:

We had four different modes of transportation on the trail:

Fifty somethings hearkening back to their inner child playing in the creek:

The scenery was gorgeous:

Ron picked wildflowers for the ladies:

We all had a voracious appetite after a lovely day and returned to the camp.

A rainy day the next day and TC and Chris rested up so Doreen and I took a ride into Wellsboro:

A quaint little town. We had lunch and took a ride to the west rim of the canyon and found the handicap accessible trail:

This was a much better vantage point to view the canyon. Luckily the rain stopped for a while and the resulting mist made for a beautiful scene:

  After a three day stay at the campground we bid adieu to our friends and headed to Jessup, PA just outside of Scranton to stay at Doreen's mother's house. I parked the trailer in my mother-in-law's driveway and use it as my own little getaway:

  We are having a nice dose of Indian Summer here in NEPA with the mercury approaching 90. We attended Oktoberfest at PNC Field, home of the AAA SWB Railriders farm team for the New York Yankees.

The vendors were stationed around the concourse and on the field.

Polka music and German food plus many Oktoberfest brews:

Wiener dog races:

  We were having a pleasant time until Doreen thought she lost her cell phone. After using the restroom we had walked about halfway around the concourse and I stopped to buy some alcohol infused cigars when she said she didn't have her cell phone. She went back to the same restroom to look for it but could not find it. Of course we got separated and lost each other. Eventually we reunited (after the Wiener dog races. I wasn't missing that) and tried to figure out what to do. I was on my phone with Verizon, Doreen was enlisting the help of a Lackawanna County Sheriffs Deputy and I was stressing out. 

  We were now an hour-and-a-half into the lost phone fiasco when Doreen said she was going back to the same restroom one more time. When she came back, her face told the story. She said while in the restroom she decided to make use of the facilities since she was there and, as she got up from her scooter saw her phone on the seat of the scooter.--She had been sitting on it the entire time! Even though I made numerous calls to the phone her butt muffled my ring tone. 

  That is the end of this story. 

Catching You Up

  South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan are in the rear view mirror and we are now in Pennsylvania. The stop in Nebraska was at Two Rivers State Recreation Area on August 22

A very nice campground with interesting options for accommodations like a caboose:

I was enjoying sitting outside during the evening listening to Pirate's baseball on my SiriusXM radio when both of my batteries went dead so I called Allstate Roadside Assistance the next day:

After the batteries were juiced up we took a ride into Omaha. We checked out Lauritzen Gardens Park where two of the largest locomotives ever built are on display:

  The massive locomotives are a tribute to Omaha's role in the completion of the transcontinental railroad and the linking of the east and west with a ribbon of steel.

We took a ride through Omaha's Little Italy section which is marked by a 15 foot tall fork twirling spaghetti:

Next it was off to the Old Market District:

Omaha served as a hub between eastward and westward traveling trains and the Old Market was the was where goods were traded. Now it is a collection of shops, bars, and restaurants.

  Next stop was Sandy Beach Campground in Iowa on August 25. It is an Army Corps of Engineers facility which are usually very nice and very inexpensive:

We were about half way between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. We stayed for a week to catch up on laundry, grocery shopping, and trailer repairs. The snap clip on my hitch bent so I looked for a place to either fix it or replace it. I ended up finding a metal shop that was able to bend it back into shape.

Asia and I hanging out:

We found a nice retro dinner place in Cedar Rapids:

Not much to see or do in the middle of Iowa but we found a National Historic Site called Amana Colonies. Amana Colonies is an isolated village founded by German immigrants that were fleeing persecution in the late nineteenth century because of their religious beliefs. They shunned modern ideas and lived by a principle of sharing the wealth. They wanted to be left alone and found Iowa ideal for farming and living self-sufficiently. Ironically it is now a tourist hot spot.

Wineries and microbreweries plus shops and furniture makers and all the usual ways to spend your money.

Doreen after a couple of samples from the brewery:

The Chicken Dance song was playing in the background and early afternoon beer went right to her head!

Our next stop was Pine Country in Belvidere Illinois on September 1

We had a nice time here over the Labor Day holiday and met some great locals camping behind us. We joined them for the fish fry at the lodge and they gave us a recommendation to go for a good Chicago dog. 

Portillos is a Chicago Land institution:

Next stop was Bear Cave in Buchanan Michigan:

We had a scenic site along the St. Joe river but only had water and electric hook up. The next day a full hook up site opened up and we moved there.

An interesting campground but a little run down. I found the game room and had a flash back to the early 1980's:

Ms. Pac-Man was still 25 cents so I proceeded to put the high score up and then top that about four times.

Lake Michigan was only 12 miles away and we took a ride:

Had to make a stop for beverages and smokes:

We stumbled on a small town called Bridgman:

Two beer tastings and a wine tasting later it was time for dinner:

  That wraps up the trip from South Dakota to Pennsylvania. The Midwest is fairly unremarkable. We did not visit Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, and North Dakota. I don't know if we will visit those states but Doreen wants to fill in our map:

 That will have to wait until next year. I am anxious to return to Florida for the winter. I still have a post for the PA visit and that will be soon.