Between Holidays

Before leaving the Atlanta area, Pattie and I spent a night outside Southland Motorhome Service in Buford, GA while they outfitted our Jeep Grand Cherokee and The Bus for flat towing.  The technicians at Southland are experts at installing the SMI Air Force One brake system, which is the most complex part of the equipment needed to tow safely.  The Air Force One brake system uses air pressure from The Bus’s brake system to apply the Jeep’s brakes.  We had a similar system on the Wrangler, but it was model specific and could not be swapped over to the new Grand Cherokee.  The SMI Air Force One can be swapped over if we ever need to do that.

To attach the tow bar, we had them install Blue Ox base plates that take the place of the factory tow hooks.  Without the tow hooks, I am not sure how we will get pulled out when we get stuck off-road, but I will figure out some way to use these heavy steel base plates for recovery. 

The final piece was wiring the taillights to come on with The Bus’s lights.  We used a very simple wiring harness that added an extra bulb to the taillight assemblies without interfacing with any of the Jeep’s electrical system.  This method creates an Air Gap between the two vehicles that I prefer considering the complexities in modern automotive electrical architecture.

With all components in place, we hooked up and headed to Ft Benning’s Uchee Creek Campground.  This is one of our favorite places when we want to be central to our family members scatted between Alabama and Georgia and our legal residence in Auburn, AL.  Located on Ft Mitchell (the Alabama side of Ft Benning), the campground is on a flat peninsula along the Chattahoochee River. It is quiet except for the sounds of military training that I find comforting.  On this trip, we visited our doctor in Auburn for  annual physical check-ups.  We are blessed with good health; but, need to alter our diet and add more exercise in 2017.  Our old cat Katy did not get such a good report from her doctor.  At 15 years old, we did what we could to help her cope with several physical issues. She suddenly stopped eating and became disoriented forcing us to make the hard decision to let her go.  It was a sad day and just about a year after we lost her nemesis Sparky the beagle.  We have decided to continue our journey without any pets.  Most RV'ers seem to have pets and make it work, but it does add some restrictions to the lifestyle.  We will just settle for enjoying everyone else’s pets.

While at Uchee Creek, we were able to bike along the Chatahochee River scenic trail.  This 15 mile paved biking and walking path goes from old town Columbus, GA to the Ft Benning Infantry Museum.  It has a convenient entry point at the Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus and we took a few minutes to stop by and see the gift store and historic warships. 

We also took a day trip over to Tuskegee, AL to drop Katy's things off at an animal rescue center.  While we were there, we toured the Tuskegee Airman Museum at Moton Field.  It is really amazing to watch and listen to the video displays where surviving Tuskegee Airmen tell their stories. You are able to hear in their words what they felt and why they were doing what they were doing.  Capturing those interviews for future generations was a brilliant idea and makes you proud to be an American. 

Pattie's mom decided she no longer needed her piano and offered to give it to Chris, our youngest son.  We rented a U-Haul trailer and some dollies in Auburn and made the round trip to Atlanta in one day.  Even a small upright piano deserves some respect due to its weight and balance.  It took three young men, Pattie and I to wrestle the 400 lb. piano in place.  If it ever needs to be moved again, I hope Chris calls me afterwards to let me know how it goes.

While at Uchee Creek, I was also able to make use of another military benefit known as the Auto Crafts Center.  Many military installations have a fully equipped automotive shop that members can rent to perform work on their own automobiles.  The one at Ft Benning has hydraulic lifts, power tools, and state of the art equipment with technicians to assist you in their proper use.  I used these facilities for years when I was on active duty to save a few dollars on repairs and routine maintenance.  This visit, I installed five skid plates under the Grand Cherokee to protect it when going off-road.  

Tomorrow, we will depart and go to Tuscaloosa, AL to spend Christmas with my mom and sister's family.  Our sons will join us there.  Pattie and I hope each of you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and a great New Year!

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!