A Time for Celebration

On our way back south, we stopped near Elkhart, IN to tour the Newmar motorhome manufacturing plant and visit the RV & MH Hall of Fame.  It was interesting to see how RVing in the US has progressed over the years.  We also enjoyed seeing how Newmar makes motorhomes and comparing it to Tiffin's work in Alabama.

Next, we traveled to Wright Patterson AFB, OH (near Dayton) and stayed at the FamCamp for a week.  We were able to visit with family in the area and ran into Mark and Holly Shaw, some RV friends we had met last year in Massachusetts.  Mark and Holly operate On the Go Mission (http://www.onthegomission.org) from their custom Fifth-Wheel RV.  It was good to see them again and see where their mission has led them over the past year. 

No trip to Dayton, OH is complete without visiting the USAF Museum.  I have visited here several times over the past 30 years and once again was impressed by the recent expansion of the facilities and new displays. 

We wanted to see The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY and found no good campgrounds near this attraction; so, we took a day trip from Dayton to visit it.  This was very fortunate for us as we discovered bridge construction along the route that we were able to avoid the following day in The Bus.  The Ark is the largest wooden structure in the world and built to original specifications.  The designers took great care in researching how scientifically and with the available technology Noah and his family were able to care for thousands of animals.  It was a well-done attraction with growth planned in the area.

Next, we stopped off at Red bay to have the custom headlights replaced because the left one had failed.  Brannon replaced them no questions asked.  He also noticed our front passenger side slide needed adjustment, so we checked into the service center for a couple nights and they made the adjustments.  Unfortunately, our Winegard Trav’ler satellite antenna failed at the same time.  I called Winegard and they quickly sent a new antenna with instructions on how to install it.  

Finally, we arrived at Auburn RV Park (www.rvauburn.com) our favorite place to stay in Auburn, AL.  This was a time for great celebration as our oldest some William was graduating with his degree in Mechanical Engineering.  We had 15 family members join us from as far away as Wyoming for this event.  We had a fun family dinner at a local restaurant the night before the commencement.  Afterwards, we ate BBQ and did some shopping for Auburn memorabilia. 

Once graduation was over, we stayed to use the boys’ youth for some projects.  My son William spent a couple hot hours on The Bus’ roof with me swapping out the Trav’ler antenna.  Pattie and I took the opportunity to empty the upper cabinets and add Reflex insulation.  This has shown to lower cabinet temperature by 4-5 degrees. Next, we planned some landscaping and a new walkway at the boys place.  Unfortunately, I pulled a muscle in my right calf and ended up in the doctor’s office getting MRIs and referrals and had to sit by as my family worked on the landscaping.  We extended our stay in Auburn another week to address these issues.  The landscaping came out great and the doctor said with some specific exercises, my leg should be well in 4-5 weeks. 

RV Tip:  Lubricate, lubricate, lubricate.  So may things on The Bus move in one way or another.  I carry a can of T-9 lubricant each time I get on the roof.  I lubricate the little gears in the vent fans and the over the air antenna.  I also wipe down and lubricate the small pressure switches that activate the vent fan motors.  If not, these will stick and the fan will not come on.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!