Red Bay Service

After receiving the diagnosis from Chris at Red Bay Diesel that our exhaust manifold gasket was causing the high pitched squeal upon acceleration, we set an appointment with him to replace the gasket and manifold the following week.  The original exhaust manifold on our 2007 Allegro Bus 40 QSP with the Cummins 400hp ISL engine was a one piece design.  Chris explained that the manifold was most likely warped and would never seal properly.  Since labor is 2/3's the cost, it is only prudent to replace the manifold and anything attached to it while it is being done. The total cost was $1966.

While we waited in Red Bay, we enjoyed meeting other Tiffin owners, sharing a beverage, and even dinner a few nights.  We explored the area a little more and took the opportunity to buy a few parts at the Tiffin Part Store and do some minor maintenance ourselves.

When we departed, The Bus was running very quiet and strong.  We drove about 3 hours south to Deerlick Creek Campground near Tuscaloosa to spend a few days visiting my mother.  On the trip down we were cautiously optimistic that we both felt the ride quality to be much improved.  We asked Chris at Red Bay Diesel to check the ride height of the air bag suspension as it seemed to ride rough in the front.  They recorded the following measurements:

We were told that being a 1/4 or 1/2 inch out of tolerance can drastically affect the ride quality as the frame will contact the bump stops rather than the air bags absorbing the load.  As you can see, ours was significantly out of tolerance and the team at Red Bay Diesel adjusted it back to specifications.  The ride seems much better, but we want to put several more hours of driving on it before we claim victory.

While in Tuscaloosa, we helped my mother with some appointments, chores around the house, and shopping.  She is tough to keep track of when she gets on a scooter.  We enjoyed our time celebrating Easter with my sister and brother in law and had some good meals together.

This was our first time staying at Deerlick Creek Campground and found it much better than the more convenient Sunset RV Park near the interstate.  Deerlick Creek Campground is a Army Corps of Engineer campground on the river and gives you a campground atmosphere rather than an industrial park feel with highway noise.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

RV Tip:  Don't get distracted setting up or breaking camp.  Distractions can cause you to miss an important step.  One thing I do after disconnecting all service items is scan the faucet and power box to see if I forgot anything.  I failed to do this when leaving Red Bay RV Park and left a good quality pressure regulator.  Thanks to Amazon Prime, I received a new one a couple days later.  Remember the scan!

Back to the Southeast for More Moves

We bid farewell to Arizona stopping by the Tiffin Rally in Tucson for the open house day on our way back east.  It was fun to see the new coaches and talk with other Tiffin owners there.

We had hoped to stay out west for several months, but knew there were family obligations on the horizon.  Sure enough, the independent living apartment Pattie’s mom had been waiting on for two years in Atlanta, GA became available and her move was planned for the second week in March.  Our trip back east followed the same route we took to go west even stopping at the same campgrounds.  Along the way, I noticed The Bus began making a loud squeal when I pressed on the accelerator.   Fluids, temperatures, and power were all good, so I did not worry too much about it and focused on family matters.  We established camp at Ft Benning’s Uchee Creek Campground, as there are not too many campground options convenient to downtown Atlanta.  We were able to stay with Pattie’s sister in Atlanta during the time of the move, so we did not have to drive back and forth. 

The move went smoothly and Pattie’s mom was soon settled in her new home.  After 60+ years living in the same house, downsizing and adjusting can be traumatic.  She handled it well and is making new friends and seeing some old ones there. 

During this time we dropped by Auburn to visit with our sons.  William recently graduated in Mechanical Engineering and was looking for a job.  Chris is in his senior year in theater and his plans are fluid.  William suggested we go out to dinner at a rather expensive restaurant.  We agreed, as we like to spoil the starving college students when we can.  To our great surprise, William announced dinner was on him and that he had a job!  He is working for an engineering firm and will be moving soon to the Phoenix City, AL area. 

We traveled back to Atlanta to prepare Pattie’s mom’s house for estate sale and property sale.  As we departed, we saw some brave young soldiers parachuting on the ranges at Ft Benning.  Ah to be young again.

With our work done in Atlanta, we headed back to The Bus thinking about returning in April for the estate sale and helping William move.  A phone call came in from our son Chris telling us he has been offered an apprenticeship with a production company in Atlanta and will be moving out this summer.  More great news!  We began a flurry of plans now to juggle these events and all seemed very busy.  Then we received a text from my sister saying that her mother-in-law had passed away.  We were saddened by this news, but joyful at the same time because we know she is receiving her reward for her faith.  Back at The Bus, we broke camp and headed to Tuscaloosa, AL to pay our respects and help take care of my mom while my sister tended to funeral events. 

The engine whistle remained, so we made an appointment at Bay Diesel in Red Bay, AL to have it addressed and service all fluids.  We have never seen Red Bay so full of motorhomes.  Every campground is full and we had to dry camp for one night until we could find a spot.  It is a combination of snowbirds heading back north, the increasing sales of new coaches, and people just coming to visit.  We met new friends and had several evenings talking about RVing. 

The techs at Bay Diesel changed the drive belt and cleaned the pulleys, but the squeal remained.  Next they found a crack in the exhaust cross pipe and replaced it, but the squeal remained.  

After further examination, they determined the exhaust manifold gasket is blown in one area.  This is a common problem with the Cummins 400 ISL motor of this year model (2007).  The manifold itself is probably warped, so they scheduled us for a manifold replacement the following week.   This will probably be our largest repair expense in almost three years of RVing full time.  Bracing for the bill...

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

North of Phoenix

Before heading north out of Tucson, we met up with Randy and Pam Warner a couple with similar backgrounds to ours. They started full timing about three years before us and own the same year and model coach as we do.  They nicknamed theirs the Roadrunner and write a blog that we have found helpful in our travels (http://warnerrvnews.blogspot.com).  Our paths have come close, but this is the first time we have all been able to meet.  I told Randy I felt like the Coyote chasing the Roadrunner at times. 

Finally Caught the Roadrunner!

 We made reservations at a municipal park on Lake Pleasant north of Phoenix.  This turned out to be one of locations that we like so much we extended our stay.  We were able to explore the area in the Jeep as well as hiking. 

Lake Pleasant

Searching for nearby trails, I found a good description of a Jeep trail called “The Back Way in to Crown King.”  It promised moderate difficulty, various eco systems, several old mining sites, and beverages for those who make it all the way to Crown King, AZ.  We loaded up some food, beverages, and gear in our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland and headed out.  We wound our way down 20 miles of dirt road and found the trailhead rock with “CK” painted on it.  We headed north along the trail and put the Jeep in low range four wheel drive to better control our descents and assents.  Most of the trail could be done in two-wheel drive, but a few places will require four-wheel drive, ground clearance, and driving skill.  After a couple hours, we came across a Jeep and Bronco with some folks our age out enjoying the same trail.  We joined them and continued up the trail.  I raised the Grand Cherokee to its highest suspension setting in a couple places that required maximum ground clearance.  At one point even this was not enough and the driver’s side rocker guard came down hard on a boulder.  The traction control systems drug the Grand Cherokee over the obstacle and we continued on thankful we had install steel rocker guards.  On a steep grade about an hour from Crown King, the Bronco decided to die.  The older carbureted system could not deal with the altitude, incline, and fuel level in the tank.  I hooked a strap to it and towed it the last hour up the mountain.  Once in Crown King, the Bronco owner refilled the tank and got it to fire up.  We shared a cold beverage at the saloon and toasted our adventure for the day.

Back Trail to Crown King, AZ

Stubborn Bronco

Jeep to Rescue

Happy Survivors!

A Welcome Sight

Battle Scar!

On another day, we hiked the trails around the Lake Pleasant Park.  They have a well-marked trail system suitable for hiking and mountain biking.  There are signs indicating wild burros are present and markers explaining that the burros are descendants of the original miner’s burros.  Pattie said she saw some, but I didn’t see any and questioned her eyesight.  After hiking for hours and driving around, we finally saw some.  Never doubted her!

Wild Burros

A fellow Air Force warrior and good friend lives just north of Phoenix.  He and his wife invited us over for dinner one night.  We had a great evening telling stories and enjoying a perfectly cooked steak at their beautiful home.

Fellow Warrior and Friend

In the next addition, we will head further north to Prescott Valley and Sedona, AZ.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv! 

Southwest Sun

Where did January go?  If you have been trying to Keep Up With the Jones’ RV, you better be moving with a purpose.  We finished up our annual doctors’ appointments in Auburn, AL Mid-January and headed west trying to escape the bitter cold front.  We made it as far as Twitley Branch CoE Campground near Meridian, MS before we stopped for three days and rode out the front.  Temperatures dropped to 12 degrees Farenheit (a new record for us in The Bus) and we received about an inch of snow.  Thankfully, we were able to get our AquaHot heating system serviced by Brannon Hutcheson (Custom RV in Vina, AL) the day after Christmas and this weather put it to the test.  The system worked great keeping us warm inside and in the basement.

After three days, the roads ahead to Shreveport, LA were open so we headed to Barksdale AFB, LA.  We stayed two nights then headed to Dyass AFB, TX where we enjoyed a nice TexMex dinner out.  From there we made it to Brantley Lake State Park near Carlsbad, NM.  We stayed four nights allowing us time to hike in the area and see Carlsbad Caverns.

We also took a day trip to Roswell, NM to check out the UFO Museum.  I have seen quite a few UFOs in my day, but none that I thought were from an alien culture (although these guys do look like some politicians I know).

Next stop was Holloman AFB, NM where we visited White Sands National Monument.  It was very interesting to learn about the wildlife that lives there.  We had fun hiking all around trying to identify various tracks in the sand.  Leaves blowing to and fro across the sand make some unique artistic markings as well. We also took a pretty drive up into the mountains to a community called Cloudcroft and had a wonderful BBQ lunch at Crazy Jacks. We arrived 1/2 hr before the restaurant opened and had to wait 45 minutes in line. They still had snow up in the mountains.

One cool thing about this monument, they let you walk as far as you want too.

Critter tracks!

After White Sands, we headed southwest to Fort Huachuca, AZ near Sierra Vista, Arizona and found they have an excellent FAMCAMP.  We visited the Fort's museum and learned its important history in settling the west and its role today in strategic communications.  We made time to wake up early to see the Super Blue Blood moon, what a pretty sight that was! We took a day trip to Tombstone, AZ (location of the famous Shootout at the OK Corral) and were happy the town has closed off and kept the old Main Street as original as possible.  We ate at Big Nose Kate's Saloon for lunch.  The food was awful, but the history was rich.

Men's Room Urinal at Big Nose Kate's
(Where else can you get this level of detail!)

Our basic plan to head west was to make it to Tucson, Arizona for some warm weather.  Apparently many others had the same idea because when we arrived at Davis Monthan, AFB near Tucson, they were full and we were placed in a overflow area with no hook-ups (Boondocking).  No big deal, if it is for a few days until a spot comes open.  Unfortunately since so many desirable southeastern RV locations suffered hurricane damage in 2017, more RVers headed west.  We visited the Pima Air Museum and drove around the outskirts of the USAF Boneyard.  This is truly an amazing place in aviation history. 

B-17 like the one Pattie's father flew in WWII

We took a drive out to the Saguaro National Forest and hiked a trail to an old limestone furnace.  The area was beautiful for us, but I bet the men who mined and worked the limestone back in the late 1800's hated it.

We also took a drive to old town Tucson and visited some artist shops and looked at many of the restored old houses. After five days boon docking at Davis Monthan, AFB, we decided that if we were going to boondock; it should be in a beautiful setting.  We found a nice regional park on Lake Pleasant northwest of Phoenix, AZ and reserved a few days with and without power and water.  This turned out to be an excellent location for hiking, off-roading, and visiting the Phoenix area, but that is another story.

Our Route West 2018

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

RV tip:  Don’t jump into the physical stuff too quick when visiting a new location.  Your body is accustomed to certain plant life, temperatures, and altitudes.  Set-up camp and take a day to let your body adjust to a new environment before strenuous activity.

Keeping Up with the Jones RV 2017 Review

Happy New Year!  As we look forward to 2018, I thought I would recap the highlights from 2017.

Jan-Mar - We started our year as caretakers on a farm in Gurley, AL.  This was a time when we could get into a routine at a local gym, do some consulting work from The Bus, and take time to explore and hike in north central Alabama.

Apr-Jun - By April, we had hitch itch and headed to Red Bay, AL to upgrade The Bus headlights and the oven exhaust fan.  From there it was down to Ft Benning, GA where we visited our sons and watched our youngest son Chris in a play.  Business required a trip to Titusville, FL, so we drove down and camped at an RV resort in May.  Later that month, we were in Tuscaloosa, AL to help move my mother to my sister’s house.  In June, we serviced The Bus in Red Bay, AL and replaced the shock absorbers before heading north for the summer.  We spent a little time in Kentucky learning how they make Bourbon.  As we drove north through Illinois, the right front air bag failed and we had to spend a couple nights at a small truck repair shop replacing it. 

Titusville, FL Space Landing Facility

Jul-Sep - By late June, we were in Wisconsin Dells area where we had a wonderful dinner cruise on the river.  We crossed into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in time to find no campground vacancies over the Fourth of July holiday. We found a remote National Forest campground and boon docked there over the holiday.  It was 45 degrees and raining on the 4^th and we ran the heater.  We spent most of July exploring the Upper Peninsula along the shores of Lake Superior. The last week of July, we headed south stopping in Indiana to tour the Newmar Motorhome factory and in Dayton, OH to visit family.  We also stopped near Williamstown. KY to visit the Ark Encounter Park.  Early August found us back in Auburn, AL to celebrate our oldest son William’s graduation from college.  The Winegard Trav’ler antenna failed, so William and I put his new Mechanical Engineering degree to work and installed the replacement antenna the company sent. In late August, we spent time with family near Helen, GA to watch the solar eclipse.  From there we explored Ruby Falls and Rock City just south of Chattanooga, TN.  Early September found us back in Tuscaloosa, AL to spend time with mom while my sister traveled for business.  From there we headed south to check out Bella Terra RV Resort in Foley, AL.  By mid-September we were back in Auburn, AL to work on our boy’s trailer and David tore a muscle in his leg and had to watch the work rather than participate.  In late September, Pattie helped her sister move from Atlanta to New Hampshire. 

 

This is how we saw it

Oct-Dec - October found us in Elizabeth City, NC where we explored the area including the Wright Brother’s monument in Kitty Hawk, NC.  We cut a path south to Augusta, GA and learned the history of that city and met up with some old friends.  A death in the family required a quick trip south to Titusville, FL where we stayed in a different RV report.  We went back to Auburn, AL at the end of October to watch Chris in a lead role in a play.  In November, we headed to Tennessee to watch the leaves change and hiked many trails.  We stopped over for a week in Pigeon Forge, TN where we drove in an off-road park and hiked the local mountain trails.  We cut south through Georgia stopping a several Corp of Engineer parks on the way back to Auburn, AL where we celebrated Thanksgiving with our son William.

Kitty Hawk, NC

On 25 Nov 2017 Auburn beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl.  

Early December, we spent camping at Lake Guntersville State Park and reconnecting with some old friends.  We looked at property in the area for possible future investment. We spent Christmas in Tuscaloosa, AL with our family before heading to Auburn for New Years and annual doctor’s appointment.

On the River Near Tuscaloosa

 That is our recap of 2017.  Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!