Moving on down the road

Along about 5:30 this morning, I noticed that my little fan that I have on my bed stand wasn’t working.  I rolled over to check the time, and the clock was out.  The rig was pitch black… no nightlights.  Ugh.  The electricity had gone out.  I got up, got dressed, and staggered out the door with Emma.  I took my flashlight, and found our way out of the service building.  It seemed that Brown and Brown was the only place that was dark.  Eventually, the electric came back on about 7:00.  By that time, I had gathered what I needed out of the rig, and moved out to the car as the workers began showing up.  I decided I needed a change in scenery from the parking lot today.

Using my GPS, I found the state park about 10 miles away.  I needed to take Emma on a hike and decompress from the stress of this week.

There is a great, mostly paved, bike/hike trail that follows the Kankakee River for about 10 miles. 

We started out at the Rock Creek Bridge and went a ways that direction.

What a nice peaceful view from the middle of the bridge.  Rock Creek empties into the Kankakee River.  It was so peaceful walking through the woods that I nearly jumped out of my skin when I suddenly heard a male voice say, “Passing on the left!”  Two bicyclists were coming down hill upon me pretty quickly.  I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights as I scrambled to get myself and Emma out of the way, because the cyclist said, “It’s okay, you’re alright.” 

As we headed back and went the other direction down the trail, we came upon an enjoyable overlook of the river.  I later figured out this is the handicapped fishing pier.  Even though it was a cloudy and chilly morning, being here refreshed me.

Another discovery along the way was the Smith Cemetery (notice how the sign is misspelled) in the park.  By what I could find, the earliest grave appears to be from 1844, and the most recent marker was from the 1870’s.  Most of the markers lie flat on the ground in cement.  I don’t know if that is how they did things in those days, or the markers were later placed that way.  I tried to pick up information at the visitor’s center, but it was closed for the season. 

Robyn didn’t have any Life Vest appointments today, so we were able to meet for lunch at another one of those little hotdog places found around Chicago, and both enjoyed an Italian Beef sandwich.  At this place you stood outside to order, and then sat outside or in your car to eat.  We chose the car since it was in the 50’s today.  I’m thinking it will be quite some time before I have another Italian Beef.

I’d like to report that my moving on down the road title means that the rig is all fixed, but I’m afraid it just isn’t so.  In this continuing saga of how Murphy’s Law works, Brown and Brown RV has thrown in the towel on trying to fix my brake problem.  It seems the brake business is not of the normal type that is done on  the Workhorse Chassis.  This repair place does not have the proper equipment to read the brand that was installed.  According to Rich, this is the type of brakes that are usually installed in upper level RV’s and they don’t have the equipment to analyze it.  Sigh ! 

So, what does that mean?  It means they VERY carefully drove my rig out of the service bay and placed it back out in the parking lot, with lots of wheel chocks, where I now have a 50 amp hookup for the weekend.  On Monday morning, a tow truck will arrive, and I’ll be towed back to a repair facility in Indiana that has the proper equipment.  Will I ever get back on the road to Texas?  Who knows.

I’m not going to let this all get me down, but my goodness, isn’t it someone else’s turn to deal with Murphy?   Any volunteers??  Sorry this post was so long; hope you made it to THE END!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy 

Quick and easy fix? NOT!!

By the time there was an open bay in the repair facility today, it was 2:30 in the afternoon.  The tech came over to reinstall the drive line (?), and then hopped behind the wheel to drive the rig into the shop.  He stepped on the gas and here’s what I heard next, “Holy shXX!  You don’t have any brakes at all!”  MY response?  “That’s what I tried to tell you yesterday.”  Somehow, he was able to maneuver the rig through four turns and into a bay, and roll to a stop at just the right place. 

Seems everyone thought it was just a stuck parking brake, even though I told them the messages on the dashboard computer said hydraulic brake failure and check ABS.  The tow truck driver also told them about the brakes.  After all, that’s why he towed it and didn’t drive it.  My non-mechanic’s guess is that the rig did exactly what it was supposed to do… it wouldn’t let me put it in gear without working brakes.  Halleluiah! 

After six this evening, I found out about all the possibilities of what caused this.  Further investigation is needed, which will begin tomorrow.  After my asking, it is a possibility that I will be here over the weekend since tomorrow is Friday.  Needless to say, I’m not going anywhere tonight.  They don’t even want to chance backing the rig out of the bay.  After they consulted about what to do with me and Emma, I was given two choices.  The first was to stay in one of the new rigs out next to the fence by the hookups.  The other was to stay in my own rig inside the repair building.  I chose to stay home. 

Can’t say that this experience is on my bucket list, but both of us will be more comfortable in our own beds.  With one of their extension cords, I have 30 amps, and the heater and fridge are humming away.  No TV inside here, but I seem to have good internet reception.  Now, if I can just figure out how to turn off the three different radios that are blasting in the building after the car mechanics go home!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy “Murphy” Bell 

Some not so good news, some good news, and some no news

NOT SO GOOD NEWS:  After waiting at the campground gate for 90 minutes, I found out that the tow company that was supposed to have arrived, was detoured by the police to handle a severe auto accident rather than come to get me.  Ugh!  (I did get a call from them this evening asking if I was still stranded at the campground)

GOOD NEWS:  After waiting another 90 minutes, a different tow company from Kankakee (very close to Brown and Brown RV repair) showed up at the gait.  I led them slowly to my site.  Then came the levity for the day.  After getting out of the truck, the driver asked, “Are you sure this is the right rig?”  Hmmm… let me see, yes, I’m pretty darn sure this is where I live. (???)  I’m not sure what he was expecting when he was told it was a 38’ Winnebago motorhome, but he sure seemed perplexed.  I guess he thought it looked like a diesel pusher, but I assured him it was a gas pusher.  That’s when the fun (?) began.  We went inside the rig, and I showed him what happened when I put it in gear.  After a lot of crawling around under the rig, and a phone call to the RV repair place, he was able to finally disengage the parking brake.  That took over an hour.  Then he suggested I just drive the rig to the repair place, as he wasn’t sure he could get it out with the tow truck.  I told him I was more than a little nervous about that since the onboard computer thing still showed hydraulic brake failure.  He had brought his father-in-law with him and both were CDL drivers, so they volunteered to drive the rig while I followed in the car.  He then got in the rig to back it out of the site.  He stopped after three feet.  He came back out and said, “Nope, we’re going to tow it; those brakes are too spongy!”

I was surprised he was able to get his big truck around in front of the rig for the hookup.

Then he climbed underneath to secure the front.  What a time he had getting the rig and truck out of the site.  He had to back it up and then turn it around on the skinny roads.  We couldn’t go out the way I had three times before because of a sharp turn up the road that I didn’t think he could make with the rig in tow.

The father-in-law and I ran around trying to bend tree branches out of the way so the sides of the rig wouldn’t sport new pin striping.  We ended up making a loop through a neighbor’s campsite.  There just wasn’t any other way to get out of there.

After another hour, we were finally on our way.  It was pretty hairy, but we finally made it to the paved roads. 

NO NEWS:  By the time we got to Brown and Brown, it was a little after 2:00.  They had, of course, expected us in the morning, and it was too late in the day to take the rig into the shop.  All the techs were busy on other rigs.  So, the rig was deposited in the parking lot, and I have a 30 amp electrical hookup.  I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see what they think about the repairs.  Since the parking brake has been disabled, I cannot put the levelers down or open the slides.  That means I can listen to the TV tonight but I can’t see it since it is behind one of the slides.  Just like overnighting at Wal-Mart.    I’m happy I finally got out of Dodge.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

No luck this morning

Well, Village Motors came back this morning to hopefully fix the brake problem, but as it turned out the things we tried had no effect on the problem.  It became obvious to me that they really don’t work on motorhomes, and especially not the Workhorse chassis.  To their credit, they didn’t charge me anything even though they put in about four hours trying to fix things.  What to do next?

For this challenge, I hauled out my rocker and sat outside for a moment to think things through.  It sure would have been nice to have a second person to discuss things with, but that’s not the way it is.  I got out my card for the extended warranty policy I have and tried calling them.  Turns out you have to have the rig into a repair facility to give an estimate for the fix, and then ask permission to have it done.  That, I couldn’t do.  I then noticed a road side assistance number on the card.  I hadn’t realized I had this coverage with the warranty.  I tried to explain the situation to them, and they said they’d have a tech call me back for suggestions.  I can tell you that I was reluctant to hang up, but they assured me they wouldn’t leave me hanging.

About ten minutes later, the tech called with suggestions of things like checking the fuses and the brake fluid level.  I interrupted him  to let him know that all that had been done by the mechanic from Village Motors.  He then said he would look up the nearest Workhorse repair facility and call me back.  And call back he did.  He said I would be towed to Brown and Brown RV in Bourbonnais, IL, for repairs.  Ha! That’s where I had the awning and basement door repairs done last month.  He also said they couldn’t work on it until tomorrow.  That’s when I asked if they were towing it today or tomorrow.  They were going to tow it today, but he said he would call to see if I could stay in the campground tonight with full hookups, and get towed tomorrow. 

When he called me back again, here’s what he said, “You must be some kind of celebrity!”  They remembered me, and will be here first thing tomorrow for the towing, and told him they’d take me in immediately to work on the brakes.  I guess Emma and I sitting outside the place in the heat of summer made an impression on them.  I was happy with their work then, and they know I live in the rig fulltime, so I’m relieved that’s where we’re going.  All this is probably TMI for some folks, but maybe it will help someone to know how these problems evolve.

As Emma and I sat outside this afternoon, I watched this wasp carry what I think may be a pupa across my campsite, and then back again.  I don’t know what it was doing, but it covered more than 100’ carrying it’s burden back and forth and up and down a tree.  Crazy!  It was definitely too heavy for it to fly with it.

So I’ll be packing up once more tomorrow morning in preparation for the tow.  I broke down all the branches of a dead tree that I could reach trying to avoid pin striping on the rig on the route I think they’ll pull my home out.  More tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

“What a revolting development this turned out to be!”

Wasn’t it Laurel and Hardy that used that line?  Well, today I experienced just that.  My plan was to pull out of the campground around 10:00 since I only had about 100 miles to go to a campground in Rantoul, IL.  I was going to spend the night there visiting with my friends, and fellow fulltime bloggers,  JIM and Linda.  They stay there every summer.  Linda and I have the same birthday, and the last time we met we were all in Sioux Falls, SD, to renew our driver’s licenses.  They were successful with that venture, and as you know, I was not.

Anyway, I had everything packed and ready by 9:45.  I backed the toad down the road far enough away so I wouldn’t crash into it as I backed the rig out of the campsite.  Emma was in her crate, and everything was a go until I tried to put the rig into reverse.  Then bells and whistles went off and several lights were blinking on the dash.  Instant nervous wreck for me!  I got out the owner’s manual to check what all the lights meant.  Eventually, I noticed the rig computer was sending me messages that indicated a brake failure.  Grrr!  What did that mean?

I sat on the rig’s steps outside a few moments to regain my composure, and then called my emergency road service.  I explained what had happened, and then the gal asked me what exactly was wrong.  Duh!  I told her I was not a mechanic, but I was unable to move the rig, and the owner’s manual said not to try.  Within about 40 minutes, the mobile RV tech arrived to diagnose the problem.  He figured it was just low brake fluid.  Turned out, that was not the problem, and he was stumped.  He checked the fuses, and then called his boss.  The boss came out, and also was stumped since everything checked out as working except the parking brake wouldn’t disengage.  If you can’t disengage the parking brake, you can’t move.  He contacted Workhorse, and they said they would send him information for the repair in an email.  The boss is also the owner of the towing and repair company.  They then both left and told me they would return when they had the information from Workhorse.

I just got a call a few minutes ago, and he said he would be back out early tomorrow morning to work on the rig.   He really doesn’t want to try towing the rig out if he doesn’t have to.  I agree with that, as I can’t imagine how they would get it out of here without me being able to back it up. 

So, what am I doing tonight?  Well, I called Jim and Linda to tell them I wouldn’t be arriving today, and I cancelled my reservations at Rend Lake COE campground for the next six days.  Bummer!   I put down the levelers, put out the slides, and unpacked one chair so I could sit outside this evening.  I suppose if you’re going to have a brake failure, the best place to have it is in an already paid for campground rather than on the road!  Revolting development?  Yes.  Life changing experience?  No.  Just another day in the life…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

The AJ-Belt and Buckle Wildlife Refuge

About the only thing I collect in this fulltime lifestyle is tee shirts from places I’ve visited or volunteered.  That habit is how I ended up with my memory quilt.  Several weeks ago, I mentioned to Robyn that this is the first time I’ve stayed in a place so long, and never bought a tee shirt.  I had thought about buying one at Brookfield Zoo the second time we were there, but just couldn’t talk myself into doing that.  I know zoos serve their purpose for educating young ones and providing research, but I just feel sorry for the caged animals.  If it weren’t for the grandgirls, I never would have gone there.

Since I’m pulling out tomorrow, I made a final trip for this summer to visit Robyn and her family.  She was making NY BBQ chicken, and I couldn’t pass that up.  None of that red BBQ sauce for me; I love the NY style.

I was in for a surprise when I got there.

Robyn, Avery (AJ), and Phoebe (Buckle), had made a tee shirt for me (Belt) to remember the summer.

It aptly had the name of the AJ-Belt and Buckle Wildlife Refuge.  What a hoot!  Front and back of the tee shirt depicted the stages of a monarch butterfly that I had introduced the grandgirls to.  But, it was more than that.

Each butterfly was made with the hand prints of the grandgirls…Avery on top, and Phoebe the bottom wings.

AJ’s foot made the chrysalis, and Buckle’s foot made the newly emerged butterfly.  I can just imagine the chaos there was with the girls having that paint all over their hands and feet! 

The caterpillars going into the J formation before changing to a chrysalis were made with the side of their little clenched hands.  I don’t know how Robyn ever came up with this idea.  She is one special, talented, daughter!  What a keepsake I have from this summer.  It’s my favorite tee shirt ever, and I will wear it proudly.

The girls even had two gifts for ‘Emma the Gog.’  Two toys for her to play with: a skunk and a fox, those dog toys with no stuffing.  Emma loves them, and pranced around giving them each a good shake.  The girls have grown to love Emma, and Emma has learned to be less rambunctious with the little ones.  Overall, it’s been a marvelous summer.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

We Will Never Forget

About two weeks ago, I was drawn to a display that was being erected in a Schererville, IN, restaurant parking lot.  It seemed appropriate to me to save these photos until tonight to share them with you.  Both Robyn and I found it a moving experience, and both silently observed with lumps in our throats.

Each year, the Graf family has added to this display.  They put it up in their home’s yard for many years, but it was causing traffic jams on their neighborhood streets as so many came to drive past and view it.  For this year’s tenth anniversary, it was moved to the parking lot.  There will be a memorial service there tomorrow night.

As I drove past this parking lot yesterday on my way home, all the final set-up had been done including the 3000 US American flags.

                                                             I, for one, Will Never Forget.

                                      I personally thanked Eric and his two sons for their devotion.