Motorhome Rally Post-Rally Chatter

[1985air345]

WE HAD A BLAST! SEVEN Classic Motorhomes!

I started a thread in the Rally Zone section and posted the first of many pictures. We had a GREAT time. It was a really neat group of people that bonded quickly and got along well. Great pop-luck. Coach tours, etc......

The motorhome forum has been pretty quiet while we were all gone but it will pick up shortly as everyone returns!!!!!!!

[bshaw]

WELCOME BACK , MYSTIC SEVEN

[Edie]

We just got home at midnight! Have I got a story to tell about our trip home, and how a normally 8 hour trip turned into a 14 hour comedy of errors. It must have something to do with the difference between Airstream drivers and Argosy drivers. Gotta get some sleep so I can post tomorrow.

What an AWESOME group of people!!

[Edie]

I think this is all anyone saw of Peter all weekend.

[Edie]

Let me start by saying we ended our trip with huge smiles. All the journey troubles were made worthwhile by the destination at Mystic Springs and the people we met there. Here goes the tale of our travels.

On the way to the Mystic Springs Rally...

Within 5 miles of leaving our house the MH started overheating. We were able to get to our mechanic, and he installed a new thermostat. The MH continued to have intermittent but less frequent engine temperature problems.

Even though it had been working fine, the dash A/C was barely working. So we turned it off and used the roof air.

The refrigerator wouldn’t work on LP. We stopped on the way and purchased a new thermocouple, but it didn't fix the problem.

On the way home...

We couldn’t get the range vent to close right when we were getting ready to leave. After some work it seemed to close fine.

A big windstorm moved in Monday morning - we had to drive under a "High Profile Vehicle" advisory. High winds ripped the improperly closed vent shield off the MH as we left the rally site. The part is no longer available through Airstream - any rain we get before we can locate a replacement will go directly to the kitchen counter.

The generator wouldn't run right. We stopped near the rally site and purchased a new fuel filter. Neither a new fuel filter nor choke adjustment fixed the problem. We couldn't run the roof A/C without the generator, and the dash A/C still isn’t working. The refrigerator still won’t run on LP, and now we have no electricity either.

Once we were on the interstate, high winds blew us into two traffic control barrels in a construction zone. The barrels ripped the rear awning arm off the side of the MH - the arm extension was lost; one of the bolts was sheared off of the top bracket; the end of the awning roller was bent. Brett had to rip the awning arm the rest of the way off the coach and try to secure the end of the awning roller. (Now we know what caused the dents, s****es & other damage that was in that area when we purchased the RV.)

The MH started overheating again in Tallahassee. We were able to get it off the interstate and to a mechanic’s shop in Big Bend just after 6 p.m. The local parts store had closed at 6:00, so they would need to drive into Tallahassee for parts. The mechanic looked at the fan clutch and said it was a bigger job than he wanted, so he wouldn’t replace it for us. We asked them to get a cooling fan from the parts store, so that we could at least get more air moving over the radiator. They agreed, but didn’t have enough cash for the part. We gave them cash and sent them on their way. They came back an hour or so later with the part. They marked the part up by $30, added a $25 fee to get the part, sold us a few feet of wire for the cost of an entire spool, and watched as we installed the part ourselves with our own tools. About $150 later we were back on the road around 8:30 p.m.

This was our first trip in this MH. I bet we'll never forget it.

[PeterH-79MH]

Wow, Edie, quiet an adventure you guys had.
Remember us saying we had to leave very early Monday am, because this mean, nasty storm coming.
We drove right through it, head on, 35 mph, visibility zilch, leading a long line of cars behind us. We passed many cars in the ditch, headlights still on. I called it the baptism of our MH. Once we got passed the storm, their were more cars wrecked all over the place.
Didn't see a single Airstream MH on the road.

[1985air345]

Well that explains the cones that I had to dodge and the ones smashed to pieces!!!!!

Those construction zones were VERY tight and in the high winds I had a heck of a time keeping it between the grass and the cones.

I wish I had given you my mobile # and my home # in Tallahassee. We could have made your problems less painful. There are NO good RV repair places in Tallahassee. It's a great place to live as long as your RV doesn't brake down!

[Airstream402001]

What a great weekend ! It was a great pleasure for me to meet such nice people. It was also great fun to see and tour the units.
Even though I received a poor evaluation on my rivet skills from Peter, I had a lot of fun.
I also encountered problems on the way back to Hoosierland.
The motorhome was having difficulty making it up those hills in AL. After checking with with my emergency road service provider, Iwent to the Chevy dealer in Montgomery. After 4 hours and new spark plugs, new wires, 3 new fuel filters, and a repair bill for $425.00 I was on my way.
I look forward to seeing all of the gang again.

Cliff in Indiana

[CatStream]

I have the second load of laundry going and most of the things brought in from the
Airstream so it 's about time to take break and say Hi, Welcome Home everyone!
Glad you made it, one way or another.
We had such a great time at the Rally! Thanks to all of you!
Yes,the ride home was intense.
That was some storm that blew across the country. We were pretty far down the road
before we drove into rain on I-10. I got up from my nap and road shot gun through the
ever growing swamplands of Louisiana. The Airstream road like a dream. There were banged up cars in the ditches and deep water everywhere. We lead a parade through the worst of it and only had to blast one guy with the Dixie air horns when he must have dropped his beer due to the lightning and swerved across both lanes, settling in the middle of both, till Gabrielle blew his horn that is We were on that part of I-10 that's just a bridge over 20 miles of bayou and you can see gators swimming! I kept asking if we were in the storm yet! I mean it was raining and all but we were just hugging the road pushing through about 45 mph. With the windshield wipers each keeping a different beat.
It was clearing up when we drove into Texas around 4pm
At Beaumont we left the the interstate and went up to Village Creek State Park. We took a walk, watched the wildlife, had a huge shrimp cocktail salad for dinner using up the rest of the leftover shrimp.(mmmm that was a great dinner Saturday night wasn't it)
Today we drove "back roads" to Austin
and arrived this afternoon. I kissed the Airstream and said thank you! Job well done!
I didn't know how luckey we were till I read all the posts. Wow I'm glad you're all home safe and sound, well as sound as ya'all were when you last I saw you ..back to work in the a.m., think we can drive the Airstream to work tomorrow Peter?
....more about the Rally later,Mystic Springs Camp is awesome it was great to fell like we were so welcome there and to see so many Motor homes was wonderful.It's the most I've ever seen!
now let's see who trades who's for whom's ...

[PeterH-79MH]

Cliff,
Did you get a little Airstream logo on those wires and fuel filters for the $425.-?
That very same amount of money could have bought you a Jacobs RV Pak. No moisture problems, just power.
Glad you made it back home ok!!
http://www.jacobselectronics.com/pro...rgypaks/rv.htm

[Airstream402001]

Hello Peter
I didn't get the Airstream logo on the plugs. Too expensive and you can't see them any way. However, the next time you get a chance to look under the coach, you will notice the Airstream wires and filters.
With the new parts, I had trouble keeping the speed under 80 mph on the way home.
I have begun to work on my technique with the rivets and the polishing of same.
Next time, I am expecting a better evaluation of my work.
Man, wasn't that a great weekend ?

Cliff in Indiana

[PeterH-79MH]

Yes, Cliff, that is what you call quality time and its a bit hard to concentrate on the task at hand.
Have you read the great rally debriefing stories in the rally zone? People are talking bad about you over there and I think you need to jump in, since you were the first horse on the track.

[Edie]

I thought I remembered someone taking a group photo at the potluck dinner. I would like to see it posted in the photo gallery, if possible.