Farewell to Harrisburg and Hello to Crater Lake Oregon

Thursday - Friday:  September 27 -28, 2012 

We decided to stay at the River Bend campground until Thursday after the rally so we could get caught up on just minor stuff.  The campground lets you wash your rig so I took advantage and washed the RV and the truck.  I also installed the new bike rack and rearranged the “basement” of the RV.  I took the ladder and the extra sewer hose and put them in the bed of the truck.  It’s easier to get the ladder now and I’m not sure I will ever use the extra-long sewer hose again until we are back in Cindy and Rob’s driveway.   

On Thursday we left River Bend for an appointment at Guaranty RV in Junction City at 8:30 am.  Guaranty is only about 6 miles away on SR 99 in Junction City.  We were so impressed with Guaranty at the rally we decided to use them for work we needed to get done. 

A note about hitching wrong since we started.  This morning I got to try the correct method I learned about last week.  It worked perfectly the first time!  I have now hitched 3 times since and each time it hitched perfect the first time.  It took me 6 weeks and 3000 miles to learn that lesson.  There will no doubt be more!

We had them fix the 2 slide issues we were having.  Turned out that the kitchen slide’s wood trim was catching on the floor when sliding out as it was too long.  Guaranty trimmed the trim (under warranty) and it works fine now.  The other slide issue, the big living room slide was skipping when retracting.  That was due to it needing to be lubricated.  They lubed it with silicone spray on the underside of the slide and at the 2 rollers inside the RV under the rug.  This is maintenance and is not covered under warranty.  So now I know!

 

Our House in the shop.

We had a couple of modifications done as well.  We had roof vent covers put on our 2 vents and an external manual sewer pipe valve installed.  The vent covers will allow us to open the vents even in the rain and while it is traveling.  This helps to keep the rig cool when in travel mode also.  As for the sewer vavle addition, we have had leakage from the black tank valve since we purchased the rig.  The outcome of that is crap water would accumulate behind the sewer pipe cap if we were dry camping or left some water in the black tank when traveling, which I do to help keep it clean.  Then, when I would take the cap off I needed a bucket to catch about a gallon of crap water before I could put on the sewer hose.  I wear rubber gloves when I do this anyway, but still, yuck!  So now, with the additional valve, it will make no difference if the black tank or either of the other 2 grey tank valves leak, this external valve will allow me to take off the cap and put on the hose without getting crapped on!  This external valve is also close enough to the pipe opening that I can clean it out.

The added external sewer valve.

We also had the bathroom door fixed under warranty.  The door would pop open at the slightest movement in the rig.  We also had to bungee it closed when traveling.  They just shimmed the door out a bit and it is fine now.  It stayed closed all the way from Junction City to Crater Lake, 180 miles.

The work was not going to be completed in one day, so they pulled our rig just out of the service bay and hooked us up with 50 amp power and city water.  No sewer, but we could dump just across the street before we leave if needed, we didn't need to.  It was a little weird “camping’ in, for lack of a better description, a parking lot. 

Our camp ground for one night.

After we set up camp in the parking lot, we went to dinner at a local BBQ restaurant, the kind where you throw your peanut shells on the floor.  This seems to be common here in the West or it may just be the type of places we like to eat. 

BBQ Restaurant in Junction City 

Out front of the BBQ restaurant in Junction City.

I know they have these in the East but we had never had them.  These are deep fried dill pickles   Not bad, but I think they could be made better.

Just a note about eating out that we have learned.  We have only eaten out for any meal 5 times in 7 weeks and 2 of those were breakfasts while the rig is being worked on.  Our not wanting to eat out took us by surprise as we ate out a lot in our Sticks & Bricks life.  It just seems that our food is better and we don’t need more entertainment.  Our days are pretty full right now.

After dinner we went to have cocktails with our new RV-Dreams friends who were also getting work done with Guaranty RV.  They have been here for a few days now and are in the dealer’s campground across the street from where we are camped.  They are having a lot more work done than us so they are here longer.  Are new friends are Gina (a solo), DJ (also a solo), and Monty and Rose.  It was a great time telling stories around an LED light we used as a campfire.  DJ had the best and funniest story about losing her cat on the way here from Tennessee.  She spent ½ hour looking for her cat in the bushes at a gas station when the cat was hiding in the truck all along.

The next day, Friday, we went for breakfast as they wanted to start on the rig at 8 am.

The 6th Avenue Wine and Deli. Great breakfast, slow service.  Very eclectic!

They told us that they believed they would be done by noon and, if they are correct, we could still make the 3.5 hour trip to Crater Lake.  Great news, they finished by 10:30 so we bade our safe travel wishes to Gina, DJ and Rose who were there when we left.   We were then hitched up and moving by 11 am.

The trip here to Crater Lake was uneventful, just more very scenic beauty! 

We saw these all over since Wyoming.  This is the first we could catch and this big.

They are just dust/dirt funnels.  These are several hundred feet high.

We went by one real close some where and it pelted us with rocks and dirt.  They look like small tornadoes.

I was hoping the yellow sign was visible on the right.  It says Low Clearance 12 foot 10 inches.  Our rig is 12 foot 10 inches!!!!!!  The good news is that it is only that low on the side they are working on!!  Note that the shoulder is so much less on that side.  We waited 15 minutes in line here to enter this tunnel.  We went by a worker who was holding a clearance pole to see who could clear the tunnel.  When we went by she looked up and and made a jester like "seems good"!!!  Ahhhhh!!!

Just good looking stuff along the way.

The camp ground is probably the most rustic we have been in and its full 50 amp hook up.  There is no cell phone or over the air TV here.  We do have some WiFi, 2 hour per day each then you need to ask for more.  Not sure if that extra is free yet. K  The 2 hours of WiFi is per computer so 2 for each of us.  Also, we have a pep wave WiFi booster with and external antenna and its own address that the camp system thinks is a separate connection.  That gives us 2 more hours shared per day.  Just for fun, I’m going to change the address of the pep wave and see if we get another 2 hours. J  We don’t even need the extra time but I just want to “cheat” the system.  Once a kid always a kid.

Our Crater Lake Camp site.  We love it.

View out of our dining area window.  Just 2 months ago this was Cindy's backyard!

Before dinner we went for a walk around the camp ground.  We met 2 sisters that were camping in a class B that they rented from Guaranty RV in Harrisburg where were just came from.  What a small world!  We were shocked at the cost they paid to rent the unit, $900 for 4 days!  For those who don’t know, a class B is a manufactured conversion van.  It mostly has everything a class C has but way smaller.  One sister has a 36 foot class A and she is helping the other sister with camping for the first time before she decides what she wants and if she wants to do this.  We talked for a while and they came over and took a tour of our place.   We are the largest towable here and I think the largest RV also.  There are a couple of 35-36 foot class A’s here also.

We cooked stuffed peppers in the convection microwave oven.  We still are experimenting with this oven and do not have it down yet.  Patty’s peppers were very delicious but we couldn't get the peppers to soften.  This is mostly because I suggested that she not do her usual and precook the peppers. :-)

We watched some satellite TV and hit the hay early at 9 pm.  We didn't sleep as well last night in the RV parking lot as we normally do.

This is just way more fun that a couple should have!  We have a great life!

We are not sure about tomorrow.  We are staying here till Monday so we have a couple days to explore.  There are trails leading out of the camp that look like fun and there is a music festival just up the road within walking distance over the weekend.  Patty is now ready to bike again so we will take our bikes up to Crater Lake and ride there one of the 2 days we are here.

Stay tuned!