We are doing things around the house and a couple of projects on the motorhome to make it more user friendly for our needs. Janet recovered a foot stool that will double as an end table and a storage piece. We plan on using it in between the driver and passenger seats when traveling to hold things while going down the road but it can also be used to store things in and when the top is turned over it becomes a foot stool. She did a great job sewing the heavy upholstery fabric and the color matches the interior perfectly. I made a sliding drawer that went under the kitchen sink so you don't have to get down on the floor to get to things in the back of the cabinet. Now you just pull out the drawer and everything under the sink is easily accessible.
Just after the 4th of July we are taking off to head out west. We aren't sure how long we will be gone and have no set itinerary. I imagine we will be gone four to six weeks or so. We debated on planning out the trip or to just winging it. We decided to just take off and wing it. I would like to stay for a week or so at various locations and then do day trips from there. I want to see some of the National Parks and the popular sites but also would enjoy seeing the little western towns and the not so popular parts of the country. I enjoy the not so popular places probably just as much or more as the popular ones however, I am looking forward to seeing the Grand Canyon from various locations. Finding rv parks to stay at especially around the main attractions could be a problem since we have no reservations but we will see how it goes. If we happen to miss a lot of things that's ok since that will give us a good reason to do it again next year.
If anyone has any particular locations they think we should visit just send us a personal email at jdjlmiller1971@gmail.com and we will try to check them out. Thanks.
A journal written about life, retirement and our journey throughout the United States in a 5th wheel, along with our two Shih Tzus, Tanner and Syndey. Written not for notoriety but for our sons, family and friends, so they know where we are at any given time. And particularly for ourselves. Finally, we get to slow down and smell the roses and we don't want to forget any of it. You are welcome to join us as we go 'Down the Road a Piece'.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Back Home Again in Indiana
Last night we stayed in Chillicothe, Ohio where we met up with Janet's aunt Marilyn and cousin Steve. We did a little bar hopping on a Sunday evening in order to get something to eat and drink. We weren't planning on stopping in Chillicothe when we started out in the morning but it just kind of worked out that way. We are very glad we stopped there since we had such a nice time spending the evening with Marilyn and Steve.
As far as travel went we left Mount Airy, NC in the morning and drove through mountains pretty much most of the day. I learned that the motorhome likes to go up the mountains in fourth gear at 2100 rpm doing around 50 mph. The more I drive the motorhome the better I like it and the more comfortable I am with it. We had to do another small gas station but had no issues getting in or out. The only problem was the pump was very slow. I adjusted the mirrors and washed the front windshield before it pumped 50 gallons.
We got home at about 3:00 pm on Monday where we unhooked the car and backed the motorhome in the driveway where it got washed before we took it over to the storage unit where it will sit until we take off for our trip out west at the end of June or first part of July.
As far as travel went we left Mount Airy, NC in the morning and drove through mountains pretty much most of the day. I learned that the motorhome likes to go up the mountains in fourth gear at 2100 rpm doing around 50 mph. The more I drive the motorhome the better I like it and the more comfortable I am with it. We had to do another small gas station but had no issues getting in or out. The only problem was the pump was very slow. I adjusted the mirrors and washed the front windshield before it pumped 50 gallons.
We got home at about 3:00 pm on Monday where we unhooked the car and backed the motorhome in the driveway where it got washed before we took it over to the storage unit where it will sit until we take off for our trip out west at the end of June or first part of July.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Mount Airy, North Carolina
We got to Mt Airy, North Carolina early on Friday evening. Mount Airy is the childhood home of Andy Griffith, the long time tv actor and star of many tv shows. We heard about Mount Airy from others we have met in our travels who said this place was very quaint and a very nice place to visit. Mt Airy is located in the Blue Ridge mountains which are very beautiful and visible from our rv site. The town is kind of like where you would think the Andy Griffith show would have taken place and they have done their best to leave you with that impression. Every where you look in town you see the word Mayberry. As we all know that was the name of the TV town where Andy Griffith lived. In addition to this being Andy's home there are other things going on around the town that attract visitors to the area. For example, a fiddlers convention, which started in 1972, was being held at the Veterans Memorial Park this weekend. If you are into Blue Grass music you would have been in heaven in this town this weekend. Janet and I spent a few hours hanging around many of the musicians and were amazed at the talent that was on display. People from all over the country came to this little town with many camping out in the park just so they could play the music they love with others who share their passion. There were cash prizes awarded for a number of different categories but the amount of money was not enough to in cent anyone to come to this event. We really enjoyed watching six or eight musicians sit around in a circle with only one person knowing the song and the others picking it up as they played by watching the one person who knew the song. To two non musicians this was just incredible for us to watch. The people could not have been nicer especially since it had been raining for the last few days and the park grounds were wet and muddy in many areas.
Mt Airy is also surrounded by many vineyards. Driving out of town in just about any direction you run into a vineyard and winery. Later in the day today Janet and I went to Pilot Mountain which is about 10 miles away and I believe one of the highest peaks in the area. The view from the top of the mountain was outstanding. One thing we didn't do this trip that we will save for another time is to visit Monroeville, North Carolina which is about 60 miles south of Mt Airy on hwy 77. Monroeville is between Mt Airy and Charlotte and is the home of Dale Earnhart Jr and several other NASCAR teams. I would have liked to have stopped on our way to Mt Airy but we were dealing with a low fuel situation so we passed Monroeville on this trip.
In addition, Mt Airy is also known for having the world's first set of Siamese twins being residents. Their names were Eng and Chang Bunker. These two male Siamese twins married sisters and fathered 21 kids between them. Today they would have more than likely been separated since they were only connected by a four by three inch area on their chest. These twins were born in Siam and were sold to a British merchant who brought them to America as a circus freak show back in the 1800's. They gained their independence from the merchant when they turned 21 and went out on their own and became financially wealthy independent of one another. There lives were extremely interesting, including their deaths and really is worth a Google and a read.
Below are a few pictures we took of the area.
The rv park was on a slope that was terraced with about five different levels for rvs.
Here is our motorhome and car. No issues other than the low fuel light came on during our trip to Mount Airy. The gas gauge said we had over an eighth of a tank left but the low fuel warning light was flashing so we made a pit stop at a gas station not made for motorhomes on a very busy street. I ended up taking up about four pumps and had to enter the debit card four times before filling up since the station had a dollar limit on the pumps. After filling up I discovered what I thought and that was we had 16 gallons of diesel remaining and we could have waited for an easier access station but oh well it's good practice. The next time the warning light comes on I will know. With this motorhome you are suppose to be able to drive it with as little as two gallons of fuel on a level surface not that I want to see if this is true.
Andy Griffith and Opie played by Ron Howard
Anyone in the market for a new violin/fiddle?
This is what Janet and I had for lunch at the Snappy Diner. The next picture describes what it is.
We waited in line about 20 minutes and when we left there was a longer line than the one we waited in. It is a no frills kind of place with a lunch menu with about 10 items. If you don't like the pork chop sandwich there is always the fried bologna sandwich.
At Memorial Park there were people playing on the stage the entire day but the more interesting music was heard up close and personal at the camp site of the musicians. That is where we spent most of our time.
The musicians in these next two pictures were fantastic and Janet and I being two non musical instrument players could figure that out but it was confirmed to us by several accomplished musicians. The crowd continued to grow while we were there even though other people were playing on the stage not too far away.
Our destination after leaving the music festival and picking up the dogs at the rv was Pilot Mountain which is about 10 miles or so south of Mt Airy. After a short drive and a hike we were there.
Mt Airy is also surrounded by many vineyards. Driving out of town in just about any direction you run into a vineyard and winery. Later in the day today Janet and I went to Pilot Mountain which is about 10 miles away and I believe one of the highest peaks in the area. The view from the top of the mountain was outstanding. One thing we didn't do this trip that we will save for another time is to visit Monroeville, North Carolina which is about 60 miles south of Mt Airy on hwy 77. Monroeville is between Mt Airy and Charlotte and is the home of Dale Earnhart Jr and several other NASCAR teams. I would have liked to have stopped on our way to Mt Airy but we were dealing with a low fuel situation so we passed Monroeville on this trip.
In addition, Mt Airy is also known for having the world's first set of Siamese twins being residents. Their names were Eng and Chang Bunker. These two male Siamese twins married sisters and fathered 21 kids between them. Today they would have more than likely been separated since they were only connected by a four by three inch area on their chest. These twins were born in Siam and were sold to a British merchant who brought them to America as a circus freak show back in the 1800's. They gained their independence from the merchant when they turned 21 and went out on their own and became financially wealthy independent of one another. There lives were extremely interesting, including their deaths and really is worth a Google and a read.
Below are a few pictures we took of the area.
The rv park was on a slope that was terraced with about five different levels for rvs.
Here is our motorhome and car. No issues other than the low fuel light came on during our trip to Mount Airy. The gas gauge said we had over an eighth of a tank left but the low fuel warning light was flashing so we made a pit stop at a gas station not made for motorhomes on a very busy street. I ended up taking up about four pumps and had to enter the debit card four times before filling up since the station had a dollar limit on the pumps. After filling up I discovered what I thought and that was we had 16 gallons of diesel remaining and we could have waited for an easier access station but oh well it's good practice. The next time the warning light comes on I will know. With this motorhome you are suppose to be able to drive it with as little as two gallons of fuel on a level surface not that I want to see if this is true.
Andy Griffith and Opie played by Ron Howard
Anyone in the market for a new violin/fiddle?
This is what Janet and I had for lunch at the Snappy Diner. The next picture describes what it is.
We waited in line about 20 minutes and when we left there was a longer line than the one we waited in. It is a no frills kind of place with a lunch menu with about 10 items. If you don't like the pork chop sandwich there is always the fried bologna sandwich.
At Memorial Park there were people playing on the stage the entire day but the more interesting music was heard up close and personal at the camp site of the musicians. That is where we spent most of our time.
The musicians in these next two pictures were fantastic and Janet and I being two non musical instrument players could figure that out but it was confirmed to us by several accomplished musicians. The crowd continued to grow while we were there even though other people were playing on the stage not too far away.
Our destination after leaving the music festival and picking up the dogs at the rv was Pilot Mountain which is about 10 miles or so south of Mt Airy. After a short drive and a hike we were there.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden
Several years ago Janet and I saw a documentary on television about a man in South Carolina named Pearl Fryar. Many years ago Pearl started a garden of shrubs and flowers in his three acre back yard. He started trimming his shrubs into various shapes without any horticulture training at all. In fact, experts have told him he shouldn't be able to do what he has done with certain shrubs he has trimmed. Today Pearl gets visitors by the bus load from all across the country due to the documentary. He also gives speeches all over the country and has been on many tv shows explaining his gardening passion. He has won numerous awards and does a lot of good things to help many under privileged people in the area.
When Pearl moved to Bishopville, South Carolina from New York due to his job relocation he looked at houses in a neighborhood where people didn't want him to live there because they were afraid he wouldn't keep up his yard. Pearl ended up buying a house in another area of town in the middle of a corn field. Pearl then proceeded to put in a three acre garden that eventually was named the Garden of the Month by the Bishopville, NC Iris Garden Club. The first such award ever given to a black person. The plants he originally planted all came from a scrap pile at a local nursery. He is 73 years old today but appears to be very fit which he attributes to his gardening. We spoke to Pearl for quite a while and found him to be a genuinely nice guy and very interesting to talk to.
The town of Bishopville has used topiary in two city blocks downtown to try and revitalize the downtown area to attract more visitors. I think every person in South Carolina knows who Pearl Fryar is.
When Pearl moved to Bishopville, South Carolina from New York due to his job relocation he looked at houses in a neighborhood where people didn't want him to live there because they were afraid he wouldn't keep up his yard. Pearl ended up buying a house in another area of town in the middle of a corn field. Pearl then proceeded to put in a three acre garden that eventually was named the Garden of the Month by the Bishopville, NC Iris Garden Club. The first such award ever given to a black person. The plants he originally planted all came from a scrap pile at a local nursery. He is 73 years old today but appears to be very fit which he attributes to his gardening. We spoke to Pearl for quite a while and found him to be a genuinely nice guy and very interesting to talk to.
The town of Bishopville has used topiary in two city blocks downtown to try and revitalize the downtown area to attract more visitors. I think every person in South Carolina knows who Pearl Fryar is.
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| This sign is on the main highway leading to Pearl's house |
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Class is over and we are at Lugoff South Carolina
Well I finished my class yesterday at about 6:00 pm and was ready for some alcohol. The last two days pretty much sent me into information overload although I found the class to be very worth while and beneficial in many ways. I learned a lot about the maintenance of a diesel pusher motorhome including finding out I should have already had ours serviced since the maintenance clock starts when the motorhome is built and not when it is put into service. I also learned a lot about driving a motorhome and how I can improve my mileage to as high as 9.8 mpg by not cruising at 62 mph in 6th gear and by staying in fifth gear 250 rpms higher. I also learned that while I have a lot to learn I am ahead of some others who are driving motorhomes who were in my class. Two of these people thought you never used your engine brake while going down hill. I also found a great place to take our motorhome to have it serviced at the factory service center in Gaffney. I was able to buy filters at a reduced price so I now have all of the filters I need to change the fuel filter, the water/ fuel separator, the air filter, and the oil filter. Freightliner may offer another more advanced class in November or December that we may go to depending on our travel schedule. It would be good to do it in mid November on our way back to Florida. In any event we will be coming back to have all of the service done that I will not be doing myself.
We got up this morning and drove a couple hours or so to Lugoff, South Carolina. Tomorrow we are going to Pearl Fryar's house to check out his topiary garden. After that we will be heading north to North Carolina.
We got up this morning and drove a couple hours or so to Lugoff, South Carolina. Tomorrow we are going to Pearl Fryar's house to check out his topiary garden. After that we will be heading north to North Carolina.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Gaffney, South Carolina Home of the Freightliner Custom Chassis Plant
We picked the motorhome up at Newmar on Friday morning at around 9:30 am and took off for Berea, Kentucky. Other than having to drive through heavy rain for the entire trip it was pretty uneventful. After spending the night in a not so great but convenient rv park we left the next morning for Gaffney, SC. We arrived at the campground in Gaffney on Saturday evening at about 5:00 pm. On our drive from Berea, Kentucky to Gaffney we were on some fairly steep grades for extended periods of time so I really got to see how the motorhome would do in mountains. I remember one of the climbs and descents was a 7% grade for six miles. The motorhome did a great job going both up and down the mountains and I learned a lot about driving it on these kinds of roads. If you want the motorhome to maintain the speed set on the cruise control or close to this speed then it is better to take it out of economy mode. This lets the transmission down shift much sooner while climbing to maintain a higher speed. I also manually shifted the transmission on some of the climbs which allows you go up at a higher speed and stay in lower gears while manually watching the engine rpm and the transmission temperature. We were in the mountains while the outside temperature was 90 degrees and the transmission never exceeded 195 degrees. Keeping the transmission in lower gears longer actually keeps it running cooler. Coming down the mountains was very easy and rarely required me to even touch the brakes. Between the transmission and the two speed engine brake you could descend the mountains and not touch the brakes. In some instances I would have to touch the gas in order to keep the engine brake from slowing the motorhome down too much since whenever you press the accelerator the brake automatically turns off. In other instances I would just manually turn the engine brake off. Much easier and less stressful than hauling the 5th wheel and the motorcycle on the swivel wheeled trailer.
Today we drove out to the Freightliner location where the class will be held tomorrow and also stopped by to look at the factory to see where the chassis is manufactured. At the Freightliner plant in Gaffney they call it the Custom Chassis Plant where they make motorhome, delivery, shuttle bus and school bus chassis. We stopped at a parking area and I took some pictures of several motorhome chassis one of which I think is just like ours. Today we drove around town a little and stopped for lunch at a great place called Fatz that had fantastic food. Since we were in South Carolina I had sweet tea which is something I rarely ever drink but it was very good. The rv park we are staying in is very nice with a mini golf course, swimming pool and a fenced in dog play area. We learned that South Carolina grows more peaches than Georgia even though Georgia is known as the Peach State. This must be why they have huge water tower shaped and painted like a peach just outside Gaffney where we ate lunch. Below are some pictures of our trip the last day or so and some that we took today around Gaffney.
The next few pictures are of a chassis like the one we have. I would just like to be able to spend a couple of hours just looking this over and taking some up close pictures. Janet thinks I am anal and nuts. Probably true on both counts when it comes to this kind of stuff. I enjoy tinkering on things and could probably do most of the maintenance I want to do without going to the class but I think I will learn quite a bit that should help me going forward. I have already serviced the diesel generator on the motorhome and the Oasis hydronic heating system but won't need to do maintenance on the engine until we come back from going out west this summer.
Last week I finished waxing the motorhome which I started doing while we were in Florida. When we got back home I did everything I couldn't reach from the ground that I did in Florida. When I finished I used one entire large can of Meguires wax. I also cleaned the roof which I learned was a fiberglass roof. I originally had thought it was Newmar's version of a rubber roof. I don't remember seeing the fiberglass optional roof on the sticker and I am sure Kyle said it had a rubber roof. I will have to dig out the sticker and double check. This is a three thousand dollar option on this particular motorhome. I didn't go on the roof before because the ladder on motorhomes is not the greatest especially for people my size. In fact the ladder weight rating is not rated for someone my size. In my garage I have a ten foot step ladder that I kept close to the motorhome ladder when I first went up it. The motorhome ladder held me fine and seemed very sturdy even though it has a 225 lb weight rating.
