GETTING COLD IN NORTHERN INDIANA

The Elkhart Indiana Fairgrounds in Goshen, Indiana is an extensive place.  It reminds us of the Fryeburg, Maine Fairgrounds in size, if not set up.   We are here at this Fairgrounds because they have an extensive operation for campers.....in season, rallies are held here in addition to 4-H and other Fair activities.   And they keep one section of the camping area open year round.....and that is where we are....enjoying full hookups for water, sewer and 50amp electric.   The 50amp is very important to us since we are an all electric coach.....no propane to backup systems.   We actually prefer the all electric coach arrangement.....which also makes our motorhome a "natural candidate" for a solar system.

We have used our time here this weekend rather wisely to do a lot of "picking up and putting away" things that had been just lying about.   We now are debating whether to spend another night here or move later this afternoon to the Solar Systems parking lot and dry camp for the night as they want our coach there for 6am tomorrow-ugh!!   We may decide to stay here and enjoy the full hookups for another night.....and get up very early to make the 30 minute drive over to Solar Systems.  

It has turned cold here these past couple days so we have been using our heat pumps to stay warm.  That said, once our temps went lower and into the 30's we turned off the heat pumps and put on our Aqua Hot instant hot water heating system.  It runs off diesel fuel.   The next two nights are going even colder into the 20's so the Aqua Hot is even more important.   Yesterday we discovered zone2 of our heating system was blowing cool air....not good.   No heat in the bedroom and bath areas.   So I got out the Aqua Hot IB's   (instruction books) and downloaded a system schematic and checked for advice on some RV Forums.   Armed with this information I took the cover off the system (it is located in an outside basement bay) and tapped the check valves for zone 2.  I also noted the blower motor spinning wheel was impeded by a wire harness so I moved that aside.  Wala....Pam hollered out to me that the bedroom heat had come back on.  Yay!!   We now have a better understanding of how our Aqua Hot system works....and, fingers crossed, we will not have any further issues while we remain here in Northern Indiana!

This whole area of Northern Indiana is flush with Amish folk.   We think it is safe to say this area puts more well known Amish areas such as Lancaster, PA "to shame" in terms of numbers.   Every day we are out we see Amish buggies plying up and down the roads, as well as many Amish riding bicycles not just to school but also to work.   Many Amish work as craftsmen at woodworking and cabinet shops.....their work is exemplary.   We are fortunate to have had the cabinet work in our Travel Supreme done by the Amish.   The quality is self evident.   Many other businesses are run by the Amish as well.....including Solar Energy Systems in Nappanee, where our panels will be installed.

 Here is a buggy that brought three Amish ladies to the local grocery store.

 

Here is our favorite!!! 

 

Stay tuned for our next blog.....showing Ali on the beach at Lake Michigan AND some of the upgrades we have had done to our motorhome..........later.

STILL IN MICHIANA

Yup.....that's what they locally call Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan.....Michiana.   Any way, we are still here!!   Northern Indiana is the RV Capital of the World and the place to be if you want to get certain jobs completed on your RV.   Well, our Motorhome has been the beneficiary of quite a lot of such specialized attention these past 10 days....and there is more to come.

Following the installation of X braces to stiffen up our Spartan K2 chassis, Precision Paint of Bremen, Indiana has removed our four old CRT TV's.   Only three of them are being replaced as the location of the 4th TV is being turned into ( much needed) storage space in the living area.   The other 3 TV's have been replaced with LED units, two with blu ray DVD players.   To boost up the movie watching experience we also installed an LG sound bar with a wireless subwoofer for the main living area TV.  Can't wait to watch Star Trek and Avatar now!!   Today we should have our cabinetry work completed so we can say "adios" to the great people at Precision Paint.....until next time.  

Our next big news is on Monday here in Nappanee, Indiana we are having a solar system installed in the motorhome.   While having the work done at Precision Paint we came across a small, Amish owned company named Solar Energy Systems.   It seems that in addition to installing systems for farms, businesses and homes in the area SES has also installed some dozen systems for RV's.  Ours will be next.   Here is a look at a smaller coach with panels installed on its roof......

 

 

Our install will involve 8 (possibly 9) of these 130 watt solar panels on our (much larger) roof.  Because of our three heat pumps and satellite dish and a few fan vents on the roof, the panels will be staggered to fit in available space.   Six will populate the very rear of the coach roof with the remaining being placed "where there is room".   Each panel measures 26 inches wide by 50 inches long.  They  will be wired in Series with the wires running down inside the rear of the motorhome to an internally mounted charge controller that will monitor and control the amount of charge to our 8 AGM house batteries.

 



   Lastly, a monitoring panel will be installed next to our inverter panels so we can see how much energy from the sun is being used to charge the batteries and maintain that charge as we move down the road.   Aside from all the Green benefits of a solar system installation (including a current 30% tax credit from Uncle Sam), use of sun power will keep our batteries from discharging too much and too often, thus adding life to them.   Another benefit when we are not plugged in to "shore power" is that we will use our diesel driven generator far less often to keep our batteries in good charging health!!   SES will also replace 44 of our ceiling lights (yes, there are that many!!) with LED lighting, which is also far more energy efficient.   So early next week will be an exciting time.   We hope to be on the road South by Tuesday or Wednesday next week, weather permitting.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

OUR TRAVEL SUPREME IN A REST AREA IN OHIO
......AND YES, BEING PUSHED BY THE MINI COOPER!!!

 

After a wonderful, yet hectic, summer back home in Northern New Hampshire, we are back on the road this late October, 2013 with new adventures in our path.   Our route has taken us from home with a first stop in Bremen, Indiana, where the Precision Paint Company Chassis Shop....under the very capable management of Paul Conolly..... has installed X-bracing to make our chassis more rigid and subsequently more safe.   Something that should have been done by Travel Supreme Company when the coach was first produced.....but alas, was overlooked!   Paul and his crew are also outfitting us with some cabinet changes in the coach as well as installing three new LED HD TV's.....one in the living area, one in the bedroom and even one outside in a forward basement bay.   These are replacing the old CRT TV's that are currently there.   Next stop is a couple hours north to the Spartan Chassis company for some chassis work.....so when we leave this area of the Midwest and head south to Florida we will be up to date with maintenance and our desired changes.   So, stay tuned as next week some time we expect to be pulling into Okaloosa County Florida for a week's stay (and some much needed kayak respite) near the Fort Walton Beach area.

 

A hint or three about our upcoming journey.....it involves a stop at America's favorite theme park during the Christmas Season......and Christmas itself in the Keys and Everglades.....followed by a few weeks on Florida's Gulf Coast before heading to Cajun Country for a couple weeks and then on to Texas Hill Country.    All new blogs and photos will follow as we move along......we hope to blog twice a week during our journey......fingers crossed we can keep to that schedule.    So, sit back and get ready for another round of entertaining travel with the Traveling Tearoom!!!



Heading North from Georgia.....

This is the Morgan County Courthouse in Madison, Georgia.   Madison is a very pretty little town....some 6000 folks live here....with many gorgeous ante bellum homes.   Madison is one of the few towns that Sherman spared on his march to the sea in the civil war.   Stories abound about why he spared Madison, with the most popular being someone he knew from the town asked him to do so.  Madison is one of those "quintessential" small southern towns that exude hospitality.   Madison has a wonderful town square....and is a great walking town with many small shops to poke in and out of and enjoy.   Its town square offers a crowing touch to its serenity.   If you find yourself in central Georgia, do yourself a favor and spend a few hours or more in Madison.

Madison Georgia Post Office

The Chamber of Commerce building off the town square is another example of the town's architectural charm.

The Madison Tea Room offers nice luncheons as well as varying tea offerings. 

 

We left Madison (and the Country Boys RV Park) and pointed the Travel Supreme northwards driving through Athens, GA and on to Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina before turning north and west into North Carolina.  Spartanburg and the whole area of NW South Carolina look promising for a future visit with its many mountains and lakes.   And we hear that Spartanburg (where both BMW and Michelin have major operations and offer tours) is a city with a small town feel.  Worth checking out we think.  

 

Heading up I77 into North Carolina we saw the sign for Mt Airy.....how many of you remember the Andy Griffith show and the fictional town of Mayberry???.....well, turns out Mayberry is Mt Airy (or vice versa).  It was a Sunday morning (with most good, southern folks in church) so the roads were quite free of traffic, and we drove the coach through town, spotting a few indications of Aunt Bee, Opie, and, of course, Barney Fife!! 

 

 

It's really Mayberry, y'all.



                                                                                                                                                                        

Barney's Café....>>

 

Andy and Barney.....those were the days!!!

 

After our drive through "Mayberry" we drove (through the pouring rain) to Harrisonburg, Virginia...a favorite town along the I81 corridor.   We took lunch at the Earth and Tea Café, visited Ten Thousand Villages and the Shenandoah Farm and Craft Market.  

 

With the Mason - Dixon line in our sites we headed further North, spending a night "dry camping" in a Walmart parking lot in Newburgh, NY.   From Newburgh we drove to Burlington, Vermont where we spent two wonderful days with good friends Larry and Lainie at their home.   They even provided a place for us to park the Travel Supreme for a couple of nights.     We will see more of Larry and Lainie this summer.....visiting back and forth since we are less than 3 hours apart....or maybe meeting at King "Artie's" for lunch!!

 

From Burlington we headed for a stop at King Arthur Flour and then home to Littleton, where we have been for nearly a week.   So, here we are....back home 137 days after we left on Boxing Day, last December.  Our next (and final for this trip) blog will be one of trip impressions....so stay tuned.  (We are already planning our next excursion!!!!)

20 QUESTIONS.....AND HOW TO 'TRAVEL SUPREMELY'

What has 500 horse power and a 6 speed Allison transmission?

Ok, it also has 1500 foot pounds of torque, making it something of a "hill flattener".....?

Ok, it has 8 very large wheels.....still guessing?

Another hint:  it has "all the comforts of home".   Give up???

 The answer is the 2003 Travel Supreme Select Motor Coach shown here.   It is our new "condo" on wheels.   Yup.....somewhere along our 4+ month trip we decided to put the Damon Tuscany up for sale (it sits on a consignment sales lot in Texas awaiting its new owner) and get a coach that we think is more suitable for our long distance travels.   And this is it.  

Like the Damon, this too has four slide outs.   Unlike the Damon, it has a full desk, a residential refrigerator, an electric fireplace / heater, two bathroom vanities, a walk in (cedar lined) closet and a washer dryer.   With the added horsepower we should be able to get over the mountains much more effectively despite this coach's additional 6 tons of weight....and our pre-emissions control Cummins diesel engine should do so without sacrificing any mpg's!!!   

The Travel Supreme Company started a few decades ago manufacturing trailers and 5th wheel RV's when in 1996 they decided to also manufacture upscale motor coaches.  For the 11 years they continued to offer their 40 and 45 foot motor coaches (ours is 45 feet) they built high levels of quality into their products.....maple glazed cabinetry manufactured by Amish craftsmen in the Midwest; granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom as well as the dining table top and desktop; marble tile flooring in the living and bath areas; and other amenities typically only found in "high end" RV's.  

 

Here is a photo of the interior....from the brochure....ours has a fireplace in the cabinet below the TV.

   For those folks who know their motor coaches, oftentimes it makes sense to "trade down" in years  but up in quality.   You get all these wonderful amenities built on a high performance chassis and with a diesel engine that will give you a half million dependable miles or more if you take care of it.

So there you have it.....crazy us, we started the trip in a very nice mid quality 40 foot motorhome and we head for home in a higher end, older 45 foot "land yacht" of sorts.   Since we plan to spend at least 6 months a year in our house on wheels, we wanted what we wanted....and with this change we got most of what was on our list.   We bought the Travel Supreme from Dan and Claudia McCaffery of Hutchinson Island and Vero Beach, FL.   Dan and Claudia had ordered the coach from Travel Supreme in late 2002.  For the next 10 years they enjoyed seeing the country and took very good care of the coach in the process.   As a result, we "inherited" a very well maintained pre-owned motor coach.....one that we should enjoy for quite some time.   Now you know the reason why we changed the trip itinerary after we said goodbye to Amy and John and Alison in Arizona....and headed for Florida.

We are now in Georgia, seeing a bit of the antebellum homes spared by General Sherman in his March across Georgia.  Stay tuned for more as we continue to head North.....with NH in our sights.

 

Good Bye to Texas

We enjoyed our time in Texas.....San Antonio, Fredericksburg, the Hill Country, Marfa and Marathon and yes, even our time in Alvarado and New Braunfels (the latter loading a budget rental truck in the rain!!) are all fond memories.   We enjoyed Texas to the point where we plan to come back next winter season for at least a month.   Here are some parting photos as we headed out of the State and toward Florida two weeks ago......                              
 The Burnt Biscuit bakery in Marathon, TX shall remain a favorite.....mostly for its fried pies!   If you haven't had a fried pie, put it on your bucket list.

US Route 90 heading East toward Lantry and Del Rio.

Very often along the open prairie the winds are blowing a good amount.  We had gusts that at times would threaten to move the motorhome to the other lane.  Here is a photo of some prairie dust that got caught up in the circular motion of the wind.

Not much traffic on US 90 (which is way south and along the border with Mexico) so Pam took a turn at the wheel.   She drove for about 100 miles....her first time driving the 60+ foot chain of motorhome and tow car.

The US Border Patrol puts up check stations along many of the border roads.  When you get to the front of the line they ask a series of questions.  I guess they are checking out your demeanor as well as seeing how you answer to determine if they should pull you out of line and investigate you further.  We encountered about three of these on our trek across the State.

Barrel and Prickly Pear Cacti in full Spring Bloom.....a springtime rite in the desert. 

ALL THE WAY TO FLORIDA......

We have been in Florida for nearly two weeks.   We "booked" from TX to see friends in Vero Beach....Dan and Claudia McCaffery are great folks.....we enjoyed our couple of days with them.  We then headed over to Tampa....well, nearby in Seffner....where we set up camp at the Lazy Days complex.   And what a complex it is.....the campground has a few hundred sites, the Lazy Days dealership and store are phenomenal....there is also a Camping World on site as well as a Cracker Barrel and a Flying J complex.   If you are booked into the campground, all the courses of study are free.  I took a class in tire safety....and just missed the one for electrical systems (with an all electric coach that would have been a very good one to attend.....maybe next time).   Pam had a conflict that precluded attending the convection microwave class....and we both took the driver confidence class with Bob Bergeron (a New Hampshirite!!).   Bob taught a two hour morning class on motorhome driving tips and safety procedures....very interesting...and then we went out with him and drove a 40 foot motorhome around a prescribed course.  Not so bad for me to do as I have 25,000 miles of RV driving under my belt....when it was Pam's turn she looked at me and said "sit here and don't say a word".....ha ha.  I did as I was "requested" and she took the wheel and did quite a nice job of driving the one mile course.   As a result we both received driving certificates....yay!!

Oh, Bob Bergeron (cousins with Tom Bergeron of DWTS)...told us how important communication can be on an RV trip.  One couple in his class some time back had an interesting situation develop....the woman said she was going to lie down while the husband stopped to fuel the bus....he topped off the tanks and quietly re-entered the motorhome.   He then drove 150 miles when he was pulled over by a State Trooper who asked him if he was missing anything....turns out his wife had decided against the nap and got off the motorhome while he was fueling.....not telling him of her change of heart.   So she was left at the truck stop while her husband drove three hours further without her.   Communication!!!

While in Tampa we discovered good friends from home (NH) Lee and Dr Robin, were on Siesta Key just outside Sarasota.   So we drove down and had lunch and a visit with them at their rental condo.   We will see more of them when we are all back in NH later this month.....especially since we are planning to park the MH right next door to them in Twin Mtn.  

Here Lee and I sit in the rustic rockers outside Der Dutchman restaurant, waiting for the ladies to finish their shopping inside.   A great all you can eat buffet lunch, by the way....and both Lee and I got our money's worth!!

This photo Pam took with her kindle and the newly acquired photo app she downloaded for it.  In the photo we are driving from Mt Dora....a wonderfully picturesque 'artsy' / 'cutesy' town in the Florida Lakes district north of Orlando.....and driving to Madison, GA to visit some of the Antebellum homes spared by General Sherman on his March to the Sea in the Civil War.    Stay tuned for more from Madison and then Harrisonburg, VA before heading to Burlington to visit good friends Larry and Lainie before heading home to Littleton.

(Sorry for the lapse between blogs but we have been EXTREMELY busy with stuff these past two plus weeks.....more on that later too).