August 21 - 30: The Final Stretch
When I last posted, we were in South Dakota at the Famil-E-Fun RV park conveniently close to the interstate. On August 22, after an easy entrance to I-90 and an early start, we had another 300 mile day to Rochester, MN where the Mayo Clinic is located. The campground where we stayed, Autumn Woods, is where many families of patients at the Mayo Clinic stay. We saw the Mayo shuttle come and go multiple times. How fortunate are we that we were there for an overnight stop and not for a month's stay? After a great dinner of walleye at a restaurant just across from the hospital, we settled in for a nice evening in the Newell watching the Braves play.
From Autumn Woods, we continued on 90 east on the 23rd to Utica, IL and stayed at Hickory Hollow RV which was right off the interstate but tucked away with attractive high cut trees. There was no unhooking of the Jeep required at this location! The spots were SO SO long, and we were able to use our Passport America discount so it was a great place to stay. You didn't think this trip would be a breeze did you? I DID!! Here's where things begin to unravel a little....
When we arrive at Hickory Hollow, I decide that I'm finally capable to push the "extend" button on the slide in the back. So when it's time and Dad is watching, I push the button and NOTHING happens. Nothing. There was a small yet tense exchange as Dad walked over fully prepared to press the button and watch the slide extend. Well, it didn't work for him either. Whew...at least it didn't just stop working because I touched it!! So Dad begins to work on this problem and figures out that it is a relay that isn't working. We can work together to get the slides out. Not before, however, the front slide stops in half in, half out position.
Hickory Hollow was within riding distance of a Subway so we took our bikes over to buy dinner and some delicious cookies. On the way there, we rode around the parking lot of what looked to be a huge seed facility where there was also a very large in-ground scale that we were able to ride over. However, the scale didn't correctly weight us because we are minimal to what it usually weighs.
Dad added a relay to boost the voltage for the slides and they were working fine, so we thought all would be well when it was time to put them in the next morning. Sure enough, they both went in without a hitch and we were on our way. As Dad was scanning the instruments he saw a red warning light on the coach voltage. It was clear that the chassis batteries were not being charged any longer - the alternator had died. Now things started making more sense. It had always been a mystery ever since we had purchased the coach that the engine had to be running to move the slides in and out. The low voltage problem with the slide controller had been there all along; it was just hidden when the alternator boosted the voltage high enough. The coach needs good voltage from the chassis batteries to run, but we had a backup way (using the generator) to keep them charged so we were not too worried. We started up the generator, watched the voltage come right up and the green light glowed. Away we went.
So, to sum up, we traveled for 3 days to get across the Midwest and all of it was on I-90 until the last bit of the last day because we were staying as far away from Chicago as possible!! The I-90 corridor was fascinating in and of itself. There were hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines on both sides of the road, and there were SO many corn fields. However, there were very few healthy corn fields. Because of the lack of rain this summer, the corn just hasn't been growing and we will see a significant increase in prices next year. It appeared as though the corn wasn't even as tall as I am and was mostly yellow. It was a sad sight, and it's just too late in the year for rain to help. In fact, the majority of the places we visited over the summer had a fire ban because of the lack of rain.
On the 24th of August, we left Utica, IL and headed the 180 miles to Rochester, IN to visit our friends Mooch and Barb Lewis who we know from Venture Out in Key West. To add to the excitement of the alternator, before too long we noticed the generator was not running and we had not turned it off. We pulled off at a Love's gas station, and it restarted instantly and off we went again.
Because we did try to avoid Chicago, we had to take some questionable back roads through the corn fields. And, I actually mean THROUGH the corn fields. This was my fault. While trying to pay attention to GPS as well as the iPad, I saw a discrepancy and ultimately made the wrong decision to turn onto one lane paved roads through some corn fields. Fortunately, we did not meet a soul and those roads were actually far better maintained than the main road, but it was still so stressful to be out there and see corn every where your head turns.
The rest of the trip to Mooch and Barb's went well and we planned to stay in their driveway, which if Dad hadn't stayed there before, I just would have been freaking out when we arrived because I did not see ONE driveway that looked accommodating until we got to theirs, and it even looked questionable. They live on a small landlocked lake called Lake Manitou in a narrow, but long house on a small two lane road. Well, we arrived and unhooked and boy did we really make some people mad. Lots of honking at us, but what were we to do? We moved as quickly as possible and with one try, Dad was backed into their driveway.
Mooch runs a large family business in town, and we spent the next few days visiting there and seeing their brand new location in Rochester. But we stayed VERY busy! On Sunday, Mooch decided he wanted an iPad, so we drove about an hour to South Bend to the closest Apple Store and took care of that. I have a sorority sister, Leslie Browning, who lives there now so I surprised her by announcing I was in town and she dropped by the mall for a quick visit!! It was Bid Day back at the University of Tennessee, so it was awesome to see an Alpha Chi Omega to celebrate!
On Monday evening we had a real treat. We are all fans of two guys, Pete and Wayne, who perform four nights of the week at Sloppy Joe's in Key West . They put on a comedic show of sorts all in song, and really have a fantastic time doing it. For the past three years, they have added the Moose Club in Rochester onto their end of summer tour, and we were lucky enough to be there for that! It is definitely NOT for anyone under 18 at all and that's probably pushing it. Pete and Wayne have been at Sloppy Joe's for years and are definitely a staple of Key West. They "tour" for a few months in their "tour bus" which is a Dodge caravan. Ha! Ha!
Early the next morning, Dad planned a small trip to Kokomo, IN for five new tires for the Newell. Of course the sixth has been riding along on the top of the Jeep for the entire trip and thankfully never had to be used. Kokomo is about 45 minutes away so we did not hook up the Jeep. Keep in mind we are still without an alternator at this point! The drive went well until the construction barrels prevented us from turning onto the road to the tire place. Great! Dad quickly found an old gas station to pull into and called Indy Tire and with their help we finally made it! We pretty much bailed at that point for breakfast at Bob Evans while the new tires were installed. Not too long after we returned, the Newell was ready with new tires, and Dad took care of things inside at Indy Tire.
We stopped at a truck stop on the way back to dump the grey water tank and then had a safe and uneventful trip back to Rochester. Keep in mind, the alternator/generator issue is still going on...so....
Mooch and Barb had a friend Rick, who runs a small alternator repair business. He and his wife came to the house and took the alternator after Dad removed it from the coach.
Rick put the alternator repair at the top of his list and we quickly were advised it had burned up as severely as any alternator he had ever seen. His wife told us she thought it was so hot it could have caught something on fire - but it had not.
He had to order new parts and we decided to replace everything but the rotor so it would be as good as new. Dad drove to his house after work to get it and we still planned to leave the next day. Wednesday morning, August 29th, Dad was up before daylight using his headlamp to install the alternator. He was able to place it correctly without too much trouble. As soon as the neighbors were up, we started the coach and saw that the alternator was working just fine. Dad pointed the Newell south toward Tennessee. Little did we know we would not get out of Rochester that day....
I followed Dad in the Jeep when we left because there was no convenient place to hook up. About ten minutes into the trip, Dad pulls over in the Newell on Main Street in front of some houses, and my original thoughts were that he choose there to hook up. However, I knew better and immediately knew something was wrong when he didn't turn on the emergency flashers. So I turned the emergency lights on in the Jeep and hopped out. Fortunately, the lanes were wider and although people did have to go around us, we were not totally blocking traffic. Dad runs out of the Newell saying, "It stopped, it just stopped!!!" Oh, great. Definitely NOT going home today.
The initial suspect was the alternator since that had been the most recent problem. Dad immediately cut the wires to the alternator thinking that was what tripped the breaker causing the coach to stop. If we can get it started, we can get it back to Mooch and Barb's house. Well, cutting the wires to the alternator did nothing.
So, I actually assisted (weird, right?) in helping Dad find the tripped breaker that forced the Newell to stop. Dad flips it back and expects the Newell to start. Nope, nothing. By this time, Barb, who had been doing errands, saw us and stopped to check on us. What a surprise it was for her to find us on the side of the road! Dad decided at this point to use the override switch in the engine compartment to force the Newell on, and it works, but almost immediately smoke starts billowing out from the Newell, and I start screaming!!!!
Dad then removes the alternator and finds the problem!! Which is NOT with the alternator, however. When the alternator was reinstalled that very morning, some wires inside an insulation tube were moved around. When the old alternator was SO hot, it melted part of the insulation tube, and when the new alternator was installed, the already partially burned insulation tube got near enough to the engine that a wire touched ground and that's what tripped the breaker. So when Dad used the override switch, which for some reason had no fuse or breaker, the insulation on the wire burned immediately and that burned through other wiring causing lots of smoke and damage - if you're still following....congratulations.
So the problem has been determined and in order to go anywhere, the wire that burned needs to be spliced and the others repaired. That takes about three hours, and Mooch offers to let Dad take the Newell to his service bay at the business so Dad can work on it there. There was no question that Dad would work as long as he needed to in order to prevent the Newell being towed. Not only is it expensive, they aren't made to tow and would have SO much damage. We were also willing to pay an off duty police officer to sit behind us with his lights flashing if need be; however, the police never stopped. At one point, the Amish rode by in their buggy with horses, and I could just tell the were having a moral victory!!
Dad says to tell Becca that working in the shirt she gave him was unavoidable - why - because when the batteries are turned off the air door to the area of the coach with the clothes does not work! So Becca, looks like you will have to return to Key West and get him another.
Well, if you haven't figured it out already, Dad is an electrical genius and fixed the wiring!!! And would you believe, the Newell starts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO thrilled. We check the iPad for a decent few roads to turn around on (in the residential area), and I hop back into the Jeep to follow Dad. I turn the key, and you guessed it, my battery is DEAD!!! Just from the emergency flashers which should not have killed the battery. I jump out to get his attention before he takes off, and now what are we going to do? Push the Jeep to the back of the Newell and jump it? You got it. That happened, and there are unfortunately no pictures of that. NOW, off we go to the service bay, but with no brake lights or turning signals (other wires were also burned; however, he fixed the one to make the Newell run). Dad spent the rest of the entire day working on the Newell. What a trooper! Couldn't be more proud of him!
We were able to keep the Newell at Mooch's business all night and leave from there in the morning on the 30th. We had a very successful drive around Indy and south on I-75 all the way back to Knoxville. What a way to end the trip!!!!!!! Back at Lotterdale Cove and back in the east after our amazing summer travels.
From Autumn Woods, we continued on 90 east on the 23rd to Utica, IL and stayed at Hickory Hollow RV which was right off the interstate but tucked away with attractive high cut trees. There was no unhooking of the Jeep required at this location! The spots were SO SO long, and we were able to use our Passport America discount so it was a great place to stay. You didn't think this trip would be a breeze did you? I DID!! Here's where things begin to unravel a little....
When we arrive at Hickory Hollow, I decide that I'm finally capable to push the "extend" button on the slide in the back. So when it's time and Dad is watching, I push the button and NOTHING happens. Nothing. There was a small yet tense exchange as Dad walked over fully prepared to press the button and watch the slide extend. Well, it didn't work for him either. Whew...at least it didn't just stop working because I touched it!! So Dad begins to work on this problem and figures out that it is a relay that isn't working. We can work together to get the slides out. Not before, however, the front slide stops in half in, half out position.
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| Here is the front slide stuck as well, however, Dad was able to handle the problem well. |
Dad added a relay to boost the voltage for the slides and they were working fine, so we thought all would be well when it was time to put them in the next morning. Sure enough, they both went in without a hitch and we were on our way. As Dad was scanning the instruments he saw a red warning light on the coach voltage. It was clear that the chassis batteries were not being charged any longer - the alternator had died. Now things started making more sense. It had always been a mystery ever since we had purchased the coach that the engine had to be running to move the slides in and out. The low voltage problem with the slide controller had been there all along; it was just hidden when the alternator boosted the voltage high enough. The coach needs good voltage from the chassis batteries to run, but we had a backup way (using the generator) to keep them charged so we were not too worried. We started up the generator, watched the voltage come right up and the green light glowed. Away we went.
So, to sum up, we traveled for 3 days to get across the Midwest and all of it was on I-90 until the last bit of the last day because we were staying as far away from Chicago as possible!! The I-90 corridor was fascinating in and of itself. There were hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines on both sides of the road, and there were SO many corn fields. However, there were very few healthy corn fields. Because of the lack of rain this summer, the corn just hasn't been growing and we will see a significant increase in prices next year. It appeared as though the corn wasn't even as tall as I am and was mostly yellow. It was a sad sight, and it's just too late in the year for rain to help. In fact, the majority of the places we visited over the summer had a fire ban because of the lack of rain.
On the 24th of August, we left Utica, IL and headed the 180 miles to Rochester, IN to visit our friends Mooch and Barb Lewis who we know from Venture Out in Key West. To add to the excitement of the alternator, before too long we noticed the generator was not running and we had not turned it off. We pulled off at a Love's gas station, and it restarted instantly and off we went again.
Because we did try to avoid Chicago, we had to take some questionable back roads through the corn fields. And, I actually mean THROUGH the corn fields. This was my fault. While trying to pay attention to GPS as well as the iPad, I saw a discrepancy and ultimately made the wrong decision to turn onto one lane paved roads through some corn fields. Fortunately, we did not meet a soul and those roads were actually far better maintained than the main road, but it was still so stressful to be out there and see corn every where your head turns.
The rest of the trip to Mooch and Barb's went well and we planned to stay in their driveway, which if Dad hadn't stayed there before, I just would have been freaking out when we arrived because I did not see ONE driveway that looked accommodating until we got to theirs, and it even looked questionable. They live on a small landlocked lake called Lake Manitou in a narrow, but long house on a small two lane road. Well, we arrived and unhooked and boy did we really make some people mad. Lots of honking at us, but what were we to do? We moved as quickly as possible and with one try, Dad was backed into their driveway.
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| In the driveway. Notice anything missing on the Jeep? |
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| Leslie and I in South Bend for a quick visit. |
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| Moose Club sign. |
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| Here is the Newell getting new tires. |
Mooch and Barb had a friend Rick, who runs a small alternator repair business. He and his wife came to the house and took the alternator after Dad removed it from the coach.
Rick put the alternator repair at the top of his list and we quickly were advised it had burned up as severely as any alternator he had ever seen. His wife told us she thought it was so hot it could have caught something on fire - but it had not.
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| Here is part of the alternator - you can see where the insulation was burned on the wires. |
I followed Dad in the Jeep when we left because there was no convenient place to hook up. About ten minutes into the trip, Dad pulls over in the Newell on Main Street in front of some houses, and my original thoughts were that he choose there to hook up. However, I knew better and immediately knew something was wrong when he didn't turn on the emergency flashers. So I turned the emergency lights on in the Jeep and hopped out. Fortunately, the lanes were wider and although people did have to go around us, we were not totally blocking traffic. Dad runs out of the Newell saying, "It stopped, it just stopped!!!" Oh, great. Definitely NOT going home today.
The initial suspect was the alternator since that had been the most recent problem. Dad immediately cut the wires to the alternator thinking that was what tripped the breaker causing the coach to stop. If we can get it started, we can get it back to Mooch and Barb's house. Well, cutting the wires to the alternator did nothing.
So, I actually assisted (weird, right?) in helping Dad find the tripped breaker that forced the Newell to stop. Dad flips it back and expects the Newell to start. Nope, nothing. By this time, Barb, who had been doing errands, saw us and stopped to check on us. What a surprise it was for her to find us on the side of the road! Dad decided at this point to use the override switch in the engine compartment to force the Newell on, and it works, but almost immediately smoke starts billowing out from the Newell, and I start screaming!!!!
Dad then removes the alternator and finds the problem!! Which is NOT with the alternator, however. When the alternator was reinstalled that very morning, some wires inside an insulation tube were moved around. When the old alternator was SO hot, it melted part of the insulation tube, and when the new alternator was installed, the already partially burned insulation tube got near enough to the engine that a wire touched ground and that's what tripped the breaker. So when Dad used the override switch, which for some reason had no fuse or breaker, the insulation on the wire burned immediately and that burned through other wiring causing lots of smoke and damage - if you're still following....congratulations.
So the problem has been determined and in order to go anywhere, the wire that burned needs to be spliced and the others repaired. That takes about three hours, and Mooch offers to let Dad take the Newell to his service bay at the business so Dad can work on it there. There was no question that Dad would work as long as he needed to in order to prevent the Newell being towed. Not only is it expensive, they aren't made to tow and would have SO much damage. We were also willing to pay an off duty police officer to sit behind us with his lights flashing if need be; however, the police never stopped. At one point, the Amish rode by in their buggy with horses, and I could just tell the were having a moral victory!!
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| Side of the road. |
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| Fixing things. |
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| Working on the wiring. |
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| Here you can see where the once orange wire has been burned. |
Well, if you haven't figured it out already, Dad is an electrical genius and fixed the wiring!!! And would you believe, the Newell starts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO thrilled. We check the iPad for a decent few roads to turn around on (in the residential area), and I hop back into the Jeep to follow Dad. I turn the key, and you guessed it, my battery is DEAD!!! Just from the emergency flashers which should not have killed the battery. I jump out to get his attention before he takes off, and now what are we going to do? Push the Jeep to the back of the Newell and jump it? You got it. That happened, and there are unfortunately no pictures of that. NOW, off we go to the service bay, but with no brake lights or turning signals (other wires were also burned; however, he fixed the one to make the Newell run). Dad spent the rest of the entire day working on the Newell. What a trooper! Couldn't be more proud of him!
We were able to keep the Newell at Mooch's business all night and leave from there in the morning on the 30th. We had a very successful drive around Indy and south on I-75 all the way back to Knoxville. What a way to end the trip!!!!!!! Back at Lotterdale Cove and back in the east after our amazing summer travels.
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| Back at Lotterdale Cove on beautiful Tellico Lake, TENNESSEE!!! |
