Back to the dealer again...

Soldier Girl · 02-25-2019, 02:42 PM

I'm sitting around cw again today.

I've already put more than 3,000 miles on my new rig after runnin up & down the east coast between the dealership & Florida; waiting on my tags to come in, tryin to sell my house, fleeing winter storms & taking care of warranty issues every couple of weeks. Amazing how fast the miles pile on!

Today cw is supposed to replace the mother board on my Atwood water heater, track down why my outside cable connection doesn't work, install WeBoost & a Dishmaker. And my tags are finally in.

Hopefully I can get off this coast before mid March! I am dreaming of Western horizons & desert climates...Wish me luck! [emoji4]

Bob Denman · 02-25-2019, 03:34 PM

My fingers are crossed for you!
Let us know bow this trip works out...

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1551108855

Fish and Dear · 02-25-2019, 09:30 PM

Hit some state parks in AR on the way out west. We have some beautiful ones here!!

Soldier Girl · 02-26-2019, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish and Dear

Hit some state parks in AR on the way out west. We have some beautiful ones here!!

I would love to do that!!! Hopefully this year. I've noticed they're fairly affordable (even for me) & some give military discounts on top of taking my Access America card! Previous generations of my family lived in AR, MO, KS & TN during & prior to the civil war. I've always loved history & want to explore the beautiful area.

My original warranty issue still isn't completed, though. They just ordered the part the Friday before I came back in on Monday (they finally got the warranty approval). They think it may come in by mid March now...

They were able to fix my Atwood with a new motherboard that they pulled from one of their new Ace arrivals since it was a real health & welfare issue.

Otherwise it seems corporate would have made them wait to order it until they approved the warranty coverage - I guess the dealer knows I'll be back if it gets denied for the other part I'm waitin on, lol!

Some folks seemed surprised that I have had a mostly positive experience w/this cw. I think I know why. Their company was independent until a few months ago & they still have the work ethic & culture of the private family owned business they had been, so they're really having growing pains adjusting to the big corporate bureaucracy.
I hope they can hang onto their values through this transition. I've heard folks walking to and from offices or out to the repair hangers mumbling obscenties regardin their new corporation...

If I had gotten out of here earlier in the winter, I woulda followed my initial plan for this 1st year, to use the military posts & boondocking as needed to head South & West, stopping to bug various siblings along the way (I'm number 6 of 9 - resistance is futile!), & finally seeing my mother outside of Sacramento no later than March (she's getting rather impatient, mentioning her age of 85 at least once a week, lol!).

I had already got a jump on the camping season by applying early to several cg's in need of camp hosts in exchange for my own site & in some cases a small stipend. I had quite a few contact me & 2 firm offers (only 1 that I really would've jumped on, had I been free of the East coast...). So much for "best laid plans..." on how to live well & frugally throughout the season! If I get anything now, it will be a miracle (especially since I'm still dodging storms).

Oh, & someone asked why I didn't just head to a cg down South for the rest of my wait of a monh or more, like Florida, & stay put... Well, my house hasn't sold yet (another monkey wrench) & that leaves me on a very fixed income.

The military posts down there that are affordable have no openings for months (I did manage to get a spot for 2 days between two long termer reservations at the Jackosonville Naval Air Station - that place was awesome!). My brother complained that I brought he 1st hard freeze he had ever experienced there in my wake, lol!

My house in Maryland can't be lived in right now. It's still in "rehab" from six floods last year - did I mention I haven't sold it yet???? I can't even use it to hook up to while I wait, unfortunately. There's no access to it whatsoever in this rig. It's on a tiny congested dead end street in a busy older portion of Northern B-more.

To add insult to injury, Maryland is not very rv friendly. I've found only two Wallmarts that will let me pull in for the night & one cracker barrel near Hagerstown, and no rest stops that allow overnite stops.

I did find a park in Greenbelt that allows overnite parking for $10 a night when space is available, with no hook ups whatsoever. The state parks are rather expensive for me & the ones that I could afford for a few days are only open seasonally.

Even the 3 military posts that have rv stays yearlong are as expensive as the state parks. There's a sying in the Cav for this kind of thing, "It builds character, Troop"! Soooo, that's why I'm becoming adept at running before the storms...
[emoji39] [emoji190]

**revjeffrey** · 02-27-2019, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soldier Girl

My original warranty issue still isn't completed, though. They just ordered the part the Friday before I came back in on Monday (they finally got the warranty approval). They think it may come in by mid March now...

They were able to fix my Atwood with a new motherboard that they pulled from one of their new Ace arrivals since it was a real health & welfare issue.

Otherwise it seems corporate would have made them wait to order it until they approved the warranty coverage - I guess the dealer knows I'll be back if it gets denied for the other part I'm waitin on, lol!

This why when you go pick up your Unit or Buy a New One it's so Important to test and look for Everything! This is Common Practice at dealers. BORROWING DONOR PARTS and Never reinstalling them. Electronics,Grills,Tables,Cusions,Curtains,Pillows etc.

axis earl · 02-27-2019, 02:23 AM

Before it gets too hot and you are in the Yuma, AZ area, check out he Yuma Army Proving Grounds. The contonement area looks like it has a RV park for you military retirees. There is a restaurant and a base gas station there too.

Soldier Girl · 02-27-2019, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by revjeffrey

This why when you go pick up your Unit or Buy a New One it's so Important to test and look for Everything! This is Common Practice at dealers. BORROWING DONOR PARTS and Never reinstalling them. Electronics,Grills,Tables,Cusions,Curtains,Pillows etc.

Chicken or the egg... Do the cw shops take the parts from stock on hand bc corporate wont let them get the parts they need without waiting for the warranty approval or payment up front? Or, does corporate nit pick the procedure bc the cw shops raid the hen house...okay, halt, delete...that analogy just doesn't work. Oh well...[emoji214]

Soldier Girl · 02-27-2019, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axis earl

Before it gets too hot and you are in the Yuma, AZ area, check out he Yuma Army Proving Grounds. The contonement area looks like it has a RV park for you military retirees. There is a restaurant and a base gas station there too.

I'll check that out, too, thanks! I know Ft Hauchuca has a nice rv park. I think Luke AFB probably has a park too, but it's gonna be noisy by their flight lines, besides being basically inside the ever expanding city limits...

axis earl · 02-27-2019, 02:27 PM

Yuma Army Proving Grounds is very, very quiet.

Soldier Girl · 02-27-2019, 06:32 PM

Thanks. That sounds awesome! I like the idea of peace & quiet, especially somewhere warm...

DubeGrpArchitek · 03-23-2019, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soldier Girl

I'll check that out, too, thanks! I know Ft Hauchuca has a nice rv park. I think Luke AFB probably has a park too, but it's gonna be noisy by their flight lines, besides being basically inside the ever expanding city limits...

Ft Huachuca is my old neck of the woods (army brat) and my folks retired there. Driving the new MH down to visit them and help around the property in May. Also a history buff here...check out the museum on post...it is awesome. Historic barracks, parade field, officers quarters. Amazing canyons. Take day trips to Tombstone, Bisbee. And definitely go to Coronado National Monument. Arizona is an old settlement...and there is a world famous hummingbird sanctuary in the canyons.

azadv · 04-04-2019, 07:00 AM

AZ is not like the east coast or many states I visited on my trip last year up to AK and across to Maine, to DC and NC and home through the south. There are lots of places you can boondock here free, many in National forest areas and you only need to move every 2 weeks and that's if they bug you. In warmer months the Mogollon rim area Tonto national or Apache Sitgreaves, or Prescott, Kaibab or Coconino national forests. In cooler months lower Tonto NF, around Quarzsite and Kofa refuge or lower parts of Chiricahua National Monument Wilderness.

For a strange treat, check out Slab City near Salton Sea not far inside the CA border, the "Last Free Place on Earth"

It's, um, unique but you should experience it. I've been on my motorcycle for a short stay but haven't taken the RV yet to camp there, yet (I really want to go). Guessing you've watched the movie Into the Wild since you're from AK, Slab City is a place Chris McCandless stayed for a bit before his eventual fateful trek into the AK wilderness.

The Gritz Carlton · 04-04-2019, 10:57 AM

Load up on antibiotics just in case one of those "nomads" bite you. Also, load up on YouTube videos of things that happen to some people that partied at Scab City. Watch Your Six. Peace & Love!!

azadv · 04-04-2019, 06:20 PM

Judge not lest ye be judged!

Oregonjaf · 04-05-2019, 02:01 AM

Yuma Army Proving Grounds is a good deal! When I stayed there, there wasn't very many other Rvs. Got a neat little commissary too! Ft. Huachuca has a nice little fam camp too. You can walk to a lot of places, it's not to far out of the way and not to close to anything. Just watch out for SNAKES!!!

Oh, by the way. I just drove up to both places without a reservation. It's was in the fall, but, not to far past summer.

It's going to be hot hot hot when you finally get to the Southwest! Make sure your air works! Haha!

Soldier Girl · 04-05-2019, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oregonjaf

Yuma Army Proving Grounds is a good deal! When I stayed there, there wasn't very many other Rvs. Got a neat little commissary too! Ft. Huachuca has a nice little fam camp too. You can walk to a lot of places, it's not to far out of the way and not to close to anything. Just watch out for SNAKES!!!

Oh, by the way. I just drove up to both places without a reservation. It's was in the fall, but, not to far past summer.

It's going to be hot hot hot when you finally get to the Southwest! Make sure your air works! Haha!

Yep, you're right, I went thru the 1st months freezing, & I'll probably be craving some cold by the time I get out to the deserts I've been dreamin of all this past winter

The Gritz Carlton · 04-05-2019, 11:23 AM

Judging is interpretation. Observation goes unchallenged.

Soldier Girl · 04-05-2019, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

Load up on antibiotics just in case one of those "nomads" bite you. Also, load up on YouTube videos of things that happen to some people that partied at Scab City. Watch Your Six. Peace & Love!!

I always watch my six. & so far my spidey sense has done a good job of steering me clear of danger close opportunities, lol!

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