RV Blog

If at first you don’t succeed, fail, fail, again. Although I was able to get a gasket for the drippy A/C unit at Kansas City Trailer I still can’t beat the toilet. While KC Trailer, I picked up a new water valve, a fitting, and installed them both. Turned on the water and it leaked like a small Niagara Falls…aauuugggggg!!!!

While in KC we stopped in the Truman Presidential Museum long wnough to see his famous Buck Stops Here sign and learn about the president who dropped the bomb on Japan. We planned to take in the Harley Davidson Factory Tour but ran out of time.

Whoooweee! You came to my rescue with all kinds of good traveling songs that mention place names. Here’s what you suggested, and then I’ll list what I chose for this year’s 2009 Traveling CD:

How about the song Hollywood by The Statler Brothers. You can find it on there Atlanta Blue Album or on there A 30th Anniversary Celebration Box Set. ~ Carl W.

You GOTTA include that quintessential “on the road” song made famous by the hotel commercials, “I’ve been everywhere” by Johnny Cash! A fun one to try to memorize… makes long trips go by quicker! ~ Greg M.

I concede, the clock has run out, I have been beaten, the RV toilet wins…for now. Here’s the short of it. After having tried everything, ruined at least two parts, I’ve capped off the water line and will have to use the toilet with a cup of water. We can still use it…but we’ll have to fill up a cup from the sink and dump it in the stool. Sound glamerous? It is. But at least it will work.

I’ll stop in a RV store along the way or wiat ’till we get home to fix it right.

Did you hear that BEAST? I will be back, and I will WIN!!!!!

Hey Dad,

Other than it snowed today and is a tad chilly for RVingeverything looks good for lift-off in about 9 days. Of course I thought that last year and found out on the day I was to leave that my tail lights didn’t work.

Not this year…I hope.

Anyway, I worked hard at the end of last year on my list of things to fix and this is what I got done:

Well, after a long wait and amidst the worst time in the world to sell an RV, we’ve sold the Familyman Mobile 2. It was kind of sad as fellow familyman Kris Ruble pulled out of my driveway.

After all, we’ve had a lot of great memories in FM2…including multiple towings, a turkey that flew through the windshield, gashing a Mercedes, getting lost in Boston, and traversing chunks of the great old USA. In fact, one of my children got his start in FM2. I know it is just an RV, but it sure holds a lot of great memories for our family, and I’m sure it will do the same for the Ruble’s.

With that, we close the books on the 2008 RV Blog.

Hey Dad,

Last time I posted we were in Newport News, VA waiting for my wife to finish the laundry. Well, she did finish it, but when I went to start the RV…nothing…nothing…nothing. Luckily we had our home with us so we spent the night in the parking lot. The next morning bright and early, I shimmied under the RV, smacked the tar out of the starter…and it started.

Not wanting to press my luck or God’s goodness, I drove it directly to a Cummins shop and spent the entire day parked in their lot while they replaced the starter. My kids and wife were real troopers because I know they would have rather spent the day at the beach looking at the ocean instead of sweating in the RV watching Lone Ranger videos.

Hey Dad,

Since leaving Philly, PA we spent the weekend in Sumter, SC where I was able to speak to a bunch of dads and moms. Sumter wasn’t the sightseeing capital of the world, but we did stop at the legendary South of the Border on the NC/SC border.

We’ve read the billboards and passed the big sombrero many times as we’ve driven up and down I-95 on the east coast and now we’ve done it. One word sums it up—tacky. But I kind of like it.

Last night we spent the night at First Landing State Park near Virginia Beach, VA and today we stopped in at Jamestown Settlement.

Hey Dad,

Things couldn’t be going much better. My wife is radiant, but I’m starting to run down. I’ve spoken to thousands of dads and moms, driven thousands of miles, and said at least a thousand times, “Settle down back there!”

Just a couple more weeks. I think I can…I think I can…I think I can.

Last week we enjoyed the Philly, PA area, although my GPS took me about 30 miles in the wrong direction because I typed in the wrong town. The road kept getting narrower and narrower until I finally had to stop.

A big howdy from Intercourse, PA. You heard me right. The people of Intercourse seem to be able to say the name without smirking, but I feel like my Mom will wash my mouth out with soap if I say it. It is a nice town, and in fact, the town scene in the movie The Witness, was filmed here.

We had a great time in Des Moines, IA, although the weather was crazy. Out of the four nights we were there, we had severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings on three of those nights.

Greetings from the Iowa State Fair Grounds. A little known RV fact: you can camp at most county and state fair grounds. This is our first time. Actually it’s Pork Expo time in Iowa so we’re surrounded by trailers filled with squealing pigs.

Last night we had some severe weather, and I spent a couple hours fretting, praying, and listening to the radio with a map and flashlight in hand.