Our US Travels

moonlitcoyote · October 06, 2012, 08:25 PM

Hey ED, is that CG named Crawford RV Park? We tried to call them but they never answered.

I did check the interactive campground map, thank you.

Change of plans.. Hubby got a call this morning and the job was cancelled

so we turned around and headed South. We will finally get into Baxley Georgia tomorrow afternoon, where we will visit with family and take a much needed break from driving. And now after this long trip I can add 2 things to my to do list for the Homebago, #1 change fuel filters and #2 find new captains chairs, my drivers seat is so uncomfortable my back is screaming at me. It has no lumbar support at all. I will be very glad when we pull in and I know I wont have to drive again for at least a few days.

HandyDan · October 06, 2012, 11:27 PM

I agree with you on the driver seat. Even though I have the six way power seat, I have to prop a pillow behind my back to have enough support. I would like to find a way to make the seat back come forward a little ways. I'm sure there must be some kind of adjustment at the bottom of the seat back to make this happen. However, so far I haven't found it yet. I would like to have the leather seats out of my Suburban instead of Flexsteel seats that would be more fitting in my living room.
Good Luck on your travels. We are traveling right along with you on our computers.
Dan

ClydesdaleKevin · October 07, 2012, 08:06 AM

Yep, the Flexsteel seats aren't the most comfortable things for very long trips. Even with all the adjustments....which is why I tend to lean on the steering wheel a lot with my forearms and change positions a lot. Losing the extra weight helped a lot, but my back can still get pretty sore after 400 miles or so. Didn't even think about sticking a pillow behind me...I'll have to try that on the next voyage! They are making some really nice memory foam seats that you can get for around 600 bucks each on eBay, nice leather and all...but 1200 bucks is way too steep for our budget right now for a non priority item.

Sorry your hubby's job fell through. Hope he finds one soon! Have a very safe rest of your trip!

Kev

Oz · October 16, 2012, 09:34 PM

It's been over a week since we've heard from them; let's throw some positive, Vintage RV karma in their direction!

BanDan

moonlitcoyote · October 17, 2012, 05:45 PM

Hey all, sorry I have not posted before now, I have tried a few times but the internet goes out just as I hit post.

So just a quick update..

We arrived in Baxley Georgia on time with no major problems and visited with family for the 1st couple of days. Then we moved to an RV park named Stagger Lee Music Park which was supposed to have full hook ups with wi-fi. Well the full hook ups are here but the wi-fi only works for about 10 minutes every couple of days. The owners are in Key West and the camp host knows ZERO about internet and gets VERY upset when I ask him to reset the router. We are the only people here so his attitude is very puzzling. We also asked if he could put out one of the many trash cans we see stored in the shed but this also upset him so we are hauling our trash 2-3 times a day since we only have a tiny can which holds a wal-mart bag.

Anyway, we have done some fishing and caught our first ever Bowfin or as they are locally named a mud fish. We harvested pecans from a family farm and I made my first ever pecan pie, YUMMY !! Not really much else to do here as we are in a tiny town.

We are now thinking of heading to Shreveport LA when our month is up here at the campground.

OH YES how could I forget.... The ants are terrible, the day we parked, the winny instantly got infested with millions of ants. We bought some raid ant killer and sprayed everything on the outside and around the edges on the inside and they are for the time being under control. BUT the fire ants are even worse, they move so fast that it's almost impossible to keep them off you and the poor baby has these little pimple looking bites all over him from the fire ants. So if anyone has any cures for the bites I'd love to hear them.

Thats all I can remember from my earlier attempts at posting, I'll try to come back again before we hit the road again. But for now Y'all take care and enjoy your Vintage RV's

ClydesdaleKevin · October 17, 2012, 07:04 PM

Fire ants are evil! And there is nothing you can do for the bites. And don't try to pop them like a pimple...it isn't puss inside, its dead tissue, so all you'll do is open up a wound that might get infected. They hurt like hell the first few days, then itch for a week!

Wanna keep them away with something that's safe for the baby? Sprinkle your whole campsite with a bottle or two or three of Sevin Dust, an insecticide. And then gently water it in with a sprinker or hose. It kills the fire ants and then repels them for a while, its cheap, and its safe around kids and pets...its actually safe enough to use as a flea powder right on your dog's skin, so its pretty much only toxic to insects...wouldn't recommend eating it though...lol!

DEET helps repel the ants from climbing up your legs...saturate your feet and legs and pants with the stuff to keep them from climbing up and biting you. DEET is perfectly safe for most folks, including kids. It was a Vietnam military experiment that surprisingly DID'NT fail...doesn't cause cancer, doesn't make you a mutant, etc. The higher the deet content, the better the protection, especially from fireants crawling up your legs! And then of course there is the added protection from mosquitoes and ticks, which carry all kinds of diseases.

I would contact the owners through email or phone and tell them how obnoxious and lazy their caretaker is being. He shouldn't be upset, his job it to help you, and I'm sure the owners would like to know about it!

Glad you guys are okay and having fun! I know all about crappy or slow internet connections, or gigabyte limits...thus the reason I rarely post pictures even though I LOVE showing off my projects!

Kev

tiinytina · October 17, 2012, 09:03 PM

there is a product called Amdro out on the market as well.... they are getting in by climbing your tires, water hose,electric lines... I'd put a layer around anything that contacts the ground. WD40 also has been found to work against ants.... fire ants are nasty... cortizone or benedryl cream for the bites but like Kev said don't pop them if you can help it...

Tina

Oz · October 17, 2012, 09:06 PM

You'll find these conditions throughout the south. Louisiana is just as bad, if not worse. If your rig is going to be parked for any period of time, termites are also a major threat. The types of "barrier" treatments Tiinytina mentioned are a must.

moonlitcoyote · November 29, 2012, 08:31 PM

sorry it took so long, but here is a pic of when we first arrived..

moonlitcoyote · November 29, 2012, 09:42 PM

We have finally really settled in and are just taking it easy doing some fishing and hunting and enjoying ourselves. The ants have pretty much disappeared, YEAH!! We bought a 5 cf deep freezer which fits nicely right behind the passenger seat. Now I dont have to go shopping every 3 days. But I think we are going to have to make sure it isnt full before we hit the road. I'm guessing it could be pretty heavy. Today we decided to add an external 100 lb propane tank so we dont have to move every 3 weeks to go fill up. But now we are going to have to figure out how to take it with us when we leave. Anyway, we got that hooked up and working so we should be good on propane for a few months now.

Projects still needing to be done..

Oil change
Fuel filter change
heater core replacement
oil pressure sensor replacement
air bag replacement
roof taping and coating
exterior wall clean and shine

I sure hope I can get it all done before we need to leave.

ClydesdaleKevin · November 29, 2012, 09:57 PM

Nice pic! What a pretty and happy looking family! Your list is shorter than mine, but I'm always adding to it....lol!

Kev

moonlitcoyote · March 11, 2013, 03:04 PM

The only things I managed to get done on that list was the fuel filter replacement and the roof. Oh yeah also did the exterior wall clean but not shine. Will get to that someday, lol.

We have now left Georgia and are staying a few hours away in Alabama, looks like we will be here at least 2 months. No problems on the trip, and no chugging uphill so far and we did climb a couple of steep hills. We are staying in an RV park named "Shallow Creek" It is quite expensive compared to the other parks but it was the only one that has wifi available. The owner seems quite nice and laid back. We have been here for 3 days and have yet to pay because he is almost never around and when we do seem him, he says, " dont worry, I'll catch you later or tomorrow" Anyway, it seems to be a nice place to be for awhile, they have laundry, pool, a pool table, BBQ area and it's far enough away from town that there isn't a ton of traffic.

I think I should have named this topic, Our US Travels since we will be traveling around wherever hubbys work takes us. But I didnt know that was the plan until it happened. Good thing we are flexible.

Oz · March 12, 2013, 01:17 PM

moonlitcoyote · March 12, 2013, 02:18 PM

Ah, Thank you Mark, you read my mind.

Finally got our spot paid for and laundry all caught up. Went looking for propane last night for our exterior 100lb tank and we found that u-haul fills tanks, BUT they wouldnt fill ours. The gentleman there explained to us that our tank has to be upright for an hour before he can fill it and it has to leave his lot in an upright position. We never had a problem in Georgia, so we went looking for another location and found a Flying J that fills propane, they wouldnt fill it either. But for different reasons. The woman there explained that they cant fill propane in the rain because it causes some sort of safety issue. So we asked if they could fill a vertical tank if it was laying down went we bring it in and if its ok to lay it down when we leave. They said thats fine as long as they dont help us to load it. So we are going to head back over there today when hubby gets back from work and see if they will fill it. Oh what a pain in the arse, guess we should have filled the winny tank before we parked.

Oh well, now I need to search online for a fishing spot that isnt too far away.

moonlitcoyote · April 23, 2013, 02:18 PM

Found a great fishing spot and have caught some really nice size striped bass, I have never caught those before and they put up a really good fight. But now Eddie is working 7 days a week so I have been stuck in the campground, cant wait until the job is finished and we can get back to fishing.

Worked on the AC today, pulled the covers off and there was a spot about 6in x 3in that the fins were all bent over flat. So got those straightened back out the best I could and vacuumed everything out, it really needs to be hosed down but my 2yr old didn't like mommy on the roof without him and let the whole park know it. So will have to wash it at a later time. But got it back together and what a difference, I turned the AC on about an hour ago when my thermometer said it was 90 degrees in here, it is now down to 81 degees. I happy with the difference for sure.

Looks like we will be pulling out of here on May 8th, at least thats when we are paid up until. Not sure where to head from here, right now it's still too cold in Maine to even think about going back there.

ClydesdaleKevin · April 23, 2013, 09:43 PM

Stripped bass make great eating! Or as we call them in New England, Strippers. Just be careful about eating too much of them, since they spend a lot of time in rivers and pick up a lot of heavy metals. If you trim off the belly fat before cooking them, that pretty much gets rid of all the lead and mercury. This might not be true of all stripped bass, but the ones in the New England rivers pick up a lot of toxins from all the old factories.

Hope you get back to fishing soon! I miss taking Patti out on the boat and spending a whole day pullin' them in!

Kev

LJ-TJ · April 23, 2013, 09:45 PM

Man that sounds appetizing. D:oH!

moonlitcoyote · April 26, 2013, 08:59 PM

Why is it that everyone wants to call stripers, strippers? Dont we all know by now that strippers are those men and women that take their clothes off for a living?

Took Michael swimming in the Chattahoochee river and he had a blast, got some pics but haven't uploaded them to my computer yet. I finally realized I need to start a photo album of our travels, ya I know I'm slow but that's what a 2yr old does to the mind.

Hubby got laid off today, YEAH!! Now he can entertain Michael while I trace wires out tomorrow, it was tough working on batteries today with him begging for mommy to play. A 10 minute job turns into an all day job when your alone with a kiddo.

So I plan on getting these batteries straightened out and doing some more fishing before we head out. I would LOVE to hook a big catfish.

DaveVA78Chieftain · April 27, 2013, 12:03 AM

Quotestripers, strippers?

I thought that had something to do with paint removal.

Dave

moonlitcoyote · April 27, 2013, 06:12 PM

Well Dave, I guess you know where my mind is

Gave up on the wires after a couple hours and decided to head to camping world instead. We got some of the foil covered bubble wrap for the windows. Since we dont have an awning it gets pretty hot in here with all the sun beating down and into the windows. We also stopped at walmart to get another chassis battery since ours has been drained way too many times for comfort, but I didnt measure the one we have first and the gentleman at walmart showed me 2 different batteries and they were different sizes, so will have to measure the one I have and go back to get one. Well shoot, now that I typed that up, I realize I forgot to get the battery cables i needed to attach the 3rd house battery. ..

It's been a long day so I sent Eddie out for pizza, going to bathe the brat and get him to bed so we can head over to the GA side of the Chattahoochee and try to catch us a catfish or something.

DaveVA78Chieftain · April 27, 2013, 09:19 PM

QuoteIt's been a long day so I sent Eddie out for pizza, going to bathe the brat and get him to bed so we can head over to the GA side of the Chattahoochee and try to catch us a catfish or something.

Sometimes thats just what we need! Have fun - Dave

moonlitcoyote · April 28, 2013, 09:17 PM

Went fishing last night and didn't catch anything

But that's ok just being able to enjoy some peace and quiet made the trip worth it, even though we got soaked since it decided to rain on our parade... I am NOT against fishing in the rain

Got the new chassis battery today but walmart doesnt sell the cables we need to hook up the 3rd house battery, will have to stop at an autozone somewhere and see what they have.

Well, It's countdown time, we have 10 days until we pull out.

The plan

get the grocery shopping done
Install the new chassis battery
Make a list of ALL possible stops along the way (state parks,flying J's and walmarts)
Make sure all laundry is clean
Fill the winny propane tank and fresh water tank

Hope I'm not forgetting anything.

OH and the most important, for me anyway, go out for drinks and dancing tomorrow night, as it is my 41st Birthday tomorrow

Dont worry, I'll have a drink for each of you, let's see that's got to be at least 10 drinks right? Happy times ahead

JDxeper · April 28, 2013, 09:26 PM

Happy 'B" day

Oz · April 28, 2013, 10:22 PM

Happy birthday for tomorrow... if we keep this up every year, you'll have a leap year somewhere in there...

moonlitcoyote · April 29, 2013, 10:31 AM

Well good morning, I made it to 41, sometimes I wondered if I would see that day. So for today I cant decided on making myself a cake or working on the homebago.

Eddie and the boys want cake so I think I will get that done and then work on the bago, I still need to get the chassis battery installed and empty out the deep freezer since no power while on the road... Did I ever mention I killed my generator? LOL. I think the starter froze up. We will tear it apart when we get back to Maine. Just another thing to add to the growing list of things to do.

I am going to have so many posts going when we get back to Maine, you guys are going to get tired of me, the top projects we are going to get done when we get back will be, generator, new carpet in the living and bedroom, tiles or linoleum in the bathroom, brakes, fix an oil leak, air bags and whatever else I can think of.

Well time to get dressed and get started on the cake.

PS, thank you JD and Mark