Our RV Adventure Begins

My family has always enjoyed camping, dating back to the ‘70’s when my brother and I were in the Boy Scouts with very primitive equipment all the way to 2005 when we stopped camping. My wife and I had gone to RV shows and looked at everything from TT’s and Pop-Up’s to Class A’s. This too ended in 2005 after our mother became too sick and after battling COPD and other ailments she came down with Pancreatic Cancer and lost that battle on 11/29/09.

In May of this year (2010) my brother sent me an email with a picture of a Pop-Up camper which got me thinking, I asked my wife what she thought about going to look at RV’s, her response was a very emphatic yes! I started researching Class C’s because that’s what I initially thought was what we wanted. We found one used that we could pay cash for and went to look at it, it ran very well, everything was in good shape except for the side walls were beginning to delaminate. I quickly found out we needed to stay clear of anything that might even look like it might be starting to have this issue soon which cleared nearly all older Class C’s that we had found for sale, amazing. Very long story short after driving some Class C’s we found they just weren’t for us.

While researching newer or new RV’s I checked out a Class A and fell in love. The search for the right one was on, we couldn’t afford a new one, they cost more than our house did when we bought it so we were right back to looking at older models. We looked at quite a few and decided to go after a 1999 37s Pace Arrow which for our first motorhome to us seemed HUGE but had the layout we liked. My wife loved the floral prints on the couch and recliner, I didn’t but in this area it’s what the wife likes that counts most. I am not a fan of Chevy so we kept this one in our minds and kept searching.

I found a dealer on the Internet that had a lot full of repo and used Class A’s so we drove there and checked a few out. After checking all of the ones in our price range out my wife said she liked the 1999 Holiday Rambler Endeavor LE 36GWS. I didn’t like it as much because the ceramic tile in the kitchen had some bad cracks and the hung sidewalls don’t look as nice as newly laminated walls. After doing some research I found that for these older models hung walls are preferred and the dealer said they would replace the ceramic with  a wood floor so I agreed with my wife and we test drove the RV and it drove sooo much nicer than even brand new Class C’s we had driven. So we bought it and picked it up initially on 7/1/10.

The actual process of buying and getting the RV to a fully usable rig has been long and tedious and I’ll post more on that later. We learned a lot in this process, RV dealers are worse than used car dealers, if the salesmen moves his lips, you can bet he’s lying and his bosses, lie more.

Our First Class A RV Purchase -

Back in May my wife and I decided it was time to buy an RV. With my Mom being sick for the last several years we never gave this hobby any thought. I think the last RV show we went to was 7 years ago and the last camping outing was back in 2004.

After test driving a few Class C rigs we decided they were simply too rough riding and really felt like overweight vans. I'm sure some don't and I don't mean to knock all of them but the ones we drove, way too harsh. We decided that Class A's would be what we look at and I found one at Camping World in Waucanda. We didn't get a chance to test drive it because I found a bunch of Class A's in Atkinson, IL so we traveled 2.5 hours up there to see them. It took a few trips but we found it, a 1999 Holiday Rambler Endeavor LE 36WGS featuring the Ford F-53 chassis and V10 gas engine.

We were told that the dealer operates off of a detailed PDI inspection (Pre Delivery Inspection) list they they do themselves to get the RV ready for delivery. I was shocked to learn that their list was the list of items my wife and I found while going over the RV. Surely two people who have never owned an RV before know less than the dealership does? Either way, they operated off of our list.

Items on the list:
1. Cracked ceramic tile floor in kitchen, replace with wood floor
STATUS - Completed
2. Rusted wiper arms
STATUS - Completed
3. Outside mirrors non operational and very loose
STATUS - Completed however drivers side still kind of loose
4. Non-functional basement storage locks
STATUS - I fixed, dealer never checked them out
5. Mold on RV door surround
STATUS - Completed, twice, molding blew off after 1st repair
5. Rear body cap has gap that needs to be fixed and sealed
STATUS - Completed
7. Rear bumper has water scale that can't be cleaned off
STATUS - Completed
8. Rock guard needs to be re-installed
STATUS - Completed
9. Trim above slide has water damage
STATUS - Completed but they damaged the wooden trim fixing this trim
10. Headlight enclosures very cloudy
STATUS - Completed
11. Hood doesn't open or close properly
STATUS - Completed
12. No AC Zones, only front AC works
STATUS - Completed
13. Beadroom lights need to be re-wired/repaired
STATUS - Completed but one light was still out, so I fixed it
14. Bedroom wall seperating
STATUS - Completed
15. Install new FCC Digital converter box
STATUS - Completed
16. Fix TV mount crank
STATUS - Completed, still kind of loose but works
17. Replace front tires
STATUS - Completed
18. Insure generator functions
STATUS - Completed, took two attempts
19. Insure all jacks function
STATUS - Completed, second time in for leaking jack
20. Replace debris awning, also salesman cut retracting cable
STATUS - Completed
21. Full detail of interior and exterior (per owner, it will be "perfect")
STATUS - Completed per owner, detail was a joke
22. Full gas tank and propane
STATUS - Completed propane fill, received $100.00 which gave 3/4 tank
23. ICS flash not working
STATUS - Completed
24. Turn signal/parking lights not working properly
STATUS - Completed by me, they had all front lights installed wrong!
25. Third brake light hanging from it's mount and not working
STATUS - Completed but one light still out, I'll repair
26. Slide leaks into main cabin
STATUS - Completed, have to be careful, can still leak
27. Condition slide seals
STATUS - Completed, I see no proof but they said they did it
28. Roof AC unit
STATUS - Completed by both dealer and me
29. TV volume so weak you can't hear it, very distorted as well
STATUS - Completed

So as you can see we had a long list, while it's long there is obviously nothing regarding the drivetrain or engine etc... why, because they went off of our list.

First post of 2010 - I miss my Mom

Well, it's been since early November of 2009 since I last posted. My Mother died November 29th of Pancreatic Cancer and the following months were/are very hectic to say the least. We're still sifting through all of the things left behind. Here is a picture from last year at the Zoo, she hated this hat but let us take a picture of her anyway.

I haven't had much to say so haven't posted, her death was very hard to handle, I didn't and haven't cried. Why not? I think because I cried enough watching her suffer for so long so when she passed I knew she was pain free and with her Mother and Father in heaven. Her last days were so hard for her I doubt I could have survived it had I gone through it.

For example, the week of Thanksgiving she was in the hospital again. Her feet were swollen purple and her skin was cracking. She was in so much pain she couldn't walk. She wanted very badly to be at home on Thanksgiving and the doctors made the mistake of telling her that if she could walk around the nurses station they would release her. Knowing full well there was no way this woman could get up let alone stand up and walk that far or even a few steps.

My brother and I knew better, she sat up, got onto her feet and with no hesitation walked all the way around the nurses station and then said ok, can I go home now? Imagine the shock on the doctors and nurses faces when they saw this. Pure will power simple as that, you simply did NOT tell her she couldn't do something because she would prove you wrong.

They let her go home and for most of Thanksgiving she was in pain and wasn't able to enjoy the day as much as she would have liked. I had to carry her to the bathroom and from the bathroom because she was unable to walk and you could see she was fighting a lot of pain. The next night we had to call an ambulance to take her to Woodstock Hospice. She was unresponsive when she got to the hospital and we worried for the worst and the nurses prepared us for the worst.

So, the next morning Mom is sitting up clear as can be demanding she be released to go home. We were all shocked, how could she be this clear after the night she had?? The nurses told us this is normal for people about to pass on, I didn't get it, how does somebody look so good if they're about to pass on? People came by to visit and I'm sure some of them thought we were crazy for putting her in Hospice.

That night Ronda and I stayed with Mom and around 9:00pm she went into this strange sleep, very powerful breathing, rapid and scary. By morning she was comepletly unresponsive and never woke up again, she had a few moments where she said our names and you could see she was in there fighting but losing. Her breath started to slow down and then she faded away, I stood there and bent over and whispered to her it was ok to let go, it killed me to say it but I said it. My brother, Ronda and Penny all leaned over to tell her it was ok.

Her breath just got slower and slower until she took what seemed like one breath per minute then nothing. We all said the lords prayer and then stood there silent, unable to say anything. I stood there realizing my Mom had just died not knowing what to do, I felt empty and dead inside myself. I felt alone, I felt like I needed to do something but didn't know what it was, heck it's 8/18/10 and I'm still numb. She had overcome so many battles in her life and suddenly, she is gone... there simply isn't any words to describe how her death has affected us.

I miss her, there was still so many things we all wanted to do with her. I felt/feel I didn't do enough when she was here. Sure I called her daily and there are times I still pick up the phone to call her and suddenly realize she isn't there and won't be there. Ronda and I bought an RV that she would have loved to go camping in, so did Steinar and Penny..... too late for her to enjoy so we think of her every time we take it out. For my Mom's birthday we are hoping to go to the Amana Colonies like we did on almost all of her birthdays the past 6 years.

I still see her, I get a sense that she is around sometimes and I wish I had done more for her and I hope I did enough because she deserved it.

I love and miss you Mom...

Cancer sucks...

My Mom has pancreatic cancer, the one kind of cancer that sucks the life out of you and as we are finding out tests the best of us when it hits us. My Mom is a tough lady though and is making the best of it and teaching us how you handle something like this.

I haven't posted in awhile, the healthcare bill has my family on both sides not equally devided, most are against it but the ones for it are much louder than those against and therefore are heard the most. Kind of how the country goes as well I guess. I have wanted to post but find less and less time for it and less interest as well since those that disagree are the ones who email me the most telling me how insane or ignorant or even stupid I am for what I believe in.

This post, might be the last and then this blog such as it is will die the death many blogs die from and will be deleted from Blogger making many happy I'm sure.

I go now to see to my Mom and to help her have the best days she can before she passes. I pray for her, for my family and our country....

EDIT: To the morons who keep writing me telling me that the movie "Taking Chance" was a Bush propoganda film, please, if you believe that then you need to move in with Mikey Moore, get a life and realize that the military takes loss seriously and the men and women who bring our dead back do that job with respect, honor and do a job you will never be able to understand in your selfish world. Go away.

EDIT: Ok, so I was kidding about not posting anymore, come on, did you really think that calling me names would stop me? Doctor heal thyself!

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Taking Chance - When one falls, another brings him home

I purchased this movie this weekend and watched it with several pauses for wiping away tears. I cannot remember a movie that affected me more than this one has. The acting is top notch, the fact it was made honestly was a shock (great job HBO!). The portrayal of our Marines was reflective of how I know them to be. The portrayal of the people that extended a warm greeting to Kevin Bacon's char actor are exactly how Americans behave, it was refreshing to see considering what Hollywood typically shows.

We live in a world of Micheal Moore documentaries where the truth is in how you edit it, not what really happens. We live in a country where the "open minded and tolerant" are actually only open minded and tolerant if you agree with them. Should you disagree then their anger knows no bounds and if the Miss America pageant is any indication of how a woman gets treated for having an opinion we need to start letting Hollywood know exactly how we feel by not watching their shows/movies.

This movie reminds us all about commitment, bravery, loss, country, community, family and patriotism (a dirty word for some) and should be a must watch in every American school.

Thank you HBO for making this movie.



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Wise Sayings

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1. In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a Congress. -- John Adams

2. If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed. -- Mark Twain

3. Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then I repeat myself. -- Mark Twain

4. I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

5. A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. -- George Bernard Shaw

6. A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money. -- G. Gordon Liddy

7. Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. -- James Bovard

8. Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. -- Douglas Casey

9. Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. -- P.J. O'Rourke

10. Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. -- Frederic Bastiat

11. Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. -- Ronald Reagan

12. I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. -- Will Rogers

13. If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free. -- P.J. O'Rourke

14. In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. -- Voltaire

15. Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you. -- Pericles (430 B.C.)

16. No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. -- Mark Twain

17. Talk is cheap... except when Congress does it. -- Anonymous

18. The government is like a baby's digestive system, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. -- Ronald Reagan

19. The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. -- Winston Churchill

20. The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. -- Mark Twain

21. The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer

22. There is no distinctly native American criminal class... save Congress. -- Mark Twain

23. A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. -- Gerald Ford


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Half Boys / Half Men - Our Military

This was sent to me by a friend of my wife, thanks Debbie.

The average age of the military man is 19 years.. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy.. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.

He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking.

In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood. And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.

As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us and Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.. Amen.'

Check out this video "19"

Remembering September 11th 2001

I remember September 11th 2001 like it was yesterday, sadly many in this country have forgotten the lesson learned that day. Fortunately many have not! My prayers go out to the families of those killed that day and God Bless the USA!