Our RV Adventures

We were hitched up and on our way by about 8:15 heading for Las Vegas 320 miles away. As Jan says, maybe we’re just snakebit.

But as in the past, one of the things about getting out of Phoenix is . . . getting out of Phoenix. The metro area just goes on and one. Once we got off Loop 101 at Sun City about 9:30, and on to US60 heading northwest, it became bumper to bumper. And by bumper to bumper, I mean this.

I was in the far left lane (of 3) when signs started saying, “Right Two Lanes Closed Ahead.” Checking my side mirror and rear view camera, I saw I had clear lanes to my left and started moving over, pausing a little in the middle lane before moving into the left-through lane. There was a left turn lane just to the my left, with several cars passing me to queue up at the light.

Just as I was turning into the left lane, a maroon truck starts to pass me on the left and then just cuts to the right into my lane, or almost into my lane. Since I was coming up on a red light I was only doing about 10mph so it was just a ‘crunch’. In fact Jan was sure we had hit together.

But on a positive note, isn’t the rig nice and shiny from my wax job?

We had to move our vehicles before the Highway Patrol got there, but I got a bunch of photos of the scene. And when the Highway Patrol came over to talk to me and I told him what had happened and told him I had photos, he asked to see them.

As I clicked through photos, the officer said, “Uh-huh, Uh-huh, Uh-huh, Uh-huh,” When I said if she had just gone a little further she could pulled in front of me with no problem, he said, “Yeah.”

What was kind of funny is that when the lady got out of her truck, I lowered my window to be sure she was OK, and before I could say a word, she started yelling at me. My first thought was that maybe she was kin to the guy in the Ace Hardware parking lot a week ago.

But unlike the Ace Hardware guy who sulked the whole time, within about 10 minutes the lady was very friendly and asking questions about RV’ing. Weird.

After we were there about 40 minutes the officer gave us our ID and stuff back and send us on our way with each others insurance info. Neither of us got a ticket and no blame was assessed, I think due to the fact that I didn’t have any real damage and she had very little.

I’m just gonna need a lot for spit to rub it out.

But the trip stayed snakebit, with the rough roads causing two of our bin doors to pop open. Then somewhere we started hearing a banging noise that sounded like it was coming from underneath the rig about six feet back from the door.

I stopped twice to get out and look under the rig but saw nothing. I even checked all the awnings, again finding nothing.

Heading north out of Kingman, a truck pulled along side and the passenger yelled out that the TV antenna on the roof was flapping up and down. He pulled on past me and before I could find someplace to pull over, I saw in the rearview mirror something small and white fly off and land in the roadway. Luckily no one was behind me.

A little thinking told me it was this.

A Winegard Wingman Digital UHF Booster that clips to your standard crankup TV antenna and boosts the signal on the new digital UHF channels. Since it just clips on, I figured at some point it had ‘unclipped’ and started banging around until it came loose.

But strangely it never sounded like it was coming from the roof. And as soon as I saw the piece fly off, we never heard the sound again.

We got into the Vegas Thousand Trails about 3:30 and got parked and set up. And which point Jan gave a big sigh of relief.

She had told me before we left Apache Junction that she was really nervous about this trip, since we’d had two big breakdowns in this area over the years. But I reminded her that both of them had been coming BACK from Vegas to Flagstaff, and not going TO Vegas. Plus the fact that we were going nowhere near the part of I-40 where we had our breakdowns. So we were perfectly safe, right?

The first one was in 2008 when our radiator fan decided to shed its blades and puncture the radiator too.

And the second of course, was our big BlowOut in May of 2015.

So this was going to be a smooth trip, right?

I must say though that Jan was much nicer with her ‘I told you so” then I expected, and used a lot less naughty words, too.

There had been some talk of high winds along the way, but except for about 10 miles on either side of Kingman, and then as we started the climb up and over the Colorado River and the Dam area, it wasn’t bad at all.

At least something went right.

Thought for the Day:

“When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.” – Thomas Sowell

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After a nice, slow morning, about 12:15 Jan and I headed out for our lunch date over in Tempe with our friend’s Dick and Phyllis Schell.

They had picked Oregano’s, an Italian place in the heart of the Arizona State University campus, that was about half way between where we were in Apache Junction, and where they are parked in Sun City.

We started off by splitting a half loaf of their Cheesy Garlic Bread.

Then everyone went in a different direction with Dick getting a small Cheese Pizza.

Not sure where the rogue piece of pepperoni came from.

While Phyllis got one of her favorites, the Big Chicken Salad.

After talking with our waitress, Hallie, Jan got the Big Chicken Parm with Alfredo Sauce.

Wrapping up, I got the 16” Meaty Pizza with Pepperoni, Sausage, Meatballs, Canadian Bacon, and Mushrooms.

Big enough to have plenty to take home for both of us.

Although they have a deep dish, thick crust pizza, their specialty is a thin crust, even thinner than Grimaldi’s. But unlike many really thin crusts that snap like a crisp cracker, Oregano’s stays soft and flexible. Really good.

For dessert, Dick and Phyllis ordered us a Hot, Gooey, Chocolate Chip Cookie topped with Ice Cream.

Really great finish to a great meal.

Oregano’s is really great, and goes on our list for places to visit again.

Saying our goodbyes until next time, we headed home. Getting back to Apache Junction, our first stop was at the O’Reilly’s for a new air chuck. Rather than get another locking one, I went with a straight line that I knew it would work.

We finished up with a few things from Fry’s before getting back to the rig a little before 5pm.

About 6pm I went outside to finish up the last of the tires with the new straight chuck. Of course it means that I have to stand hunched over to hold it on the valve stem, but I’ve only got rig two tires so I’ll work through the pain.

Finally I topped off the four tires on the truck. If you have a 150# compressor like this one. be aware it only takes a few second to raise the tire from 25# to 35#. And only a few more seconds to . . .  BOOM!

I could have backed the output setting down to 40# but then I’d just have to raise it again. Rather just leave it alone and be careful. I finished up by packing away the chairs and the hoses in the truck so I don’t have much to do before we leave tomorrow for Vegas.

Totaling up, I never heard back from any of the awning companies I called and left messages with, including several recommended by blog readers.

After I repeatedly told the glass people that we were leaving for Vegas this weekend, they finally called me back Tuesday afternoon and were surprised to find out that we weren’t available this weekend for them to come by and look at the windshield. We’ll try again in Vegas, I guess.

And so far, my parking lot adversary has not filed a claim with my insurance company. I guess it might be hard for the claims adjuster not to laugh in his face.

Blog readers will remember that while the police officer was watching, I wet my fingers, and in about 30 seconds, rubbed the smear almost completely away.

As one blog reader, said, Spit, the new rubbing compound.

We plan on heading out for the Las Vegas Thousand Trails about 8am, hoping to make the 320 mile trip in about 6 hours and get in around 2pm. We want go this early so it will stay cold, since I still haven’t had a chance to work on our transfer switch.

Yeah, yeah, I know,. It’s on the list.

This means that we won’t have the generator available to run the AC’s. But when we leave here at 8am, the temp is supposed to be 66, and only 73 in Vegas when we get in at 2pm.

Here’s hoping.

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