Friday, June 7, 2013

Summer Tour Begins

June 7, 2013

First, some background info on the coach. As usual, we have a variety of projects we decide we want to complete, to make our RVing trips easier or more pleasurable. As I mentioned previously, we just installed the fireplace and faucets.

Well, we worked on a few new things since our last trip. I finally found a TV that would give us a larger screen, and still fit in the hole the current Jensen occupies. We were able to remove the old TV from the articulating arm and install the new one, but Tony had to search 3 stores to find the correct screw type to secure it. It was an odd metric size. The new TV is much lighter, has better picture and sound quality, and easier menus than the Jensen!

One of the noticeable differences was the new TV was not as tall, leaving a gap top and bottom of nearly 3". We decided to look into an inexpensive Soundbar to enhance the sound and help fill the gap. We found a low-priced one with a subwoofer at Walmart, and installed it. It's perfect.

We also worked to get all of our electronics to work together. Tony programmed the universal remote and we made a remote cheat-sheet for each of the devices.

Also, I worked to clean black streaks off the rig, and use 303 protectant on the decals. Tony washed the awning and his truck, and I waxed and 303'd the truck.

Clean truck looks almost brand new!



We knew we'd be traveling through rain and getting bug splattered, so we opted not to wash the rig just yet.

I also ordered some led replacement bulbs for a few fixtures we had remaining. I replaced the dining table fixture's 921 bulbs (2), and found a rectangular array of LEDs that plug into the socket in the vent-a-hood. Both of these needed additional brightness, which I was able to get, and reduced wattage. I also replaced the ceiling fan light with a clear incandescent bulb, rather than frosted, and it now puts out more light, too.

Now, back to the trip!! We are headed to Goshen IN for the North American Heartland Rally, but plan to do some exploring and visiting in Tennessee before we go north.

We had originally planned to leave Saturday, the 8th, because we didn't know if Tony would have an extra "bad weather school makeup day" on Friday. They did not, so we were able to get out of town a day earlier. We didn't want to change all our plans, so we just decided to drive part of the way to our first destination.

We finished loading and got Mammoth out of the driveway and into the street before it got hot and humid, then finished inside projects and work I needed to do before we left. We went to eat Tex-Mex for lunch, figuring it would be hard to find as we traveled. After lunch we loaded up kitties and all, and pulled out about 1:45, headed for Texarkana, about 2.5 hours away.

We had the usual fussing from the kitties, but they finally settled down to nap. We had a little traffic due to construction starting just outside Texarkana, but we got in and set up at the Sunrise RV park by 6pm. The park is nothing to brag about, but will do for an overnight.

Our site at the Sunrise RV park

Kitties after their first day of travel.



We had leftovers and settled in, mostly just playing on our phones and relaxing. The kitties settled in just fine, and we are enjoying being on the road again!

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