Road-Runner RV Park - Fort Stockton, TX Aug 29 - 30

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX - Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Morning 80 Degrees, Wind S at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 81%, partly cloudy.

Slept better last night, not good but better. Maybe because I new it would be a busy morning for me getting Buster Brown ready to travel after sitting for a week. It took a while but the temperature in the bedroom was coming down.

I had to put fresh water in the tank and get things put away to bring in the slideouts. They moved Buster around to put propane gas in and then to dump the holding tanks, need to loose the weight of that water. Then position Buster for Tan Jan to be connected. While that was going on they lightened my credit card so as to not be too heavy going down the road. (Paying for the work done, less the air conditioner as that was a warranty item of free to me).

Rolling out we went for diesel fuel on interstate ten that is on the east side of town.

North Llano River RV Park - Junction, TX 

Actually a short drive today for two reasons one is the spacing of RV parks and I am tired. One hundred twelve miles some on interstate 410 but mostly interstate ten.


North Llano River RV Park - Junction, TX - Thursday, August 30, 2018
Morning 73 Degrees, Wind NNW at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 86%, mostly sunny.

We slept better last night after a short drive yesterday. Today we were on the road by nine o’clock with the diesel fuel stop behind us. We started our drive at about 1,750 feet above sea level. As we drove west that changed as we were up and down going thru the Texas hill country.

Road-Runner RV Park - Fort Stockton, TX
Our drive consisted of one hundred and ninety-nine miles and 2,965 feet above sea level. After leaving the San Antonio area the traffic was lighter on the interstate. Some road work with lane a closed and reduced speed in the work area. The regular speed limit post is eighty miles ler hour in these wide open spaces.

eighty miles per hour speed limit sign

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio Aug 27 - 28

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX - Monday, August 27, 2018
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind SSE at 6 to 8 Mph, Humidity 86%, mostly cloudy.
100

Air conditioner is sitting on a freight dock in Fort Worth, why? Maybe it will be here tomorrow?

I purchased a fifteen foot HDMI cable at Home Depot. The television in the box has a telescoping shelf that the TV can be permanently mounted too. And that has been what we had been doing. It does present a viewing problems, looking down into the box the door blocks a portion of our view. Sun light on the screen is also a problem. The plan is to use the long HDMI cable to use the TV out of the box, there you go thinking out of the box. Using a table and changing the direction away from the sun.

New TV on the roll out shelf

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX - Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Morning 80 Degrees, Wind S at 1 to 3 Mph, Humidity 82%, mostly cloudy.

Joey on the shelf behind TV

We were out a little latter this morning, we are not sleeping well without the rear air conditioner working. We do have two working air conditioners up front and fans in the rear but it is hot as the afternoon temperatures are a hundred degrees or more every day.

We are worn out and came back to Buster to rest but there was a guy up on the roof working, on the air conditioner, yea it arrived we hung around in Tan Jan then went to McDonald’s for lunch to kill time. They were done about four-thirty, with the air conditioner operating and cooling. It is one hundred degrees so it will take time to be comfortable. We will travel west tomorrow.

Removed A/C on the ground

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX - Aug 24 - 26

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX - Friday, August 24, 2018
Morning 79 Degrees, Wind W at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 85%, cloudy.

We went out for breakfast and “walking around stores” “retail therapy”, killing time. 
Waiting on parts, air conditioner.

When we are done here we are continuing west to The Escapees Ranch in New Mexico as we have a RV lot there. It has been a while since we were there and we are looking forward to that. Another warm day 107 degrees and sunny.


Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX - Saturday, August 25, 2018
Morning 78 Degrees, Wind  at  to  Mph, Humidity 82%, partly cloudy.

There is no work done here over the weekend but is is not costing anything to park Buster.

I had contacted Dish TV about installing an additional Joey for outside TV, they came out this afternoon for the installation. It did not go as planned, turns out the TV was not working so I had that one installed in the bedroom and will use the Joey that was there outside. 

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX - Sunday, August 26, 2018
Morning 80 Degrees, Wind NE at CALM to 1 Mph, Humidity 85%, mostly cloudy.

Today we went to Walmart and purchased a TV twenty-four inch (measured diagonally) for the outside. Now it is hard to find small televisions for sale, they all seem to thirty-two inch or larger size. If it was available I wanted something about twenty-eight inches. I think that is the largest size that will fit in the outside box.

TV on the roll out shelf and the Joey behind

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX

Hwy 155 RV Park, Palestine TX - Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Morning 64 Degrees, Wind WSW at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 29%, mostly sunny.

Today I made sure both waist tanks were empty and the water tank was full as we will not be connected for a few days at the maintenance location. There is electric power and we can dump if needed, but we will not be connected like an RV park. I can refill the water tank if needed but not stay connected.

Today we were on our way about nine o'clock but it was not long we had to stop and try and adjust our awning. I left it (the awning) part way out and bushed some trees on the way out of the RV park pushing it backward in the attachment to Buster. We were about five miles from the RV park when a trucker let us know something was wrong. I was in the left lane of US 79 south. I immediately found a spot to pull over in an area where it was safe and there was a sidewalk there. I got the eight foot ladder down from the back of Buster and tried to move the awning forward but I did not get much movement.  I tried to move it and to get it in (rolled up) made some progress but not much. I was afraid to roll it out and not be able to get it rolled back in. The support arms were twisting

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX
Another day with out rain, yea, but it is warm up to 104 degrees back in the triple digits
like we were having in June before we left Texas. I was able to drive being careful on the right side and made it here to Texas RV Supply. I pull in and stop taking care to disconnect Tan Jan from the tow bar. I let them park Buster in a spot for maintenance and discuss what we need done to Buster. We went out to eat as we did not have any lunch. When we came back Buster is parked in a maintenance spot and the awning is closed all the way in, yea. Our drive today was two hundred fifty-four miles.
 

Texas RV Supply, San Antonio, TX - Thursday, August 23, 2018
Morning 77 Degrees, Wind W at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 72%, mostly sunny.

We were out about eight so work can begin on buster, and we had a plan to visit the Doctor in Jourdenton, TX for prescription renewals. As all my doctor visits, blood is drawn and I need to fast for that. Then breakfast at IHOP in Pleasanton, TX. Back to San Antonio for walking around Walmart and Dollar Tree. 107 degrees but it is dry with humidity less than thirty percent.

A lot of our work was done today new ceiling fan in stalled in hallway, new slideout topper installed on the left front slideout. The lid replaced on bathroom vent, the up on the roof work completed. But not the air conditioner.

Hwy 155 RV Park, Palestine TX

Benchmark Coach & RV Park - Monday, August 20, 2018
Morning 75 Degrees, Wind SSW at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 94%, cloudy.

Buster was rolling early today, by nine o’clock that is good for us. Traveling thru Mississippi today there were a number of state police out there looking to get their quota of tickets filled out, we did not help them. I stopped in Pearl, MS for diesel fuel and to comfirm our stay tonight in West Monroe, LA. While sitting there in the parking lot we had our first sun shower of the day. Never got dark nice bright day and rain started falling.

Traveling west thru Vicksburg, MS and crossing the mighty Mississippi River. The Vicksburg crossing on interstate twenty is nicer as there was less truck traffic and I think the bridge is a little better.

Pavilion RV Park, West Monroe, LA 
In confirming our stay they told me there was a new entrance to the park as we have been there a few times before there are different turns.. There are some new connecting roads that are not on our map and the Garmin was a little off. We stopped to double check the directions and we just stopped short we need to go a little further down the road. We got checked in and set up and decided to go out to eat dinner as we had a Texas Roadhouse gift card to use. We enjoyed our meal and went to Walmart for a few things. We got back to Buster and settled in the sky opened up with a thunder and lightening


Pavilion RV Park, West Monroe, LA  -  Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Morning 74 Degrees, Wind SE at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 94%, partly cloudy.

We got Tan Jan hooked up to the tow bar and stowed our hoses and electric cable and on the road at a decent time. All of the rain we have traveled thru and while parked it was no raining when I needed to be outside connecting of disconnecting the electric of hoses to Buster.

 Hwy 155 RV Park, Palestine TX
We purchased diesel fuel west of Shreveport, LA and continued on into Texas. At US 271 we got off interstate twenty amd headed southwest on US 271. Two hundred forty-two miles traveled today. We drove right in right into a vacant pull thru as directed to do on the telephone call last night.

Thought for the Day:

The good news is that I’ve made it to my golden years. The bad news is that there ain’t no gold.

Benchmark Coach & RV Park

Sherman Oaks Campground, Dandridge, TN - Friday, August 17, 2018
Morning 75 Degrees, Wind SE at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 91%, cloudy.

We took our time getting ready as the planned only ninety miles for today’s drive. We did not even disconnect Tan Jan from the tow bar. I have decided vto wait until we arrive in San Antonio to do any more change with the TV setup.
 .
Sweetwater Valley KOA - Sweetwater, TN
Today we traveled west on interstate forty thru Knoxville getting diesel fuel for Buster before continuing south on interstate seventy-five to Sweetwater 92 miles) driving today. We took Tan Jan going shopping for groceries after getting parked. Parked here we are under tree cover so there is no satellite TV signal. But we can watch recorded programs. I had Dish TV on the phone today and they have a different opinion on the connecting a Hopper 3 box to the Wineguard antenna, change the LNB looking at the antenna. That is not what the Wineguard antenna people said they sent me a configuration with a Hybird solo hub 203952, DPH42 Switch and DPH42 power Inserter / Power Supply. This is for the Hopper 3 box and two Joey’s, one for the bedroom TV and one for the outside box TV.


Sweetwater Valley KOA - Sweetwater, TN -  Saturday, August 18, 2018
Morning 75 Degrees, Wind SSW at 3 to 4 Mph, Humidity 90%, cloudy.

We were moving along having a little longer drive today, got Buster ready to roll and worked our way back to interstate fifty-nine southbound and the rain started again.

Bairdsnest Campground -Mentone, AL

As we are going down the highway my wife asks me about my Fitbit I looked at my rist and it was not present. Lost, do not remember it leaving my rist other times I have felt it loosen up and was able to reclose the clasp again. The clasp pushes in a little tricky to handle. Never liked the attachment system I prefer the usual watch band type closure. I had gotten it on a store closeout sale at a good price not knowing about the band closure system. I am now the proud owner of a Charge 2 Fitbit with a watch band type closure. We got a nice pull thru site and we could or had any site but one as the place was empty.

One hundred eighteen miles for Buster today. More rain tonight.

Charge 2 Fitbit and watch band type closure

Bairdsnest Campground -Mentone, AL -  Sunday, August 19, 2018
Morning 70 Degrees, Wind W at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 99%, cloudy.

Normal travel morning getting Tan Jan connected to the tow bar stowing the hoses and electric cable. We made Mississippi today, started earlier driving about five hours. Again it was dry when we were outside doing our work getting ready stowing hoses and electric cable.

Benchmark Coach & RV Park
After getting going on the interstate fifty-nine southbound the rain started and was off and on the whole day.  Our arrival was dry and when I was outside for the connections and at the diesel fuel stop. I went to the office to pay and returning to Buster I saw the dark clouds we are going to get “weather”. After a bit the rain came the hardest of the day, but we were inside. I usually stop every day once for diesel fuel as I prefer to drive only on the top half of the one hundred gallon tank. There is also the spacing of the places where I lake to fill the tank. I prefer to go to the truck side of Flying J truck stops. Usally during the middle of the day I have been able to get to an empty lane to refuel. The other thing is the RV lanes are tighter turning into or out of getting to the fuel island. Then there are the cars coming in an taking space I need to turn Buster with the car in tow. There is NO backing up with the car in tow. You need to “see” your way thru an area or do not go there. Two hundred and sixty miles traveled today. The park was on the empty side as maybe half the sites were empty.

Sherman Oaks Campground, Dandridge, TN

Ft Chiswell RV Park, Max Meadows, VA - Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Morning 59 Degrees, Wind WSW at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 98%, sunny.

The reply from the antenna company said the DPH42 switch is the way to go and also supplied a wiring diagram how to connect everything. Now I need to contact Dish TV again to schedule this work again.

Today we drove up to my sister Irene’s house for a visit. Going back up interstate eighty-one again same as yesterday only with terrible traffic, glad we were only in the car and not Buster. I made the wrong turn into a driveway thinking it was there house, going in there was a deer feeding on our right, continuing down and turning in front of the house it did not look right. Got another picture of the deer from the front of the house. Then I turned around to go back out before I turned to go back up the driveway, I stopped and said to my wife I can not go back that driveway the transition was not graded correctly, yes I know we made it down ok but I did not want to go back that way. There was another driveway where the deer was feeding and we went out that way.

We had a nice visit with my sister Irene and her husband Larry. Turning in their driveway was better, and my memory was kicking in telling me I am in the right place,

     
Ft Chiswell RV Park, Max Meadows, VA - Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Morning 59 Degrees, Wind SW at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 95%, mostly sunny.

Another visiting day with Irene and Larry. Driving on interstate eighty-one was like Monday, heavy truck traffic but moving well. These cooler mornings are a nice change
 
 
Ft Chiswell RV Park, Max Meadows, VA - Thursday, August 16, 2018
Morning 65 Degrees, Wind WNW at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 92%, partly cloudy.

We got going late and there was a diesel fuel stop to give Buster a drink before getting on the highway. We did well for a while leaving Ft Chiswell going down interstate eighty-one until about the mile 41 and everything stopped for a while then creep down to about -five mile mark. There was a semi-truck in the median with out the trailer wheels as they were on the right shoulder. And the truck was heading north on the southbound side. This was just after a bridge and that cement to hole the guard rail was broken. After that it was clear driving to the end of interstate eighty-one.
 
Sherman Oaks Campground, Dandridge, TN
We went east a short way in interstate forty to our exit for the campground. I stopped at the office finding it locked I called the number and was told to drive in to the pull thru’s just inside the open gate. Easy parking and quick getting setup for the night. One hundred fifty-one miles today


Thought For The Day – I’m super lazy today. It’s like normal lazy but I’m wearing a cape.

Fort Chiswell RV Park, Max Meadows, VA

Buster’s Spot, Holly Springs, NC - Sunday, August 12, 2018
Morning 71 Degrees, Wind WSW at CALM to 1 Mph, Humidity 93%, partly sunny.

We did not go to today’s games, we had Dish TV coming to change our DVR box and install a second Joey for the television in our outside box. It did not go well. I wanted to change from the Hopper with sling to a Hopper 3 box. The Hopper 3 is not compatible with our Wineguard SK 1000 antenna mounted on the roof. The Dish TV people told me the Hopper 3 is not compatible with our Wineguard SK 1000 antenna mounted on our motorhome roof. They said I needed to change the LNB on the antenna, so I canceled the job.

We spent the rest of the day preparing for our travel starting tomorrow.

After Dish TV left I also spent some time poking around the internet as I was told I need to change the LNB on the antenna to a west arc hybrid. I found the Wineguard antenna site and a reference to our antenna model that said for the Hopper 3 we need a DPH42 switch. Now with two different stories, witch to follow so I sent a message the antenna company explaining what I had and asking which way to go. 


Buster’s Spot, Holly Springs, NC - Monday, August 13, 2018
Morning 70 Degrees, Wind SSW at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 96%, cloudy .

Well it was not the best day starting with getting up late. I had an alarm set on my phone but my phone was in the other end of the RV. The phone alarmed but I did not hear the noise. Cloudy it is going to rain type of day, but we got busy and rolled just before noon for a planned two hundred and ten mile travel today

Pilot Mountain 

Fort Chiswell RV Park, Max Meadows, VA
I had sent an email first then after two days I tried a phone calls the line was busy every time. We took a chance and lost. They were full I tried the state park they were full and the place outside closed door locked late afternoon, remember I got up late. I used Garmin to search for RV sites some close ones did not answer the phone call.

There was a Jelly Stone park listed ten miles away I called them made a reservation and started driving ten miles on the interstate and five miles on state road turn onto Farm Fall road that turned into gravel than wiggly mountain road (one lane) we were following the Garmin all the way tho it seemed like the road to hell as that gravel road was one lane and we did have four vehicles coming from the other way. We finally reached an intersection and the Garman was was pointing us onto another gravel road well that was leading us to a electric sub station under construction. The workers were starting to leave and I was able to stop the second one and ask if there was an RV park in there, “no we are construction for an electric sub station”. At this point I had to disconnect Tan Jan from the tow bar and turn Buster around, lucky there was a tee intersection to do the turn around. Then reconnect Tan Jan to the tow bar. I was able to stop another construction worker and ask for directions to the highway, and then I asked about any RV parks close by. He had the answers and good roads getting here it took about fifteen miles but seeing an RV park was a good site along with seeing empty RV sites we knew we had the spot. A nice end to a long day.



Thought For The Day – Have you ever listened to someone talk for a while and then wondered, “Who ties your shoelaces for you?”

Buster’s Spot, Holly Springs, NC - Saturday, August 11, 2018
Morning 70 Degrees, Wind SW at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 93%, partly cloudy.

Since the first of the month we have been having rain every day, starts at different times day or night and I am talking good water type rain.

Our grandson had two baseball games scheduled today, the first one scheduled for 1:30 and the start time was moved up because rain in the forecast. But the games before were running late, so his game started thirty minutes late from the original start time. They did finish the game yes we had rain during his game but it stopped. They one the game seven to one, it was a shutout until the last half inning. There was a one played before his second game that never finished, rained out as the rest of the day. We were waiting for that game to play out under our daughters canopy. They had gone to get something to eat and the rain came down again letting up some before coming down heavy again and not lightening and we are standing in two inches of water. We got soaked getting to the car and getting out stuff put away.  Needless to say the second game was canceled and it was a cold ride home. By the way this is “travel ball” we were seventy eight miles from home.

Zane batting before the rain

Buster’s Spot, Holly Springs, NC - Saturday, August 11, 2018
Morning 70 Degrees, Wind SW at calm to 1 Mph, Humidity 93%, partly cloudy.

We have been having rain every day, starts at different times day or night and I am talking good water type rain. Our grandson had two baseball games scheduled today, the first one scheduled for 1:30 and the start time was moved up because rain in the forecast. But the games before were running late, so his game started thirty minutes late from the original start time. They did finish the game yes we had rain during his game but it stopped. They one the game seven to one, it was a shutout until the last half inning. There was a one played before his second game that never finished, rained out as the rest of the day. We were waiting for that game to play out under our daughters canopy. They had gone to get something to eat and the rain came down again letting up some before coming down heavy again and not lightening and we are standing in two inches of water. We got soaked getting to the car and getting out stuff put away.  Needless to say the second game was canceled and it was a cold ride home. By the way this is “travel ball” we were seventy eight miles from home.

Thought For The Day – Have you ever listened to someone talk for a while and then wondered, “Who ties your shoelaces for you?

Buster’s Spot, Holly Springs, NC - July, 2018
It has been awhile since I made post as there has not been much to talk about. July slowed down for us and we were laying low . In the beginning of the month the back access to the engine came loose from the mounting assembly. I was able to put a C- clamp on one side and got my work done inside, leaving it open. I purchased some lag bolts (two sizes, just to make sure I had the correct ones) and waited for the holiday to have my son if laws help installing the new bolts.

I made a plywood box to put the cat litter box into, need to finish the outside with stain and sealer. Have not done much of anything else except for everyday functions.