TALLMAN
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- Nov 17, 2013
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Decided to RV a lot, if not full time. Left Florida April 9th, stopped by Gauley Bridge WV to look at 1996 Holiday Rambler 36 foot Endeavor Class A my brother and I had bought for 11,000. We stay an hour and were impressed by the luxury, do you know they have leather ceilings in these things.
Went on to NW Ohio to wedding, my wife is Catholic and the oldest of 14 and they are a prolific lot, so there was 350 and counting at wedding. We stayed visiting her family a week and then returned to WV.
RV looked about the same except for foot and half crack in drivers windshield, getting that to pass inspection was a trick but we managed.
We stayed at my brothers a couple nights and then hooked up the RV to the electric and moved in. My brother is a 70 year old bachelor that is not into house work, so my wife whom it seems to clean 24 hours a day decided it was best we move into the van. She has been cleaning polishing and scrubbing for a month and I did not even consider the RV dirty in the first place.
We decided to live with the crack in the windshield until the police object or the window falls out. So far so good.
Generator would run about 15 minutes and stop like it was out of gas, tried a few new parts until we got a new fuel pump and it started working right. My brother is a great mechanic, thank God and my wallet.
Some more work was needed on the leveling jacks, two springs work as well as one we found out on one where the spring was missing. Though a good tap with the hammer is still needed from time to time.
He fixed the AC and we figured out how more an more things work.
Then off to Ohio for another wedding for a week, still have 2 for sure and perhaps as many as 3 this year, those Ohioions love their weddings.
Spent another two weeks, on the RV, not sure what, but brother at 70 still drives a truck part time, and we are not in a hurry, cooler here in the mountains anyway.
April the 29th 3 nights ago decided to take it camping about 25 miles from here at Babcock State Park WV, nice place if you have never been there.
I proceeded to fill up the water tank but forgot to release air pressure and forced water into the water pump and ruined it, has to go buy one for a !00, could have got it from Ebay for 50 but was in a hurry. Brother put it on and we headed out.
About 15 miles away , heard a horrible noise, and was hard to control, stopped and looked , saw nothing and kept on going, few miles further down a hill no brakes.
Coasted to stop, left front wheel was very hot and smoking, stopped a while, and it seems a caliper has stuck and after about hour we moved it a little further, smoking again, sit a while, debated calling a tow truck, figured to Clifftop WV it would be the next day, my brother put some water on the brakes and some brakes seem to return and we went another 2 miles to the campground with some brakes. Also the engine was overheating.
I took my brother back home, and returned to the campground about 50 mile round trip. Went to put out the slide out and it stuck, seems to tin we had put on the ends of the slide out got stuck in the awning and was causing a problem, fixed that.
Next day we decided to put out awning on passenger side, took a half hour, don't disconnect the bottom part first is one lesson learned and the second less is to reread the directions and if they say there is a pull strap believe them.
Next morning, was warned there was a bear in the park, but never did say it. Babcock is a beautiful park if you have never been there, you can look it up. Old operating grist mill, nice views.
Next day ran out of water in water tank, had not put enough in, carried a few gallon. Stayed 3 nights and had my brother come and get me, 36 RV, brake trouble, no way I am driving it.
My brother brought a square floor fan and hooked it up in front of engine to generator. Kind of automatic,start the generator and you start the floor fan. Seemed to help cool it. Made it back to my brothers at Gauley Bridge, we do have mountains in WV, had pretty good brakes, seems to have been a stuck caliper.
One of the bins came open on a curve but wife in chase car picked up the few items that fell out.
Back at brothers now. Found we need a gallon and half of antifreeze which may have been the heating problem. Will be here a couple weeks. Free water, electric, TV but have to watch same channel he is watching. Even internet. In two weeks heading back to Fl because grandkids are coming for the 4th, not with RV and then returning couple weeks later to start RVing again. Need a couple of tires. One cracked.
Believe it or not, so far we are enjoying it and are determined to make a go of it.
One other problem we solved so far so good, is the double pane windows on the drivers side and the passenger side has clouded up to the point that it was difficult to see the windows, it seems the seals break and moisture gets in and gases get out. We broke the inside pane of the double pane glass, guess we have less insulation but you can at least see out of them, clear as a bell.
Went on to NW Ohio to wedding, my wife is Catholic and the oldest of 14 and they are a prolific lot, so there was 350 and counting at wedding. We stayed visiting her family a week and then returned to WV.
RV looked about the same except for foot and half crack in drivers windshield, getting that to pass inspection was a trick but we managed.
We stayed at my brothers a couple nights and then hooked up the RV to the electric and moved in. My brother is a 70 year old bachelor that is not into house work, so my wife whom it seems to clean 24 hours a day decided it was best we move into the van. She has been cleaning polishing and scrubbing for a month and I did not even consider the RV dirty in the first place.
We decided to live with the crack in the windshield until the police object or the window falls out. So far so good.
Generator would run about 15 minutes and stop like it was out of gas, tried a few new parts until we got a new fuel pump and it started working right. My brother is a great mechanic, thank God and my wallet.
Some more work was needed on the leveling jacks, two springs work as well as one we found out on one where the spring was missing. Though a good tap with the hammer is still needed from time to time.
He fixed the AC and we figured out how more an more things work.
Then off to Ohio for another wedding for a week, still have 2 for sure and perhaps as many as 3 this year, those Ohioions love their weddings.
Spent another two weeks, on the RV, not sure what, but brother at 70 still drives a truck part time, and we are not in a hurry, cooler here in the mountains anyway.
April the 29th 3 nights ago decided to take it camping about 25 miles from here at Babcock State Park WV, nice place if you have never been there.
I proceeded to fill up the water tank but forgot to release air pressure and forced water into the water pump and ruined it, has to go buy one for a !00, could have got it from Ebay for 50 but was in a hurry. Brother put it on and we headed out.
About 15 miles away , heard a horrible noise, and was hard to control, stopped and looked , saw nothing and kept on going, few miles further down a hill no brakes.
Coasted to stop, left front wheel was very hot and smoking, stopped a while, and it seems a caliper has stuck and after about hour we moved it a little further, smoking again, sit a while, debated calling a tow truck, figured to Clifftop WV it would be the next day, my brother put some water on the brakes and some brakes seem to return and we went another 2 miles to the campground with some brakes. Also the engine was overheating.
I took my brother back home, and returned to the campground about 50 mile round trip. Went to put out the slide out and it stuck, seems to tin we had put on the ends of the slide out got stuck in the awning and was causing a problem, fixed that.
Next day we decided to put out awning on passenger side, took a half hour, don't disconnect the bottom part first is one lesson learned and the second less is to reread the directions and if they say there is a pull strap believe them.
Next morning, was warned there was a bear in the park, but never did say it. Babcock is a beautiful park if you have never been there, you can look it up. Old operating grist mill, nice views.
Next day ran out of water in water tank, had not put enough in, carried a few gallon. Stayed 3 nights and had my brother come and get me, 36 RV, brake trouble, no way I am driving it.
My brother brought a square floor fan and hooked it up in front of engine to generator. Kind of automatic,start the generator and you start the floor fan. Seemed to help cool it. Made it back to my brothers at Gauley Bridge, we do have mountains in WV, had pretty good brakes, seems to have been a stuck caliper.
One of the bins came open on a curve but wife in chase car picked up the few items that fell out.
Back at brothers now. Found we need a gallon and half of antifreeze which may have been the heating problem. Will be here a couple weeks. Free water, electric, TV but have to watch same channel he is watching. Even internet. In two weeks heading back to Fl because grandkids are coming for the 4th, not with RV and then returning couple weeks later to start RVing again. Need a couple of tires. One cracked.
Believe it or not, so far we are enjoying it and are determined to make a go of it.
One other problem we solved so far so good, is the double pane windows on the drivers side and the passenger side has clouded up to the point that it was difficult to see the windows, it seems the seals break and moisture gets in and gases get out. We broke the inside pane of the double pane glass, guess we have less insulation but you can at least see out of them, clear as a bell.
