Motorhome Brakes, Gas, Hurricane Update

 

With everything getting back to normal in our part of Florida, it was time to get some major work done on the motorhome.  As we were coming out of Colorado this summer, our front breaks started squealing.  I decided to make it home since the HHR was not operable at the time, and did not want to get stuck in a situation where we had no transportation and the motorhome in the shop for a day or two.  We did make it home...but the evacuation due to the hurricane was very dicey as the breaks were metal to metal by that time.  

Not knowing where to take the motorhome around here, although there were many of the 'national' chains to choose from, I went to the local Napa Auto nearby and asked them.  I found that the folks at Napa always are so helpful, not just here but in Sacramento too.  The head guy did not hesitate in his recommendation...."Wrey's Auto Service", and the other two guys shook their head in approval.

The picture above is one I found on the Internet which depicts Wrey's Auto.  I left Napa and went over to talk to them.  Garvin, the owner/manager, immediately gave me his attention.  Impressed that I had the VIN # of the motorhome, he knew exactly what he was dealing with.  He asked his son, Jason what day he wanted me to bring it in, and Monday was the day.

Now with the HHR we used Joe's Auto/Curtis Transmission, and they are good...but to get the motorhome in there is near impossible.  At Wrey's, it was a piece of cake.  The shop is situated behind a Marine Sales/Repair shop on Wrey Road, just off Grand Blvd.  There are a few different businesses back there, including a Septic Service.  But once you are off Grand, there is little traffic to deal with, although I wouldn't want to bring a Class A motorhome back in there...but I am sure there have been some.  

Bottom line, they replaced the rotors, the calipers, new break pads, re-packed the bearings, and new brake lines.  After nearly 20 years, the left front brake line had swollen, and was not releasing the caliper as it should.  

Yesterday we drove up to Spring Hill, about 25 miles, to visit with our friend Ginger who lives about 28 miles north of there.  The brakes worked like a charm, and suddenly the motorhome is not as loud as it was.

  

Gas is still the cheapest at Sam's, running $3.159 as of Friday.  There is a Wawa near us which is easy to get in and out of with the motorhome, and it was $3.399.  I remember in March 2020 paying $1.999 per gallon!  Times they are a changing...will the madness ever end.

Quick Hurricane Update

Around 2.7 million customers (representing about 7 million people) lost electricity due to the Hurricane.  Within 7 days, 2.4 million customers had their service restored!  As of today, around 13,000 are still without power...and many of those places need major repairs or total replacement before it can be restored.  Pine Island Bridge was reopened, though only for emergency travel, within 5 days.  The Sanibel Causeway reopened three days ago for emergency travel.  Both of these bridges/causeways lost access roads to them, totally demolished.  Just under 100 people died in Florida due to the storm.  For the most part, we have heard nothing buy praise by Floridians for the hurricane relief...a great tribute to the state, feds and private businesses.  No pictures provided...I am sure everyone has seen the destruction on TV and all over the Internet.   Thank goodness, no sign of any more storms so far headed our way.

Tucked Away for a Florida Winter

 

Here she sits, tucked away for a Florida Winter.  Although both of my 'neighbors' cheated toward my side of their site, I am right in the middle and fit into it without a problem.

        

I ALWAYS take pictures after I park just in case someone says something about the parking spot, about damage to their unit, etc.  Notice the guy on the driver's side (left picture) has his steps out...that is a big no no...Hope he remembers to put them in if he vacates the spot before we leave.  (We are hoping to be in Sacramento Area again for mom's 92nd birthday in late April.)  On a typical Monday I drop Marcia off at Bible Study with the older ladies at church, then Indy and I go by the motorhome and turn on the engine for a good hour to keep everything charged up and in working order.  Once a month or so I take it for a drive.  Seems to work out well for us.

Our BIGGEST disappointment coming home is that our favorite Greek Restaurant, the Original Mama Maria's, did not make it through the COVID era.  Found about it on our way home when I looked on Google Maps and saw that it said it was Permanently Closed.  Marcia contacted her brother and sure enough, it was gone.  The sign says, "Coming Soon, Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Restaurant".  Ahhhh CRAP!  Yes, there are other Greek Restaurants around, but this was by far our favorite...we will miss it.

Had to wait for a good half hour, but got gas at Sam's Club today for $3.019 per gallon.  Talked to Arny as I was waiting in line and he said COSTCO and SAM'S in Citrus Heights was around $4.159.  Other gas stations around here are around $3.15-3.20...so the $1 difference between Florida and California still holds true.  (However, the most expensive stations in California are over $5, and I have not seen anything over $4 here.)

Inside Sam's I found Full Prime Rib Roasts USDA Prime for $335-$350 and USDA Choice for $225, although a 4.5 pound USDA Choice Rib was only $60, and a 6.5 pound leg of lamb (no bone) was $44.  Not too long ago I could get a 6 pound leg of lamb for $30-35.  Anyway, $270 later, and another $30 for gas and I was headed back home with my tail between my legs!   

Boy, sure wish I knew how she does it...sleeps like an angel until she hears a car door, someone's condo door, or a bit of talk by residents nearby at which point she turns into a devil of a dog.  We sure do love our little lump of fur...she is such a good little girl.

So far we are just about settled into the Condo...and our muscles are starting to ache just a little less each day.     

14 Miles Shy of Florida

We had a very restful night at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center in Louisiana, as we have every time we have stayed there since they finished the work on the Welcome Center.  The first time the cars, RVs and Trucks all gathered on the 'other side' of the freeway where the trucks now have their own resting area.

We did not want too early of a start since Baton Rouge is only a half hour away.  So we were off around 8:15, and driving into Baton Rouge by 8:45.  Yes, there was traffic, but it did not last very long.

Above is a picture of the Mississippi River.  The 'red' arrow is pointing out LSU's "Kitty-Cat" stadium.  (My long time blog readers know that I have two children who graduated from the University of Arkansas, and for many of those years the LSU Tigers were our rival (now it is Missouri according to the SEC...but there is still a non-SEC rivalry between the two schools), and my Rotary Club in Pine Bluff at the time had a few die-hard LSU grads who always got my attention...better known as 'ribbing', despite the fact LSU typically beat the UofA.

It is always to see patriotic billboards...this one is by DOW.

Gotta give Louisiana credit, they were working on a lot of the roadway, but nothing slowed us up for the most part.

The gas prices slowly go up ever since we left Texas...Here is Louisiana it is $2.79.

In Mississippi the same type of Love's Truck Stop was up to $3.07!

And at Buc-ee's here in Alabama near the Wilderness RV Park we are at it was only $2.97.

(NOW that I have PO'd all my friends and family in California who are paying well over $4!  SAM'S in Citrus Heights is currently $4.19, and with a LONG LINE!!!  Marcia says "YOU ARE BAD Dave"...I have to agree)

We have had pretty good weather for our entire trip...until we got close to Mobile, Alabama.

As we got closer and closer to the tunnel, it was really raining.

As we got through the tunnel and at the start of the causeway across Mobile Bay, Marcia got this shot of the Battleship Alabama, shrouded in mist from the rain.  It rained from Mobile all the way to Buc-ee's Gas Station, when it suddenly turned into a sprinkle.  After getting gas, we continued the three miles to Wilderness RV Park,  another Passport America park which, for two nights, came to under $40 for full hookups, which is why we stayed 14 miles short of Florida!  When we arrived, the sprinkle had turned to a mist...and the rain held off for a few hours so I did not get wet setting up.  Tomorrow I will take some pictures of the park providing the rain (which is pretty hard right now) lets up.

20 Gallons Gas for $22.58, am I Dreaming???

With this head cold, (yes, we both still have it), it is easy to wonder what is real, and what is a dream.  Like my first car…a 1965 Austin Healy Sprite.  At 16 years old, it was a dream car.  Two seats, convertible…it held 8 gals of gasoline “IF” I filled it up until it started coming out the spout.  Had it for less than a year…rebuilt the engine twice, and if it wasn’t for those duel carburetors, I’d probably still own it today.  What I loved about it, besides the obvious, was that I could fill it up for under $2.  I think the most I paid for gas was $2.25 once, normally I could get by putting in a dollar.  Of course, gas was less than 30 cents a gallon back then.  What a dream!

  

Today I put 20 gallons of gas into the motorhome…and it cost $1.129 per gallon.  WOW…it sounds like a dream, but it was reality.  One thing about shopping at Winn Dixie, beside it being just down the street from the condo, is that you get 5 cents off in gas for every $50 you spend.  You can save it up for 2 months.  With 10 days left in this cycle, I decided to put the maximum, 20 gallons, into the motorhome today…at $1 off per gallon.  Sure could have used some of these prices last year on the Alaska Highway…that WOULD have been a dream!

Two years ago we purchased the SafeGuard tire pressure monitoring system.  On our last trip one of the car pressure sensors stopped working on us.  I thought it was a bad battery, even though we replaced all the batteries just last spring.  Talked to the company and they said to send it to them, and they would replace it for free…so I did.  But when I talked to them a week later, the guy said that it was just a bad battery…even though I had put in a “new” Energizer battery.  He put in a new battery and tested it, and sent it back.  I put it on the car and tested it over at the motorhome, and after I re-programed it, everything worked again.  Apparently in trying to get it to work, I had cleared the setting for this one tire…so it had a bad battery, and it needed to be reprogramed.  Sure glad they honored their 2 year warranty, that’s for sure.  We LOVE our tire pressure system.  It gives you a lot of peace of mind as you travel down the road…and it did catch that one dual tire problem last year.

As for our colds…it is like walking up an escalator.  For every three steps you go, you realize you dropped a step in the process.  YUCK!