Our first house guest!

Tim Gibble, long time friend, Hope Church attender and friend, spent the better part of the day with us today installing the new water filtration system he built, and discovering and repairing a freeze-cracked refrigerator ice maker valve.

He also, sadly, discovered that there is something keeping the Shurflo automatic water pump from working at full capacity when we are on the fresh water tank instead of city water, as we will be two nights this week in our first two nights of actual test-living in the coach at French Creek State Park
 


 But all days, no matter how challenging they may be, have a good side if we look for it.  Tim got to join us for lunch as our first with a house guest in the coach.

Thank you, Tim, for helping us, as so many others have, learn how to live well in our new home!

PS:  Mona is working hard to fit her kitchen into our new galley.  It's coming along, but you know how most women and many men love to have a BIG kitchen when they finally get their dream home?  We've definitely gone the other way.  When you have to decide which 4 of the 8 Mrs. Dash non-salt seasonings you actually have room for... that's small.  :)

-Ken

Preparing to prepare to depart

First, we have a new agreement on the house!  Settlement is scheduled for June 10, two days after we depart, but that's just fine.  The auctioneer comes to pick up all that's left June 9, and the last of our 'saved' items are in about 15 boxes and will be at our sister and brother-in-law's  (Larry and Loretta Crum) for long term storage in Lititz well before that.

After four weeks in the shop the coach has four rebuilt hydraulic jacks.  They each have new gaskets so are very snug.  I have to keep blocks under them when we use the leveling system so they don't drop all the way until the seals stretch a bit.  But they WORK, and the coach is back home again! TY John and Kim McGrath!


Mona began loading food and kitchen items into the coach.  How fortunate she did!  Our house refrigerator, which is sold in the house sale contract, is on the fritz so that was the first food that moved into the coach. We are praying the fridge may be repaired as we really don't want to have to purchase a new one to close the sale. TY for praying with us for this small blessing!

Then I got ready to fill the 110 gallon coach clean water tank. Uh oh.  Why are the two water filter holders laying on the floor under the valve heads?  And are they supposed to be snapped off from their threaded tops?? Turns out many northern RV'ers are discovering what I just did.  Even though we used the best antifreeze available the super cold winter we had, with extended periods of such cold, cracked pipes and filters all over the place.  But it's the very beginning of RV season, and every coach and trailer shop is way backed up with seasonal work!  We head for French Creek State Park for 3 days this Wednesday to test all our systems in real life before the June 8 sendoff.  Will we be using the public facilities, and washing dishes in the creek beside the trout fisher persons??

 NO!  Tim Gibble, plumber extraordinary to the rescue! Not only did he make a house call on a Saturday morning, he has arranged to develop a simpler water filter system that will be easier to replace filters and allow us to purchase less expensive filters from any home supply shop in North America, not just RV suppliers.  AND he's delivering and installing this hand built wonder this Monday.  TY Tim!



Now, if I can just get the basement door latch I broke off by leaving the door under the front slide-out open when I slid it out replaced!  The contact snapped the latch handle right off. the latch is only 8 years old but hard to find.  None-the-less Schaeffer's RV parts department is working hard to find one and have it shipped FAST to our current address.

It will be a small piece of duct tape or a bungee cord wrapped around the entire coach body like a Christmas ribbon when we travel till then!  :(

Finally Tony Choudhry, who has been helping with the TV setup has determined that while he was able to get the Chromecast units up and working on each TV for great broadband reception and the wireless headset Mona requires so my screen viewing won't mar her book reading audibly is all set up, the project is bigger than the two of us. I'll be asking a local TV repairman (yes, we still have them here in Eastern Berks County) to come out and complete the Wii and Surround Sound speaker system to the front 32" TV.  Mona says I can suffer without 5.1 Dolby for a few days.

She actually says, "Read a book!".

-Ken

Coach is Reading Ready!

Quo is spruced up and ready for reading in any
city, or state, so long as it's sunny & 75, says Mona.

Bags and boxes of books have been organized in many of the coaches cabinets.

The bed's made, and the carpets are vacuumed.

The basement storage compartments are almost filled with the less immediate necessities of life on the road, much as everyone stores seasonal items, tools, and supplies in their basements or attics.






And the photographer takes a minute from his cleaning chores to read
 a few lines in his own library




But wait a minute; what's that I feel?  The leveled coach has developed a certain tilt to forward- right??

Hydraulic leveler number two has cracked a hose or gasket and a quart of oil now stains the driveway behind it's companion wheel. Well, back to the shop she must go!

But this is a normal expectation when you live in a home with umpteen thousand moving parts. And actually not much different than living in a dug-in home. Things break anywhere you live, and need repaired. Thank God once more for the Good Sam Club and their handy king size tow vehicles!

But Lord, are we getting to know Sam a bit better than we should?

-Ken