RV-Dreams Journal

Weighing Trucks & 2015 Rally Focus - (Goshen, IN)

Well, I took the Jeep back over to Graber's Garage at 7:00 this morning.  We hoped they'd have it ready by 10:00 because we scheduled Montana Owners Club truck weighings for 10:30 - noon, during a break in their rally schedule.

It was much colder this morning, and by the time it warmed up a little, it was time to set up our weighing station.  So, neither of us got in our exercise today.

And the Jeep wasn't quite ready.  So, we had to drive the truck over and get the scales out of the back of the Jeep.

We got set up and the trucks started rolling through.  That's the easy part of the truck/trailer weighings.  We got 20 of them knocked out pretty quickly.

For those that don't know, when we weigh towable RVs, it's actually three weighings: 1) tow vehicle without the trailer, 2) tow vehicle with the trailer, and 3) the trailer axles.

We subtract the weight of the tow vehicle without the trailer from the tow vehicle with the trailer to get pin weight (fifth wheels) or tongue weight (travel trailers).  The pin/tongue weight is then added to the trailer axle weights to get the total trailer weight which is compared to the federal compliance label's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) for the trailer.

Tomorrow, as people are departing the rally, we will weigh the truck and trailer together and go over all the numbers.

After the truck weighings were complete, we pickd up the Jeep.  Almost all of the squeakiness was gone and the cost was quite reasonable.  Of course, they found another issue, so we're going to let them fix that too later in the week.

Then we returned home to work on getting the 2015 Spring Rally registration open.

 

 

And Linda also worked on sending out more notifications about our first RV-Dreams Family Reunion Rally that will be held Memorial Day week in North Carolina next year.  Once all our prior Rally attendees "fledge the nest" and begin their own full-timing adventures, they start their own blogs and most no longer read our Journal or updates, so we want to make sure the word gets out to them.

 

 

That took pretty much all the rest of the afternoon.  There are lots of intricate details I have to test in the web pages to make sure the registration process works like it is supposed to.  Usually, I screw something up, but I think I might have gotten it right this time.  :)

By the end of the evening, registration was open, but I didn't want to officially make it known until tomorrow, October 1, because I wanted to start all the accounting for that Rally in a new month.  :)

While I was finishing that up, Linda served us the soup she had cooking all day in the crockpot.  That hit the spot on this cooler day.

Then, while we watched TV, she printed out all the tire charts for tomorrow's weighings so we could go over tire inflation pressures individually and give each person their specific tire charts for their trucks and trailers.  We can do that when folks follow our instructions and do their "Homework Sheets" and get them back to us ahead of time.  :)

Tomorrow, we'll be weighing from 8:15 to 1:30, so that will take most of the day.  Usually, we start weighings at around 7:00, so the Montana Rally attendees were nice to us.  Hopefully, we'll have good news for them.  :)

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Jeep Work & Cookout At Tiara RV - (Goshen, IN)

This morning, I dropped the Jeep off at 7:30 at the garage across the street from the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds.  We've had extra loud squeakiness, so it was time to get something fixed.

I really didn't want to get up and it was kinda chilly out there as I walked back to the rig, so I bagged on my morning run.

Linda got to work on the catering for the 2015 Spring Educational Rally.  The company we had been working with sent us some proposals that were just way too high.  The Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge catering has always been higher than other areas we've done rallies, and we knew we might have to increase our pricing a little bit, but we weren't willing to increase prices as much as they were proposing.

So, we had to start over.  Fortunately, we found a great alternative that will keep our pricing in line - we just have to increase it a little.  Plus, they will be adding some special touches that we haven't gotten before.

Anyway, after a few phone calls and emails, Linda got all that worked out while I worked on a few other things.

Eventually, Graber's Garage called.  A cable on our emergency brake had broken.  The parts would be in tomorrow, so we went and got the Jeep for today.

Linda got in her exercise and went over to the Montana Owners Club Rally to see if anyone else wanted to sign up to get their RV weighed before we start weighing trucks tomorrow.

At 5:00, we joined the Montana Owners at Tiara RV Sales where they were having a cookout and showing off a couple of new Montanas as well as some various accessories.

 

  

Actually, Deb Schmucker, the sales rep that helped us get four fifth wheels for display at our recent Rally invited us.  She works with full-timers and seems to have more knowledge about full-timer needs than most sales people we've talked to over the years.  :)

After partaking in dinner with some of the Montana folks, Ron, the Wagonmaster for the rally gave Linda the microphone to do another reminder about the weighings starting tomorrow.

The event finished up pretty early.  On the way to the Jeep, I assisted a lady with determining the towing capacities of her truck.  She was really wanting to buy a new Montana and wanted to see if it was within her towing specs, so I showed her where to find the information and how to decipher it.

Back home we watched TV and took it easy until bedtime.  Tomorrow, we weigh trucks and take care of some other chores ... and it's supposed to be colder.  :)

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Financials & New Air Compressor - (Goshen, IN)

After our exercise, this morning was spent watching the American team lose to the Europeans in the Ryder Cup .... again.

Then I delved into getting our numbers entered in our financials for September.  That took all day, and I plan to get all the results posted on the website as soon as I get our accounts reconciled on Wednesday.

Linda headed out to do laundry.

When she got back, she helped me sort through the Rally numbers and get them posted into our Quicken program.  It gets complicated keeping track of all the different pieces and the expenses.

In the middle of the day, we took a short break to dump tanks and backflush the black tank.  We hadn't done a thorough job of that in awhile.

I also got our ladder out to cut some wayward threads off our awnings and to unstick our microwave vent.  The little tabs holding it shut were stuck from the rig painting, but they turned easily once I got up there close.

Before getting back to the financials, I remembered that I wanted to order a new air compressor.  The one we've been using for years, and that several RV-Dreams followers also have, is this Sears Craftsman model.

 

 

I replaced the flimsy, plastic hose on it years ago, but it has done a great job for tire inflation.  The problem is that I've let so many people borrow it over the years that the drain screw has been mangled and no longer functions; therefore, and I can't drain the air out after each use.  Draining the air out after each use keeps moisture from condensation from building up in the tank, and it keeps the tank and internal parts from corroding.

Also, we don't want any moisture from the compressor tank getting into our tires during inflation.

The Craftsman model above has been sporadically available over the years.  It appeared on the Sears website off and on for awhile and then it disappeared.  Finally, it seems that Porter Cable has come out with a nearly identical model: PORTER-CABLE CMB15 150 PSI 1.5 Gallon Oil-Free Fully Shrouded Compressor

 

 

 So, I ordered it from Amazon.

 

 

We should get it this week, and I expect it to perform as well as the old compressor after I replace the cheap hose.  The Craftsman was perfect for tire inflations up to 110 psi.  It took longer getting our 125 psi 17.5-inch trailer tires up to 115 psi, but it did the job.  We'll see how the new one compares.

After that distraction, I was back to numbers with the NFL on in the background.

By the end of the evening, every expense and income item for the month, so far, had been entered and classified.  Not only do we have our own daily living expenses and our business income and expenses to deal with, but we've taken over my parents' finances for an extra layer of data input and reconciliation.

Tomorrow, we'll be working hard on the 2015 Spring Rally.  We hit a snag in negotiations with the caterer we planned to use (too expensive), so we're looking at other options.  That has delayed opening registration a bit, but we still hope to open it on October 1.

Well, that's about it for another day.  We're not a big fan of staying in this area, but it does give us a chance to get some work done and pick up a little RV weighing income so that we can play later.  :)

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Sports Day - (Goshen, IN)

I was up at 5:00 this morning.  I don't know why I woke up so early, but perhaps it was because cars were already arriving for the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale here at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds.

Fortunately, I had recorded the Ryder Cup from Scotland overnight, so I enjoyed watching that with a cinnamon roll.

After Linda got up and had her coffee, we drove over to Fidler Park, a new park here in Goshen that has a mile and a half trail around an 84-acre lake.  We did three miles and then met friends Mark & Patti at an empty parking lot in that area.  We made arrangements to weigh their fifth wheel and truck at 10:00.

They then came back to our rig for a little while.  Mark & Patti came to our Spring Rally back in 2011 before they had an RV, and then they came to our Fall Rally in Oregon in 2012 with their Prime Time Sanibel fifth wheel.

After they left to check out the Relief Sale, I watched the rest of the Ryder Cup and then the Louisville football game.  We won, but we're not looking very good - it's gonna be a tough year.

Linda made us some dinner and there was a nice sunset over the Fairgrounds.

 

 

Tomorrow, we don't have any plans or appointments and it should be a great day for both relaxing and getting some things done.  :)

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Seminar, Mennonite Relief Sale, & New Friends Visit - (Goshen, IN)

Thursday

It was yet another beautiful day and we did our laps around the Fairgrounds.

After breakfast and showers, we got some more work done and did a little re-arranging in the seven compartments on our new hauler bed.

 

 

Keystone RV brought over six Montana fifth wheels, and they had ladies' driving lessons in the parking lot and beyond.

 

 

  

At 2:00, we hauled our projector, screen, P.A. system, laptops and cords to the big tent the Montana Owners Club has set up for their events.

Linda signed a few folks up for weighing while I got set up for our seminar.  We had a small crowd of only about 40 people, but the seminar went well and we signed up 20 rigs to get weighed next week.

After the seminar, we went back home and returned a few emails and watched TV until bedtime.  Tomorrow, we'll be back at it.

 

Friday

We certainly can't complain about the weather the last few days.  It's been perfect.

But I didn't get out there too early today.  I recorded the Ryder Cup golf matches that started at 2:30 this morning in Scotland, and I had to watch the first four matches.

Eventually we got our exercise in, and then I watched the rest of the Ryder Cup.

At 5:00 this afternoon, the Michana Mennonite Relief Sale began here at the Fairgrounds.  This annual tradition involves lots of volunteers and donated products to raise money for worldwide projects of the Anabaptist churches.

It's sort of like a county fair and we had our eyes set on some fresh baked goods to serve the guests we were expecting this evening.

 

 

I think we over did it with some cookies, peanut butter chocolate brownies, and cinnamon rolls.  :)  We took all that back to our rig and then went back to check out the various food offerings.

They have a large food tent ....

 

 

with a wide variety ....

 

 

and several other individual places with local flavors.   We got some roasted chicken and sat at a picnic table.

 

 

Then, we had to top off dinner with a little homemade ice cream.

 

 

We walked by the stage, ....

 

 

and Linda checked out the quilts and crafts.

 

 

Eventually, we walked back to our rig and put out chairs for guests.  We were having a get-together at our place around 7:00.

Colin & Vickie attended our Fall Rally and are parked next door.  They are two months into their full-timing adventure in their DRV fifth wheel.

And Dave & Cris are staying in their motorhome out back on the Fairgrounds.  They dropped by the other day and we invited them to come by and chat tonight.  They started their full-timing in 2011 and work on the road as they travel in their motorhome.  They park on mall and other commercial properties and map all the utilities, lights, and buildings in order to create property management manuals.

We sat out and talked until it started getting a little too chilly around 8:30.  They didn't help us out much on the baked goods, so it looks like we'll have to eat them and do a little extra running.  :)

We packed everything away because tomorrow is the big day for the Mennonite Relief Sale and there will be people and cars everywhere.  We have a weighing in the morning, but we'll have to do it in another location.

Other than that, I'll be watching the Ryder Cup and the Louisville football game.  I've still got a lot of work to do, but we'll be here another couple of weeks, so there's plenty of time.  :) 

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Visit To Lambright Comfort Chairs - (Goshen, IN)

It was a gorgeous day as the Montana Owners Club Rally got under way.  We did our morning exercise and took care of a few things in the morning.

In the afternoon, we made the half hour drive east to Lambright Comfort Chairs.

 

 

Lambright is a small Amish business that builds sofas and recliners and specializes in RV furniture for full-time RVers.  Some of our Rally attendees had purchased furniture there and had brought brochures in for others.  Our friends Butch & Karen from RVs For Less also raved about them.

Earlier this summer, we were considering replacing our three La-Z-Boy Pinnacle recliners.  They are starting to get cracks and tears in the seams and they are getting hard to keep clean.  But we just couldn't pull the trigger on spending the money on new La-Z-Boys.

So, we thought we'd take a look at what Vernon Lambright had to offer.

 

 

The showroom is divided into their residential section and their RV section.

 

 

We sat in and tested every recliner.  The have several models and they can make them in high-back versions or low-back versions.  They have wall huggers, swivel recliners, rocker recliners, and they can add a power-recline option to most models.

After testing everything, we determined that we liked the small, low-back, Lazy Lounger wall-hugger with Ultraleather Brisa Fresco.

 

 

But we preferred the Oatstraw color which was on this pair of recliners.

 

 

The Oatstraw is more of a gray/brown that goes better with our carpet.

Vernon spent a lot of time with us.  He patiently asked us questions and thoughtfully considered our answers.

After a couple of hours, we were convinced about the quality of the furniture and we came to understand the benefits of the Ultraleather, a polyurethane synthetic "leather" which is a trademarked product of Ultrafabrics.

It wasn't our intent to order recliners today, but we did.  They are more expensive than the basic La-Z-Boys like we have, but I feel like there is a lot more value for the money.

We liked the non-traditional look of the Lazy Lounger and it was very comfortable. 

 

We determined that the low-back was more comfortable for us short people.  :)

I thought that the rounded arms were a little too high, but Vernon told us he was re-designing the arms to drop them an inch to an inch and a half.

We ended up ordering two low-back Lazy Loungers in the Ultraleather Brisa Fresco Oatstraw.  And we ordered a low-back double recliner (loveseat) in the same style.  They haven't yet introduced their double recliner in the Lazy Lounger, so we'll be getting the first one plus we'll be getting the first recliners in that style with the re-designed, lower arms.

We'll pick up the new chairs on October 10.

Before we left, Vernon agreed to offer our RV-Dreams readers a coupon for a small discount.  So, if you come to northern Indiana and stop by Lambright Comfort Chairs, bring the following coupon for your discount.  :)

 

   

The coupon is only good at the Lambright Comfort Chair Showroom in Topeka, Indiana.

They don't have a website or an email address, but here is the phone number and physical address:

Vernon Lambright

260-768-4820

Lambright Comfort Chairs

1150 S 700 W

Topeka, Indiana  46571 

 

We drove back to the Fairgrounds and then attended the opening Meet & Greet at the Montana Owners Club Rally at 6:00.  We just wanted to introduce ourselves, remind them about tomorrow's seminar, and explain the rig weighing process for next week.  We got to do all that, but they also invited to get something to eat - very nice of them.

Well, that was about it for today.  We'll do our seminar tomorrow and continue to do a little catching up.  :) 

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Catching Up - (Goshen, IN)

We slept in this morning getting some much needed extra hours of sleep.

Then we got up and did our morning run.  It had been a week since we'd done that, and it felt good to get back at it.

After that, we started getting some work done until it was time to do one more RV weighing at 11:00.  After that was completed, we got back to work.

Linda went through emails, we sent out emails, and we worked on preparations for the 2015 Spring Rally.  It's still our goal to get registration for that open by the end of the month.

Eventually, Linda took our huge load of laundry to get that taken care of while I continued to get some things accomplished.

In the late afternoon, we backed off and took it easy the rest of the day.

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More RV Weighing, A Short Move, & A Birthday Dinner - (Goshen, IN)

We had a few weighings to get done early this morning, and then we had a gap before weighing a few more later. 

The morning weighings went well and we didn't get rained on.  During our mid-morning gap, we decided to move our fifth wheel from our Rally parking area out to the front parking area where we'll remain for the next two weeks while we work the Montana Owners Club Rally and the Thor Diesel Rally.

The Montana Rally starts on Wednesday, and they were already starting to move in, so we needed to move out.

Well, we got everything packed up and ready to go.  Then it was the moment of truth - the first time we were hitching up with our new hauler bed on the truck.  The hitching up part went fine - it's really, really easy since I don't have to reach way over the side to lock the hitch arm and Linda can easily reach the 7-way plug.

However, when Linda went to raise the landing gear, the legs wouldn't go up.  Our hitch on the hauler bed is lower than it was in the back of the pick-up bed, so we had too much leg extended.  Fortunately, our hitch has two additional holes on each side so we can raise the head of the hitch up, but that doesn't help us right now.

So, we unhitched and solicited help from Peg & Michelle.  They were just getting ready to hitch up their fifth wheel, so we asked them to hitch their truck to ours thinking their hitch would be high enough to allow us to raise our landing gear enough to shorten the adjustable part of the legs.  It worked.  :)

That was just a one-time problem, but we want to make sure that the difference in height of our hitch does not cause us to tow the fifth wheel "nose down".  Linda said it looked fine as she watched me tow it to the next spot.  But I think we'll raise the hitch a little when we get a chance.

We got parked in the spot overlooking the parking lot where we will be weighing rigs over the next couple of weeks.  It's a 50-amp, full hook-up site and a little farther away from the train tracks.

 

  

 

After getting set up, we weighed a few more rigs, and then Jim & Dee (Tumbleweed Blog) came for a brief visit to see our interior changes.

A little later, we met Jim & Dee and Kris & Dan at a restaurant in Elkhart to celebrate Jim's 64th birthday.

 

 

Happy birthday, Jim.  :)

Jim & Dee attended our first Rally back in 2008 and started full-timing in December 2009.  Last month they accomplished the goal of RVing in all 48 continental U.S. states.

Kris & Dan attended our Fall Rally last year and began their full-time adventure about a month ago.

We had a lovely evening and said our "see ya laters" with hugs after dinner.

After a quick grocery and fuel stop, we made our way home.  Boy, we're looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.  :) 

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RV Weighing, Rally Wrap-up, & Rest - (Goshen, IN)

After this morning's breakfast and Rally farewell, we had to hustle out to weigh the departing rigs that had signed up.  We have a few that are leaving tomorrow, but most were heading out today.

The RV weighing adds an extra level of preparation and challenge to our Rallies, but we feel it is so important that it's worth the extra work.  We're weighing about half of the rigs that came to this Rally.

We finished up with the weighings around 1:30, and then we had to go back to the Ag Hall to finish cleaning it up and getting everything out.

While we were gone, volunteers helped stack chairs and box up supplies and dispose of the many cardboard boxes that accumulate.  We could not do these Rallies without the assistance of so many that pitch in and help us with everything from check-in to clean-up each evening to running errands to decorating and so much more.  Thanks to everyone for everything!  None of it went unnoticed and our appreciation is immense.

Oh, and thanks to whoever left a little gift on my laptop on Friday that said "For a cinnamon roll on us".  It was delicious.  :)

It took us a couple hours to clean out the Ag Hall and get everything back to our rig.  Then it was another couple of hours to get everything packed up and stowed away until the next Rally.  Whew, glad we got all that done.

Finally, it was time to just sit down, take a load off, relax, and reflect on the wonderful, busy week we just had.

There was a bit of extra stress on us for this one simply because we scheduled the Rally early and then the manufacturers' Open House was announced for the same week.  Much of the reason we scheduled the Rally here was because we wanted the attendees to have the option of touring some plants, and we felt we could get several new rigs to show.

Well, the Open House made everything so much more difficult, and we had to scramble to get rigs and tours.  It took lots of phone calls and the commitments were slow in coming.

I'm sure we will have another Rally in this area in the future, but we will be sure that it doesn't conflict with the Open House.  That just created a little extra stress and work that that we don't need.

Now with that said, we do want to thank those companies that came through for us.

Once again, a BIG THANK YOU goes out to:  Wholesale Warranties, MOR/ryde, and RVs For Less for their generous contributions and sponsorhip

 

 

 

 

And we want to thank Tiara RV Sales and Total Value RV for bringing show rigs to our Rally during a very hectic week for them.

And finally, we want to thank Newmar for holding to their regular tour schedule and to Heartland RV, DRV Luxury Suites, and Lifestyle Luxury RV for conducting special tours for our group on Friday.

Now, we'll try to get some much needed rest before we start in on getting caught up on a lot of things that get neglected during Rally time.  Ah, but it's all worth it.  :) 

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2014 RV-Dreams Fall Rally - Farewell Sunday

Today is the day we thank everyone for taking a chance on our RV-Dreams Rally and say our goodbyes.  It takes significant time and financial commitments to attend, and most have never been to anything like this before, so we fully understand and appreciate the gamble everyone takes when they sign up.

On this last day, we have a full, catered breakfast so that everyone heading out leaves well nourished.

After breakfast, we say some final words.  It's very emotional for us, and I try not to cry - not so much because I care about crying in front of everyone, but more because I have a really bad "cry face" and lots of people are taking pictures of us.  :)

Then we played our traditional "end-of-Rally" song that fits so perfectly with what we are feeling on this farewell day:  "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts.

 

 

During the song, there were many teary eyes in the audience, and we knew the Rally was a success on many levels.

We knew folks would leave with new friends that they will stay in touch with for years to come.  And they will leave with knowledge that most RVers won't have which will hopefully make their transitions to the RV lifestyle easier, and so they fully understand what they are getting into so that potential frustrations may be minimized.

Yes, putting on these Rallies is a lot of work, and this one was particularly challenging trying to get some things coordinated in a week when the area manufacturers and dealers had their focus on the annual "Open House".  But, we absolutely love the teaching and meeting such beautiful people and being a conduit for new friendships and being a small part of life-changing futures.

Our bodies are tired, but our hearts are full at the end of every one of these events.  Oh, how lucky we are.  :)

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