Travel day

Today we affirmed that the coach really, really doesn't like cold weather, as it was a case of, if it could go wrong, it did. I can't hope to remember all that did not go according to plan, but the following will give you the idea, which stated this morning when I started the coach and the stop engine light came on. Now I have gotten used to various warning lights and buzzers when it is cold, but the stop engine light, that was definitely something new.

A little knowledge can go a long way, and the only reason the stop engine light comes on is oil or coolant. Normally it would take a glance at the computer readout on the engine monitor, but that was also not working. When it rains, it pours. First guess was oil, and it proved correct. In went a gallon of oil and it barely registered on the dip stick. Gave the engine a try and still got the stop engine light. Off to WalMart we went, returning with two more gallons of Rotella. Unlikely we would need them both, but better prepared than sorry.

With the oil taken care of, but the stop engine light still on, it meant it was also the coolant. First came the struggle to remove the cap, though a little persuasion from a hammer seemed to solve that problem. Like I said at the beginning, the coach really, really doesn't like cold weather and it was definitely cold this morning. Next was to determine if it was low or not. It has a quasi see through plastic tank, with the quasi today being to the not able to see through side. The use of a wooden stick took care of that problem, and in went two gallons of coolant to bring the level up to the maximum mark.

We were making progress, especially because now the engine running and no stop engine light was on, and the engine monitor was showing all systems functioning as they should. But when it came time to bring in the slides, the cold weather jinx was once again activated. First Linda had problems with the switch, and one of the slides stopped about half way in. A little jiggling on Linda's part, with the switch that is, and it started working again. But when the slide came in I noticed the slide topper didn't automatically rollup, instead bunching up and preventing the top corner of the slide from completely closing. Back out it went, and this time it worked as it should, both the topper and the switch. Things were starting to look up.

Once we were finally underway, some two hours later than we planned, we drove across I-10, and into Mississippi. While it wasn't necessarily the coach's fault, we kept passing through intermittent heavy rain which made the drive less than ideal. In the end it turned out just fine and we had a safe trip and arrived at our stop for the night where we got a nice long, level pull thru site. We were also greeted by a very heavy downpour that waited until we were hooked up and in the coach before it fell.

This one we couldn't blame of the cold weather this morning, mostly because it has been an ongoing problem that has getting worse. Thinking back it first may have manifested itself on a cold day, but that was immaterial since it was going to get fixed today. It being the MCD sunshade over the front window that has been creeping ever further downward every time we use it.

Linda had taken a look at the instructions for reprogramming the shade and had basically thrown up her hands. I must admit that my first reading of them left me completely confused. Then, about 15 minutes later I read through them again, and everything fell into place. After that it really didn't take too long before it was working as good as when first installed and finally adjusted correctly. The best part was when Linda mentioned that she really didn't think I could do it, but I did. Not only is she brainy and beautiful, she's also kind caring and considerate. Did I ever pick good or what. Or was it that she picked me?