Meeting Fellow RVers, a Beach Picnic and Sunrises

One of the great things about this lifestyle is friends we get to meet.  We meet people face-to-face and also get acquainted as Blogger Buddies.  Pam and I drove over to Fort Pickens which is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore to see Donna and Dennis.

It was a nice day and we just sat outside and chatted for awhile.  Nice folks and we could have stayed for hours.  But we didn't.  We hadn't met them before except passing comments back and forth over the years.

I think I first came across their blog: Cave Dwellings, about 7 or 8 years ago.  Might have been one of the first ones I started following.  They always seem to have a sense of humor and easy reading style mixed in with some real life challenges on the road.

I remember last year they returned home to Illinois after wintering in Florida.  It was still cold outside and they had a water pipe leak in the house.  Dennis aka 'MacGyver' did some troubleshooting and a whole lot of drywall repair.

When we talked for a while, Dennis was telling me about how he added a couple of outlets to this RV.  Pretty impressive.  Love being around these kind of folks - we can learn a lot.

After some good coffee and conversation, we got a quick tour of their RV.  Very nice!  We loved the floor plan and how nice it looked inside.  Could be a model -- and its a few years old.  They definitely are taking good care of it and it shows.

Next, it was time for a photo with my selfie stick

We didn't want to overstay our first time seeing these nice folks so we said our goodbyes and look forward to seeing them down the road.  We are all going to be moving around Florida this winter so who knows?

Next, it was time to hit the beach for a little while.

 Hard to beat the white beaches of Santa Rosa Island so we decided to stop and have another picnic lunch.

It wasn't exactly lay on the beach weather but it was still a beautiful day.

Next it was back to our site at Postal Point.  One thing we never get tired of is early morning sunrises over the water.

Every day is a different day.  And it never gets old.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Getting Rear Ended in Crestview FL

Friday afternoon is not the best time to get rear ended.  But then again, I am not sure there is ever a good time.

The short version:  That's our Honda CRV in the middle next to the driver of the third car that hit us in Crestview FL.  It was a minor traffic accident with no injuries and about $2600 damage to us.

The longer version:  It could have been much worse -- say in the middle of rush hour on a major highway or in the rain or snow.  But last Friday was a gorgeous day in the Florida panhandle and the weather was not an issue.  And we were glad the whole mess got cleared up and done with in about an hour. (Except for repairs.)

   

We never exactly figured out what happened but the guy behind us said he got 'distracted', looked down, hit the brakes and instead plowed into us.  I think he was probably about five feet behind us so it wasn't like he had a running start.  So that was good.  I think the Reese tow hitch in the back and the Blue Ox towing base plate in the front may have saved us from more damage.  The probably took the brunt of the impact.

But when you hear that awful WHAM! and start putting together what happened, it can be very unsettling.  We are so glad it was  a minor event.  To us it was more...but all in all it was a fender bender.  (Except I'm not sure fenders bend any more.)

Seconds after it happened, I had trouble figuring out why I couldn't unlock my car door and get out. Simple tasks instantly become hard at times like this.

After I did get out and walk around, three policemen showed up.  The guy behind us was concerned if we were hurt and we were all in a bit of a shock.  I was looking for springs and leaks or engine stuff, but didn't really find any.  The front license plate was torn off, and the benders were messed up.

We got the vehicles moved out of the road and into a CVS parking lot across the street.  Everyone was on the phone pretty quickly.  And we all answered questions from the policemen on the scene who was putting together the report.  After about 30 minutes, he finished up, handed everyone a copy of the report (which basically was a listing of everyone's insurance and contact info.)

While the policeman was doing that, I called USAA and got the claim started.  The claims representative was completing the online version and explaining our options and getting a rental car set up in case we needed it.

The lady who drove the car in front of us that had minimal damage. She hung around a little while but left after we got a copy of the police report.  The other guy was waiting around for us, but we told him we were fine and and we left about the same time.

Pam and I thought our the was truly drivable and we went about 20 miles over to Fort Walton Beach to the Honda dealer Collision Center.    As it turned out we talked to the Manager who was cleaning up the shop on a Friday afternoon.   He basically said the sooner we got the claims adjuster to document an estimate for repairs, the quicker things could get started.

It was about closing time so there wasn't much more we could do until Monday morning.

First thing Monday morning, I went online and spoke with the claims adjuster who had been assigned.  We had an appointment with him on Tuesday afternoon.  Originally we thought we were going to just leave it at the Collision Center for them to fix.

But the claims adjuster suggested we might want to take it to one of three direct STARS (Streamlined Appraisal Repair Service) auto body shops in the area and see if they could get to it sooner.

After a quick visit to each one, we selected Miracle Strip Body Shop.  We got an estimate of repairs in 30 minutes and had a scheduled appointment get fixed up first thing next Monday morning.

The advantage of the STARS facility is that we can visit another one if something doesn't get fixed quite right, or if something else needs repairing that was overlooked the first time.  If we are hundreds of miles away from this place, we don't have to come back here to have the same body shop fix it.

So our plans have changed.  We are staying in the Fort Walton Beach area at least another week and enjoy this area some more while we get our Honda fixed.  We will keep you posted.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

Roadrunner Cleaning Time!

I have wanted to wash and wax/polish the coach for a number of weeks.  But either the weather has not cooperated or we have not been in a good place to get the job done.  But here at the Hurlburt Field Campground, we did.

First order of business was washing the roof and getting a good coat of wax on it.

The roof has been oxidizing and then those while streaks roll off the top down the side of the Roadrunner.

The way I do it is to get both collapsible hoses connected (with a nozzle on one end) and wrap some of the hose around an air conditioner so it doesn't slide off.  Then I get a 5 gallon bucket, a little dish soap and climb up on top.  Next I fill the bucket with some soap, add water and I'm in business.

I always wear my old but good fitting running shoes when I get on top of the roof.  Crocs or sandals seem like a recipe for disaster...

Pam cranks up the digital antenna so I can wash under it and away I go.   It doesn't take too long to do the top.

Next we washed the back, both sides and the front.  By that time (after about an hour and 20 minutes) I had about all the fun I could stand for one day.  The next day I used 'The Solution' which I have used for years.

It puts a shiny gleen on the paint and takes a lot less effort than the standard wax.

Even so, it took me two more 2+ hour episodes to get the whole thing done.

Meanwhile, Pam was having some fun of her own cleaning all the screens.

She systematically removed every window screen in the Roadrunner, and sprayed/wiped them down in the shower.  Then she rinsed it and scrubbed (lightly) each screen with Simple Green.  (Don't know why Simple Green is orange?)

After that, she set them out to dry before the put them back on.

The result:

Its a little hard to tell but you can see the difference in real life.

I also took off the metal grate/screen door protector and Pam cleaned the front screen door too.
So we have a clean coach again and got that job done.

So it wasn't all beach time and golf during our stay.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.

Golf and Beach Time in FWB!

Fort Walton Beach always brings back some great memories because this is where Pam and I met and got married.  We were both stationed at Hurlburt Field at the time.  We keep coming back and marveling at the changes.  In the mid 1970's special operations in the Air Force almost got absorbed into the Army.  But then the Iranian hostage crisis broke out and the base and units on base have grown ever since.

While some units are drawing down and bases closing, the role of special operations in international conflicts continues to grow.  The base is twice the size it used to be back then.  As we drive around the base it is hard to remember what buildings were where since some many new and larger ones now exist.  My old barracks and work location have been demolished, with the site now used for bigger buildings.  And their seem to be more flying units on base.

In addition to those memories, this is the place where Pam learned to play golf.  And we like the course on base so we managed to get out one afternoon for a round.

Wow - the changes they have made to the course are impressive.  In addition to adding a second nine holes, the course has new carts and signage that is new and it is very well maintained.  And we couldn't beat the after 2 PM rates - $21 each including the cart.

We got there early enough to hit some balls on the range and then did some practice putting.  Have to get the mojo going for what I anticipated was going to be a very good round.

We had the course to ourselves on a very humid 84 degree day.  We were across the runway from the planes which we saw and heard overhead.

It was fun and we both hit some good shots.

And too many of those other kind.  Despite having my high round of the year, we had fun and enjoyed ourselves.

Some folks are beach people, others are not.  We love the beach.  And the weather has been fabulous our whole week here in Fort Walton Beach.  We had a few things to get done while here, but we managed to get some beach time in.

On the first day, we went to Beasly Park on Okaloosa Island

Its a very nice beach with lots of beautiful white sand.  Probably the whitest beaches in the world.  Certainly the whitest we have ever have ever seen.  I remember coming here after work a few times back in the late '70s and just fascinated by it and wading through a beaten up copy of 'Centennial' by James Michener.

The next day we went down a couple of miles toward Destin to the military campground, paid our $3 (which was worth it since the clean facilities were open) and did a repeat -- sat on the beach and read books.

We will be leaving today but we always have a great time in Fort Walton Beach!  Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.

Days in Destin

We have enjoyed our time here in Destin.  It is a very nice area and one place we come back and visit again and again.  Even though it is a bit cool, it is a great place to be.

A highlight at the Destin Army Recreation Center Campground is that it is located right on Choctawhatchee Bay in the Emerald Coast Region of Florida's Panhandle.  The campground is tight but we have a 42' pad and at $21/night, it works.

We found out the solenoid came in to Fleet Maintenance in Fort Walton Beach, so we packed up and drove over there early yesterday.

Brad jumped right on it and had it installed before 9:00 a.m.  I paid the $310.44 bill and the good news is that have no more random amperage draw or 'Low Voltage' light.  Meanwhile Pam made a quick commissary run in to Hurlburt Field.  Then we headed back to the campground in Destin.

One of the great joys of this life style is meeting new friends! Ron contacted me earlier in the week and we had lunch with him and Jana at the Shrimp Basket in Fort Walton Beach.  They are from Oklahoma and at one time had a motorhome and started following the Roadrunner Chronicles.

They felt like they knew us and brought up a lot of different episodes that we have encountered in the last four years.  It was a great time of getting to know them and hearing about how they relocated here to be near their daughter and son-in-law and grandkids.  Thanks Ron it was great meeting you two!

It was a beautiful day so we went over to Gator Lakes Golf Course on Hurlburt and played 9 holes.  We hit some good shots but then…  yeah, not enough good shots.

It was slow going for some reason.  On one hole we practiced some putting (why don't the putts drop the first time when they count?)  and had time to catch a photo of a gaggle of turtles catching some sun.

Back at the campground, I took some photos of the evening sun going down.

And caught on of Jonathan's seagull. (OK it was really a pelican but it reminded me of one.)

Another beautiful evening on the bay.

We had pork chops for dinner and watched some TV before we called it a night.

Thanks for joining us on the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Thanks for joining us.  Until next time...

Down the Road in Destin

We are back at the Destin Army Recreation Center Campground in a few miles east of Fort Walton Beach.  I think this is our third time here.  We didn't plan on being here but got into a jam and decided to take a campsite for the week.

We left Pensacola on Saturday morning on a beautiful day.  It was also a beautiful day for a 5K fun run and we ran into McGuires 5K.  We could have risked a detour but we saw a motorhome have to do a U-turn Sunday evening because there was a low bridge that was in the way.

So we watched the race and enjoyed the 40 minute delay.  It was fine.  

Then we moved on to the Air Force FamCamp that is right across from the main gate at Hurlburt Field. It has no reservation system and one gets a spot on a first-come basis.  We arrived about 10:30 and had a hard time finding a spot.  The campground is run down and not well taken care of.  A new one is being built but will not be open until June.  

The supervisor from the Services Flight (who runs the campground) saw us looking for a spot and offered to move a temporary trailer off a campsite for us to use.  

It worked great and we were very appreciative.  He could have just said 'We're Full'.  Instead he took another drive around the park then had two guys come over and hook up the trailer and move it to another place.  I took his card and send a note to his commander.  That is customer service!

We wanted to be near Hurlburt for a couple of reasons.  We were married her in 1979 and spent a couple of great years in Fort Walton Beach.  We also wanted to get the Roadrunner into the Freightliner shop at Fleet Maintenance in FWB.  We had a 7:00 a.m. appointment on Monday.

We were there on time at Fleet Maintenance and asked them to check out the "Low Voltage" light that has been coming on after we are parked for a while.  We dropped off the coach, then went over to Panera Bread for coffee.

I was able to check into work for an hour then we went back over to the garage.  They had a commercial vehicle come in and we got pushed back.  They didn't even start checking things out until about 11:00.  

The batteries were fine but they questioned if they were all hooked up correctly.  We got a residential refrigerator installed 18 months ago by Brannon Hutcheson at Custom RV near Red Bay.  I called him and left a message.  He called back in about five minutes and discussed things with the mechanics.  

Then we sent him some photos.  They determined it was  a bad solenoid, not faulty hookups.

This part is now on order and hopefully will be here in a couple of days.  Meanwhile we are in close quarters at Destin.

We made a rookie error in moving on the weekend.  We could have stayed in Pensacola a few more days.  But we made an appointment at the Freightliner place for Monday a.m.   We could have made it for Tuesday.

Then we stayed at a place where we could lose our spot when we moved over to the repair facility.  Our other option was that we could have stayed at the repair facility with power but no water or sewer. So we opted to make the reservation at Destin.

That's it for this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Please join us again...

More Repairs

Really??

Yes really...  We drove from Red Bay AL to Destin FL last week and stayed at the Army MWR Recreation Campground in Destin, FL.  We were looking forward to staying there because of our good impression last time.

It was raining and overcast for the first couple of days and in the middle of Friday afternoon Pam noticed a pool of fluid on the ground between the back tires.

It was transmission fluid and this looked like a big problem.  Not much we could do on a Friday afternoon late in the day.  The main thing was not to panic and think through this thing…  We were in no danger so let's just figure this out and learn all we can in terms of how to deal with it.

We got up on Saturday, confirmed it was still dripping and thought we should tell the campground registration desk that we had a leak and we knew it and were working on getting it fixed.

The lady there gave us the name and number of the RV Doctor who was a local mobile RV repair guy.

He came out and took a look but it was leaking around the transmission pan seal.  It was probably a job that was too big for him but he wanted to confirm it with his boss - Bob.  Bob and Mike came out on Sunday and confirmed it was transmission fluid leaking.   I paid them $40 for two onsite calls and made some phone calls.

The folks at the 1-800 Allison transmission/Cummins dealer in Panama City.  I kept getting promises of call backs but never talked with anyone that could help.  We found the nearest Freightliner dealer - NorthWest Florida Fleet Maintenance in Fort Walton Beach.  They turned out to be the answer to our problems.

They diagnosed it correctly and had the facilities and expertise.  They suggested we take the 'pump drum' of transmission fluid back to our campground, top off what we had lost on the ground, and drive the Roadrunner over to their shop 12 miles away.

That is what we did without incident.

Next, we went back to cleanup of our site.  We got sand and spread it over the spill.

Then we went back over to the Freightliner repair shop and they indicated parts would need to be ordered. We got the parts on Tuesday afternoon and got into the Service Bay a little after noon on Wednesday.  It was supposed to be a 5 1/2 hour job so they thought the could get it done that day.

And they did.  It took them until almost 7:00 PM but we were glad they stayed late to do it.

They cleaned us up, we paid the bill ($1078.64) and we got underway.

But looking back we were very satisfied with our time at Fleet Maintenance.  We met the owner (David) the first thing Monday morning.  He could not have been more helpful.  Then the scheduler Jerry was good and we also liked the mechanics that worked on the Roadrunner.  The folks let us stay two nights at the repair facility free of charge.  They quoted us a price on Monday morning and came within $100 of it,  told us they probably would be done Wednesday after the part came in and got us out of there though they had to stay late.   Generally they are what you call customer oriented excellent professionals.  And the kind of folks we highly recommend!

It has been a little while since we have done some night driving but we decided we wanted to get a couple hours under our belt and stay at a Rest Stop (on I-10) or a Walmart.

After we went about 120 or 130 miles, I stopped at two rest stops but they were small and full (I passed a couple of big ones with plenty of parking but didn't stop at that time…) and we decided on the Walmart at Mariana FL.  It was about 9:20 PM and we were tired.  We stayed at this same Walmart a few weeks ago when we were headed to Red Bay and it was fine.

The next day we drove on to St. Augustine where we are going to be for a few days.  Glad the repairs are done (for a while).  Even though we had a lot of time in the shop there at Fort Walton Beach, we were able to do some shopping and sight seeing (another blog post?).  The area still has the whitest and best beaches we have ever seen…

Thanks for joining us on this edition of the Roadrunner Chronicles!  Until next time...