Friday, December 8, 2017

Snow

First snow in Tennessee and first snow we have seen in almost two years. Also the first snow the motor home and Jeep have had on them. I may need snow tires on the golf cart.



Thursday, December 7, 2017

Elkmont

The Smokies has a primitive 211 site campground called Elkmont. Nearby is an old set of buildings that were used in the early 1900's as a weekend retreat. Some buildings are being demolished due to collapse and rot. There are about twelve that are being saved. We took a drive to see it. When the leaves are off the trees, you can see a lot more of the mountains and things that are hidden in the trees. Another plus is the lack of traffic and tourists that are here in the summer. 

You can read the details about Elkmont at http://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/smoky-mountains/historic-cabins-in-elkmont-ghost-town-now-open-after-restoration/.
















Oil Change

We made a trip to Red Bay for annual service and a couple issues that we only trust the factory service to handle. We left Tennessee and Monday and returned on Saturday December 2nd. Here are a few photos of the Tiffin service center and Bay Diesel, the Freightliner shop in Red Bay.


Tiffin Service Bay 9 (there are about 50 bays) at the service center.

Jeff is working on our Aqua Hot furnace.

This is looking at the west end of the long building.

Bay Diesel ready to do the oil change and annual service. It takes 26 quarts of oil.
I was allowed in the garage and under the chassis while it was being serviced,
a good way to see details.

Air bags and air brakes. The engine is behind the axle.

Air brakes, looks complicated.

There are two fuel filters, one collects any water that might get in the fuel.

It's a short driveshaft since it is a diesel "pusher". The engine is on the left, behind the rear axle.

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Thanksgiving in Tennessee

Happy Thanksgiving from Tennessee! We are still in Tennessee at Two Rivers Landing. We will be here until April 30, 2018. Our work duties are easy and are four hours for three days a week. We are off work Sunday through Wednesday and work Thursday through Saturday. It's getting colder but so far the low has been 27. Daytime we have mid to upper 50's. The trees are almost bare so it is looking like winter. Thanksgiving dinner here is being shared with the other three work campers so this will be different than Thanksgiving with family. We are planning a trip to Indiana later in December to visit for Christmas if the weather cooperates. Here are a few fall photos of the RV resort.

Office and Clubhouse.




The flowering trees are Crepe Myrtles.
We have to trim about 100 of these in January.

Trees are starting to go.

Lots of color here in the resort.

Trees are getting bare.
Steve and Lisa Munsey were here a few days.
Their motorhome was ours for four years until we
purchased our 40 foot diesel Phaeton last year. 


Our vehicles are clean and Rejex has been applied to all paint.
Rejex says "nothing sticks but the shine". I believe it.


Saturday, October 7, 2017

Shipshewana Indiana Again

During our August trip to northern Indiana, we ordered a recliner to replace the original not too comfortable long sleeper/sofa made by Villa. The new recliner was manufactured by Lambright Comfort Chairs, an Amish business. Vernon Lambright and son Benjamin removed the original long sofa and installed the new "theater seating". They build high quality chairs and sofas for RV's or your house. We also ordered a shorter back for our existing Lambright single swivel recliner, to be shipped to us in TN. We are very pleased with our purchase.



While we were there at the Shipshewana South Campground, we visited the Hudson Auto 
Museum. We missed it on our last trip. It had a large collection of Hudson autos. They made expensive cars and they invented a number of features that are still used in modern cars.  In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation to form American Motors (AMC). The Hudson name was continued through the 1957 model year, after which it was discontinued. Here are some of my favorite photos.