Monthly Archives: August 2014

FMCA Fun!

The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Convention went into top gear on Thursday. The schedule was filled with seminars, coaches on display and two buildings full of vendors.

I wasn’t scheduled to work again until Friday morning. After Donna attended the Microwave and Convection Oven Cooking seminar, she spent the rest of the day working at her computer. I went to the big vendor hall at the Bank of the Cascades Center. My credit card got a good workout there!

The first item I bought was a quart of Howes Meaner Power Kleaner. This is a diesel fuel additive that adds lubricity to ultra-low-sulphur diesel fuel. It is also an algaecide and injector cleaner. Diesel fuel can develop a form of algae when excess water is in the fuel. Water can be in diesel fuel from many sources, such as the filling station’s tank or condensation from sitting in the motorhome fuel tank. One way to help prevent excess water is to keep the fuel tank as full as possible. With less air space in the tank, less condensation can form. Once algae forms in the water/fuel emulsion, it can plug fuel filters or damage injectors. One quart of Howes will treat 320 gallons of diesel fuel.

At the next vendor stop, I bought a gallon of The Solution waterless car wash. This product was recommended to me by Lynda Campbell. She and her husband Dave use it exclusively on their Alpine Coach. I wanted a waterless wash product so I can clean the coach when we’re in a park that doesn’t allow washing. One gallon should be enough to wash the coach four times.

After that I stopped at the Redlands Truck and RV Service booth. I had decided to buy the set of new Koni shock absorbers from Vic Egg. He had front and rear shocks, new in the box, that fit the Alpine Coach Western RV Peak chassis. Shock selection is like tires or oil – everyone has a favorite and will defend their choice vigorously. I was leaning toward the Bilstein gas pressure shock, but after checking the products at the various vendor tables and also discussing the matter with RV suspension expert, Robert Henderson (Henderson’s Line-Up, Grants Pass, OR), I went with the Koni shocks. I made arrangements with the guys at Redlands to install the new shocks onsite that afternoon.

Then I stopped at the booth selling products from The RV Water Filter Store. I’ve been using the Camco inline throw away filters for the water supply to our coach. These only last about three months and I’ve had two of them crack at the hose fittings. I wanted a more robust filtration system. I bought a two-stage canister type filter. The first canister contains a cotton filter media designed to mechanically remove sediment and any other particles in the water. The second canister contains activated charcoal and will remove chlorine and other chemical compounds from the water. The cotton cartridge in the first canister should last about six months, depending on water quality. This cartridge is inexpensive at $3.50. The second cartridge should last a full year and costs $13.00. Over time, this system will save money and provide better filtration compared to the inline throwaway filters.

The Redlands Truck and RV Service Center mechanics pulled up to our coach at 2:30pm. They went right to work and had the shocks changed out in about 45 minutes. The original shocks on our coach showed wear and tear. The right rear shock was completely blown out and was leaking fluid. This is most likely what I was feeling as we drove down the road. The fine handling qualities of our Alpine Coach had deteriorated since we left Arizona. No doubt, some of the rough roads we encountered contributed to failure of the original Bilstein shocks.

Original front Bilstein shock – doesn’t look too bad

New Koni FSD shock installed on front suspension

Blown out rear Bilstein gas pressure shock

Thursday evening we had a happy hour gathering next to the sites of Tom and Nancy Polk and Vic and Willi Egg. We were getting into the swing of things when it began to rain. We got cozy under an awning and an Easy-Up and carried on.

Braving the elements for happy hour

Yesterday, I was up at 6am for another shift of carting people around the fairgrounds. It was much busier than Wednesday’s shift. The weather was superb with abundant sunshine and the temperature topped out near 80 degrees. I was scheduled to work until 9:30am, but I couldn’t get back to the cart staging area until 10am. People needed rides and I couldn’t turn them down. I finally gave a person a ride to the small vendor building next to the cart area and turned it in.

Donna and I spent the afternoon kicking tires and looking at coaches for sale. We aren’t in the market, but it was fun to see different set-ups. We spent some time in a two-million dollar Prevost Marathon. It was nice, but we liked the 1.7 million dollar Newell better. I was impressed with the Entegra line of coaches also. Entegra came about when Travel Supreme was going out of business. Jayco bought the Travel Supreme business and retooled it into Entegra around 2009.

Last night, we enjoyed another happy hour with with our fellow Alpiners and tons of hors d’oeuvres. Today, Donna is going shopping in Bend with Willi Egg. I’ll check out more of the show and attend a seminar.

First Work Day

Tuesday was a laid-back day. After I posted to the blog, I walked with fellow Alpine Coach Association (ACA) members, Marcy and Greg Vaughan, to the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) Orientation for First-Time Attendees while Donna stayed back to get some work done. We learned a little history of FMCA, which was founded in 1963, and they walked us through the high points of the 126-page event catalog.

Around noon, I called Paul Maddox, an HWH hydraulics specialist. He was here at the convention. We had corresponded through the IRV2 forum previously. He came over to our coach and confirmed my diagnosis of a leaking solenoid on the right rear jack. He had replacement solenoids. I opted for a re-manufactured unit – it carries the same warranty as a new one from HWH and costs much less. He installed it and we were up and running again in no time. With the leaking solenoid, my right rear jack would slowly retract itself after I deployed it. This has been going on for a few months. I’ve been using blocks under the tires to raise the rear when necessary. Now I can level the coach properly with the HWH system and the coach is much more stable.

On Tuesday evening, Donna and I attended the FMCA volunteers’ dinner. We were served buffet style and had plates of rigatoni with a bolognese made with chicken instead of the traditional beef. We also had a green salad on the side and chocolate cake for dessert. Donna passed on the cake, but I couldn’t resist.

FMCA volunteers’ dinner

There are roughly 500 volunteers helping to run this event. FMCA has been planning it for two years and it seems like they have all of the bases covered.

Motorhomes continued to arrive all day Tuesday. One difference here from RV parks in general is the lack of fifth-wheel and travel trailers. FMCA is a motor coach association and that’s what we have here. Thunderstorms rolled in before dinner. Once again, we hunkered inside and watched TV.

I was up at 6am yesterday. It was my first work day in over a year. At 6:30am, I took the wheel of a six-passenger golf cart and began making my rounds. My duty was to offer rides to people needing help to get to various points of the fairgrounds. Priority is given to those in the handicapped area, but anyone can get a free ride.

My shift started out cold and slow. The temperature was in the 50s. Other than a few FMCA officials going to a meeting, the only people out were walking their dogs. Around 8am, business started to pick up. By 9am, I was ferrying people around nonstop. My shift was scheduled to end at 9:30am, but it was 9:45am before I could make my way back to the golf cart staging area. Every time I tried to return, someone would flag me down for a ride in the other direction!

When I came home, I was cold and tired. Donna made a hot breakfast for me. I took a nap until noon. This getting up early and going to work stuff is hard! We went to a seminar at 1:30pm. The seminar was about how to escape a fire in a motorhome. Fire is one of the biggest dangers in an RV. We learned a few tricks and tips. Donna practiced evacuation through the emergency fire escape.

Donna preparing to make her escape

Donna climbing out feet first, belly down

Fire fighters spotting her as she lowers herself

The coach they used for the demo has a larger fire escape than our coach. But it also had a north-south bed with a small gap and a cabinet under the emergency escape window. These obstacles had to be dealt with to get out the window. This brought home the fact that emergency escape needs to be planned and practiced.

The emergency escape window in our coach is at the head of the bed, which is oriented east-west, making it easier to get out the window. One of the things we learned was to open the emergency escape and periodically treat the rubber seal with a non-petroleum based lubricant such as 303 Aerospace Protectant. We heard a horror story of a fire in a motorhome at Lake Havasu where the occupants perished because the escape window was stuck closed. I checked our window this morning and it opened easily. I’ll treat the seal on it today.

Last evening, I joined Tom and Nancy Polk at Vic and Willi Egg’s site for happy hour. Donna made a caprese plate that I brought for a snack. Donna was back in our coach talking to her sister on the phone. A thunderstorm arrived before Donna could join us and I beat feet back home.

I turned in early last night after drinking two cocktails. The early start to the day did me in. This morning, Donna is at the microwave-convection oven cooking seminar. Today, the show begins in earnest. I plan to go to the vendor area and poke around.

Caravan to Redmond

We’re at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Redmond, Oregon. I need to catch up on the activities of the last couple of days.

On Saturday evening, dinner was provided by the Alpine Coach Association (ACA). In addition to more pizza than we could possibly eat, ACA attendees brought salad or dessert to share. We had been given some big, ripe Oregon peaches as a welcome gift that Donna used to make a peach and wild blackberry galette (an unstructured pie). Shade was precious – we had another hot day with the temperature reaching 97 degrees by 5:30pm.

Dave Hobden brought a growler of Belgian Witbier to our table, of which I helped myself to a couple of glasses. It went well with the pizza.

On Sunday morning, Donna and I left the park on the scooter a little past 8am. We headed east through Troutdale on the Old Historic Columbia River Highway. It was a beautiful road, winding along the Sandy River at first. The surface was recently paved and very smooth.

The road took us through the town of Corbett and past the Vista House. We didn’t make any stops as we were bound for Multnomah Falls. The ACA was treating us to brunch at the Multnomah Falls Lodge. Brunch was scheduled for 9am and we wanted to arrive early so we could hike up to the bridge at the falls before brunch.

Multnomah Falls view from the parking area

We walked to the lower pavilion and took a few photos. We lingered there too long and decided to hike to the bridge after brunch.

Upper and lower falls from the pavilion

I was there

The bridge spanning the nine-foot drop between the upper and lower falls was financed by Simon Benson and completed in 1914. It’s called the Benson Bridge. Earlier this year, a large rock fell from the cliffs above and damaged the west end of the bridge. Engineers determined that the damage was cosmetic. The hole was repaired and the bridge re-opened. There have been a few mishaps on the bridge in the 100 years it’s been standing, but it’s still the original structure.

View from Benson Bridge, looking down the lower falls

Brunch was served in the Multnomah Lodge restaurant. The lodge was built in 1925. The brunch was an all-you-can-eat, buffet-style meal. It was outstanding! There was a huge variety of food, including eggs benedict and poached Copper River salmon, all of it tastefully prepared.

By the time we made it up to the Benson Bridge around 10:30am, it was crowded with tourists.

Donna and I rode the same route back, but this time we stopped at the Vista House Observatory. The Vista House is on Crown Point and offers a scenic view of the Columbia River to the east and west. The Vista house is a domed rotunda on an octagonal base. The base is about 64 feet in diameter and the dome stands 55 feet high. It was completed in 1918. Crown Point stands about 700 feet above the Columbia River.

Columbia Gorge to the east from the Vista House

After we returned, Donna went out for a bike ride, back down the Old Historic Columbia River Highway and across the Sandy River on Stark Street, eventually hitting the Springwater Trail. While she was out, I made a run to the store to replenish my beer supply. Then I organized the trailer and loaded the scooter. After Donna returned from a 30-mile loop in the heat of the day, concluding with a jump in Blue Lake, I loaded her bike in the trailer.

We planned to hit the road by 8:45am Monday morning. We were up early and made our final preparations. I filled the fresh water tank and dumped the holding tanks. We won’t have fresh water or sewer hook-ups for the week while we’re in Redmond.

I hooked up the trailer at 8:30am. Dave and Stilla Hobden were ready to roll and we followed them out of the park. Our plan was to caravan for the 135-mile trip to Redmond. Dave had walkie-talkies. He gave one to Donna so we could communicate if necessary. We were rolling down the road by 8:45am.

We followed US26 from Gresham past Mt. Hood. US26 is mostly a two-lane highway with a few climbs. We were able to maintain the speed limit most of the time. Near Warm Springs, we drove in the right lane where there was a section of highway with a passing lane. Some cars passed us there. The last car to pass was slowly overtaking as the passing lane ended. He crossed the double yellow line to get around Dave’s coach. An Oregon State Trooper was sitting in his car on the opposite shoulder. His lights lit up and he whipped a quick U-turn. Bad decision by the driver of the car. I’m sure it cost him.

The ACA members coming to the Family Motor Coach Association Convention in Redmond staged at the school grounds on the north side of Redmond. We split into three groups to stagger our arrival at the fairgrounds. This way, we could have our group parked together without overwhelming the parking staff.

I was in the last group, since I had to drop our trailer. The guys organizing our parking area found a great spot for my trailer. It’s fairly close to our site. It was an easy pull through to drop it and it should be easy to hook up when we leave.

After setting up, I took the scooter to reconnoiter the area. After getting wrong directions a few times, I finally found the will-call area and picked up our packet. At 3pm, I attended the volunteer cart drivers’ meeting. I will drive a golf cart to transport people to and from the handicapped area. We expect more than 3,000 people here by tomorrow and through the weekend. My golf cart shift starts tomorrow, from 6:30am to 9:30am. I have the same shift on Friday. Other than that, I’m free to enjoy the show.

The heat wave continued. The thermometer hit 95 degrees here yesterday. Around dinner time, a thunderstorm blew in. The wind was swirling as the raindrops fell. We stayed indoors and watched Good Will Hunting in remembrance of Robin Williams. RIP Robin.

Between the golf-cart duty and the seminars I want to attend, I’m not sure when I’ll write my next post.

Rally Good

Friday morning started at the Alpine Coach Association (ACA) group area with a continental breakfast. At 9am, Dave Hobden picked me up and we drove to Roadmaster in Vancouver, Washington. A tour was scheduled for our group. After we arrived, we were split up into three groups with about 20 people in each group. This way, we could hear our guide throughout the tour and not disrupt production too much.

Roadmaster was founded in 1974 by Jerry Edwards. He still owns the company, which most RVers associate with tow bars and towed vehicle braking systems. We met Jerry before we started the tour. He has a motto: “Quality has to be built in, it can’t be added on.” We would learn how this commitment to quality is applied in the factory and also see how Roadmaster manufactures so much more than tow bars.

Rather than try to give a blow-by-blow account of the three-hour tour, I’ll try to give a high-level overview with a few photos. The quality of the photos isn’t great – the lighting was challenging much of the time.

The facility we were in was built in 2008 and encompasses 95,000 square feet of floor space. In this factory, raw materials such as steel are machined, bent and forged. Electrical wiring harnesses are fabricated and electronic components are built. Upstairs, research and development and quality control testing takes place. Quality control is also performed at other points along the factory floor.

Steel housing being formed at a large bending brake

Forging the steel ends to shape on a sway bar – note red hot steel glowing on the end

We learned that Roadmaster is a supplier for other companies, such as suspension specialty companies and the United States military.

Many of the fabricated steel parts need to be cleaned up after welding or forging. Roadmaster uses a bead blasting machine to accomplish this. Bead blasting not only cleans up the surface and removes slag, it also work hardens the surface.

Fabricated sway bars before bead blasting

Sway bars after bead blasting – note small container of tiny BBs used for blasting

Bead blaster

After the bead blasting process, the parts get a powder-coat finish.

At the end of the line, we saw some finished products ready for packaging.

Roadmaster Falcon tow bar

Roadmaster Sterling aluminum tow bar

Upstairs, every brake controller and other electronic components are tested before they are packaged and shipped. 100% tested! Small parts are vacuum-packed on cards upstairs and the cards are packaged for shipping.

Small parts vacuumed sealed on cards ready for shipping

Invisibrake units tested and ready for shipping

At the end of the tour, we were outside the building and were surprised to find something else Roadmaster builds in their 40,000-square-foot facility across the river in Portland, Oregon.

Roadmaster builds volumetric mixers. These are specialty cement mixers built on a Kenworth chassis. These are not the usual rotating bucket cement mixers. A volumetric mixer has separate compartments for water, gravel, sand and cement. The concrete is mixed onsite as needed. These mixers are increasingly used in the construction and repair of concrete interstate highway projects. The exact amount (up to 12 cubic yards) of quick-setting concrete can be made up onsite and quickly deposited. This allows fast job completion and reduces waste. The turnaround time for the truck is quick also – a front loader refills it with gravel and sand while hoppers refill the water tank and cement bin. The truck can even be moved and operated from outside the vehicle with a remote control!

I don’t think any of us knew that Roadmaster built these machines.

Roadmaster volumetric cement mixer

I came away from the tour impressed by Roadmaster’s commitment to quality. It was evident in the choice of materials, the research and development and the quality control measures.

After the tour, we were treated to lunch under a large canopy in the parking lot. After we were served, the entire crew of about 170 people employed at the site joined us. Jerry Edwards has many long-term employees – apparently he treats them right. A few employees were seated at our table. They told us that a group tour, such as the one we just experienced, was a rare occurrence. Vic Egg, one of our ACA hosts, did a great job working with Roadmaster to set this up.

Lunch is served in the Roadmaster lot

There was another tour scheduled in the afternoon at the Pendleton Woolen Mills in nearby Washougal, Washington. Dave and I decided to pass. Three hours on our feet at Roadmaster was enough.

When I returned, I found Donna preparing for a bike ride. She went out with our neighbors, Dave and Susan Weber, from Wenatchee, Washington. Donna led the way as she has a pretty good grasp of the routes around here now. They made a 30-mile loop.

Donna and Susan – note Mt. Hood in the background

Donna and Dave – Columbia River and Mt. Hood

On Friday night, we had a BYOB social at the group area with taco plates catered by Uly’s restaurant in Gresham. The tacos were great and the talk at the table was fun.

Saturday started with fresh bagels in the group area. From there we had an open schedule. Donna and I scootered to downtown Portland. We went to the Portland Saturday Market on the Willamette River by the Burnside Bridge.

Portland Saturday Market – Burnside Bridge in the background

The Portland Saturday Market is actually a weekend open air market that runs from March to Christmas Eve, Saturdays from 10am to 5pm, Sundays from 11am to 4:30pm.

We wandered through the stalls and looked at stuff – lots of local products and artwork for sale.

I had to take a photo of the tie dye

On the food court by the river, there was a bluegrass band performing. They played a tongue in cheek version of Guns N’ Roses Sweet Child o’ Mine.

Sweet Child o’ Mine?

We walked across the street where there were more vendors and another food court. We grabbed some lunch and listened to a blues trio that was performing there. It was a fun way to spend midday, shopping around and listening to free, live performances.

Blues trio

On Sunday morning, we have brunch scheduled at Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls is about 16 miles from here, up the Columbia Gorge. It’s the second highest year-round waterfall in the USA, plummeting 620 feet to the pool below. Only Yosemite Falls is higher.

I’ll pack the trailer Sunday afternoon in preparation for travel on Monday. We’ll have to pull out of here before 9am Monday to meet up with the ACA group in Redmond, Oregon at noon. I may not post again until Tuesday. We have a busy week ahead at the Family Motor Coach Association Convention.

Alpines Everywhere

We’ve had some busy days since I last posted on Wednesday. It’s Saturday morning and I need to catch up.

Donna went out for a bike ride on Wednesday. She rode west on Marine Drive to Portland and followed the bike path along I-5 over the Columbia River. If she continued north on the path, she would cross the state line into Washington. Instead, she pulled off at Hayden Island. She rode there to visit her friend, Ramona Creel. Ramona is an organizing professional and full-time RVer.

Ramona was staying at the Jantzen Beach RV Park. She has an Airstream travel trailer that she pulls with a Ford truck. She was stranded at the time due to engine trouble with her truck. An independent mechanic in Portland told her the engine had seized and would need replacement. His estimate for the repair was $6,000.

The truck ended up at a Ford dealer where they told her the engine wasn’t seized. The compressor was seized and wouldn’t allow the engine to turn over. Replacement of the compressor was $1,100.

Stories like this really frost me. The first mechanic condemned the engine without doing a proper diagnosis. He assumed the crankshaft was seized and never removed belts to confirm this. I don’t know if he was dishonest or incompetent, but people like that give the auto repair business a black eye.

Donna visited with Ramona for an hour or so before riding back. It was about a 30-mile round trip with a tailwind all the way home along the Columbia River.

While Donna was out, I washed our coach. I also treated the tire sidewalls with 303 Aerospace Protectant.

Around 4pm, we rode the scooter to the old downtown district of Troutdale and had an early dinner at a sushi restaurant. Downtown Troutdale is only a couple of blocks, but it has some cool shops.

Old downtown Troutdale

At the end of the road is a museum and park overlooking the Sandy River. They roll up the sidewalks at 5pm though, so the museum was closed by the time we got there.

Old Union Pacific rail car in front of museum

Thursday was a move day. We had to pack up and move from site 99 to site 28. We also had to drop our trailer. I walked up to office to check in for the move. Last Friday, the manager told me I would be dropping the trailer in site 2, 3 or 4 and I should check in before moving. The manager wasn’t there Thursday morning. The assistant manager, Debby, was on duty. I asked her which site I would be dropping the trailer in. She told me she didn’t have anything available, so I would have to leave it in the other end of the park by the pond!

I nearly lost it. I told her this was the second time they hadn’t come through. First of all, Debby had e-mailed me in April and said we would stay in the same site for our entire stay. That didn’t happen. Then the manager told me I would drop my trailer near our present site and now Debby was saying that wouldn’t happen either. After I pointed out to Debby how she had dropped the ball on me, she started looking through her reservations. She finally told me I could drop our trailer in site 6 as soon as the people there moved out, which would be by 11am. Site 28, where we had to move, was also currently occupied and should be available by 11am. I don’t understand all the juggling of sites. The people in site 28 weren’t leaving the park – they were being moved to another site as well!

At 11am, I dropped the trailer in site 6. Then we drove the coach down Sandy Boulevard a few miles west to a Union 76 station I had scouted. Their price for diesel fuel was $3.78/gallon. With my 5% Chase Freedom card cash back bonus, I filled up for less than $3.60/gallon.

Once we settled into our new site, the Alpine Coaches started rolling in. The Alpine Coach Association rally would officially kick off with cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres at 5pm.

Rows of Alpine Coaches

The hors doeuvres turned out to be dinner. There was plenty of food, wine tasting and a variety of beers. I sampled a few beers while Donna enjoyed the wine. We sat with Dave Hobden and his wife, Stilla. They’re originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Actually, Stilla is from Germany. They’re full-timers now that Dave has retired for the second time. First, he retired from the army, then went back to work for the government as a contractor. Now, he’s fully retired and enjoying life on the road. Dave and I corresponded online through the Alpine forum and he follows our blog. It was great to meet in person. Events like this and life on the road in general are all about the people we meet.

Dave, Stilla and Donna along with other ACA members

A tour of the Roadmaster facility, where RV parts and accessories are manufactured in Vancouver, Washington was on the agenda Friday morning. Donna and Stilla weren’t interested in going. Dave and I decided to travel together in Dave’s truck.

Donna hung out with a group of women after I left at 7:30pm. I came back to the coach to watch the Chargers pre-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. For some reason, the NFL Network showed the TV coverage kicking off at 7:30pm. The actual kick-off was at 7pm, so I missed most of the first quarter. The Chargers look promising. I think it will be a good season.

I’ll post about Friday’s activity later and bring us up to date. Today, Donna and I are heading to Portland’s downtown area to kick around.

Reliable Video Reviews

Yesterday was a lovely day. The weather was typical for Portland in early August as the thermometer topped out at 82 degrees. The morning dawned overcast, but it quickly burned off and we had blue skies all day.

We shot a video review of the Reliable Enviromate Pronto P7 Handheld Steam Cleaner and Fabric Steamer for Camping World. Shooting the video outdoors had its challenges. We tried to time our takes between airplanes flying by. Then the garbage truck arrived and emptied dumpsters at the end of our lane. Then a big diesel motorhome pulled into an open site across from ours. We kept plugging away until we had a usable video.

Donna’s friend, Susan Lannis, drove into our site at noon, right on schedule. After a short visit and tour of the coach, she and Donna drove east on old Highway 30. They planned to sightsee and enjoy a picnic lunch that Susan had packed.

Donna at an overlook of the Columbia Gorge – photo by Susan Lannis

They stopped at Latourell Falls and walked up the path to view the lower falls. They dined at a picnic table there.

Lower Latourell Falls – photo by Susan Lannis

The lower Latourell Falls plunges 249 feet to a pool below. The falls are named after Joseph “Frenchy” Latourell, a settler that came to the gorge in the 1850s.

While they were out, I rode the scooter to the Fastenal store. I talked to the guy at the counter and we discussed options for re-fastening the compartment cover on the right side of our coach. He thought I should drill out the holes and use a Heli-Coil® type thread insert. I agreed that this would be the strongest way to repair the damaged threads. However, there really isn’t any tension on the screws – it only keeps the panel from opening. The screws insert through a horizontal plate on the bottom of the panel and thread into a blind hole. The only force on the screw is a light shear, not tension. It only needs enough tension to hold it in place.

Instead of spending $35 for a thread insert tool and kit that I would probably use one time, I opted for trying a self-tapping screw. The original threads held a 1/4″ or 6mm screw. I’m not sure which one it was as the threads were damaged. I thought a 5/16″ self-tapping sheet metal screw would work. I paid $2 for a packet of five screws. If it didn’t work, I still had the option of doing the thread insert.

5/16 – 18 x 1/2″ hex washer head self-tapping screw

I removed the safety wire I had used to temporarily hold the panel closed. Then I cranked the self-tapping screw in place. It tightened up fine. I did the same on the second hole with the same result. Job done! I doubt if the screws will back out. If they do, I’ll install thread inserts.

Later, Donna and I shot another video review inside the coach. This one was for the Reliable Enviromate Brio steam cleaner. We’ve been wanting to do this review for a while. We finally had a nice afternoon without background noise in the coach from the air conditioners.

Yesterday afternoon, there were seven Alpine Coaches in the park. The Alpine Coach Association rally begins tomorrow. We expect to have at least 38 Alpine Coaches. Last evening, Donna and I took a walk through the RV park. We met Tom and Nancy Polk along with Vic and Willy Egg. Their Alpine coaches are parked next to each other. The four of them are the hosts for the rally.

This is our first organized RV rally. We’re looking forward to meeting like-minded people and I can learn more about Alpine Coach from experienced owners.

This morning, I plan to wash our rig and have it spiffy when we move to site 28 tomorrow. Donna’s going out for a bike ride.

Blue Lake

The temperature rose quickly yesterday. I went for ride on my mountain bike a little after 11am and it was already quite warm.

We planned to shoot a video review for Camping World in the morning, but the landscape crew was mowing outside our coach and creating too much noise. Later in the day, with both air conditioners running, we would have had too much background noise. So we put it off until today.

I rode my bike west on Sandy Boulevard, then turned north, toward the Columbia River at 185th. From there I followed Marine Drive, the same route I rode on the scooter the day before. I left Marine Drive on a paved bike path that brought me to Blue Lake Regional Park.

I rode my bike into the park to have a look at the lake. The park covers 101 acres. The lake itself is 61 acres. The lake has no natural inlet or outlet. It’s a basin that’s filled with rainwater, ground water runoff and seepage. In the dry season (late summer), water is pumped from municipal wells to maintain the lake level.

The park encompasses the north shore of the lake. The south shore has private residences. Boat rentals are available in the park. There are swimming areas and a fishing dock as well. I rode my bike to the end of the fishing dock.

View of Blue Lake to the west from the fishing dock

East end of the lake

Maintaining the water quality in the closed system of the lake is a difficult task. They’ve had issues with invasive, non-native plants such as Eurasian watermilfoil and curly leaf pond weed. The water looked clean to me. The aquatic plants I saw in the lake were mostly giant water lilies. They were blooming with white and purple flowers.

Giant water lily

I was on the bike for a little over an hour. By the time I returned, it was getting hot out. We spent most of the afternoon indoors to escape the 90+ degree heat.

We went for a walk in the RV park before dinner. The park is large with more than 400 sites. We saw an old slammed VW Type II crew cab truck parked in front of a fifth wheel trailer. I took a gag photo that made it look like the trailer was hooked up to the VW!

Heavy load

Donna prepared garlic shrimp over pasta with grilled zucchini for dinner. As usual, it was an excellent meal.

Shrimp with zucchini over pasta

This morning, we’ll work on the video shoot. Later, Donna’s friend and professional organizing colleague, Susan Lannis, is coming over. She lives across the gorge on the Washington side of the Columbia River. They plan to drive up highway 30 to view waterfalls and have a picnic lunch. The greatest concentration of waterfalls in the USA is found along the vertical basalt walls on the south side of the Columbia Gorge.

I never made it to Fastenal yesterday. Maybe I’ll find the store today and get the hardware I’ve been looking for.

Home on the Marina

Yesterday’s high temperature reached 90 degrees. It wasn’t a record breaker, but it was nine degrees above average. Today is supposed to be hotter – mid 90s.

Donna studied the map and went out for a bike ride in the late morning. She made one error on her course and ended up climbing to the top of Rocky Butte Park. She went through a tunnel going up plus lots of switchbacks to the top and back down the other side. She met another rider who helped her get back on course. She rode back along the bike path next to Marine Drive, on the Columbia River. Her loop covered about 20 miles.

After lunch, I took a ride on the scooter. I wanted to stop at Lowes and try to find 5/16″ self-tapping screws. I made a loop riding west, then north to Marine Drive where I turned back east. The Columbia River runs wide and deep along here.

I came upon a unique little community. It’s made up of floating houses at a marina. There were three or four different gated marinas with floating houses. The homeowners had parking areas in the marina lot and most of them also had floating garages for their boats.

Floating homes

Homes and toys

More homes

These communities are located in a small strait between the south bank of the Columbia River and McGuire Island. This shields them from the main channel of the Columbia.

I also checked out the Blue Lake Regional Park and Chinook Landing Marine Park. Both parks were full of activity as lots of people were enjoying the sunny weather on the water. I just did a drive-by. The day-use fee to enter either park is five dollars.

I finally made my way to Lowes. They didn’t have the hardware I was looking for. The guy there suggested I try Fastenal, but they are closed on Sunday.

In the afternoon, Donna and I tackled a chore I’ve put off for too long. Our Weber Q grill needed a deep cleaning. It was quite a job, but it gave Donna a chance to try out the Reliable Pronto Steam Cleaner. We’ll be shooting a video review of this product for Camping World like the one we did for the Reliable Steamboy Pro T3 floor mop.

Last night, Donna did something different for dinner. She cubed spicy, pre-seasoned, boneless, skinless chicken thighs from Costco that my daughter, Alana, cooked for dinner one night when we were visiting. She browned the chicken then added broccoli, onions and peppers for a stir fry. She used the orange glaze sauce that came with the pre-seasoned chicken in the stir fry. She sprinkled sesame seeds over the stir fry once it was on the plate. It was a quick, simple meal that was very tasty. I would enjoy having it again.

Chicken stir fry with orange glaze sauce

This morning, we’ll work on the video review. I want to take my mountain bike out for a ride by the river. Later, I’ll see if I can find the Fastenal store and continue my quest for 5/16″ self-tapping screws. I think today will be mostly a working day for Donna.

Chillin’ and Grillin’ in Portland

Yesterday’s weather was hot and muggy. The thermometer registered a high of 90 degrees. We ran the air conditioners all afternoon.

For some unknown reason, I had lower back pain yesterday. I was uncomfortable most of the day. I managed to get out and ride the scooter over to WalMart where I bought propane canisters for the Weber Q grill. I also bought DAP caulking for the kitchen sink and backsplash in the bathroom. The caulk had dried out and was cracking around the kitchen sink. This was allowing water to seep past any time water collected on the rim of the sink (while doing dishes or whatnot).

Likewise, the seam where the backsplash and countertop meet in the bathroom needed to be resealed. I used almond colored caulk in the kitchen to match the Corian® countertop. In the bathroom I went with clear caulk. It took about one and half hours to complete the job. Most of that time was consumed in removing the old caulk and cleaning the area to prepare it for the new caulk.

Meanwhile, Donna went out for walk and scouted the bike route. She phoned me after 30 minutes or so to confirm her directions to loop back to the park. The roads around here can be confusing. They aren’t laid out in a straight grid and many roads have multiple names. Also, along the river many of the roads are dead ends.

I laid back and read most of the afternoon. My lower back hurt all day. I don’t what was up with that. My back feels fine this morning.

When Donna returned, she prepared a rack of lamb with a classic rosemary, thyme and garlic rub. She allowed it to marinate with a little olive oil in the refrigerator for about two hours before I grilled it. She served it with baked sweet potato and steamed green beans. Another delicious meal!

A colorful and delicious meal

Donna is heading out for a bike ride this morning. We have another hot day ahead. The temperature is supposed to reach record territory in the lower 90s.

Southbound from South Bend

We left South Bend, Washington yesterday. Our place by the river was really nice, but we had reservations at the Portland Fairview RV Park in Portland, Oregon.

Selfie by the river

It was very quiet overnight, but it seemed like everyone was heading out of town to work at 6am. The road noise was constant and I couldn’t sleep.

The clouds formed a low ceiling over the river. It was almost a fog bank, but it was more than a hundred feet above the river. We were a little out of sync, but we made our goal of departing by 9:30am.

Low clouds over the river

Our route took us west on US101 to Willapa Bay where the road turned south. We turned east on WA4 and followed the two-lane highway to Longview, where we hit I-5 south. Highway 4 is a narrow two-lane road with a surface that dips and undulates constantly. It seemed like the roadbed wasn’t properly prepared and the road sank in areas. This made it an uncomfortable ride. The narrow shoulder and lack of rest areas gave me no choice but to press on.

By the time I found a rest area on I-5, I had been driving for two and half hours. This is not my usual habit. I like to take a comfort break after an hour and a half or so and stretch my legs.

Traffic volumes were building as we approached Vancouver, Washington. There was road construction and signs warning of a lane closure ahead. People ignored the signs and zoomed along in the left lane, trying to gain some kind of advantage until they came to the barrier blocking the lane. Then they would come to stop and slice their way between cars in the open lane on the right, bringing everyone’s progress to a halt. It’s idiotic, but typical. A tractor-trailer rig about 100 yards behind us straddled the line, blocking the left lane. This forced the left-lane drivers to merge behind him. This quickly cleared the jam ahead of us and we were on our way again.

We crossed the Columbia River on I-205, then headed east on I-84 and found the Fairview RV Park on Sandy Boulevard. Check-in was very efficient and we moved into site 99 in a matter of minutes after our arrival.

Fairview RV Park – site 99

This RV park is large, clean and very well-maintained. Amenities include a swimming pool and exercise facility.

The Alpine Coach Association has a rally scheduled here beginning August 7th. We decided to attend the rally and registered for it in March. Then we decided to arrive a week early to see Portland and visit friends in the area. So I made a reservation for our early arrival here at the same time.

After I set up and dumped our holding tanks, I noticed the placard they gave us at the office showed a departure date of August 7th. I walked back to the office and told them we were staying for the rally through the 11th. They looked up my reservation and said it was two different bookings. I would be in a different site for the rally. I showed them an e-mail on my smart phone where I asked to stay in one site for the duration and their reply to my e-mail assuring me that would not be a problem.

It didn’t make any difference. At the end of next week, we’ll have to pack everything up and move a few hundred feet to a different site. This is very annoying. To move a few hundred feet is no different than moving few hundred miles. Everything has to be secured and slides brought in. Then we have to set everything up all over again.

Our set-up

I took the scooter out in the afternoon to reconnoiter the area. There’s plenty of shopping nearby in Troutdale. Donna and I also looked at maps of bicycle paths. They consist of roads with bike lanes interspersed with dedicated paved bike trails. We could ride all the way to downtown Portland from here.

Last night I grilled salmon with miso rub on a cedar plank. Donna served it over sauteed spinach with fresh white corn on the cob and garlic-smashed red potatoes.

Cedar planked salmon with miso rub

The salmon looks undercooked in the photo, but it was actually grilled perfectly.

Delicious dinner

Today I think we’ll look for a farmers’ market and kick around the area.

Flying The Koop

…from real estate to wheel estate and back again

Monthly Archives: August 2014

FMCA Fun!

First Work Day

Caravan to Redmond

Rally Good

Alpines Everywhere

Reliable Video Reviews

Blue Lake

Home on the Marina

Chillin’ and Grillin’ in Portland

Southbound from South Bend

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