Category Archives: Oregon

Getting Wired

I’ve been keeping myself busy while Donna is away. Donna left Thursday night on a trip to New York. She’s celebrating her dad’s 80th birthday with family near Albany, then going to New York City for a couple of business commitments. She’ll fly back to Portland Tuesday evening.

I had a slow start to the day on Friday. My priority for the day was repairing the cable signal and over-the-air antenna signal on our television. I have no cable signal and very weak reception from the antenna. I haven’t worried about it, since we usually use the Dish satellite for programs or we watch movies and TV series recorded on a hard drive.

The San Diego Chargers pre-season football game on Sunday will be broadcast locally on Fox. The only way I can receive the broadcast is over the air or on the RV park’s cable.

I studied the wiring diagram in the Alpine Coach Owner’s Manual. The original TV had been replaced. The Dish receiver and satellite system weren’t original equipment either. Looking at the original diagram gave me a few clues though.

I removed the TV from the front cabinet. This was a tricky operation. I really wished for an extra set of hands, but I had to get it done. I made note of how everything was connected. When the TV was replaced, the installer ran the coax cable from the antenna directly to the TV. The Wineguard antenna on the roof of our coach is supposed to run through a signal booster before it connects to the TV. The signal booster connection is in the wall of the cabinet above the driver’s seat. To rewire this, I needed a short section of coax cable.

I found a Radio Shack store online, about five miles from here. I bought a six-foot coax cable with connectors on each end. I used this cable to connect from the antenna booster to the junction box that allows me to select various input sources for the TV. I connected the TV cable to the signal out connector of the junction box. This was simple enough, but time-consuming as I worked in a cramped overhead compartment.

With everything back in place, I turned on the TV and did a channel search. The TV picked up a dozen channels. Some of them were digital high-definition broadcasts. This was looking good. But I had no sound. I pulled the screws from the frame securing the TV to the cabinet and pulled it out again. I saw the audio connections had inadvertently been pulled loose. I re-connected the wires while balancing the TV on my shoulder because the wires aren’t long enough for me to set the TV down and connect everything.

Now I had a good picture and sound. But I couldn’t find the Fox broadcast. I had ABC, NBC, CBS and other programing. There were several stations that I should have been picking up, but I couldn’t lock on to them. I was only receiving the strongest signals.

I decided to focus on the cable connection. The external cable connector hadn’t been connected to the junction box. I re-purposed the six-foot coax I bought and connected the external cable input to the proper connector on the box. Now I had a cable connection, but I could only find a few cable channels. It was the same problem as the antenna. Once again, Fox was not one of the channels I could receive. I was tired and frustrated. I gave it a break and spent the evening watching the NFL Network on the Dish satellite.

I was thinking about the day ahead before I got out of bed Saturday morning. The TV problem became suddenly clear. It was so simple. What are the common elements between the TV and cable signal or the TV and the antenna signal? The junction box and the coax cable from the box to the TV! A bad coax cable or bad connector would only pass the strongest signal from the box to the TV.

My first order of business was washing the coach. I wanted to do that Saturday morning, before I had direct sun on the coach. I got to work on the coach around 9am. I started by breaking out the ladder and washing the roof. I don’t like heights and climbing on the roof of the coach is no fun. Actually, it’s getting back down that is a little scary. I spent the next three hours spiffing up the coach, including washing all of the windows. While I was washing, the FedEx truck pulled up and delivered my ScanGauge D from Amazon.

After dining on leftover chicken stir fry and rice for lunch, I wanted to install the ScanGauge. To put it where I wanted it on the dash, I had to run the wiring from the J1708 diagnostic connector on the passenger side of the dash, behind the console and up on the driver’s side. The ScanGauge intercepts signals from the Engine Control Module (ECM) through the diagnostic port. Diesel truck platforms (including diesel RVs) use either a J1708 or J1939 connector and protocol. This serves the same function as an OBD-II diagnostic link on cars built since the 1990s. The ScanGauge will display information sent via digital signal to the ECM from various powertrain sensors. I can program it to display information from four sources at a time. I can also interrogate the ECM for faults in the system.

I couldn’t get the cable from the passenger side to the driver’s side. It kept getting hung up behind the console. I took a break from it and rode to the Radio Shack store. I bought two three-foot sections of coax cable to rewire the TV. On the way back, I saw a Harbor Freight store. I stopped and bought a package of thin, flexible fiberglass rods designed for snaking cable through tight places. The rods are 12″ long and have threaded ends to join them together to make the length required.

When I returned, I ran four sections of rod through the back of the console, then used the rod to pull the cable through. Job done!

Then I pulled the TV again. With it balanced on my right shoulder, I removed the old coax cable and replaced it with the six-foot section I bought the day before. I made sure the audio cable was still connected before I reinstalled the TV. I used the two three-foot coax cables to connect the antenna booster and the external cable connection to the junction box. Whew!

I searched for channels over the air and on cable. It worked! I have Fox on channel 12!

I completed the installation of the ScanGauge on the dash. While I was relaxing with a cold one at the picnic table, a couple walking their dog stopped by. We had met briefly before at an RV park in Junction City, Colorado! I remembered his name was Mike (hard one for me to forget). They were on their way back from a trip to Alaska in their coach. We talked about our travels for a few minutes and then they continued their walk. Small world!

By then it was time to order a pizza and call it a day. I had pizza delivered from Tom’s Pizza and Sports Bar. Excellent pizza, I recommend them.

Today, I plan to kick back and watch the Formula 1 race, and then hopefully I can watch the Chargers game. I say hopefully due to the earthquake in the San Francisco Bay area this morning. The game is scheduled to be played in San Francisco at 1pm PDT.

Crooked River Cliffs

We took our time packing and breaking camp Wednesday. We had to check out of the Deschutes County Expo RV Park by noon. At 11:40am, Donna and I walked over to Dave and Stilla Hobden’s site to say our goodbyes. They were nearly ready to roll as well. We’ll see them again down the road. For sure, we’ll meet up in Quartzsite next January, but our paths may cross sooner than that. That’s the beauty of the nomadic life. We meet people and establish new friendships. We stay in contact and we know we’ll eventually find each other again.

We rolled north on US97 to Terrebonne. I’d contacted an Escapees member there who offered to let us boondock overnight on his property. But looking at his place on Google Earth, I was concerned about getting our rig turned around to get out of there. He suggested another boondocking site. It was the rest area at Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint. It was all of 13 miles up the road from the RV park. We wanted a place to stay for one night before we returned to the Fairview RV Park in Portland.

We’d heard about this place from our friends, Mark and Emily Fagan (Roadslesstraveled). We pulled in and found half a dozen long parking spaces for trucks and trailers. We claimed a space and Donna made turkey wraps for lunch.

We had our lunch in the park at a picnic table. As we entered the park lawn, I saw an unusual sign. It warned of a 300-foot cliff ahead and noted that many dogs have died here.

Many dogs have died here?

This scenic overlook is perched high on basalt cliffs carved by the Crooked River. Peter Skene Ogden was a Hudson Bay explorer and fur trapper. He explored much of the Snake River country and led the first trapping party into central Oregon in 1825. In 1826, he discovered Mount Shasta. Ogden, Utah, is named after him.

The steep cliffs along the Crooked River impeded travel and development of central Oregon. The Crooked river Railroad Bridge was completed in 1911, connecting Bend Oregon with the Columbia River Gorge. It’s a 460-foot span, 320 feet above the river.

Railroad bridge, 320 feet above the river

We walked along a path at the edge of the cliff. The path has a rock wall about three feet high to prevent people from accidentally falling over the edge. We wondered how dogs could fall into the chasm. We walked past the railroad bridge and saw where the safety wall ended. The wall stopped, but the path became a dirt trail along the edge of the cliff. Yikes! The photos don’t do justice to the scale of the cliff. A sheer vertical drop of over 300 feet is frightening to look down.

In 1926, a steel arch bridge designed by Conde McCullough was built making travel by car to central Oregon from the north possible. It was called the Crooked River High Bridge and remained in service on old US97 until the Rex T. Barber Veterans Memorial Bridge was completed in 2000.

The old bridge was still serviceable, but it couldn’t handle the growing traffic volume. US97 was widened and crossed the river on the new bridge. The old bridge is now a pedestrian viewing area.

Old Crooked River High Bridge

The new bridge is a concrete arch spanning 410 feet and is 300 feet above the river. It was the first bridge in the USA to use a cast-in-place segmental construction method.

New bridge, viewed from the old bridge

After we returned to our coach, Donna started working at her laptop. A big tractor-trailer rig had pulled in beside us. The operator of the rig had his window curtains closed and left the engine running – presumably to run his air conditioner. With his closed curtains, it looked like he planned to be there for awhile. The big diesel engine was very noisy.

On our walk, I saw a closed road with a locked gate across it at the end of the parking lot. I walked back over to check it out. I figured I could back our trailer near the gate with our coach on the right side of the roadway. We would have a nice spot away from the truckers for the night. We set up there and it was nice and quiet.

Later in the evening, another tractor-trailer rig parked in front of us. The driver was friendly and talkative. He told us all about his dog who had come running over to greet us. He said he planned to pull out at 5am and wouldn’t block us in. This is a popular overnight rest stop for truckers.

At dusk, we saw turkey vultures swooping down into the line of trees in the park. They would soar high over head, then dive down to roost in the trees. There had to be at least two dozen turkey vultures roosting in the park. I’ve never seen that many in one place before.

We had a peaceful night and hit the road at 8:45am. We stayed on US97 north past Madras, then we turned onto highway 197. It was scenic country. The road winds up and down ridges. The road surface had sections with frost heaves. The new Koni shocks performed great. I can only describe the ride with an overused cliche – firm, yet compliant. We still could feel the bumps, but they were quickly damped and the coach was easily controlled. We had virtually no side-to-side sway, less road vibration and a much quieter ride.

Highway 197 goes down a series of switchbacks to the Deshutes River at the town of Maupin. From there it climbs steeply again and eventually descends into the Columbia Gorge at The Dalles. After a brief stop to stretch our legs, we continued west on I-84 to Portland. The drive along the Columbia River is beautiful.

After a bit of a hassle at the front desk at Fairview RV Park, we were checked into site 100. They seem to have issues with their reservation system. They juggle people around to find suitable spaces. We were eventually assigned a long pull-through site that allowed me to keep the trailer hitched up.

Donna spent the afternoon preparing for her trip to New York. She’s going to visit family and celebrate her father’s 80th birthday with a surprise birthday party that she and her sisters have planned. She also has business appointments in the city. A taxi picked her up at 8:30pm and took her to the airport. She’ll return on Tuesday evening and we’ll pull out of here the following morning.

Today, I plan to wash the scooter. The forecast calls for temperatures to reach the mid-80s with little chance of rain. At some point, I’ll wash the coach and trailer before we leave here.

Lava Butte

We joined Dave and Stilla Hobden for a little sight seeing on Tuesday morning. We drove in their truck through Bend, south to the Newberry Lava Lands Visitor Center near Sun River. The visitor center is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is operated by the National Forest Service.

Dave had an interagency pass that got us into the monument free. The main attraction here is Lava Butte, a cinder/spatter cone of the Newberry Volcano. Lava Butte rises 500 feet above the surrounding area. The cone erupted 7,000 years ago and created a lava field covering 6,100 acres of land.

The visitor center sits on forested land at the edge of the lava field. There are a number of interpretive hiking trails from the visitor center. There’s also a narrow, steep, paved road to the top of Lava Butte. Cars are limited to a 30-minute stay in the parking area on top of the butte and a pass is required to drive up. No vehicles over 22 feet long are allowed.

Edge of the lava field behind visitor center

Lava Butte viewed from visitor center

We drove to the top of the butte at our appointed time, 11:45am. We hiked the trail around the cinder cone on top. The top of the butte is also home to a fire lookout station. You can see smoke in the distance in the photos from wildfires.

Lava field to the west from the top of the butte

Northwest side of the crater

Donna and Stilla on the trail around the crater

I took a photo of one of the signs on the trail that gives more information. Click on it to enlarge if you’d like to read the sign.

By the time we hiked around the crater and drove back down to the visitor center, it was past noon and we were hungry. We headed back to Bend and stopped for lunch at the Deschutes Brewery. The food was great. Donna had a burger and sweet potato fries. I had a roast beef dip. The beef comes from a local ranch and they make the breads and rolls fresh onsite daily. The Black Butte Porter was also excellent!

After lunch, we made another stop at Trader Joe’s. I got an e-mail from the insurance agency on my smart phone. I had to get back home so I could print out documents for signatures and return them to Miller Insurance. My policy would lapse at midnight and I had to make sure the new policy was in place.

Last night, I caught up on our laundry in the park’s laundromat. Donna had done a few loads in our Splendide washer/dryer, but after a week of dry camping, we had a lot of laundry to catch up on.

We were both tired last night. We watched a couple of TV shows, one was a Jimi Hendrix documentary that I hadn’t seen since the 70s. It disappeared for decades and was released again. I don’t know what the story behind that is. We turned in early.

This morning, I need to pack the trailer, fill the fresh water tank and dump and flush the holding tanks. We’ll pull out of here around noon. Our next stop is an overnight dry camp on property owned by a Escapee member north of Terrebonne. It’s a short drive from here. Tomorrow, we’ll drive north to The Dalles and on to Portland.

Donna is flying to New York tomorrow night. I’ll be a bachelor at the Fairview RV Park for five days.

Turn, Turn, Turn

Donna took the wheel of Big Al (our Alpine Coach) for the first time ever yesterday. Our coach is 40 feet long, eight and a half feet wide and 12 and a half feet high. I rode in the passenger seat and coached her through some turns and maneuvers. The first few turns had me on the edge of my seat and my voice raised a few decibels.

Donna maneuvering around a tree – Dave Hobden photo

When you sit in front of the front axle and have a wheelbase that’s 278 inches long, turning requires a different technique than you use in a car. You have to drive deep into the corner before initiating the turn. Once you reach the turn-in point, you have to crank the steering wheel quickly. The mistake most rookie motorhome drivers make is turning in too soon and cutting the corner with the rear wheels.

The Deschutes County Fairground and Expo parking lot was a great place to practice. Some of the roads around the parking area are narrow and made Donna really work to get around the corner cleanly. The nice thing was the lack of curbs. If she misjudged and cut the corner, the rear wheel rolled over the grass harmlessly. Donna caught on quickly. We drove to a large parking lot where she practiced backing up and making three-point turns. Then she did a few U-turns to get a feel for how much real estate is needed to make such a maneuver.

Donna rolling down the road – Dave Hobden photo

She practiced for a little over half an hour, then parked the coach next to our cargo trailer. Rolling over the grass next to the trailer, she encountered a large dip. The new Koni shocks make a huge difference. The dip didn’t present any difficulty at all. Donna said driving the coach was fun.

I hooked up the trailer and we rolled to the Deshutes County RV Park. It was a short ride from the parking lot to the RV park on 19th street. The RV park is paved and the sites have very level concrete pads. We were set up in no time. I dumped and rinsed the holding tanks and fired up the air conditioners. We have a 50-amp hook-up, so I can run both air conditioners simultaneously.

We had a late lunch, then I rode the scooter to Fred Meyer to pick up a few groceries and bottled water. Dave and Stilla Hobden also moved to the RV park. They stopped by and told us we were invited to have dinner with them at Marlena and John Schierholtz’s site. Marlena and John are also Alpine Coach Association members that we met in Fairview and again here in Redmond.

Dave grilled Nurnberger bratwurst. These pork sausages are a traditional German entree and they are excellent! I cut my brats to size and had them on a German bakery bun with spicy German mustard. Marlena served green salad and Stilla brought a cucumber- tomato salad. Donna brought veggies and spinach dip for an appetizer and an almond torte for dessert.

Nurnberger bratwurst on the grill

The temperature was comfortable in the evening. The day had been hot once again, the temperature was near 90 degrees in the afternoon.

Dave, Stilla, Donna, Marlena and John at the dinner table

We sat and talked well into the evening. Donna and I returned to our coach a little past 9pm. We’re working through the Breaking Bad series again and we watched an episode last night.

Sunset from the RV park last night

We’ll stay here for another night before we start heading back to Portland.

Driving Big Al

Saturday was the last day of the “show.” Donna went to Bend with Willi Egg and shopped all day. I noticed my right rear jack was retracting again the night before and called Paul Maddox with HWH to let him know. He came back to our coach and replaced the solenoid. This time he installed a factory-new part rather than a re-manufactured solenoid. He told me he’s only had a few of the re-manufactured units fail, but since I had a problem, he felt better installing a new one.

I hung out with Dave Hobden for awhile, then went to look at more coaches. There was a display of pre-owned, high-end coaches for sale. It was fun to look at the premium level coaches.

Before the show closed, I went to the vendor area to see if I could score any deals before they packed up. I wanted to buy a Scan Gauge D, but couldn’t swing a deal that would beat Amazon Prime. But, I found another great deal.

I went to the Miller RV Insurance booth and got a quote. My current policy with Progressive expires this week on Wednesday. Cheryl Howarth from Miller found a policy for me that’s comparable to the coverage I have. The coach and scooter policies she quoted saved me more than $900 per year! Sign me up! Miller RV Insurance can provide policies in all 50 states. If you’re interested, contact Cheryl at cheryl@millerrvinsurance.com.

At 5pm, we had a potluck dinner for the Alpine group at the sites of Tom and Nancy Polk and Vic and Willi Egg. Donna made a chicken taco salad. The buffet table was filled with scrumptious dishes, including a plum cobbler that Lynda Campbell made with plums from their backyard.

Alpine group potluck dinner

Later, we sat outside our coach and visited with Dave and Stilla Hodben and Dave and Lynda Campbell. Donna and I didn’t turn in until midnight. This was unusually late for us.

Coaches started pulling out of here early yesterday. Our power was shut down by 9am. Donna went for a bike ride on the highway between Redmond and Prineville. Our fresh water tank was getting low, so I showered at the public showers. When I finished my shower, I heard my phone ring. It was Donna. She got a flat tire on her rear wheel out on the road.

I rode out on the scooter. After a bit of searching, I found her location and repaired the flat. She had ridden through glass when we were in Portland. A small shard worked its way through the tire. On the way back, I stopped at a bike shop in Redmond and picked up a new inner tube and two CO2 cartridges to replace what I used.

The temperature was in the 80s. I ran the generator from 3pm to 6pm to power the air conditioning units. I watched the Moto GP race I had recorded on the DVR. Then I sat outside in the shade of the awning and read another chapter of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I’ve read this book before. This time, I’m reading a chapter at a time and really trying to understand what Robert Pirsig is saying.

Last evening, Dave and Stilla joined us for dinner. Donna prepared prosciutto-wrapped shrimp skewers with nectarine slices, marinated in a honey-soy sauce. I grilled them and she served them over a bed of brown rice and grilled zucchini. Delicious!

Prosciutto-wrapped shrimp

Today we’ll move over to the fairgrounds RV park. We’ll have full hook-ups, so we can dump the holding tanks, refill the fresh water and run the air conditioners without burning fuel in the generator.

Before we do that, Donna will practice driving the coach in the fairground parking lots. This is an excellent opportunity for her to learn how to drive this beast. She can practice making turns without fear of traffic or curbs and won’t have to worry about damaging Big Al (our Alpine coach).

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.

Flying The Koop

…from real estate to wheel estate and back again

Category Archives: Oregon

Getting Wired

Crooked River Cliffs

Lava Butte

Turn, Turn, Turn

Driving Big Al

FMCA Fun!

First Work Day

Caravan to Redmond

Rally Good

Alpines Everywhere

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