Category Archives: Scooter

Endless Summer

Happy Labor Day first of all. I saw a post on Facebook commenting on the fact that many people don’t know what Labor Day is all about. Apparently people confuse it with Memorial Day. Here’s the explanation from the U.S. Department of Labor:

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

So, it’s a tribute to all American workers. We celebrate it by taking the day off! Traditionally, Memorial Day and Labor Day are the bookends of summer. One marks the beginning and the other the end. One of the great things about the nomadic way of life is, summer doesn’t have to end. We’ll chase the summer-like weather as we move south.

Yesterday’s weather here was much nicer. The high temperature reached 78 degrees, but it felt cooler than that to me. Today we should be in the 80s again. I worked on the coach yesterday. I drained and sanitized our fresh water tank. Then I refilled it with naturally soft, fresh water from Scott and Marcia’s well.

Donna went out to run on the bike trail while I was puttering around.

I also poked around in the engine compartment. The Engine Maint light on the dash (equivalent to a Check Engine Light in an OBD-II equipped car) lights up intermittently. I checked for fault codes and found a fault for low input from a sensor. I can’t find the part identifier in the code. I’ve searched online and this part identifier code (73) doesn’t appear in any of the documents I could find. I’m thinking that I have a loose or corroded wiring connector somewhere that’s causing the intermittent fault, but I don’t know which sensor it’s associated with.

Later, I rode the scooter to town. I took Row River Road around the east and north shore of Dorena Lake instead of the usual route down Shoreview Road. It was a nice ride and it was about the same travel time and distance either way. From this side of the lake, I found a couple of stopping points to take photos.

Dorena Lake view from the east on Row River Road

Dorena Lake is actually a reservoir created when the Army Corps of Engineers built a dam on the Row River in 1949. Prior to the dam, the valley was often flooded when spring snow melt was accompanied by heavy rains.

Dam at the west end of the reservoir

The campgrounds and parks around the lake were full of people and tent campers.

While I was out, I stopped at a roadside stand and bought half a dozen ears of fresh sweet corn. Cooking on the grill is a Labor Day weekend tradition. There’s nothing better than cooking on the grill by the riverside!

Grilling next to the river

Today I’ll begin to prepare for travel. We’ll head out of here tomorrow. I think our next stop will be in Yreka, California.

Riverside Relaxation

We got off to a slow start yesterday. Donna and I sat at our laptops in the morning. I worked on my post, which took longer than usual due to the number of photos. Before we knew it, it was noon.

Donna was planning to go out for a bike ride, but we were hungry, so she made a salad for lunch. I unloaded her bike from the trailer and found the rear tire was flat. I pulled the tube from the tire and inspected the tire to see what had poked through. I couldn’t find anything in the tire, but I saw a small cut in the casing. The tube held air. I pumped it up and dunked it in pail of water to see if I could find a tell-tale stream of air bubbles. I didn’t find a leak. Maybe the Presta vale leaked?

I replaced the tube anyway. When I pumped the tire up, I looked it over closely again. The small cut opened up. The tube was showing through. I took the tire off. The cut had enlarged, the tire was shot. Donna blames it on all the broken glass she encountered on the bike routes in Portland. Every day she rode, she ended up riding through glass.

I pulled my Orbea road bike down – I had it suspended from the trailer roof beam – and removed the rear wheel. I took the tire from my bike and mounted it on Donna’s wheel. I could have just exchanged the wheels, but I run different gear ratios than Donna. With that done, she was ready to roll.

While Donna headed out on the bike path, I rode the scooter to Cottage Grove. I found a bike shop online in the downtown area. Main Street constitutes downtown and includes five or six blocks of businesses. Some of the scenes in the movie Animal House were filmed in downtown Cottage Grove. With a population of about 10,000 people, the town supports only one bicycle shop. I wanted to replace Donna’s tire with another Continental. The bike shop didn’t have any higher end tires. I’ll leave my tire on Donna’s bike until we can get to a bigger bike shop. I intended to replace my tires when we get to San Diego.

On the way back, I stopped and took a photo of a covered bridge at Dorena. It’s a good thing we didn’t have to cross that bridge in our motorhome. I don’t think it has enough vertical clearance and the weight limit is only three tons. The 18-mile ride to town on Row River Road is scenic, with a view of Dorena Lake. There wasn’t a good place for me to stop and take a photo of the lake. Donna’s bike route took her along the shoreline, but she had left her camera at home.

Dorena covered bridge built in 1949

When I returned, Donna was still out riding. I walked some of the trails on the property and had a look around. Downstream, I found a swimming hole. The water is quite cool. I wouldn’t swim in it unless the day was very hot.

Swimming hole on the west side of the property

I walked past our coach and followed another trail upstream. I found a bench with a nice view of the river.

Sitting area upstream

By the time Donna returned, the temperature was around 80 degrees. I put off riding my mountain bike. We deployed the awning and sat outside reading in the shade. I was feeling lazy and sitting and reading suited me fine. I’m still reading Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Some of the philosophical arguments are a bit of a struggle to follow. It felt like Saturday to me, but then everyday is Saturday for me.

I fired up the Weber Q and grilled bacon-wrapped filet mignons for dinner.

Bacon wrapped filets on the grill

Donna served the filets smothered in sauteed mushrooms and onions with a baked potato and steamed asparagus.

Filet smothered in mushrooms and onions

We sat out on the deck behind the trailer and dined by the river side.

Red wine with dinner by the river

Donna has a project or two in mind for today. Later she’ll go out for a hike. I think I’ll explore upriver on my mountain bike.

Day Four Without Donna

I kept myself busy on Monday, day four without Donna. After I posted to the blog, I found a Costco store about five or six miles from here. I wanted to get coffee K-cups and more bottled water. On an impulse, I bought a big bag of mixed rice crackers with nuts for snacking.

Scooter loaded up and ready to roll

After I dropped the stuff off at the coach, I rode to Taco Del Mar for lunch. Then I went to WalMart to stock up on paper towels. I’m stocking up on these supplies in preparation for the month ahead. We have a few planned stops, but expect to be off the beaten path for much of the time. This will mean dry camping or boondocking at times without any idea of services available in the area. We’ll be in Tehachapi, California in a couple of weeks for Donna’s next bike race.

I spent most of the afternoon defrosting the refrigerator. After packing perishables in a cooler, I sat and read for awhile. Once the ice on the refrigerator cooling fins started to melt, I was able to pull loose chunks away. It took a little over two hours to defrost. Then I reloaded the refrigerator. The timing was good as supplies are currently low. We’ll re-supply on Wednesday.

Today, I plan to make another Costco run for more coffee and water. The Kirkland Signature Pacific Bold is a good dark roast coffee that Donna and I like. Costco sells it in 100-cup boxes that bring the cost down to about 35 cents per cup. We’ll have enough on board to get us to San Diego on September 24th.

Then I need to add air to the trailer tires and check the lug nuts for tightness. I’ll organize the trailer and load the scooter. Donna will return tonight. We will hit the road again tomorrow morning by 11am at the latest.

We have an appointment on Thursday with the guys at Amazing Creations in Junction City. They will remove our bedroom TV (which we don’t use) and add a shelf and cabinet doors in the space it occupies. We’ll use the cabinet to house a printer and provide additional storage. When we leave here tomorrow, we’ll dry camp somewhere near Junction City.

After we have the work done, we’re going off the grid for the long holiday weekend. We’ve been invited to stay at a friend’s vacation property near Cottage Grove, Oregon on the Row (rhymes with wow) River.

This isn’t the usual “courtesy park in my driveway” offer. His property is right on the river and has – wait for it – full RV hook ups! That’s right! Water, sewer and 50-amp electrical service. There’s good biking in the area and, of course, recreation on the river. We know we won’t have cell phone service. We may have limited internet access. I won’t divulge a detailed description of his property location in consideration of our host’s privacy. The offer is most generous and we’ll be away from crowded campgrounds over the Labor Day weekend.

The forecast today calls for a high of 93 degrees, a few degrees warmer than yesterday. I have much to do, so I’d better get started.

Day Three Without Donna

Sunday was day three on my own while Donna is away. My plans for the day would have bored Donna. I spent the morning watching the coverage of the Formula 1 race in Spa, Belgium. The race was full of surprises – I won’t spoil it in case a reader has it recorded for viewing later.

Before I turned on the race, my neighbor was preparing to pull out of the park. I could see he was checking some wiring looms in a rear compartment. I stepped outside to see if I could help. He said the bedroom slide wouldn’t retract. It was a Power Gear system, which operates the slide via an electric motor. The connection on the circuit board was loose. He wiggled the connector while his wife tried operating the slide. It moved about an inch, then stopped again. He tried to unplug the wiring harness and the connector pulled out of the circuit board! The connector should have been soldered in place as it’s essentially part of the board. I suggested disconnecting the front slide harness from its circuit board, which was next to the board for the bedroom slide. Then we plugged the wiring harness for the rear slide into that board. His wife hit the switch and the slide retracted. He’ll have to replace the bedroom slide circuit board.

While I watched TV, I followed the progress of my friend, Allen Hutchinson, with my laptop. He was competing in the Ironman Triathlon in Louisville, Kentucky. I don’t know anything about the course, but the temperature was reported to be 90 degrees with high humidity. It had to be a tough grind.

I didn’t leave the coach until noon. It was warm out. Our temperature reached the low 80s. I rode the scooter to the store and picked up bottled water and beer.

At 1pm, I tuned in the Charger game. They played against the San Francisco 49ers at the new stadium in Santa Clara, California. Yesterday’s earthquake in the bay area was centered near Napa, north of San Francisco. Santa Clara is south of San Francisco, about 80 miles from Napa and didn’t suffer any damage.

The Chargers played their starters on the first three offensive series. They looked sharp and moved the ball well. Other than getting stopped on a fourth and one, they controlled San Francisco and finished the third possession with a touchdown. The defensive starters forced two turnovers, although the officials blew the call on the first one and San Francisco kept the ball. They tackled well and dominated San Francisco’s first team offense.

The second and third string back-ups didn’t fare as well. At the end, the score was 21-7, San Francisco. The pre-season games are all about getting some action for the starting team and then using the remainder of the game to evaluate the rest of the players. I’m encouraged by what I saw and I’m looking forward to a good season. The roster will be cut down from 90 players to 53 before the first regular season game.

After the game, I went out for a walk through the RV park. I needed to get some exercise. The park is large enough to take a 20-minute walk without retracing your steps.

After I returned, I checked my laptop and saw Allen had finished the race. He was out on the course for 12 and a half hours. He’s a 4-time Ironman finisher now.

Today, the forecast calls for a heat wave. We should hit 90 degrees over the next few days. I have no plans.

I forgot to include this photo in my last post – this is my new ScanGauge D mounted on the dash of our Alpine Coach.

ScanGauge D set to read out oil pressure, coolant temperature, boost, transmission fluid temperature

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.

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).

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.

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.

Flying The Koop

…from real estate to wheel estate and back again

Category Archives: Scooter

Endless Summer

Riverside Relaxation

Day Four Without Donna

Day Three Without Donna

Getting Wired

Turn, Turn, Turn

Driving Big Al

Caravan to Redmond

Rally Good

Home on the Marina

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