ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO ALAMOSA COLORADO

Currently in Alamosa CO (Low 33 Afternoon Thunderstorms High 71) 

We both survived our time at 7200' in Santa Fe so we left yesterday and headed to Alamosa Colorado (7543'). It was approximately 160 miles, this is the route we took



It was a scenic drive in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado and we could see the rain in the distance along with snow capped mountains.

We got a little rain on the way but arrived to rain in the distance but it did not affect our setup. We are planning to be here 1 week and are staying at the Alamosa KOA.

Hoping we can handle the 350' more in elevation. We sure can handle the scenery, here is the view out our back window showing the impending storm that never came.

Not sure how much sightseeing we will get done this week as the 'forecast' calls for rain most of the week.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

REVIEW OF SANTA FE SKIES RV PARK IN SANTA FE NEW MEXICO

Currently in Santa Fe NM (Low 48 Currently Sunny 63)
Heading to Alamosa CO (Currently 47 Clouds and Sun with Afternoon Thunderstorm High 72) 

Our GPS devices agreed on the route and brought us right to the Santa Fe Skies RV Park. Sitting on a hill on the west side overlooking Santa Fe this is a picturesque park. This is the view of our sunsets that we will show later.

The roads are gravel as are the sites. There are concrete patios with picnic tables. The hookups are fairly convenient although the sewer connection is slightly elevated, but workable. We had a good line of sight for our roof mounted satellite dish. Here is the Lifestyle from the front.

We are at the end so the view to the left is the first photo. Here is the view to the right.

From the rear.

There were some great sunsets during this week, here is an example.

Since this park is in a picturesque and convenient location, very close to NM14 which becomes Cerrillos Road, we will stay here again if in the area. If what you are looking for is not on the Square then it probably is on Cerrillos Road

We handled the higher altitude pretty good so we depart today for Alamosa Colorado.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

NEW MEXICO HISTORY MUSEUM IN SANTA FE NEW MEXICO

Currently in Santa Fe NM (Low 42 Partly Sunny High 77) 

Yesterday we toured the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe New Mexico. To be honest we were mainly going there to see the scale model of the USS New Mexico. Here is a famous photo from the web showing the USS New Mexico in Tokyo Bay after WWII.

Bob had read about a 2011 exhibit at the History Museum about the USS New Mexico that included a 7' scale model built by some Sandia National Lab engineers. We were disappointed that the front desk nor a docent inside the museum knew about the scale model. We toured the museum and although it was a small one it was a good time. We first toured the history timeline of New Mexico. Here are some artifacts from the 1700s Catholic Missions, silver crucifix and candlesticks, bell, and baptismal font.

As we progressed along the timeline we saw this stagecoach.

The WWII portion of the timeline had info on the USS New Mexico which was interesting. They also had a photograph of one of the kamikazes just before it hit the ship while Jo's dad was on it. It's a picture of a picture in a darkened museum that Bob tried to brighten so we apologize for the quality.

They also had a section on Fred Harvey and his hotels and restaurants along the Atkinson Topeka and Santa Fe rail lines. We then toured the Palace of the Governors which was built in the 1600s. It served as the seat of government for the territory and then the state of New Mexico for centuries. We found it fascinating that it is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States.

We had a great time even without the scale model and once again proves just how great this country is.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

WHEN YOU TRUST YOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES TOO MUCH

Currently in Santa Fe NM (Low 31 Mostly Sunny High 71) 

Subtitled: Rise of the Machines

On our arrival day to Santa Fe Bob went and got takeout from the Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery which was recommended as being fairly close and great food by the guy at the front desk during checkin. 

Before we give you the rest of the story we have a confession to make, we trust our electronic devices way too much. We first checked the menu online and decided what to order. Bob picked up his smartphone and said, 'call the Blue Corn Cafe in Santa Fe New Mexico' and got connected placing the order.  Bob then also used his phone saying 'navigate to the Blue Corn Cafe in Santa Fe New Mexico' and got directions and headed out.

We have been to Santa Fe before on business trips and vacations so Bob realized pretty soon he was heading for the historic Square, not really close by at 20 minutes. Driving a one tone dually in rush hour and then on those narrow streets in the Square was challenging but doable. What was apparently not doable was when he got 'you have arrived' and there was no sign of the Blue Corn Cafe. If you can believe this Bob finds a parking spot about 2 blocks away and somehow gets the F-350 in it and walks back to where it was supposed to be. Luckily there was a shop owner standing outside and Bob finds out that the Cafe is on the 2nd floor. Bob climbs the stairs and finds out there are no takeout orders and is told you must have ordered from our other location, which you have guessed by now is about 10 minutes from the RV park. We had no idea there were two locations and the smartphone usually says choose a location if there are more than one. Funny that the 'call' feature got one location and the 'navigate' feature got the other.

Bob worked his way to the other location and then of course walked the wrong way around the building, came in through the outside seating area into the barrel storage area and when he got to the front he let out a 'FINALLY' which drew the attention of the General Manager who happened to be in the area. Bob told him upfront that it was nothing Blue Corn had done it was the dang electronic devices. While waiting for the order the General Manager asked if we would want some free guacamole for our trouble. Bob reiterated that it was not their fault but he said he was going to do it anyway. We try to never refuse free guacamole. When he came back it was not only guacamole but queso and salsa and chips, all of which were excellent.

Other good news from this adventure is that we are adopting a 'trust - but verify' on all things electronic from now on. We wonder if this was just a test of the machines taking over so we are going to be careful. As mentioned before the chips and guacamole and queso and salsa were excellent. As were the blue corn tacos that Jo had and the New Mexican Shepherds Pie that Bob got, a collection of green chile, hamburger, potatoes, corn, onions, calabacitas (zucchini and yellow squash mixture) and lots of cheese. 

Also, it wasn't all bad as Bob looked kinda ragged since he came in his travel day clothes and people kept giving him money on the Square 😊

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

CATCHING UP - REVIEW OF ALBUQUERQUE KOA IN ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 37 Partly Sunny and Patchy Clouds High 65)

We really enjoy each visit to Albuquerque and the KOA is one of our favorite parks here. What it really has going for it is location, location, location. We are moments away from great dining (Sadie's, La Salita, Owl Cafe) and shopping (Costco, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart). 

The park is doing some remodeling and we ended up in one of the new deluxe sites at the regular rate since we might be staying longer due to the underbelly repair, guess they took pity on us :-)

The roads are asphalt as is the site but it is brand new asphalt. The patio is concrete. The hookups were convenient and we had a great line of sight for our roof mounted dish.

Here is the Lifestyle from the front showing the satellite dish.

To the right.

To the left.

From the rear.

The new patio area with a fire pit shown above the table.

Although more expensive than others we will stay here again. The underbelly repair added 8 nights to our stay and we had no trouble extending.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO SANTA FE NEW MEXICO

Currently in Santa Fe NM (Low 39 Mostly Sunny With a Shower High 69) 

After getting our underbelly repaired we left Albuquerque yesterday and headed to Santa Fe New Mexico. We are staying at Santa Fe Skies RV Park.

It was approximately 60 miles, this is the route we took.



The main thing we will be doing in Santa Fe for the week is adjusting to the 7000+ altitude. Our next three planned stops, if we adjust to the altitude that is, are also 7000+ in Colorado. We both have had altitude issues before at 7000+, Jo more so than Bob. Hopefully 3 weeks in Albuquerque at 5312' will help our adjustment. We at least hope we will feel good enough to eat at some of the great places to eat in Santa Fe. Bob got takeout from the Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery for supper and it was good. We'll have more to say about this adventure later.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

UNBERBELLY REPAIR COMPLETED

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 40 Sunny Currently 47) 
Heading to Santa Fe NM (Currently 44 Partly Sunny and Warmer High 63)

Affordable RV Mobile Service came yesterday and repaired the underbelly that was torn off during our trip with high crosswinds.

Here is the before picture.

The straps beneath the holding tanks that were never installed.

An in-process shot after the new straps were added and just before the insulation was added and the plastic liner lifted and screwed to the frame. The tech told us that the holding tanks were lying in a steel framed enclosure and they weren't going anywhere. So he wasn't sure what the straps did but he added new ones as a precaution.

The completed job looks good. After a couple of nights below freezing we are very happy that the holding tanks are again enclosed and insulated.

We really like the convenience of mobile service and if you are in the Albuquerque area don't hesitate to call Affordable RV Mobile Service.

We leave today for Santa Fe New Mexico.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

INSTALLED AN ANTI-THEFT DEVICE ON OUR TRUCK

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 30 Mostly Sunny and Warmer High 60)

While in Albuquerque we got to thinking about how many late model diesel trucks are getting stolen. Albuquerque is in fact the stolen vehicle leader in America. As far as trucks being stolen the Ford F250/F350/F450s are the leaders so Bob did some research and went with the Ravelco Anti-Theft system. From their website,

"The Ravelco (pronounced Ruh-vel-co) Anti Theft Device is installed in an easily accessible place beneath or flush mounted in the dashboard of your vehicle. A removable 16 pin male plug (which when not in use connects to your key chain) makes all the electronic connections. A hidden armored steel cable protects the wires from the rear of the RAVELCO base on through to the engine compartment where all the connections are made and camouflaged. When the plug is removed from the RAVELCO, it is impossible to start the vehicle. There are more than 100,000 different combinations. NO MASTER PLUGS. An impossible obstacle for even the most persistent thief. No Bells or Whistles . . . Just Results!"

In 41 years not one vehicle has been stolen speaks well for this product. Here is a picture from the manual.

A sample installation in a Ford F-350.

The male pin that goes on Bob's keychain.

The stickers they put on both windows.

We feel better now that we have this anti-theft system.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ALMOST MAY

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 28 Snow Flurries Changing over to Rain this Morning High 42) 

Weather was going to be a footnote in a different blog entry but what we are experiencing is worth its own entry. The forecast last night prompted Bob to bring in the water hose. The overnight low was 28 so we are glad. We woke to snow on the vehicles

and to snow flurries.

Here is a photo from a news broadcast at a higher elevation on Interstate 40 just east of Albuquerque at Cedar Crest.

Here is the mountains in the distance showing how low of an elevation had snow.

In more weather related news Albuquerque will probably set a new record for the lowest high temperature on April 29th of 42, can't believe it is almost May.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

SAW 'THE CASE FOR CHRIST'

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 42 Cooler with a few Showers High 52) 

Christian movies have come a long way. This is well written and well acted (Mike Vogel, Erika Christensen, Faye Dunaway, Robert Forster, et al.). But being a true story makes it even better. Telling the journey of award winning journalist Lee Strobel (he broke the exploding Ford Pinto story) from atheist to Christian Pastor the movie follows him as he tries to debunk the Resurrection. 

Figuring that if he could debunk the Resurrection he could stop his wife from joining the Christian cult. Trust us you are not going to like Lee for most of the movie. Since he believes in facts he approaches the Resurrection as any story that he would write with a lot of research. For the next two years he talks to numerous scientists, historians, theologians, psychologists, and medical doctors on his journey and ultimately writes "The Case for Christ" making the case for the historical evidence of Jesus Christ and the Resurrection.

Since it attempts to spark intellectual debate about Christianity it is similar to another great Christian movie, "God is not Dead", although we feel that "God is not Dead" is a slightly better movie. Both movies are worth seeing and we hope you enjoy them.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

TOPPED OFF RV TIRES WITH NITROGEN

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 55 Windy with Spotty Showers High 61) 

Everybody knows how much we like mobile service so we were intrigued when Jo saw this setup driving around the KOA in Albuquerque so Bob flagged him down.

Rich Gentry from Nitrogen2Go.com (pictured) says he may be the only mobile nitrogen service in the United States. Bob talked to him and had him top off the tires on our Lifestyle which came with nitrogen. Since nitrogen isn't always available Bob got an UltimateAir tank and filled it with nitrogen.

There are many benefits of nitrogen filled tires. Nitrogen reduces the loss of tire pressure due to leakage through the rubber of the tires by about 1/3 means less times you have to fill up the tires. Nitrogen is a dry gas air so there will be less corrosion of the tire's steel components like the sidewall reinforcements and belts. There also will be more consistent pressure as the tires heat up during towing.

Now for the rest of the story. Nitrogen is still a gas and is affected by changes in temperature, about 1 psi for for 10 degrees F. Nitrogen isn't always readily available, although it is getting better. Getnitrogen.org is a website where you can check. The list includes surprisingly Costco Tire Centers and mostly car/truck dealerships. The website does list if the place is truck friendly. Getting the RV in tow to some of these places, plus the lack of availability is why we bought the UltimateAir tank and had it filled with nitrogen. If necessary you can always add regular compressed air to you nitrogen filled tires because proper pressure is more important than the purity of the nitrogen.

Truth be told if the tires did not come with nitrogen we doubt we would have converted to nitrogen. Now that we have it we have decided to keep the nitrogen filled if possible.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

THE POWER OF THE INTERNET FOR GOOD

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 44 Sunny, Breezy this Afternoon High 76) 

It certainly was breezy yesterday evening. Barb from Gypsy and the Navigator warned us about the wind here in Albuquerque. When we got home from visiting friends last night the wind was gusting pretty strong so we decided to stow our Winegard satellite dish on the roof.

As it was stowing a big gust hit us and the Winegard lost it's mind. We got a flashing "EL Motor Home Failure" on the control box. Since it was almost midnight we decided to check it out this morning. After using the internet for good Bob got the steps to fix the problem from http://www.justanswer.com/rv-motorhome/.

Bob got on the roof and confirmed that all the connections were still good and that the antenna was in the "EL Hard Stop" position, or pointing straight up. Robert, an RV Mechanic on justanswer.com, responded to an earlier similar question and stated that the antenna needed to be calibrated and provided the steps. Bob went through the steps and got a calibration success. The antenna was then stowed and then powered on and found all the satellites so we are back in business.

There may be a lot of bad things on the internet but if you are choosy you can find the power of the internet for good.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

UPDATE ON UNDERBELLY REPAIR, PART 2

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 48 Sunny Breezy and Pleasant High 73) 

The mobile service tech came by earlier this week to measure and figure out what parts he might need. Here is what he saw.

A closeup of the straps that were never installed under the holding tanks.

We will be on the schedule next week sometime so we are extended our stay in Albuquerque a week. Oh well, more time to eat at some of our favorite restaurants. We'll keep you posted.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

CATCHING UP - REVIEW OF STAGECOACH STOP RV PARK IN RIO RANCHO NEW MEXICO

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 48 Partly Sunny and Very Warm High 82) 

Really catching up on an old blog entry. Digging around our blog we found this entry which we thought we had already published. In fact we double checked to make sure it wasn't already there. This covers our October 2016 stay at Stagecoach Stop RV Park in Rio Rancho New Mexico after our stay at the Presidents Campground at the International Balloon Fiesta.

Since we have stayed there before we didn't take pictures of the park. After we left we realized that those visits were in the Cameo and not the Lifestyle.

Getting to the park is more of a challenge now than it was earlier. They have widened the road and put in a median. Unfortunately our GPS devices have not been updated which we followed until we were in front of a detention center. Bob started backing up when an officer came out of the building to give us directions. Told us it happens all the time. Once we knew the secret handshake to get to the park we were fine, especially every trip after that we didn't have a 40' fifth wheel in tow :-)

Once we got to the park which had asphalt roads and sites. There was rock between the sites. The pad was long enough for the Lifestyle with the truck parked next to it on an asphalt parking space. Hookups were convenient. Since the park has not changed from the last visit here are a couple of photos left and right of the site with the Sandia Mountains in the distance.

Although there are trees we were able to get a good line of sight for our roof mounted automatic satellite dish. We will get photos of the Lifestyle during our next visit. Like the Balloon Fiesta Presidents Campground and the KOA in Albuquerque where we are now Stagecoach Stop has location, location, location. This campground is real close to The Range Cafe, one of our favorite places to eat. Plus there is a Walmart close by and a new shopping area across the highway. We will definitely stay here again although the nearby Sadie's Restaurant has since closed.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

UPDATE ON RV UNDERBELLY REPAIRS

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 42 Sun With Some Clouds High 78) 

We don't know how some companies stay in business with the poor customer service that they have. It has been an interesting 3 days trying to find the 2-piece pan beneath the holding tanks on the underbelly of our Lifestyle RV. Multiple phone calls with multiple voicemails left resulted in 1, and I mean only ONE callback. Kudos to Cindy at a Florida La Mesa dealership for that callback. Doesn't anybody answer their phones anymore?

When I was able to talk to a live person I got mostly negatives on the pan, but some gave me some other places to check. It all came together when I talked with Crystal in Parts at Tiara RV in Elkhart Indiana which is a superstar in old Carriages and Lifestyles. When Carriage and Lifestyle went out of business they bought what inventory they could and still have some on hand now. Unfortunately they did not have the 2-piece pan that we needed.

Here is what we have been able to piece together. We think that the pan was made by Ameri-Kart which made the holding tanks. Ameri-Kart is so busy with the RV manufacturers business that they don't have time for the one time purchases and has a minimum order of 10 for any part. That is why Tiara RV is having trouble working with Ameri-Kart. Crystal from Tiara RV did say that some owners have had a custom plastic pan made and on one of the Carriage/Lifestyle forums the suggestion was made to make it out of sheet aluminum.

Turns out Carriage and Lifestyle were one of few, if not the only one, that used a hard body 2-piece pan. One of the suggestions on the Carriage/Lifestyle forums was to use a corrugated plastic trade name Coroplast. Here it is in roll form.

A view form the side showing the 1/8" thickness and the corrugation.

This material is readily available in the Albuquerque, and a lot cheaper than a custom ordered pan. In fact it is used as the underbelly on most of the RVs being built. The mobile tech will be out next week to look over the job including the straps for the holding tanks that were never installed from the beginning.

We'll keep you posted.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

CATCHING UP - REVIEW OF MIDLAND RV PARK IN MIDLAND TEXAS

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 46 Sunshine and Pleasant High 74) 

With the short stay and the sightseeing we had to forego our review of the Midland RV Park until now. The main draw for us for this RV Park was the fact that it was on city water. Other parks are on well water and the water is not so good. But according to our water tester the water here is above the threshold for tap water. A quick trip to get gallons of drinking water took care of that issue.

Our GPS devices disagreed a lot on this trip but we ended up where we needed to be. Although the lady at the front desk at checkin was real nice the guy who guided us to our site was a little gruff. We did pull into a secondary entrance which didn't help our cause. The interior roads and sites are gravel. The hookups are convenient. We ended up in a pullthru and we had a great line of sight for our roof mounted satellite dish.

Here is our Lifestyle from the front.

To the right.

To the left.

From the rear.

We would probably stay here again as we feel like there is more to see and places to eat here in the Midland/Odessa area. We will try to make sure to go in the right entrance though 😏

We are still waiting on information on the underbelly pan so we will keep you posted.

Till next time, 

Bob and Jo.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - TO ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 41 Plenty of Sunshine High 67) 

Subtitle 1: Our travel day from hell
Subtitle 2: Evergreen; what were you thinking?
Subtitle 3: Gorilla Tape

We left Roswell New Mexico yesterday and headed towards Albuquerque New Mexico. 

Our travel day from hell - The first thing of note is that for the majority of the trip we had a pretty strong headwind. Occasionally we had a sidewind (more on that later). Our 1 ton dually performed admirably and we never once thought about ending our trip due to wind. At our first rest stop Bob checked his tape job on the underbelly and it was holding. Funny thing is that as we were walking to the bathrooms the wind was in our face, on the return walk it was at our side. By now we are a little worried about fuel consumption.

Our second stop was for diesel because by now we knew we would not make it to Albuquerque. Bob checked the underbelly again and it was horrible. The bigger piece of the 2 piece pan was dragging on the ground. The side wind that Bob thought might aid our mileage had devastated the underbelly. Luckily there was a very big lot next to the pumps and Bob crawled under the RV once again, this time disconnecting the pan which we put in the trash along with the insulation.

Evergreen; what were you thinking? Evergreen was the manufacturer of our Lifestyle RV. With the pan removed it became very apparent that 2 straps meant to hold the black and grey tanks were not screwed down. There was a pile of the screws right where the two straps would have been screwed to the frame. At first Bob thought they had broken off but upon further review found that the straps were too short and were never screwed in. Instead of getting longer straps they just put the screws that they should have used on top of the insulation and then lifted the pan and secured it. Evergreen: what were you thinking?

Gorilla Tape - There was some taping still to be done, the smaller piece of the 2 piece was basically still intact and the straps needed to be taped above the road or would bounce off of the payment causing problems. All the taping was completed and we hit the road again and finally made it to Albuquerque. For a while during the day yesterday we weren't where we would end up.

We are staying again at the Albuquerque KOA Journey.

It was approximately 200 miles, this is the route we took.



Bob spent the morning calling a mobile RV service and trying to find the pan. Since Evergreen is out of business finding parts is an adventure. In addition to getting the underbelly fixed while here we plan on meeting some friends and eating out, well mostly eating out 😏

Till next time,

Bob and Jo