ADDED MAPS FOR VERMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MAINE

Currently in Buffalo WY (Low 20 Sunny and Warmer High 54)

Bob added more travel maps and made more reservations for next year yesterday since we were snowed in. He added maps for Vermont:

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New Hampshire:

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and Maine:



A lot more maps and reservations to be made. We are getting a little cabin fever so we plan to get out and grab some lunch and maybe walk around a grocery store. Doesn't that sound exciting?

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

WE WOKE UP TO THIS

Currently in Buffalo WY (Low 26 Snowing High 36) 

We woke up to this :-(

They are calling it a late summer winter storm, if that makes any sense. One thing we have learned the hard way is that you cannot control the weather, averages smaverages. Here is JJ staring out in disbelief at the almost 1 foot of snow.

Yesterday the new heavy duty socket was put in the truck bed. It was raining all day so the plug for the pigtail will be put on tomorrow after the snow gets out of here.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ANOTHER MILESTONE - 5TH YEAR LIVING FULLTIME IN OUR CAMEO

Currently in Buffalo WY (Low 40 Rainy High 49) 

On September 10, 2009 we spent the night for the first time in our Cameo. Except for about a month and a half when we were getting service and we stayed at a hotel we have lived in the Cameo.

On this our 5th anniversary we are fighting a 'fault in trailer wiring' resulting in no trailer brakes. A new heavy duty socket and plug assembly is being added to the Ford and Cameo during our stay in Buffalo. We found another possibility for problems and that is where the socket for the truck bed was spliced into the main power. This splicing was not waterproof so water and road chemicals could have leeched into the connections and is a possibility for our problems. After we get all this fixed other than the brake controller outputting too much voltage all other possibilities for the truck have been eliminated.

Living fulltime in an RV is always easier when you are not having problems and we got spoiled by having relatively few problems the first four years, but we have made up for that since.

We thought we would share some of our favorite photos over the years. There are so many favorites it was tough to choose.

With all that we've done there is still a lot to see. Next summer is a big trip to Maine and then down to Florida for the winter. At the end of that we should only have 3 or 4 states left to visit. 

Even with all the mechanical problems we are not ready yet to hang up the keys so maybe we will see you on the road sometime.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

INCREDIBLY WE ONLY GOT 124 MILES THIS TIME - TO BUFFALO WYOMING

Currently in Buffalo WY (Low 54 Partly Sunny Cooler High 63) 

The further we went, the greater our confidence grew, BUT then at about 124 miles Bob hit the brakes to slow down for yet another construction zone and a beep then 'fault in trailer wiring' yet again :-(

In total we drove approximately 170 miles yesterday to Buffalo Wyoming and arrived at the Buffalo KOA. This is the route we took.


We got here and setup and then Bob called around. The nearest RV dealership is taking appointments for September 22nd so we tried a local repair shop, Car Clinic, who came to look over the situation to see if it was something they could handle. The outlet and plug could be adjusted but would only be a short term fix. Based on feedback from fellow Escapees we decided to go with a heavy duty plug and socket from Pollak.

Bob got all the parts this morning and the shop will put the socket in the truck and the new plug on the Cameo tomorrow. We plan to be here a week for our mail to catch up with us so we will head out next Monday morning for another test drive.

We are in a pretty park. Here is a view of the KOA from their website.

We are in for some colder temperatures, rain, and maybe even some snow while we are here. This could cut down on sightseeing.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ELIMINATED ANOTHER POSSIBILITY

Currently in Billings MT (Low 44 Mostly Sunny Currently 49) 
Heading to Buffalo WY (Currently 59 Mostly Sunny High 85)

We eliminated yet another possible problem with our trailer brakes. The mobile RV tech in Billings was able to work us in his busy schedule. He found crimped wires that provide power to the brakes. There was more amperage draw than usual but not out of bounds. He cut out the bad area and put it all back together. Of course when we plugged the pigtail in it showed trailer connected and the brakes engaged just like the last two times. The gremlins "may" have been all chased off. We will find out today in a 170 mile test drive to Buffalo Wyoming. The mobile tech is confident that this was the problem and even Jo is fairly confident we have chased away the last gremlin.

We thought we would tell you about Trailer Village where we are staying in Billings. Here is the Cameo in the site.

To the right

To the left

From the rear showing the satellite dish getting a great line of sight.

All the RV parks in Billings are expensive for some reason so we can't really complain about that. We can complain, however, about the adventure to get a good line of sight for our satellite dish. Bob called a few months ago when we was making reservations and requested a good site for our dish and was told no problem. When we were delayed he called again and asked then about our site. Turns out we were going to be in a site where the dish would be right up against a tree. This exact thing happened to us the last time we stayed here but then there were no other sites available. This time there were sites available and Bob checked out the park on Google Earth and we ended up with the great line of sight you saw above. The area for the Cameo is about 8 and 1/2 feet wide and we are 8' wide so getting the Cameo backed in with that truck there was a little challenging but we got it done. The parking area to the side of the patio is nice.

Sooooo today, Lord willing and the slideout comes in, AND the trailer brake gremlins have all been chased away, we will head out and arrive safely in Buffalo Wyoming with trailer brakes.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

WE GOT ONLY 32 MILES THIS TIME :-(

Currently in Billings MT (Low 42 Sunny High 74)

We got only 32 miles this time before the 'Fault in Trailer Wiring' message. We had thought this might happen, Jo's intuition again, so we talked with the shops and mechanics in Lewistown before we left who all agreed that although not recommended we could drive to Billings from Lewistown without brakes, we would just have to be extremely careful. So we decided to drive the remainder of the trip, 96 miles, without brakes. We allowed more stopping distance, used the flashers when needed and the transmission to slow us down. We got to Billings safely and surprisingly there were no close calls.

We are going to try and handle this first with a mobile RV service if we can. The best guy is also the busiest guy and he is going to try and work us in. We should find out today when he can be here. We are paid up to Monday, when we planned to leave Billings, what happens Monday is anybody's guess.

Not to say we are becoming discouraged but every 5th wheel we meet on the road we offer to trade, so far no takers. This lifestyle is great most of the time but when dealing with getting service in the middle of nowhere it is not so great.

Every morning when Bob goes for his walk there is a 'For Sale' sign on the Cameo, not sure who is putting it there but it is up to date as this mornings sign said 'For Sale - Reduced No Brakes'.

We'll keep you posted, here we are in happier times at Yosemite earlier this year.

Bob and Jo

WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN IT FIXED

Currently in Lewistown MT (Low 43 Sunshine Currently 46)
Heading to Billings MT (Currently 54 Mostly Sunny High 68) 

We have a test drive today to Billings of 128 miles to test out a new pigtail from the Cameo. It was quite an adventure . With more troubleshooting we now know that the outlet in the truck bed is suspect and we will use the Ford supplied bumper outlet for awhile. The pigtail plug we were using was also found to be beyond repair.

The only RV parts store in town was surprisingly out of the pigtails and referred me to Napa Auto Parts who had the plug and the cable but it was not assembled. After it was assembled the mechanic came and put on the new pigtail. All testing short of hooking up and driving indicated a solid connection in the bumper outlet.

By then it was too late to head out yesterday so Lord willing, the slideout comes in AND no more 'fault in trailer wiring' messages we are heading to Billings today.

Why is the last thing you do inside and one of the last things you do before you leave have the problems? Earlier detection and we would not spend all the time getting ready just to immediately undo it.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

ON THE ROAD AGAIN (MAYBE) - TO BILLINGS MONTANA (MAYBE)

Currently in Lewistown MT (Low 44 Partly Cloudy with Showers Later Currently 47)
Heading to Billings MT (Currently 50 Becoming Cloudy High 76)

We left Great Falls Montana yesterday about 3p, turns out we had a bad pigtail from the Cameo to the truck which only needed adjustment, or so we thought. Turns out it was an adjustment only good for 90 miles :-(

After 90 miles of error free driving we got the wiring fault message again, pulled off to the side of the road and sure enough no brakes. We called Good Sam Emergency Roadside Assistance from the middle of nowhere Montana but they couldn't find immediate help. After 45 minutes the only provider they could find did not have a mechanic at that time but would have one today at 8a. We drove about 20 miles w/o brakes to an RV park and setup for the night, coincidentally in the same town as the provider.

Sooooo if we get the wiring fault fixed this morning we head once again to Billings.

A couple of observations; this is our first time on 30amp electric since we got the residential refrigerator and we can run both air conditioners if needed.

We're not sure if we will ever visit Montana again if we can get out of the state, if we ever do :-) If we visit Montana we will probably avoid Billings as it was also on our itinerary in 2011 when we had the broken window by a park weedeater that turned 1 week into almost 6.

Jo's brother says this is how Montana increases its population, you can check in but you can't check out :-)

We'll keep you posted.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

CHANGE OF PLANS - NOT THE SLIDEOUT THIS TIME

Currently in Great Falls MT (Low 46 Periods of Sun High 77) 
Heading to Billings MT (Currently 62 Sunny High 82)

The slideouts came in yesterday just fine, we did our walkaround the site after hooking up and the flashers were working on the Cameo. We did our brake and hitch connection test before we left and then we get a "Fault in Trailer Wiring" notice and no trailer brakes. Since yesterday was Labor Day nobody was open for service so we headed back to our site. The cats were sure confused on such a short travel day.

After lunch Bob did some troubleshooting and internet research. Since it involves sparky stuff and he is a gear head he maybe isn't too sure about the results but he thinks it is the power cord from the Cameo. Bob called repair places this morning and found one that could work on it this afternoon. He drove the Ford there this morning and they tested the plugs on the truck and both of those were working so they can concentrate on the Cameo this afternoon. We will take the Cameo in tow there and if they figure it out quickly we will head to Billings. If not we will spend another night in Great Falls.

We will keep you posted. Thought I would share the cats photo again. We are always trying to get a photo of all three but invariably one moves or jumps out of the frame. This one is one for the ages.

So Lord willing, the slideout comes in AND the trailer wiring issue is resolved, we will be leaving for Billings late afternoon arriving while there is still light.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

DICK'S RV PARK AND A BEAUTIFUL CHURCH IN GREAT FALLS MONTANA

Currently in Great Falls MT (Low 45 Breezy with Clouds and Sun Currently 52)
Heading to Billings MT (Currently 53 Some Sun and Shower High 74) 

A great thing about traveling this great country of ours is seeing a lot of beautiful churches. We went to Mass at St. Ann Cathedral in Great Falls over the weekend. Here is the church exterior.

The main and side altars.

Closeup of the main altar.

A beautiful side altar.

The Bishop's Doors. Since this is a Cathedral, the Bishop's Church, there are doors that are opened only when the Bishop is in the Church. Since the Pastor was saying Mass these doors remained closed.

We spent the week at Dick's RV Park which has to have the best handout of any park we have been at. Supersized in both size and content. A map of Great Falls on the background plus details on park water pressure and propane sales with coupons for some area restaurants this handout has it all. Here is the Cameo from the front in the park. As you can see there is good space between the sites.

From the back showing the dish getting a great signal. As you can see there are few trees to block the dish.

The view to the right shows wide roads

As does the view to the right.

We took these photos nearing dusk to catch this great sunset.

Here is the Cameo and that great sunset.

Another great week as we continue our trek across this great country of ours. We'll end with a rare shot of all three cats in one frame, this time enjoying the sun at Dick's RV Park.

We head to Billings Montana today, Lord willing and the slideout comes in.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

LEWIS AND CLARK EXPLORING - FALLS AND INTERPRETIVE CENTER EDITION

Currently in Great Falls MT (Low 49 Passing Storms High 68) 

During their winter at Fort Mandan during the winter of 1804-1805 the Mandan Indians told Lewis and Clark they would travel on what is now called the Missouri River for a ways and then come upon "great falls". Here is the Great Falls before the Ryan Dam was built and at high water time, this is from the internet. This is close to the falls as they appeared to Lewis and Clark.

Realizing that they had to portage around the falls William Clark was sent ahead to scout the best passage. What he found was four more falls, along with the Giant Springs that we blogged about yesterday, making the trip even longer. It turned out to be an 18 and 1/4 mile portage around the falls. We toured the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and they had this diorama depicting part of the journey to portage the big canoes around the falls.

The Interpretive Center is neat and deserves a visit. You walk a timeline of their journey westward. There are a lot of different films and talks throughout the day. You could spend an entire day here. We even heard the folklore about the Welsh Indians, how explorers from Wales predated Columbus and intermingled with the Indians. For our journey it is back to the falls. Here is what Great Falls and Ryan Dam looked like to us during low water.

The viewing for the dam/falls is on a island and you cross this bridge which can sway. 

For those that know Jo she was very brave and went across the bridge. Bob stopped to take a picture and Jo kept going slowly while clinging to the hand rails. When Bob finished he walked at normal speed and the bridge started swaying. Jo planted her feet, gripped the hand rails even tighter and yelled 'nobody move'. Luckily it was only Bob on the bridge at the time and he knew to pay attention. We then walked together very slowly there with no swaying for the remainder and for the return trip. Here is the shot downstream that Bob was after.

Here is what Great Falls/Ryan Dam looks like during high water, taken from the internet.

Of the four remaining falls only three are visible. The damming of the river has caused Colter Falls to be flooded. We wished we were here during high water as it would even be more impressive. Here is Crooked Falls, also known as Horseshoe Falls.

Rainbow Falls and Dam

Black Eagle Falls and Dam with Great Falls, the town, in the distance.

Great Falls was a treat to visit and learn more about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. All of these sights were within 20 miles of our park.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo