The Good News & The Bad News ... all in one!

During our trip to LA in mid-November (before Thanksgiving), we stopped at Mike Thompson's RV to see if they had any used RVs that we liked.  Specifically, we wanted to up our slide count from two to three which would add additional room for us and the dogs in which to roam around.

We found a 2006 Southwind (we had a 2003 Southwind) that had three slides and an additional five feet that was in excellent condition ... and we really liked it.  We completed our negotiations and thought we would be on the road with it.  BUT NO!!!  California (God bless the politicians in that state) has a law that if you purchase a motor vehicle within the state of California and register it in another state, you can NOT (that means you can't) drive the motor vehicle within the state of California until it is registered in the other state.  What did that mean for us?  Well, it meant that we had to have an authorized driver drive our RV for us from Mike Thompson's in Santa Fe Springs over the border of California into Nevada. 

So, we ended up driving our "old" RV to Atascadero for Thanksgiving and then driving back to Santa Fe Springs the following Monday to drop off the old and pick up the new.  But first we had a few things they had to take off the old and put on the new--like our Dish and Dish controller box and the towing bar for the Jeep.  Then we had to take EVERYTHING out of the old and transfer it to the new one and that took two hours.  We were at the RV dealership from 8am to 7pm!!!  Which means we finally were on the road to Primm, NV at 7pm Monday night. 

We arrived in Primm at midnight and had to call a notary to come to the RV to notarize a form that documented the fact that we took delivery of the vehicle in Nevada and not California.  That way the lovely state of California was ensured that we did not dare drive the vehicle within their state lines.  Is this foolish or what?  Just one more reason (as if I needed any more reasons) why leaving the state of California was an excellent idea :)

Since we had so much time at Mike Thompson's that day, I took some photos of us on the first day of our physical ownership of the new RV.

Here's a photo of the full RV.  There's one slide on this side and two on the other side.  Two slides open up the main living area so one slide pushes out the couch and dinette set and the opposite slide pushes out the kitchen area.  Then the third slide pushes out the bedroom.

 



We stayed the first night in Primm in a casino parking lot with a few other RVers and truckers.  The next morning we took off for our second stop on our way home which was Beatty, NV.  This "town" is located right outside the north eastern end of Death Valley.  We woke up the next morning, got everything battened down and then tried to get the leveling jacks to raise up.  Not happening! So we called the service department at Mike Thompson's and they walked us through a few steps, finally gave up and gave us the "last resort fix" which was to put the vehicle into "Drive" keeping your foot on the brake.  Apparently there's a built-in safety feature that once you put the vehicle into gear the leveling jacks will automatically raise up.  So, we thought that-was-that ... but NOOOOO! 

 

Our next stop on the way home was in Hawthorne, NV ... a place we've stayed before, Whiskey Flats RV Park.  There, the leveling jacks would not go down!  Okay, so now we realize we have a more serious problem than we initially thought.  Oh well, we can live one night without the jacks ... I guess!  We wanted to get home before it snowed, but alas, that was not to be.  It snowed that night in Hawthorne.  Here are some photos of our white winter wonderland at the RV Park.

We thought we were going to be in trouble and not get out that day, but the snow was worse here than other places because of Walker Lake and something they called "the lake affect".  The highways were perfectly clear so we made the decision to head out on the highway home with the bum leveling jack system.  Here are some photos of Walker Lake on the way taken through the front window of the RV ... one of my favorite photo opportunities is to take pictures while driving down the highway!  You can really see the glass reflection in the first one.

We arrived back safely and drove straight to Bob's Performance (who had done some work on our other RV for us).  Our new RV has been at Bob's since December 5th (and today is December 19th!).

"Why?" you ask?  Well, Atwood, who made the leveling jack system, no longer makes that specific model because it was no good (really????) so nowhere in the country have we been able to locate a replacement controller box.  Bob even called the service department at Mike Thompson's and they looked throughout their inventory and couldn't locate one.  There just isn't one to be found anywhere and the extended warranty company refuses (and I do mean refuses) to pay for anything but replacing the controller!  Okay, we'll take whatever we can get from them.

Bob did finally get Atwood to make us a deal and they agreed to sell a complete new system (controller and jacks) for only $2,000.  Mike Thompson's also agreed to pay for half of the full repair so at least now we can start the repairs and get back into our motorhome.  Thank you Jesus!

In the meantime we've been living with my sister Jeanne and her family for weeks now because there is only electrical hook-up at Bob's -- no sewer, water or propane available -- which we REALLY need because of the freezing temperatures.  We are ***SO VERY THANKFUL*** for the Koerner family's gracious hospitality.  They have been putting up with Gary, me, Sherwood and Sadie along with their daughter, Katie, and their dog, Jackson.  Can you imagine adding two adults and two dogs to your living situation?  We thank our God upon every remembrance of them.

On top of that, it has been bitter cold ... down into the low teens and we were worried that the pipes would freeze and crack.  Once again, we were spared disaster and everything seems to be holding up nicely.

In another blog I'll share photos of the interior but, for now, we'll just leave it as is until we get it back, fully operational, and moved into Comstock Country RV Park once again ... our new "home".  Then, we'll give you a peek at the new, updated interior look.  Until then, my blog friends, stay warm and dry and look for the best in every situation no matter how dire it may initially appear because He is, after all, in control of all things!

Ephesians 1:11 // In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will ...