Update

Well, we are still trying to determine when we can get started on our trip to Yellowstone. We are hoping to know within the next couple of weeks. Charley’s Dad is doing pretty well but we still do not feel comfortable leaving quite yet.

Hoping to get the new tires/wheels on our 5er and get her in for the last repairs from our blowout in the next few days. The remainder of the parts were due in yesterday but we have not heard for sure yet.

We will begin daily updates to our blog once we are on the road again!!

The Latest

Our nephew was in an automobile accident and was just released from the hospital on July 8. He is doing fine. Charley’s Dad is also doing well. So we are now in the process of seeing what we need to get done prior to getting started on our trip to Yellowstone while deciding when we feel comfortable leaving.

We know we have to get the new rims and tires on the 5er and if the parts come in from the blowout we hope to get those repairs done also. After all that we still need to get the 5er and truck all cleaned up and shiny for the trip. They have both been neglected this summer (too hot and steamy here in SC to get much of that sort of stuff taken care of). And speaking of the weather, we certainly won’t miss that when we get on the road again!!

We will update later in the week and hopefully will have an idea then on when we can plan to leave. There is still a little bit of uncertainty regarding Charley’s Dad and whether we feel comfortable leaving yet but we will work that out in the coming days.

Stay tuned some more!! :-)

More on Our Plans

Well, the rim situation for our 5er did not turn out as expected. Keystone (Montana) told our rep that the rims for the 2010 Montana were made in China. The company that manufactured them has gone out of business and the molds for the rims were destroyed. So we did our best to get Keystone to agree to replace all the rims so that they would match but, guess what? They will not. So we are on the hook to do this if we want them all to match, and of course we do.

So, having said that, Charley finally, after getting the runaround in many phone calls, got in touch with the actual company that sells tires and rims to the RV manufacturers and we now have ordered our new rims, etc. Charley also ordered heavy duty valve stems for the four tires. He also has all new tires on order with a local store so that we can them all installed as soon as the rims arrive and we can get this scheduled. Looks like the other repairs may have to wait until we return from our trip. Needless to say, Charley probably has a few more gray hairs now than when he started trying to get this resolved!! (Not that he has that many non-gray ones left!!)

We are still planning to get on the road by mid-July unless something else happens to delay us. Everybody keep their fingers crossed for us!!

Good News!!

Based on what we have found out this week, it looks like we can finally plan to get started on our next trip!! Hurray!!

Charley’s Dad is doing well and should be able to get back to his home town and stay with his sister Helena soon. Until then Charley’s brother, Bob, and his wife, Betty, will be caring for him (thanks guys!!).

So, the steps we need to take to be able to go? First, we have to get the tire rim in from our Montana vendor (from the blowout accident). Then we have to get all new tires on the 5er so that we don’t have this problem again. If possible, and this we do not know yet, we would like to get the other repairs completed also. That is if the parts come in in plenty of time to get it done. These repairs can wait until we return if necessary. Charley also has to install the tire monitor and sensors after we get the new tires on.

The other things we have to do are to get the 5er reorganized a little for travel, get everything stocked up as needed, and get the 5er and truck all cleaned up and ready to go.

Our hope is to be able to get on the road sometime the week of 7/11. So stay tuned, we are almost there!!

Weekly Update

Charley’s Dad is continuing to get better every day. He seemed to really enjoy being with us and our kids/grandkids for the past several days. He is now with his granddaughter (our niece) for a couple of days and then will be back with Charley’s brother for a while. He is very anxious to get back to his home town (Walhalla) but understands that he will not be able to be by himself for some time, maybe not ever – it depends. He has sisters who live there as well and they have indicated that he can stay with them so we may consider that after his therapy is completed successfully and the doctor approves. Our niece is taking him to Walhalla for a supper tonight that he has always attended and we know this will make him happy.

Still not real sure when we will be able to plan to depart but hopefully it will not be too much longer. Stay tuned!!

Attached are pictures of Charley’s Dad with two of his great grandchildren (our son’s oldest children, Morgan-7 and Jed-10).  

93 and still as feisty as ever!!

More on Charley’s Dad

Charley’s Dad isout of the Nursing Center and with us this week while his brother is out of town. We are working on getting physical therapy started at home.

He is very pleased to be “out of jail”!! Also seems to be enjoying his great grandchildren and their escapades.

He will be with us this week and maybe next week. Tough to keep him entertained since it is so hot here in SC right now. It hit 100 yesterday and today with a heat index of 107 or better. Hard to let him be outside in that kind of heat!! And he does so love to be outside.

We hope that we can continue to report that he is progressing toward getting well so that we can get plans in place to start our next adventure.

Still waiting to get the camper fixed from our “blowout” and get the new monitor and sensors installed that were delivered the end of last week. Had to file claim with our insurance company and now waiting for the adjuster to get in touch with us. Keystone and Goodyear said “no”…..

More later….

Additional Update

Charley’s Dad will be leaving the Nursing Center this week. The process of getting his additional therapy set up as in home care is in process and he should be able to go to Charley’s brother’s home this week. This is going to make him very happy for now. The next thing we will begin hearing is how soon he can go back to his home in Walhalla, SC!! He is not going to be very happy until this is accomplished. Knowing him it will be sooner rather than later!!

In the meantime we are getting a few more things done to our 5er. Charley had a blowout last week when returning from getting some service work done on our black tank valve. This caused some damage to the 5er but nothing as major as it could have been. He took it in yesterday to get the damage looked over and get the claim filed with Keystone. Now we have to wait two weeks or more to get the repairs done after they get all the parts in. The damage could have been so much more. We are very lucky!! The warranty work (or so we think – waiting for confirmation) is that the tire and rim have to be replaced along with a few pieces of trim work. Slides were not damaged, thank goodness!!

Due to this and the travel we have planned out west, Charley is also planning to put all new (and better) tires on the 5er. He is currently checking on the best tire to get, probably Michelin.

As a result of this we have also ordered a monitor and sensors for the tires on the 5er and our truck so that we get warned before this could happen again. This should be in and installed within the next week.

As Charley likes to say, “It is an adventure!!”.