My fingers are cramped. My eyes are crossed. My neck is stiff. My little Mac is practically smoking.
But, here's the good news. Bullwinkle's Travels is up to date!
Our poor little neglected travel blog is back amongst the living. Since we landed here in Gunnison a week or so ago I've written 17 posts. Seventeen! They span our travels over the last three months from South Carolina to Colorado. We've really been moving! Now that our travelogue is all caught up, I'm committed to stay on top of it all. It feels great to have our travels documented. Someday we'll really appreciate it. But, it turns out quarterly updates are too much work!
And, what's my reward for this blogmania? I'm treating myself to writing a post here. With no pictures to deal with or travel details to chronicle, this blog is a breeze.
Back when we were making our very preliminary travel plans for this summer, we were so tempted to return to Gunnison. We spent six weeks here last summer and fell in love. Actually, we've declared it our favorite town, to date. But, we told ourselves we didn't want to fall into the routine of returning to favorite and familiar places, just yet. We want to keep exploring uncharted territory. Fort Collins was sitting there on the Front Range waiting to be explored. And, we were so ready. Finally, we decided to spend a month exploring Fort Collins. Gunnison would just have to wait until next time.
So, when the High Park Fire smoked us out of the town we were so ready to explore, it didn't take us long to decide where to go instead. We sat in Denver for a day or two and considered the possibilities for a nanosecond. After the crazy travel adventures we've had for the last few months, we were more than ready to return to this town we love.
It's so good to be back. We really like it here. It's pretty. People are friendly. Most of the time, it's cool. But, the same weather system that is making the High Park Fire a toughie has settled in across most of Colorado. It's unseasonably warm. It's windy. We've had way too many sunny days in a row. (And, at 7,700 feet, the sun is searing!) Still, it's cooler here than most places in this sizzling state. So, we're not complaining.
And, just to make things interesting, our moose has thrown us an old familiar curve ball. For 16 days after leaving Forest City, our heat pump hummed like a champ. Monday, our #2 compressor stopped coming on. Again! Several phone calls later we have an appointment after July 4th with a service tech who is highly recommended by our AC manufacturer. So far, we've been impressed with them. Our fingers are crossed that our detour back over Monarch Pass will be short and sweet. Meanwhile, we can get by just fine with half an air conditioner here.
Last year, in the midst of air conditioner woes, we came to Gunnison to escape the heat. This year, we're so glad we just so happened to be here. We'll get back to the business of exploring soon enough. For now, we're gonna keep our blogs up-to-date and have some fun in our favorite town.
A Taste of Fort Collins
I must admit that when we decided that our travels would take us through the midwest this Spring, I was a bit apprehensive. The chances of running into nasty Spring weather somewhere along the way were high. We did have one night of severe storms in Kansas City. Then, there was that nasty day of gale force winds in western Nebraska. Not too bad. Along the way, I told myself I'd breathe easier as soon as we got to Colorado.
Yeah, right.
The first night we spent in Fort Collins (Was that only Wednesday?) was quite celebratory. We'd made it across The Great Plains. We'd avoided tornadoes and the like. Even though we arrived a day late, we got right with the Fort Collins vibe. Fellow fulltimers Deb and Rod had arranged a tour at a favorite local brewer, New Belgium. It was quite the informative and tasty tour. (So much so that a 12-pack of Somersault landed in our refrigerator the next day.)
That first evening, we caught up with anytimers Craig and Anne, whom we last saw in Kansas City last Fall. They're on their way to Michigan this Summer. We felt so lucky that our paths crossed at the same campground in Fort Collins. As we headed to bed after our meeting with these friends, we checked the weather. We were under a tornado watch.
Great!
Storms skirted to the west of us. A hundred miles or so to the south, my brother's family was subjected to a storm that dumped hail at their place for two-and-half hours and stacked the icy stuff up in inches. Thankfully, Fort Collins was spared.
The next day, Craig and Anne hit the road. We took advantage of our first down day in a long while and took care of some much-neglected domestic duties. By late afternoon, the moose was sparkling inside. And, we were under another tornado watch.
Joy! Joy!
With a watchful eye on the radar, we tracked a tornado and hail-producing storm that passed just to the east of us. I checked the map. No, we were not in the midwest. Instead, we were snuggled up against the front range of the Colorado Rockies.
Yesterday afternoon, we made plans to meet up with Deb and Rod at Taste of Fort Collins, an annual Summer event that showcases the food and drink of Fort Collins.
As we headed out of our campground, we noticed a plume of smoke in the foothills to the west. On the way downtown, I checked my phone for news. The fire was on the local sheriff's radar. It was just 20-acres with no structures in danger. It was 10 to 15 miles away. We decided not to worry.
Shortly after we met up with Deb and Rod, we were keeping an eye on the sky. The temperatures were climbing into the mid-90s. Not only was it bloody hot, but the innocent plume of smoke was now towering over the center of town. After an hour or so of meeting Deb and Rod's kin and sampling the best Fort Collins could dish out, we decided it was time to go home to cool off and keep an eye on the fire.
A quick check after our arrival revealed the blaze had grown to 200 acres. It was all 10 miles and a couple of hills away. We wouldn't worry, but we'd definitely keep an eye on it all.
By the time the local news did their 10 o'clock thing, the fire covered 8000 acres. Winds were expected to kick up through the night. The good news was the temperatures would be cooler. The bad news was it was going to be windy.
I was jolted awake at 3 o'clock. The wind buffeted the moose from every which direction. We rocked and rolled. All I could think about was the fire in the nearby foothills. Wide awake, I checked online news sources and twitter. #HighParkFire became a lifeline. In the darkness, I couldn't see a thing. But, on twitter I could "see" it all. An hour or so later, I read that the county sheriffs were evacuating a neighborhood that sounded like it might be nearby. I tracked the route on Google Maps. The evacuating neighborhood was a drive of only four miles. A mere 10 minutes away. As the crow, or burning ember flies, it was probably only three miles. And the winds outside were screaming.
I didn't sleep.
Instead, I waited for daybreak. At just past 5 o'clock, I looked outside. A thick column of brown smoke floated above our campground. Sirens wailed in the distance. Stuff that looked like snow fell from the sky. I quickly realized it was ash.
I so wanted to get the heck outta there!
Instead, I checked the news and monitored twitter. By the time Paul was up, things looked a lot better. The sun came up in a cloak of smoky red. But, the wind shifted and blew the smoke to the north. Fort Collins was blessed with clear blue skies on this sunny Sunday morning. The billowing smoke stayed to the west and north.
My sleep-deprived mind went into information-gathering mode. The latest info on the fire was that it had grown to 12000 acres. There was zero containment. Winds were erratic. The afternoon forecast called for gusty winds in Fort Collins coming from the direction of the fire. There, on the northwestern edge on town, it looked like we might be in for a nasty afternoon and another sleepless night.
It was time to get the heck out of there.
I checked with the office to see if we they would hold our site for a few days. I also asked what would happen if we chose not to return. As they had explained when we checked in, they would simply convert our stay to the daily rate and refund the rest of our monthly fee. I let them know we would be leaving and we'd stay in touch.
The next question was where to go. We wanted to be away from the foothills, not drive too far and go to a place we knew. If we loved it, all the better. Within a few minutes we agreed on today's destination: Cherry Creek State Park in Denver. We'd been there nearly three years ago and enjoyed our stay. At 90 miles or so away from Fort Collins, it was more than a safe distance from the smoke and fire. With several walk-up sites open for the next few days, it would be the perfect place for us to land and eventually plan our next move.
A couple of hours later we landed in this beautiful urban park. As we monitored the news of the fire all afternoon we were affirmed that we had made the right decision. Currently the fire has covered 20,000 acres. Containment is a goal for some time in the future. Neighborhoods are being evacuated. Fort Collins is engulfed in thick, choking smoke.
Our prayers are with those who have evacuated their homes in the foothills. Several of them sought refuge in our Fort Collins campground. We pray for their safety. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the firefighters who are wrestling this blaze. We're also praying for rain.
We are so grateful to be more than a safe distance from it all. When your home has wheels, there's no reason to wait for an evacuation notice. Instead, we left in the light of day, under blue skies, on our own terms. We are so grateful.
We have our spot here for the next three nights. We will monitor the news of this conflagration. Then, we'll decide what to do. We might return to Fort Collins, the town we were so eager to explore. But, we only got to have a taste. And, we might head somewhere else.
We hope you'll join us in saying a prayer. And, stay tuned.
Yeah, right.
The first night we spent in Fort Collins (Was that only Wednesday?) was quite celebratory. We'd made it across The Great Plains. We'd avoided tornadoes and the like. Even though we arrived a day late, we got right with the Fort Collins vibe. Fellow fulltimers Deb and Rod had arranged a tour at a favorite local brewer, New Belgium. It was quite the informative and tasty tour. (So much so that a 12-pack of Somersault landed in our refrigerator the next day.)
That first evening, we caught up with anytimers Craig and Anne, whom we last saw in Kansas City last Fall. They're on their way to Michigan this Summer. We felt so lucky that our paths crossed at the same campground in Fort Collins. As we headed to bed after our meeting with these friends, we checked the weather. We were under a tornado watch.
Great!
Storms skirted to the west of us. A hundred miles or so to the south, my brother's family was subjected to a storm that dumped hail at their place for two-and-half hours and stacked the icy stuff up in inches. Thankfully, Fort Collins was spared.
The next day, Craig and Anne hit the road. We took advantage of our first down day in a long while and took care of some much-neglected domestic duties. By late afternoon, the moose was sparkling inside. And, we were under another tornado watch.
Joy! Joy!
With a watchful eye on the radar, we tracked a tornado and hail-producing storm that passed just to the east of us. I checked the map. No, we were not in the midwest. Instead, we were snuggled up against the front range of the Colorado Rockies.
Yesterday afternoon, we made plans to meet up with Deb and Rod at Taste of Fort Collins, an annual Summer event that showcases the food and drink of Fort Collins.
As we headed out of our campground, we noticed a plume of smoke in the foothills to the west. On the way downtown, I checked my phone for news. The fire was on the local sheriff's radar. It was just 20-acres with no structures in danger. It was 10 to 15 miles away. We decided not to worry.
Shortly after we met up with Deb and Rod, we were keeping an eye on the sky. The temperatures were climbing into the mid-90s. Not only was it bloody hot, but the innocent plume of smoke was now towering over the center of town. After an hour or so of meeting Deb and Rod's kin and sampling the best Fort Collins could dish out, we decided it was time to go home to cool off and keep an eye on the fire.
A quick check after our arrival revealed the blaze had grown to 200 acres. It was all 10 miles and a couple of hills away. We wouldn't worry, but we'd definitely keep an eye on it all.
By the time the local news did their 10 o'clock thing, the fire covered 8000 acres. Winds were expected to kick up through the night. The good news was the temperatures would be cooler. The bad news was it was going to be windy.
I was jolted awake at 3 o'clock. The wind buffeted the moose from every which direction. We rocked and rolled. All I could think about was the fire in the nearby foothills. Wide awake, I checked online news sources and twitter. #HighParkFire became a lifeline. In the darkness, I couldn't see a thing. But, on twitter I could "see" it all. An hour or so later, I read that the county sheriffs were evacuating a neighborhood that sounded like it might be nearby. I tracked the route on Google Maps. The evacuating neighborhood was a drive of only four miles. A mere 10 minutes away. As the crow, or burning ember flies, it was probably only three miles. And the winds outside were screaming.
I didn't sleep.
Instead, I waited for daybreak. At just past 5 o'clock, I looked outside. A thick column of brown smoke floated above our campground. Sirens wailed in the distance. Stuff that looked like snow fell from the sky. I quickly realized it was ash.
I so wanted to get the heck outta there!
Instead, I checked the news and monitored twitter. By the time Paul was up, things looked a lot better. The sun came up in a cloak of smoky red. But, the wind shifted and blew the smoke to the north. Fort Collins was blessed with clear blue skies on this sunny Sunday morning. The billowing smoke stayed to the west and north.
My sleep-deprived mind went into information-gathering mode. The latest info on the fire was that it had grown to 12000 acres. There was zero containment. Winds were erratic. The afternoon forecast called for gusty winds in Fort Collins coming from the direction of the fire. There, on the northwestern edge on town, it looked like we might be in for a nasty afternoon and another sleepless night.
It was time to get the heck out of there.
I checked with the office to see if we they would hold our site for a few days. I also asked what would happen if we chose not to return. As they had explained when we checked in, they would simply convert our stay to the daily rate and refund the rest of our monthly fee. I let them know we would be leaving and we'd stay in touch.
The next question was where to go. We wanted to be away from the foothills, not drive too far and go to a place we knew. If we loved it, all the better. Within a few minutes we agreed on today's destination: Cherry Creek State Park in Denver. We'd been there nearly three years ago and enjoyed our stay. At 90 miles or so away from Fort Collins, it was more than a safe distance from the smoke and fire. With several walk-up sites open for the next few days, it would be the perfect place for us to land and eventually plan our next move.
A couple of hours later we landed in this beautiful urban park. As we monitored the news of the fire all afternoon we were affirmed that we had made the right decision. Currently the fire has covered 20,000 acres. Containment is a goal for some time in the future. Neighborhoods are being evacuated. Fort Collins is engulfed in thick, choking smoke.
Our prayers are with those who have evacuated their homes in the foothills. Several of them sought refuge in our Fort Collins campground. We pray for their safety. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the firefighters who are wrestling this blaze. We're also praying for rain.
We are so grateful to be more than a safe distance from it all. When your home has wheels, there's no reason to wait for an evacuation notice. Instead, we left in the light of day, under blue skies, on our own terms. We are so grateful.
We have our spot here for the next three nights. We will monitor the news of this conflagration. Then, we'll decide what to do. We might return to Fort Collins, the town we were so eager to explore. But, we only got to have a taste. And, we might head somewhere else.
We hope you'll join us in saying a prayer. And, stay tuned.
Second Attempt
When it comes to arriving at our first Summer destination, we have to try again. You see, we were on the road bright and early (for us, anyway) yesterday and left our comfortable overnight spot in Sidney, Nebraska, headed for Fort Collins, Colorado. The plan was for an easy 150-mile day and an arrival around noon.
That was the plan, anyway.
All was well as we headed west. We were counting down the mile markers as we got closer to the Nebraska-Wyoming line. You see, we're not big fans of Nebraska. Never have been. It took us nearly three years to pass through the Cornhusker state on our fulltime RVing journey. There's a reason for that. Now, our two nights this week in Lincoln made for a fine stop. The state capitol is interesting, and we enjoyed a tasty dinner with friends Steve and Cathy, who were passing through their old hometown. And, that's about the nicest thing we have to say about Nebraska. We couldn't cross the state line soon enough.
The day's forecast called for a Wind Advisory in the western edge of our least favorite state. And, we learned long ago not to travel in those. The advisory went into effect at noon, so we were on track to pass through the area long before that.
About 10 miles west of our starting point, the breeze started to kick up. Our moose handles quite well in the wind. And, it did just that for the next 20 miles or so. Then, the breezes became gusts. The gusts became hefty sustained winds. Soon the hefty winds were accompanied by moose-battering gusts. All of this was hitting us broadside.
Blowing dust blocked out the blazing sun. In a dim brown haze, visibility became sketchy. The moose rocked and rolled. The wind pounded on his streetside slide until it literally roared. Paul checked his mirror. Our big ass slide topper was flapping in the gale force wind.
Shit.
With that, Paul piloted a maneuver that involved pulling off the highway long enough for the topper to retract. Then, he'd ease back on to the interstate and move along at a slow speed until the topper unfurled again. He then made another move to the shoulder. Meanwhile, I was checking my iExit app for an exit - any exit! Here in godforsaken western Nebraska the exits are few and far between. But, one with no services to offer came upon us about three miles down the road. We pulled off on the side of the ramp and sussed things out.
The wind had to have been blowing at 50 mph! We ate a bunch of flying sand as we checked things out. A local stopped and asked if we needed help. We assured him we were fine and he went on his way. We quickly determined there was nothing we could do. We needed to find a safe and level spot to park. If it we could park the moose pointing east, he could block the incessant wind while we took a closer look. According to iExit, there was a rest area about a mile back to the east. We had been so focused on the wind and flying topper that we hadn't noticed. So, we headed across the highway and back east on the interstate. Within a minute we saw the rest area. Within two we saw that it was closed.
Pisser.
With 10 miles to the next exit in the direction from whence we came, we held our breath as Paul wrestled the wind and maneuvered through the flying dust. Once again, we heard the familiar roar. This time, our curbside slide topper was flying! Both of these toppers are equipped with anti-furl devices. But, this wind was simply too much. With worries that our two curbside awnings would be the next to go, I kept my eye on them both and said a prayer to the patron saint of calm seas.
With one topper flying, we pulled off at the exit and parked near two motorhomes that were waiting out the storm. We recognized both from our park in Sidney. They were having the same kind of day we were! The two men in the group had unhitched a toad and scouted for a campground. Within minutes, they returned and we hatched a plan with our new friends. There was a campground a couple of miles away. The good news was we didn't have to get back on the interstate to get there.
We were the tail end of a motorhome parade that passed through downtown Kimball, Nebraska. It must have been quite a sight. Of course, it was too darn windy for anyone to be out! We made our way to a former KOA on the east side of town. There was plenty of room at this place where the park owner says he usually only gets one RV in a day. Yesterday, he hit blowing paydirt! By mid-afternoon, there were six or eight rigs in the place.
The wind howled all afternoon. We weren't where we had planned to be. But, we were safe. We are so grateful for the help of our fellow motorhomers for helping us find our way in the windstorm.
By evening, we were able to put up our ladder and suss out the slide topper. It's a bit tattered, but otherwise fine. We were lucky, indeed.
This morning, the winds are calm here in western Nebraska. But, they won't be for long. This afternoon's forecast is calling for more wind, thunderstorms and hail.
No worries. We'll be on the road by 8 am. It looks like smooth sailing to Fort Collins this morning. Wish us luck on our second attempt.
That was the plan, anyway.
All was well as we headed west. We were counting down the mile markers as we got closer to the Nebraska-Wyoming line. You see, we're not big fans of Nebraska. Never have been. It took us nearly three years to pass through the Cornhusker state on our fulltime RVing journey. There's a reason for that. Now, our two nights this week in Lincoln made for a fine stop. The state capitol is interesting, and we enjoyed a tasty dinner with friends Steve and Cathy, who were passing through their old hometown. And, that's about the nicest thing we have to say about Nebraska. We couldn't cross the state line soon enough.
The day's forecast called for a Wind Advisory in the western edge of our least favorite state. And, we learned long ago not to travel in those. The advisory went into effect at noon, so we were on track to pass through the area long before that.
About 10 miles west of our starting point, the breeze started to kick up. Our moose handles quite well in the wind. And, it did just that for the next 20 miles or so. Then, the breezes became gusts. The gusts became hefty sustained winds. Soon the hefty winds were accompanied by moose-battering gusts. All of this was hitting us broadside.
Blowing dust blocked out the blazing sun. In a dim brown haze, visibility became sketchy. The moose rocked and rolled. The wind pounded on his streetside slide until it literally roared. Paul checked his mirror. Our big ass slide topper was flapping in the gale force wind.
Shit.
With that, Paul piloted a maneuver that involved pulling off the highway long enough for the topper to retract. Then, he'd ease back on to the interstate and move along at a slow speed until the topper unfurled again. He then made another move to the shoulder. Meanwhile, I was checking my iExit app for an exit - any exit! Here in godforsaken western Nebraska the exits are few and far between. But, one with no services to offer came upon us about three miles down the road. We pulled off on the side of the ramp and sussed things out.
The wind had to have been blowing at 50 mph! We ate a bunch of flying sand as we checked things out. A local stopped and asked if we needed help. We assured him we were fine and he went on his way. We quickly determined there was nothing we could do. We needed to find a safe and level spot to park. If it we could park the moose pointing east, he could block the incessant wind while we took a closer look. According to iExit, there was a rest area about a mile back to the east. We had been so focused on the wind and flying topper that we hadn't noticed. So, we headed across the highway and back east on the interstate. Within a minute we saw the rest area. Within two we saw that it was closed.
Pisser.
With 10 miles to the next exit in the direction from whence we came, we held our breath as Paul wrestled the wind and maneuvered through the flying dust. Once again, we heard the familiar roar. This time, our curbside slide topper was flying! Both of these toppers are equipped with anti-furl devices. But, this wind was simply too much. With worries that our two curbside awnings would be the next to go, I kept my eye on them both and said a prayer to the patron saint of calm seas.
With one topper flying, we pulled off at the exit and parked near two motorhomes that were waiting out the storm. We recognized both from our park in Sidney. They were having the same kind of day we were! The two men in the group had unhitched a toad and scouted for a campground. Within minutes, they returned and we hatched a plan with our new friends. There was a campground a couple of miles away. The good news was we didn't have to get back on the interstate to get there.
We were the tail end of a motorhome parade that passed through downtown Kimball, Nebraska. It must have been quite a sight. Of course, it was too darn windy for anyone to be out! We made our way to a former KOA on the east side of town. There was plenty of room at this place where the park owner says he usually only gets one RV in a day. Yesterday, he hit blowing paydirt! By mid-afternoon, there were six or eight rigs in the place.
The wind howled all afternoon. We weren't where we had planned to be. But, we were safe. We are so grateful for the help of our fellow motorhomers for helping us find our way in the windstorm.
By evening, we were able to put up our ladder and suss out the slide topper. It's a bit tattered, but otherwise fine. We were lucky, indeed.
This morning, the winds are calm here in western Nebraska. But, they won't be for long. This afternoon's forecast is calling for more wind, thunderstorms and hail.
No worries. We'll be on the road by 8 am. It looks like smooth sailing to Fort Collins this morning. Wish us luck on our second attempt.
So Cool
We never knew how much we could love the sound of our #2 air conditioner/heat pump compressor coming on.
It's really cool!
You see, until yesterday it had been dead for nearly a year. And, trying to cool a 40-foot motorhome on a warm day with just one compressor doesn't work so well. Or, actually, at all. But, today we are back in business!
After a full-filled adventure touring more small Iowa farm towns than we care to count, we arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska, to a lovely campground recommended by friends. With a cloudless sky, the temperature was in the mid-80s. The western sun was beating on our Imax window. The temperature inside had climbed above 80. We knew exactly what to do.
We cranked it!
We set the thermostat south of 75 and listened. Our uber-dependable #1 compressor came on in flash, as it always has. Coolish air began to flow from the air ducts. About two minutes later we heard a long-forgotten sound. The #2 compressor kicked on.
Halleluiah!
With both compressors humming, the breeze coming from the ducts was down right chilly. Within a half hour, the inside temperature had dropped to a very pleasant 74 degrees.
We're so happy!
In all our giddiness, we want to take a moment to explain a couple of things.
First, we want to answer Mike and Sandy's question about the manufacturer of our heat pump: RVP. I'm not really sure what the letters stand for, but I think it's the RV Products division of AirXCel. This Wichita-based company has been making Coleman Mach RV air conditioners for 45 years. We're so grateful that this fine Kansas company honored our two-year warranty on their product, even after two-and-a-half years. They are definitely good folks!
Second, for many years - until 2010 or 2011 - Winnebago put RVP "basement air" units in most, if not all, of its Class A coaches. What makes basement air different from most RVs is there aren't any compressors on the roof. They aren't exposed to sun, hail, wind and the like. With no compressors on the roof, there's no water dripping off the roof either. The inside ceilings are higher, which is important when the average height of the people in your rolling home is about 6 feet. The whole thing is quieter. After all, it's tucked away in the basement. Of course, because the heat pump is located in the basement, it does take up the space of a Class A basement bay. (In our case, it's a fair tradeoff, provided the whole thing is working.) This thing residing in the basement is actually basically a small residential heat pump, and it's nothing like most RV rooftop air conditioners/heat pumps. So, not everybody can work on them. Actually, some Winnie owners have had success by calling residential heating and air conditioning service companies. There are definitely tradeoffs.
When Winnebago introduced its first units with "roof air" a couple of years ago, the Winnie community was buzzing. Rumors filled the online forums. They declared that RVP was going out of business. Others said they were no longer supplying parts. Still others actually started having roof air units installed on their Winnies. It was all pretty crazy.
Through all of this, we think the trademark Winnie basement air has gotten a bad rap. The folks on line are quick to declare these units as poorly designed and inefficient.
We beg to differ.
Having owned a couple of Winnies with basement air, there's at least one thing we know. When the basement air is working, it rocks! When we shopped for our first moose on a 105-degree day in central California, we remember how quickly the basement air cooled things down on the lot. Our salesman joked how easy it was to spot a Winnebago in an RV lot on a warm day: It was the one all the salesmen were sitting in. We would certainly agree.
Here's another thing we've learned about basement air. When it's not working, it's kinda hard to tell. Since all the business is happening in the basement, and controlled with the flip of one switch, it can be tough to know if both compressors are firing. As was our case, we operated for the longest time thinking things were operating as designed. It sure seemed like it, anyway. When the outside temperatures climbed and the inside temperatures didn't keep up, it was easy to just blame it on an inefficient system.
And, that's just plain wrong.
For our Winnebago friends, we have a word of advice. If your basement air isn't keeping up, please have it checked out by a skilled, reputable dealer. This brilliantly designed system actually works quite well in most situations. Now, if you find yourself in blazing sun on a 120-degree day, chances are it won't be able to keep up. But, short of that, if you're firing on both compressors, you should be good. There's no reason to have somebody start carving up your roof to install an extra air conditioning unit. Really.
And, about those rumors about RVP going out of business, they're not. About those rumors that they're not supplying parts, they are. In our case, they were willing to manufacturer a part they're no longer supplying. It took awhile, but we got it. When we talked to the good people at RVP, they couldn't have been nicer. They said they wanted to take care of their customers. By taking care of our issues after our warranty expired, they literally put their money where their mouth is.
As a couple of folks happily chilling in the mid-70s, it's all so cool!
It's really cool!
You see, until yesterday it had been dead for nearly a year. And, trying to cool a 40-foot motorhome on a warm day with just one compressor doesn't work so well. Or, actually, at all. But, today we are back in business!
After a full-filled adventure touring more small Iowa farm towns than we care to count, we arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska, to a lovely campground recommended by friends. With a cloudless sky, the temperature was in the mid-80s. The western sun was beating on our Imax window. The temperature inside had climbed above 80. We knew exactly what to do.
We cranked it!
We set the thermostat south of 75 and listened. Our uber-dependable #1 compressor came on in flash, as it always has. Coolish air began to flow from the air ducts. About two minutes later we heard a long-forgotten sound. The #2 compressor kicked on.
Halleluiah!
With both compressors humming, the breeze coming from the ducts was down right chilly. Within a half hour, the inside temperature had dropped to a very pleasant 74 degrees.
We're so happy!
In all our giddiness, we want to take a moment to explain a couple of things.
First, we want to answer Mike and Sandy's question about the manufacturer of our heat pump: RVP. I'm not really sure what the letters stand for, but I think it's the RV Products division of AirXCel. This Wichita-based company has been making Coleman Mach RV air conditioners for 45 years. We're so grateful that this fine Kansas company honored our two-year warranty on their product, even after two-and-a-half years. They are definitely good folks!
Second, for many years - until 2010 or 2011 - Winnebago put RVP "basement air" units in most, if not all, of its Class A coaches. What makes basement air different from most RVs is there aren't any compressors on the roof. They aren't exposed to sun, hail, wind and the like. With no compressors on the roof, there's no water dripping off the roof either. The inside ceilings are higher, which is important when the average height of the people in your rolling home is about 6 feet. The whole thing is quieter. After all, it's tucked away in the basement. Of course, because the heat pump is located in the basement, it does take up the space of a Class A basement bay. (In our case, it's a fair tradeoff, provided the whole thing is working.) This thing residing in the basement is actually basically a small residential heat pump, and it's nothing like most RV rooftop air conditioners/heat pumps. So, not everybody can work on them. Actually, some Winnie owners have had success by calling residential heating and air conditioning service companies. There are definitely tradeoffs.
When Winnebago introduced its first units with "roof air" a couple of years ago, the Winnie community was buzzing. Rumors filled the online forums. They declared that RVP was going out of business. Others said they were no longer supplying parts. Still others actually started having roof air units installed on their Winnies. It was all pretty crazy.
Through all of this, we think the trademark Winnie basement air has gotten a bad rap. The folks on line are quick to declare these units as poorly designed and inefficient.
We beg to differ.
Having owned a couple of Winnies with basement air, there's at least one thing we know. When the basement air is working, it rocks! When we shopped for our first moose on a 105-degree day in central California, we remember how quickly the basement air cooled things down on the lot. Our salesman joked how easy it was to spot a Winnebago in an RV lot on a warm day: It was the one all the salesmen were sitting in. We would certainly agree.
Here's another thing we've learned about basement air. When it's not working, it's kinda hard to tell. Since all the business is happening in the basement, and controlled with the flip of one switch, it can be tough to know if both compressors are firing. As was our case, we operated for the longest time thinking things were operating as designed. It sure seemed like it, anyway. When the outside temperatures climbed and the inside temperatures didn't keep up, it was easy to just blame it on an inefficient system.
And, that's just plain wrong.
For our Winnebago friends, we have a word of advice. If your basement air isn't keeping up, please have it checked out by a skilled, reputable dealer. This brilliantly designed system actually works quite well in most situations. Now, if you find yourself in blazing sun on a 120-degree day, chances are it won't be able to keep up. But, short of that, if you're firing on both compressors, you should be good. There's no reason to have somebody start carving up your roof to install an extra air conditioning unit. Really.
And, about those rumors about RVP going out of business, they're not. About those rumors that they're not supplying parts, they are. In our case, they were willing to manufacturer a part they're no longer supplying. It took awhile, but we got it. When we talked to the good people at RVP, they couldn't have been nicer. They said they wanted to take care of their customers. By taking care of our issues after our warranty expired, they literally put their money where their mouth is.
As a couple of folks happily chilling in the mid-70s, it's all so cool!
We're Attached
If you want to get an idea of the current status of your relationship with your life on the road, we have a suggestion.
Leave your rig for a few days.
This is our last night in Forest City, Iowa. We're so pleased to report that. You see, we've spent a lot of time recently in this tiny town in Northern Iowa, which is the home of Winnebago Industries. We were here back in April for a stop we hoped would be quick, but wasn't exactly.
Let me explain.
Among the maladies our moose has suffered over the past year, one of the most annoying (if you don't count the cooling unit going out on our refrigerator) has been our heat pump. We noticed its poor performance about the time we landed near Zion National Park last June. The daytime highs were well into the 90s, and the bright sunny skies provided more than enough solar gain. Our trusty basement air tried to keep up. But, the best it could deliver was inside temps in the low to mid 80's. (Yep, that was fun!)
As regular readers might recall, we made a worthless beeline to Salt Lake City last Summer to a Winnie dealership that was more interested in screwing us than actually solving our problem. Through the heat of the season we finally made our way to Kansas and had our regular maintenance guys check it out. They tightened a few connections and called the problem solved.
They were wrong.
We quickly realized our vital HVAC system was still not up to par. We decided then that the best way to work through this problem was to take the moose back to its roots. But, the earliest we could do that was sometime this late Spring or early Summer.
The good news in this part of the story was that our heat pump repairs would all be covered under warranty. (Thank you, RVP!)
Now, let's pause on that part of the story and tell you about yet another chronic problem.
During the first winter we had our big diesel-powered moose, we noticed a problem with one of the eight or so panels in the ceiling. It buckled. We documented the problem during our stop at a dealer in Texas Hill Country in Spring 2010. During a stop in Forest City that October, we spent four nights in a hotel as the trusty technicians took our bathroom apart (because it spanned the faulty ceiling panel) and did their best to repair the faulty ceiling. But, within a couple of months the problem reappeared.
We were left with one really ugly ceiling. And, we were out of warranty.
Then, one day, we got a survey in the mail. Winnebago wanted to know what we thought about our not-so-new purchase. They asked. So, we told them. Having dealt with a couple dozen problems in the first couple of years we owned this new, improved moose, we weren't very happy. And, we let them know.
At the end of the survey, Winnebago asked if we would like to have someone call us to discuss the survey. We said, "Absolutely!" As much as we were eager to discuss our dissatisfaction, we were pretty sure the request would go unanswered.
We were wrong.
Bright and early one morning in August 2011, Paul's phone rang. Forest City was calling in response to the survey we had completed. The early morning conversation spanned more than hour. Along the way, Paul expressed his displeasure with all the things that had gone wrong with our motorhome. Chief among them was the damn buckled ceiling we had had unsuccessfully repaired nearly a year earlier.
"We'll take care of that," said the reassuring voice from Iowa. "How soon can you come see us?"
We were in Colorado that late Summer. And, believe us, Forest City isn't a place you want to visit during the winter. We said we could be there in the Spring. And, they said that was fine. We made an appointment for April, and made this stop part of the great Spring Moose Maintenance Tour. We asked them to address our two major problems: our faulty heat pump and our buckled ceiling.
By the time we met our Spring date in Forest City, yet another problem had developed. Our satellite radio wasn't working. When we met with our service tech early that April morning, we explained the new problem. He agreed to take a look. The AC guy was lined up to check out the heat pump. Together, we focused our attention on the big, ugly problem at hand: the ceiling. As our talented tech evaluated the problem, he offered up the lowest impact solution, which would not involve deconstructing our bathroom for a second time. Even though it would mean we'd be in a hotel for a night, we decided it was worth a shot. We headed off to nearby Clear Lake and the technicians went to work.
The diagnosis for the heat pump was serious. A part needed to be manufactured to make the repair. The good news is the manufacturer was willing to make the repair under warranty, which expired a half a year or so ago. The bad news was the manufacturing would take two weeks.
We were out of our moose just one night. When we returned the satellite radio was repaired, at a cost that was double MSRP (That still irks us!). The quick fix of the ceiling was complete. Nobody was terribly confident that it would "stick". But, like I said, it was worth a shot. Besides, we would be back in a month.
After a fleeting month in Kansas City, we found ourselves back in Forest City on Tuesday...with a buckled ceiling. When we checked in bright and early Wednesday, we sized up things with our trusty tech. Our heat pump parts were in. But, this ceiling thing was going to take some time. Within a couple of hours, we got the official word. We would be out of our moose for a couple of nights.
We were escorted into the service bay to pack a couple of bags. Then, we headed to nearby Clear Lake to spend the next two nights in a now familiar hotel. Between the four of us, we managed to get very little sleep during our stay. Two of us did manage to find a few things to do in that quaint little town until, at last, we received the call we'd been waiting for this morning.
The moose was done.
With that extremely good news, we made our way back to Winnie town. Just before 1:00, our two favorite service techs actually managed to sneak our 40-foot moose right up behind us and surprise us as we stood in the parking lot. (How did they do that?) Paul saw the moose first and exclaimed, "It's here!" I did a 180-degree turn, raised my arms and let out a cheer to our two trusty techs. They rock!
Over the next few minutes, these two talented technicians explained the work they had done. Based on what they said, this ceiling is never coming down again. Never. Ever. And, we were assured that our heat pump is all good to go. With temperatures that are expected to dip well into the 50s tonight, we'll definitely have a chance to put our new, improved heat pump through its paces. It all looks very good!
The cost for these latest repairs, if you don't count our hotel: zero dollars.
The heat pump was covered by the manufacturer. (Again, thank you RVP!) And, the not-ever-again-buckling-ceiling was covered by Winnebago. Amen! With that, our moose is good to go.
And, did I mention how much we missed him? We were away for just a couple of nights. But, by the time we had the moose parked and set up in the Winnebago Vistor's Center lot, we felt like kissing the tile we walked on. The cats made a beeline for their favorite napping spots. Our boy kitty burrowed in our familiar and cozy bed linens. Our girl kitty cozied up with a couple of stuffed moose on the sunny bench in the bedroom. Within minutes our sleep-deprived kitties were down for a well-deserved nap. And, we were both breathing a big sigh of relief. We're definitely attached!
For the first time in almost a year, our moose is whole.
Ahhhhhhhh! That feels good!
What feels better is being here in this little box on wheels. It was just a couple of days, but we really missed it. It's official. We're attached.
Right now we're thinking, "Who needs a house?" Not us!
Starting tomorrow, we'll be back on the road. We're gonna point this new, improved moose west. We can't wait to see what we might find along the way.
Tonight, as the sun sets behind the place where Bullwinkle was born, we are giving big thanks to the good people of Winnebago for getting our moose back in shape and rekindling our spirit for life on the road.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!
More soon from the road.
Leave your rig for a few days.
This is our last night in Forest City, Iowa. We're so pleased to report that. You see, we've spent a lot of time recently in this tiny town in Northern Iowa, which is the home of Winnebago Industries. We were here back in April for a stop we hoped would be quick, but wasn't exactly.
Let me explain.
Among the maladies our moose has suffered over the past year, one of the most annoying (if you don't count the cooling unit going out on our refrigerator) has been our heat pump. We noticed its poor performance about the time we landed near Zion National Park last June. The daytime highs were well into the 90s, and the bright sunny skies provided more than enough solar gain. Our trusty basement air tried to keep up. But, the best it could deliver was inside temps in the low to mid 80's. (Yep, that was fun!)
As regular readers might recall, we made a worthless beeline to Salt Lake City last Summer to a Winnie dealership that was more interested in screwing us than actually solving our problem. Through the heat of the season we finally made our way to Kansas and had our regular maintenance guys check it out. They tightened a few connections and called the problem solved.
They were wrong.
We quickly realized our vital HVAC system was still not up to par. We decided then that the best way to work through this problem was to take the moose back to its roots. But, the earliest we could do that was sometime this late Spring or early Summer.
The good news in this part of the story was that our heat pump repairs would all be covered under warranty. (Thank you, RVP!)
Now, let's pause on that part of the story and tell you about yet another chronic problem.
During the first winter we had our big diesel-powered moose, we noticed a problem with one of the eight or so panels in the ceiling. It buckled. We documented the problem during our stop at a dealer in Texas Hill Country in Spring 2010. During a stop in Forest City that October, we spent four nights in a hotel as the trusty technicians took our bathroom apart (because it spanned the faulty ceiling panel) and did their best to repair the faulty ceiling. But, within a couple of months the problem reappeared.
We were left with one really ugly ceiling. And, we were out of warranty.
Then, one day, we got a survey in the mail. Winnebago wanted to know what we thought about our not-so-new purchase. They asked. So, we told them. Having dealt with a couple dozen problems in the first couple of years we owned this new, improved moose, we weren't very happy. And, we let them know.
At the end of the survey, Winnebago asked if we would like to have someone call us to discuss the survey. We said, "Absolutely!" As much as we were eager to discuss our dissatisfaction, we were pretty sure the request would go unanswered.
We were wrong.
Bright and early one morning in August 2011, Paul's phone rang. Forest City was calling in response to the survey we had completed. The early morning conversation spanned more than hour. Along the way, Paul expressed his displeasure with all the things that had gone wrong with our motorhome. Chief among them was the damn buckled ceiling we had had unsuccessfully repaired nearly a year earlier.
"We'll take care of that," said the reassuring voice from Iowa. "How soon can you come see us?"
We were in Colorado that late Summer. And, believe us, Forest City isn't a place you want to visit during the winter. We said we could be there in the Spring. And, they said that was fine. We made an appointment for April, and made this stop part of the great Spring Moose Maintenance Tour. We asked them to address our two major problems: our faulty heat pump and our buckled ceiling.
By the time we met our Spring date in Forest City, yet another problem had developed. Our satellite radio wasn't working. When we met with our service tech early that April morning, we explained the new problem. He agreed to take a look. The AC guy was lined up to check out the heat pump. Together, we focused our attention on the big, ugly problem at hand: the ceiling. As our talented tech evaluated the problem, he offered up the lowest impact solution, which would not involve deconstructing our bathroom for a second time. Even though it would mean we'd be in a hotel for a night, we decided it was worth a shot. We headed off to nearby Clear Lake and the technicians went to work.
The diagnosis for the heat pump was serious. A part needed to be manufactured to make the repair. The good news is the manufacturer was willing to make the repair under warranty, which expired a half a year or so ago. The bad news was the manufacturing would take two weeks.
We were out of our moose just one night. When we returned the satellite radio was repaired, at a cost that was double MSRP (That still irks us!). The quick fix of the ceiling was complete. Nobody was terribly confident that it would "stick". But, like I said, it was worth a shot. Besides, we would be back in a month.
After a fleeting month in Kansas City, we found ourselves back in Forest City on Tuesday...with a buckled ceiling. When we checked in bright and early Wednesday, we sized up things with our trusty tech. Our heat pump parts were in. But, this ceiling thing was going to take some time. Within a couple of hours, we got the official word. We would be out of our moose for a couple of nights.
We were escorted into the service bay to pack a couple of bags. Then, we headed to nearby Clear Lake to spend the next two nights in a now familiar hotel. Between the four of us, we managed to get very little sleep during our stay. Two of us did manage to find a few things to do in that quaint little town until, at last, we received the call we'd been waiting for this morning.
The moose was done.
With that extremely good news, we made our way back to Winnie town. Just before 1:00, our two favorite service techs actually managed to sneak our 40-foot moose right up behind us and surprise us as we stood in the parking lot. (How did they do that?) Paul saw the moose first and exclaimed, "It's here!" I did a 180-degree turn, raised my arms and let out a cheer to our two trusty techs. They rock!
Over the next few minutes, these two talented technicians explained the work they had done. Based on what they said, this ceiling is never coming down again. Never. Ever. And, we were assured that our heat pump is all good to go. With temperatures that are expected to dip well into the 50s tonight, we'll definitely have a chance to put our new, improved heat pump through its paces. It all looks very good!
The cost for these latest repairs, if you don't count our hotel: zero dollars.
The heat pump was covered by the manufacturer. (Again, thank you RVP!) And, the not-ever-again-buckling-ceiling was covered by Winnebago. Amen! With that, our moose is good to go.
And, did I mention how much we missed him? We were away for just a couple of nights. But, by the time we had the moose parked and set up in the Winnebago Vistor's Center lot, we felt like kissing the tile we walked on. The cats made a beeline for their favorite napping spots. Our boy kitty burrowed in our familiar and cozy bed linens. Our girl kitty cozied up with a couple of stuffed moose on the sunny bench in the bedroom. Within minutes our sleep-deprived kitties were down for a well-deserved nap. And, we were both breathing a big sigh of relief. We're definitely attached!
For the first time in almost a year, our moose is whole.
Ahhhhhhhh! That feels good!
What feels better is being here in this little box on wheels. It was just a couple of days, but we really missed it. It's official. We're attached.
Right now we're thinking, "Who needs a house?" Not us!
Starting tomorrow, we'll be back on the road. We're gonna point this new, improved moose west. We can't wait to see what we might find along the way.
Tonight, as the sun sets behind the place where Bullwinkle was born, we are giving big thanks to the good people of Winnebago for getting our moose back in shape and rekindling our spirit for life on the road.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!
More soon from the road.
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