I chickened out on driving the high and curvy road through Rocky Mountain National Park and ended up backtracking east to catch I 25 and then I 80 west through Wyoming. Even then, the first 40 miles through Wyoming consisted of very long, slight grades so that my vehicle had to struggle and shift into a lower gear. When it does that, it revs up and sounds really loud—a bit scary as the RPMs go up. I was mostly only going about 55-60 anyway. Just when you thought you would reach the crest, there would be another long grade behind the one you were on.
Then we hit the high point and had 10 miles of long grades downhill. At least these were not too steep, so I did not need to brake heavily or downshift. When we reached more level ground, the rains and wind came. When you see a semi ahead of you swerve, you know you have to hold onto the steering wheel tightly. I was glad to reach the campground and luckily had about an hour to get hooked up before these latest rains hit. I had the AC going, but I suspect temps will drop, and I will need the heater again tonight, as I have almost every night for the past several days—hot days and cold nights.
One big “up” today is that I got my steps fixed!! Yea! I
had them removed yesterday by a mobile RV serviceman, and they were too large
to fit into my storage areas underneath my vehicle. Rather than haul them back to a Fleetwood
dealer in my living area with jagged pieces of metal sticking up, he suggested
I take them to someplace that could try to cut the rivets apart so it would be
in two or three pieces and fit better in my “basement.” I left them yesterday at a small, one-person
auto repair shop, complete with the mandatory repair shop dog, although this
one was some sort of poodle.
When I returned this morning, I was extremely happy to find
out that this guy had been beating on them with a large hammer and not only
managed to bend them mostly back the way they should be, but actually got them
operating!!! He reinstalled them while I
chatted with his buddy who watched the shop while he ran out for parts at
various times. They don’t look good, but
at least they work, and I won’t have to worry about sleepwalking and taking a
big leap out of my door. (Receipts for
this and the RV guy will go to Fleetwood, who will be getting me a new set when
I can schedule it in California.) I
can’t believe he managed to get these heavy and thick metal bars bent back into
a working set of steps. He even managed
not to damage the electrical motor and lights on the steps. Amazing.
Nothing like an old, small-town mechanic!!! Charged me $100 and took a check!
I now will keep the door locked and strapped shut not only
when I travel, but when I sleep at night.
Great news. I knew you could handle this like a pro. Hot days and cool nights sounds really good. We had a horrific thunderstorm here in the Florida panhandle this afternoon. Sometimes it helps to pull in the slides if you are really rocking. Ear plugs are great for heavy rain and thunderstorms as long as you aren't worried about a tornado. If you are, head for a structure like the park bathrooms.
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