Additional roof comments

We have posted our concerns on RV-Dreams forum and the Montana owners forum.  Thank you to all who have responded.  

We drove a 1/2 hour north to Good Times RV, a Montana dealership and talked to the parts Mgr, service manager and the lead tech.  Of course, the first recommendation was to purchased Ertenabond tape or Dicor (we bought both) and apply to the two small tears.  We did this immediately after returning home using the tape.  Dave was pleased with how easy it was to apply.  Good thing too, because we had severe thunderstorms move in later this afternoon.  

The overall opinion was to apply a conditioner on the clean roof and to monitor the wrinkles/buckling. At this time there are no holes or tears on these wrinkles.  The tears were no where near where the wrinkles are, which appear to be in the area where the seams of the plywood pieces meet.  An additional step, which we could do for further protection and help us to feel more confident with the roof, is apply a rubber roof sealant that is applied with a roller pad.  Basically we should monitor the roof monthly to assess any further damage.  Extreme heat seems to be the cause of the spots and the wrinkles which has made the roof age faster then expected for a 2013 fifth wheel.  The first owner lived in Texas, so assuming it experienced lots of sun exposure.  Of course direct sun and heat here in Iowa also and in Tennessee where it was traded.  Doubtful it has ever been stored under cover.  But, most are not.  

As second owner, the 12 year warranty on the roof no longer applies, nor does the extended warranty we purchased.   So we will monitor it closely, apply the conditioner and probably apply the sealant.  It would cost between $4000 and $7000 to replace the roof depending on where we went and the type of replacement we would choose.  RVRoof.com has been highly recommended. The other option is to have the dealership replace the roof. 

We have also contacted Customer Service at Keystone and sent pictures.  We are waiting for their reply, but doubtful they will offer any help. 

Again thanks for the comments! 

Help from RV-Dreamers

Here are the pictures from the Montana roof:

There are actually two of these tears, one about a half an inch and the other about an 1-1/2".  

Anyone reading the blog and able to give comments on proper repair or concerns we should have will be appreciated.  Fifth wheel roof is totally different then the Airstream.  We are concerned as we plan to be out for 3 months and want to get this issue fixed before we leave. 

Thanks.

Getting ready for a new season

I cannot believe it is near the end of May and we haven't been out in either the Montana or the Airstream!  The time is drawing close though, we have a long weekend coming up with some of the Jones (nieces and Dave's brother) and an Airstream rally three days after the family trip.  So today we sanitized the fresh water tank in the Montana and started the spring cleaning.  Next week will be doing the same for the Airstream.  Dave also got up on the roof of the Montana and gave it a good scrubbing.  The seals all look good but he found two small tears, one about an inch and the other less then 1/2 inch, that he will have to repair. The awning and slide toppers receive a good cleaning also.  Tomorrow I will finish the cleaning on the inside and then start the packing and organizing of supplies, clothes and kitchen items.  

The remainder of the week will be spent cleaning the house as we have family coming for a Memorial Day cookout and getting food prepared. I also have a quarterly check-up with my rheumatologist.  I have now been giving myself shots for three months and I have to say it has been easier and less traumatic then I anticipated. 

In seven short weeks, we will head out with Dave's niece and her husband for YELLOWSTONE and THE TETONS.  We will spend about 12 days with them before we head further west for our 2-1/2 month adventure in the Pacific Northwest.  Posts will be a lot more frequent and will contain more pictures.  Getting excited!!!

To hold you over picture-wise, here is a picture to show Dave's hard work this spring, planting bushes and trees in the front yard. 

I have been enjoying learning how to cook on my new toy that I received as a belated birthday gift from Dave, a Kamado Joe cooker.  It grills, smokes, bakes, and roasts.  The fire can get as high as 900 degrees!  Or you can smoke or roast as low as 175 degrees. 

And last but definitely not least, this spring has included spending time with our family including our two grandbabies. 

Will definitely miss everyone while we are traveling!  😍

Well that is our latest update, but check back soon as posts will be getting frequent now with trips coming up.

Planning the NW trip

It is months away yet, but the planning has me excited!  I think I enjoy that almost as much as the trip itself.  Planning can be so much fun and very educational due to the research of spots to stay and spots to visit and things to see along the way.  RVing is so great because it allows flexibility in the route, where to stop, how long to stop and what to see or do at each location. 

During the winter of 2014, while we were waiting for the house to sell, we spent 2 1/2 months in the Southwest and wow, that was the longest time we had been gone.  It was great and so much fun!   It confirmed our dreams; we enjoy the travel.  While we are also looking forward to some short (3-4 days) excursions around the near (to us) Midwest, it is the 3 month trip we have planned for later in the year that has us looking forward to warmer weather.  

Yes, while missing the children and grandbabies will be hard; the dream of traveling has been a part of my life for 25 years, so I just cannot give up that dream.  So fortunate that Dave feels the same. Someday we won't have the opportunity to go because of age/health, so we need to go now or not at all.  AND we are going now!!!

Things we hope to see or do this summer, that will be new to us:

Craters of the Moon NM

Mount Hood and the "Fruit Loop"

Columbia River Gorge and lots of water falls

Crater Lake NP

Newberry Volcanic NM

Cascade Lakes Scenic byway

Portland

Olympic NP and peninsula 

Wooden boat festival

Whale sightings, tide pools, shorelines and beaches

Light houses

Orchards, farm stands and fresh seafood

I hope to have a map available soon to show our tentative route and stops, but all is subject to change. 

So much to see and do, makes being flexible a top priority.  Doesn't it all sound fun? What a great blessing and privilege to live in a Country that has so much beauty.

Have a great weekend! 

Reviving the blog

It has been a long time since we have updated the blog.  But this year will be full of travel so I will give a few highlights from 2015 and a preview of 2016, Lord willing as only HE truly knows what's ahead. 

2015 

We left off on our arrival at the RV-Dreams Educational Rally in Sevierville, TN. WOW, what a great time! If you have any interest in going full-time or even part-time full-time then you owe it to yourself to check out their rally.  They offer a HUGE amount of information about RVing and all of it is beneficial.  We met some great people and hope to see some of them on the road. 

After the rally, we headed to Knoxville to check out some used fifth wheels, through the dealership that had brought units to the rally.  A wonderful Christian couple, who really know their RVs and were very informative, willing and able to answer all our questions.  They have a great team at "RVs for Less".

Well we left, strongly considering a fifth wheel they had on their lot.  We headed to Florida to spend some time with friends from Cedar Falls that had relocated there, to be closer to their children.  Exactly like we did in relocating to Ames.  We had a great visit, loved their new house and were so happy for them. 

After leaving them we head west to check out an RV park that we wanted to consider for possible visits in the cold months.  It was an ok park, but wasn't what I expected or wanted. 

After discussing the pros and cons with our friends and between the two of us, we made an offer on the fifth wheel.  One week at home and then another trip to Tennessee to purchase and take possession of it.  This was a whole year, at least, earlier then we thought we would buy a new trailer, but it was too good a deal to let pass us by.   

We had just enough time to clean it and pack it and then we headed west with my brother and sister-in-law for YELLOWSTONE and the TETONS.  

We had a good time as is usual in that area and enjoyed the time we spent with them.  I really was surprised, though I should not have been, at the large numbers of people, as it was very early in the season.  Another frustration were the roads in Yellowstone, as they are under construction and will be for the next ten years. Each year they will be working on a particular section of road, which also makes for heavy traffic that was already very busy. I said I won't be going back for a long time, famous last words, but that is for a later part of this update. 

Well, friends from Arizona heard we were going to be in Yellowstone, so we had made arrangements to meet up with them after our family headed back home.  Here is the great part! We are retired, so we did not have to head back for work, but could extend our time. Loving retirement, yippee!

After our time with them we headed home to see our kids and enjoy our house in the country. 

Here it is after one of the first snow falls this winter.  

We had an enjoyable summer, did a few camping trips in IA, WI and MN.  

2016

We have another grandbaby coming in April!  So excited, we just love being grandparents.  

We are hoping to go on a few short trips around the Midwest once the weather starts to improve.  Plans to attend an Airstream rally is scheduled for June. Yes, we still have the Airstream and have no plans to sell it.  We hope to attend some rallies in the SW in the future.  And we are still dreaming of a trip to Alaska with it. 

 Our big news is we have accepted our first volunteer workamping position for this summer in Oregon! We have talked for a few years, since attending a "Workamping Rendevous" about volunteering at a fish hatchery and this year will be our first chance to do so, but not likely our last.  On our way west we will be traveling with Dave's niece and her husband to you guessed it, Yellowstone and the Tetons. After some time there, we will leave them and continue on through Idaho into Oregon where we will explore for a bit until we are due at the fish hatchery. 

From there we will head north to explore the Olympic peninsula before heading home.  We have a very exciting summer ahead of us.  I will start updating the blog as our travel starts and continues.  

I have spent quite a bit of time planning our routes, camp sites and things to do, but still more planning to do.  I will be making more updates on the blog as things become confirmed. So check back for our updates, as I want to make a record of our year by using the blog and as a way to stay in touch. 

Yes, Nacho and KT will be along on the adventures and may even be giving some updates.  😊

Sniffing flowers at the gardens. 

Sevierville, TN

We left Baileys Point about 9:10 on Saturday morning, with a estimated time of arrival as four hours travel time depending on traffic.  Well, we made two mistakes; we didn't have a Tennessee map, just a SE USA map and the GPS isn't programmable for RVs.  It took us on some back roads, that in Iowa would have been gravel (these were blacktop) but so narrow the dually had to straddle the center line or the rear passenger side tires were in the grass. Yes, no shoulders, just grass and in many cases steep hills. Talk about nerve wracking!😢.  After 2:30 hours of these roads we were still heading southeast but not coming to wider more "normal" roads.  We were struggling to find a place to stop or turn around, but finally came to a little country church with a house across the road.  While I sat in the truck and tried to calm my nerves, Dave went over to ask directions.  The lady told us we needed to turn around and go through the little town we had just passed.  There we were able to connect with a bit bigger road and finally a main highway. Whew!!!!!!

After 3 hours we were finally on a road on the map and the GPS was agreeing.  Once we hit I-40, I thought just a little while now, but nope, road construction and we slowed 10 miles an hour and sometimes a complete stop.  This lasted for quite a distance, I'm guessing about 15 miles.  Finally outside Knoxville traffic opened up and no further problems or delays. After 6:30 hours we finally arrived at the River Plantation Resort.  

We have a nice back-in site with patio, huge "backyard" with a river flowing behind us.  I will get some pictures and post later.  Yesterday we took multiple walks and met the other rally attendees and organized dinner out for ten of us.  It poured very heavily Saturday night and everything was drenched. The day was cold and windy, so not conducive to sitting outside and relaxing. 

More later😊

On the road again

Well we are off on our first trip of the year. Yes, I know, after a year in the Airstream, it is hard to believe I am back in it again after only four months in the house.  We left Wednesday right at 1 pm as I wanted and arrived at parents about 5 pm.  Had a short visit and left early, 7 am on Thursday for Barren Lake in KY.  Here is our campsite at Baileys Point recreation area overlooking the lake. 

Our view through the trees is nice, we can hear the ducks, geese, and various birds and the boats out on the lake.

The sites are nice, decently level and spaced fairly well apart from the other sites on each side of us.

There are five sections and it is nice walking with the dogs around each loop overlooking the water.  If we come this way again I would definitely stay here.  The shower house is a bit older but very clean and well kept.  COE campgrounds are always so pleasant to stay at with their views around water. 

Quite a few people have boats with them and we also saw people fishing from the shoreline.

Tomorrow is another driving day with us arriving in Sevierville, TN after only about a 4 hour drive, hopefully.  Check back as I will have updates on the educational rally we will be attending for 7 days.  Then we will be heading down to visit friends in Florida with a stop in a Georgia state park along the way.  

Candy