Sold my boat, Bought an RV. Now what?

[Robert U]

On the 2000 Dip the slideout switch is in the cabinet on the passenger side where the inverter readouts are.

The 2000 Dip manual is practically worthless. I have over 103,500 miles on my coach and it has a Sheppard M80 stearing box with little or no play in steering.I would not spend the money for a TRW box if i don't have play. If you do have an M80 there is NO TRW replacement. 

Bob U  2000 Dip bought new 

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[Notn2bars]

Dick Roberts, welcome to the forum and the Monaco family.  You will not find a more helpful or informative group of folks on any forum anywhere.  Congratulations on your new hobby!

God Bless, Ed & Sylvia

[Steven P]

Hey Dick. Welcome on. I remember your post on the FB page.  Lots of great info and members in both places.  A couple of things I'd add to what the others have said.  My dash trans gauge has never worked. But I can see the temp on my Aladdin display (I don't think yours has that).  I never checked the back of my gauge like @throgmartin suggested so that's my next step.  

One place less than 2 hours from you is Talin RV. http://talinrv.com/  Chris Throgmartin is the owner.  They are fantastic and super knowledgeable. Many of us have used his shop, myself included and highly recommend him. 

For the awning, check all wire connections too.  May just be some corroded wires. 

I did a quick search on your MH online and found videos of some for sale. You may find more info on some of those, like where is that slide out switch. 

And I found a brochure on one. See below. 

Good luck and have fun!

Almost forgot.  Sounds like you've got the 18 wheelers figured out, but there's 2 pushes (at least for me) when they pass.  Right when they get to your tail and again as they pass the front window.  I tend to steer into them at those 2 moments to go against that push. 

brochure.pdf

Edited January 30, 2023 by Steven P
Steering

[Dick Roberts]

Less than two weeks to 'Road Trip'. Still may issues on the MH. I've almost got the electrical figured out. Inv/Chrg is now working. And the slide switch is indeed above pass seat. I didn't want to chance opening it for fear of not being able to get it to shut. Read a lot of horror stories on here. I had a 45 point safety inspection scheduled at CW this past Tues. He found some issues, bad lp valve, out of date smoke alarms, but nothing major until he cranked out the slide. I don't know if he didn't unlock it or what. I do know he didn't know where the locks were. He'd never heard of them he said. But there are two red stickers on the cabinet door where the switch is. They are clearly Red Warning Labels, advising that the locks must be disengaged before opening the slide. I didn't know, then, where the locks were either, but I do now. When he opened the slide it ripped the trim above the slide off the MH. Big gaping hole along the entire length of the slide,. Not sure how I'm going to fix that in the next 2 weeks. Of course, CW is denying any responsibility for the damage.

Going to try to get service on the motor, tranny, and chassis scheduled tomorrow, hoping the can get me in this week. Thinking I'll start Talin RV if they do that kind of service, or with the highly recommended one on here located in Ocala. 

[Steven P]

@Dick Robertsthat's horrible that CW did that.  Personally, I'd stay far away from CW all over the country.  I think most would agree w me.  I'd hold them to that issue they caused.  See if there are other places near you that can check it out.  Talin RV doesn't do chassis work, just house work.  Check the link above for details from their website.  I have a local truck and diesel shop for my chassis work and there are some local RV shops near me that do some or all. Where do you go in 2 weeks?

[Dick Roberts]

29 minutes ago, Steven P said:

@Dick Robertsthat's horrible that CW did that.  Personally, I'd stay far away from CW all over the country.  I think most would agree w me.  I'd hold them to that issue they caused.  See if there are other places near you that can check it out.  Talin RV doesn't do chassis work, just house work.  Check the link above for details from their website.  I have a local truck and diesel shop for my chassis work and there are some local RV shops near me that do some or all. Where do you go in 2 weeks?

Not sure what I can do about CW with my limited time frame. 

As far as where we go? Hmmmmm....... We sold the house, closing in two weeks, we drive off in the MH with all our remaining belongings. Destination not determined. 

[Steven P]

Sounds exciting!  Good luck. Most people say not more than 300 miles per day or like to be stopped by 3pm if driving a lot.  May want to check campgrounds as many stay booked a lot more than they used to. Good luck!

[tomevansfl]

10 hours ago, Dick Roberts said:

Not sure what I can do about CW with my limited time frame. 

As far as where we go? Hmmmmm....... We sold the house, closing in two weeks, we drive off in the MH with all our remaining belongings. Destination not determined. 

You can always get the repair done somewhere else and send CW the bill/sue CW as soon as you can.  They may not cough up the dough at first, but they might with the threat of lawsuit.  BTW, I've heard enough negative remarks about CW I will avoid them unless it's a dire emergency.

[Dick Roberts]

33 minutes ago, tomevansfl said:

You can always get the repair done somewhere else and send CW the bill/sue CW as soon as you can.  They may not cough up the dough at first, but they might with the threat of lawsuit.  BTW, I've heard enough negative remarks about CW I will avoid them unless it's a dire emergency.

Tom, I just, finally, got a reply from CW/GS support. Hoping for a resolution without lawyers, but we'll see.

[Tom Cherry]

1 hour ago, tomevansfl said:

You can always get the repair done somewhere else and send CW the bill/sue CW as soon as you can.  They may not cough up the dough at first, but they might with the threat of lawsuit.  BTW, I've heard enough negative remarks about CW I will avoid them unless it's a dire emergency.

This is a pro and con…..

The CW dealer that sold my Camelot damaged the corner in the rear while installing the Winegard Sat dish….probably the tech slipped or cropped it and banged the rollover.  Small hairline crack that I finally resolved with two small drilled holes to stop the propagation and a bag of clear sealer.  I then used my CC company to get back the installation of the dish.  I emailed and sent photos and documentation as well as estimates, via certified mails.  When I disputed the claim with my CC company, hands down they ruled in my favor and it was above $1,000 as the body work to grind it out and match the 4 different paint colors in the area was over $1,800….  SO…it works…..you just need to dispute the charge and then build your case.

OK….i generally AGREE that CW is not the most “trustworthy and experienced” repair facility in the country for the novice MH owner to use.  Certainly my first experience proved that.  BUT, and this get sniped at….so take it at that….I have used THREE CW SITES with excellent results over the past 5 years.  Two of them were recent acquisitions.  Tom Johnson in Marion and Harley’s in Garner…a stone’s throw from my storage.  It is like anything else.  You go in for an estimate or you call first and talk to the Service Manager or Service writer and do a “preliminary” interview. Describe the problem….usually I have a good idea….and then get their take on it.  Then ask who the best tech is and why….then specify that he is the tech.  

Tom Johnson did my Samsung install and adjusted my Apex (Garard wannabe) roof awning and also a few minor issues.  While I was there, I wandered into their switch shop (3 fulltime techs) and talked to them and had them rebuild my Roadmaster Falcon.  If you ask intelligent questions and don’t tell them HOW to fix it….and ask how and what their experience is…..you can usually find some good folks.  The local CW replaced my entry step motor.  Same deal.  Chat and decide. 

Finally, the Greensboro CW has a senior tech that totally disassembled my bedroom “chest” front.  Stripped off all the cabinetry and then replaced the BAL Accuslide cable and did some precision woodwork on the header on the slide and the “crown molding” on the wall to fix a Monaco assembly issue.  They later swapped out my front slide hydraulic pack….I bought the parts, at a “warranty discount” from Lippert and they did the install and also an electrical upgrade on the cables that I designed.  Again…..great work. BUT, I checked him out with the HR Dealership GM that had tried to hire him for 20 odd years and he and their top tech helped each other out.  

So, I understand the comments about CW, except I think that they are sometimes too negative and are too broad brushed….  One has to always inquire and assess, even with known shops.  I know that when the Chevrolet or GMC or Caddy service writers tell me what is needed and fix it….that if they fail or “goof”, that they OWN IT and if more parts are needed, i will get a significant reduction….like buying at their cost and the labor is free.  Same for my local RV guy.  I talked to him about an issue….and decided he knew his stuff….and he does but he doesn’t know “Intellitec” MPX…

When folks write up or recommend a shop, it is not unusual to have a negative comment sometime later.  Case in point.  Brett Howard was the GM of the Monaco Warranty complex in Wildwood.  It was sold and he stayed on.  He is by far one of the most knowledgeable individuals that you will ever find as he had to fix all the Monaco goofs. BUT, the Alliance Wildwood shop got average to below average reviews and it declined.  I have NO idea as to why….except Brett may have been pushed too thin or the owners wanted higher margins.  Finally, he was cut.  He runs one of the North Trail stores and has the same great reputation and will return calls.  Alliance sold Wildwood, I think, to Lazy Days.  Chris and David will have to chime in.  Just remember that with turnover and also the aging and “buggy whip” technology in our Monaco’s we may find less folks that fully understand and can fix complex issues.

THATS IT….the CW comments have been a little irritating and I appreciate the opportunity to address as well as add some background…..

[jacwjames]

2 hours ago, Tom Cherry said:

 If you ask intelligent questions and don’t tell them HOW to fix it….and ask how and what their experience is…..you can usually find some good folks.  The local CW replaced my entry step motor.  Same deal.  Chat and decide. 

This is how I managed operations both in the USA and in Canada (Quebec), Spain, Bolivia.  Harder due to language barrier but still doable.  But asking questions, often times of different people, and comparing answers can go a long way.  Plus it helps build a relationship with the staff. 

I uncovered a lot of stuff, some good, mostly bad.  One day the CFO asked my how I was finding out about the issues, I told her I just kept asking questions until I got the same answers.   We became good friends and she learned from me and I learned a lot from her.  >>>  Trust but verify!!!

[Dick Roberts]

So, It's been a while since I've been able to access this site. CW convinced me the damage to the roof seam was old and not caused by them. The high labor bill they explained by saying 'that's what the book calls for'. Lesson learned. Nough said. 

As for our life on the road, that's been, mostly, great. First stop was at Travelers CG in Alachua FL. Nice place, and once hooked up to 50 amp, all was well with all my electrical appliances with exception of rear AC, No issues with anything. Next stop was Beverly Beach north of Daytona. Ocean front view out our windshield. Awesome. (very expensive) Had lots of family visit for our big send off to the wilds of the American hi way. My brother even got the rear AC working, sorta. Headed north on I-95 and 10 miles into the trip had my first blowout. Right steer tire at 70mph. My TPMS warned me about 3 seconds before the blowout. Didn't lose control and got slowed down and off the hi way. Two hours later we were back on the road. Two nights in Savannah, then on to Santee State Park. Nice CG on Lake Marion in SC. Replaced our broken micro wave while there. Easy replacement and wife is so happy she now has a convection oven/micro wave. Learned that most state parks don't have individual sewer hookups at sites. Packing up just to drive to the dump station has taught me to be very conservative with water use at that type of site, ie, don't do laundry in the coach and use bath house showers. Five days before we were to leave, our water heater sprang a leak. Flooded the rear before I got the water shut off. Got a tankless delivered before we left, but not installed. Called ahead to our next stop and got that install scheduled with their service department.

Less than an hour drive from there is Angels Landing on Lake Moultrie, another reservoir connected to Lake Marion. Another beautiful CG. Their service guys are the best. They came and checked out the water heater job our first morning there. Made a list of materials they would need and showed up the next morning and 2 hours later we had hot water again. I asked to be put on the schedule to have both AC's replaced and the awning springs replaced. They ordered what they needed and 5 days later they said they would be at our site the next morning. They got both of those jobs done before noon. Nice to have two working heat pumps on these cool SC mornings. No need for that noisy gas furnace. And when they pulled out the awning to replace the springs, I got my first look at the fabric. We are thrilled that it looks and feels almost brand new.

Going to enjoy our last week here relaxing, fishing, and drinking some cold beer and good wine. 

[jacwjames]

First and most obvious question is >>>what was the date code on the tire that blew. 

Recommendation is that tires on the front steer axle should not be older then 7 years old (some people change earlier).  I'd suggest checking the date code on the other tires just to make sure they are not aged out.

 

[Dick Roberts]

4 hours ago, jacwjames said:

First and most obvious question is >>>what was the date code on the tire that blew. 

Recommendation is that tires on the front steer axle should not be older then 7 years old (some people change earlier).  I'd suggest checking the date code on the other tires just to make sure they are not aged out.

 

Tires were bought new in Jan 23. Less than 500 miles on them. Date codes say 18th week of 2022. Quality Samson tires from Vietnam. Now I know why most people seem to like Toyo.

[jacwjames]

1 hour ago, Dick Roberts said:

Tires were bought new in Jan 23. Less than 500 miles on them. Date codes say 18th week of 2022. Quality Samson tires from Vietnam. Now I know why most people seem to like Toyo.

Well, there you go.  I'd have good tires on the steer axle. 

I wanted Toyo's in 2021 when I put new tires on but none to be found. 

I ended up with Yokohama, which is also a good tire.  I have some experience with them as we used them on some of the larger pieces of mining equipment. 

 

[throgmartin]

I have 5 years under my belt with the 295 Yoko's. They have been a great tire. Many large fleet companies run Yoko's on their semis as they are reliable and readily available at many places such as Love's.

I will go back to Yokos when I change out the tires later this year.

[jacwjames]

42 minutes ago, throgmartin said:

I have 5 years under my belt with the 295 Yoko's. They have been a great tire. Many large fleet companies run Yoko's on their semis as they are reliable and readily available at many places such as Love's.

I will go back to Yokos when I change out the tires later this year.

When I was having my tires installed a seasoned (by that I mean old as crap) trucker came in with his rig, he had a slow leak.  Evidently he was a long time customer of the shop as the owner came out and jumped all over his crew for not getting right to the truckers leak.

Anyway, while I was having my tires installed we struck up a conversation talking a little bit about everything.  He commented that Yokohamas were on most of his fleet and they were a good tire.

Plus he said that almost all the big truck shops along the interstate will have them in inventory.   Good to know. 

[Dr4Film]

19 minutes ago, jacwjames said:

Plus he said that almost all the big truck shops along the interstate will have them in inventory.   Good to know. 

Would they carry the normal size that fits most of our coaches, 295/80R22.5?

Edited April 2, 2023 by Dr4Film

[throgmartin]

Jim:

Whenever I was ready to buy new tires I would reach out to fleet owners and find out which tire they were using along with their overall experience. They are putting millions of miles on their equipment every year and know what is holding up best. I also will get input from tire service people at truck stops, the same ones who go out on the road and change flat or blown tires for truckers. Their experience is also very telling and their input valuable.

Asking RV'ers is something I have never done. For the most part, RV'ers are a poor example of how well a tire performs. There is a major difference in putting 5,000 or even 12,000 miles a year on a tire with long stretches of being parked versus 150,000 miles a semi may put on theirs a year and which is constantly running down the highway. I might add that truckers abuse the hell out of their tires with not only weight but heat from running long stretches at a time in addition to hitting every pothole on a highway. I wont get into the care truckers take with their tires. How many truckers have you seen wash and then apply 303 to their tires ? How many cover their tires when parked with tire covers ? Truckers install them and then run them to death.

I mean no offense to RV'ers for saying I do not want their tire input but for me when I need new tires I want advice from someone who has used hundreds of sets of these tires and put a million miles or more on them across several semis. That kind of usage is the true test for just how rugged a tire really is. I encourage everyone to check with fleet owners and semi tire service centers before buying a set of tires.

 

23 minutes ago, Dr4Film said:

Would they carry the normal size that fits most of our coaches, 295/80R22.5?

Richard, Yes. That is what I run on my coach and they were readily available throughout the US. They are also below the price point of Michelins, Bridgestones, etc. I forgot to add that on my Ambassador it came with 275's from the factory. I always felt they were marginal according to the weight ratings. I went up to 295's as an additional safety measure by adding extra weight capacity to the tires. This also allowed me to reduce tire pressure providing a better ride as well as not worrying about overloading a 275 tire to the max.

Almost all Knights, Ambassadors, Endeavors and Diplomats came with 275 tires. They can all be upgraded to 295's with no chassis clearance issues with the exception of maybe one or two tire brands that are wider. I highly recommend to all my customers to upgrade their tires from 275 to 295.

Edited April 2, 2023 by throgmartin

[jacwjames]

AMEN!!!

[grizzly]

Congrats and you came to the right group  Lots of very knowledgeable people more than willing to help. Been helped out several times here and now have better understanding of some of my systems and have been able to do most of my own repairs. Never be afraid to ask a question. Enjoy!

Edited April 2, 2023 by grizzly

[Jim Wallace]

Dick, I'm impressed by your story. You seem able to tackle every situation that's come your way. I got to admit, I had my doubts in the begining. But as your story progressed. Confidence has followed.  Congratulations and Enjoy!

[Dick Roberts]

On 4/2/2023 at 9:54 AM, throgmartin said:

Jim:

Whenever I was ready to buy new tires I would reach out to fleet owners and find out which tire they were using along with their overall experience. They are putting millions of miles on their equipment every year and know what is holding up best. I also will get input from tire service people at truck stops, the same ones who go out on the road and change flat or blown tires for truckers. Their experience is also very telling and their input valuable.

Asking RV'ers is something I have never done. For the most part, RV'ers are a poor example of how well a tire performs. There is a major difference in putting 5,000 or even 12,000 miles a year on a tire with long stretches of being parked versus 150,000 miles a semi may put on theirs a year and which is constantly running down the highway. I might add that truckers abuse the hell out of their tires with not only weight but heat from running long stretches at a time in addition to hitting every pothole on a highway. I wont get into the care truckers take with their tires. How many truckers have you seen wash and then apply 303 to their tires ? How many cover their tires when parked with tire covers ? Truckers install them and then run them to death.

I mean no offense to RV'ers for saying I do not want their tire input but for me when I need new tires I want advice from someone who has used hundreds of sets of these tires and put a million miles or more on them across several semis. That kind of usage is the true test for just how rugged a tire really is. I encourage everyone to check with fleet owners and semi tire service centers before buying a set of tires.

 

Richard, Yes. That is what I run on my coach and they were readily available throughout the US. They are also below the price point of Michelins, Bridgestones, etc. I forgot to add that on my Ambassador it came with 275's from the factory. I always felt they were marginal according to the weight ratings. I went up to 295's as an additional safety measure by adding extra weight capacity to the tires. This also allowed me to reduce tire pressure providing a better ride as well as not worrying about overloading a 275 tire to the max.

Almost all Knights, Ambassadors, Endeavors and Diplomats came with 275 tires. They can all be upgraded to 295's with no chassis clearance issues with the exception of maybe one or two tire brands that are wider. I highly recommend to all my customers to upgrade their tires from 275 to 295.

My Diplomat (99) came with 255's, and that's what I had put back on. Should I have gone with 275's do you think?

[throgmartin]

On 4/9/2023 at 11:42 AM, Dick Roberts said:

My Diplomat (99) came with 255's, and that's what I had put back on. Should I have gone with 275's do you think?

I believe the 265's would fit but I would double check the sizes and clearances. Monaco was notorious for installing undersized tires to save money. Many coaches with the factory sized tires are very close to being maxed out on weight ratings. This is why I went to bigger tires. I have a theory ( and I may be completely out to lunch on this ) but I feel some blow outs are due to tires being close to their maximum. Surely this is not completely true with all blow outs but I often wonder about that.

This is where 4 corner weighing comes into play. I found one of my corners being heavy which put that tire close to its max rating. There are some coaches that have a heavy weighted corner and you never know this until you have all 4 corners weighed.

[Dick Roberts]

On 4/3/2023 at 10:21 PM, Jim Wallace said:

Dick, I'm impressed by your story. You seem able to tackle every situation that's come your way. I got to admit, I had my doubts in the begining. But as your story progressed. Confidence has followed.  Congratulations and Enjoy!

So we left Angels Landing CG, one of my favorite CG's due mainly to the quality RV techs on site, and headed to N.C. Stayed at 4 or 5 CG's there and then headed towards Kentucky Lake. Stopped overnight at Crossville TN KOA. Beautiful CG, and the next morning continued towards the lake. 20 miles into the journey, I discovered what the term 'electronic transmission' meant. An intermittent short was causing the tranny to surge in and out of gear. Took an exit and had to stop at the red light. Lost all 12 volt power, motor still running but no turn signals or flashers, and of course, no transmission. 20 minutes later and a mobile diesel mechanic, Ron Kizer, pulled in behind me. Towed me 1/2 mile to his shop and found and fixed a few bad connections and broken wires. Not going to jump to conclusions, but all the damage was next to filters the Cummins tech had changed. Two hours later and we were on the road again. 50 miles down the road started having similar issues and again took an exit. And again had to stop at a red light. And again lost all 12 volt power. This time a guy in a pickup towed me the 1/2 mile to the nearest Pilot. I called my new friend Ron and told him what had happened. He showed up the next morning, Saturday, in the rain, and found another set of broken wires, complements of the Cummins tech. Then back on the road again.

We made it to Prizer Point on Kentucky Lake with no more issues.

Then on to Springfield IL area to our son's house. Stayed at numerous CG's around the area, and spent a lot of time parked at our son's. While at our son's, I had to drive to a SP 10 miles or so away to dump my tanks. From the entrance off the hi way, up to the actual park, you have to drive a very steep, very winding road up to the parking lot and dump station. Ten feet from the top, I lost voltage again and of course no tranny. Motor still running so I still had some control, I nervously started rolling backwards down this narrow winding forest road. It took me about an hour to reach the bottom. My son came out and we got the batteries charged, made the dump, and made it back home. I had an appointment to replace the airbags scheduled for the next day, so I charged the batteries overnight and made it into the service bay at the Allison Transmission shop. Well, almost. Lost power as the rear wheels went into the rain gutter built into the shop floor and stayed. No more power. The tech said he could do his work where it sat, so I went to talk to service manager about the no power issue. He was busy so lady behind counter told me she'd get someone on it soon.

I waited 2 hours after the airbag job was done, and nobody seemed interested in working on my issue. So I went back to to the service desk where the manager stopped his phone conversation with his buddy long enough to tell me, rudely, that he'd get someone to look at it in the morning. I politely told him I was fine with that, I had no problem sleeping in my coach. He might, however, have an issue with his bay door being left open overnight, because 10 feet of my coach was sticking outside his door. He looked out into the shop, saw my coach blocking his door, and freaked. He ran out and grabbed his head tranny guy and sent him to see what was up. I told him the history, the issues, the symptoms, everything I could. He checked a few things though the hatch and from underneath. He checked the battery compartment. He came back into the coach scratching his head. He said, 'I got no idea what's wrong.' "I don't know what to try next." I called my friend Ron in TN and explained the situation. With the phone on speaker, Ron explained to the Allison tech what he needed to do. The tech followed Rons instructions and 30 minutes later I was out of there.

Our son has been RV'ing for 20 years, and knows all the good camping spots. We had a great time. We also made it up to Montague MI, my mom's hometown. Spent some time in school there when I was a kid. Was nice to see some old friends. If you ever go to MI, the little town of Montague is worth the time. North of Musgegon and west of Grand Rapids. On the shores of White Lake and Lake Michigan. The city turned some unused, marshy land into a city owned RV Campground. It's in downtown Montague, right next to a 70 mile paved bike trail. There's a big grocery store next door, with ice cream shops and diners and such, all walking distance. 

We, reluctantly, left Springfield area and headed south at the end of August. Our first major stop was in Laurel MS. Woke up the first morning to no house power. Batteries dead, won't take a charge. Found replacement Trojans online for obscene prices, plus shipping and a week wait. Did more research, and then used Apple Maps on my phone. Searched for Trojan Batteries near me. Low and behold, a gulf cart builder five minutes away from me stocked multiple trojans. Four brand new T105's for less than $700. After I installed them, I realized my inverter wasn't working. Dead, fini, caput! And only 25 years old. Searching this site, there seemed to be two main brands people on here used, but a third option was quickly gaining ground as lithiums and solar became more widespread. I decided to go with the newcomer, Victron, and used apple maps again to search near me. And across the street from the guy that sold me the batteries was a Victron dealer. His main business is adding solar to RV's. He uses Victron inverters and other victron devices when installing solar panels. He is also a Harvest Host host.

Headed on down to the gulf and took a left. 8 or 9 CG's in FL later and we were headed to the Keys. Long drive from Gainesville area, and as it was starting to get dark, driving on the FL Turnpike in 5 O'clock rush hour traffic in Miami Gardens, I start losing 12 volt power again. Volt meter shows good. I still got a tranny and headlights. Then the lights go dim. Then the tranny downshifts in 4. Now I'm struggling to stay above 45 mph. I finally make it off the turnpike and make it to an O'Reilys auto parts. I now have to completely dead chassis batteries. Won't take a charge. Replaced both. Manager tests my alternator and declares it dead. Somehow the manager knows I need  Leece Neeville 2824JB. He orders me one, delivery in the morning. One of the other counter men knew a mobile diesel mechanic and called him. He came out, checked it out and called a mechanic friend who showed up 30 minutes later. My genny was starting hard, so they looked at that while they were there. Discovered Cummins had neglected to change spark plugs when they serviced it. 

The next morning the mechanics, Dave and Donald, showed up, swapped the alternator, and back on the road again. Sitting here now at Leo's CG on Key West, enjoying our live. Our 10th month on the road. Covered a little over 6k miles. Met a lot of interesting and friendly people. Saw a lot of this awesome country we call home. We'll finish up our first year on the road back up near Gainesville and our old home. Not sure what the next year holds for us, but this past one has been awesome. And the help gained from this site was invaluable. Thanks to all.