A quick check of the battery with a tester revealed only 4.6 amps in each of the 12 volt batteries needed to start the diesel engine. We checked around for replacement batteries and found they ranged from $238-$300 plus for the pair. GULP!! I knew diesel motorhomes cost more to run, but the cost of the batteries surprised me. Time to think about this.
Our MH has the engine batteries in the rear of the coach in a very difficult spot to reach. It is a very tight fit and the batteries have to be removed from the bottom of the area. I was backed up to a wall and didn't have any room to work with, plus the difficulty of changing them over and I decided to have the local RV dealer do this task. They came out Tuesday and two experienced techs worked for over 2.5 hours to change the batteries. They were soaked from sweat and said it was the most difficult battery they had run into in over 20 years.
Enough said, I willingly paid them for the service charge, labor and two batteries. We put it on our American Express card so will get 1% back and that will ease the pain.
Barbara came over after work and we chatted long enough to entice her to go out for dinner with us at the On The Border restaurant a few miles down the road. We all had a great meal and were very pleased with the food. Henry was "busy" so he missed out on the great food and company. Yes, beer and Margaritas flowed freely.
We chatted with our neighbors next to us who are going full time next year in their RV. They prepared for this big event by putting up their rental house and their home on the market and each one sold quickly. Now they will live out of the MH until she retires next July. Additionally, they are having work done to the MH and have rented an apartment in downtown Charlotte for a number of months. Welcome to the full-time life you two.
It was then time to relax before going to bed and all of a sudden, we heard a loud boom. Real loud BOOOM! They were shooting off fireworks at Lowe's Motor Speedway after an event there on Tuesday. We had a front row seat and enjoyed the fireworks for 20 minutes or so and when they finished we headed to bed.
Today, Wednesday, Larry Jr. stopped by to say goodbye and then headed up to Winston-Salem as part of his job. Jane Clark was on National Public Radio as part of a 3 person talk hour on drug prevention. We felt she handled herself like a pro and was by far the best prepared for the show. Super job, Jane.
The drive from Concord, NC to Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, VA was uneventful and we managed to complete most of the trip without air conditioning. Our plan was to spend three nights here, but Friday the park is booked solid. There will be a large concert in the park and the concert goers have taken over.
We did run across this odd looking setup at a rest stop on the way to Virginia. They had metal rails attached to the frame of the truck and added a 5th wheel hitch to the end of the frame. I can't imagine that the truck would handle very well with all the tongue weight at the end of the metal rails. The unit had a Circus sign on it so I assume they were carnival people, or circus people.
We visited with our friends Mann & Carolyn this evening. Carolyn had prepared a lasagna dinner, with garlic bread, salad and wine. The lasagna was great and the company even better. We talked up a storm and got caught up on events in our lives since we last saw them in July 2013. Time sure flies by fast when you are having fun.
See you later.
Sometimes we just break down and pay for the professionals to do the work - but it sure does bug Jim when we have to do that. Sure was nice of the speedway to celebrate your getting back on the road with fireworks. Not sure if I responded to your question about our travel plans. We won't be in Maryland on this journey. We're going down through Tennessee and then through West Virginia to get to Virginia. We've never gone that way before and wanted to try something new this time.
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