ToWanda's maiden voyage

[KP Marsh]

Everyone,

We just got back this past weekend from our 2 week excursion to pick up our
Bluebird, ToWanda, down in Duncan, Oklahoma. We left Minneapolis on Saturday,
April 29th, for Duncan. We arrived early Sunday evening to Ralph & Charolette
Fullenwider's home. Their arms were wide open to welcome us, dinner was on the
table and cold beer was waiting. We can't thank Ralph & Charolette enough for
their wonderful hospitality and for the exceptional care they took of ToWanda
since she came to "nest" at their house last August right after we bought her.

We stayed in Duncan the entire week, getting reacquainted with ToWanda and
preparing her for the trip home to Minnesota by way of Nebraska and Iowa. We
had the pleasure of meeting some new birder friends and sharing in their
knowledge and experience. It was a GREAT week that went entirely too fast.
:o)

On Saturday morning (5/6) we said good-bye to Duncan and the Fullenwider's
hospitality to head for our next stop in Pender, Nebraska at the Blue Ox
Factory. This leg of the trip was to have our hitch/tow package installed on
Millie, our VW Beetle. It was a fairly uneventful trip with the exception of a
slight detour as a result of my (Patti) taking the wrong exit while Ken was
napping.

This resulted in a "baptism by fire" driving experience for Ken on some VERY
narrow secondary roads. The "pucker factor" was definitely a white-knuckle
10+ in trying to keep our big girl's 40 foot long by 8 1/2 foot widebody
centered on a barely 10 foot wide paved surface with absolutely NO shoulders
and an immediate drop off into a very deep drainage ditch..... plus we were
towing a U-Haul car transport trailer behind ToWanda with Millie strapped down
on it. But Ken kept her "between the green and with the shiny side up!"

We stayed overnight on Saturday evening in a service island area on the Kansas
Tollway, just north of Wichita. We arrived in Pender on Sunday in the
mid-afternoon. We had an appointment with Blue Ox to have the hitch/tow
package installed on Monday morning. We stayed Sunday night and Monday night
at the RV park that Blue Ox has right next to the factory for it's customers.
It was VERY nice accommodations plus we made some new SOB friends, Sally Blonder
& Freddie Lewis (retired teachers from Palm Coast, Florida), who were there
also having some work done. We can't say too much too good about the quality
of the installation job and the customer service attitude by everyone we
encountered at Blue Ox. It was well worth the trip to have the installation
done at the factory by their people.

We left on Tuesday morning (5/9) and drove over to Cedar Rapids to spend
Wednesday and Thursday helping Ken's Mom & Dad with preparations to move into
an assisted living apartment. Our only incident during this leg of our journey
was our brain-fading and leaving Millie's key in the accessory "on" position.
We didn't find this out until much later down the road when we stopped for
lunch and discovered that as a result of leaving the key in the accessory
position Millie has automatically locked her doors once she had rolled a few
feet under tow. Hussy! Then we realized we had forgotten the "extra" key back
home in Minneapolis... DUH!!!!

Thankfully we made it to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening without further incident
and had a locksmith open Millie's doors for us first thing Wednesday morning.
Ken went immediately to VW and had an extra key made for Millie to be kept in
ToWanda at all times. As Ken & I recounted the experience we took the
excellent advice our new SOB friends gave us before we parted company in Pender
and we both said "Wow, Look at all the new things we've learned!" Thanks
Sally & Freddie!!

Things went well at Ken's folks. We had our first Walmart parking lot
experience just a few blocks over from Mom & Dad's house. We got lots
accomplished for Mom & Dad in helping them get ready for their impending move
in July. We left Cedar Rapids on Friday morning (5/12) and drove straight in
to Minneapolis stopping once for gas and lunch.

The only "problems" we experienced in our 1000 mile trip were as a result of our
brain-fades. Our "big girl" performed flawlessly and she is a joy to drive!
Ralph was absolutely correct when he checked her over for us last year and then
told us "You definitely want to buy this one. She's tight as a tick and one
sweet coach!" Thanks Ralph! You dah man!

We had a great time on our trip and learned a lot about our rapidly
approaching "new" lifestyle as full-time RV'ers, most of all being that we
can't wait until we are retired next year and can "keep on going" :o)


Til then, Happy Trails!
Patti & Ken Marsh
Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
Full-timing as of March '07
ToWanda'89WLWB40ft


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[orbitalsolutions]

Nice!

When I bought my bus I drove it eighteen hundered miles in four days.

Something was pumping...

Congrats, and best wishes.

I don't know Ralph, but if I ever do meet him, I will demand a great
dinner.

Of course, I will prepare it on the bus and attempt to treat them as
well as they have treated you. (provided he has a level place for
me to park.)


James
78FC33SB
Parked on a ranch in Texola TX



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, KP Marsh
wrote:
>
> Everyone,
>
> We just got back this past weekend from our 2 week excursion to
pick up our Bluebird, ToWanda, down in Duncan, Oklahoma. We left
Minneapolis on Saturday, April 29th, for Duncan. We arrived early
Sunday evening to Ralph & Charolette Fullenwider's home. Their
arms were wide open to welcome us, dinner was on the table and cold
beer was waiting. We can't thank Ralph & Charolette enough for
their wonderful hospitality and for the exceptional care they took
of ToWanda since she came to "nest" at their house last August
right after we bought her.
>
> We stayed in Duncan the entire week, getting reacquainted with
ToWanda and preparing her for the trip home to Minnesota by way of
Nebraska and Iowa. We had the pleasure of meeting some new birder
friends and sharing in their knowledge and experience. It was a
GREAT week that went entirely too fast. :o)
>
> On Saturday morning (5/6) we said good-bye to Duncan and the
Fullenwider's hospitality to head for our next stop in Pender,
Nebraska at the Blue Ox Factory. This leg of the trip was to have
our hitch/tow package installed on Millie, our VW Beetle. It was a
fairly uneventful trip with the exception of a slight detour as a
result of my (Patti) taking the wrong exit while Ken was napping.
>
> This resulted in a "baptism by fire" driving experience for Ken
on some VERY narrow secondary roads. The "pucker factor" was
definitely a white-knuckle 10+ in trying to keep our big girl's 40
foot long by 8 1/2 foot widebody centered on a barely 10 foot wide
paved surface with absolutely NO shoulders and an immediate drop
off into a very deep drainage ditch..... plus we were towing a U-
Haul car transport trailer behind ToWanda with Millie strapped down
on it. But Ken kept her "between the green and with the shiny side
up!"
>
> We stayed overnight on Saturday evening in a service island area
on the Kansas Tollway, just north of Wichita. We arrived in Pender
on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. We had an appointment with Blue Ox
to have the hitch/tow package installed on Monday morning. We
stayed Sunday night and Monday night at the RV park that Blue Ox
has right next to the factory for it's customers. It was VERY nice
accommodations plus we made some new SOB friends, Sally Blonder &
Freddie Lewis (retired teachers from Palm Coast, Florida), who were
there also having some work done. We can't say too much too good
about the quality of the installation job and the customer service
attitude by everyone we encountered at Blue Ox. It was well worth
the trip to have the installation done at the factory by their
people.
>
> We left on Tuesday morning (5/9) and drove over to Cedar Rapids
to spend Wednesday and Thursday helping Ken's Mom & Dad with
preparations to move into an assisted living apartment. Our only
incident during this leg of our journey was our brain-fading and
leaving Millie's key in the accessory "on" position. We didn't
find this out until much later down the road when we stopped for
lunch and discovered that as a result of leaving the key in the
accessory position Millie has automatically locked her doors once
she had rolled a few feet under tow. Hussy! Then we realized we
had forgotten the "extra" key back home in Minneapolis... DUH!!!!
>
> Thankfully we made it to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening without
further incident and had a locksmith open Millie's doors for us
first thing Wednesday morning. Ken went immediately to VW and had
an extra key made for Millie to be kept in ToWanda at all times.
As Ken & I recounted the experience we took the excellent advice
our new SOB friends gave us before we parted company in Pender and
we both said "Wow, Look at all the new things we've learned!"
Thanks Sally & Freddie!!
>
> Things went well at Ken's folks. We had our first Walmart
parking lot experience just a few blocks over from Mom & Dad's
house. We got lots accomplished for Mom & Dad in helping them get
ready for their impending move in July. We left Cedar Rapids on
Friday morning (5/12) and drove straight in to Minneapolis stopping
once for gas and lunch.
>
> The only "problems" we experienced in our 1000 mile trip were as a
result of our brain-fades. Our "big girl" performed flawlessly and
she is a joy to drive! Ralph was absolutely correct when he
checked her over for us last year and then told us "You definitely
want to buy this one. She's tight as a tick and one sweet coach!"
Thanks Ralph! You dah man!
>
> We had a great time on our trip and learned a lot about our
rapidly approaching "new" lifestyle as full-time RV'ers, most of
all being that we can't wait until we are retired next year and
can "keep on going" :o)
>
>
> Til then, Happy Trails!
> Patti & Ken Marsh
> Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
> Full-timing as of March '07
> ToWanda'89WLWB40ft
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Henry Jay Hannigan]

---For Patty & James: the year will pass soon enough..make sure u
enjoy from NOW until the year ends......FOR JAMES with the 78
Bird...are you the JAMES from VEGAS??????
If so, I want to meet u when we get to VEGAS sometime in late JUNE.
Want to see that 78 BIRD.
Regards,
Hank Hannigan
90SP36











In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "orbitalsolutions"
wrote:
>
> Nice!
>
> When I bought my bus I drove it eighteen hundered miles in four
days.
>
> Something was pumping...
>
> Congrats, and best wishes.
>
> I don't know Ralph, but if I ever do meet him, I will demand a
great
> dinner.
>
> Of course, I will prepare it on the bus and attempt to treat them
as
> well as they have treated you. (provided he has a level place for
> me to park.)
>
>
> James
> 78FC33SB
> Parked on a ranch in Texola TX
>
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, KP Marsh
> wrote:
> >
> > Everyone,
> >
> > We just got back this past weekend from our 2 week excursion
to
> pick up our Bluebird, ToWanda, down in Duncan, Oklahoma. We left
> Minneapolis on Saturday, April 29th, for Duncan. We arrived early
> Sunday evening to Ralph & Charolette Fullenwider's home. Their
> arms were wide open to welcome us, dinner was on the table and
cold
> beer was waiting. We can't thank Ralph & Charolette enough for
> their wonderful hospitality and for the exceptional care they
took
> of ToWanda since she came to "nest" at their house last August
> right after we bought her.
> >
> > We stayed in Duncan the entire week, getting reacquainted with
> ToWanda and preparing her for the trip home to Minnesota by way
of
> Nebraska and Iowa. We had the pleasure of meeting some new birder
> friends and sharing in their knowledge and experience. It was a
> GREAT week that went entirely too fast. :o)
> >
> > On Saturday morning (5/6) we said good-bye to Duncan and the
> Fullenwider's hospitality to head for our next stop in Pender,
> Nebraska at the Blue Ox Factory. This leg of the trip was to have
> our hitch/tow package installed on Millie, our VW Beetle. It was
a
> fairly uneventful trip with the exception of a slight detour as a
> result of my (Patti) taking the wrong exit while Ken was
napping.
> >
> > This resulted in a "baptism by fire" driving experience for Ken
> on some VERY narrow secondary roads. The "pucker factor" was
> definitely a white-knuckle 10+ in trying to keep our big girl's
40
> foot long by 8 1/2 foot widebody centered on a barely 10 foot
wide
> paved surface with absolutely NO shoulders and an immediate drop
> off into a very deep drainage ditch..... plus we were towing a
U-
> Haul car transport trailer behind ToWanda with Millie strapped
down
> on it. But Ken kept her "between the green and with the shiny
side
> up!"
> >
> > We stayed overnight on Saturday evening in a service island
area
> on the Kansas Tollway, just north of Wichita. We arrived in
Pender
> on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. We had an appointment with Blue
Ox
> to have the hitch/tow package installed on Monday morning. We
> stayed Sunday night and Monday night at the RV park that Blue Ox
> has right next to the factory for it's customers. It was VERY
nice
> accommodations plus we made some new SOB friends, Sally Blonder &
> Freddie Lewis (retired teachers from Palm Coast, Florida), who
were
> there also having some work done. We can't say too much too good
> about the quality of the installation job and the customer service
> attitude by everyone we encountered at Blue Ox. It was well
worth
> the trip to have the installation done at the factory by their
> people.
> >
> > We left on Tuesday morning (5/9) and drove over to Cedar
Rapids
> to spend Wednesday and Thursday helping Ken's Mom & Dad with
> preparations to move into an assisted living apartment. Our only
> incident during this leg of our journey was our brain-fading and
> leaving Millie's key in the accessory "on" position. We didn't
> find this out until much later down the road when we stopped for
> lunch and discovered that as a result of leaving the key in the
> accessory position Millie has automatically locked her doors once
> she had rolled a few feet under tow. Hussy! Then we realized we
> had forgotten the "extra" key back home in Minneapolis...
DUH!!!!
> >
> > Thankfully we made it to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening without
> further incident and had a locksmith open Millie's doors for us
> first thing Wednesday morning. Ken went immediately to VW and had
> an extra key made for Millie to be kept in ToWanda at all times.
> As Ken & I recounted the experience we took the excellent advice
> our new SOB friends gave us before we parted company in Pender
and
> we both said "Wow, Look at all the new things we've learned!"
> Thanks Sally & Freddie!!
> >
> > Things went well at Ken's folks. We had our first Walmart
> parking lot experience just a few blocks over from Mom & Dad's
> house. We got lots accomplished for Mom & Dad in helping them get
> ready for their impending move in July. We left Cedar Rapids on
> Friday morning (5/12) and drove straight in to Minneapolis
stopping
> once for gas and lunch.
> >
> > The only "problems" we experienced in our 1000 mile trip were as
a
> result of our brain-fades. Our "big girl" performed flawlessly
and
> she is a joy to drive! Ralph was absolutely correct when he
> checked her over for us last year and then told us "You definitely
> want to buy this one. She's tight as a tick and one sweet
coach!"
> Thanks Ralph! You dah man!
> >
> > We had a great time on our trip and learned a lot about our
> rapidly approaching "new" lifestyle as full-time RV'ers, most of
> all being that we can't wait until we are retired next year and
> can "keep on going" :o)
> >
> >
> > Til then, Happy Trails!
> > Patti & Ken Marsh
> > Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
> > Full-timing as of March '07
> > ToWanda'89WLWB40ft
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

[Henry Jay Hannigan]

--- Patty & James should read...Patti & Ken......sorry about that


Regards,
Hank



In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Henry Jay Hannigan"
wrote:
>
> ---For Patty & James: the year will pass soon enough..make sure u
> enjoy from NOW until the year ends......FOR JAMES with the 78
> Bird...are you the JAMES from VEGAS??????
> If so, I want to meet u when we get to VEGAS sometime in late
JUNE.
> Want to see that 78 BIRD.
> Regards,
> Hank Hannigan
> 90SP36
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "orbitalsolutions"
> wrote:
> >
> > Nice!
> >
> > When I bought my bus I drove it eighteen hundered miles in four
> days.
> >
> > Something was pumping...
> >
> > Congrats, and best wishes.
> >
> > I don't know Ralph, but if I ever do meet him, I will demand a
> great
> > dinner.
> >
> > Of course, I will prepare it on the bus and attempt to treat
them
> as
> > well as they have treated you. (provided he has a level place
for
> > me to park.)
> >
> >
> > James
> > 78FC33SB
> > Parked on a ranch in Texola TX
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, KP Marsh
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Everyone,
> > >
> > > We just got back this past weekend from our 2 week excursion
> to
> > pick up our Bluebird, ToWanda, down in Duncan, Oklahoma. We
left
> > Minneapolis on Saturday, April 29th, for Duncan. We arrived
early
> > Sunday evening to Ralph & Charolette Fullenwider's home. Their
> > arms were wide open to welcome us, dinner was on the table and
> cold
> > beer was waiting. We can't thank Ralph & Charolette enough for
> > their wonderful hospitality and for the exceptional care they
> took
> > of ToWanda since she came to "nest" at their house last August
> > right after we bought her.
> > >
> > > We stayed in Duncan the entire week, getting reacquainted
with
> > ToWanda and preparing her for the trip home to Minnesota by way
> of
> > Nebraska and Iowa. We had the pleasure of meeting some new
birder
> > friends and sharing in their knowledge and experience. It was a
> > GREAT week that went entirely too fast. :o)
> > >
> > > On Saturday morning (5/6) we said good-bye to Duncan and the
> > Fullenwider's hospitality to head for our next stop in Pender,
> > Nebraska at the Blue Ox Factory. This leg of the trip was to
have
> > our hitch/tow package installed on Millie, our VW Beetle. It
was
> a
> > fairly uneventful trip with the exception of a slight detour as
a
> > result of my (Patti) taking the wrong exit while Ken was
> napping.
> > >
> > > This resulted in a "baptism by fire" driving experience for
Ken
> > on some VERY narrow secondary roads. The "pucker factor" was
> > definitely a white-knuckle 10+ in trying to keep our big girl's
> 40
> > foot long by 8 1/2 foot widebody centered on a barely 10 foot
> wide
> > paved surface with absolutely NO shoulders and an immediate
drop
> > off into a very deep drainage ditch..... plus we were towing
a
> U-
> > Haul car transport trailer behind ToWanda with Millie strapped
> down
> > on it. But Ken kept her "between the green and with the shiny
> side
> > up!"
> > >
> > > We stayed overnight on Saturday evening in a service island
> area
> > on the Kansas Tollway, just north of Wichita. We arrived in
> Pender
> > on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. We had an appointment with Blue
> Ox
> > to have the hitch/tow package installed on Monday morning. We
> > stayed Sunday night and Monday night at the RV park that Blue
Ox
> > has right next to the factory for it's customers. It was VERY
> nice
> > accommodations plus we made some new SOB friends, Sally Blonder
&
> > Freddie Lewis (retired teachers from Palm Coast, Florida), who
> were
> > there also having some work done. We can't say too much too
good
> > about the quality of the installation job and the customer
service
> > attitude by everyone we encountered at Blue Ox. It was well
> worth
> > the trip to have the installation done at the factory by their
> > people.
> > >
> > > We left on Tuesday morning (5/9) and drove over to Cedar
> Rapids
> > to spend Wednesday and Thursday helping Ken's Mom & Dad with
> > preparations to move into an assisted living apartment. Our
only
> > incident during this leg of our journey was our brain-fading
and
> > leaving Millie's key in the accessory "on" position. We didn't
> > find this out until much later down the road when we stopped
for
> > lunch and discovered that as a result of leaving the key in the
> > accessory position Millie has automatically locked her doors
once
> > she had rolled a few feet under tow. Hussy! Then we realized
we
> > had forgotten the "extra" key back home in Minneapolis...
> DUH!!!!
> > >
> > > Thankfully we made it to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening
without
> > further incident and had a locksmith open Millie's doors for us
> > first thing Wednesday morning. Ken went immediately to VW and
had
> > an extra key made for Millie to be kept in ToWanda at all
times.
> > As Ken & I recounted the experience we took the excellent
advice
> > our new SOB friends gave us before we parted company in Pender
> and
> > we both said "Wow, Look at all the new things we've learned!"
> > Thanks Sally & Freddie!!
> > >
> > > Things went well at Ken's folks. We had our first Walmart
> > parking lot experience just a few blocks over from Mom & Dad's
> > house. We got lots accomplished for Mom & Dad in helping them
get
> > ready for their impending move in July. We left Cedar Rapids
on
> > Friday morning (5/12) and drove straight in to Minneapolis
> stopping
> > once for gas and lunch.
> > >
> > > The only "problems" we experienced in our 1000 mile trip were
as
> a
> > result of our brain-fades. Our "big girl" performed flawlessly
> and
> > she is a joy to drive! Ralph was absolutely correct when he
> > checked her over for us last year and then told us "You
definitely
> > want to buy this one. She's tight as a tick and one sweet
> coach!"
> > Thanks Ralph! You dah man!
> > >
> > > We had a great time on our trip and learned a lot about our
> > rapidly approaching "new" lifestyle as full-time RV'ers, most
of
> > all being that we can't wait until we are retired next year and
> > can "keep on going" :o)
> > >
> > >
> > > Til then, Happy Trails!
> > > Patti & Ken Marsh
> > > Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
> > > Full-timing as of March '07
> > > ToWanda'89WLWB40ft
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>

[erniecarpet@...]

In a message dated 5/18/2006 8:34:32 PM Central Daylight Time,
orbitalsolutions@... writes:

The only thing I wish I had done differently is to buy a Wanderlodge
many years before I did.


AMEN!!!!!! Ernie-83pt40, Douglas, Wy- 1 tv station- kinda in the boonies


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[orbitalsolutions]

Yes, Hank, I am the James from Vegas.

I pulled out of town on May 11th, to escape the summer heat.

I did a lot ot upgrading to the old 'Bird over the winter --
completely new electrical system -- Batteries, Chargers, Xantrex XBM
battery monitor, Pure sine wave inverter, High Def LCD TV, Stereo
system, amature 2-way radio station and lots of new wires and
cables.

I also did the roof thing with stainless fasteners set in 3M 5200
and painted the decking with a new heat reflective coating. It's
actually aluminum particles suspended in a poly resin, developed by
NASA, and it really does a GREAT JOB! You can walk on it in the
middle of a 100 degree day in your bare feet and it feels cool to
the touch.

Now, I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor. I am en-route to the
Ozark Plateau in southwest Missouri where I will spend at least 3 or
4 weeks before heading off for other destinations.

Sorry to miss your return in June, but not sorry to be missing the
120 plus degree heat that comes with summer in the desert.

People who see the old bus frequently ask me if it is new !! I lost
count of how many coats of Dri-Wash I have polished the bus with,
but it looks like it has about 6 coats of clear sprayed on it.

The only thing I wish I had done differently is to buy a Wanderlodge
many years before I did.

I hope you gave those Aussies a few poker lessons. Perhaps we will
meet up somewhere down the road in the near future.

Later...


James
78FC33SB
Cherokee, Oklahoma - 30 miles west of Oklahoma City - (A place where
you can eat BBQ Buffalo and Buffalo burgers. Quite tasy too!)








--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Henry Jay Hannigan"
wrote:
>
> ---For Patty & James: the year will pass soon enough..make sure u
> enjoy from NOW until the year ends......FOR JAMES with the 78
> Bird...are you the JAMES from VEGAS??????
> If so, I want to meet u when we get to VEGAS sometime in late
JUNE.
> Want to see that 78 BIRD.
> Regards,
> Hank Hannigan
> 90SP36
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "orbitalsolutions"
> wrote:
> >
> > Nice!
> >
> > When I bought my bus I drove it eighteen hundered miles in four
> days.
> >
> > Something was pumping...
> >
> > Congrats, and best wishes.
> >
> > I don't know Ralph, but if I ever do meet him, I will demand a
> great
> > dinner.
> >
> > Of course, I will prepare it on the bus and attempt to treat
them
> as
> > well as they have treated you. (provided he has a level place
for
> > me to park.)
> >
> >
> > James
> > 78FC33SB
> > Parked on a ranch in Texola TX
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, KP Marsh
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Everyone,
> > >
> > > We just got back this past weekend from our 2 week excursion
> to
> > pick up our Bluebird, ToWanda, down in Duncan, Oklahoma. We
left
> > Minneapolis on Saturday, April 29th, for Duncan. We arrived
early
> > Sunday evening to Ralph & Charolette Fullenwider's home. Their
> > arms were wide open to welcome us, dinner was on the table and
> cold
> > beer was waiting. We can't thank Ralph & Charolette enough for
> > their wonderful hospitality and for the exceptional care they
> took
> > of ToWanda since she came to "nest" at their house last August
> > right after we bought her.
> > >
> > > We stayed in Duncan the entire week, getting reacquainted
with
> > ToWanda and preparing her for the trip home to Minnesota by way
> of
> > Nebraska and Iowa. We had the pleasure of meeting some new
birder
> > friends and sharing in their knowledge and experience. It was a
> > GREAT week that went entirely too fast. :o)
> > >
> > > On Saturday morning (5/6) we said good-bye to Duncan and the
> > Fullenwider's hospitality to head for our next stop in Pender,
> > Nebraska at the Blue Ox Factory. This leg of the trip was to
have
> > our hitch/tow package installed on Millie, our VW Beetle. It
was
> a
> > fairly uneventful trip with the exception of a slight detour as
a
> > result of my (Patti) taking the wrong exit while Ken was
> napping.
> > >
> > > This resulted in a "baptism by fire" driving experience for
Ken
> > on some VERY narrow secondary roads. The "pucker factor" was
> > definitely a white-knuckle 10+ in trying to keep our big girl's
> 40
> > foot long by 8 1/2 foot widebody centered on a barely 10 foot
> wide
> > paved surface with absolutely NO shoulders and an immediate
drop
> > off into a very deep drainage ditch..... plus we were towing
a
> U-
> > Haul car transport trailer behind ToWanda with Millie strapped
> down
> > on it. But Ken kept her "between the green and with the shiny
> side
> > up!"
> > >
> > > We stayed overnight on Saturday evening in a service island
> area
> > on the Kansas Tollway, just north of Wichita. We arrived in
> Pender
> > on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. We had an appointment with Blue
> Ox
> > to have the hitch/tow package installed on Monday morning. We
> > stayed Sunday night and Monday night at the RV park that Blue
Ox
> > has right next to the factory for it's customers. It was VERY
> nice
> > accommodations plus we made some new SOB friends, Sally Blonder
&
> > Freddie Lewis (retired teachers from Palm Coast, Florida), who
> were
> > there also having some work done. We can't say too much too
good
> > about the quality of the installation job and the customer
service
> > attitude by everyone we encountered at Blue Ox. It was well
> worth
> > the trip to have the installation done at the factory by their
> > people.
> > >
> > > We left on Tuesday morning (5/9) and drove over to Cedar
> Rapids
> > to spend Wednesday and Thursday helping Ken's Mom & Dad with
> > preparations to move into an assisted living apartment. Our
only
> > incident during this leg of our journey was our brain-fading
and
> > leaving Millie's key in the accessory "on" position. We didn't
> > find this out until much later down the road when we stopped
for
> > lunch and discovered that as a result of leaving the key in the
> > accessory position Millie has automatically locked her doors
once
> > she had rolled a few feet under tow. Hussy! Then we realized
we
> > had forgotten the "extra" key back home in Minneapolis...
> DUH!!!!
> > >
> > > Thankfully we made it to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening
without
> > further incident and had a locksmith open Millie's doors for us
> > first thing Wednesday morning. Ken went immediately to VW and
had
> > an extra key made for Millie to be kept in ToWanda at all
times.
> > As Ken & I recounted the experience we took the excellent
advice
> > our new SOB friends gave us before we parted company in Pender
> and
> > we both said "Wow, Look at all the new things we've learned!"
> > Thanks Sally & Freddie!!
> > >
> > > Things went well at Ken's folks. We had our first Walmart
> > parking lot experience just a few blocks over from Mom & Dad's
> > house. We got lots accomplished for Mom & Dad in helping them
get
> > ready for their impending move in July. We left Cedar Rapids
on
> > Friday morning (5/12) and drove straight in to Minneapolis
> stopping
> > once for gas and lunch.
> > >
> > > The only "problems" we experienced in our 1000 mile trip were
as
> a
> > result of our brain-fades. Our "big girl" performed flawlessly
> and
> > she is a joy to drive! Ralph was absolutely correct when he
> > checked her over for us last year and then told us "You
definitely
> > want to buy this one. She's tight as a tick and one sweet
> coach!"
> > Thanks Ralph! You dah man!
> > >
> > > We had a great time on our trip and learned a lot about our
> > rapidly approaching "new" lifestyle as full-time RV'ers, most
of
> > all being that we can't wait until we are retired next year and
> > can "keep on going" :o)
> > >
> > >
> > > Til then, Happy Trails!
> > > Patti & Ken Marsh
> > > Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
> > > Full-timing as of March '07
> > > ToWanda'89WLWB40ft
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>

[Henry Jay Hannigan]

---Nice to hear from you James.......I might be interested in that
NASA roof paint. We will be in Vegas from about 24 June til the
WSOP ends in Midjuly and then who knows...if I win the 10 million,
I'll pay for my Sp36 and keep it cause aint no better except and old
77-80 BIRD....WHOOPS..there I go starting trouble with my big mouth!!
Sorry guys...ALL BIRDS are GREAT!!!!!

Maybe we will head East sometime in July, maybe North to the cool,
then East.
See ya sometime...your bird sounds good..aint they great!!!
Regards,
Hank Hannigan
90Sp36






In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "orbitalsolutions"
wrote:
>
> Yes, Hank, I am the James from Vegas.
>
> I pulled out of town on May 11th, to escape the summer heat.
>
> I did a lot ot upgrading to the old 'Bird over the winter --
> completely new electrical system -- Batteries, Chargers, Xantrex
XBM
> battery monitor, Pure sine wave inverter, High Def LCD TV, Stereo
> system, amature 2-way radio station and lots of new wires and
> cables.
>
> I also did the roof thing with stainless fasteners set in 3M 5200
> and painted the decking with a new heat reflective coating. It's
> actually aluminum particles suspended in a poly resin, developed
by
> NASA, and it really does a GREAT JOB! You can walk on it in the
> middle of a 100 degree day in your bare feet and it feels cool to
> the touch.
>
> Now, I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor. I am en-route to the
> Ozark Plateau in southwest Missouri where I will spend at least 3
or
> 4 weeks before heading off for other destinations.
>
> Sorry to miss your return in June, but not sorry to be missing the
> 120 plus degree heat that comes with summer in the desert.
>
> People who see the old bus frequently ask me if it is new !! I
lost
> count of how many coats of Dri-Wash I have polished the bus with,
> but it looks like it has about 6 coats of clear sprayed on it.
>
> The only thing I wish I had done differently is to buy a
Wanderlodge
> many years before I did.
>
> I hope you gave those Aussies a few poker lessons. Perhaps we
will
> meet up somewhere down the road in the near future.
>
> Later...
>
>
> James
> 78FC33SB
> Cherokee, Oklahoma - 30 miles west of Oklahoma City - (A place
where
> you can eat BBQ Buffalo and Buffalo burgers. Quite tasy too!)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Henry Jay Hannigan"
> wrote:
> >
> > ---For Patty & James: the year will pass soon enough..make sure
u
> > enjoy from NOW until the year ends......FOR JAMES with the 78
> > Bird...are you the JAMES from VEGAS??????
> > If so, I want to meet u when we get to VEGAS sometime in late
> JUNE.
> > Want to see that 78 BIRD.
> > Regards,
> > Hank Hannigan
> > 90SP36
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "orbitalsolutions"
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Nice!
> > >
> > > When I bought my bus I drove it eighteen hundered miles in
four
> > days.
> > >
> > > Something was pumping...
> > >
> > > Congrats, and best wishes.
> > >
> > > I don't know Ralph, but if I ever do meet him, I will demand a
> > great
> > > dinner.
> > >
> > > Of course, I will prepare it on the bus and attempt to treat
> them
> > as
> > > well as they have treated you. (provided he has a level place
> for
> > > me to park.)
> > >
> > >
> > > James
> > > 78FC33SB
> > > Parked on a ranch in Texola TX
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, KP Marsh
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Everyone,
> > > >
> > > > We just got back this past weekend from our 2 week
excursion
> > to
> > > pick up our Bluebird, ToWanda, down in Duncan, Oklahoma. We
> left
> > > Minneapolis on Saturday, April 29th, for Duncan. We arrived
> early
> > > Sunday evening to Ralph & Charolette Fullenwider's home.
Their
> > > arms were wide open to welcome us, dinner was on the table
and
> > cold
> > > beer was waiting. We can't thank Ralph & Charolette enough
for
> > > their wonderful hospitality and for the exceptional care they
> > took
> > > of ToWanda since she came to "nest" at their house last
August
> > > right after we bought her.
> > > >
> > > > We stayed in Duncan the entire week, getting reacquainted
> with
> > > ToWanda and preparing her for the trip home to Minnesota by
way
> > of
> > > Nebraska and Iowa. We had the pleasure of meeting some new
> birder
> > > friends and sharing in their knowledge and experience. It was
a
> > > GREAT week that went entirely too fast. :o)
> > > >
> > > > On Saturday morning (5/6) we said good-bye to Duncan and
the
> > > Fullenwider's hospitality to head for our next stop in
Pender,
> > > Nebraska at the Blue Ox Factory. This leg of the trip was to
> have
> > > our hitch/tow package installed on Millie, our VW Beetle. It
> was
> > a
> > > fairly uneventful trip with the exception of a slight detour
as
> a
> > > result of my (Patti) taking the wrong exit while Ken was
> > napping.
> > > >
> > > > This resulted in a "baptism by fire" driving experience for
> Ken
> > > on some VERY narrow secondary roads. The "pucker factor" was
> > > definitely a white-knuckle 10+ in trying to keep our big
girl's
> > 40
> > > foot long by 8 1/2 foot widebody centered on a barely 10 foot
> > wide
> > > paved surface with absolutely NO shoulders and an immediate
> drop
> > > off into a very deep drainage ditch..... plus we were
towing
> a
> > U-
> > > Haul car transport trailer behind ToWanda with Millie
strapped
> > down
> > > on it. But Ken kept her "between the green and with the
shiny
> > side
> > > up!"
> > > >
> > > > We stayed overnight on Saturday evening in a service
island
> > area
> > > on the Kansas Tollway, just north of Wichita. We arrived in
> > Pender
> > > on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. We had an appointment with
Blue
> > Ox
> > > to have the hitch/tow package installed on Monday morning.
We
> > > stayed Sunday night and Monday night at the RV park that Blue
> Ox
> > > has right next to the factory for it's customers. It was
VERY
> > nice
> > > accommodations plus we made some new SOB friends, Sally
Blonder
> &
> > > Freddie Lewis (retired teachers from Palm Coast, Florida),
who
> > were
> > > there also having some work done. We can't say too much too
> good
> > > about the quality of the installation job and the customer
> service
> > > attitude by everyone we encountered at Blue Ox. It was well
> > worth
> > > the trip to have the installation done at the factory by
their
> > > people.
> > > >
> > > > We left on Tuesday morning (5/9) and drove over to Cedar
> > Rapids
> > > to spend Wednesday and Thursday helping Ken's Mom & Dad with
> > > preparations to move into an assisted living apartment. Our
> only
> > > incident during this leg of our journey was our brain-fading
> and
> > > leaving Millie's key in the accessory "on" position. We
didn't
> > > find this out until much later down the road when we stopped
> for
> > > lunch and discovered that as a result of leaving the key in
the
> > > accessory position Millie has automatically locked her doors
> once
> > > she had rolled a few feet under tow. Hussy! Then we
realized
> we
> > > had forgotten the "extra" key back home in Minneapolis...
> > DUH!!!!
> > > >
> > > > Thankfully we made it to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening
> without
> > > further incident and had a locksmith open Millie's doors for
us
> > > first thing Wednesday morning. Ken went immediately to VW and
> had
> > > an extra key made for Millie to be kept in ToWanda at all
> times.
> > > As Ken & I recounted the experience we took the excellent
> advice
> > > our new SOB friends gave us before we parted company in
Pender
> > and
> > > we both said "Wow, Look at all the new things we've
learned!"
> > > Thanks Sally & Freddie!!
> > > >
> > > > Things went well at Ken's folks. We had our first
Walmart
> > > parking lot experience just a few blocks over from Mom &
Dad's
> > > house. We got lots accomplished for Mom & Dad in helping them
> get
> > > ready for their impending move in July. We left Cedar Rapids
> on
> > > Friday morning (5/12) and drove straight in to Minneapolis
> > stopping
> > > once for gas and lunch.
> > > >
> > > > The only "problems" we experienced in our 1000 mile trip
were
> as
> > a
> > > result of our brain-fades. Our "big girl" performed
flawlessly
> > and
> > > she is a joy to drive! Ralph was absolutely correct when he
> > > checked her over for us last year and then told us "You
> definitely
> > > want to buy this one. She's tight as a tick and one sweet
> > coach!"
> > > Thanks Ralph! You dah man!
> > > >
> > > > We had a great time on our trip and learned a lot about
our
> > > rapidly approaching "new" lifestyle as full-time RV'ers, most
> of
> > > all being that we can't wait until we are retired next year
and
> > > can "keep on going" :o)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Til then, Happy Trails!
> > > > Patti & Ken Marsh
> > > > Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
> > > > Full-timing as of March '07
> > > > ToWanda'89WLWB40ft
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

[KP Marsh]

Hank,

We knew who you meant. Thanks for your words of wisdom. Our motto has
definitely become "Life is uncertain. Do it NOW!"

Ken & Patti Marsh
Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
Full-timing as of March '07
ToWanda'89WLWB40ft

Henry Jay Hannigan wrote: --- Patty & James should
read...Patti & Ken......sorry about that


Regards,
Hank



In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Henry Jay Hannigan"
wrote:
>
> ---For Patty & James: the year will pass soon enough..make sure u
> enjoy from NOW until the year ends......FOR JAMES with the 78
> Bird...are you the JAMES from VEGAS??????
> If so, I want to meet u when we get to VEGAS sometime in late
JUNE.
> Want to see that 78 BIRD.
> Regards,
> Hank Hannigan
> 90SP36
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "orbitalsolutions"
> wrote:
> >
> > Nice!
> >
> > When I bought my bus I drove it eighteen hundered miles in four
> days.
> >
> > Something was pumping...
> >
> > Congrats, and best wishes.
> >
> > I don't know Ralph, but if I ever do meet him, I will demand a
> great
> > dinner.
> >
> > Of course, I will prepare it on the bus and attempt to treat
them
> as
> > well as they have treated you. (provided he has a level place
for
> > me to park.)
> >
> >
> > James
> > 78FC33SB
> > Parked on a ranch in Texola TX
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, KP Marsh
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Everyone,
> > >
> > > We just got back this past weekend from our 2 week excursion
> to
> > pick up our Bluebird, ToWanda, down in Duncan, Oklahoma. We
left
> > Minneapolis on Saturday, April 29th, for Duncan. We arrived
early
> > Sunday evening to Ralph & Charolette Fullenwider's home. Their
> > arms were wide open to welcome us, dinner was on the table and
> cold
> > beer was waiting. We can't thank Ralph & Charolette enough for
> > their wonderful hospitality and for the exceptional care they
> took
> > of ToWanda since she came to "nest" at their house last August
> > right after we bought her.
> > >
> > > We stayed in Duncan the entire week, getting reacquainted
with
> > ToWanda and preparing her for the trip home to Minnesota by way
> of
> > Nebraska and Iowa. We had the pleasure of meeting some new
birder
> > friends and sharing in their knowledge and experience. It was a
> > GREAT week that went entirely too fast. :o)
> > >
> > > On Saturday morning (5/6) we said good-bye to Duncan and the
> > Fullenwider's hospitality to head for our next stop in Pender,
> > Nebraska at the Blue Ox Factory. This leg of the trip was to
have
> > our hitch/tow package installed on Millie, our VW Beetle. It
was
> a
> > fairly uneventful trip with the exception of a slight detour as
a
> > result of my (Patti) taking the wrong exit while Ken was
> napping.
> > >
> > > This resulted in a "baptism by fire" driving experience for
Ken
> > on some VERY narrow secondary roads. The "pucker factor" was
> > definitely a white-knuckle 10+ in trying to keep our big girl's
> 40
> > foot long by 8 1/2 foot widebody centered on a barely 10 foot
> wide
> > paved surface with absolutely NO shoulders and an immediate
drop
> > off into a very deep drainage ditch..... plus we were towing
a
> U-
> > Haul car transport trailer behind ToWanda with Millie strapped
> down
> > on it. But Ken kept her "between the green and with the shiny
> side
> > up!"
> > >
> > > We stayed overnight on Saturday evening in a service island
> area
> > on the Kansas Tollway, just north of Wichita. We arrived in
> Pender
> > on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. We had an appointment with Blue
> Ox
> > to have the hitch/tow package installed on Monday morning. We
> > stayed Sunday night and Monday night at the RV park that Blue
Ox
> > has right next to the factory for it's customers. It was VERY
> nice
> > accommodations plus we made some new SOB friends, Sally Blonder
&
> > Freddie Lewis (retired teachers from Palm Coast, Florida), who
> were
> > there also having some work done. We can't say too much too
good
> > about the quality of the installation job and the customer
service
> > attitude by everyone we encountered at Blue Ox. It was well
> worth
> > the trip to have the installation done at the factory by their
> > people.
> > >
> > > We left on Tuesday morning (5/9) and drove over to Cedar
> Rapids
> > to spend Wednesday and Thursday helping Ken's Mom & Dad with
> > preparations to move into an assisted living apartment. Our
only
> > incident during this leg of our journey was our brain-fading
and
> > leaving Millie's key in the accessory "on" position. We didn't
> > find this out until much later down the road when we stopped
for
> > lunch and discovered that as a result of leaving the key in the
> > accessory position Millie has automatically locked her doors
once
> > she had rolled a few feet under tow. Hussy! Then we realized
we
> > had forgotten the "extra" key back home in Minneapolis...
> DUH!!!!
> > >
> > > Thankfully we made it to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening
without
> > further incident and had a locksmith open Millie's doors for us
> > first thing Wednesday morning. Ken went immediately to VW and
had
> > an extra key made for Millie to be kept in ToWanda at all
times.
> > As Ken & I recounted the experience we took the excellent
advice
> > our new SOB friends gave us before we parted company in Pender
> and
> > we both said "Wow, Look at all the new things we've learned!"
> > Thanks Sally & Freddie!!
> > >
> > > Things went well at Ken's folks. We had our first Walmart
> > parking lot experience just a few blocks over from Mom & Dad's
> > house. We got lots accomplished for Mom & Dad in helping them
get
> > ready for their impending move in July. We left Cedar Rapids
on
> > Friday morning (5/12) and drove straight in to Minneapolis
> stopping
> > once for gas and lunch.
> > >
> > > The only "problems" we experienced in our 1000 mile trip were
as
> a
> > result of our brain-fades. Our "big girl" performed flawlessly
> and
> > she is a joy to drive! Ralph was absolutely correct when he
> > checked her over for us last year and then told us "You
definitely
> > want to buy this one. She's tight as a tick and one sweet
> coach!"
> > Thanks Ralph! You dah man!
> > >
> > > We had a great time on our trip and learned a lot about our
> > rapidly approaching "new" lifestyle as full-time RV'ers, most
of
> > all being that we can't wait until we are retired next year and
> > can "keep on going" :o)
> > >
> > >
> > > Til then, Happy Trails!
> > > Patti & Ken Marsh
> > > Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
> > > Full-timing as of March '07
> > > ToWanda'89WLWB40ft
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>






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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[orbitalsolutions]

No problem, Hank. The coating is not a retail product and is not
marketed by anyone. However, I can hook you up once you get to
Vegas if you are still interested.

This is a coating some of my fellow 'space cadets' dreamed up to
replace the older ceramic technology, it's a huge improvement.

Do you plan to play the WPT or WSOP in Tunica this year?

Perhaps we could meet up there. I want to see the town, folks tell
me it's like Vegas was 15 years ago, before all the growth,
congestion and craziness that Vegas is today.

I'd like to see your SP as well -- safe travels.


James
78FC33SB
Fort Smith, OK (Chillen' out for the day and grillen Buffalo
Burgers)




--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Henry Jay Hannigan"
wrote:
>
> ---Nice to hear from you James.......I might be interested in that
> NASA roof paint. We will be in Vegas from about 24 June til the
> WSOP ends in Midjuly and then who knows...if I win the 10 million,
> I'll pay for my Sp36 and keep it cause aint no better except and
old
> 77-80 BIRD....WHOOPS..there I go starting trouble with my big
mouth!!
> Sorry guys...ALL BIRDS are GREAT!!!!!
>
> Maybe we will head East sometime in July, maybe North to the cool,
> then East.
> See ya sometime...your bird sounds good..aint they great!!!
> Regards,
> Hank Hannigan
> 90Sp36
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "orbitalsolutions"
> wrote:
> >
> > Yes, Hank, I am the James from Vegas.
> >
> > I pulled out of town on May 11th, to escape the summer heat.
> >
> > I did a lot ot upgrading to the old 'Bird over the winter --
> > completely new electrical system -- Batteries, Chargers, Xantrex
> XBM
> > battery monitor, Pure sine wave inverter, High Def LCD TV,
Stereo
> > system, amature 2-way radio station and lots of new wires and
> > cables.
> >
> > I also did the roof thing with stainless fasteners set in 3M
5200
> > and painted the decking with a new heat reflective coating.
It's
> > actually aluminum particles suspended in a poly resin, developed
> by
> > NASA, and it really does a GREAT JOB! You can walk on it in the
> > middle of a 100 degree day in your bare feet and it feels cool
to
> > the touch.
> >
> > Now, I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor. I am en-route to the
> > Ozark Plateau in southwest Missouri where I will spend at least
3
> or
> > 4 weeks before heading off for other destinations.
> >
> > Sorry to miss your return in June, but not sorry to be missing
the
> > 120 plus degree heat that comes with summer in the desert.
> >
> > People who see the old bus frequently ask me if it is new !! I
> lost
> > count of how many coats of Dri-Wash I have polished the bus
with,
> > but it looks like it has about 6 coats of clear sprayed on it.
> >
> > The only thing I wish I had done differently is to buy a
> Wanderlodge
> > many years before I did.
> >
> > I hope you gave those Aussies a few poker lessons. Perhaps we
> will
> > meet up somewhere down the road in the near future.
> >
> > Later...
> >
> >
> > James
> > 78FC33SB
> > Cherokee, Oklahoma - 30 miles west of Oklahoma City - (A place
> where
> > you can eat BBQ Buffalo and Buffalo burgers. Quite tasy too!)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Henry Jay Hannigan"
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > ---For Patty & James: the year will pass soon enough..make
sure
> u
> > > enjoy from NOW until the year ends......FOR JAMES with the 78
> > > Bird...are you the JAMES from VEGAS??????
> > > If so, I want to meet u when we get to VEGAS sometime in late
> > JUNE.
> > > Want to see that 78 BIRD.
> > > Regards,
> > > Hank Hannigan
> > > 90SP36
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "orbitalsolutions"
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Nice!
> > > >
> > > > When I bought my bus I drove it eighteen hundered miles in
> four
> > > days.
> > > >
> > > > Something was pumping...
> > > >
> > > > Congrats, and best wishes.
> > > >
> > > > I don't know Ralph, but if I ever do meet him, I will demand
a
> > > great
> > > > dinner.
> > > >
> > > > Of course, I will prepare it on the bus and attempt to treat
> > them
> > > as
> > > > well as they have treated you. (provided he has a level
place
> > for
> > > > me to park.)
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > James
> > > > 78FC33SB
> > > > Parked on a ranch in Texola TX
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, KP Marsh
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Everyone,
> > > > >
> > > > > We just got back this past weekend from our 2 week
> excursion
> > > to
> > > > pick up our Bluebird, ToWanda, down in Duncan, Oklahoma. We
> > left
> > > > Minneapolis on Saturday, April 29th, for Duncan. We arrived
> > early
> > > > Sunday evening to Ralph & Charolette Fullenwider's home.
> Their
> > > > arms were wide open to welcome us, dinner was on the table
> and
> > > cold
> > > > beer was waiting. We can't thank Ralph & Charolette enough
> for
> > > > their wonderful hospitality and for the exceptional care
they
> > > took
> > > > of ToWanda since she came to "nest" at their house last
> August
> > > > right after we bought her.
> > > > >
> > > > > We stayed in Duncan the entire week, getting
reacquainted
> > with
> > > > ToWanda and preparing her for the trip home to Minnesota by
> way
> > > of
> > > > Nebraska and Iowa. We had the pleasure of meeting some new
> > birder
> > > > friends and sharing in their knowledge and experience. It
was
> a
> > > > GREAT week that went entirely too fast. :o)
> > > > >
> > > > > On Saturday morning (5/6) we said good-bye to Duncan and
> the
> > > > Fullenwider's hospitality to head for our next stop in
> Pender,
> > > > Nebraska at the Blue Ox Factory. This leg of the trip was
to
> > have
> > > > our hitch/tow package installed on Millie, our VW Beetle.
It
> > was
> > > a
> > > > fairly uneventful trip with the exception of a slight
detour
> as
> > a
> > > > result of my (Patti) taking the wrong exit while Ken was
> > > napping.
> > > > >
> > > > > This resulted in a "baptism by fire" driving experience
for
> > Ken
> > > > on some VERY narrow secondary roads. The "pucker factor"
was
> > > > definitely a white-knuckle 10+ in trying to keep our big
> girl's
> > > 40
> > > > foot long by 8 1/2 foot widebody centered on a barely 10
foot
> > > wide
> > > > paved surface with absolutely NO shoulders and an immediate
> > drop
> > > > off into a very deep drainage ditch..... plus we were
> towing
> > a
> > > U-
> > > > Haul car transport trailer behind ToWanda with Millie
> strapped
> > > down
> > > > on it. But Ken kept her "between the green and with the
> shiny
> > > side
> > > > up!"
> > > > >
> > > > > We stayed overnight on Saturday evening in a service
> island
> > > area
> > > > on the Kansas Tollway, just north of Wichita. We arrived
in
> > > Pender
> > > > on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. We had an appointment with
> Blue
> > > Ox
> > > > to have the hitch/tow package installed on Monday morning.
> We
> > > > stayed Sunday night and Monday night at the RV park that
Blue
> > Ox
> > > > has right next to the factory for it's customers. It was
> VERY
> > > nice
> > > > accommodations plus we made some new SOB friends, Sally
> Blonder
> > &
> > > > Freddie Lewis (retired teachers from Palm Coast, Florida),
> who
> > > were
> > > > there also having some work done. We can't say too much
too
> > good
> > > > about the quality of the installation job and the customer
> > service
> > > > attitude by everyone we encountered at Blue Ox. It was
well
> > > worth
> > > > the trip to have the installation done at the factory by
> their
> > > > people.
> > > > >
> > > > > We left on Tuesday morning (5/9) and drove over to Cedar
> > > Rapids
> > > > to spend Wednesday and Thursday helping Ken's Mom & Dad
with
> > > > preparations to move into an assisted living apartment. Our
> > only
> > > > incident during this leg of our journey was our brain-
fading
> > and
> > > > leaving Millie's key in the accessory "on" position. We
> didn't
> > > > find this out until much later down the road when we
stopped
> > for
> > > > lunch and discovered that as a result of leaving the key in
> the
> > > > accessory position Millie has automatically locked her doors
> > once
> > > > she had rolled a few feet under tow. Hussy! Then we
> realized
> > we
> > > > had forgotten the "extra" key back home in Minneapolis...
> > > DUH!!!!
> > > > >
> > > > > Thankfully we made it to Cedar Rapids Tuesday evening
> > without
> > > > further incident and had a locksmith open Millie's doors for
> us
> > > > first thing Wednesday morning. Ken went immediately to VW
and
> > had
> > > > an extra key made for Millie to be kept in ToWanda at all
> > times.
> > > > As Ken & I recounted the experience we took the excellent
> > advice
> > > > our new SOB friends gave us before we parted company in
> Pender
> > > and
> > > > we both said "Wow, Look at all the new things we've
> learned!"
> > > > Thanks Sally & Freddie!!
> > > > >
> > > > > Things went well at Ken's folks. We had our first
> Walmart
> > > > parking lot experience just a few blocks over from Mom &
> Dad's
> > > > house. We got lots accomplished for Mom & Dad in helping
them
> > get
> > > > ready for their impending move in July. We left Cedar
Rapids
> > on
> > > > Friday morning (5/12) and drove straight in to Minneapolis
> > > stopping
> > > > once for gas and lunch.
> > > > >
> > > > > The only "problems" we experienced in our 1000 mile trip
> were
> > as
> > > a
> > > > result of our brain-fades. Our "big girl" performed
> flawlessly
> > > and
> > > > she is a joy to drive! Ralph was absolutely correct when
he
> > > > checked her over for us last year and then told us "You
> > definitely
> > > > want to buy this one. She's tight as a tick and one sweet
> > > coach!"
> > > > Thanks Ralph! You dah man!
> > > > >
> > > > > We had a great time on our trip and learned a lot about
> our
> > > > rapidly approaching "new" lifestyle as full-time RV'ers,
most
> > of
> > > > all being that we can't wait until we are retired next year
> and
> > > > can "keep on going" :o)
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Til then, Happy Trails!
> > > > > Patti & Ken Marsh
> > > > > Mpls ~ Keepin' our eye on the prize
> > > > > Full-timing as of March '07
> > > > > ToWanda'89WLWB40ft
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>