Christmas Letter

Greetings for Christmas 2022

Here we are again, at the end of another year.  This has been a busy year for us.  We accomplished a lot, although we did have a lot of help.

Figuring on selling the house in 2023 and heading back ‘on the road again’, we started the year planning on getting a 5th wheel, that our F150 could tow, but could not find one large and comfortable enough, so we had to trade the F150 for a bigger F350, and then found a left-over, new 2021 Keystone Montana 3812 that appeared to suit us for full-timing. In the meantime, we also wanted a second car (gas) for more economical running around but because the prices for used vehicles were prohibitive, we ordered a new Ford Explorer to our individual specs. So, by the end of March, we were all set for the winter of 2022-2023.

In the fall of 2021, we had contracted with a local company called Log Care to maintain the log work of the house which was in urgent need of it. They started work the second week of July and workers spent the next 2 months completing the work. The first step was to sand blast the exterior of all three buildings, then hand sand all the surfaces, apply 2 coats of stain and complete the process with a seal coat. Once that process was completed, they replaced several of the posts supporting the decks, many of the supports for the deck rails and ALL the railings.  Then, the new wood was stained and sealed.  What a mess, but worth it, as it will increase the value of the house significantly.  If we were still in Wyoming, we would still be trying to clean up the dust that made it into the inside of the house.

In August we took the 5th wheel to Loveland, CO to have a generator installed.  Then, in October, we travelled to Shipshewana, IN to have some upgrades made to the 5th wheel (added 1200 watts of solar panels, and had a 3000-watt Inverter installed.  We also converted the gas/electric refrigerator to a 12 volt system with dual compressors, which made it much more energy efficient.  We then transferred to Goshen, IN to begin necessary warranty work.  While there we travelled to Buchannan, MI to Lowery’s, our favorite meat market, and in Shipshewana we found Yoder’s, a great Amish Meat and Cheese Market.  Yummy!  We bought tons of stuff to take back to Wyoming to share with friends.

When we returned to Wyoming, we started the process of loading the 5th wheel for a 6-month trip south.  Winter 2021-2022 had been mild, without a lot of snow.  However, the Old Farmers Almanac’s forecast for the 2022-2023 winter calling it a “Hibernating Winter” in our area.  So, a southern trip seemed warranted.  That brings me to our current location: Texas. We will be in Southeastern Texas until early March, flip-flopping back and forth between two Thousand Trails membership campgrounds, at which time we will transit to Florida for 1-2 months, returning to Wyoming, by way of northern Georgia to visit some friends there, getting to Wyoming in late April or early May… AFTER (hopefully) most of the snow has melted.

Roxy is enjoying her travel opportunities, even though the weather has also been very cold down in Texas.  Bill HATES the 5th wheel, as he has always had motorhomes and finds the 5th wheel cramped and everything keeps breaking on it in cold weather. However, he does love the truck.

In between working with Log Care, and completing upgrades to the 5th wheel, we traveled to Idaho Falls for Bill to have some major Dental work done.  When we return to Wyoming, he has one more process to endure and he will have all his dental work done. We hope this finds you and yours healthy, wealthier and wiser; and if not, then that the New Year makes you so.

 

November 21, 2022 - Getting out of Dodge (or Star Valley, that is) for the Winter 2022-2023

Compared to last winter, which was relatively a mild one (by Wyoming standards), this winter will apparently be quite the opposite. Unfortunately, Bill had some dentist appointments which required us to stay until November 18th, so that delayed our plan to leave earlier. Also by the time we got back from the Indiana (Affinity and JC Refrigeration) trip, (on October 23rd) it had already started snowing in Star Valley Ranch and it snowed and snowed and snowed... pretty much until the day we left to head South on November 21st. So that made unpacking the RV from the previous trip and repacking it for a 5-6 month trip down South to Texas, a lot more difficult. We had to walk through 6-8 inches of snow on the ground and even on some ice (from compressed snow packs). Additionally, though the 5th wheel was hooked up to a 50Amp electric at the house, we kept running out of propane from having to use the furnace to keep it heated and warm enough to keep the tanks and water lines from freezing, as daily the night-time temps would drop to below freezing and sometimes to below 0 deg F. Then, a few days before leaving we realized that the water lines and toilet were frozen, so given the extreme temperatures and snow-covered ground we figured that we would have to wait until we got to Texas (and a warmer climate) to be able to work on the repairs. Then, just before we left it got worse. The furnace stopped working because the regulator on the propane tanks also froze so the furnace was not getting any fuel. Bless Mary's heart... she figured it out and got her trusty hair dryer and blew hot air on them until she managed to unfreeze them. Once that was done we left in a hurry, before something else went wrong.

Photos above and below taken on November 6, 2022.  This amount of snow did not present itself until well into December last year.  Hence our decision to head for a warmer climate this winter,

Roxy loves the cold and to be outside.  While we were loading the 5th Wheel, she relaxed in the driveway, for over an hour, just laying in the snow.  Silly girl!

Except for the roads in Star Valley Ranch, which were slick from the frozen snow, the roads in the county were all pretty well maintained and free of snow (plowed and treated/sanded) so the trip was pretty uneventful. Since we had left late on the 21st (just to get out of Dodge) we drove only as far down as the Kemmerer Port of Entry (116 miles), as it was getting dark and we wanted to avoid hitting a critter on the dark country road. The next day we were up early and left by 07:30am driving 558 miles to make up for lost time and distance the day before, stopping for the night at the Cuerno Verde - Colorado City rest area. That was 674 miles of a 1345 trip to the Thousand Trails Lake Whitney RV Campground. The next day we drove 370 miles to the Donley County Southbound rest area on Hwy 287 in Hedley TX, which left just 301 for the 4th and last day of this trip. We had gorgeous days of travel, dry, sunny days, getting warmer and warmer as we headed South. Fortunately also we seemed to be staying just ahead of foul weather coming up behind us. Our neighbors told us that Star Valley had  a few inches of new snow right after we left, and along our route snow was being predicted for the next day after we left each stop for the night. Unfortunately the last (4th) day it was cloudy and foggy all day and it rained off and on along that last leg. So needless to say we were glad to get to the campground.

Port of Entry, Kemmerer WY (first night on the road).

We left a cup of coffee with some coffee in it and an almost empty bottle 

of Coke in the cab of the truck. The next morning they were frozen solid.

Driving through Colorado, I-25 Pueblo CO

2nd night on the road at Cuerno Verde, a Colorado City rest area 

The truck spaces are quite comfortable for an RV (IF you arrive early enough to get a space next to a lamp post (well lit and one can use the 'island' marking to be able to open at least one side of slides.

Onan Fault 15 (lacking fuel/propane) The propane meter on this Montana is far worse than that on either of the previous motorhomes. Two 30# (7 gals) tanks and we couldn't tell that we were empty. These 30# propane tanks are definitely NOT for cold weather, especially since the generator uses A LOT of propane as much as the furnace. A motorhome has a 35-40gals tank and it used to last us 2-4 weeks. Now we're having to swap out a 30# tank daily it seems (sometimes more) which is a royal pain for the person that has to do that (Bill).

Roxy didn't care though. As long as she is with her peeps, 

and gets her 3 squares a day... and ice, she's a  happy girl.

The next day we slept at the Donley County (Hedley TX) rest area and then 

the next day we arrived at the TT Lake Whitney Campground, in Whitney TX settling in on Site D-7 because we could get into it without threat of hurting our ne roof. As it turned out we have stayed at this same site before (in our motorhome) too.

So the next day Bill started working on the repairs. He fixed the frozen water lines and the only issue was a frozen whole house water filter which had caused the housing to burst. Luckily the water pump was fine and after drying it all up and reconnecting the wires with new joints, all was well. He did remove and disassemble the water filter and will probably just keep a replacement outside the rig, where he can get to it easier.

Unfortunately this RV has ONLY ONE storage compartment. True, it is a thru-compartment, meaning it goes from one side to the other, but still it is just ONE, and that one compertment has to store everything that does not go inside the RV... boxes (like the yellow top one seen in photo), one for water hoses. one for electric cords, one for power cables for the RV, one for sewer attachments and connectors, one for Mary's holiday decorations, one for the many tools that are needed to do the many repair jobs that go with owning a 5th Wheel, PLUS the cooking Grill, the Fire Pit, the Weather Station and poles, the table for the grill, and the two folding rocking chairs and whatever else gets added. This is a major sore point between us, as Bill is the one that has to deal with the underside storage and still be able to find whatever he is looking for... not to mention that everything has to come out just to have access to work on the water pump, filters and water issues. Having had motorhomes for the last 7 years (and Bill for the last 15 years), with an ungodly amount of underside storage spaces and compartments, as well as a full length underside to insulate weather as well as sounds, it is beyond Bill why he ever agreed to go to a 5th Wheel when we decided that we were not through with traveling and wanted to RV some more. The only benefit (IF one can call it a benefit) is that Mary will help drive a 5th wheel because it is just like driving t he F350 (without a trailer behind it. The other benefit was that we could get both the 5th Wheel and Truck and have them fully paid for. Bill still does not think that that was a fair consideration because there are so many differences between a 5th Wheel and a diesel pusher motorhome... like comfort, storage capacity and compartmentalization, weather resistance, ease to drive, etc. Yes, Mary will drive the Fiver but even so Bill's butt will be sore from all the bumps on the road by the time do just one day's drive.  Given these differences we have already lost the whole house water filter recently added/installed due to freezing weather, despite it being supposedly a "Four Season" RV. Given that the weather had already turned miserable in Wyoming when the water stopped flowing and the toilet pedal would not even give way (open), and the pumpp fuse kept shorting. So we had to travel all the way to Texas with no water coming from the tank and no toilet, before we could take everything out of the storage compartment and be able to access the water hoses to see what the problem was. Once in TT Lake Whitney, we were able to do that and found that the problem was a frozen whole house water filter which had frozen and burst. Thankfully perhaps that breakage relieved the pressure in the water lines and though they froze, they didn't burst, saving the pump. The pump electrical wires got wet, which is why the fuse kept tripping. So Bill took out the whole house water filter tubig assembly that he had recently built/installed, rewired the electric and put everything back together (then had to reload everything back into the ONE storage compartment. The toilet pedal issue was that apparently it had also frozen and the little nub that makes the valve open/close had snapped off, so a new water valve would fix it. We remember when these valves were about $8, but like everything else they have gone up. Now one has to pay about $10... unless one is in a campground; then they cost $44 - $86, because a lot of campgrounds (like Thousand Trails ones) don't accept USPS deliveries and sometimes even though a package is sent by UPS, it gets handed off to the USPS for final delivery, which would cause it to be returned before we can ever get it. So we can only buy (or order) things that we can pick up in a store. To wit we had to pay $42.32 buying it through Home Depot and picking it up at their Cleburne store (28 miles away). But all's well that end's well... we picked up the valve at Home Depot (actually found an Albertson's store next door that Mary found some deals in too) and Bill changed it in about 15 minutes when we got back.

Water lines, pump and the diaphragm were all OK

The pump wiring was re-wired

The water line from the pump/diaphragm to the water filter assembly was removed and re-routed directly to the tank and house lines. The whole house water filter and assembly were removed and is shown in above right photo. When we get another whole house water filter we'll keep it outside attached through the water hose, as it is obvious that it will not be protected inside a 5th Wheel, as it has always been inside a motorhome. 

Then we noticed that though the water flow had been restored, the toilet was not getting water into it. Actually, it was but the water valve must have frozen and the nub that opens the valve for flow into the toilet must have broken off. We remember when they were about $6-$10. Now, though we can get one at Amazon for about $10, we have no way of knowing HOW they are going to ship it, or IF UPS will hand it over to the USPS for final delivery, which the campground will send back... So we had to order it from Home Depot and pay $43 for it, getting it delivered to a store in Cleburne TX (about 38 miles away.) Such are the issues of staying at a campground. 7 years in a motorhome and never had the water valve freeze on a toilet, despite having had 2 toilets on each motorhome.

Mary and Roxy enjoying having arrived in Texas 

and being able to relax in non-freezing weather.

We were glad to see that the roof was still in good shape and ALL the snow had melted off. 

Luckily, despite the ungodly amount of low-canopy trees in this campground, we managed to find a campsite which we could get into without scraping the roof with the overhanging branches.

Next, Bill installed the pole for the weather station, though in this campground due to the amount of trees blocking the wind we were unable to actually use the weather station, but it is ready for TT Lake Conroe (next).

Next we drove to Fort Worth to the Texas Toll Tag service center, to transfer our account from the old motorhome and F150, for the new vehicles, as we will be traveling on Toll Roads here. We also picked up the tags to attach to the vehicles (one for each, Montana, F350 and the Explorer in case we should ever drive it down to stay at a park model, or to tow behind a motorhome :-) 

The Thousand Trails (TT) Lake Whitney RV Campground and Resort is not one of our favorite campgrounds, but we couldn't get a reservation that soon where we wanted to go (TT Lake Conroe, north of Houston), so we booked a 2-week stay here, just to be able to get away from the Wyoming cold and snowy weather before it got worse. TT Lake Whitney is very rustic, full of trees that often create a hardship against scratching the RVs or tearing rubber roofs, the roads are full of pot holes and the campground is generally not maintained very well. Worse, at this time, because of the winding down of the season, most of the outlying bathrooms/showers are locked, requiring one to go to the main lodge to use the showers and laundry there. 

On a positive note, we met a very nice 40-year old young man who is also from Wyoming. He noticed our Wyoming plates and stopped to chat. He's from Green River. He's one of the youngest people who is a full time RVer and loves the lifestyle. He's a Welder by day, a fisherman when he can and an RVer by choice... and all-around great guy. He brought us over some Stripers (Striped Bass) that he had caught and filleted. He even brought us some Louisiana Homestyle Chicken Fry batter mix (mild recipe) to try as we said we had never had it before. So he got himself invited over for steak dinner, a few evenings later, when he brought over two more bags of frozen (caught) fish fillets. After dinner we alsogave him 4 foot-long Beer Brats from Lowery Meat & Seafood Market that we had gotten in Buchanan, MI.

One day we drove up to Fort Worth (@58 miles, one way) to go to the Texas Toll Tag service center to get new tags for the 5th wheel, the F350 and the Explorer, and found a gas station (Walmart Neighborhood Market) that was selling diesel for just $3.99/gal and DEF for just $10.92/2.5 gals, so we stocked up filling the 34 gals gas tank and the 63 gals auxiliary tank. Fuel is so much better-priced in Texas.   

Well, after this stay we go on to TT Lake Conroe Dec. 10 - 17, where we have an appointment with Sats2Go(.com) to set up our Dish service through our Winegard Playmaker Dual domed satellite... and then on to TT Colorado River (Columbus, TX) where we'll greet the New Year... then back to TT Lake Conroe for 3 weeks. However, we have been contemplating the idea of changing future reservations and going to Florida instead, so we can see old friends. BUT everything is on 'Stand-By' until we get a better idea of the Diesel supply availability as well as to what is going to happen with the threatened Railroad Strike, etc.

From here, on December 10th we will be going to the TT Lake Conroe resort in Conroe TX, where we will be meeting with Sats 2Go to get our TVs hooked up to the domed satellite and wired to the Winegard 360+ system. That will be our next post.

First major shakedown cruise to Keystone Service facility to fix some things and upgrade others

 The Bad and the Ugly, then the Good

The BAD was already mentioned in a previous post, represented primarily by the dealer 'Camping World in Idaho Falls', and by our salesman, Gavin James. They are both, equally untrustworthy and deceptive and made what could have been a great experience a deplorable one. Unless absolutely forced to, by the unavailability of another source, we will NEVER do business with them again. As several other people in the industry have stated to us on hearing of our negative experiences with CW, "they are a good place to get a low price on an RV because they buy and sell so many of them; however, because they sell for less, they compensate by not taking care of the RVs they sell, or of their customers, UNLESS they are going to charge extra for ANY service they have to do. TRUE THAT, as we have experienced. 

Unlike all the other RVs we have had together, the manufacturer (Keystone) does NOT have a Service Center that takes care of the factory warranty, like ALL motorhomes do. No, the new owner needs to take it to one of their dealers for warranty service work. Motor homes will take a new (1st year) RV under warranty whenever it comes to their service center at the factory, and will fit you into their workload, giving you priority, because you are in the warranty period. At KEYSTONE, however, there is no such care. When you call them they tell you that you have to go to one of their dealers for warranty service. IF these dealers would at least give someone under warranty the same consideration and fit them in with priority, we could accept that. However, they don't. For sure we were NOT going to take it to Camping World for warranty service, after they already lied to us about doing all the pre-delivery work and fixing the things they agreed to and promised would be fixed by delivery. So we decided to invest into taking it to the factory area, which we felt they would (should) be more familiar with these trailers and probably easier to get the parts for them So, we picked the closest dealer to the Keystone factory, which a friend and Keystone product ambassador referred us to, having been there and had work done on his rig (also a Montana) and received good service. Unfortunately, even this place, Affinity RV Group, told us that the soonest they could give us an appointment for service was in 5 months. Keep in mind that the warranty is only for 12 months and having bought it on March 31, by the time we called for an appointment in July with 3 months advance notice, we were told that the 'earliest they could give us an appointment was for late December (3 months prior to the expiration of our warranty). Now, perhaps if they were in Texas or Florida, that would not have been a problem, but in Goshen, Indiana it snows and is freezing by then. So we would have to wait until the Spring (April or May) after the warranty has technically expired.  

Apart from the issue that Camping World never showed us how anything worked on a 5th Wheel, one issue was not knowing how to work the product so perhaps something appeared not too work, when it was just O. E. But one issue was a definite bulging of either the door or the door frame, which caused the door to not close fully and often let it pop open while driving down the road, held only by the handrail bar that straddles it. This being a security concern Affinity RV Group agreed to look at it and secure it if we brought it up in October. So we did. 

Additionally, through YouTube videos of our friends Brian and Tina Jones (channel 'Jonesin2Go') who are Keystone Product Ambassadors, we also wanted to upgrade our refrigerator to a 12-volt system, install solar panels and get an inverter to be able to convert our battery 12v system to 120v power for the TVs, and other plugged in devices.  Like Brian's, our Norcold 2118SST 4-door refrigerator which originally operated with either Gas (propane) or Electric, but used a lot of it (both) and it was hard to set the temperatures for refrigerator and freezers to where we wanted them; so we changed them to a dual compressor 12-volt system, where we can set the temperature of each to our own criteria, and which uses next too nothing in power consumption as it is now on 12-volt. We also wanted to add solar panels so we could boondock longer, so though our original plan was for only 600 watts with a 60-amp controller, to save the additional expenses should we want to expand that later, we upgraded to a 1,200-watt system with a 100-amp controller. Now to expand our power bank all we have to do is add either 2 or four more batteries, without needing to upgrade panels or controller. And lastly, we needed an inverter (for solar as well) so though we could have done OK with a 2,000-watt, we opted to go with a 3,000 to be able to deliver more power for greater use if needed in the future.  For now, 600w of solar would power the refrigerator and assist the charging of the batteries. With our 1,200w we can power the refrigerator and keep the batteries charged.  IF, however, we should need additional power for say the A/C or extended use of the microwave, we still have the 5,500watt generator.

The UGLY is the news, while at JC Refrigeration in Shipshewana IN, is their calling our attention to the fact that on the top edge of the wall and the roof, there exists a gash in the rubber roof, that we had not noticed until now. Even Rod Ramey (owner of Affinity RV Group in Goshen, IN) who had climbed on and checked out the roof the day before, had not perceived that tear. So now we have another problem to have to deal with. 

Of course, we have no idea WHEN it happened, but as we have not noticed contacting any tree branches, we have to assume that it came that way from Camping World, though be it too late for us to prove it or do anything about it now. So, figuring that these folks are the best able to perform the repairs, and trusting them due to the urgency of the work, as the more water that gets under the rubber roof the worse it's going to get, they agreed to take care of it right away. So, we called our State Farm Insurance claim in, which was handled professionally and expeditiously and in less than 24 hours everything was approved and coordinated with Affinity RV Group. 

So, on Monday, 10/17/2022 we took the 5th wheel to Affinity RV Group and had a reservation at the Hampton Inn in Goshen until Thursday, by which time we hope to get our Fiver back too head back home to Star Valley Ranch in Wyoming. 

And the GOOD has probably been everything else not associated with the RV itself, and the trip itself. The trip up here was very enjoyable with generally  good weather and easy traffic (except going through Chicago, with our gun next to us in the front seat.)  What Bill likes about this RV is the fact that Mary drives as much as he does, though he can't imagine why because a motor home is soo much easier and more comfortable to drive, but is thankful for the help driving.  Mary was driving on arrival and turned into the wrong park. She was told that her reservation for Lot #66 was at a corner and end of a row, but #66 here was smack in the middle of a row, but tired and not wanting to argue, we settled into the space. The next morning we had an appointment early at Affinity RV Group, so we left before the office even opened. While at Affinity Mary  realized that the campground we spent the night at was not the campground we had the reservation (same name but with South Park after it). Whoops!!

So when we left Affinity we headed for the correct campground and liked this one much better. It has less tall trees, so we could finally try to connect to Dish to set up our TV reception. Unfortunately, nothing works the way it is supposed to on this RV. Dish said it was hooked up, but since we still had no reception, they said we would have to get an RV satellite  installer to come find out and fix whatever is amiss with the 'Satellite Pre-wiring of the RV. We called him and left 2 messages but he never even gave us a call back. So we still have no TV reception. Maybe we can find someone in Star Valley; otherwise we'll have to wait until we get to Willis/Conroe in Texas, who we know (David Nannenga, Sats2Go, 936-564-2828, www.sats2go.com) and is good at fixing RV satellite problems.

Then, we took the RV to JC Refrigeration to do the above listed upgrades. They only work on 'refrigeration and solar panels' but are very knowledgeable in those fields and the folks in the office (Myron) and all the guys in the shop are super friendly and helpful. They are Amish (or perhaps Mennonite (since they work with machinery and ride bicycles) but their work is of the same quality and ethic that the Amish are known for. If you are in this area and need Refrigeration repairs or upgrades or to add Solar power to your rig, they work with all types of RVs and are highly recommended. They are the folks that pointed out our roof gash, as they were going to install the solar panels next to the tear. Thank you Myron and Aaron.

The next day we went back to Affinity to consult with them as to the tear on the roof and Rod Ramey was flabbergasted and (we think) feeling a bit guilty that he didn't see it himself when he went on the roof two days earlier. He impressed upon us the urgency of taking care of it 'as soon as possible' due to any moisture getting under the roof would create major damage to it. Given the urgency, though he could not address 'warranty work' until after December due to his work load, he was willing to separate time to do this roof work right away, and in the meantime he had his guys tape up the tears, to protect the roof until he could replace the roof. On a side note, now Mary knows why Bill was always so anal about staying away from trees with the motorhome.

On Friday we had a day off and went shopping to prepare for Nancey Corey's visit from Grand Rapids MI. Mary and Nancey have been friends for 40 years, meeting at the same bank where they both worked and have remained great friends in all that time. Unfortunately, they haven't seen each other since a trip they took together in 2015, right before Mary met and started a relationship with Bill, and both started traveling (RV'ing) together, to present. Through all our travels time was never in their favor to arrange a meeting, until now. Even now, it seemed for awhile like we were not going to have the free time for them to visit... until discovering the roof tear and opting to stay here for the weekend plus another 4 days to fix it. So, Nancey drove down from Grand Rapids (a 2-hr drive) and she and I were finally able to meet and she and Mary were finally able to visit. Nancy is a wonderful person and hopefully time will not pass as quickly in the future, until we all can visit again. 

Our time in Shipshewana and Goshen Indiana has been very enlightening for the good and bad, but the area is beautiful and the food is to die for. Shipshewana is definitely our favorite town in Indiana (so far), with all the Amish and Mennonite communities, and their buggies (there must be as many of them as there are cars and RVs). Of course the horse poop all over the streets is not that great and in our opinion they should be made to carry a basket (or something) attached to the horses' rumps to catch it, but who are we to say. However, if horses can poop wherever and whenever they want to, why can't Roxy, so why do we have to pick up after HER?? 

Following is a pictorial collection of the many sights we have been privileged to enjoy in this area and something about them... We'll be back in the Spring (March/April), to have the remainder of our warranty work done, and should be able to get a different perspective of the picturesque landscape.

COUNTRYSIDE

The countryside is picture perfect and of note every yard (whether commercial or residential, large or small) looks like it had just been mowed yesterday, with even the lines of mower passes still visible. Comparing it to the beauty of Star Valley Ranch in Wyoming, from which every road is a scenic byway, one still has to put up with derelict properties right next to a gorgeous one. Not inn Shipshewana though. See the photo of the blue house (below) which is as run down or let go as one can find in these parts. Prices are similar, though not as expensive as in our area of Wyoming, but the cold weather is still ever-present in winter there too. So, we won't be looking for real estate there, as most of our friends are in Star Valley in Wyoming.

This is as let go a property as one can find in Shipshewana 

and only because the grass is almost bare in a lot of the yard.

ATTRACTIONS - DINING

Apart from the normal shops for gifts and boutiques, what Shipshewana is most notable for is FOOD, and by that we mean meats and cheeses. There are several eating establishments (restaurants) though they are somewhat limited to the big ones like Das Dutchmen Essenhaus (www.essenhaus.com), which is Indiana's largest restaurant, and is well known for its specialty pies. Others, like the Shipshewana Blue Gate Restaurant are traditionally Amish food. However keep in mind that if you go there, just about everything is closed on Sundays.

SHOPPING

Yoder's Meat & Cheese Co.

Apart from restaurants, there are tons of places to buy food... NOT so much supermarkets, as specialty foods, like processed and smoked meats, grass-fed, grain-fed and GMO Free Beef plus Bison, and every type of artisan cheese. Among these the Yoder's Meat & Cheese Co. is our favorite, located at 435 S. Van Buren St in Shipshewana, these folks have 150 cuts of meat and over 100 varieties of cheese, a full-line of in-house smoked meats, a deli, jams and jellies, candy, salsas, popcorn (a favorite in the area), canned goods and so much more. It is easy to spend a lot of time there looking around and deciding what to get. We bought over $100 just in cheeses plus frozen BBQ pulled pork, to take back to WY for a get-together dinner with our dear friends Darren & Roz and Jerry and Sue for when we got back. 

Two photos (below) are of our front closet where Mary put in a 5.0 cu ft chest freezer, so that she could take advantage of great deals and specialty foods that we find along our travels, be it to share with friends or to enjoy ourselves. The bottom picture is after going to Lowery Meat & Seafood Market in Buchanan MI, where we got 80 lbs of brats and 10 lbs of ground sausage, plus other things. After going through Yoder's first with Mary's friend Nancy, (who drove down to visit with us) and then on our own prior to leaving the area, it is now full. When we weighed the rig upon leaving WY, we were 820 lbs overweight. Hopefully we can get that down without transferring the excess to ourselves.

 

 

E & S Sales Bulk Foods

Another interesting place is E&S Sales Bulk Foods in Shipshewana, which is sort of like the Amish version of a Costco. It is an old-fashioned deli and market selling sandwiches and ice cream, plus bulk goods (large portions) from candies to spices. Cash or checks ONLY. Credit cards are not accepted. As an example, I bought a 2lb-2oz bag of Hershey's Kisses (normally well over $10) for just $4.95.

AT JC REFRIGERATION FOR SOLAR Panel and to convert Norcold ref to 12V

Through our friends Brian & Tina Jones. who are Keystone Ambassadors (You Tube channel Jonesin2Go) we were referred to JC Refrigeration to convert our Norcold 2118SST four-door gas/elec refrigerator to a 12v system with dual compressors, so one can control the temps of the freezer and refrigerator separately, and which uses FAAR less energy to run. Actually with the 1200 W of solar there is plenty to run all the refrigeration, with plenty of power left over for boondocking. It was here that they noticed that at some point the roof had caught a branch and it had a large gash in it, which led us to spend an extra 4 days in Goshen at Affinity RV Group.

AT AFFINITY RV GROUP for Service

Back in Goshen at Affinity RV Group, a dealer of Keystone trailers and Warranty Service Center for them, they are located directly next door (behind) to a Keystone factory and the main Customer Service Center, so they have a very good working relationship with Keystone.

We were there mainly to fix the front (entry) door, which was (and still is) having trouble opening and closing, as it is either warped or the frame is, and to catalog all the other deficiencies that fall under warranty, so that when we return in Spring (April-May) they have all the needed parts from Keystone to do all the repairs. Funny thing is it works just fine as long as the RV is NOT LEVEL (not with its jacks down), but not when it is level. While there though, they also offered to repair the torn rubber roof, which was noticed by JC refrigeration in Shipshewana, when they installed the 1200W of solar panels, and while there they also re-routed the generator exhaust pipe away from under the bedroom slide, where the Onan dealer in Loveland CO had installed it. 

LODGING - Hampton Inn, Goshen IN

So while they were making those repairs we got a room at the Hampton Inn in Goshen, which allows 'pets' but charges for them, except since Roxy is a registered Service Animal (though if you ask her, she'll tell you that she's NOT an 'Animal'), they did not charge us for her. 

 

It was a very ample room and Roxy loved all the extra space. We could even see our truck from the window. The breakfast was wonderful every morning and with good, hot food, not just donuts and orange juice. In the immediate area and within walking distance are several restaurants. One of them was a Chinese Buffet (good food) directly to the side of the hotel at the end of the shopping center.

Note the trailer attached to the back, just like a car.

Another day we went to eat at a Wings, Etc., nearby. There, there was not enough room in the parking lot for buggies, so the Amish would park in the Aldi next door and walk over. Of interest here was that at the table behind us was an Amish couple with their kids having dinner, but the husband was drinking beer. And here we thought that the Amish did not drink alcohol. Guess they are like the JACK Mormons.

FOUR DAYS LATER...

In four days our rubber roof had been totally redone and dried, with extra sealer on the edges. 

And the solar panels, A/Cs Vents and antennas all replaced and it was ready to go. Still we stayed there the night to make sure all was OK with it.... it was. They have a space with sewer, electric and water for clients to stay (if available) while their work is being done. When we go back in Spring they will have a space reserved for us.

So we headed back home to Wyoming, finding snow on the ground 

when we returned and the weather turning quite cold. 

Next Blog Post will be when we head out to Texas for the Winter about November 20th.