Santa Fe, NM in the Fall - Page 3

chockwald · 10-09-2010, 07:44 PM

We finally left home at 9pm last night (Friday)......stopped briefly in Barstow to check trailer and to be sure the T-Bird was still secure, and it was, thankfully! Our next break was in Needles, and we took the first exit parking on the street next to a Carl's Jr.....did a walk around checking tire temps, and all 10 were just fine. After walking a couple of laps around the coach we decided to pound out the last hour to Kingman, AZ where our plan was to sleep a few hours next to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant. I turned the key to turn over the DD and a brief...."errrr", and then silence. I turned the key again, and silence....hmmmmm? That's what I get for telling Elaine just before we got off the Interstate how nice the coach was running. After fiddling around the rear panel for 15 minutes unsuccessfully I gave in and put in a call to Good Sam ERS......mind you it was 1:45am.....they located a 24 hour service in Bullhead City and called me back around 2am to say he would be there in about an hour. Thomas arrived around 3am, and began the trouble shooting....my theory was it was something to do with the starter as all 4 batteries were fine. He crawled under coach and checked the trigger wire for power and only got a reading of 3 volts.....not nearly enough even tickle that big starter. Anyway, the short version is the trigger wire must have shorted, so he ran a new one, and it cranked right up....we rolled out of Needles around 4 am and arrived in Kingman at 5am....got 2.5 hours of sleep (the sun was up, and I can't sleep with the sun out), so we got up had breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, and hit the road around 8:30am...we are now in Flagstaff (11:45am) with about 187 miles to Gallup, NM where we will spend the night. All is well in my Newell kingdom. Wish you guys were here......

encantotom · 10-10-2010, 12:29 AM

hi clarke, glad you got it fixed. i wish i was on the road with you. you could have paid me rather than good sam.....ha

i spent a couple of hours at jimmy's house today. he gave me a white newell cap.....i have not taken it off since then.

he tried to give me all the things in his garage he didnt want and i almost took them! then i realized i had more stuff than he did and i didnt need his too....

thanks jimmy for the cap!

clarke....safe travels.

if you can go through phoenix on the way home stop by and see us. we dont leave till the 20th.

tom

folivier · 10-10-2010, 01:02 AM

Left yesterday at noon:20, got to Baton Rouge and had to detour around an 18 wheeler hanging off of the approach to I-10 ( about 100 feet off the ground, found out the trailer later fell). His load was scattered along the approach ramps below him. Major jam!
Got into Tyler, Tx around 9:30pm. Thought we would spend the night at a roadside park. Never again. I heard every car and truck pass. My tire alarm started going off, figured I had a flat. Nope found out that the sensor was bad. Of course that didn't help me sleep . Pulled out at 4am, got through Dallas ok. Made quite a few stops just to keep awake. (Cindy really needs to learn to drive!)
Had a nice, tiring drive to Amarillo. Ate a great steak at Big Texan. Sitting outside at the Oasis RV park just west of Amarillo. Should have a 5 hour drive tomorrow.
Decided it was not a good idea to drum my fingers on the armrest. Managed to turn off my headlights. Major wake-up call trying to find the right switch as I panic stopped on the shoulder! Mind doesn't work as quick as usual when I'm exhausted. Tomorrow will be a relaxing drive into Santa Fe, if that dumba** behind the wheel doesn't do anything else stupid.

encantotom · 10-10-2010, 01:08 AM

hi forest, what tire pressure monitoring system do you have? i have noticed mine is going off occassionally and the tires are ok. mine is almost 3 years old and i am thinking that maybe the batteries in the stem sensor units are starting to wear down?

tom

folivier · 10-10-2010, 01:13 AM

It's a Tire-Safeguard.
The crazy thing dropped down to 80# last night and started beeping. I reset the unit and all the others came back except that one. But it started up again as I was driving through Amarillo at 90# and started beeping. Just checked it and it is showing the correct pressure! It's only a year old so don't think it's the battery. I'm going to call Monday and talk with them.
Can't wait til the sun goes down so I can hit the rack.

chockwald · 10-10-2010, 02:25 AM

Had to stop a couple of times today to take quick naps....not enough sleep last night. We are now ensconced in site 86 at USA RV Park in Gallup....I highly recommend this park...we have stayed here 3 times....the nicest family runs this place. The day was uneventful.....coach purrrred down the Interstate. Arrived here (lost one hour to mountain time) 5:30pm. Have a little under 190 miles tomorrow...should be in Santa Fe by Noon.

Tom, wish you were here, too. We'll talk about dropping down through Phoenix....really depends on Elaine.....she may need to be back by Saturday, so that would nix it, but if not then we'll seriously consider stopping by the homestead. I'm sure you would have discovered the same problem he did, just as quickly....it was the obvious place to start...is the starter getting juice? The total bill for the 3am service call and repair was $237......I was thinking something over $600 when I thought the starter had died, so the money, in my mind was already spent....it felt like he gave me $400....haha!

Forrest, wow, suddenly no lights would startle most of us......

folivier · 10-10-2010, 01:39 PM

Sunrise at Oasis RV Park in Amarillo. Very nice roomy sites (no shade). $20/nite FHU/50 amps.
May stay here on the way home for 2 nites and 3rd nite is free!
And only 17 miles to Palo Duro Canyon.
We have 270 miles today so should be in Santa Fe around 2pm Central time.
Have a great Newell day everyone.

HoosierDaddy · 10-10-2010, 02:10 PM

We're returning from our first week in the Newell after almost two years of repairing damage and updating. A couple minor things have surfaced that need attention (passenger w/shield wiper, no heat from defroster) but the major systems have worked well. Stayed at Conewago campground near Hershey, PA to attend the Antique Automobile Club of America swap meet etc. Lots to do and see in that area. I'm thinking of returning next year. It is HUGE!

encantotom · 10-10-2010, 05:50 PM

hi dean,

glad you had a good trip. btw, the defrosters are stinky on all of ours....or most of them.

the picture makes your rig look 60 feet long.

tom

chockwald · 10-11-2010, 01:41 AM

Arrived at Santa Fe Skies RV Park around 2pm, about 1/2 hour behind Cindy and Forest. We setup, unloaded the 'Bird and headed into town for some Mexican cuisine....found a nice little hole in the wall place and had some great, authentic Mexican food. Then went food shopping and are now watching the sun set....David thank you for the site recommendation....Row Z is perfect....no obstructions and close to the office WiFi!

chockwald · 10-12-2010, 05:34 AM

We drove into old town Santa Fe this morning with Forest and Cindy and just spent time walking around the Plaza area looking at the wares of the various vendors, and then toured the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, and then the famous Loretto Chapel, which houses the famous spiral staircase built without any visible support (see pictures). We then had a late lunch at the Luminaria Restaurant. The temps did not get much higher than 63 today, and it was chilly in the shade! What a great relaxing day! Later this evening David and Denise Zonker breezed into town sans Newell and spent the evening with the Oliviers and us around the fire drinking wine, and eating snacks, and, of course, laughing a lot.

folivier · 10-12-2010, 02:47 PM

More pictures here:

http://forest.djoinc.com/santafe/

chockwald · 10-12-2010, 04:25 PM

Forgot to upload pictures of the spiral staircase.....

express1 · 10-13-2010, 03:23 AM

Connie and I are leaving Breckenridge (tiger run) on thursday or friday. Most likely will travel due south to I40 or I10 then East.....We have no special stops on the way home. All has been great.....

chockwald · 10-16-2010, 04:32 PM

We departed Santa Fe Friday at 10:30am heading for home. We had a great time with Forest and Cindy, and the brief time David and Denise were there. We walked around Old Town Santa Fe, the art town of Madrid, and Taos.....ate a lot of great food, including one night of Gumbo prepared by Forest and Cindy. We would love to spend a lot more time in that area.....so much to see, and a lot of great cycling opportunities.

Forest and Cindy will spend a few more days there, and then head down to Albuquerque. Looking forward to visiting many of our Newell friends when we hit the road in less than a year.

chockwald · 10-17-2010, 05:23 PM

Arrived home without incident early this morning. Stopped in Kingman to catch a few winks and were treated to an amazing electrical storm with torrential rains for about 2 hours! One casualty of the trip is a non-functioning tachometer. Was working when we stopped in Kingman, and NOT working when we left 4 hours later.....hmmmm. Otherwise, all systems worked well. We arrived home to rain coming down off El Cajon Pass from Hesperia, and very heavy fog. Took us about twice as long to descend from the summit down to Rancho Cucamonga. We were going around 30mph most of the time, and straining to see ahead.

folivier · 10-17-2010, 08:10 PM

Maybe you should bypass Kingman next time?
We're safely tucked away at American RV Park in Albuquerque. Just hooked up and eating lunch (no green chilis). Good wifi.

chockwald · 10-17-2010, 11:49 PM

Actually, we have had good experience with Kingman over the years.....it was Needles, CA that bit us on this last trip....as we passed by Needles westbound on I-40 last night we thumbed our noses at the exit....there were no repercussions for that act of defiance.

folivier · 10-24-2010, 01:10 AM

Still in Albuquerque. Cindy and Mike are flying out in the morning, I'll head to Amarillo for a few days.
Went up in a balloon this morning, very cool.
So far it's been a great trip, no problems so far. Just need to work on a better solution for wifi.
Met Gary and Susie, nice couple. Hope they find their Newell soon.

chockwald · 10-25-2010, 02:34 PM

Wish we were still out there with you Forest......rainy and cold here in So.Cal. How is your weather holding up?