Part 4 – Full of Surprises

The RV was successfully retrieved, without incident, from storage area on the NC intercostal waterway. Theresa had reserved 2 nights at Carolina Beach State Park just 45 minutes back north from where the RV is stored. This destination would allow exploration of the area both for future camping stays as well as investigating what that beach community has to offer.

The campground was small with a few very nice full service sites. There were several trails throughout the park that connected group campgrounds, the marina and the visitor center. One short .5 mile trail promised viewing of the Venus Flytrap plants that are native to the area. Theresa was intrigued to seek out this rare flora. The temps were warm with no air movement at all and with recent rains the mosquitos and other flying annoyances were out in full force. Stopping to ID plants on the trail was just an invitation to contract Zeka. No Venus flytraps were spotted at the rapid pace in which the tortured hikers covered the designated path. The following day the two campers escaped the wooded infestation and explored the beaches in the area. The CB and Kure Beach area had wonderful ocean as well as bay water views which were very impressive.  At one end of CB you could drive your 4 wheel car on the beach.

After a quick lunch stop, a mandatory trip to the Seaview Crab Co was made to stocked up on fresh Tuna and Trigger fish for the trip south.

Several route options to reach the next destination near Charleston, SC were identified by Google maps as well as Nora (the RV GPS).  Kevin selected the scenic (slow) road thru Myrtle Beach to see what that beach community was like. The main road thru town was lined with large resort hotels and arcades that were sure to be packed wall to wall during the summer and school breaks. The short (170) mileage day would still take 4+ hours to navigate the high traffic areas with lots of stop lights. Mid-afternoon arrival and check in left time to walk the RV park’s 'Lake' Trail. The trail indeed started by the lake but soon led deeper into dense woods surrounded by swamplands. The air was again very still and humidity was just right for another 'Zeka' attack! The 1.5 mile trail was traversed rapidly around the swamp while swatting the relentless bombardment of the flying pests. After that encounter Kevin would not be suckered into any trail hikes without at least a 10mph breeze to keep the vermin at bay. The remainder of the evening would be spent in the safety of the RV with AC on. Kevin again tried the satellite TV for more than 1 hour with no luck. The information displayed indicated satellites were found but there was no signal. This was now defiantly on the growing list of repair items for the Alliance Service Center in Wildwood, FL.

A 10 am exit from the site at the KOA was made and the RV was stationed at a place where the Toad could be hooked up. With the car all set, Kevin rounded the RV for his final walk around.  As he passed the right rear of the RV he noticed the outer tire of the dual axle was low. He then reached in to check the inner tire.... CRAP! it was flat flat flat!

Roadside assistance was called and estimated a 90 min ETA for a truck with a replacement tire to get to the KOA location. In addition to emergency roadside assistance, the Smitanic also had Tire failure insurance that should cover a new tire, should it be required. Calls were made to initiate the claim for that as well.

The Toad was disconnected from the RV and parked in an open parking spot. Kevin went into the KOA office to inform them of the situation and to seek guidance on where they could park the RV out of the way and in an area where the service vehicle could set up shop. The staff informed him that the park was full so they could not guide him to an empty site. The staff then suggested he drive the RV to a Walmart and have the repair accomplished there. Kevin made it clear that the RV was not going out of the KOA grounds and onto busy roads with a FLAT. The staff called the Manager who had not yet arrived to work to get permission for the Smitanic to remain in the entrance/exit road until after repairs. Permission granted.

The service truck arrived about noon and the slight statured mechanic rustled the massive tire off the axle. He then extracted the tire from it's rim faster than a TNR roadside bike flat change. He then checked the interior and exterior of the tire for any punctures or objects. Tire looked good! 

He then removed the valve and in his inspection, found that it was corroded and concluded that was the source of the leak. The valve was replaced and the original tire was remounted on the rim. The mechanic then used his on board compressor to re-inflate the tire. He walked to the front of the RV while the inflation was in process. Kevin was observing and noticed that the tire made a sudden jerk then POW it exploded and jumped 3 feet in the air! The entire park turned to see what had happened! The mechanic returned to the scene and noticed the side wall of the tire was indeed week and could not handle the inflation pressure. Good thing this was discovered now rather than in the middle of I95 at 65MPH. 

A new tire was then mounted to the rim, successfully inflated and remounted on the axle. It was about 2pm and the next planned stop was the Coastal GA RV resort in Brunswick, GA still 4 hours away. The plan was to hang at that location for at least 2 nights and get the ducks in line for repairs at Alliance as well as visit to Kevin's Mom and Sister.

The team then placed a call to Alliance who informed the them that they could not get the Smitanic in until Thursday.   The decision  was made to just chill 3 more days at the Coastal GA RV resort. This would allow the viewing of the election returns on the provided Cable TV (since satellite TV was not working). A last ditch effort to diagnose the satellite TV was made which involved climbing up on top of the RV, removing the dome and inspecting the antenna as it searched  to observe any obvious damage or malfunction. After 30 min or so on the roof, it was concluded that the antenna was functioning as expected and would need the expertise of a Winegard specialist to correct or replace.

With a bit of spare time, Kevin tore apart the AV center to determine what was causing poor reception in the rear and external TVs. After narrowing it down to the switcher box. Kevin hooked it all back and wouldn't you know it all the TVs were working better. Awesome, leave well enough alone.

Theresa got laundry done and a bit of cleaning inside the RV. It was nice to be stationary for a bit and get these chores done in a leisurely pace. The park was a decent size and had cement pads with picnic tables and full hook up including cable TV and internet. The park also had a nice pool that was surprisingly still open as well as a fenced dog park. The premium sites were along a small lake with a dock and club house.

Election Results were tuned in on Tuesday night. As results started coming in Theresa's anxiety was growing and her internal digestive system was feeling the stress. When the outcome was official the next morning Theresa could not even stand without extreme pain, she had a severe case of 'Election Indigestion' the results of either was unbearable.

A Wednesday arrival at Alliance would insure that a campground site would be assigned and allow for an early Thursday morning check in for the planned maintenance. The maintenance (minus the satellite service) could be completed by Friday just in time for a weekend arrival at the Recreation Plantation RV Resort(RP). 

Interesting sign at RP pool.  Can you find what is wrong?

Theresa had made a 2 week reservation months ago. She had tried many times previous but the park was always full. So she was looking forward to using all the amenities such as pickleball, pool, spa, and work out room. And it was just 3 miles from the facility where Kevin's mom and Torreen live! This would be perfect!

On the way to Alliance, Theresa mentioned to Kevin that she smelt ammonia. Kevin concurred and thought that it was perhaps coming from one of the industries along the road that had been passed. The smell went away so nothing more was investigated. The check in at Alliance went smoothly and a camp site was assigned for the night. Kevin validated a 7:30 AM appt the next morning with Mike, the service advisor, who knows the Smitanic well.

In the morning, Kevin went over all the items on the list and Mike indicated he would get Greg (the technician/mechanic) to get going on it. Awesome, all is going as planned! Kevin and Theresa then headed out for a quick lunch before Kevin would head to see his mom and Torreen that afternoon.

Lunches frequently yield leftovers, so as Kevin was putting the container in the refrigerator he detected that the temperature was quite warm. Hummm.

Later that afternoon Theresa was putting things in the freezer to discover all the items were thawed. And the ammonia smell was back! Kevin ran in to tell Mike who exclaimed, 'turn it off immediately! And do not let it go into LP mode!'

Turns out there is a history of ammonia, which is quite flammable, causing RV fires in leaking refrigerator units of RVs.

Theresa emptied the contents that were not spoiled into 2 soft side coolers. Good thing the recently purchased fish was still cold but it would have to be used in the next few days!

The extended warranty should cover the Refrigerator and possibly the satellite too, however the claim could not be submitted until Monday. Mike (the service manager) informed Kevin that he found only one location that had one last replacement part for the refrig. He also informed Kevin that the part would take a full week to arrive. Mike asked permission to order this part prior to approval from the warrantee company. Oh and it costs $3,000 plus shipping. The Smitanic needs a working refrigerator so approval to order the part and have it arrive as soon as possible was given. Theresa suggested that the reserved site at RP be used for the weekend and return on Monday for a day or 2 to await the claim submission and required inspection. Kevin was OK with this, as he knew that he would be spending most of his time with his Mom and Torreen and that way Theresa would be able to use the facilities.

Upon arrival at the service area campground Kevin began validating all serviced systems. The generator started but then died. He pulled the generator tray out to see the oil dip stick lying partway out. He then checked the oil level, it was empty. He was able to report the unfinished items to Mike as he was leaving for the weekend. Mike was apologetic and insured Kevin that it would be resolved first thing on Monday. Greg even offered to stop by our RP campground to add the oil, but Monday would be fine.

On Monday, a claim with the extended warranty co was made, and indeed it did required an inspection. Subsequently, the Smitanic could not leave the service place until the inspector showed up. 'They should do the inspection within 24-48 hours', was the estimate from Toni, the Alliance Warranty Claim person. Theresa was anxious to get back to the facilities and friendly environment at RP. Wednesday came and still no inspector. Thursday an inspector came for another coach but did not have time for Smitanic. Calls were made by Kevin, Theresa and Toni to get some sort of commitment. Friday at 8:30am was promised.

Alas on Friday the inspector came in the AM and submitted his findings to the insurance co. The next step was to await an approval for the warranty coverage. That could take until Monday.

Theresa succumbed to the fact that the Smitanic nor she will get to enjoy the RP facilities. Kevin and Theresa returned to RP gathered up items left at that campsite, with the hopes of a prompt return, and pleaded for a refund on any unused days. The Smitanic was destine for temporary residence at the Service campground until ALL repairs were complete!

Monday of Thanksgiving week, Toni reported that both the refrigerator repair as well as the satellite dish replacement was APPROVED! Next was actually getting all the repairs completed before everyone exited for the long 4 day weekend.

The refrigerator took an entire day to complete. That was Monday. During that process Greg had broken the ice maker shutoff valve, oops. Just need to find and replace that part. Next was the Satellite antenna. When Kevin went to start the Smitanic on Tuesday it just would not turn over and required a jump. That issue was investigated and not only was it determined that a solenoid needed to be replaced but a Hydraulic leak was discovered from one of hoses that supply the jacks. Really more warranty items to claim??? When will this end?

The satellite was installed on Tuesday, but when Kevin went to confirm its operation he found it not functioning. Theresa did some Google queries and discovered some similar situations described and one of those situation was resolved by ensuring that the cables from the Satellite to its power inserter were properly wired. Kevin called the satellite manufacture to see if maybe they could shed light on the install and to confirm that the set top box works with the new satellite. Kevin called Mike to come out and see the situation and to have his team correct it based on Theresa’s research. The experts all suggested that the Direct TV set top box was the issue, and they had a new one to test. Kevin would not allow them to install the new box and firmly requested they follow Theresa’s lead on how to solve the problem. Sure enough, once the cables were swapped the configuration was successful! Yeah one issue complete. Kevin commented on the fact that Alliance claims to have RV satellite experts. Well after Theresa properly diagnosed the problem with the installation that their expert performed they can now proudly make that claim. 

On Wednesday, Theresa found out that the claim for the hydraulic leak was submitted and approved. Another victory! However the leaking part would need to be removed, measured then manufactured and then installed. This would not be accomplished until after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Theresa set up camp for the long weekend. The camp rug was unfurled, grill set up as well as 2 reclining chairs. Ah home sweet home!

Kevin would spend the next several days visiting with his mom and sister while Theresa took care of the dog, did her workouts, made special reservations for their 41st wedding anniversary, and started knitting projects. For Thanksgiving, the team grilled steaks and enjoyed a relaxed evening in the Alliance Parking Lot. As Saturday evening approached it was time for the determined couple to go celebrate 41 years of marriage! Reservations had been made at Theresa's favorite Villages location Grand Oaks Bistro. This is in the heart of a massive horse ranch, carriage museum and RV park. The night also featured a favorite performer, Joe Hand. It started as a casual celebratory evening but then Kevin received a call that his Mom was being admitted to the hospital for general weakness and respiratory issues.

The majority of the night was spent in the ER. With his mom resting, Kevin would return in the AM to check in.

Kevin's mom was diagnosed with pneumonia as well as a UTI. She was pretty much bed ridden and in need of lots of help with everything. Kevin would spend time in the morning with her then come back to the RV to check on that status and grab lunch with Theresa, then head back to the hospital for the afternoon.

After the long holiday weekend, RVs began to roll in for seasonal repairs and maintenance. Soon there were no sites left in the campground and the lobby was bustling with impatient seniors wondering when and how much their repairs will be. The Smitanic was pulled into the service bay and the hydraulic line was removed. When the RV was delivered back the campsite instructions from Greg called for no use of the Jacks. Theresa asked if the slides could be put out? Greg affirmed that they indeed could. Yeah, she went work, connecting the water, putting out the slides and setting up the satellite. All was in order when Kevin returned from the hospital. When retrieving ice for his beverage, Kevin noticed that the ice maker was not dumping ice into the bucket. Crap now that is not working!

The ice maker was added to the ever growing extended warranty claim and submitted and approved on Wed. Wednesday the new hydraulic line was installed and the jacks could now be deployed. The Ice maker parts were in stock so the replacement was done on Thursday.

Ffinally done? The bill was added up and reviewed. Thank goodness the Extended Warranty covered the cost of all the parts but only 1/3 the cost of the labor for the repairs! And it took 3 weeks to get it all done!

Meanwhile back at the hospital Kevin's mom is not doing that much better. She still was weak and finding it very hard to eat. The pneumonia was improving, but she would need to stay in the hospital until she regains some strength. It is good that Kevin was able to spend a good portion of each day to ensure she was getting what she needed.

The plan is to get a site at Grand Oaks for at least Friday – Monday and hope that Kevin's mom will continue to improve so she can return to the Assisted Living facility ASAP. 

The part 5 of the he Smitanic plan to head West is a bit up in the air at this point so stay tuned.