Test Drive

We finally had time enough to put Topper on the new pickup, which we have dubbed Red Ryder.  Here are some photos:

 This was taken by Syd Dorn on the day we purchased Red Ryder

 Here is Topper aboard Red Ryder this morning.

When we took a test drive yesterday, I kept hearing a kind of creaking noise. I couldn't figure out what it was until this morning, when I removed Topper from the bed of the pickup.  It turns out, the roof of the pickup is higher than our previous pickup, so the camper was sitting directly on the roof.  Unfortunately, there are a few little spots where the paint got rubbed off the top of the truck.  I will get some touch up paint and take care of that. In the meantime, I am considering options for raising the camper up about an inch to provide clearance. 

Other than that little problem, I was very pleased with the way the package performs.  It hardly feels like there is a camper on the truck, when driving. I had none of the sense of being overloaded that I had with the Silverado. I think this will work just fine, once I solve the clearance problem. The obvious solution is to put something under the camper. What to use and how to secure it are the questions. My first thought was a sheet of plywood, but that would be rather heavy.  My second thought was to lay some 2X2s in the bed of the truck, but I am afraid the camper would slide on them. I may have to fasten 2X2s to the bottom of the camper.  I guess I will query the guys on the RV forum.  Come back. I will post the solution, when I figure it out!

Itchin' to go

We now have a proper truck for Topper. We picked it up on Tuesday.  Now, the problem of putting a camper on a pickup is more than just sliding it into the bed and driving away.  For one thing, it has to be tied down so it doesn't blow away at highway speeds or tip over, when driving around a corner.

We were aware that our new truck (pictures to follow, when we can put the camper and truck together) was not set up to haul a camper. So, I called Highway Trailer Sales, where we bought the camper and made an appointment to have camper tie-downs and an electrical connection added to the pickup.

We did get a nice surprise.  The pickup has a plastic bed liner. Unfortunately, when you put a camper in a pickup bed, a plastic liner is so slippery that the camper might be more likely to move around, even with proper tie downs. So, the bed liner had to go (just temporary, you understand). Fortunately, a plastic liner can be relatively easily removed. So, we went about removing the liner, before our appointment for the tie downs.

To my great delight, the truck already had an electrical connection in the bed. That is important because, when the camper is in the truck bed, it covers the taillights  of the truck. Plugging in the cable between the truck and camper provides power for the taillights on the camper. It also provides power to charge the battery in the camper. When we travel, we leave the refrigerator running in the camper, and even though it uses propane to cool itself, there is a 12 volt circuit board that controls the operation. So, we didn't have to have an electrical connection installed.

The pickup work was done on Friday.  I was excited to drive over and get the work done first thing in the morning. I had a date to have coffee with a friend after I delivered the truck to the shop.  I jumped in the driver's seat, turned the key and "click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click." The motor wouldn't turn over, let alone start. My heart sank.

I realized that the problem was the battery. I checked the voltage: 10 volts. It should be closer to 12.4. I had asked the previous owner how old the battery was.  He said, "I don't know. I have owned the truck for seven years, and I never put a new battery in it." So, although I was not surprised the battery was gone, I couldn't help thinking, "Couldn't this have happened when I was on my way to the grocery store for another half gallon of ice cream, instead of when I have an appointment for something important?"

I set to work trying to remove the battery. Ordinarily this is a simple task, but in this case (i.e., when I was under the pressure of an impending appointment) the bolt that secures the cable to the negative battery terminal was so corroded that I couldn't get it loose. I tried every tool I could think of. Finally, I called my pal Paul, who is a handyman par excellence. He talked me through a workaround. By the time I got the battery out of the truck, it was almost time for my coffee date.

I called Highway Trailer and explained the situation. Jim, the service manager, was very gracious and told me to get there when I could. With a great deal of relief, I made a dash to Walmart for a new battery and then met my friend for coffee.

When I got home, I quickly installed the new battery and headed for the shop. Cutting to the chase, we now have tie downs AND a new battery. All things considered, I would much rather have the battery die in my garage than in the middle of nowhere, or in a campground, where help was unavailable.

While the truck was in the shop, I came home and removed the dinette window from Topper. On our last outing, we discovered, in the middle of a driving rain storm, that the window leaked like a sieve. It needed recaulking. I have almost finished that project, so we are gettin' itchy to go camping again.

A load off my mind...and my pickup

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that the pickup we bought to haul Topper around was a bit overloaded. That has bothered me a lot, and I was hesitant to share my concerns with Jill. We stopped at a weigh station on our first camping trip, and she could tell by my face that I was shocked by how much we were overweight (the rig, the rig...the other is none of your business!).

We had a long and candid discussion about the problem and what to do about it. At last, I agreed that we had to bite the bullet and get a different pickup, if we are to continue enjoying Topper. So, last week, I found a website for Syd Dorn, an auto broker in Lake Oswego, and a former member of our former church. I sent a message from the website to Syd explaining the predicament I had got us into and what we needed in a pickup to fix the problem. I was prepared to be looking for a vehicle for a couple of months.

Well, Syd went to work and quickly!  He called for more details about what we wanted to do and what our budget was.  I think I sent the info on Sunday, and on Wednesday, Syd sent pictures of a beautiful, red, 2001 Ford F350 Superduty Crew Cab. He asked us to take our Silverado to his cousin in Salem for an appraisal, which we did that very day.

Later, he emailed me and told me that he could get the truck within our budget, based on the appraisal from his cousin.  I thought the appraisal was awfully low and mentioned that in my reply. Syd suggested that he might be able to get the Ford owner to come down a bit, but his cousin was firm on what he would pay for the Silverado.

So, we agreed to go to Lake Oswego (an hour's drive) to see the Ford. When we got there, we were stunned by how beautiful the truck is. There was a handsome fellow standing next to it, and we learned he is the owner.  We also found out that he is a member of our former church and a personal friend of Syd's.

We looked the truck over and found it to be in very good condition. Then we drove it, and I was impressed with the way it drives.  When we returned to Syd's office, we had a couple of questions for Matt, the owner, and for Syd.  Chief among them was, "What is the payload rating of this truck, and how was it determined."  Syd produced a printout from Ford indicating the maximum payload is 4,300 lbs.

With all of our questions answered, our conversation turned to more important things, like catching up on mutual friends from Rolling Hills Community Church. We had a wonderful time sharing stories and asking to be remembered to mutual friends.

At last, Syd said, "Well, what do you think about the truck?" I replied that we liked the truck very much, but what is the bottom line? Syd told us that the price was $500 lower than the last price he had quoted us, "AND," he said, "I called my cousin's brother and told him I thought their offer was too low. We finally got them to come up $200." Bottom line? We came in $700 under budget!

To put this deal together, we agreed to take our Silverado to Syd's cousin today and pick up the F350 tomorrow directly from Matt.  We are really excited to have a truck that will properly transport Topper and us to wherever we decide to go.  I am personally gratified that Syd was able to put this deal together in such a way that I can stop feeling bad about the original truck deal I made. Based on the fact that we lost money on the Silverado but got an amazing price on the F350, I believe that we would have spent no less, had we bought a similar F350 from a dealer, instead of going through this whole process of buying and selling a truck at a loss within two months.

I have a new respect for the auto industry and for the Dorn family in particular. They have been active in promoting legislation that effectively reduces the number of charlatans in the used auto industry.  I believe that Syd truly lives up to what he says on his website: "Vehicle Buyer's Service is based on biblical principles and convictions of honesty and integrity in every transaction." We feel that we have not only procured the vehicle we needed and saved both face and money, but we have made some new friends in the process.

If you need a new vehicle, no matter where you live in the U.S., contact Syd! (No apologies for this gratuitous plug!)

Moving day

Today was moving day.  Not a big moving day, you understand, but moving day, nevertheless. If you have been following the posts about this trip, you will recall that we had a nice view, until a 42 foot bus parked between us and the view. You will also recall that we decided to extend our stay for a few more days.

Because we wanted to improve our view, we moved from site 75 to site 5: a matter of about 500 feet.  The difference is spectacular.

Here's the new view from our back door. 

After the move, we settled in and enjoyed the view until it got too hot to sit out! The temp here got to 92 degrees.  Thank goodness Jill insisted on adding AC to our camper.  

Following an informal lunch of crackers and cheese, we made a trip to Walmart.  While Jill got her hair cut, I did the grocery shopping. I was able to find everything on the list, except Jill's face creme/sunblock. After her haircut, she found it and we checked out. Back at the camper, we enjoyed the AC for a while, and then the four of us, went down to the river.  Between the breeze and the water, we got cooled off quite nicely, thank you. The dogs love running on the beach, and Lulu loves to bite the little ripples that break at the water's edge.

Some neighbors came by with their dogs, and we had a lovely chat. Then it was time to cook up some vittles.  I lit the BBQ and put on the pork ribs. Unfortunately, between a gusty wind and not enough gas in the little canister, the meat just got slightly browned on the outside. I finished it in the microwave, and Jill sauteed some veggies from our garden. We added fresh corn on the cob for a scrumptious feast.

Today's ship traffic: 

 Remember the movie The Wackiest Ship in the Army? Well, here's another Army ship for you.

 When this stern wheeler went by, Jill said, "We should find out where they came from and book a trip." I'll turn her into a mariner yet.

The old blogger putting an extension on the sewer hose, so we could get Topper closer to the water.

The blessings continue!

September 10, 2013, a day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times, only "You Are There," (with apologies to Walter Cronkite). The sun rose with a few clouds to greet it. Then the clouds cleared away, although the wind that has been blowing steadily for the past six days continued unabated.

 

We had need of a few things aboard Topper, so we made a trip up to Walmart.  Jill decided it was time for her to try driving Silvie. She climbed into the driver's seat and said, "I can't do this. I can't see over the hood." Nevertheless, she wanted to try. Since the roads around Columbia Riverfront RV Park are very lightly traveled, it seemed to be a perfect opportunity. The bottom line is that she did fine. She drove us to Walmart, about three miles, and then proceeded to practice parking in several spots in the lot. By the time she was through, she said, "I can do this."                                                                  

We returned to the park and to Topper. One of the things that we purchased was a bicycle pump, so I could top off the air bags on Silvie's rear axle. With great anticipation, I unpacked the pump and went out to give it a try. It didn't work! The hose wouldn't stay attached to the valve stem.  I was pretty disappointed, but Jill fixed lunch, which lifted my spirits.

After lunch, I returned to Walmart and got a refund. I found another pump.  I bought it and went directly to the parking lot to try it out. Eureka!  It worked fine. I returned to Topper and my girls. 

We lounged about for a bit, and then we went for another walk along the river's edge. The dogs loved it, and so did we, although, I am feeling a bit cheated, since I found two baseball hats on the beach last year and have only found a few fishing tackle items this year.

When we returned, we decided it was time to put Topper on top of Silvie. Tomorrow, we are moving to another site in this park, where we will have a better view. It was a new world's record (or at least a new Tom and Jill record) for putting the camper in the truck. It only took us about 20 minutes!

So, now you are wondering about the ship pictures.  Well, the ships are what I come here for. Jill, on the other hand, always thought I was a little nuts for being so nuts about the ships.  But now, she is coming around. She is wanting to know about ship's lore and things nautical. There is hope for her yet. 

And yesterday, I sneaked behind the 42 footer next door and snapped this sunset. 

Please stay tuned for more reports from our new home tomorrow!

Another crummy day in paradise!

The morning was gray...and windy. The last forecast I had seen was for "drizzle" and 81 degrees.  Sounded miserable to me; hot and muggy and drizzly. The aspect of the sky bore out the prediction. The wind was howling around our door. But my sweet bride assured me that she had seen another forecast for sunny and warm. 

Around 10 AM, I noticed the clouds were breaking up and patches of blue were appearing. Hooray! I began to have other ideas for the day besides watching a movie or reading. Consulting the internet on my trusty laptop, I discovered that near Yacolt, there is a park called Moulton Falls Park. It looked as if we might find some good hiking there.

We packed up the dogs and a few odds and ends and hit the road.  Winding through beautiful countryside, first along the Lewis river and then along Cedar Creek, we traveled through the bucolic splendor of southwest Washington state at the end of summer. We passed through Amboy and then on to Yacolt and finally to Moulton Falls County Park.  I don't even know what county this is (Clark?).

Suffice to say that our travels were not in vain.  The park is gorgeous.  It is set in a canyon, through which flows the east fork of the Lewis river.  There are numerous stony outcroppings and a few waterfalls. The big attraction, though, for most of the other, obviously repeat, visitors, was the swimming holes.  There are several spots where the river becomes wide and deep, perfect for swimming.

We were neither in the mood nor equipped for swimming, so we simply hiked up the trail that first crosses the river via a beautiful bridge (of which I neglected to make a photo) and then parallels the stream. The trail was wide and sandy, and the dogs had a wonderful time sniffing and exploring. Lulu in particular would have explored every trail we came to, given a fighting chance. Alas, our time was limited, so we turned back and headed for home.

All in all, the day turned out much different than I had expected when I arose. Indeed, it was about as delightful a day as a fellow could ask for.

 Looking downstream from the Moulton Falls bridge at one of the swimming holes.

 And looking upstream.

Looking upstream from the trail along the south side of the river.

Playin' catch up (not to be confused with ketchup)

I have a few nice photos that I have not got around to posting yet.  One of the reasons we like this park so much is that we get to see a lot of river traffic.  As you may know, Portland is the biggest deep water, freshwater port on the west coast of the USA. It is popular with ship companies, because the freshwater tends to kill off some of the saltwater organisms that attach themselves to the hull of a ship, while it is at sea.

In addition, Portland is a terminal for most of the products of the Columbia River Basin. These include grain and forest products, among many others. Portland is also a port of entry for many products from foreign countries, including automobiles.  There are huge receiving lots for new cars at the port near the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers.

So, we get to see a lot of ships going up and down the river, while we are vacationing here.  Below are a few shots of two of them:

The two ships in the above pictures passed more or less right in front of the park, although, thanks to the large class A motor home parked between us and the river, I was unable to get a photo of that. (Not that I am bitter.)

Last evening, as I was preparing to grill some pork ribs for dinner, I looked out the window and saw the scene below.

The interesting thing about the photo is not the tug pushing a couple of barges, although that is more of the commercial river traffic I referred to above. Notice the bright light on the hill in the right hand side of the photo.  This is apparently a reflection of the setting sun off of the window of a building. Although I don't like to have to offer disclaimers for my work, I have to tell you that the light from that reflection was much more intense (almost blinding) than it appears in the photo.