Full-Timer Difficulties Rant - #2 Down!

[JudyJB]

I have to confess that there are some unique challenges with living full time in a motorhome. I seem to have been having several of them hit me lately.

The first is getting my Laz-y-boy chair repaired. I had it fixed in December and at that time managed to work out with the repair guy that I would bring it to his shop, go out to lunch and the mall while he worked on it, and then he would call me when it was ready. Well, it is stuck in a mid-recline position again, so I tried the several stores in the upper part of Michigan, per advice from Laz-y-boy, and got a big run-around. One wanted me to drop it off in Traverse City and then they would ship it to Cadillac and I would have to pick it up several weeks later. Another said I could bring it in for them to look at, but if it needed any parts it might take a couple of weeks. Hey, guys, this is my ONLY comfortable chair!! So, I finally called Laz-y-boy back again and they are going to have a technician call me and come to my "house" which will be the state park in Monroe, MI, about ten miles from their headquarters and factory. Duh. Problem solved since these guys actually keep parts around, but I spent a full hour on the phone trying to find someone who did not need to ship my chair off somewhere.

Second, my emergency brake is not working--you can push it all the way to the floor and it still won't hold the vehicle. RV dealers seldom work on mechanical things, so I tried the Ford dealer who did not have the capability to jack it up and so could not fix it today. My C is built on a Ford e-450 chassis, but it takes a dealer used to handling big trucks to work on it, most of the time. And in Upper Michigan, there are no such things. Finally found a guy who works on trucks that can jack it up and hopefully will fix it tomorrow.

I need new glasses and really have been putting that off for a long time because of the problems with getting my eyes checked and ordering them. Think I will wait until Christmas when I am in Napa, CA. And a couple of days ago, I just gave up on trying to get a GYN return visit because of timing. I am doing OK, so will just have to manage with an urgent care facility if I have more problems. And my trigger finger is coming back. When can I have that fixed???

OK, I guess I will get these things solved, but being constantly on the road does present some problems other than paying bills and getting mail.

[gingerK]

Awwww Judy I'm sorry you seem to be having all these problems at once. When it rains, it pours and you seem to be without an umbrella.

[FancyFree]

Judy, so sorry for the frustrations caused by the challenges that nobody really understands unless they are living this lifestyle. So far my frustration level has not been too bad with the few challenges I have had but sometimes I get tired of having to handle it all alone. However, not giving up the lifestyle and believe that eventually everything will work out. My health care people are in Missouri and so far I have made it back there once a year to visit my daughter and take care of appointments. If anything happens while on the road I guess I would just head for the ER or one of those emergency care places and hope for the best. I do have Good Sam's travel care or whatever it is called. Have heard good and bad about it but inexpensive enough to take a chance on it.
Good luck with getting everything fixed quickly. At least you are in God's country - Michigan. Can't get any better than that.
Fancy

[Carolinagal]

Judy, I'm so sorry you're having all of these problems, gosh, has to be frustrating. It seems no matter where or what, these times happen to us from time to time. Hang in there it will all work out in time. Rant all you want, makes some of us know we aren't the only ones handling frustrating times.

Take care and hope your chair is fixed without too much more trouble or phone calls.

Hang in there,
CArol

[asirimarco]

Gee it sounds just like living in Brown County.

[JudyJB]

And I even forgot about the refrigerator not working on propane. (It is mostly keeping things cold.) I have an appointment for July 20 at Camping World near Detroit.

Yes, it will all work out. Wish me luck tomorrow getting my emergency brake fixed. At least this guy sounded like he is used to working on big vehicles and said he could jack this one up to work on it.

So chair, emergency brake, and refrig should be all working by July 21, I hope. In the meantime, I will stock up on Mackinac fudge!

[gingerK]

So chair, emergency brake, and refrig should be all working by July 21, I hope. In the meantime, I will stock up on Mackinac fudge!

Atta girl! I always find chocolate or fudge (or brownies) to be one of the best medicines for whatever ails me!

[IrishIroamed]

So chair, emergency brake, and refrig should be all working by July 21, I hope. In the meantime, I will stock up on Mackinac fudge!

Atta girl! I always find chocolate or fudge (or brownies) to be one of the best medicines for whatever ails me!

Judy's a firm believer of the chocolate cure and knows how to make sure it's always around. Her #1 rule for RVing is "Chocolate always goes in the refrigerator. Leaving any kind of chocolate out in a hot RV results in an unsatisfactory puddle." ( http://grandmajjb.blogspot.com/2015/07/72-eight-rules-for-rving.html ) .
See Judy - I'm still reading

[JudyJB]

I almost never drink, so I have to have something.

I used to have a client that would send me to my chocolate supply after every meeting. (He was so slow we nicknamed him "Ficus" after the plant because it sounded similar to his real name.) He was frustrating because he could never make a decision on anything without checking with a dozen people, so his projects always took months longer than they should have.

One day, when I had finished a meeting with "Ficus" and was out of chocolate, I was headed to the candy machine, when my boss asked where I was going. He took out his key and opened up HIS chocolate drawer and gave me some! So I am not the only one.

Good news is that I got the emergency brake adjusted. One-person truck repair shop guy spent an hour and was going to charge me $20. I gave him $40 in cash. Whew.

[MandysMom]

Judy, so glad you got that emergency/parking brake fixed! I am busy reading your blog from day one, just because I like to read how people got started and how they live inane travel in their rv.
Happy travels.
Velda

[FancyFree]

Glad you got brake fixed. Cross that off your list. Love it when someone charges so little that you just have to give them a little extra. Happened to me in Alpena, MI. Also recently in Florida. Makes up for the other times.
Fancy

[chalet05]

I hear you, Judy!!

I am very fortunate on some things.

I don't need my mail - what there is of it. My daughter might have to send things once or twice a year - medical insurance card, new credit card. Membership cards or proof of auto insurance I can get online. All my bills are handled automatically or online.

And then there is LeRoy some months of the year who takes care of a lot of things for me. There's already a list of things for when I get to his place next month!

I have a doctor and dentist here in Kansas so that all works out once a year unless something unexpected comes up.

Right now I could use a Polaris dealer, but the local one doesn't carry the Slingshot. Haven't decided what to do about that.

Glad you got the brake fixed and hope everything else falls into place!

[JudyJB]

Actually, one of the hardest things about full-timing is getting a haircut. Seriously. Can you imagine what variety in haircuts you get when you go to someone different every time? I used to take pictures with me of a "good" haircut, but it did not seem to make a difference. I started collecting business cards from hairdressers when I get a good one, so at least when I am in that area again, I will have someone to contact.

The chair repair guy called and he is booked until July 27, and I will be in Ohio by then, so I am going to have to try to get someone there. I might just try stopping by a larger Laz-y-boy store next week nearer Detroit.

[JudyJB]

OK, recliner repairman not available, but he gave me some advice over the phone about disconnecting a pin and rod so it would work but only have two positions--all the way open and all the way closed. Luckily, I hesitated before doing that because I did not completely understand what I was disconnecting, and I wasn't sure I wanted only two positions.

So, I went online and Googled "recliner stuck in open position" and got a couple of You-Tube videos and some blog postings that suggested I use WD-40 on anything that looked like it ought to move. So, I got out a really large plastic bag, turned the chair over on its side, and sprayed a bunch of things that looked like they rubbed on each other or twisted. Then I pulled the handle, and VOILA! The chair now works perfectly!! So why didn't the supposedly qualified technician tell me that on the phone instead of suggesting I disconnect some things????

Now, I just need to get my refrigerator working on propane. Appointment is scheduled for July 20. Then I have mammogram and bone density tests scheduled for the 21st. If my trigger finger on my left hand and my trigger thumb on my right hand hold out until October, I will be in good shape.

I suppose that after three years of hard use, I should expect some maintenance. I have 50% left on my brakes, so will get those done in Phoenix next winter. I am going to stop in Decatur, IN, in October to get the factory guys to check my slides and do any maintenance before I start having problems with those. I also am going to talk to them about re-plumbing water pump so it is more easily reachable and make sure there is no air leak that is still causing it to hesitate sometimes. Engine, battery, and tires should be good for a couple more years, at least.

Whew! Nothing like WD-40!

[gingerK]

woohoo!!! way to go!