Hi Franc,
Per yours and canvasbacks request here's my 2015 newsletter.
Hi and Merry Christmas all yall!
Approach life like you would a yellow light Run it! Gail Thornhill
2015 was an interesting year, not much travel and the little bit I did early on was somewhat stressful. Near the end of 2014, and my Grand Western North America Tour & Shakedown Journey, my home-on-wheels had developed an engine noise, laboratory motor oil testing revealed failing engine bearings. With no place to work on my RV I put heavy duty 50 weight oil in the engine and left Houston and traveled 160 white-knuckle miles to San Marcos TX where I spent five weeks in May/June at my friend Bobs place replacing the failing engine as well as other repairs. My RV repairs shouldve taken much less time but it rained nearly every day during that time period. I was fortunate to have two friends Mike and Michael help me do the actual engine removal/reinstall. Thank you Lord for my friends!
RV repairs and upgrades took my entire travel budget so I hunkered down in the relentless Texas heat. Thankfully, Mike contacted me saying he was driving up to Lewiston NY (near Niagara Falls) to fix up his boyhood home and would I like to help. What? Leave Texas mid-summer? HELL YES! What followed was five weeks demolishing, rebuilding, UST remediating, painting and various other tasks and the best part it was in a beautiful area and not crushingly hot.
After Lewiston I spent two months back in San Marcos putting the final travel touches on my RV before I left for my winter home in Sierra Vista AZ. The 875 mile trip to Sierra Vista was also a shakedown journey for my new engine, exhaust header system, and various suspension repairs/upgrades Id done. Im very pleased to report that, with the exception of some shakedown issues during the first 100 miles, the remaining 775 miles passed uneventfully. Between the new engine and my suspension upgrades the biggest problem I had was keeping my RV at 70mph or less. Those fresh ponies pouring from my engine just wanted to run and run! I kept looking down at the speedometer only to find I was pushing 75mph and a few times 80mph! With rebuilt sway bars and suspension airbags added to the rear springs my RV drove rock-solid, even with heavy cross winds.
So here I am back in Arizona, land of sunny days, starry starry nights, and groaty old hippies. I love the brisk sunny winter days here, the fact is I like the northern cold and snow. Its the dark dreary northern winters and resulting SAD that drives me to Arizona for the winter. They call most people like me snowbirds, apparently Im a sunbird! In fact Ive renamed my RV Sunchaser.
Tomorrow Ill be off to LA in my Dodge Caravan to spend Christmas in Marina Del Rey with my daughter. Itll be a wonderful joyous Christmas! I pray all my friends around this beautiful country are having wonderful joyous Christmases of their own!
Steve and Gail (in spirit)
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