Peachy in Perry - Seminars and Shopping

There was so much to do at the FMCA convention in Perry, Georgia that Hubby and I took one day to shop. We had already purchased a tire pressure monitoring system, a temperature monitoring system for the interior of the RV, and OMG, vibrating pillows. We walked, we took the trams, we looked at RVs. Some of the days were pretty cold and gloomy. But it didn't stop us from walking and walking and more walking.

We shopped for e-bikes. More importantly, they had to fold for transportation. We looked at Jupiter bikes, which were purely electric. Wow! Those things start up quickly. We looked at Freedom Trikes, electric trikes that were a ball to ride. But, I told hubby, I didn't think we'd be likely to take those to a state park. Let alone lift them on and off the hitch rack. Finally, we found B-2 e-bikes. They started up by pedaling, get them moving and kick it into electric gear. We're currently waiting for those to be delivered.

One night, we attended a Chapter block party. This particular Chapter was a group from Tennessee that we joined. It's a small group and we look forward to some adventures with them.

Everywhere we went, we met the nicest people. I'm so glad we got into camping. Hubby, who had never camped a day in his life before we bought an RV had a great time.

FMCA 99th Convention - Peach in Perry (Georgia)

Hubby, Champ, Mouse and I attended our first Family Motor Coach Association Convention in Perry, Georgia last week. I can't believe how many people were there and how well organized it was. A lot of people showed up early, some in large groups. Since this was our first convention, we were allowed to show up on March 11th, two days before the start of the convention.

We were in Lot A on 3rd Street. Except for a handful of class Bs, another handful of class Cs (we were parked between a Forest River Sunseeker and a Thor Siesta Sprinter SK (rear bed) we were surrounded by class A motorhomes of all shapes and sizes. The red one you see there is a 1962 Flxible. It's for sale. Unfortunately, I did not photograph the sale info. It looked pretty awesome. The big green generator was just one of the many in family parking. This one supplied 30 amps to quite a few RVs. Those big suckers aren't too noisy, if you don't have to park next to them. It took a while for them to start some of the generators because at least 50% of the sites had to be occupied. 

We had water as long as our water tanks held out. Our 35 gallon water tank on our Isata 3 probably does not hold 30 gallons. We had it filled once and the black and gray tanks emptied while we were there. It was a unique camping experience. We discovered we like full hookups the best!

Izzy’s First Big Trip

I started this last week on arriving at Georgia National Fairground for FMCA convention.

This is the week of the Family Motor Coach Association’s 99th Convention. It is being held in Perry, Georgia. It is also our first time attending and the first week long trip with Mouse our cat and Champ our dog. Champ does not particularly like cars.

The first day, he whined and cried for anout 45 minutes - about halfway to Chattanooga from our house. Then blessed quiet until we stopped at the Georgia Welcome center. Then whining for a few minutes more.  All was good until we got in line to be parked. He cried so loud, we pulled him out of his crate and he laid down on the floor. So far both are doing better than expected.

We are in a parking area where we are hooked up to generators. I had been worried about the noise, but its been ok.

Izzy performed wonderfully on the highway. She/He handles very well. We still have less than 2000 miles on Izzy, but are pleased with the performance.

Isata 3 Storage Bay

While hubby and I are waiting to embark on our next trip, we took the time to clean out the exterior storage bays. We measured them, took pictures and replaced items. Then I sat down with my scrapbooking software (MyMemories) and made a scrapbook that integrated the pictures we took with the measurements and the contents.

The background of the page is there only for the purpose of viewing on this blog. It's been an interesting project!

Cold Weather Prepping Our Isata 3 Series Dynamax

It's cold here in Tennessee. Not the butt-numbing cold of the northern states, but it's cold nonetheless. Hubby and I grew up in Michigan where we met, married and raised our kids. Eleven years ago we left Michigan and moved to Middle Tennessee, which we love. For the most part our winters are relatively mild with averages in the upper 30s to mid 40s and lots of rain.

This week however, it is cold. We woke this morning to snow flurries and temps in the teens. While the sun did come out, it really didn't warm up. Tonight it's supposed to be colder still. We're ready for it.

Monday we took our beloved Isata 3 "Izzy" to Christiana, Tennessee to A & L RV Sales for some warranty work. Hubby also had the brilliant idea to top off the propane tank while we were there. Smart man.

First, they fixed the black tank issue so it doesn't dump on us. That was the major issue. Second, they replaced the seal on the back of the bed slide. No more gaps! Third, there are two window screens that don't fit right. New ones were ordered. And finally, fourth, was the piece of trim I broke which will be ordered.

One of the best things about having an RV is having a fridge and taking your lunch with you. We stopped in Lebanon, Tennessee at an outlet mall and had our lunch there and did a little shopping while we were there. Our last stop was the gas station to top off our tank in preparation for the cold weather.

One cold weather memory I have of Michigan that really sticks out is the winter somewhere in 1996 or 1997 when we had temps of -28F. Yes, that says MINUS 28 degrees Fahrenheit. We lost power, the kids had no school and by the time the power came back on it was near 50F in the house.

This year, we are prepared for power failures with our sweet little Isata 3 series by Dynamax. Our propane tank is full and the generator works great. The bed is made and it's ready for hubby, me and our dog and cat should the need arise.

The Drain Post - Isata 3

Hubby and I are trying to avoid taking a bath in waste water when it's time to dump Izzy's waste tanks. A friend and very experienced RV-er, Carol over at Reflections from the Fence, had a solution.

First, let me remind you that our sewer pipe is 10 inches back from the side of the RV. Second, we needed an extender. On measuring, it seemed that a 5 inch extension pipe and then the twist on dump valve would be ideal. 

The first picture shows what we would expect to be our ideal configuration. Except that the valve hits the bottom of the RV. Also, the cap, after being detached from the original location fit great putting it on, but in taking it off, the valve came off too!  The bottom photo is the current configuration. I have no faith in that. The problem seems the extension. I think when it gets warm again (barely above freezing here now - where are those 60 degree days when you really need it) we will attempt to remove the extender and just attach to the sewer pipe. 

Hubby still doesn't think it will remain in place when we drive. 

Harvest Hosts Deadline

Hubby and I joined Harvest Hosts when we bought our 2018 Roadtrek Zion. We now own a Dynamax Isata 3 24 FW. While we haven't used the Harvest Hosts yet, at $49 for a year, it was a good membership and was recommended to us by a friend. Harvest Hosts is a network of wineries, farms and other businesses that will allow you to boondock on their property for a night. Of course, if you can purchase some wine or something to support that business, that would be really nice. Hubby and I plan on using them soon. They have an app that you can download for free that once you have your membership, you can locate a host close to your location.

The membership cost of $49 is increasing on January 1, 2019 to $79 a year. Anyone who is already a member will be able to renew at the original price of $49/year. Any new member who joins after December 31, 2018 will have to pay $79. So if you have an inkling you want to join, do it before January 1st.

Full disclosure: I do get $10 for everyone who uses my link at the bottom of the page. It doesn't really matter if you use my link or not. Just don't miss out!