Counting down the days...

April 10, 2009
Peoria, AZ

Now that we're back on track for planning out summer travel, we're counting down the days - and wondering if there are enough days to fit in all the things we want/need to do before leaving! Actually, that's one of the things I'm working on: separating wants and needs. The to-do list always needs management.

On the house front, we're in pretty good shape, as the close-up procedures only take one day and will be done at the last minute. We've been staging stuff to be loaded in the coach, and I've started to work through the annual maintenance activities. Last week, I replaced the chassis starting batteries after finding a good deal at the local AutoZone, and started putting together a schedule for what I'll tackle before we leave. Last Sunday, I was able to replace the cracked muffler (I was never able to get a replacement under warranty for the old one - company is gone) and do the chassis lubrication. I try to tackle the lube early in the process since it's the most difficult to do, with over 30 fittings that need grease. In addition, the front axle needs to be jacked up to do it properly. I bought two 20-ton air-operated hydraulic jacks for the job, and that definitely was a wise move.

Yesterday, we brought the coach to the house to start the loading. I also used the opportunity to seal the new tile and grout, and to drain, flush and sanitize the fresh water system. I'll probably give it another flush before we head out, just to be safe. Over the weekend, I hope to get a few hours for an oil service and fuel filter change for both the engine and generator. I've made arrangements at the local Onan shop for the "1,000 hour service" on the generator for Monday. It's a 5-6 hour job involving adjusting the valve and injector height, and replacing the fan belt. It's tricky since the whole generator case needs to be removed to get access.

Beyond that, I've got a couple of other tasks to do before we leave. I want to add an under-sink water filter (eliminates the need to haul the Britta around) and add a shelf in one of the kitchen cabinets to increase the usable storage. We also need to work on the flip side of loading: pulling out all the stuff we have in there that we end up not using. And, no trip plan would be complete without me trying to rearrange stuff for better efficiency. Of course, Geri claims that I do that to ensure the she can't find anything.

One new element this year is that I have to do some maintenance on the Range Rover. I've been quite spoiled by the three-year "free" scheduled maintenance program. Well, that's all lover now, fella. I'll do an oil change, replace the air filters (there are two: one for the engine and one for the passengers), and rotate the tires. While I'm doing the latter, I'll replace the brake pads and rotors. I paid over $800 a couple of years ago to have the front brakes done while it was in for service. Fortunately, I found all the parts I needed online for both front and rear for under $500. All this will take a solid day of work, but it'll be good to get it done before we go.

Switching gears, Geri's doing pretty well. She had an appointment at the periodontist for a "special" cleaning this morning and that went well, although they detected a small pocket that needed some special care. Otherwise, she's gradually coming up to speed after the kidney procedure. It's all good...

Well, that's it for now!