Electrical problems and more

So, I finally left Madison, NC after 10 days there. It was supposed to be a week-long visit, just to relax and do some routine upkeep on the RV. I spent the days exploring the local towns of Madison and Mayodan, and taking advantage of some of the nearby hiking trails with Darlene.

Madison, TN

Madison town clock

I attempted to leave on April 16th; after filling up the RV and attaching the car to the tow dolly, I started up the engine and found that I couldn't shift out of Park. The turn signals and the hazard signals were no longer working either due to blown fuses. So we went back to the RV park and stayed another 4 days through the weekend while I spent more time troubleshooting.

I ended up doing an hand-over-hand inspection of the running light circuit, since I've had problems with it before. That took me a day and a half before I went online to start searching for answers. I ended up going to Justanswer.com and posting my problem for a Ford mechanic to review. He had me test a couple of switches after he sent me the schematics for my E450. I had to disassemble the steering column and purchase a wire terminal tool to disconnect the hazard and turn signal wires from the wiring harness.

Bad white/blue wire

I eventually discovered that it was the left turn signal wiring that was blowing the fuses for the turn signals and the hazard signals. I reconnected all the wiring except for the left turn signal, so I'll troubleshoot that at a later time. It could just be a faulty light bulb, but I'll figure it out.

We were able to leave Madison on the 20th, and headed towards Greenville, TN. Spent the night in a rest area without any problems. Ran the generator long enough to fix coffee in the morning and kept the slideout retracted. Some rest areas don't allow overnight camping, so it's best to be discrete about staying overnight.

Greenville, TN rest area

On April 21st, we headed towards Oakdale, TN. My former shipmate, CWO4 Jimmy Shelton, is buried in a small private cemetary up in the hills there in Oakdale. Jimmy and I served together on the USS Mahlon S. Tisdale from 1991-1994 as Chief Petty Officers. It was a tough ride going up the narrow mountain roads with a 31' RV towing a car. In many places, I doubted whether I was going to be able to turn around to go back down the hill, as there were no places to turn around. I eventually found a high school where I could park the RV, and we ended up taking the car to the cemetary.

Had to ditch the RV and take the car up this road

Private cemetary

White Oak Baptist Church

After finding the church, it was an additional mile up a gravel road marked "No Trespassing". I had checked with one of the locals who told me that the sign was just to keep people from hunting up there, and that it would be okay to visit the cemetary. We found it in an open clearing, with beautiful views. So peaceful and quiet. We got to pay our respects, and I thought about the crazy times that Jimmy and I had on the ship. He was my motivation to strive for excellence, as our divisions had a friendly competition with each other. He is missed.

Lisa's RV landing, Madison, NC

I've been in Madison, NC since April 9th at Lisa's RV Landing in Madison, NC.

Lisa's RV Landing, Madison, NC

It's a small RV campground with about 8 spaces. There were only 5 RV's during my stay, so it's been a quiet stay. I spent most of the week taking care of routine RV maintenance, hiking, and cooking. It's been a challenge to keep from snacking, since I've stocked up the RV with good food. Plus my co-pilot Darlene likes her snacks, so whenever I see her reaching for the pantry I get tempted to have a snack too. At least I've been keeping up with exercise whenever I can. 

We've been eating comfort food (BBQ chicken, Frito pie, steak sandwiches) a lot for lunch, then try to eat a light dinner. Coffee and protein shakes for breakfast. Eating light and exercising keeps me from putting on the weight while trying to self quarantine during this pandemic. 

Steak sandwich

Frito pie

I've been checking out the local hiking trails, and had a 2 mile hike at the Knight Brown Nature Preserve the other day. It's a very quiet setting, with a pond and a couple of streams running through the park. If I can hike or walk for an hour everyday and do an hour of stretching, that keeps me happy.

Knight Brown Nature Preserve

Stream in Knight Brown Nature Preserve

Hiking Trail, Knight Brown Nature Preserve

I'm leaving for Tennessee tomorrow. I'm planning on visiting the gravesite of my former shipmate, Jimmy Shelton, while I'm in Tennessee. Jimmy and I were on the USS Mahlon S. Tisdale from 1991-1994 together, and he was the sole reason that I put in my officer's package for a commission. He and I were very competitive, and there was no way that I was going to watch him put in a commissioning package without me doing the same. We were both selected for commissioning the following year. He finished 30 years of service, and we remained in touch until his untimely death in 2014. He was a good friend, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again one day.

First days on the road; Winston-Salem and surrounding areas

I left Raleigh, NC a few days ago on April 9th. I stopped in Kernersville, NC at Car Tow Dolly to pickup a towing dolly for my 2013 Honda Civic. The guys there, Joe and Alex, got my car up on the dolly and explained every step to ensure that the car was safely secured. I appreciated the extra time that they took with me.

I looked for an RV park that was still open and not shuttered up due to the coronavirus pandemic, and found Lisa's RV landing in Madison, NC. Rates are very reasonable for a full hookup (sewer, water, electricity), plus they have a good WiFi signal too. It's a small RV park, maybe 8 spaces, but there's only 4 RV's here. It's right next to a convenience store too. I'm spending 3 nights here, so it'll give me a chance to adjust my RV's parking brake and take care of a couple maintenance issues.

Madison is a definitely a country town! It's quiet, and there are ponds and streams all over the place. Last night, I took a ride out to Farris Memorial Park in Mayodan, NC, for a 2 mile trail hike. It's a huge park with a quiet fishing pond and bike trails. Today, I checked out Hanging Rock State Park about 30 minutes away to enjoy more of the trails here, but it was closed. So, I ended up walking through the town of Danbury, NC to see the sights. Of course everything was closed up, so I just enjoyed the sights of a small country town.

Bridge over the Dan river

Danbury post office

Seems like every property has one of these old homes

Country road

Leaving Raleigh, NC

I'm preparing to leave Raleigh, NC after spending a year here. Leaving San Diego for a place I had never visited before was tough, and the transistion was a little rocky. However, I've made some good friends and had a great time here, but it's time to move on. I love the city of Raleigh and have grown to love the people here.  Lots of excellent restaurants and things to do. There's a huge amount of parks and hiking trails to enjoy, and I wish I had the time to explore them more often. Also, there are so many kind and wonderful people here, and I am definitely considering coming back someday to make it home again.

I've prepped my RV for an extended road trip, and will be heading to my folk's place in New Mexico. I have a feeling that it's going to be dicey, crossing state lines during the coronavirus pandemic. I'm hoping and praying that I'll be able to travel easily without getting pulled over. I'm also concerned about finding RV campsites that are still open during this crisis.

I purchased a tow dolly for my Honda and will be picking it up in a week. It'll take some assembly, but I've been reassured that it can be assembled with a few hand tools and by one person.

I've got 28 days on the road before I plan on being in New Mexico on May 1st. All of the tourist places that I wanted to visit are closed for the time being, as well as all of the military RV campgrounds that I had planned to stay at. I'm hoping that I'll be able to boondock in small towns without getting noticed. If I'm successful, great. If not, it'll make an interesting post on this blog.

Say a prayer for me!