This is just a little story I wanted to share. I am the new owner of a 2005 Tropical. I picked it up in Reno, NV, and drove it back to Wisconsin with a friend and experienced RV'er. We drove 2000 miles without any real challenges, so it was a good way to learn. I drove it a few times around town, mostly to get tires, get the oil changes, take it to storage, etc.
Last weekend, I took the family to Bloomington, IN for the Badger vs Hoosier football game. All was great, even driving through campus in something way too big to be there (wife went there, had to show the kids where she used to live).
That night, we stayed with my brother in law in Indy, then left to go home around 11.am.
That's when it got interesting. The winds were whipping from the South, and heading West on I 865 was a challenge. Not to worry, I 65 would give us a tail wind and some better gas mileage
That worked out well until the awning topper on the driver side slide started unfurling and the recoil slammed it against the coach with a loud thud. This happened about a dozen times. I was looking for a safe place to pull over, but in the mean time I was able to adjust the mirror and see what was happening. I continued on to the planned fuel stop 30 miles North of Lafayette, IN. The winds continued to build, and my daughter used her smart phone to get a wind report. She said it was 25-35 MPH.
When we got off the interstate, we had to go West on the overpass to get to the truck stops, and the wind was violent! The awnings were being pulled out and slamming back, the coach was rocking like crazy and the kids were scared. Then, when I pulled into the fuel island, a huge gust ripped the front AC cover off and it broke into a hundred pieces right in front of them as they were getting out. It was blowing from back to front, and when we stopped, the apparent wind was like driving very fast in reverse.
As I was filling up, I looked at a forecast and thought we had better wait till things blow over, literally. It was supposed to subside by 8:00 PM. I was standing on the driver side looking at the dollars ring up while the pump on the opposite side was doing its job. Then I heard a big splash and looked to see all kinds of spray on the other side. The auto shut off or overflow prevention did not work, and diesel fuel was spilling and spraying all over. I ran to shut the pump off, soaking my clothes in diesel fuel. The wind and the fuel spray were an awful mess, but at least the kids were inside the gas station and did not see it.
I did my best to clean up, pulled forward, then went in to wash up. We had to go to another truck stop because Pilot did not have the correct windshield wiper, so I tucked my tail between my legs and went to the lot next door. $35.00 got me a single wiper blade, a crappy pliers and a screwdriver to change it. My wife cleaned the fuel from the step which was out for some reason, and I proceeded to loose the teeny tiny nut that holds the blade in place...
At some point, you just have to laugh. I somehow found the needle in the haystack, got the blade on, clothes changed and cleaned up. We planned on going North another 50 miles to a town with a mall and restaurants to wait out the wind. As we left, the wind was not nearly as bad as it had been. My daughter did some extra digging with her smart phone and got a wind map. The winds were still 25-35, but she found out that there were gusts to 50 MPH reported in the area we were in.
We ended up making it home safely, just a little later than planned. It was raining by then, and the AC cover that was in pieces in some Indiana trash can was letting water leak into the motor home
I'd never been on the roof, but I did not really have a choice. I got out the ladder, a plastic tarp and some bungee cords and went up there in the rain and darkness. A few minutes later, the hole was covered and the interior was saved from a few gallons of water.
I did learn a few valuable lessons...
- The $10.00 multi tool kit does you no good if it is at home.
- Close the door AND the step while fueling, you never know.
- I need to get an auxiliary method of securing the awning, that way I will never need it!
- Driving in 30 MPH winds is pretty easy after you got pushed around by 50 for awhile
Will I do it again? In a heartbeat
Steve
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