The Ryan RV Express

Monday, September 9, 2019

01-05SEP19 - Sultan, WA, & Misc (haugan, mt; bozeman, mt; miles city, mt; & minot, nd)

Sunday, 01SEP, continue our prepping of the RV started last month for our upcoming trip. That evening was the annual end of summer BBQ & potluck for the “neighborhood” located on our area of Reiner Road. Previous ones were at the Dankers’, this year was at the MacDicken’s. As always an excellent time with neighbors you see infrequently through the year. See below internet link for last year’s event.

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2018/09/01-30sep18-sultan-wa.html

One interesting occurrence was when someone showed pics on their cell phone of a young adult bear wandering thru the area for last couple of days; then another neighbor showed cell phone pics of coyotes. So then Dan had to show our pics of the bobcat we sited yesterday. (see our previous BLOG for the pics)

Monday AM we got a little later start on our RV trip to the east coast mainly because of difficulty get our new car shield (aka bra) properly attached to rhe Toad. Thankfully we were headed east on I-90 on a Labor Day MondayJ! The westbound traffic going back to Seattle was back up for miles & miles!!! In Idaho we try to stay at two RV parks w/no joy. We then decided to dry camp at Lincoln Silver Dollar in Haugan, MT. Followers of our BLOG know it is a Ryan family tradition to stop at this tourist spot/trap whenever we are on I-90 (see below BLOGs). But this time we got one of their free RV spots w/electrical hook-upsJ 415 miles driven.

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2014/09/01-04sep14-various-mt-st-regis-bozeman.html

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2015/08/23-31aug15-sultan-wa-via-glendive-mt.html

http://50000silverdollar.com/

Tuesday AM we get later start than planned. Uneventful drive until engine low water alarm goes off. Engine temp starts rising just as we are in middle of steep climb (naturally). We complete the climb & pull into parking area – engine temp is still ok. We add one gallon of mixed antifreeze & couple of quarts of distilled water. Unfortunately thanks to Tiffin’s lousy design for adding water to the radiator; we spill some, mostly on Corrie. Hour latter we pull into RV park we stayed at before in Bozeman, MT, Corrie heads to showers. 296 miles driven.

Wednesday finally get started at a normal time. Stay at KOA in Miles City, MT, record heat!!! 284 miles driven.

Thursday, 05SEP, normal start – heat not so bad. We drive thru NW North Dakota, oil field truck traffic not as bad as our last visit; the oil fracking boom has definitely slowed down. Since our last drive thru this part of North Dakota you can now see many, many, improvements because of the boom – especially in the roads. But ND-23 between Sanish & New Town is to be avoided. We stay outside Minot, ND; tomorrow Sprucewoods, MB. 307 miles driven.

Saturday, August 31, 2019

01-31AUG19 - Sultan, WA (misc & prep'ing for road trip)

We start the month of August off still babysitting the grandkids (Jaxson & Mason); until we return them to mom Rebecca on 04AUG (aka Coast Guard Day). We celebrated Dan’s birthday (07AUG) at the Timber Monster Brewery, a small brewery that opened in Sultan a couple of years ago. We tried the lobster mac & cheese, gyro, & watermelon w/feta, two thumbs-up.

The next day, Thursday, the grandkids (Jaxson & Mason) returned. They didn’t really need babysitting but Friday, 09AUG, was the annual 13th Coast Guard District CG Day picnic for all CG units in the Seattle area. They still are at the age where they think it is a great event & are eager to go again (3rd in a row, see below internet link for last year). Then it was back to the house to play in the lawn clipping piles.

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2018/08/01-31aug18-sultan-wa-many-trips-on-wa.html

Saturday Dan took the grandkids into Everett for a Jiu Jitsu competition. While there they discovered an unsupervised rock climbing wall. Then it was off to a local playground & skate board park. Sunday, 11AUG, after lunch Rebecca & Raymond came to the house to pick up kids & have a slightly late b-day/BBQ dinner for Dan.

On 15AUG (Thursday) we had an electric garage door opener installed on the house garage. Why now, eight years after house was built? Because we never had a vehicle that fit. You could barely get the old Toad, GMC Canyon, in - but hardly had room to walk in front of truck to get to the house door. Now with new Toad we have plenty of room & don’t want to be bothered by manually opening the door (especially in the rain).

Saturday, 17AUG, was the Formisano’s (Rich & Jan) annual Riverwalk BBQ. Each year they have the event at their house on the middle fork of the Snoqualmie River; inviting neighbors, family, friends, & in Rich’s case – Coast Guard Academy classmates (like Dan) living in the Seattle area. They provide the BBQ & drinks, you are asked to bring a salad, side or dessert. Unfortunately Corrie was under the weather & couldn’t make it. (see below internet link for last year)

https://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2018/08/01-31aug18-sultan-wa-many-trips-on-wa.html

Monday, 19AUG, we drove the Fiesta (aka new Toad) to Burlington, WA, for installation of a towing base plate on the front, & modified electrically system for a supplemental brake system. This is the third car/Toad we have had modified for towing behind the RV, & with each one it gets more & more complicated. Not only are there fewer cars that can be flat towed (ie not on a dolly or trailer) but the modern electronics require extra caution. On the Fiesta (the only small car automatic that can be flat towed without mods) you have to completely disconnect battery before towing. This means all computer pre-sets (radio, sat nav, AC/heat, etc) are lostL! On many cars you simply cannot flat tow (ie all four wheels down) the vehicle, not because of mechanical limitations, but because of electrical?

Wednesday AM back to Burlington, WA, w/RV to pick up Fiesta. They did an excellent job, but Dan ended up standing in rain for 20 minutes trying to figure out all the differences & where electrical connections were? Thankfully the mechanic eventually walked him thru the process & explained things that differed from old Toad; & we had an uneventful trip/tow home.

The rest of August was spent getting the RV & new Toad ready for a long trip SEP to NOV for Dan’s 45th Reunion of the Class of 1974, USCG Academy, in New London, CT, - along with Corrie trying to harvest & can all the veggies coming to ripeness! In addition to:

---dog sitting Rebecca’s dog Gracie, so Raymond, kids & her could go camping on Second Beach, WA.

---installing WeatherTech floor liners in Fiesta. We do this for all our cars & usually no problem? But their trunk liner for the Fiesta wasn’t even close & we had to get one from Ford?