Shortly after I got my 71 bus, I made a solo trip to my Dad's house in Mississippi--that's 800 miles one-way. I went there because we had a 79 Winnebago parked in his driveway that needed a little work to get ready to drive to North Carolina. On this particular trip I was going to replace the starter.
On the way, I camped on top of Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama. It was early March, so it was practically deserted. The staff, at the state park, was very friendly and made my visit very relaxing and enjoyable--unlike my experiences with the National Park Service.
Talladega Scenic Byway
The road to Cheaha Mountain is the Talladega Scenic Byway. It's Alabama's version of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It goes along the top of a ridge that is actually the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. It's a narrow ridge that rises steeply from the surrounding plains.Most people don't even realize there are mountains in Alabama. Their image of Alabama is "mainly in the plain".
The View from the Top
My Campsite
Guess what they grow in this part of South Carolina...
Peaches of course! Whenever we travel this bit of I-85 with the kids they all get excited and start looking for the "Giant Peach". Actually it's a water tank. The peaches from this area are good--much better than those things shipped over from California, picked green and chemically-altered (apparently) to look like peaches. But these peaches are only available in season. Makes you wonder how they get them out-of-season from California--probably some more high-tech processing involving chemicals, radiation, and biological manipulations--the kind of stuff the Army protects its soldiers from!
Home Sweet Home
I certainly enjoyed my trip, but it's always nice to get back home. I replaced the starter on the RV without a hitch. It started right up, even after sitting in the driveway for so long.
I had some worries about the bus, though. It puttered every now and then so I imagined my gas pump was going out. I eventually realized it was just a little ditry stuff in the carburator and fixed it with STP gas treatment.
I was leaking oil in the front of the engine, so I thought it was the front engine seal. I kept putting oil in it whenever I stopped for gas. After I got back, I found out that the crankcase was actually cracked! I had to get the engine replaced. Fortunately it was a Volkswagen and I got a used engine off a '74 Bug for $500--and even that may have been a bit high, but it seems to be okay now.
I had one vapor lock incidence. Right after getting inside Mississippi, I stopped to get gas, and the engine cut off as I was getting back on the highway. I had no idea what the problem was, but I was lucky. When I pulled onto the shoulder, I parked in front of a DOT crew doing some work in the highway. A gentleman came over to see what the problem was and recognized it as vapor lock--a problem he had years ago in a Bug with his wife and a newborn baby. He choked the carburator with a rag while I cranked the engine. That drew gas back into the engine and everything was all right again. I thanked the good samaritan and we parted.
Before beginning this trip, I spent the evening installing a new CD player and speakers in the bus, so I could listen to some music. I would have gone crazy otherwise. Driving 800 miles on the interstate is a long slow trip in an old Bus. The whole time, though, I was worried the new CD player would draw too much from my 28 year-old generator, which wasn't all that powerful to begin with. So I was always worried I was going to run down the battery and be stuck in the middle of nowhere. That worry proved unfounded. I had no charging problems at all.
Now it's time for another trip! See you on the road...