#13 Running from law for three days

(night 1) We weren't really fugitives, but the next three nights it seemed like we were, boon docking in places where it could go the wrong way and we might be asked to leave. We left out of Raleigh and we headed north and we were going to go to Emporia VA. because that seemed like a reasonable thing to do. There was a boon docking site at a Welcome Center which was absolutely wonderful. It was under construction and there was about 12 huge bus type parking place things so we should extend the slide outs that get cozy. I had a really nice night there but it always feels just a little weird because you think somebody going to knock on your door at any minute, but they didn't. The next morning I wanted coffee and didn't have any electricity so I took my coffee grinder towards the construction zone area. I was thinking to myself I might find a T-pole somewhere because they always have them at construction sites. Lo and behold I wandered around it was behind a gate a fenced area but I was clever it wasn't that hard to slip through the gate. I went to the temporary pole, ground my coffee beans and went back to the parking lot and I had coffee and after a bit we moved on our way

Hiding in parking lots (night 2). Food lion /Leaf springs.

We had intended to leave out of Emporia and go north. It would be nice to get to somewhere on the other side of Washington DC. We would soon find out that Food lion in Hopewell Virginia would be our new home for the next 36 hours.There was a campground called Gifford Pinchot State Park that was certainly our goal and so we started towards that. I wanted to go to Lowe's and return something or get some free Wi-Fi believe. I took the exit that the GPS recommended to go to Lowes. This exit was just before Richmond and I'm just kind of noticed there was smoke coming out from the back of the RV and that's the kind of thing always gives you a panic attack. Next thing you know there's truckers blowing horns of me and I'm aware of that because there's smoke pouring out of my wheel well. I pulled over and I couldn't see anything wrong at the wheel well and I'm so I went ahead and started moving again. Moving again produced lots of smoke so this time I pulled over again and I looked and on the left side or driver's side of the camper the two rear wheels were literally rubbing together.

I had no idea why this would happen but I knew that I needed to get off the highway so I kind of limped slowly forward. The very next thing I saw which was a Food Lion parking lot so I pulled in.

This town was called Hopewell Virginia, home of Fort Lee

I took a good look at what I had and the dad-blamed leaf spring shackle connection had fallen apart. Here is a picture.

This makes me a little angry at the Forest River Cedar Creek Manufacturing Company in Elkhart Indiana because they shouldn't make this shackle out of crappy metal because it shouldn't just fall apart when it's 8 years old.

It bothered me but I can get mad or fix it so with my knee pads on and my Hammer in hand. I'm going in to go fix this thing.

I went under the trailer and I got to looking at it and it occurred to me that I don't know that much about what I'm doing but that shackle that I'm going to fix is holding the axle together. I'm laying under the trailer and a part of me thinks is it really worth it , because what if what I start banging on is what's holding the axle to the trailer. It's already broken and I start hitting with a hammer what it the whole thing falls apart and the entire trailer falls on me.

It seemed like time to get out of there and call a professional. For several months I intended enroll in the Good Sam roadside assistance Club for $75 a year. When enrolled they will come get you anywhere in the country with unlimited mileage and take care of your issue. Normal triple A and normal car insurance doesn't cover big rigs. They will either fix a tire or tow you with no deductible. I wish I had signed up but now seemed like a god time so that the next time we would be covered. I signed up on the phone but they let me know it would not help for this problem and would be in force in 48 hours. I looked on the GPS for local RV repair companies. One was a national 18 wheeler company and very bureaucratic. Their minimum service call was 325.00 and that's not fixing just and estimate to get you stabilized and ready for towing not included. I saw a company called Johnny's and he seemed very friendly. He was only about 10-15 minutes away so I took pictures of the damage and went to his shop and show him what I had. He said well this ain't that big a deal will take care of it but it will have to be tomorrow morning.

I wondered how the cat was holding up with all this drama. When Bert gets stressed out he naps. This was his suggestion.

We lived in the Food Lion parking lot now and I just thought it was a little bold to get too comfortable in the daylight. We went over to Ruby Tuesdays and we had a little something to eat. We were walking from food lion to the restaurant and we looked a little rode hard and put up wet. I kinda thought we looked a little homeless, wandering the streets. I told India , people don't know our situation and they may feel pity for the sad little family walking the streets looking for somewhere under a bridge to sleep for the night. When they pass us in their cars they may make some assumptions because we look a little funny. We actually have means and plenty but they don't know that. Some mother is telling the husband, "honey should we give them 5 dollars or something", and he says," screw em they can get a job."

I intentionally told the family let's wait until after dinner till dark to put the slide outs out. We got cozy and I decided it was time to crank the generator for the first time. It was living in our back seat for the last 6 months for security reasons. I filled it with gas but it wouldn't start. I finally gave up and considered the bright yellow tag saying you need to add oil before starting. I went to food lion and got some oil and basics staples and I mentioned our situation to a store employee. I told her we were being repaired tomorrow am and she said she would inform the manager. She said it was good we talked as they were about to call the authorities because they thought we may have just parked there a new residence. I had a good night's sleep but I always assumed it's always going to get knock on the door saying you , but they never did. The next morning they came at about 9:00 o'clock to do the repair.

The next morning they came at about 9:00 o'clock to do the repair.

Agri Supply

I figured I could be fixing something while they're fixing the camper. The emergency brake cable breakaway switch had melted.

This system engages the brakes on the trailer if you ever become disconnected from the tow vehicle so that you RV will come to a stop as soon as possible instead of whatever, being even more horrible of an accident. I asked the repair guy if he could suggest a place. He said two words is all you need to know, Agri Supply.

I was impressed that they had they have everything. Its like a tractor supply on steroids for Farmers. I was in heaven so anyway here are some pictures of it it's and a video It's wonderful at this store, I want to live there. The part I needed would be in stock no where and when I mentioned it they just said Isle 5a . I came back they were finished the bill was $350. He decide to have a metal shop make the parts I needed which I thought was kind of cool. I needed 4 parts but I told him to make me 6. I would have a couple spares that way. I wanted to make the kayak rack more stable and I did so and when we got on the road and it was about 6 pm. The GPS I will have to get on down the road as hard as I could I wanted to go to Guilford Pichot tonight. It was like 4 hours away so that be getting there at 10 o'clock at night.

(night 3 ) living in parking lots

We got underway and there was horrible traffic at Washington DC( imagine that). It seems like next thing you know it's about 7:30 and we went to Jimmy John's and got something to eat and fuel for the generator and diesel for blue baby. I just began to think don't really want to drive another hour or so or do I want to just find a place to be. We got down the road and we had intended to just go to a State Forest somewhere near Hagerstown. As we go to an exit for Highway 81 there was a massive traffic jam it was so bad that they were like 1000 tractor trailers all stacked up on the highway and people are backing up the entrance ramp. I said oh well I need to come up with something else. I looked at RV Parky and Pilot Travel Center was not too far from us. We got there and we found five hundred tractor trailers idling there which is kind of loud there wasn't even one place available. It was 10:30 at night it's kind of hard to find something better. I was kind of wiped out I know I am so we just decided to ride down the road and see if anything at all would come up like some abandoned cotton mill or something. We came across a little church that had a gigantic parking lot and it called to me. I know its not OK to park here but I was hoping they would have a christian attitude towards us if we got caught. Quasimodo reference, Sanctuary. Sanctaury.

I pushed out the slide outs got us level and cranked the generator which by the way is sitting in my back seat and I opened the truck door to keep the hot exhaust off the door interior. you only sleep just so well in a church parking lot. I got up a few minutes before 5:30 and I just told India to try to sleep more if possible while I had coffee. I was hooked up and ready to pull out and a car actually pulled into the parking lot of the church at about 6:30 a.m. I told myself okay the grace is over its time to go, so I told India lets go now, because the church police are here! She didn't like it but I asked her to go right now and put your shoes as we drive away. She grabbed her fireman's boots and slid down the pole and we bolted. The organist/ secretary would apprehend no fugitives today I tell you. We went on down the road little bit and we saw I can J C Penney so I'll pulled into the gigantic parking lot to just chill for a minute and let India have a nice hot tea. For safety reasons I wanted to do install my new brake switch because it seems so important. I don't know what made it fail but it was melted.

If the camper ever were to disconnect accidentally while flying down the highway this switch would be engaged by a pulled cord and lock the camper brakes. The idea in this scenario is you're having a bad day but the at least the camper will come to a stop very soon instead of rolling out of control off a cliff or in to Aunt Bessie on the interstate. The one thing that is hard to get used to in RV world is the constant state of impending doom that goes everywhere with you. You are towing a medium sized house down the highway and any and everything can go wrong at any time. Example: Did I remember the hitch safety pin, is the umbilical connected properly , did my refrigerator flip over to LP mode, Did I lower the TV antenna, Why am I fish tailing, are my shocks OK because the camper sure is bouncing, In my case ;gee whats that smoke coming from my wheel well , Why does that car insist on following me so close like 12 inches off my rear bumper, why is the engine overheating, Why did the GPS put me on a dead end one lane dirt road to save me time. I have got used to it but there's a lot to consider while driving the camper.

Its about 8 o'clock a.m. and we're somewhere I think we're on the road to Harrisburg Pennsylvania and we will be in Watkins Glen plan State Park New York at about 12:30 so we'll see.

I completely forgot we're really behind schedule so to get back on track so we are headed north as hard as we could. Our itinerary says we have 30 days to be Yellowstone and I am only in Pennsylvania.

Several times now during the trip I have been pleasantly surprised how when I planned a destination something would go wrong and that thing wouldn't happen but whatever the alternative was would end up being just the coolest thing ever. That kind of happened at Watkins Glen. We wanted to go there at the Finger Lakes but it was sold out and it was a little out of our way really and so we found a vacancy at the Keuka Lake which is one of the Finger Lakes on the extreme west side. It was just more on our route and it was so beautiful and it was just so wonderful and the bad thing turned into a good thing and much cheaper too. The next part of our trip was to go to Niagara Falls. We stayed at Keuka lake for 3 days and then we left Sunday July 3rd and went to Niagara .We we got settled at Keuka I asked India how she was holding up. She said it was so refreshing to be at a real campground. She said the last three days of boon docking made her feel she felt like she had been running from the law.