R.V.

Shopping for an RV again.

With the T.O.A.D. totaled and a settlement check “in the mail”, I need to begin the long process,of finding a quality motor home again.

I have serious doubts I will find another Winnebago Rialta with all the features and in the great condition mine was.  I am considering the Winnebago View or Itasca Navion (they are the same unit but names were changed to protect who???). These are built on the “Sprinter” chassis and have the Mercedes diesel engine. Since they are still building these and have been since the mid 2000s I think that finding a good one at a good price will be a little easier than a Rialta.


And so it begins . . . . again.

Rialta

R.I.P.

  
The insurance company and I have come to a financial agreement.  The T.O.A.D. will be totaled. 

And so it begins all over again. Time to go hunting for an RV. 

Rialta

RV damage

A couple shots of some of the damage.

End Cap separation from underneath
End Cap separation from underneath
Custom Queen bed frame
Custom Queen bed frame
Broken Bleeder valve where the propane leak was
Broken Bleeder valve where the propane leak was
Bumper and end cap
Bumper and end cap
End cap separation
End cap separation
Left side separation looking through bed frame

Left side separation looking through bed frame
Right side separation looking down through bed frame
Right side separation looking down through bed frame
Heartland Road Tour

As we were leaving the Grand Canyon

We returned to the Canyon on the 3rd morning to catch some sunrise shots.  When we left, we headed east along Desert View.  Our target for the afternoon was Hovenweep Utah.

This was one of the best views of the Colorado River from within the park.  Most anywhere else there was just a tiny bit of river in sight.

Colorado River - Desert View

 

Heartland Road Tour

Hovenweep – final campsite

Hovenweep National Monument is a very remote area in Utah with a nice but minimal camping area.  Its habitation by humans dates back some 10,000 years.  Most recently, Ancestral Puebloans occupied it in the 1200s and 1300s.

This was my last campground before the RV accident which forced my return home.  I was only a third of the way along my Heartland Tour.  Perhaps I’ll get the RV sorted out and continue next year.

Hovenweep Archeological Ruins Hovenweep Archeological Ruins Hovenweep view

Rialta

The Rialta may be finished

I can’t help but wonder how this can be repaired. A young lady pulled out of a side road and hit me. She first made contact in front of the side door. Since both she and I were moving forward she plowed further into the RV as I moved past her. I believe the frame may have been bent as the screen door no longer stays shut.  The latch just doesn’t grab enough to stay latched. And then there’s the fact that both of the hardened trunk lock shafts sheared off.  And I can hear wind rushing past the coach door when I drive.  The propane tank was damaged (blender valve broken off) spewing a cloud of propane into the air for about 45 minutes. The fresh water pump next to the propane tank was broken. There is a lot of rattling coming from the rear when I drive. A constant noise really. And I think the wheel or axle may be bent. The fiberglass end cap (rear end) is broken as well as the structural parts it connects to. Even the bicycle frame is bent. 

   
       

Events

Quick thank you. 

I want to take a moment while I have a cell connection to thank Becky and Matt of Boxfotos Airstream for their generous contribution to my Heartland Road Tour. Maybe we’ll treat ourselves andcheck into some fancy campground tonight. 

Thank you Becky and Matt. HeyLeigh the Wonder Dog and I appreciate it. 

Events

MIND BLOWN SOCIETY HAS MADE OUR DISSOLUTION COME

Down a long, lonely and dusty road in the heart of the Navajo Nation, somewhere near Mexican Water, Arizona is evidence of a lost society.

The remains of this old Standard Oil Station bears witness to both the despair and the optimism of invisible people.

On the walls is written “MIND BLOWN SOCIETY HAS MADE OUR  DISSOLUTION COME” and “DISMATLE THE SYSTEM”. Tribe or gang signs are present.  “COW TOWN 16”, “GRIP GANG” and other groups are represented.  On a wall is “LOVE LIFE” and at one end is a large feather.

It seemed like a good place to stop, stretch my legs and let the dog do the same.

Heartland Road Tour

Slipped into Grand Canyon around 07:00

It rained most of the way there and was very overcast when I arrived. However the forecast was for it to break mid-morning. And it did. 

I drove back roads (hwy 180 to 64) all the way there. Here’s a shot from along the way. 

  The sun was just beginning to light the horizon. 

Here are a few shots of the Canyon. I’m going back tomorrow for more.   

  

 

  

Wow! Once the clouds broke it really was breathtaking. 

Meanwhile I’m enjoying a great campfire and some Irish whiskey at 10X national park for the night. 

Ciao for now.