Blog

Events

Short visit to Standing Indian Campground N.C.

On Monday, September 15th we made our official inaugural excursion in the T.O.A.D. (Winnebago Rialta).

We arrived at Standing Indian Campground in the Nantahala Forest of North Carolina.  It was a darn steep grade we climbed getting there and the transmission fluid temperature was entirely too hot by the time we crested the mountain.  I think it survived but a transmission cooler is now high on the list of things to do to the T.O.A.D.

We found site #14 at the Headwaters of the Nantahala River right away and put boots on the ground.  Boy, the temperature of that water was chilly.  I checked and it was 58 degrees.

Since Standing Indian offers no hookups for RVs, setup was simple.  Back T.O.A.D. into place, open the door and windows and crank out the awning.
T.O.A.D.

#14 is a great site.  It has no space for neighbors on one side and the other side is a nice distance from anyone.  Walk right out the back of the site and up a small hill and you are at the bathrooms.  And nice bathrooms they are, clean, concrete, wonderfully private showers with hot water and convenient.
One of the community fresh water spigots just happen to be right ouside the site so I used very little of my on board 45 gallon fresh water supply.  That was nice.

HeyLeigh and I went for a walk around the loop to check things out where we met our camp hosts, Judy and Gerald Morgan.  They also operate the camp office/general store.  They gave me some great information and maps outlining where the trails are and general layout of the camping areas.

What was left of the afternoon, we sat at the site and relaxed.  I with an Irish whiskey of course and HeyLeigh with a dog treat.  Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed having ice in the freezer to pour my Jameson over.  Our one pot dinner was cooked outside on the 1 burner Coleman propane stove. After, I read a bit and by the time we turned in, I had to close the windows.  It was pleasantly cool and we slept well.  Monday was a delightful day.

Tuesday morning we awoke around 05:30.  I put a kettle of water on the stove in the RV.  A short time later thanks to hot water and a coffee press we sat outside and enjoyed our morning coffee – pretty much the same as at home.  Ahhhh  Life Is Good!
At first light we hiked over to the Group Campsites and explored Kimsey Creek. The campsite area is in a glen where large and obviously old apple trees thrive.  I was amazed by the number of apples lying on the ground.  I’m certain the bears and other critters love that place.

Apples at the group campsites
Apples at the group campsites

When we returned home to the T.O.A.D. I scrambled some eggs and sausage with green peppers for breakfast.  Oh, and another round of coffee was in order too.
After breakfast I tested the generator.  It took way too long to warm up and had difficulty carrying the load when I turned on most of the appliances.  Fortunately it wasn’t a big deal and I let it go for the time being.  After giving it some thought (and reading the manual) I decided it was running too rich at the altitude we were.  After I returned home to Blairsville, I checked it out and tweaked the carburetor.  Bingo!  No more problems.

Next we hiked back to Kimsey Creek.  This time I brought a pan along with me.  Kimsey Creek is well known for its gemstones and rubies, sapphires and garnets can be found if you look in the right places.  I found lots of tiny garnets.  It is amazing how every handful of gravel from the creek bed is littered with bright red pieces of garnet.  I didn’t find any rubies or sapphires though.  Well, I might have tossed them back being as how I haven’t a clue what they should look like in the raw.  We were un-plugged entirely, we had no cellular coverage or other form of internet. I couldn’t research them online while I was there.  Next time I’ll bring reference material.  Lots of it!

Kimsey Creek video

We also hiked along several of the other trails in the area which are native and natural (not unlike living on the national forest back home).  The late afternoon once again brought the pleasure of an Irish whiskey over ice.  This time it was accompanied by a delightful Ybor City cigar.  Did I mention that Life Is GOOD?

Dinner was a warmup of Monday’s dinner which was just as good the second time around.  I lit the single mantle Coleman propane lamp and settled in with a good book for the evening.  The weather was perfect, we didn’t encounter any annoying insects and the silence IS golden.

Once again I brewed coffee in the morning and we sat outside enjoying the early dawning of the day.  This time I headed out with the camera to try and catch some early, first light photos.  Upon return it was eggs and sausage and then a stroll around the camping area.

We struck the colors and broke camp around 11:00.  I chose a different route for the return trip.  I didn’t feel like riding the brakes all the way down that mountain.  We went over to Franklin and picked up 441 south through Dillard to Clayton GA where we turned onto 76 which takes me right back home through Hiawassee and Young Harris.  It was a peaceful drive.
[simpleviewer gallery_id=”6″]

Rialta

T.O.A.D.

The T.O.A.D. and the dog and I just returned from our first excursion.  We occupied Site 14 at Standing Indian Campground for a couple days.

T.O.A.D.
Transient Operational Auxiliary Dwelling

T.O.A.D.

Events

Whew!!!!

Boy was I happy when I dropped the pan from the Rialta transmission this morning and found no metal shavings or particles attached to the magnet in the bottom. Oh, there was a generous amount of goop. But no evidence of any serious issues. I guess the153,000 miles it traveled have been gentle.
I installed the new dipstick (VW sealed the transmission – no dipstick), cleaned things up a bit, replaced the filter and reinstalled the pan. After filling it and bringing everything up to temperature, everything was dry.
I drove over to Tennessee (around 60 miles round trip). We climbed enough hills to thoroughly heat up the transmission, monitoring the fluid temperature the entire way. For having no after market transmission cooler, it did alright.
So, with that behind us, we’re heading for Standing Indian campground for a couple days, the first of the week.
Let the games begin!
Cheers

Rialta

Up next – transmission fluid change for the Rialta

After reviewing the service records several times I have concluded that the automatic transmission fluid has never been changed. Not in 150,000 miles.
So, how difficult should it be to call around and find a shop that will change it anyway? Next to impossible I discovered. Every shop I contacted within 50 miles said unequivocally NO! Half of them said leave it alone.
Here is the problem. Like so many other manufacturers these days, VW did not include a dipstick for the transmission. They call it “sealed” and state there are no user serviceable parts! I think they recommend changing the fluid every 30,000 – 60,000 miles. Of course, according to VW, the dealer must do it. Probably the biggest reason the dealer needs to do it is that the only way to be assured of the proper fluid level is to open up an overflow hole in the transmission by removing a plug and adding fluid until it runs out while the transmission is at precisely the correct temperature. As in the porridge that Goldilocks encountered, fluid can be much hotter or not hot enough depending upon the amount of time you run the engine. How then does one know when the fluid is at the proper temperature? By connecting the vehicle up to a computer, of course.

So, in a nut shell, here is my dilemma:

  • The fluid has never been changed.
  • The correct formula fluid is not off the shelf stuff.
  • When refilling the transmission, the vehicle must be level and the transmission temperature should be around 104 degrees. (Normal operating temperature is considerably higher.
  • After this many miles, disturbing the fluid can dislodge all sorts of crap that can damage or destroy the transmission.

Thanks to Duane Schwab out in Texas, I now have a dipstick kit. I also purchased a Scangauge 2 (a handy device that will monitor all sorts of things including transmission fluid temperature). I have ordered the gasket, filter and fluid which should be here Thursday.
So, Friday is the day! I’m going to drain the fluid, drop the pan, change the filter, install a dipstick, replace the pan and fill’er up.
It that doesn’t destroy the transmission, I will head to Standing Indian campground on Monday.
I’ll be holding my breath until then.

Events

Planning a short excursion

Well, I think I’m ready to take the Rialta out for a little test camping trip.  We’re going to Standing Indian Campground in North Carolina.  This campground has no electric, water or sewer hook ups so we’ll have a chance to test the stand-alone systems a little.

I have a friend who did some panning in a creek there where he found an abundance of small saphires and rubies.  I’m looking forward to checking this out for myself.

 

 

Rialta

Winnebago Rialta freezer door springs

When I bought the Rialta, it had a miniature spring loaded curtain rod holding the freezer door shut. The previous owner said that the hinge springs were broken and he used the curtain rod to keep the freezer compartment door closed. You see, the freezer door is hinged at the bottom and you pull it open from the top. Without springs, gravity pulls it open.
As with anything I acquire, I’ve spent considerable time researching and reading about it. I found several articles regarding these hinge springs. I even found a YouTube video showing how to replace them.
I searched the interweb and found several in the $8-$12.00 range. Since my general philosophy is: if it’s already broken, I can’t make it much worse if I try to repair it. I carefully removed the door and then the two spring assemblies. Darn, they looked new. I think someone replaced them but didn’t pre-load the springs. Thanks to the information I found, I went ahead and put it all back together using the outlined procedures.
Yippee! The door closes perfectly now.
Another Rialta project completed.
Oh, I also put some durable but cheap carpet down over the original carpet which is in very nice condition. I figured for a couple bucks, I can preserve the original carpet and give the dog the whole floor to lie on without worrying about getting it dirty.
While I was at it, I fitted a piece of rug over the passenger’s seat. Now the dog can ride in style, looking out the window. I know she’ll be happy.

Rialta

Rialta master cylinder.

I mentioned that the one exciting (not in a good way) event during the return trip home was when the brake peddle went to the floor.
It hasn’t happened since. This isn’t very comforting though.
When it happened, I checked around for a master cylinder. According to VW, there are none on the U.S. Winnebago built these Rialtas on VW Eurovan chassis. For some reason, they elected to use a non standard master cylinder. They did not want the factory supplied ABS brakes. I located an aftermarket piece in San Diego for the paltry sum of $312.00 plus freight. Yikes! I tabled the idea and pressed on cautiously.
Yesterday I located one in Great Britian on eBay. I bought it. I mean, brand new and for right at $100.00 including freight, I’d be nuts not to. Right?