The wind stopped by the next morning. I headed east out of El Paso with no whirling dust clouds in sight, lots of sun, a determination that West Texas would not defeat me and a new mini-vacuum to clean up the grit.
This part of the US is the least inviting of all my travels but, since it is the fastest route to Ft Worth, I go as fast as I can. I even break my 'only 3-hours-driving-per-day' rule to get it over with faster.
By the time I reached Midland it was raining--hard--and did not stop for 24 hours. Daisy and I sat in the Cracker Barrel parking lot and waited.
If I thought the sandstorm was the worst West Texas would throw at me, I was wrong. Spirit sprang a leak! Right over Daisy's bed. The whole upper bunk
above the driver's and passenger's seats was wet. Very wet.
Another day lost. Immediately, I unloaded all the storage stuff off the wet bunk-- and there was a lot of stuff.
I raised the mattress up onto glasses to dry it out and set up a fan is to try and stop mildew.
The water stains on the mattress (note the stains to the left of the fan) are my souvenir. The turmoil of boxes would torture me for a week before I could get into Camping World to find and seal the leak.
My reward was to finally see Aunt Louise and Suzanne again.
I would be camping in the parking lot behind Aunt Louise's apartment complex for the next few weeks.
I would be camping in the parking lot behind Aunt Louise's apartment complex for the next few weeks.
Daisy was so happy to see grass instead of sand, rocks and cactus. The moment she jumped out of the RV she stretched out in the soft cool green carpet , with legs spread-eagle, and just lay there. I think she was also frustrated by the grit, the inability to move around in our living space, the rain, and the confinement caused by endless driving.
One week later Camping World went to work and recaulked every place they could find on the roof. Last night we experienced another major rain storm--HOORAY! No water anywhere inside!
Did I mention how much I enjoy crossing West Texas?
It's always a pain when things go sour and cause more problems.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy your West Texas travels.
It's about time.
Hm.. I agree with you about West Texas. B O R I N G and the only thing to do is counting miles. Wonder how an almost new RV can leak that bad. Generally, I am not impressed with the quality of American-made RVs. Too many issues.
ReplyDeleteMy son reminded me that the RoadTrek also leaked in the Spring whenever I drove away from Az. We now think the dry air may be the cause by drying out the caulking in the seams. I agree about the quality of workmanship and materials. The 15 year old RoadTrek was better built than this brand new Winnebago (door locks, fixtures, upholstery, etc). I also wish they would consult a woman about decor, colors, kitchen convenience, ease of maintenance, etc. My biggest complaint is how much muscle it takes when dumping the tanks. I have taken to lifting weights.
ReplyDelete"Happy Easter, Peter"
Say hi to Aunt Louise!
ReplyDelete