Leaving Goshen Behind

Cape Girardeau, MO
Cape Camping and RV Park

Yesterday we picked the coach up at the Keystone Service Center.  

Julie went over the work that was done on our coach.  I was happy to hear that our diagnosis of a bad gallery tank was wrong.  We've heard from other fifth wheel owners of other brands about the tank problems.  

While we were on the tour of the Montana factory we were shown the  tanks that are being used.  I can see why they are so much stronger and better designed than others.

Our problem was in our kitchen island.  Somehow we had a leak under the sink which is probably what we saw leaking out the belly.   

I had mentioned to our service techs that we had rain come in once in the bedroom.  They replaced all the rubber seals and then had it sent to the rain bath to check for leaks.

The kitchen floor looks great and I no longer have duct tape on it.  

Tony, our service tech, also re-torqued our wheels and checked our propane for leaks, which is something they do every time they service a coach.   

All this work and no charge.  Keystone does this every year for the Montana owners during their annual fall rally.  Thank you Keystone for all your support of the MOC.

We left Goshen around 1 pm which is a late start for us.  Our plan was to drive to Caboose RV Park, in Remington.  It used to be a Passport America but they only offer Good Sam now.  At $41.40 for an overnight stop, I think that will be the last time we stay there.  The interstate ramp was about 50 feet from our coach and the noise was horrendous.  

We weren't in any hurry today and the weather forecast was predicting light showers.  Our plan was to take highway 24 west.  It's a two lane road which we normally like.  I don't know if it was the threat of rain showers that made everyone pass us while we were doing the speed limit.
After about the 4th or 5th one that passed when it was unsafe, I suggested we take the interstate.  

The showers were light but we drove in them most of the day.  Our plan was to drive about 200 miles and stop for the night.  

I mentioned that I'd be glad to cross the Mississippi and to be in the west again.  The next thing I knew, we were headed to Cape Giradeau. 

We've stayed at this park before.  I used the Points of Interest for RV Parks on the GPS.  We followed the GPS until it said we had arrived.  It was at the Eagles, in a different section of town.  When we checked in at the RV park, Betty, told me the same thing happened to the people who checked in ahead of us. Confused GPS's?  It's amazing how many times our GPS takes us on a wild ride to nowhere.

It felt good to walk over to the Mexican restaurant for dinner.  We had traveled 346 miles which was a long day in the saddle.  

Tonight we are sleeping in the "west".  It felt very good to cross the Mississippi.

Turtle Safely.....,

Montana Owners Club Fall Rally--last day

Goshen, Indiana

The last day of the rally is always mixed emotions.  I get hitch itch whenever we stay in place for awhile, but it's also hard to say "see 'ya" to old friends and to all the newbies we've met.  

I had an email from Verizon about a new program plan they were offering and wanted to check it out.  In the past, I've always stopped at the Verizon TCC store in Goshen.  For the last two years when I visited the store, I was told to stick with my plan as they couldn't save us any money.  That's why I never had text as I think it was 75 cents per text.  I had text blocked many years ago on that plan.

Robbie helped me save $23.00 per month even though I have a tablet added to my account.  The tablet was on sale for a dollar.  Besides the $23 per month we also get a 15% discount for Bill's former employer. 

Robbie spent all the time I needed to explain everything on the tablet.  He also found that I had added apps to speed up my phone and battery life that had virus in them which he deleted for me.

We had to hurry back to the fairgrounds as the luncheon from Keystone Montana started at noon.  I left the tablet and Robbie finished setting up the tablet.

The luncheon was another fabulous meal from Keystone.  We made a quick trip back to Verizon to pick up the tablet.

Bud and Susie Walsh also changed their plan.  When I went back, I couldn't get my Allstays app to work.  Of course, that is my most used app.  Robbie spent a lot of time, but he had it working for me. 

Following the luncheon, Mark Krol gave a talk on all the exciting new things that Montana is incorporating.  Montana now has the largest oven in the RV industry.  Of course, knowing how much I hate cooking, that wasn't something I was interested in.  It was nice to see how you can now have a wall oven with no bending over and also no more having to light the oven.  It truly is a three burner range now with the placement of the burners.  They also have a model with a residential bathtub and a new style water heater.  I could go on and on but it was exciting to see all the new innovative ideas that are forthcoming. 

Again this year, the honor guard training is being held here. They posed for a photo for me.

Let's hope they never have to put this training to use.

After the Keystone talk, Sharon and Steve Bishoff, Ron and Mary Lichtenberg and Glen and Mary Strom, wagon masters, served the ice cream.

The final raffle drawing was held after the ice cream social.

Bill won a prize.

All attendees were given a jump drive with photos of the rally to take home.

The weather changed and it was cold and windy.  A few sprinkles and the feel of fall.  It's been a great time, we've met more new people and renewed friendships of the members we met at previous rallies.  

The next Montana event will be the Circling of the Wagons in Quartzite in January.

We may stay an additional night if our coach isn't finished.  

Turtle Safely...........

  

Montana Owners Club Fall Rally--Day 5

Goshen, Indiana

I know I'm way behind on this blog, but we've been having so much fun from morning to night, there hasn't been time to blog.  
On Sunday's schedule we attended a Mac the Fire Guy seminar.  If you own an RV you should attend his seminar.  We have attended many, but we continue to learn something new, every time we attend.  Even if you don't have a RV, you'll learn something useful about fire safety.

We also attended a North to Alaska seminar.  I guess Dennis Hill and his loosey goosey bunch have so much information, that we didn't learn anything new.  However, there are all different kinds of people in the world, and what one person likes, the other may not.

Dennis and Linda Ward coordinated the pot luck dinner.  It went very well, and there was plenty of food for everyone.  This year they didn't go green.  Plates were supplied and everyone could get second helpings.  Sometimes with pot lucks, people take huge plates or platters and fill them, but with the same size plates there was plenty of food for everyone including second helpings.  

Nearly every night there is a raffle drawing.  We won four prizes during the week.  There were four TV's given away but that wasn't our prize.  

This is the row of foods that needed electric.

These ladies all attended the free driving school sponsored by Keystone Montana.

Here's the driving school graduates with their certificates.

Monday morning we hooked up in the dark and rain.  Lucky for us the Keystone service center wasn't far away.  We pulled in at 6:30 am found the Persons were in line ahead of us.  

Of course after we left Keystone, we headed straight for the Lux cafe.  It wasn't long before the Van Nuys and Persons walked in behind us.  

We went directly back to the fairground as we wanted to attend the Progressive and Dometic seminars.  

Our tour of the Montana factory was scheduled for 1:20.  By the time we arrived, we didn't even have time for the refreshments before the tour began.  

Not a chance of us using our coach in the cold, but I understand why Montana's are so popular in extreme climates with the way the water lines are run.  No wonder I never heard of one with frozen water lines.  

I love the power cord reels that they have in the Legacy line.  I'm sure the In Command System is a great seller, but just having color coded electric wiring is a big plus.

I was surprised that the front cap automotive window is such a big seller.  Coming from Arizona, I just think of the heat but I suppose seeing out the upper front would be really romantic given some of the scenery in the United States.  I also think that front kitchen model is selling like hot cakes.  

We did have Mark Krol as our tour leader.  When someone in our group suggested moving something over a couple of inches in the control panel, Mark immediately said that was a great idea.  He took a photo and made notes of the suggestion.  

Mark asked us our opinion of the new MORryde steps they are now installing.  I believe there were mixed opinions of those, but he said if you didn't want those, you could have the older style.  Bill and I ordered a set from Gary Wheeler.  They install them free and give a great rally discount.  When I saw them installed with the slide out, I realized they come out too far for us to use when you are in a rest stop, so we canceled our order.

I could go on and on about all the new and innovative things Keystone is doing.  

At the end of the tour the new models were displayed.  It's amazing how different they look from last year's models.  Remember, years ago when people used to wait for the new car models to come out.  Those were the days when you could glance at a car and know what year and make it was.  Now all the cars look pretty much the same.  There's no desire to buy a new one, if your old works and looks fine.  I remember my parents buying a new car every year.  I think the new designs in the Montana's will be the same as those new model cars used to be. 

After the factory tour, we visited the customer service center.  We took this tour last year.  We were an hour late for the tour, as we spent longer in the factory and checking out the new models.  It didn't matter that we were so late, they gave us the tour anyway.  

It seemed strange in the customer service area as the employees had left for the day and even stranger seeing our home sitting in the service bay.  

We headed straight back to the fairgrounds as Keystone had the evening meal for us.  It was a great meal and there was plenty of food for everyone. 

Carolyn and Craig Mills were hosting the card bingo and we really wanted to attend but we were so tired from getting up so early, we didn't stay.

Turtle Safely.........

Montana Owners Club Fall Rally--Day 5

Goshen, Indiana

I know I'm way behind on this blog, but we've been having so much fun from morning to night, there hasn't been time to blog.  
On Sunday's schedule we attended a Mac the Fire Guy seminar.  If you own an RV you should attend his seminar.  We have attended many, but we continue to learn something new, every time we attend.  Even if you don't have a RV, you'll learn something useful about fire safety.

We also attended a North to Alaska seminar.  I guess Dennis Hill and his loosey goosey bunch have so much information, that we didn't learn anything new.  However, there are all different kinds of people in the world, and what one person likes, the other may not.

Dennis and Linda Ward coordinated the pot luck dinner.  It went very well, and there was plenty of food for everyone.  This year they didn't go green.  Plates were supplied and everyone could get second helpings.  Sometimes with pot lucks, people take huge plates or platters and fill them, but with the same size plates there was plenty of food for everyone including second helpings.  

Nearly every night there is a raffle drawing.  We won four prizes during the week.  There were four TV's given away but that wasn't our prize.  

This is the row of foods that needed electric.

These ladies all attended the free driving school sponsored by Keystone Montana.

Here's the driving school graduates with their certificates.

Monday morning we hooked up in the dark and rain.  Lucky for us the Keystone service center wasn't far away.  We pulled in at 6:30 am found the Persons were in line ahead of us.  

Of course after we left Keystone, we headed straight for the Lux cafe.  It wasn't long before the Van Nuys and Persons walked in behind us.  

We went directly back to the fairground as we wanted to attend the Progressive and Dometic seminars.  

Our tour of the Montana factory was scheduled for 1:20.  By the time we arrived, we didn't even have time for the refreshments before the tour began.  

Not a chance of us using our coach in the cold, but I understand why Montana's are so popular in extreme climates with the way the water lines are run.  No wonder I never heard of one with frozen water lines.  

I love the power cord reels that they have in the Legacy line.  I'm sure the In Command System is a great seller, but just having color coded electric wiring is a big plus.

I was surprised that the front cap automotive window is such a big seller.  Coming from Arizona, I just think of the heat but I suppose seeing out the upper front would be really romantic given some of the scenery in the United States.  I also think that front kitchen model is selling like hot cakes.  

We did have Mark Krol as our tour leader.  When someone in our group suggested moving something over a couple of inches in the control panel, Mark immediately said that was a great idea.  He took a photo and made notes of the suggestion.  

Mark asked us our opinion of the new MORryde steps they are now installing.  I believe there were mixed opinions of those, but he said if you didn't want those, you could have the older style.  Bill and I ordered a set from Gary Wheeler.  They install them free and give a great rally discount.  When I saw them installed with the slide out, I realized they come out too far for us to use when you are in a rest stop, so we canceled our order.

I could go on and on about all the new and innovative things Keystone is doing.  

At the end of the tour the new models were displayed.  It's amazing how different they look from last year's models.  Remember, years ago when people used to wait for the new car models to come out.  Those were the days when you could glance at a car and know what year and make it was.  Now all the cars look pretty much the same.  There's no desire to buy a new one, if your old works and looks fine.  I remember my parents buying a new car every year.  I think the new designs in the Montana's will be the same as those new model cars used to be. 

After the factory tour, we visited the customer service center.  We took this tour last year.  We were an hour late for the tour, as we spent longer in the factory and checking out the new models.  It didn't matter that we were so late, they gave us the tour anyway.  

It seemed strange in the customer service area as the employees had left for the day and even stranger seeing our home sitting in the service bay.  

We headed straight back to the fairgrounds as Keystone had the evening meal for us.  It was a great meal and there was plenty of food for everyone. 

Carolyn and Craig Mills were hosting the card bingo and we really wanted to attend but we were so tired from getting up so early, we didn't stay.

Turtle Safely.........

Montana Owners Club Fall Rally--Day 4

Goshen, Indiana
Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds

This morning was the potluck brunch.  I couldn't believe how many different dishes there were for the this brunch.  I had thought about visiting the Mennonite Relief Sale, but by the time the brunch was over, so was the relief sale.  

I've said it before and those of you who have followed this blog know that Bill and I enjoy RV rallies.  We've met RVers from across the USA.  Of all the rallies we've attended, none are as much fun or informative to us as the Montana Owners Club Rally.   Every one is so friendly and helpful.  Even the newbies have joined in like they are veterans.  It still amazes me how much Montana does for its owners.

There are so many smiling faces with a lot of talking and laughter.  Every day just gets better and better.  

The annual group photo was taken in front of the barn.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera ready when the photographer fell off the truck.  Luckily, no one was hurt.

Every couple had a photo taken.  I guess we didn't break the camera, as they still took photos after us.  

I was coordinator last year for the White Elephant and I'll be doing it again this year but I also hosted the Tips and Tricks for Ladies.  

This was a new event and I couldn't believe how many ladies attended.  I was very nervous about doing this as this was something new added this year.  I thought it went very well.  I was so surprised when some of the ladies commented on how much they enjoyed the seminar.

I know that Montana listens to its customers but they don't just listen to the men, they also pay attention to things the women say.  

The men also had a tips and tricks seminar.  

Before I knew it, it was time for the Saturday night social.  Keystone's Montana division hired a great band for the social.  The Bobby Dunne Band played some great music and there were lots of people dancing.  Once again, thank you Montana for the great evening of music.

Notice all the people dancing.  Bill and I weren't up there dancing.  My recovered shattered heel reminds me that those days are over.  

I'm way behind on blogging and probably won't get caught up until after the rally.  

Turtle Safely........

Montana Owners Club Fall Rally--Day 3

Goshen, Indiana
Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds

Our day started with a factory tour of MoRryde.  The group was divided into 5 or 6 smaller groups.  We felt lucky as we had Gary Wheeler as our tour guide.  He's been with the company for a very long time.  I believe he said he began there around 1995 when they had 35 employees.  Today he said they have 817.  It's amazing how much the company has expanded in the short time we've been coming there.

Of course, there's always something new from the year before.  They always offer special prices with free installation.  

MoRryde supplies a nice lunch for the rally participants.  There were tables full of t-shirts for everyone and in every color.  

Suburban had a seminar and gave out free anodes for our water heater.  

Bill and I attended the Tredit seminar.  They make the wheels for the Montana fifth wheels.  It was interesting to learn that all tires for cars and fifth wheels are made in China.  Tredit announced they will have the only American made tire.

Winegard gave a seminar on antennas.  I told the speaker about my problem with over the air stations on the living room TV.  He said he'd come over and see if he could find the problem.  It was nearly 9 pm when he left.  Susie knew we hadn't eaten so she fixed our dinner for us. 

I had my heart set on the Mennonite Relief Sale because they serve the haystack dinner.  I never had a chance to even step into the buildings next to us to see any part of the relief sale.  

Turtle Safely.........

Montana Owners Club Fall Rally--Day 2

Goshen, IN
Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds


It's been busy and fun here at the Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds.

I forgot to include the group photo of the newbies in yesterday's blog.  

In the morning we toured the Middlebury Hardwoods plant.  

We toured it last year, and returned again this year.  Of course they had boxes of Rise N Roll donuts before our tour began.  

We were told that they have 15 semi trucks full of wood delivered weekly.  

It was interesting how the cabinets were made.  I was surprised that they had some rubber balls that allowed for movement in the dryness of the southwestern states.  

They run two shifts of employees to fill the orders.  We were shown the difference that Montana requires in their coaches from some of the other brands.

There was a ladies driving school put on by Montana going on at the same time.  Can you imagine a company giving you brand new coaches and instructors to women that in some cases have never driven the truck. Men were not allowed.  

In the afternoon, everyone had an appointment with a service tech.  You had 15 minutes time allotted.  I was finished in six minutes.  I did show them, my boo boo with the kitchen floor.  They also seem to think I may have a cracked galley tank.  We are scheduled to take it to Keystone on Monday to have it repaired.  

Did I mention that Jason and Steven climbed up on the roof to check everything out?

There were afternoon seminars on Dexter Axles, Hand Signal Class and RV Weight and Tire Safety.  Bill attended some of them and I attended a craft class.  I know everyone is laughing about me in a craft class.  We made a Christmas ornament and a dish with a sponge painted pumpkin.  I felt pretty good that I actually finished the project.  

In the evening we went to Miller's Country Kitchen.  They have an Amish dinner for us.  This year it was in their home instead of the building.  They are getting older and the children are all married so they don't have any help.  It was limited to 30 people.  One thing nice was that it was much easier to park with less vehicles.  The other group went to Amish Acres.

We don't do the campfires as the smoke seems to bother Bill, besides we were tired.  

Turtle Safely........

Montana Owners Club Fall Rally--Day 1

Goshen, IN
Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds

It's official, the 13th annual fall rally has begun.  We go to a lot of rallies and events, but I have to say this is our favorite.  We've met many nice people here.  Everyone is extremely helpful and friendly.  

We helped with the parking crew.

I sit by the sign and wave the newcomers into the right gate and then welcome them.

I caught myself in time, to avoid waving in the wrong brand.

I really almost goofed.  I must say I have noticed that my cataracts have affected my vision.  I got so excited I almost flagged in a Lowe's truck.  It was white with blue lettering.

Notice Ron is upright on his bicycle.  He did have an accident, but I didn't get the camera out in time.  He declined to do it again for a photo opportunity.

Susie and I made a quick trip to Shipshewana flea market and were back before noon.  I'm sure that is a record fast trip.

All of the above photos were early arrivals.

Most of the coaches arrived early, but we had a steady flow in Wednesday morning.  

Everyone was in by registration time except for two rigs.

I have no idea, but being as calendar and time challenged as I am, I missed the coordinator's meeting.

But, I was on time for the Meet and Greet event.  I will say that the Montana owners have some great cooks, excluding me.  

This is the cold food tables.

Lot's of hot foods were available.  All this and we haven't had a potluck yet.  

It was very noisy as people greeted old friends and met new ones.

There was a prize drawing but we didn't win anything.

I think I counted 6 tables full of prizes.

Turtle Safely.......