The Long, Long Trailer Trip

[Douglas Knudson]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. We enjoy the posts! Doug & Michelle

[Frederick L. Simson]

Since we need to make time to see The OZ Museum tomorrow, we overshot the KOA in Limon, CO and came to "The Shady Grove" in Seibert, CO. Nice little family run park.

Attachment 22027


I got to add the [b]COLORADO sticker to my trailer!!!

Last episode, we left our heroes in Colorado.
We are presently in St. Louis, and it is Sunday- 4 days later...
We survived a car breakdown and missing the Oz Museum.
Add my voice to the disappointment in the AAA.

But now we've been enjoying the family reunion...
I'll post a better update when I have more time...
Tune in next time

[Robin G]

Frederick, Seibert? Ewwwwwww! LOL................

Wish you two would have stayed in the Denver area. I would have come taken you for some good Mexican food and a few rita's........................... Next time you come thru Colorado, We would love to meet you. Have a safe journey.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Frederick, Seibert? Ewwwwwww! LOL...

We-e-e-e-ll-ll-ll...
We had originally planned on staying in the Limon, CO KOA.

But... back to our story...
Last Wednesday (the 22nd), we raced through Colorado because we wanted to allow time for the OZ Museum.

[b]Thursday, July 23, 2009
Up at 6 AM and on the road by 7:45. We make good time, and by 2:30 PM we're taking the off ramp for the OZ museum. We stop at the stop sign at the bottom of the ramp and it happens:

CHECK ENGINE * flash * CHECK ENGINE * flash * CHECK ENGINE * flash *

...and the once smooth idle becomes really, really rough.

We call AAA... and argue about whether I actually have the RV endorsement that I paid for on my membership.
Apparently, since I am a member of the Automobile Club of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, it doesn't amount to anything of value in Eastern KANSAS. Since the TRAILER ain't broke, they're not going to do anything about it. They didn't even inform the Tow Truck that I HAD a trailer; even though I specifically told the 3 operators that I spoke with about it.

The tow Driver has me follow him for 3 miles to his garage, engine sputtering and CHECK ENGINE light flashing all the way. (He never hooked up because he didn't have a rig capable of handling both the car AND the trailer.)

He found the problem once he put the code reader on; (bad coil for the #2 spark plug) and replaced it. (Had to send his daughter 20 miles down the road and back to fetch the part).



We're back on the road by 5:30. After the OZ Museum has closed.

I guess I'm going to join Good Sam's.

[Frederick L. Simson]

So...
We continue down the road to the KOA in Lawrence, Kansas.

[Frederick L. Simson]

...and I can add KANSAS to my Map.

[Gina D.]

tell triple ey that you are sending flying monkeys

[Frederick L. Simson]

Friday, July 24, 2009
We leave Lawrence, Kansas and arrive at Babler Memorial State Park by 3:00 PM. The Family Reunion is at the Chesterfield Doubletree Hotel.



Camp B= Babler Campground
Family 3= Doubletree Hotel

[Robin G]

We-e-e-e-ll-ll-ll...
We had originally planned on staying in the Limon, CO KOA.

Limon? Not exactly another beautiful Colorado town.................... , But I understand your plan to see Oz so that would make Limon a stop. Sorry you missed your museum destination, I bet it would have been worth the visit. Maybe next time. I know how frustrating and time consumning veichle break downs can be in remote areas. But thankfully your experiance didn't turn into days of waiting for parts to arrive. Enjoy you family reunion! And Thanks for the travel saga of the Long, Long Trailer Trip. Safe Journey home.



When we had the resort, our guest seemed to have good experiences with Good Sam as well as Geiko. From what I saw, Geiko really took good care with their customers. I got several calls from Geiko asking if we had a site for one of their customers that had broke down, say over a weekend when repair shops were closed. If I had a space they would tow the rv in, then come back on Monday morning and pick the rv and guest up to head off to the repair shop. Once they towed in a 5er and brought a rental car along and left their customers till their truck was fixed. And with every experience I had with them, they would call the resort and ask me if the rv'ers and the rv where picked up at the appointed time by the tow truck driver. To say the least I was impressed from what I saw. I don't even have Geiko Insurance so I suppose their customers would be better to get info from as it could be a different experience from their end. But as I said, from what I saw they took care of rv'ers. Good Luck! Robin


Robin

[Frederick L. Simson]

[b]Friday, July 24, 2009
We leave Lawrence, Kansas and arrive at Babler Memorial State Park by 3:00 PM.

The park is beautiful, with a road thru wooded areas that open up to a clearing.



We look at this point to the right:



And we continue on our way...


for a sign that would tell us where the campground is...

[Frederick L. Simson]

... so we drive and drive. Wow, this is a big park.
Finally we come to a clearing. We look to the left and see:





Then we spot a sign that may be what we are looking for:





The campground is ahead. I am looking for a ROAD that the campground would be on...
... we drive and drive...

[Frederick L. Simson]

...we drive and drive...
...we come to another clearing. We look to the left and what do we see???




They sure have a lot of statues in this park...

Wait a minute!

I look to the right




SO... I drive very s-l-o-w-l-y, looking all around, this time. I'm looking for a ROAD
but finally see...




It is NOT a road, it's a DRIVEWAY!

[George Cathcart]

We call AAA... and argue about whether I actually have the RV endorsement that I paid for on my membership.
Apparently, since I am a member of the Automobile Club of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, it doesn't amount to anything of value in Eastern KANSAS. Since the TRAILER ain't broke, they're not going to do anything about it. They didn't even inform the Tow Truck that I HAD a trailer; even though I specifically told the 3 operators that I spoke with about it.

The tow Driver has me follow him for 3 miles to his garage, engine sputtering and CHECK ENGINE light flashing all the way. (He never hooked up because he didn't have a rig capable of handling both the car AND the trailer.)

I guess I'm going to join Good Sam's.

Frederick, that's a classic example of why we folks out here in the country and who travel lots through remote areas (read: northern AZ and southern UT) can't rely on AAA. I now know many first hand stories about trailers (even RV's) being "abandoned" by AAA only because their local contracted service did not have adequate equipment. After a lifetime enjoying Auto Club of Southern California, we transferred our membership to Colorado AAA (and upgraded to their RV add-on after buying the Casita). Locally their service was fine with our cars (dead battery or lockout) but once we first got our trailer, we saw a friend isolated by AAA/RV out in the middle of the Navajo Nation. That was enough. At least Good Sam Emergency Road Service knows you are towing or are in an RV.

One caveat I've noticed with Good Sam: when you are up for ERS renewal, Good Sam has the Bad habit of automatically sending you a renewal bill for their [b]Platinum (upgraded) ERS at [b]$ additional, rather than your standard ERS. 95% of our fiberglass owners have no need for that extra Platinum service. Oh yeah, another caveat: opt-out every place you can for their mailings and e-mailings. They compete with AARP when it comes to filling your mail boxes with c**p, while destroying forests with useless snail mail.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Friday, July 24, 2009 continued...
I finally find the campground! After driving in circles for almost an hour. It's actually very close to the entrance, on the left, before you get to the Visitor's Center. I go to the Visitor's Center after checking in.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I then get a close-up picture of the Statue... Which is close to the Visitor's Center... Which is close to the entrance to the Campground...

[Frederick L. Simson]

Later that evening, my family decides to bring the reunion to our campsite. So we have 20 people around our picnic table. ...and I forget to get out the camera.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Saturday, July 25, 2009
My family is distantly related to Daniel Boone, so we visit The Historic Daniel Boone Home.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Our genealogical connection is through Daniel Boone's younger brother, Squire Boone, who was named after their father.
See Photo #24 in this series of pictures.
There was a professor who was happy that we were descendants. He wanted to photograph us in front of Squire's house.
(I'm the Guy in the Black Flamingo Shirt, and Crocodile Dundee Hat on the right...)



Squire never lived in this house. In fact, he never finished building it.
His wife refused to move to Missouri, so he went back to where she was...

[Frederick L. Simson]

Sunday, July 26, 2009
While other family members go to attractions nearby, my sister decides to come back to our campsite with Dad, Brother, Aunt, and hang out with us.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Monday, July 27, 2009
We leave St. Louis and drive until we get just past Oklahoma City.



El Reno West KOA campground at Interstate 40 exit 108

This is very close to where my Grandparents had a 160 acre farm between Hinton and Binger, OK.