• About

Time to ChILL

~ A Journey to see What's Next

Time to ChILL

Tag Archives: Island Time

First Outing of the Season with Extended Crew

14 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by captskip55 in Adventures

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Ft Wilderness, Island Time

First Outing of the Season with Extended Crew

It’s a new season of camping and a new season for our family as we are now camping with two of our grandsons when we go family camping. This year we have increased the crew on the Island Time to include both, Logan and Gavin. It is such a treat and privilege to be able to have special time with them and build our relationship for the years to come.

Since our first adventure was scheduled for March 13th we needed to get the Island Time prepared for the season while still winterized. We took the trailer to Camping World of St Augustine for wheel bearing and roof maintenance and asked them to service the refrigerator and water heater as well as clean and detail the exterior. I have to tell you, I could not be more impressed with their service. When they pulled the Island Time around for us to take home, it look brand new. Everything was spotless, the exterior shined, the black on the frame was fresh and the awning stains were gone. Truly amazing.

Our season opened with a weekend trip to our favorite campground, Fort Wilderness at Disney World, but without our dogs. We were concerned that with having both Logan and Gavin on board that it might be just too much confusion for the dogs little poodle brains to manage. While Sailor is a trained therapy dog and can be very gentle, when they are both together we sometimes get more assertive pack behavior from them. Since they were not raised around children, when pushed too far they react to children as they would react to other dogs. They are usually good boys, but why add that variable to the equation.

We arrived at out campsite, #1454 around 2:00 PM and after fully un-winterizing, were ready for the fun to begin. Wes brought Logan and Gavin around 4:30 PM and the fun began! Wes stayed for burgers on the grill and then headed back home. We had a great evening, getting things sorted out, taking a golf cart ride and setting up the transformer bed. Yep, setting up the transformer bed. This is the first time we have converted the dinette table to a bed and it was an exciting event. Gavin slept in the new transformer bed, while Logan slept in the other transformer bed. A little Netflix and it was lights out for all of us.

The next day started around 6:30 AM with breakfast and some games leading to a trip to the playground and a boat ride. We rode the boat to the Magic Kingdom and had it entirely to ourselves on the return ride. After the boat ride and a little more playground time, we explored the horse stables where the boys took a pony ride. It was great fun with each boy getting their own pony which was led by an adult. The ponies were more than tame, but had a mind of their own and sometimes wanted to stop and visit with their other pony friends. Our ponies were well behaved as were the boys.

The afternoon was filled with lunch and more playground time, a few games and Logan’s birthday party. Grandma Jeannie had decorated the site with Happy Birthday banners and provided cake pops along with a special birthday candle that spun and make sparks. A good time was had by all.

In the evening after dinner everyone had their baths and then we went to the campfire to make S’mores. We even met Dale, of Chip and Dales! After the campfire it was off to bed.

Before we knew it the weekend was over. Loretta, Wes and Tyler picked up Logan and Gavin in the morning and after a brief golf cart ride headed home. Just like that the action packed weekend was over.

We had a nice and uneventful journey home with a big smile on our faces. A little tired, but already making plans for another family camping event over Memorial Day weekend. How fun!

A new year and new adventures, let’s go!

Thanks,

Captain Skip

Time to make some S'Mores at the campfire

Time to make some S’Mores at the campfire

Logan takes a ride on Blaze

Logan takes a ride on Blaze

Gavin takes a ride on Nemo

Gavin takes a ride on Nemo

Time for a boat ride to the Magic Kingdom at Ft Wilderness

Time for a boat ride to the Magic Kingdom at Ft Wilderness

Time for games at Ft Wilderness

Time for games at Ft Wilderness

Island Time Loses Bearings Runs Aground

05 Saturday Jul 2014

Posted by captskip55 in Adventures

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bearings, Island Time

Island Time Loses Bearings Runs Aground

This is not the Fourth of July weekend that we had planned, at all! All week we had been counting down the days to the long weekend at Hanna Park. We had reserved our site in February and were gathering our favorite outdoor camping meal recipes and getting the Ham Radio ready for some time.

It was not to be. Instead, we were to get an education in adventuring with a travel trailer. It should have been a warning that about half way there the new ML350 gave us a warning that the right rear trailer taillight was out. For most of the way there we thought that was our biggest worry.

About on half mile from Hanna Park someone drove up alongside us and yelled out their window something about our rear trailer tire. I looked back in the mirror and I could see smoke from the driver-side rear tire on the trailer. I slowed down because I thought we had a flat tire and limped along a few blocks until I could make a safe turn onto the road to Hanna Park. As soon as I got out of the car, I could see an occasional flame shoot out of the wheel-bearing opening. Not good.

As luck would have it, a mechanic was across the street waiting on members of his party to arrive. He and I took a look at it and it was a smoking mess. The wheel cover was gone, the grease seal was gone, the castle nut was missing, the bearings were gone and the wheel was just hanging on. We were stunned.

After calling Coach-Net for assistance and getting a mechanic on the way, we limped into the gates of Hanna Park so that we could at least have security protection. Shortly the mobile mechanic arrived and was able to cleanup the mess and get the trailer so that it could be moved for a short distance if necessary.

The Mechanic speculated that the axle had never had a cotter pin put through the castle nut that holds the bearing assembly in place. As a result, the castle nut backed off and eventually fell off releasing the bearings and grinding them to pieces. The drum got so hot that it melted a portion of the seal area, making it impossible to reuse.

Totally dejected and still in shock, we had no choice but to abandon the trailer at the gate at 9:00 PM at night, unpack and head home. I let security know what was going on and they indicated that they would watch it overnight for us and to call the office at 8:00 AM the next morning.

At 8:00 AM the next day I contacted Hanna Park Management and let them know what was going on and that I would be working on getting it out of there as soon as possible. I then started working with our extended warranty and travel interruption insurance provider CornerStone United to get the Island Time relocated to the dealer for service. The Mobile Mechanic had suggested that we limp along on three wheels to the dealer about 20 miles away. That would entail going over the Dames Point Bridge and I could just see having the overloaded tire blow out there, so that was not an option.

CornerStone did find a local towing company that tows big rigs and busses that could bring a Landoll flatbed trailer and load the Island Time and deliver to the RV dealer. We were able to maneuver the trailer out of Hanna Park and these guys were really good and were able to load the trailer onto the Landoll. Billy and his partner from Southern Crane were amazing and delivered the trailer to the RV dealer without any issue.

At this point I have talked with the RV dealer and they are going to secure the trailer in their service area and take a look at it on Monday. They are also helping to build a file to submit to CornerStone for coverage of the parts and service. We will see how that goes.

When it is all said and done, this should have never happened. It was not a lack of care or maintenance on my part, but I now know how and where to watch for problems. I will include an annual personal inspection of the bearings to be sure they are functioning properly and that they are secured properly. We also learned a great deal about how to use roadside assistance and what can be done in the field. As we travel there will be the occasional tire or even car problem and we are better prepared as a result of this. We will never have a bearing problem like this again. I will see to that.

We need a new axle because the spindle is damaged on the old one. I will have them service the other wheels while that have it and go over it with a fine-toothed comb. Everything can be fixed.

When we were done dropping the trailer at the dealer we were already starting to regain our perspective and ended up laughing at parts of it. We are going to continue our cruising on land and ended up laughing at singing road, road, road, your boat… The Island Time will be fine, we will be fine and we will continue the adventure knowing that we are wiser and more experienced and the Lord keeps us safe in the palm of his hand. Amen.

Thanks,

Captain Skip

This was all that was left of the wheel bearings

This was all that was left of the wheel bearings

Island Time being loaded on trailer

Island Time being loaded on trailer

Newer posts →

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • June 2020
  • October 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • February 2018
  • July 2016
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • March 2015
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013

Categories

  • Adventures

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×