Fall Carlisle Swap Meet

Poor Margarita...she sits in the rain next to the garage we couldn't fit her into without removing the AC unit from the roof. Meanwhile, Dan is off at Carlisle again. He been going to this Fall Carlisle swap meet with a fellow GMC owner for years now. I always believed it was just GMC motorhomes but he called me the other day to let me know about this "sweet" little station wagon that he saw. It was from the late 80's and very likely had the faux wood siding. The only thing that was shocking about this particular car was the size. It was smaller than he normally gravitates toward. The man is sick I tell you! There has got to be a support group for men who like big, ugly cars. Not that Margarita is ugly, because she's not. But you have to admit that she's big. A car doesn't get much bigger than that.

So here is the description for Carlisle straight from their website (see link above). "The Fall Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet and Corral marks the end of the swap meet season each year and is an absolute must-attend event for thousands of enthusiasts who travel to Carlisle from all points of the globe to buy, sell and celebrate all things automotive. This is a fun-filled weekend the entire family will enjoy. While exploring the 102 acres and 8,100 vending spaces, you will marvel at one of the largest automotive swap meets in the world. Carlisle is the place to purchase any of the 2,000 vehicles at the car corral where you can slip behind the wheel and get a feel for the vehicle. Even better, you can deal directly with the car owner to work out the best price. This is where you can buy, sell and trade with total confidence. All roads lead to Carlisle, PA where you’ll find a community of passionate motorheads and a commitment to superb service that can only be achieved through more than three decades of know-how."

I used bold font to highlight the reasons I stay home. Not that I don't have a great fondness for Margarita, I just can't see myself as part of all of that CELEBRATION.

They took his buddy's motorhome as they always do. I really hope they will NOT be towing a "Sweet little station wagon" home behind them.

Big Yellowstone Trip

Margarita made it!! She shuttled our butts all the way to Yellowstone and back. We kind of had to wonder just how many times she had made the trip with various previous owners.

Yup, spent the first night in a Walmart parking lot. Why not??

Our first "real" camping location was Jellystone in Sioux Falls South Dakota.



Our first issue was the alternater. Unfortunately that lead to a hole in the radiator. Spent the night in another Walmart parking lot but with the radiator repaired and the alternate replaced we were on our way the next day. Rapid City, South Dakota.

Yup, we had to back track an hour to get to Wall Drug but what trip out west would be complete without Wall Drug????



The Badlands. It was HOT!!! We did Mt Rushmore that day too.


KOA in Deadwood, South Dakota.


Deadwood, SD

Devil's Tower. Way cool!!


Camping at Lost Cabin Campground in Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming. Delightful campground hosts here!!



Next night was at Wapiti Campground in Shoshone National Forest WITH power!!



This is the first picture from Yellowstone. We spent 5 WONDERFUL days in Yellowstone.

Having a Motorhome in Yellowstone is THE way to go. There is LOTS to see and do but restaurants are not cheap and the wait for a table can be long. It sure is nice to come back after a hike and grab something cold to drink out of the refrigerator.


I love this shot of Margarita and the Yellowstone bus.

This was hands down the COOLEST campsite. One day we popped out the north end of Yellowstone for the night and camped in the Canyon Campground of the Gallatin National Forest. These huge rocks were scattered everywhere. Even the dog had fun climbing up on them.

We just had to get a shot like this. This is at the North Entrance of Yellowstone just past the stone entry arch.




Grand Tetons


Wyoming is really a neat state. I LOVE these rocks!

The shot from above and below is from Guernsey State Park in Wyoming.

Mary the Dog. The driver's seat was HER spot as long as the coach was not moving.

Car Hinge in Alliance Nebraska. That was a little out of the way but a MUST SEE!! We had also done Fort Laramie and the Oregon Trail museum in Scottsbluff on this day. Made for a history filled day. Yes, the old cars of Car Hinge were history.

We tried to find a campground that night but must have missed it in the dark. Found out that the windshield can withstand an encounter with a rather big bird that night. We finally ended up in a Pamida parking lot.


GMC dealership in Kearney Nebraska. Killion Motors is a GMC motorhome friendly shop. The owner has one of his own. They happened to see us across the street at the auto parts store. Needed a belt. They invited us over.

We did stay at a State Park in Nebraska but it was pricey and NOT very well cared for.


This was the big breakdown and yes, tears were shed. This time it was the waterpump. Lots of parts come off for the water pump. The sign said 77 miles to DesMoines. Luckily we pulled into the end of a driveway of a super nice family who lived just off of the freeway. We could not have survived this breakdown without them. And yes, that is an Iowa cornfield. I just knew we would end up stuck next to a cornfield at some point. We ended up in Anita State Park that night. It was about 20 minutes from this spot.


Last campground stay was at Illinois State Park right on the Illinois River. That was neat.

It was a great trip and traveling in a VINTAGE motorhome was rather fun. We got a lot of thumbs up, smiles, and nods from people on the road. Not sure what the next trip will be.

Startin' to look GOOD!

The new head liner when in a few days ago and a neighbor helped put the front and rear interior ceiling caps back in yesterday.





Today is the big day for the cabinets and the last of the seats/bunks to be reinstalled. Several other things have happened like the latch being replace on the vac door and general cleaning...just boring stuff like that.

I finished sewing the windshield drapes late last night and will post a picture of those later. I will work on the back window covering today. We're still waiting on the blinds to arrive.

A few random shots and an Update

There has been quite a bit of activity in and around Margarita lately. My husband comes home everyday from his day job and works on her until dark sets in and he runs the risk of mosquitoes carrying him away.

• All of the windows have now been resealed.
• The rims have been replaced and she has brand new tires.
• Dan broke the toilet getting it out...I'm still not quite sure why that had to come out...but an new one is on it's way.
• New blinds are on order.
• I am working on the curtains for the front windshield and the back window.
• Lots of mechanical stuff got looked at, updated, and/or fixed.
• Headliner fabric is awaiting our pick up as well as the thin plywood for that job.
  
• All of the molded plastic ceiling/wall parts got repaired and repainted.
  
• A Fantastic Fan went in and the AC is working great!
• I think the power inverter was replaced but that could have been something else.
• The two seats from the rear and the top bunk have received a good outside scrubbing and are ready to go back in. The dinette and the bottom bunk are next.
• Expensive mattress topper was purchased for the "Bed" in the back.
• Fresh water tank has been repaired
• Hot water tank got resealed and has been replaced
• Black water tank was repaired
• Foam insulation added in various locations
  

I am betting that there is a whole lot of other stuff done...either that or my husband just likes to lay underneath it for the sheer joy of it.





I'm happy that the dog is making her self at home in there. Nothing says "OURS" like a good ol' layer her dog fur covering it. Seriously though, she is not much of a car traveler and is even rather uncomfortable in other people's homes. I am really hoping that the motorhome will be just an extension of the house for her so that her travel anxiety is reduced.

I will be adding specific blog topics on the tires, the headliner, the plastic ceiling/wall pieces, the blinds, the window seals, the curtains and anything else I have receipts and pictures for.

More to come!

New stuff coming

We are currently pricing out window seals and tires. When we find the best deal possible with the best customer service, I will post our findings here for everyone.

Magarita gets her Groove on!

Well, thanks to a recall by Alcoa, Margarita got some brand spankin' new rims today. I'm sure the UPS dude LOVED us today.
Here is the info on this recall- http://www.gmcmotorhome.com/tech/alcoa_recall/index.html

Near as we know, the dates are 9/93 to 6/99

New phone number is 1-800-242-9898. Before you call, get part number and date code from inside of rim (Example is shown in that link above).

Scenes from Margaritaville

So I asked the lead project engineer for this project if he just so happened to have kept a tally of just how many parts have come out of Margarita. Sadly he hasn't.

I really can't say for certain exactly WHEN replacement of the head liner became a priority but apparently it has become one now.



Looks a little rough in there now.



I must admit...and keep in mind that I just sit in the house until I am asked to come out and help with a part...that stuff comes out of this thing pretty easily.



Don't forget to LABEL everything!!!



And I do mean everything!!



These are parts I'm pretty sure we won't need anymore. They are headliner holders for when the headline is old and sags. I will be selling them at $5 a piece on ebay. Or you can just get them from any office supply store. (The screwdriver will not be part of the ebay auction.)



We should keep count of just how many tools have been pulled out to be used. We should try to keep track of these tools as well.




Here are the parts that have come out.

This is...something with some cabinets and a couple of those padded thingies that go somewhere.



More cabinet stuff and a motorcycle that needs to be sold.



Same stuff, different shot.



That big ol' piece is the back cap inside thingy. "We" took it out through one of the back side windows. Well I just stood on the ice of the driveway trying to hold my balance while my dear of a husband feed it through to me.





And because I know EVERYONE was wondering what ever happened to the green shag... I found it!!!