FMCA at Gillette Wyoming

On Sunday July 15 we left Colorado and headed north into Wyoming.  Diesel is about 20 cents cheaper in Colorado than Wyoming, so we topped off with 73 gallons in Fort Collins CO before crossing the state line.  This day was rainy and cool with temps topping out in the mid 50s.  It was a refreshing change.  We stopped at the Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center on I-25, which is perhaps the nicest state welcome center we have ever visited.  There are some very nice exhibits, and they had free coffee and fast wi-fi.

Bootleg photo from the internet

Dorcas with an original American RV

Giving my knee a break

Big Buffalo on I-25

At Douglas WY we saw a sign that said "Caution Cattle Drive on Access Road". What???  Well, shortly we came up on the cattle drive.



Click HERE to see a video of the cattle drive.  Leaving Douglas WY we saw this sign on WY 59 north towards Gillette.

I'm glad we have a 135 gallon tank

We stopped for lunch at Penny's Diner in Bill WY.  This is pretty much all there is on the 75 mile stretch between Douglas WY and Wright WY.

Penny's Diner

Today was National Ice Cream Day.  Dorcas had a sundae. 

Downtown Bill Wyoming

In the afternoon we arrived at the Cam-Plex Multi-Event Facilities in Gillette for a gathering of FMCA's (Family Motor Coach Association) 98th International Convention and RV Expo.  The Cam-Plex is a huge event and entertainment facility.  Among other things they host the national High School rodeo championship.

We have attended ~10 FMCA national conventions since we began RVing in 2004.  In the past we have always chosen not to purchase an electric site and have relied on our generator and solar to get by.  When we registered for this event we signed up for no amenities.  However, as we followed the weather forecasts, we were concerned that it might be too hot to leave Matilda in the coach for long periods during the day, so we upgraded to 50A electrical service.

Camp Gillette

There are approximately 1800 RVs attending this convention.  There are hundreds of very informative seminars, commercial vendors and live entertainment.

Dorcas and I signed up to volunteer with the security crew. We each performed about 10 hours manning security posts and helping lost and confused campers.

Attending the security volunteers meeting

Dorcas and I attended the following seminars:

• Early Morning Workout (daily)
• Aqua-Hot Troubleshooting and Maintenance Tips
• Clean out that Closet and Have More to Wear
• Better Diesel Driving Through Silverleaf
• Suspensions Roundtable - Ride and Handling
• RV Rooftop Air Conditioner Maintenance
• Understanding and Testing RV Air Brakes
• Top 10 Maintenance Tips Every RVer Should Know
• Cummins Engine Maintenance
• Cummins Onan Generator Operation and Maintenance
• Insider Cleaning Tips for your Home on Wheels
• Understanding Absorption Refrigeration
• Pet Safety Technology for RVs
• Orthopedic Principles and Applications
• Purge, Purge, Purge (this seminar refers to things in the coach, not an eating disorder)
• Improving RV Refrigerator Performance in Hot Weather
• Campbell County Sheriff's Office K9 Demonstration
• Canada’s Eastern Atlantic Provinces

We also attended these other special events:

• Coffee and Doughnuts each morning
• FMCA Ladies' Luncheon
• Diesel RV Club Chapter Meeting and Chuckwagon Pizza
• Ice Cream Social
• Volunteers Dinner

There were four nightly concerts, and we attended them all.   Thomas Michael Riley from Austin TX performed country, western and Americana tunes.

New Odyssey, aka "3 Men and 30 Instruments" performed a number of pop tunes primarily from the sixties.  All three members play horns, keyboards, percussion and strings, often playing several instruments simultaneously.

Towards the end of the show the lead drummer donned a Sgt Pepper uniform, and the band performed the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  The uniform was outfitted with percussion devices such that every time he slapped his knee, stomped his feet, smacked his chest, etc. it played a different percussion effect. Really cool!  I enjoyed it to so much that we actually spent $$$ for their DVD.  Click HERE to see a short clip of the percussion suit.

The Flashback Boyz performed 50s and 60s pop hits.









"Ricky Nelson Remembered" featured Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, the identical twin sons of the late teen idol Ricky Nelson.  They played all Ricky's hits and told stories about growing up with Ricky Nelson and Ozzie and Harriet.  They dropped a lot of names.  They talked about their next door neighbor Uncle George (George Harrison) and the long-haired singer that hung out at the house (Bob Dylan). Their baby sitter was Mama Cass Elliot. Their mother is the sister of Mark Harmon, Leroy Jethro Gibbs of NCIS fame.  They put on a really great show.

Gunnar Nelson

Matthew Nelson

Gunnar and Matthew

We could have had our photo taken with the brothers, but it seemed kinda cheesy. 

In addition to seminars and entertainment we had some service performed.  Roadmaster cleaned, lubed and rejuvenated our tow bar.  It was a mess and had seen little maintenance since before we went to Alaska last summer.  Hendersons' Line-Up Brake and RV Inc, a highly regarded RV suspension company from Oregon, performed a chassis inspection.  All was well underneath, but they did make some suggestions about suspension upgrades and modifications that would improve handling and safety.

Finally I had my alternator replaced.

Brandon trying to remove the alternator pulley.  No go. 

Faithful readers will remember that my alternator has not been functioning properly since we left home, and probably for some long while before that.  It was producing only about 12.1-12.3 volts, enough to limp along and run the chassis systems, but not enough to charge the staring battery.  I had ordered a new alternator, and it was delivered at the convention on Thursday.  I had considered replacing it myself but, in hindsight, it was a good thing I didn't.  There were several companies here that were performing service, and I scheduled work with Spartan Chassis to replace the alternator on Saturday.  The new alternator is supplied without a pulley, so the pulley on the original alternator needed to be removed and installed on the new alternator.  Brandon from Spartan Chassis spent about 45 minutes trying to remove the pulley without success.  No amount of pulling, pounding, lubing or cursing worked.  He finally gave up and suggested that the Cummins folks were doing repairs, and maybe they would have better luck.  Afraid that time was running out, I quickly biked over to the Cummins truck.  It turns out they were able to get to me pretty quickly.  Stanley came over and quickly removed the old alternator, but then he too was unable to remove the pulley.  Finally he decided to carry it back to their trailer and get some "more heads" to solve the problem.  When I went over there Stanley the mechanic, Bob the service manager and Pete the engineer were all working on our alternator.  Finally with the help of a propane torch and a heavy-duty gear puller, they were successful, but not without some damage to the pulley.  They buffed out the nicked pulley and assured me it would not damage the serpentine belt. As Stanley was putting it all back together he noticed that the seal on the belt tensioner was cracked and suggested that it be replaced as well.  I made a quick dash to NAPA for the part, and Stanley replaced that part as well.  When done I fired up the coach, the alternator voltage registered 14.1 volts.   YEAH.  I'm very glad this worry is behind me.  Spartan Chassis did not charge for their failed attempt and the labor charge for Cummins was only for 2 hours.  Considering that, and the fact that I was able to get it fixed on-site, I guess things worked out pretty well.

Stanley of Cummins Inc trying to remove the alternator pulley.  He had a bigger hammer.  No go. 

New alternator with pulley removed.  Finally. 

Ironically the damage to the pulley was caused by the gear puller, not the sledge hammer.

New alternator with damaged pulley

See my shiny new alternator and serpentine belt tensioner

Success!

Pretty graphics on the local Supercenter

Freightliner also produces chassis for the motor home manufacturers.  This model is designed for minimal wind resistance.  Wear goggles. House is extra. 

Fancy Americana paint job on the Freightliner chassis.

This is a Spartan chassis

Would you call this a recumbent bike?

I enjoyed watching the Outlaw LED folks load their Jeep

Today, Sunday July 22, we leave Gillette and double back south to Colorado.  The forecast today predicts highs in the mid 70s and a 22 MPH wind from the north.  Wow a rare good tail wind!  We expect to spend Sunday night somewhere on the road and arrive at our next and final rally on Monday in Colorado Springs.  Dorcas and I and the coach are all healthy.  Life is good again. Stay tuned.