Cypress Glen CG and Withlacoochee River

On Sunday January 17 we departed the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.  We had been served by 30A power supplied by a mobile generator and about noon they pulled our plug.  Time to move along.  We jumped on to I-75 north for a 51 mile jaunt to our next destination, Cypress Glen Campground near Brooksville FL.  Cypress Glen is part of the Silver Lake Recreation Area and a unit of Florida State Forests.  We have camped here about a half dozen times, but not in the last 10 years or so.  Seniors +65 years can camp here for $15/night and enjoy 50A electric service and fresh water.  A really sweet deal.  It is also adjacent to the Withlacoochee River and the Withlacoochee State Trail, a very popular bike trail.  

Site #24 at Cypress Glen CG

We will spend 4 nights at Cypress Glen before moving northward again to Silver Springs.  This is a pretty laid back place. It is quiet and out of the way.  If you don't paddle or peddle, there's not much to do, but that's a good thing.

Aerial view of Cypress Glen CG and Silver Lake

On Tuesday we paddled the Withlacoochee River from the Silver Lake day use area access to Nobleton.  When we woke up on Tuesday the temperature was frigid, but the forecast was for sunny skies and significantly warming temperatures, with a high in the mid 60s.  

It was a frosty morn

Dorcas, Harry and Matilda at the put in

Matilda is always a happy paddler

A great egret

A great egret on the wing

Mr. Limpkin

In my previous post I reported a failure of the lights on the rear of the coach, a likely failure of the rear Power Distribution Module (PDM).  We were successful scheduling a mobile service visit from Southport Truck Group in Tampa.  John arrived about 8:00 on Wednesday equipped with a "black box" to diagnose our PDM and had the replacement PDM on board.  He quickly confirmed that the PDM had indeed failed and installed the replacement part.

The rear PDM is a box containing relays, circuits and fuses and supplies power to a number of components in the rear part of the coach.  These components have been failing on Freightliner coaches for several years and have been the subject of several recall campaigns. In fact our coach had been affected by a previous recall for the rear PDM.  The original owner had taken the coach in for the recall, however, the part had been tested and it passed the test.  Subsequently the PDM was not replaced at that time.  There is a pending new recall on the same part, but that recall has not been officially implemented since replacement parts are not yet available.  Since the current PDM recall campaign has not officially started, this was not technically a recall service and would have been subject to service and repair charges.  However, our Freightliner warranty is still in effect until February 14, about 3 weeks hence.  Consequently there was no charge to us for the on-site service call or the repair.  It is not clear if the PDM installed today will be subject to the future pending recall. 

PDM with cover off

Harry and his buddy, Buddy

On Wednesday evening we made a campfire, and Harry grilled "buck dogs".   It was a laid back and relaxing stay at Cypress Glen. On Thursday we will mosey about 65 miles north to Silver Springs FL. 

Making Repairs at Freightliner Service Center Gaffney SC

 Faithful readers will remember that at the beginning of our summer trip we had some problems with the leveling system not re-inflating the air bags after leveling, and with the Comfort Drive.  Specifically, when departing the Great Smokey Mountains National Park on August 17, the air bags would not fill.  With no air in the bags, the coach could not be driven without causing significant damage.  After spending hours on the phone with Newmar Corporation and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, with no resolution, we were told of a work-around to manually engage a valve to inflate the bags.  At the same time, although the systems are totally unrelated, the Comfort Drive system ceased operating, likely because I had been pulling and checking fuses and had disconnected the chassis batteries.  Both problems persisted for the duration of our summer trip and during our trip to Georgia this month.  

While our Newmar warranty has expired, our Freightliner Chassis is still under warranty until February 2021.  The air issue could be a Freightliner issue or it could be a Newmar issue, depending on what specific part is broken.  I have talked to Newmar and Freightliner and neither could tell me whether it was a house issue or a chassis issue without an inspection and diagnosis.   BUMMER!  The Comfort Drive is clearly a Freightliner issue.  I decided to work with Freightliner first since we are still covered under their warranty.  Shortly after arriving home at the end of September, I called the local Freightliner service center in Greensboro and was told they were very busy, and they did not make appointments for service.  I would need to bring the coach and leave it there, and they would get to it in 1-2 weeks.  BUMMER!  Freightliner RV chassis are manufactured in Gaffney SC only about 130 miles from home.  Freightliner has a customer service center near their Gaffney plant to specifically service and repair Freightliner RV chassis.  COOL!  The good news is they do take appointments for service.  The bad news is they are booked up until 2021. BUMMER!  However, one can drop in and wait on stand-by in case there is a cancellation or they are running ahead.  I called Freightliner last week before leaving Brunswick and was told there was a fair chance they could gets in the same day if we checked in first thing Monday morning.  COOL!  

So that's what we did.  Rather than coming straight home on Friday after our last rally, we drug our (w)heels and spent 2 nights with our friends in Savannah.  On Sunday we drove to Gaffney, which was not too far out of our way home, adding less than 70 miles to our trip, and spent the night at the Freightliner Service Center. 

Our home at Camp Freightliner

There are 27 campsites at Freightliner, each with 50A electric service.  All are available for no charge on a first come basis.  When we arrived we found ~10 sites available and set up on #22. 

They opened up at 7:45 on Monday morning.  I was in line at 7:30, but I was the second person in line without an appointment.  Should'a got up earlier!  However, when I checked in, I found I was #4 in line for stand-by service.  Apparently there were two units ahead of us left over from the weekend.

We are not alone in our quest for factory service

Monday came and went but our number did not come up.  We did gain one position in line.  But that's OK; I don't think I really expected to get in on Monday anyway.  We were in no particular hurry to get home, we were comfortable with good 50A service, good OTA TV and fast internet. I spent some time working on other coach chores and internet projects.  

Tuesday came and went with no service, but when I checked we had gained another position or two on the list.  By this time we are getting a little bit impatient and wondering if we might want to leave the coach and go home.  Finally at closing time on Tuesday I received a call from the lady at the front desk; they would take us first thing Wednesday morning.  COOL!  

They have lots of spare parts!

About 8:15 on Wednesday Scott, our mechanic, came to pick up the coach.  We went over my list of items to check or repair, and he did an exterior inspection of the coach to see if there was any pre-existing damage to note.  Mine was not a short list.  I asked if he would be finished by lunch, and he laughed at me.  We did want to get home as soon as possible.  Hurricane Zeta would make landfall in Louisiana this afternoon, and the remnants of the storm were expected to impact our area on Thursday morning. We really wanted to be home before the storm hit. 

A pair of naked Front Engine Diesel (FRED) chassis

With the coach parked in the service bay Dorcas and I were forced to hang out elsewhere.  They had a nice customer lounge, but I found it more comfortable to sit on the covered porch out front, where I wouldn't need to wear a mask.  Dorcas mostly waited in the car with Matilda.  We lunched at a Mexican restaurant nearby, and got the call about 2:00 that the coach was ready to go.  They made all the requested repairs, checks and adjustments I had requested and all is good.  Specifically, they replaced the auto level valve (which resolved the air bag fill issue), restored the Comfort Drive function, checked ride height, weighed the coach and adjusted tire pressures, and checked windshield wiper function.  All the charges were covered under warranty except for the 4-corner weighing I had requested.  COOL!  It is always a good idea to weigh each corner of the coach at least once after it has been loaded with gear and with tanks full in order to determine proper tire pressures.  As it turns out I had been running the Michelins a bit under-inflated.

We hit the road and headed for the barn.  It was particularly enjoyable that the Comfort Drive was functioning.  Comfort Drive rules!!!!  It rained pretty hard off and on all the home, but the major part of the storm had not arrived, and the winds were light.  We arrived home safely shortly before dark.

We'll be home until about the middle of November and then migrate south to our winter home in Florida.  

A rolling stone gathers no moss!

Life is still good.