The BoomerBus: Our First Adventure

 

BoomerBus Blog: Where Are We and How Did We Get Here?

Howdy y’all! I wrote this first episode, (October 2023) while in Cape Town, South Africa on a trip planned

long before we decided to begin “the last quarter” (more on this later) adventure.This is our sixth visit here with dear friends with whom we’ve shared many African adventures.

Also, as I write this, our dear friend whom we consider our second daughter, has just listed our home of

17+ years, for sale on the MLS in Tellico Village, TN. 

By writing this series, we want to inform our readers and hope to entertain and amuse.

We are retired, in our 70s, born BC (Before Computers), drawing Social Security, on Medicare and

Tricare, and this is our first foray into the RVing lifestyle. Yes, we are Boomers and these are our

adventures of our last quarter.

How did we get here?

Early last August, Linda came home and just blurted out, “what would you think if we sold everything,

purchased an RV and traveled the country?” Surprising even myself, I turned on the afterburners and

went to work on research. Within a few days I had information regarding RVs, the RV lifestyle,

campgrounds and other data on what we were about to do. After visiting a couple of RV sales sites and

deciding on the RV size, we contacted our second daughter (Michelle, a very dear friend and wonderful

realtor) and discussed the details regarding the sale of our home and all of the contents.

Yes, we are having a massive estate sale! (oh, estate sale canceled) But that’s who we are: make a decision

and then put 100% effort into executing that decision.

First thing was to discuss our plans with our family. While in Rhode Island visiting our daughter and her

family we shared our plans with our daughter and her husband first. Our son-in-law, Kevin, simply said we

should pursue our dreams. Our daughter, Gaiya, just needed a few moments to process the news but then

gave full support. Now the grandkids. Luca, our grandson’s only concern was if we could tow the jet ski.

Our granddaughter, Lola, however, took a few minutes to consider our decision. Finally, she says,

“grandmom, you should go and enjoy your life because you are in your last quarter!” Out of the mouth of

babes. So, we decided to name our RV, ‘Our Last Quarter’ and this blog, BoomerBus: Our Last Quarter

(after spending two months trying to understand how to start a blog, this technology challenged Boomer

settled on the Google prompted title of BoomerBus Chronicles.)

It's been a couple of days since I first began this story so here’s an update. Within the last 24 hours we

received a full price offer on the house which includes a provision to purchase all our furnishings as well!

Now we’re trying to process the details. Think of The Scream by Munch.

Update #1

So, here we are on the last day of February 2024 and we’ve sold our home and all its furnishings,

packed those personal things we want for the final final quarter and stored these in a small storage

rental site. We also ordered a 2024 Tiffin Zephyr motorhome and should take possession of it in the

next two weeks or so at NIRVC Nashville. Yep, we are moving forward with the process while we

live with Linda’s brother, David, in Tellico Village.

We’ve visited Rockwood Marina and RV Resort in Rockwood, TN and made arrangements to camp there

for March and April while we learn how to RV! We’ve also planned our first trip to Saratoga Springs,

Lake George NY in May to see our grandson play in a baseball tournament. We’ve registered for the

NIRVC Music City Expo in early June and planned our great western trip for the summer and fall. Illinois,

Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona,

New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama are states we’ll visit from June through November.

So, we’ll be posting our adventures as we progress through these states. Yah, not a minute wasted!

Update #2

It’s the end of March and we are finally ensconced in our new home, a 45’ 2024 Tiffin Zephyr RV,

which we took delivery at NIRVC Nashville. After three days of being fed by a fire hose with information,

we’re gifted an owner’s manual one foot thick! 

OUR LAST QUARTER

We hooked up our toad (2023 GMC Canyon Denali) and began our adventure following I-40 East.

Approximately 15 miles from our destination, the coolant temperature rose to orange then red which forced me to pull off on the shoulder. Well, I-40 is a very busy roadway! Not a place to break

down. It’s Saturday and after an hour of phone discussions with roadside assistance reps, NIRVC reps,

Tiffin reps, we concluded we could limp to the campground. Fifteen miles took two hours! Stressful

doesn’t describe the whole experience. I think my hands were glued to the steering wheel and pucker

was, well, you can imagine as Linda gave me directions and instructions along TN SR27. We made it

to the campground and fortunately, we are here for a month.

Update #3

It’s April and we’ve finally settled into the Boomer Bus. After many trips back and forth to the storage

unit, we’ve kept what we believe we’ll need (and fits!) and what we want in order to live this lifestyle.

This is downsizing: from 5200 sq ft to 440 sq ft!

The problem regarding the coolant temperature was fixed by an approved mechanic. A clamp became

loose, fell onto the belt which caused the belt to tear away. Since the coach is new -we owned it just

four days when this occurred- warranty covers all expenses. However, the manufacturer, Tiffin, called

me (yes! Bob Tiffin himself!) to better understand the cause of the problem and invited us to

Red Bay, AL -the factory- to have a complete inspection of the coach. So, our first road trip will be to

Red Bay, AL at the end of April. For now, we spend everyday learning something new about the

Boomer Bus and we pinch ourselves that we are actually doing this! Many of our friends also can’t

believe we’re doing this and some think we’ve been fed some kind of mind altering illegal substances.

Yes, exhausted!

Ahhh, to dump or not to dump!

Everything I’ve read about this necessary chore is simply intimidating! The first thing to describe is the

effort to attach the hoses to the septic tank buried in the ground and to the tank in the motorhome.

Wearing black latex gloves I wrangle with the various ends of the hoses and finally manage to get that

snap telltale sign the hoses are properly in place. But wait! Just as I’m about to pull the plug to dump our

tanks of grey and black, I notice the hose lying on the ground, near a chrome exhaust protruding from

underneath the BoomerBus, is melting! OMG! I imagine a river of sewage gushing from the damaged

hose. Fortunately, we had extra hoses (Yep! My research paid off! Carry extras.) so I just unhooked the

damaged one and replaced it with another one positioning it away from the hot exhaust. R First Dump.

Update #4

It is mid-April and we made it to Red Bay, AL to the Tiffin Customer Service Center to have the

BoomerBus inspected, and some minor issues repaired and adjusted. While we were at the Tiffin Service

Center parking lot, I drove the BoomerBus too close to a low retaining wall and caused the first damage

to our new home. Uhhgg! Hurt pride, walk of shame and the word about the newbie hitting the retaining

wall spread very quickly. Bottom line: we had the warranty work done, ordered parts for the repair and

left Red Bay, AL Friday afternoon at 3PM, straight back to Rockwood, TN. 

OUCH!

We know we’ll have to come back to Red Bay -and dread the thought- to have the BoomerBus repaired.

On the way back to Rockwood, the tire pressure warning light came on, then the dreaded MIL: check engine light illuminated and finally, thankfully just for a short while, the pre-drive items checklist

alarm sounded several times! A cacophony of sounds while I’m driving through Chattanooga on a Friday

evening! I don’t know why, but a SNL episode came to mind. 

Monday, April 22d: as the sun rises and the first rays creep over the trees, swirls of steam dance on the lake

at the Rockwood campground. The temps dropped last night. The morning sun reflects on the far side of the

lake and creates a magical portrait. Beautiful sight until I noticed Izzy’s tongue prints on the window

where she tried catching insects which were on the outside of the window! Reality. I’ll clean the window

later.

So, living in the BoomerBus in the Rockwood Marina and RV Resort, we learn and experience something

new every day. The sounds. It seems every appliance, stereo component and electrical system emits a

unique sound. The induction stove lets you know when it is cool to the touch while the dishwasher

(yeah, couldn’t live without one) sounds off both when opening and closing the drawer. Haven’t heard it

beep yet when the wash is done. The multifunction microwave emits multiple sounds! The refrigerator

also chimes in with its unique notes. The stereo dash sounds off each time I inadvertently touch one of

the screens. The washer and dryer also have their own sounds. It’s a symphony of electronic chirps.

Beep beep, beepty, boopty, boo!

First time fill up….$$$$$$$....

Well, it was inevitable we had to put fuel (diesel) in the BoomerBus. Yeah, it holds 150 gallons! The

pump I used cut off each time at $150. However, the experience wasn’t the cost of fuel but the truck

stop itself. Trucks the size of aircraft carriers just pulling in and out of the stop. We circled around twice

before lining up with the CAT scales to get the BoomerBus weighed and trying to do it quickly since

there’s an angry looking cavern of chrome behind us with the loudest engine I’ve ever heard waiting

for me to get outta the way!

Back in Red Bay

We left Rockwood on Monday, 6 May after our annual doctor visit, and followed the same trek we used

the first trip in April. Mid-way down, a new light makes its presence: Low DEF!Fortunately, I had purchased a container of 2.5 gal of DEF and stored it in one of the basement storage

trays. The full tank holds 15 gal. Didn’t matter, while the gauge read just over half tank after adding 2.5 gal,

the light still said Low DEF.BoomerBus is starting to annoy me. We made it to Red Bay Acres, the campground we reserved for our

stay this time. This campground is much better than the Tiffin Customer Service gravel parking lot we

used last time. We had repairs made and the DEF flow valve replaced by a Tiffin technician. We plan to

leave here on Sunday, 12 May and head to Sumner Crest Vineyard, a Harvest Host location just north

of Nashville, for the one-night stay.

On The Road Again

Well, we stayed at the Sumner Crest Vineyard for one night. Had a wine tasting and something to

munch on. Just a stopover. 

Departed early next morning on the way to Lebanon/Cincinnati KOA. However, on the way the

dreaded MIL: check engine light made its presence …. again! Stopped at a rest stop after two hours

and found the fault code to be SPN3363 FM16. “Aftertreatment 1 DEF Tank Heater.” Yeah! Here we

go again! Tiffin Customer Service Center (CSC) technician replaced the “flow valve” to correct this issue.

So much for the term Service Center. Fortunately, we arrived at the Lebanon/Cincinnati campground without any problems.

We’re here for five nights. 

Warning lights aside, the drive was very interesting and picturesque albeit some of the roads are just the

pits! The landscaping around Bowling Green, KY is simply fabulous! Horse farm fences and beautiful

lawns. The approach to Cincinnati from the south on I-71 is breathtaking. Wow! Totally unexpected. 

I was able to connect with a Cummins repair shop in Horseheads, NY thru Tiffin in Red Bay and

arranged for a mobile technician to visit our site when we get to Canandaigua/Farmington, NY KOA

campground on the 21st of May. Tiffin will cover all costs. 

Today is Wednesday, 15 May and we spent a couple of hours at the National Museum of the US Air Force

in Dayton, OH. Impressive and we only visited the WWII section. Open to the public, free and very well

laid out with explanatory videos and information on the artifacts throughout the museum. I was proud to

see foreigners walk around the facility in amazement and wonder. The US did this right. 

The actual Memphis Belle!

 It IS a Campground!

As we settled in for the evening, our next-door neighbors sat around the firepit and built a fire.

Cozy, romantic and peaceful. Ahhh…to sit around a campfire next to your loved one sipping an

after-dinner drink. It doesn’t get any better…until the wind blows toward your motorhome and

campfire smoke permeates your bedroom. The exhaust fans worked overtime to clear the air.

Yes, it IS a campground.

Casino Night!

After five days at the Lebanon,OH KOA, we departed on Saturday, 18 May at 09:20 to Presque Isle

Downs & Casino in Erie, PA approx. 315 miles.  We arrived at 3:20PM, a five-hour drive.

(Central time to Eastern time) We both agreed this was the easiest drive yet. Although tired from

five hours on the road, we arrived with plenty of time to set up, relax and get ready for dinner at the

LBV Steakhouse in the casino. BTW: the racetrack here is part of Churchill Downs. No, we did not

gamble, instead we enjoyed a superb dinner, very nice ambiance and excellent cocktails. Enjoyed

chatting with the bartender, Wendy and Matre’d (Steve?) who were both just fascinated about our

choice to live in a bus. While the evening was expensive, Linda and I both agreed we hadn’t enjoyed a

comparable dining experience since South Africa. Next morning, we found eight other campers in the

parking lot.

Twenty miles down the road, I-90 E, we stopped for fuel. $400 of diesel and $30 for DEF.

That will get us another 900+ miles. Onward to Canandaigua KOA near Farmington, NY. So,

most of the I-90 NY thruway is a decent road. However, it seemed like an overhead electronic

toll station every 10-15 miles! Our bill will probably exceed $100! Coulda just gambled at the casino.

New York, New York

We made it to Canandigua KOA campground at 1PM. Hooked up and settled in for some rest…. until

Linda found a German restaurant in town which was open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Yes, today is

Sunday so clean up, get dressed and off we go to downtown Canandiagua for some authentic

German food und deutches Bier!

On day two of our four day sojourn at Canandaigua KOA campground, we drove a short distance to….

Wegmans! Must be at least ten+ years since we last visited a Wegmans. We stocked up on all kinda

stuff we needed and stuff we didn’t need but just missed and hadn’t seen in forever. The 440 sq ft

BoomerBus fills up fast. Thanks to Wegmans, back at the BoomerBus we enjoyed bacon wrapped

scallops, grilled shrimp, parmesan asparagus and baby potatoes for a gourmet meal. All washed down

with a wonderful Dr. Konstantin Frank Chardonnay from the NY Finger Lakes region. Yum!

Well, the Cummins technician arrived at our campsite with the replacement part (a DEF sending unit.

Retail: $1650) sent overnight by Tiffin to the Cummins shop in Horseheads, NY. After checking all the

fault codes with his trusty laptop and testing the new unit by unplugging the old unit and plugging

in the new unit, the tech confirmed the DEF sending unit on the bus was faulty. However, to

replace the old with the new, the bus needs to put on a lift. Not happening in a campground! So, we made

arrangements to stop at an approved Cummins repair shop in Syracuse, on the way to Lake George.

We are learning quickly you need to be flexible to live in a bus.

Seems every bug on the highway is aiming for my windshield! At every campground stop I retrieve

the telescoping ladder (which came with the bus), warm water, a cleaning solution and a soft bristle

brush to scrub off bugs. After a few hours in the sun, they become like hardened crusts. Nothing easy

about this. This is a PITA! Think the BoomerBus has become the BugBus!

Stink, stank, stunk!

We departed early the next day. We were in a hurry to get on the road, so I didn’t dump the black tank,

only at 30%, to save time. Departed at 06:30 for the two-hour drive to Syracuse. Beautiful drive.

The landscape is all lush, green with farms scattered along the way. However, Linda had to use the

bathroom so, while I’m driving down the highway, she uses the loo. After doing her business, she flushed,

and the sewer gasses enveloped the bus leaving that rotten egg aroma wafting through the BoomerBus

for the next half hour. Lesson learned: take the extra few minutes to empty the stinky tank before

traveling! StinkyBus.

We arrived in Syracuse at the Cummins service shop at 08:00 and the technician was waiting for us.

We handed him the replacement part and he wasted no time. Four hours later we were on the road to

Lake George. Excellent work, again all expenses covered by Tiffin’s warranty.

Lake George RV Resort

We finally arrived at this resort just after 3PM. By 4:30PM we were sitting outside next to the

BoomerBus enjoying a cocktail while listening to the birds and a gentle wind blowing through

the trees. Beautiful! This huge resort offers something for everyone. We are in the Adirondacks

and it certainly has that alpine feel and look. 

We awoke the next day, Friday 24 May and enjoyed the peaceful setting. By noon, other campers

began arriving. Our island in the woods was being populated. 

We sat outside and enjoyed a lunch of charcuterie board and our last bottle of Noble Hill 2022 Rose`.

Yummy! Thank you, Kathleen and Christopher.

On Saturday, 25 May we finally attended what we came here for: our grandson’s baseball games.

Two games, one the sweet taste of victory, the second, well…sadness. We hurt for him. That evening

Linda and I had a wonderful dinner at The Log Jam restaurant in town. A very well-known establishment

with a great bar made of logs. We enjoyed cocktails and conversation with several people. Oh yeah, the

food was awesome! On Sunday, Luca plays in another game.

Sunday starts with beautiful weather, perfect for a baseball game. Luca’s team wins the game. That’s two

wins and one loss. However, the runs differential eliminates them from the championship round.

Bittersweet. As the family heads back home to Rhode Island, we spend a very muted and wet

Memorial Day buttoned up in the BoomerBus.

Shake, Rattle & Roll

We departed lake George RV resort in the morning on Tuesday, May 28th th following I-87 south to

I-78 west. Folks, I retract my critique of the roads around Bowling Green, KY. Portions of I-87 and I-78

shook the BoomerBus so hard I knew every screw, bolt, nail and staple were loosened. My teeth rattled,

even the false ones! Our Last Quarter is gonna need maintenance, fer sure!

PS: during the shake, rattle & roll trip we did experience a wonderful sighting of a mature bald eagle

sitting on the top of a large dead tree just off the roadside. For a moment, we forgot about the road

condition and felt pride in this majestic bird which represents our nation.

Goin’ to MD

After a one-night stopover in Jonestown/Hershey, PA we were on the road by 0900 hours the next

morning. Eventually we followed I-83 from PA into MD. The stretch in MD is quite beautiful. Very

pastoral with trees and vast fields of corn. Farm after farm. The road was in excellent condition and

traffic was quite light. Such a pleasure to drive this section. However, reality soon smacked me in the

face as we slammed into I-695, the Baltimore beltway. It seemed like streams of vehicles entering the

roadway and criss crossing each other’s lanes. Even large trucks drove aggressively. The BoomerBus

maintained a steady 45-50mph and collected numerous middle finger salutes. Eventually we made our

way to the Washington DC/Capitol KOA in Millersville, MD. We’re here for three days to visit with

Franny, Linda’s aunt. We went to dinner at Romano’s -yes, for real!- and got our fill of crab stuffed

shrimp, crab imperial, steamed shrimp Maryland style and mussels. 

Today, 30 May, we picked up Franny and brought her to the BoomerBus. She was impressed and

underscored her approval by a ‘ya done good’. Later we treated Franny to dinner at the Double T Diner,

an institution in Anne Arundel County. All the Maryland delicacies you can imagine under one roof

and available 24 hours a day! The next day, Jeff & Jennifer, Linda’s cousins and Franny and her best

friend Liotta visited the BoomerBus. Good time spent with family. We closed the evening with dinner

at another MD institution, CrabTown. Oh my, it has been years since I had a softshell blue crab

sandwich. Linda stayed true to MD tradition: crab cake with slaw. Awesome!

The next morning, we departed on the final leg of this trip, back to Rockwood, TN.

I Can’t See!

We’ve gotten into a routine when setting up and breaking down camp. While I’m outside doing the

dump thing, disconnecting water and ensuring all the basement trays are properly locked, Linda’s

inside taking decorations off the shelves, putting kitchen items in the sink and so on. Before we begin

the process of bringing in the slides, I ensure all the awnings are withdrawn. The front door awning

was still out so I went to the front door panel to bring it in when I realized I didn’t have my glasses

so I couldn’t see which button to press. Looking for my glasses in all the usual places, I can’t find

them. Now Linda joins the search, and my frustration level begins to climb. This went on at least

15 minutes before I looked at Linda and noticed she had her glasses on her head, as usual, and

another pair tucked into the front of her shirt. I asked her,” what’s that?”, pointing at the glasses in

her shirt. She looked down and we both just burst out laughing. BlindBoomers.

Back to Rockwood

We’re back in Rockwood at the campground where we first started. Tomorrow, Tuesday, 4 June we’re off

to Lebanon, TN for the Annual Music City RV Expo sponsored by NIRVC, the place we purchased the

BoomerBus. We ‘re also still tryin’ to resolve the fault codes related to the DEF. We’re still in awe that

we live here and Izzy still tries to catch insects on the outside of the windows.

We attended the Music City RV Expo held at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, TN from

Tuesday to Friday. 200 RVs all parked on the fairgrounds plus another 100 or so showcased by

manufacturers. An impressive sight for newbies like us. Met some interesting people, some full timers

who gave tons of advice and information about the full time RV life. We also reunited with our sales team

and had a long and pleasant conversation with the NIRVC owner, Brett Davis. Yes, we made a few

purchases of necessary (waterless washing kit) items. Almost purchased two electric scooters but

Linda kept her cool and wasn’t distracted by the bright lights like I was. We walked away. As we departed

Friday morning, we arranged to have the BoomerBus weighed on each tire & axle, a more accurate

weight for proper tire inflation.

Now, Friday afternoon, June 7th we are again in Rockwood Marina and RV resort. We’re here through

the 20 th of June, then onward to our Great Western Adventure. For now, Our Last Quarter is getting much

needed TLC. Later y’all.

NOTE: still learning this blogging stuff so please excuse the formatting. We'll get there.