Rally Tour - Monday Through Wednesday

Wow! How quickly the days go by! It is early Thursday morning and the last day of this rally. We have been so busy that this blog has not been attended. Whatever memories folks will have of this week, the tremendous weather will have to be one of them. It has been dry, sunny, daytime warm, night time cool, and very comfortable. Who could ask for more?

Most of the coaches were here on Sunday with some arriving Monday. The parking crew did its usual good job of getting rigs in. This camp is pretty easy: each site is a pull through and the coaches were parked with an empty site on each side and behind. Folks were settling in on Monday, and we decided to travel to Jamestown for the day.

We learned that Miss Garmin is a stickler for detail. Janice put in 'Jamestown' as our destination. Oddly, we were routed into downtown Williamsburg to 'Jamestown Road'. When we realized our error we put in 'Jamestown Settlement' and found our way to our destination. We did not tour the settlement ( minimum three-hours), but we did see a film and saw some of the area.

When we arrived back at Bethpage, the display coaches were open and we began 'due diligence'. The coach that caught our attention was a 2006 Monaco Windsor. Initially we understood it was a used coach. It was used for shows (5400 miles), but was 'new' (left over from 2006). We went back to this coach Tuesday and Wednesday with increasing interest. By Wednesday afternoon we were getting close to making an offer. On our way to dinner Wednesday night we saw a 'sold' sign on the coach door. C'est la vie! Thursday morning Janice returned to the show area to look at another coach. She was surprised to learn that 'her' coach had not been sold. The sales team had repositioned the coaches putting sold coaches in the rear. We are still considering.

Seminars were underway on Tuesday and the Ladies' Tea was Tuesday afternoon. The Monaco technicians began their repair rounds on Monday. One had been to our coach while we were at Jamestown, but he needed to return on Tuesday (we had the ignition key). He repaired a brake light, the air horn, and is still working on the rear air conditioner. This service is Monaco's edge: "salesmen sell the first coach; service sells the next coach". Many folks swear by Monaco products because of this service, and Monaco knows it. Janice won a door prize at the tea and had a good time.

Each evening we have a "Social Hour" from 5:00-6:00 PM. The crowd gathers at the Rally Center during that time. Between 6:00-6:15 PM we have announcements and door prize drawings, and dinner is served between 6:15-7:15 PM. Entertainment on Tuesday was by The Boogie Sharks Band. The music was good, the dance floor crowded, and folks seemed to enjoy themselves. By 9:00 PM most had returned to their coach to see Dancing with the Stars (Monday and Tuesday).

The potluck dinner Monday evening has been followed by excellent meals (breakfast and dinner) provided by the Bethpage staff. The food is served quickly, it is hot and well prepared, and there is more than enough for most people. The problem is getting up in the morning: breakfast is 7:45-8:45 AM.

Because we are looking at diesel coaches, Ralph has attended seminars on diesel coaches, engines and generators. He comes away wondering if the advantages are worth the learning curve. Most owners are satisfied with their Monaco coaches; they probably wouldn't be here otherwise. We share a lot of the 'first year' grief stories and the satisfaction of getting most things repaired under warranty, and most of the stories have happy endings. Tuesday night we met Ms. Scott who has a 2007 Knight. She has a horrendous tale of one problem after another. She appears to be single and she found that whenever she took her coach for repair the first response was, "You don't know how to ...." Single female motor home owners are rare and the service sector does not treat them well. Her persistence is enduring and in most cases she has prevailed; however, she has paid for many repairs after the warranty period. Ralph has seen her at most of the engine and coach seminars asking questions and telling her stories. She is living every new buyer's nightmare.

Janice is attending a cooking seminar and Ralph is putting outdoor things away this afternoon. The rally became official this afternoon with the arrival of RAIN. Sprinkles turned to showers which turned to a brief downpour. Monaco America rallies invariably have rain.

Tonight is the grand finale! The entertainment is usually very good and everyone will be in good spirits. Tomorrow the exodus will begin to Greensboro and elsewhere. Many attendees are from distant places and have been traveling for many months. They will pass on Greensboro, but many have signed up for Amana, IA next June when we do it all again. There will be a drawing tonight of those who have registered for Amana; the winner will have the rally fee paid by the rest of us.

Monaco America Rally: Day 3 or Day - 1

One of the great reasons to come to a rally early is the easy run up to the 'first day'. This rally officially begins tomorrow. Today we met several new folks, sat in our chairs under the awning, and even tuned in to TV to see the Redskins lose to the Packers, all before dinner.

Dinner was a 'pot luck' at the meeting center. We arrived in a hay wagon pulled by a tractor; it beats walking and you meet folks going where you are going. We were much too late to get a seat near the buffet table - a big mistake. When we did get to the tables much of the food was gone, but we had more than enough to eat. Early birds really do get the (best) worms, so to speak.

For dinner we sat with Edgar and Sandra Mills of Bowling Green, KY. They are ardent Tennessee Titan fans and the Titans lost today to Tampa Bay. The other couple at the table was Fred and Gloria Marks of Apollo Beach, FL. They are ardent Tampa Bay Buc fans. We are all parked on the same street, and we will likely see much more of one another. It was a fun meal with a lot of conversation. Fred had to leave early to take a turn driving the tractor.

The display coaches have arrived. We will be touring them during the week. We saw Dynastys, Diplomats, Knights, and Caymans in the parking area. Two dealers are here: Dixie RV of Newport News, VA and Tom Johnson Camping Center of Concord, NC. We bought our current coach from Dixie RV; we know them. We will be interested in learning about Tom Johnson.

Tomorrow is a quiet day. There will be a welcome party tomorrow night after the remaining coaches arrive. We have been told 95 coaches are registered. It should be a nice crowd.

Rally Tour - First Stop

It has been about a month since our last post. We have spent the time at home seemingly rebuilding our house. It was not what we had planned; it just evolved. The plan was to paint the outside of the house. The house is brick and the painting was for the trim. The painter inspected the dental trim along the roof line and found water had backed up in the gutters and had caused damage to the plywood under the roof shingles. This led to a roof inspection which revealed significant shingle decay. You see where this is going? We now have a new roof, new gutters, considerable re-grading under the deck, and new deck planking. The painting is yet to be done.

First stop is Bethpage Camp-Resort in Urbanna, VA. This is Monaco America's fall rally. This is the same rally we attended last October in Tucson, AZ. We arrived here yesterday afternoon after a pleasant drive of about 95-miles. The rally does not begin until Monday, but many folks have arrived early. We have talked with folks from Texas, Michigan, and Florida.

Yesterday had its anxious moments. We turned on the refrigerator in the coach Thursday night expecting it to be cold yesterday morning. We failed to verify that the motor was operating. We were surprised in the morning when the alarm bell was ringing - no propane. The tank was full but gas was not reaching the refrigerator or the range.

The manuals were of zero help. Ralph called our mentor Al for advice. Al said, "You have a pressure problem. The problem is in the regulator. Get a hammer and lightly tap the regulator." It worked; problem solved. Unfortunately, we then had to wait until the refrigerator cooled before we could leave. There is no substitute for experience; thanks Al.

We will be here at Bethpage until next Friday. Rally activities begin Monday and continue through Thursday night. We will travel from here to Greensboro, NC for the Monaco Harvest Come Home Rally at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. That rally begins Monday and runs through Thursday night. We will get home Friday evening. The time in Greensboro will be dry camping.

It is good to be on the road again. We are blessed with exceptional fall weather. We need rain badly, but there is none in sight. It should be a fun two weeks.