It's Not That Simple

*** Warning - this blog post is mostly about the trials and tribulations of a Do-It-Yourself RVer. You non Do-It-Yourself RVer types may choose to skip this one ... or you may choose to read on ... just to gain some insight into the things that are rattling around in my brain. ***


One of the reasons we chose the Ford Fusion Hybrid for our new car was because it had the ability to be towed behind our motorhome with all four wheels on the ground. Now mainly this means that the manufacturer (Ford in this case) will warrant the car's equipment if it towed in this fashion - as long as you follow their directions for preparing the car to be towed. Their directions are pretty simple - Turn the key to "On" - Put the car in Neutral - Turn the key to "Accessory."

But trust me - it's not that simple.

When preparing a vehicle to be towed there are 3 main areas that need to be dealt with.

• The Towing Physical Connection 
• Vehicle Lighting on the Towed Vehicle (Turn Signals, Brake Lights, Tail Lights)
• "Supplemental" Braking

The Towing Physical Connection is pretty straightforward. You need to purchase a towing "baseplate" specific to the make and model of the car and install it. I have installed these on 3 different vehicles and it's not too tough of a job if you have the tools, the time, and the aptitude. If not ... bring your wallet.

The Vehicle Lighting issue can be relatively simple --- or not. Usually it is a simple matter of running some wires from an electrical connector mounted on the front of the vehicle to the tail lights at the rear and either, installing a separate bulb in the tail light lense assembly or connecting into the vehicle's existing light system using some diodes to keep the motorhome electrical system isolated from the towed vehicle's electrical system. I have used both methods in the past and prefer the separate bulb system because it's simpler overall. But sometimes (like on our new Fusion) the tail light lense shape won't allow for installation of the separate bulb. No problem - we'll use the diode process. Uh - oh ... the Fusion uses LED tail lights! I won't go into all the gory details here - but using these tail lights will require some additional engineering, some on-line ordering, and some careful manufacturing.

Then there is the matter of 'Supplemental" Braking. When towing a vehicle that weighs just under 4,000 pounds it only makes sense that you need more braking power than that supplied by the towing vehicle. In our RVing past we have towed 3 separate vehicles and have always used a "Brake Buddy" system for our "Supplemental system. The Brake Buddy is a gadget that we install each time we are going to tow the car that sits on the floor of the towed vehicle and physically pushes on the brake pedal when it senses the need to stop. Unfortunately for us - the Brake Buddy we have cannot be used on our new Ford Fusion Hybrid. It seems that these hybrids have what they call "active" brake systems that use a vacuum pump to supply the power for "power" brakes ... and the vacuum pump is always "active" (even with the key turned off) ... and the older style Brake Buddy just can't adjust for power brakes. We know what happens when the Brake Buddy actuates and the vacuum hasn't been bled out of the brake system - screeching noise, black smoke, and flat spotted tires! SO ... it appears we need another solution.

Brake Buddy and other manufacturers do make models that can be used with "active" brakes and sit on the floor and attach to the brake pedal - just like our old Brake Buddy ... but they also make systems that are semi-permanently installed in the car and don't need to be installed each time. The installation of these systems is sorta complicated in the beginning - but once it's installed your done - no more installing it to tow and then taking it out when you want to drive the car! Both system types are expensive but the sit-on-floor and install-each-time systems like our existing Brake Buddy are actually a few hundred dollars more! 

And then there is the "Charge Wire" I need to install to keep the Fusion's battery from going dead while towing all day with the key in "ACC" ... and then there is the Brake-Lite Relay that I need to install to keep the Fusion's brake light signal from overriding the motorhome's turn light signal ... .

Like I said 'It's not that simple!"

It looks like July will be a busy month as I take our brand new car and modify it so that we can take it with us on our future adventures. 

At least Peggy will know where to find me.

The Day The Music Died

Wow - Here we are at the Summer Solstice already! 15 and a half hours of sunlight here in Maine! Woohoo ....

The last few days of spring have been really busy here at the Maineiacs In Motion Summer Cottage. 

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent working on staining that shed I built last spring. It took me close to 8 hours a day for 2 days to spread that 2 gallons of stain ... but it finally got done and the color came out matching the house pretty well. I still have a bit of paint work to finish on those bottom foundation beams (grey - I think) and then that project is done ... until the next detail I decide needs to be accomplished!

Thursday was Maine Wildlife Park day with Eric, Jen, Sophie, and Jen's mom Linda. For some crazy reason Eric and Jen decided that we needed to start our visit at the ungodly hour of 9:30 AM ... but Peggy and I managed to get up, cleaned up, dressed, out-the-door and up to Gray, ME by then!

First item on the Wildlife Park agenda was to find the new baby moose. A few days ago a Maine Warden found a one month old baby moose abandoned in the woods and brought the baby (now named Zoe) here to the Wildlife Park for rearing. We walked over to where the big moose live -- but no baby moose in sight. Then we walked back to the center of the facility and found Zoe - just in time for her 10 AM feeding. It certainly didn't take that girl long to down that bottle!

After watching Zoe have Second Breakfast we finished our walk around the Park - Checking out the bears

and the other critters that hang out here in the Maine Woods.

After several hours of wildlife viewing on a beautiful Maine morning we decided it was time for lunch and made the short drive over to Cole Farms Restaurant for lunch. I understand Cole Farms is a real landmark in these parts as Jen (and her mom) have been coming here for decades. This was Sophie's first visit - but I doubt it will be her last! 

Peggy and I both had lobster rolls and shared some onion rings while Eric and Jen went for the burgers. It was all good stuff!

Friday (yesterday) was another gorgeous Maine day and Peggy and I took an "Us" day. We spent a leisurely morning - and then got all spiffed up to go to the theater. Every summer the Maine State Music Theatre puts on several world class musicals at Pickard Theatre on the Bowdoin College campus across the river in Brunswick. Peggy and I have seen a couple of shows in the past and we had heard good reviews for this summer's first show "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" -- so we purchased a couple of tickets on-line a few weeks ago for yesterday's 2 PM matinee performance. We arrived in plenty of time to pick up our tickets at the "Will Call" window and spent a few minutes walking about the Bowdoin campus before heading in for the show. The Bowdoin campus really is a beautiful place with many building dating back to the early 1800s - when Maine was still part of Massachusetts!

My best description of the show is "WOW." The cast - especially the actor/musicians playing Buddy Holly and the Crickets were fantastic. These guys are very accomplished musicians and have been playing these parts in various musicals for several years and it shows. They WERE Buddy Holly and the Crickets -- and performed all their big hits! 

The final act included an on stage performance of many of the big hits and had the audience dancing in the aisles! Now -- I gotta remind you that this was a matinee performance and should also mention that Peggy and I were definitely below the average age of most in the audience ... I'll leave the mental picture of the finale to you .... but it was worth the price of admission by itself!

February 3, 1959 - The Day The Music Died!

After that great performance Peggy decided she needed some of Maine's best fried seafood - so we were off to Wiscasset  - "The Prettiest Little Village In Maine" and the Sea Basket Restaurant for a couple of Fried Shrimp Baskets. The fried scallops are also some of the best in Maine - but I really like their shrimp!

OK - time to get back to reality around here. No more eating seafood everyday and playing tourist.

Hey - wait a minute - it's Maine - it's summer - why not!

A Birthday for Sophie - and other Random Thoughts

There can't be too many things more fun than watching a one year old have a birthday party. Miss Sophie turned "1" on Sunday and we drove over to Auburn to help her celebrate.

Of course she was dressed for the occasion in her birthday party best.

As is typical - she was more interested in playing with the birthday card envelope than opening all the gifts.

But she did seem to enjoy all the attention ... and then there was the yummy birthday cake!

Even cousin Taylor showed up to help her play with all her "stuff."

Happy Birthday Sophie! 

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Except for a day of rain a few days ago we have been having some pretty decent weather for June. So if the weather is nice it must time to get outside and accomplish the next project on the list. Top on my list is to get some stain on that shed I built last spring. The shed held up well during the winter but the doors swelled up a bit and were rubbing against the floor so I took them off and trimmed them a bit yesterday. Now we are ready to put on the stain. I asked the local paint company to mix me up some stain in the same color as the house so we'll have to see how well the color matches today when I actually get some applied.

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Mikees Random Thought for the Day

Why is it that "we" never seem to learn from our previous history? What happened when we spent tons of money and many lives to help the South Vietnamese people fend off the brutality of a communist take over? We learned that spending money and lives ... and then abruptly withdrawing our forces leaving a local police force behind to fend off an army simply led to the brutality of a communist takeover.

Why did anyone think that the brutality and sectarian violence in Iraq would not happen - exactly as it has? Does anyone think that the scenario in Afghanistan will be any different?

Like it or not ... there is a model for having American forces protect a nation from annihilation and then withdrawing without widening a local conflict or leaving the nation to being overrun after we leave. We leave troops behind to protect the peace. 

I'm pretty sure the people of South Korea would rather have the 28,000 or so American troops helping to protect their border than the communist wackos up north coming south to spread their fanaticism.

I'm not advocating getting American troops involved in every crises throughout the world .... but when we do ... we better be prepared to be there a long time. The Korean "Conflict" was "over" in about 1953. My math says that was a bit over 60 years ago.

Unfortunately the wackos in the north are still there ... and are still as wacko. Fortunately the folks in the south have enjoyed vastly improved lives. Because we stayed.

Now come the real questions

Do we believe that American involvement in the affairs of the world increases our safety ... or not? 

Do we hunker down at home and hope they never (again) come across our borders or do we use our influence in the world to try and keep the peace as best as we can. 

I certainly understand the isolationists point of view ... but I think I know better.

A Lot To Learn

How in the world did the calendar manage to get all the way to mid June? The last time I remember looking it was mid May and we were in Elkhart, IN. As I look at it now - we have been home for almost a month, Winne has been cleaned and put away, the lawn has been mowed a couple of times (and needs it again!), summer is in full swing, and we bought a new car. Whew - we've been busier than I thought!

Yes - we went ahead and bought the Ford ... a 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid in Ice Storm Metallic.

We picked the car up on Thursday in the Portland area and drove it about 40 miles to home. Other than that short trip it has pretty much just sat out in the driveway getting rained on. It is sad but true - the Chevelle gets garage protection where the brand new car has to sit outside!

In between the remaining raindrops we may get outside today with our 470 page owners manual and start figuring out how to operate the new bells and whistles. We still have a lot to learn about how to drive a hybrid for maximum fuel mileage, and how to talk to the "MyFord Sync" system to use the hands free connection to our phones (and other stuff) ... but we have figured out how to get in and start the car! You laugh! ... it's not as simple as you think!

Here are my first impressions having driven the car all of 40 miles:

• Quiet - the car is much quieter than the Vue. Less road noise in general and the "ICE" (that's Hybrid-Speak for Internal Combustion Engine - as opposed to the Electric Traction Motor) starts and stops as it is needed and you really can't tell the difference.

• Hi-Tech - Although we didn't opt for a lot of the high tech gadgets that are available - we still have a lot to learn. As examples 
• There are several different ways to unlock/lock the doors and using a key in the external lock is the hardest to accomplish!
• Same goes for the operating the "radio" ... you can talk to it, push buttons on the steering wheel, or buttons on the radio itself. What input do you want? AM, FM, CD, Satellite, MP3 player, USB Stick, or Bluetooth?
• Are we operating on the ICE or in "EV" Mode?
• Are we braking correctly for maximum regenerative braking? We need to look at the "Brake Coach!"
• Are Things Missing?
• No Spare Tire - not even a "donut." Instead you get a "Temporary Mobility Kit" (Battery Powered Compressor with attached can of "fix-a-flat.")
• No Jack (I guess you don't need one if you aren't installing a spare!)
• No Gas Cap
• No Noise when you "start" the engine

Yes Indeed - We have a lot to learn!

Tomorrow is Sophie's First Birthday!! WhooHoo!! Time for a party!

Old School - and New Tech

Another beautiful Maine week gone by and we have transitioned to early summer here at the Maineiacs In Motion summer cottage.

We finished up the Winne storage chores, got her nestled in her summer storage spot, and then moved on to other warm weather activities. First on the list - build granddaughter Sophie a birthday present swingset.

We opted for a Home Depot put-it-together-yourself simple swing set advertised to be a one hour project. They supply the hardware kit and a few 4X4s and you supply the labor. Sounds pretty simple.

I purchased the kit and did some pre-assembly work here at the summer cottage. Three hours later I had the pre-assembly complete. Peggy and I took the pieces over to Sophie's house in Auburn on Saturday afternoon and another hour and a half later her dad and I had the project ready for a Sophie test.

Based on first impressions - I would say the project was an overall success (although well over the advertised one hour) and Miss Sophie seems to be ready for a summer of swinging!

On Sunday we were visited by Miss Taylor who decided to sport her swimsuit and get outside for some sun time with G'ma. I'm not sure who had more fun ... G'Ma or Miss Taylor ... but a fun sun time was had by the pair for sure.

Sorry - no swimsuit pictures of G'Ma -- I know how to keep my self out of trouble ... well ... most of the time.

Today has been a mostly relaxing day. I spent a few hours this morning getting the Chevelle all shined up after spending the winter months in storage and then Peggy and I took her out for lunch at a local seafood joint and then for a short cruise to Bath and back. Nothing more fun than cruising in my hot rod with my sweetheart by my side ... sounds like a song from my youth! The trip home was made even more fun when a '65 Ford Falcon Sprint Convertible pulled up beside me on the four lane. We exchanged a friendly wave as he pulled up alongside ... and then I did what any red blooded American Hot Rodder would expect ... I kicked in the Chevelle's second 4 Barrel Carb and left the Ford in the dust!

Speaking of Fords ... all that know me know full well that I am a Chevy guy. I owned a Ford Truck once but I have been a Chevy guy since I knew the difference. I've owned a '56 Bel Air, a '57 Bel Air, a '62 Impala SS, a '64 Chevy II, a '64 Malibu SS, a '72 Vega GT, and '92 and '03 Silverados ... and I suppose even the '06 Saturn Vue counts. 

But alas I believe I may actually buy a Ford.

It is hard for me to say it ... but we are looking seriously at purchasing a 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid. All that lies between me and a new tech Ford is a few thousand dollars, a daunting 455 page owners manual, and deciding if both Peggy and I are ready to join the Bluetooth and Microsoft software enabled - high tech - talk to your car and it talks back crowd.

I suppose if we get too overwhelmed we can always go fire up the Chevelle! .... Or go ask Taylor and Sophie how to make it all work!

Tired, Tires and Re-tired

So now we're home and that means less frequent blog updates. Not that there is less going on in our lives because this last week has been really busy. There was that 2 day bout with some intestinal virus or something ... and then a few days of one appointment or another ... and then there was that big motorhome that needed carpet cleaning, inside scrubbing, outside washing, oil changing, greasing, and waxing. Whew ... glad that is finally done. I swear that rig gets larger every time I wax it!

So now that Winne is just about ready to park in her storage spot it is time to move on to other stuff.

One fun thing we did yesterday was visit the Childrens Museum and Theater of Maine along with Miss Taylor and her mom and dad. Our financial advisor is one of the board members for the Museum and sponsored a grandparents evening for his clients and their grandchildren. The special event was held after normal hours so we had the whole place available to our small group for a couple of hours. A couple of hours for an almost 3 year old to climb on lots of stuff, drive the fire engine;

and the Big Green Tractor;

and slide on slides, and climb in tunnels, and play in a river, and shop in a pretend market, and eat pizza, and on, and on, and on some more!

I suspect we will be having some more fun times over the next several weeks with Miss Taylor and her younger cousin Miss Sophie as she becomes more and more mobile.

And then there is playing with the Chevelle, doing yardwork, going shopping for a new car, enjoying Maine in the summer, ...

Whew - I'm tired all over again. And that reminds me - I need to get Winne some new tires.

Yup -- this retired life can be ... tiring.