The Travels of Oregon RVing Women

Life On Wheels is a week long training program that is conducted at the University of Idaho in Moscow every July.  If you can make it happen, I think you should try.  It is for full timers, part timers, and I wish I had timers.

Technical systems classes are offered along with life style classes.  By the time you are through, you can have an overview of your rigs systems from bumper to bumper, or learn about rig, personal, and computer safety.  Where to go and how to get there, offered by road authors who have been there.

 By the second day you can’t believe how much you have already tried to cram into your brain and wonder how much can possibly stay put.  Fortunately, most instructors give outlines that you can write all over.  And I sure did. 

There were people here who didn’t even own a rig yet and were trying to make that first buy a good one.  Considering the investment we make in our RVs, that’s not such a bad idea. 

I feel more confident when I’m on the road now, knowing a little more about this home on wheels and how to trouble shoot some of the most common problems with it.  And because of that, I can just have more fun.  After all, that’s why I’m out there.                  Barb

My first trip in for RV servicing this year was begun with breakdown.  I couldn’t get my rig to start and finally called Progressive Roadside Assistance for a tow in to the shop.  Nelscott Towing came and disconnected my drive line to tow me into Lincoln City.  Now, I’ve been towed before and previously watched the driver disconnect and reconnect the drive line so I saw nothing amiss here.  The driver said he would drop off my rig at the shop and I could check in with them the next day for the status on my repairs. 

Next day I found out that first they had to reconnect my drive line to get my rig into the shop so, that was $43 to start.  Car Care Specialists wished me good luck in seeking justice on this common practice, they said.  Progressive said they had no policy on what tow drivers disconnected or not.  My old mechanic in Portland said about half the time, tow drivers didn’t reconnect but always told him if they had not.  In talking to Paul Snyder the driver and owner of Nelscott Towing, he said the previous tow I had where the driver reconnected my drive line, well, he was just being a nice guy!  

So, with this long story, there is a warning about towing.  If you don’t want to have to pay for your shop to fix something that the tow guy does to your rig, make sure that your tow driver agrees to reconnect your drive line at the other end.  Don’t assume that the driver will be a ’nice guy’, help him agree to be one.                       Barb