Arrived Back in Tampa

Lutz, Florida

(warning…kitten pictures)

We left Vero Beach around noon yesterday for our 136 mile trip to Tampa.

We found a truck stop Highway 60 that had easy access in and out, and intended to fuel up.

When we got there, the pumps had what appeared to be 2 different types of diesel.  One said ultra low sulphur and the other said low sulphur.  One said for 2007 engines and later, and the other said good for all engines.  The problem was, those warnings were on both pumps so we didn’t know which was which, or which to use.  When Al saw that the third pump said unleaded, we just decided to drive on without re-fueling.  Better to be safe.  We knew we had plenty of fuel but weren’t sure exactly how much because our fuel gauge quit working.  It reads full all the time!  When we left Lazy Days, when they filled up the diesel and propane they noticed the fuel gauge wouldn’t go past 3/4.  They took it back in and fixed it and it had been working fine until we left for Vero Beach. 

We have been running the generator and both a/c’s while traveling and part way back Al had to brake kind of hard.  We heard a clunk and a while later noticed the generator wasn’t running.  We started it back up but it kept quitting on us.

We had to drive right by Lazy Days,  so we decided to pull in and see if they could fix it right then.  (yeah right).  The guy who handles the 30 day warranty stuff asked if we had low fuel.  We knew the generator wouldn’t run if the fuel was at 1/4 tank, but we felt sure we had more fuel than that.  He said the manuals say 1/4 tank is the cut off, but in his 20 years there, he had seen it cut off between 1/4 and 1/2 tank.  We went next door and filled the tank.  It took over 50 gallons, which means we were slightly below 1/2 tank.  The generator kept running after that, so I guess that was the problem.  It never occurred to me and we thought we had more fuel than that.  Yikes.  Our mileage isn’t as good as we hoped.  The previous owners told us they got about 10 miles per gallon when running 65 mph.  We think got about 6.5.  Of course ours was with the generator running the whole time.  Not great, but what can you do.

We made an appointment for next week to get the fuel gauge fixed and a few other things checked.  Al has been hearing a noise from the left front end.  I haven’t heard it.  Yesterday he thought something felt funny.  I guess we’d better get them checked out.  We’re trying to decide what is normal noises for this motorhome and engine and what could be problems.  It’s not quiet like a well sealed car and it does have some noise when driving.  I hate like hell to have to go back to Lazy Days, but I guess we will do it.

We haven’t decided where to go next.  It’s probably between Vero Beach, Fort Myers, or St Augustine.  We have Thousand Trails memberships in all three places.  Al wants to go back to Vero.  This is my choice this time though since Al got his choice last time! 

I have had a couple questions on our Thousand Trails membership.  The regular regional membership that we bought at the Rv show cost us $199.  It included the southeast states and had about 26 campgrounds.  Only three were in Florida.  We also purchased the “Max your Pass” membership for an additional $199.  That gives you  6 additional  Florida campgrounds.  We get 30 days free and after the 30 days, we have to pay $3.00  a night.  We can stay up to two weeks at a time, then we have to be out of the system for 7 days.  Since we knew we would be mostly staying in Florida, we thought it was a good idea.  One of those campgrounds is in the Florida Keys, near Marathon.  We are trying to plan a trip there.

The little no-name kitten made a trip to the vet in Vero Beach yesterday.  I wanted to confirm it was a female,  like Judy thought.  Well “she” turned out to be a “he.” I guess we would have figured that out shortly, but when they are very young, it’s hard to tell. We had wanted a female, but there’s no exchanging him now because  we already love him!  He weighed a whopping 1.9 pounds.  They gave us a free sample of Science Diet kitten food and we bought him some vitamins.  They are chewable and supposed to be tasty, but he doesn’t like them.  I want to start him off right and keep him healthy!

The kitties travel in their kitty cages.  The little one did just fine.  I was worried he would get car sick.  Thankfully he didn’t, and he was as good as gold.  I let him out to get a snack and go to the kitty pan when we stopped for fuel.

He meowed a time or two, but for the most part he just slept.

Thanks to everyone that sent in name suggestions.  We’re still trying to find a name that sticks.  One of the first things I started calling him was Fuzz butt.  Al thought of Ozzie.  We normally just wait and see what sticks.  A good suggestion was Little Bit, but we used to have a kitty named Little Bitty Kitty and he went by LB. I knew Little Bit would end up being LB.   Keep those suggestions coming!

He was full of the devil last night after his busy travel day yesterday.  I was worried that he wouldn’t be ready for bed.

When it was bed time, I put him down beside my pillow on the nightstand beside the bed.  He immediately plopped down and went right to sleep.  Of course Miss Kitty had a snit fit because she thinks that is now her spot and she hates the little guy.  The baby slept while Miss Kitty was hissing, growling and spitting!

I worry he will wake up in the middle of the night and fall off the bed.  It’s along way down for a little guy and one side of the bed is on a tile floor.  I kind of slept with one eye open, but he didn’t stayed put.  Sometime in the middle of the night we got up and he had a snack and a kitty pan trip.  He played a while before he was ready to sleep again.  When I woke up this morning he was sleeping on Al’s night stand.   I don’t mind that once in a while, but he belongs beside me. 

When we first got him I showed him where the kitty pan was.  The entrance is higher than his head.  I thought of getting him a shallower pan until he grows up a bit, but I hadn’t gotten around to it yet.    The first day, he found it again on his own and was using it.  What a good little boy!  I guess he won’t need a special kitty pan after all!

The end.