Fire on the Mountain #9

Last week I attended the 9th "Fire on the Mountain" Bus campout. This takes place in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in NE Georgia. This year was very special as my friends Steve & Tammy renewed their wedding vows. The weather was perfect, the lake was lovely, and the friends were many, even a few new ones. Click here for my post about last years FOTM~

My first kayak experience~ fun!

View from my camper~ 2001 Ford Ranger with Camper Shell

Celebration Decoration

Bell looking for her Daddy/my campmate Snoopy~ with his beautiful bus Wanderlust

Typical.. beers & chit chatting with great people

I camped out in the truck because Lenny is having his engine swapped this week! Next week I can look forward to properly breaking it in, and bringing the loaner engine down to Snoopy in Charleston, this way someone else can use it.  That's what VWs do~ they bring people together & teach us to share & help each other.  Although it takes a lot of work at times, its all these great times that really pay off.

Wilmington, North Carolina

I've spent the last month in Wilmington NC meeting people and checking out the local scene. So far, I like it!

The last few photos were taken last night at a club meeting for Oil & Air VW Club which takes place the first Thursday of each month.  Although there is another meeting coming up in 2 weeks to talk about a VW parade at an Oktoberfest locally.  Free admission which includes food & beer- count Lenny & I in!

High Country Bus Festival 16

This year was my 3rd year in a row going to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, camping along the New River, the oldest river on Earth behind the Nile.  Twin Rivers campground is located along side of the New River, ending at a fork which one path flows South, while the other flows North.
This year the festival began on Monday, however I arrived Friday so I could get a little R&R in before the parties began. A few others showed up Friday and Saturday, but really started to trickle in Sunday.  Next year's HCBF will begin Sunday.

Newlyweds (middle), married in the river~ most beautiful wedding I've seen

Lenny and Karla

Jim & I ~ party animals (Sprout in background)

Lenny all decked out, with new tattoo

Tye Dye Tutorial

"Gears & Wrenches" ~ Acorn & Butternut squash

Bella

Ahhh, this is life

Rosin cooked potatoes~ strange and delicious

Wonderful Friends

Oh, Lenny... breakdown in the street makes way for plenty of help

Riding in style 1990 Vanagon can't wait to smoke these two slow Bays

The alternator went out on Lenny sometime during my drive to High Country, and I found out when we tried to leave.  So we had Nationwide tow him to Boone, where we had the alternator rebuilt. 
A word on AAA: I used AAA for many years and recently saw a decline in service.  I was not unhappy with AAA, but when suggested by Nationwide to ad their roadside assistance/trip interruption coverage for just $20 extra a year, I jumped for it.  At the moment I don't know how many times they'll tow, but its up to 100 miles each time and you do not have to wait with the vehicle for pick up.  AAA would assume I would wait on the side of the road in my car for sometimes as much as 4 hours before pick up, not to mention the delays that happen because other tows (like car accidents) took precedence.   Nationwide doesn't need you to stay and doesn't expect you to, has better service and is cheaper.  If you use Nationwide, I highly recommend the extra package.

Loaner

We've got a loaner engine in, had a few tricky situations with it~ vacuum line leak, timing got a bit off, oil sensor went out, accelerator pedal sticking or coming totally off.  But we've got it all together now and plan to hit the road this afternoon for North Carolina.  Going to visit the organic farm we visited in November, and then hitting up High Country Bus Festival for our 3rd year in a row.  The first year  we camped for only 2 nights. The second year we camped for 3 or 4 nights, this year we are going for a wopping 10! Will report back with trip photos in a few weeks. :)

How to kill an engine

Drive long distance in 110 degree heat...

engine is out, going back to Bear to be fixed, in the mean time we are putting in a carburated loaner engine.  Should be on the road Saturday evening! 

Drive smart, if the engine's air cooled (and especially new) don't drive during the middle of a steamy, southern day!

Slow Progress

The paint job was a quick one, and looks pretty good.  We've already had two friends give him "tattoos", with more to come soon. 
Last weekend we drove him up to Morganton NC and back.  We got to see our friend Peter who is traveling from New Mexico.  Lenny easily turned a 4 hour drive into 9...  the hottest weekend so far with temperatures over 100 degrees, Lenny's engine couldn't cool itself.  After only an hour of driving we had to pull off for two to let the oil cool.  Luckily we have gauges that tell us when things are getting too hot.  Now we are in the process of installing a secondary oil cooler to keep up with the heat. 

Lenny and Dean

However, all of these small problems cropping up are adding up- leaving our pockets sad.  This time we may only get to travel to Colorado and back, because we are too afraid to drive all the way across the country and run out of money or face more costly repairs.  If we run out of money here we have lots and lots and lots of friends who would put up with us while we find jobs/places to live/etc.  I guess right now I am choosing the comfort of the known, and shying away from the excitement of the unknown. 

Re-paint

Yesterday I woke up at 5am and got to work around 6am sanding and painting Lenny~ I am about 80% done.  I decided to go with a spray paint job again, with pretty much the same scheme. I want people to recognize us still. I left out the teal side stripe and the white bubble on the front.  I also painted his "eyelids"...  today I plan to finish up the dark blue stripe on the driver's side and the dark blue on the rear and his paint job will be finished.  Now just need to get these tired muscles moving...

"Freckles"

Bondo Nightmare

Rust reforming around windows/windshield the worst

removable cushion cover (was a bedsheet, then a curtain..) with "poop tent" to left~ fits perfectly

Trey installed the gauges and they work! Just needs to wire into the lighing

Ta-daaaa! Fresh coat of paint looks nice

looks a bit sad with out the VW emblem, need to stick it back on

Next week I plan to spend all week in NC visiting friends in the Raleigh area and possibly a trip to the beach.  I am going to let my friends do some custom art on him, it will be a nice way to remember all of my friends over here while I am over there.
We still need to bleed the breaks so we haven't driven him since Friday.  Although I did move him about 2 feet yesterday...  engine starts with just a slight turn of the wrist.  So nice! I believe this evening when Trey gets home we will bleed those breaks.