Blood, Sweat and Tears...

The Mandalay and the Camelot side by side for the big move

         
      Thursday, June 19, we moved from the Twin Arrows Casino outside Flagstaff to AutoBoss RV Sales in Mesa, Arizona.  We parked the Mandalay next to the new to us 2007 Camelot 42PLQ for which we were trading.

We were greeted by this sign in the window of the Camelot

      There was some work to be done in swapping out our DirecTV satellite receiver.  Temperatures were well above the hundred degree mark and, unsure how to protect our dogs' paws, Valerie carried them to an area where they could relieve themselves in the middle of the day.

      Friday morning came early, as Arizona does not participate in daylight savings time.  Friday evening we moved both rigs to Viewpoint RV & Golf Resort nearby.  George had accepted the challenge to teach a lesson to a nice couple who were new to RVing on Friday and Saturday.  George worked in the hot sun in the mornings and we transferred more items than we imagined we owned.  Valerie continued to carry the dogs to a place where they could relieve themselves.

Ugh!  106!

      In the evening we took a short break for a swim in the pool and to soak our sore muscles in the hot tub.  By Saturday night we were pretty well exhausted.  It was dark and approaching 10:00 p.m. Valerie was in the Mandalay cleaning out cabinets when George broke the bad news.  He was experimenting with the keyless entry on the Camelot, believing that she was inside, and we were locked out!

      We checked every window and the door.  The dogs, fortunately, had been out for the final time that night.  We contacted a locksmith, which has yet to return our call.  Joe, the sales manager at Auto Boss, responded to our panicked text.  We caught him at a good time and he had a master key.  How is that for going above and beyond after the sale?

The Camelot was ready for us to move in.

      Sunday we continued to move things and put things away.  George's head sported fresh cuts as he became acquainted with the slides while organizing the bays.  Monday, Valerie took a break for a routine doctor's visit.  None of the tubs we had used in the Mandalay fit into the Camelot's cabinets, so we had to fit in some shopping as well.  We pushed hard to finish unloading the Mandalay so that AutoBoss could come and pick it up on Monday.

Joe had a few papers for us to sign

      Jerry, the technician, came out Monday morning and we showed him where to find the keys.  It was a very strange feeling watching him prepare our home of over seven years and drive it away.  We fought back the tears.

      We decided to stay on a few more days as we found that we had far less storage in the Camelot.  Numerous trips to the local thrift stops and dumpsters ensued.  We were unfamiliar with our new coach, and experienced a power outage or two which we suffered through and received assistance again from the dealership.

      Wednesday, June 25, Valerie decided to take the dogs to the wash in Gold Canyon.  She took off early before it got too hot in the car.  The water was actually too warm, which the attendant advised was due to hot pipes -- not the refreshing bath she had envisioned.  We finally crammed the remaining items into the car and the motor home and decided we had had enough.  We were leaving tomorrow and hoping to make it to higher ground -- Flagstaff was our goal.

Side-by-side for ease of transferring our belongings at Viewpoint RV & Golf Resort in Mesa

      Thursday, June 26, we took off in our new to us home and headed from Mesa north to I-17 for Flagstaff.  We were not far out of Phoenix when we began to see the signs that the road was closed ahead.  We hoped for the best but pulled off the right shoulder between some truckers who apparently knew better than we did.  Another couple driving a Monaco stopped behind us and we began to theorize that many cars were going past and not backing up and, therefore, must be getting through.

Our last look at the Mandalay as Jerry drove it away.  

       We learned quickly that was not a good assumption.  We traveled less than two miles where we were forced to exit and either enter the southbound lane of I-17 or park alongside a secondary road with a number of trucks and cars who found themselves in the same predicament.  We decided it was a good time for lunch and within the hour were advised the interstate had reopened.

      George had researched and found an RV park in Camp Verde where we decided to stop for the night.  Our first trip in the Camelot, and we were both nervous and excited.  It would have been nice if we could have spent the time in Phoenix to really get settled and familiar with the coach, but the heat was just oppressive.  We had escaped the heat and our new adventure had begun!

Beginning the next chapter in our lives at Krazy K in Camp Verde, Arizona