Sep2001

September 2001
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We stopped at the Spartan plant in Charlotte, Michigan for the two year service on our Dutch Star. (Spartan made our motorhome's chassis.) The Dutch Star was nine days under two years old and had 26,177 miles. We had all fluids and filters changed, the chassis lubed, installed a rock guard under the rear radiator and had the front and rear ends aligned. After paying the $1,422 bill we received (free?) a half pound box of candy and two Spartan logo caps. They have a free camping area for their customers and do professional work. After watching a technician align the motorhome's chassis we would not want anyone else doing the work. Then we rolled down the road to the Newmar plant in Nappanee, Indiana where our Dutch Star was built for some warranty work. Jim and Patty Hammond had also scheduled warranty work and were waiting for us. Newmar has a free full-hookup campground for their customers, a lounge and a phone line for internet access. We spent the Labor Day weekend there and visited old friends and made new friends. Over the last year we had accumulated a list of 32 items that needed repair, mostly small items like a crack in a clearance light. Tuesday morning shortly after 6:00 a.m., Lynn Miller, a Newmar service rep, came to our Dutch Star and went over each item, then drove it in the repair shop. The repairs took four days and each day was the same. We had to be out of our motorhome by 6:00 a.m. when they took it in the service bays. We went to a restaurant with the Hammonds for breakfast, then went sightseeing or just hung around and surfed the internet. At 2:30 p.m. they would bring our motorhome back and explain what they had fixed that day. After all items were repaired Gordy, a technician, went over each of the 32 items and what they did to repair them and made sure we were happy with the repairs. We were treated like we were their special customer of the week and their job was to make us happy. And did they ever make up happy. We complained our kitchen sink was scratched - they replaced the sink. We complained our bedspread was crooked - they made us a new one. We complained one of our front clearance lights was cracked - they replaced all five lights with new ones. They also removed and replaced our entrance door making it better than new, fixed our solar panel, replaced a cabinet door, replaced a peeling decal and fixed all 32 items better than new. Newmar has a 36 month bumper to bumper warranty and we would not want to buy from anyone else.

Staying in northern Indiana we met Norm's sister and her husband, Gloria and Don Martin, in Elkhart Campground. We had not seen them since Christmas and had never seen their new motorhome. The first two days of our five days together it rained so we spent most of the time visiting and talking. On a rainy Sunday afternoon we drove to South Bend and toured the beautiful campus of Notre Dame University. On entering the campus we slowed to almost a stop while looking at the buildings and parking lots, trying to find a place to park. Suddenly in front of us a large stately tree crashed across the road. If we had been driving a normal speed it likely would have landed on our Honda killing all of us. Don called 911 and in minutes campus police covered the area. There were pedestrians on the sidewalk but no one was injured. That was the first time any of us had ever seen a large tree fall due to aging. In the Visitors Center we watched a movie about the university, then a security guard lifted a gate and allowed us to drive the campus roads even though we did not have a permit. Due to rain we did not get to walk much of the campus or make very many pictures.

Northern Indiana is the motorhome / RV / manufactured housing capital of the world with 22 housing plants, 12 park model plants and 69 RV plants. We went with the Martins to the RV/MH History Hall of Fame / Museum / Library in Elkhart. It was interesting seeing the old trailers and the progression to modern travel trailers and motorhomes. They have on display the nation's oldest travel trailer, a 1913 Earl travel trailer pulled by a 1913 Ford. A short drive away in Shipshewana we found the Menno-Hof, Mennonite-Amish Visitors Center. The center through movies, displays and historical environments explains the unique world of the Mennonite and Amish people, their religion and beliefs. The center was interesting and informative as we not only learned about those people, but religion in general. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to tour and is worth a stop. Shipshewana is known for their flea market which may be the largest continuously operated flea market in the USA. It is open every Tuesday and Wednesday plus some holidays. A walk among the vendors and booths takes all day. We attended with the Hammonds one day and with the Martins another day. Our big purchase was a $299 ladder that compacts to less than five feet to store in the Dutch Star's basement and opens in different configurations to a long as seventeen feet.

While in Elkhart we watched the horrors that took place in New York City, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. It is unbelievable that terrorists have such disregard for human lives. We stayed glued to the television as the events unfolded and for the next several days. All those involved have been in our thoughts and prayers.

The middle of the month we rolled into Louisville Metro KOA, just north of Louisville, Kentucky. The campground has a great monthly rate and a free phone line for internet access. We will spend a month here while we visit our families and have medical and dental checkups.

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