We did a bunch of moochdocking in Chicago, Layne got around the dinner table with her cousins and I got to have lunch with Webb and we saw Ernie and Graciela, who moved from California, for the first time in years and all that stuff that nomads get to do on the road from time to time. So we took a drive and an overnight stop on the Ohio Turnpike, a splendid toll road with comfortable rest areas on our way to the Promasters Only mechanic’s shop.
A haul out in the life of a boat is when it gets pulled up in the boatyard to get the normally underwater parts cleaned and maintained, which can be a stressful time in a sailor’s life. So it was in Barberton watching GANNET2 come apart at the seams.
The crazy thing here is our Sunpass Pro works on toll roads just like it does in Florida - Illinois, Michigan, Ohio- and all points east in something like 18 states we just drive through like we do at home. Fantastic.
Some of the rest areas on the Ohio Turnpike have special RV areas with electrical hookups, dump stations and water for twenty dollars a night. But all the rest areas have free showers which I find really enjoyable after a day driving.
Barberton was founded at the end of the 19th century by an industrialist called Barber who as was usual in those days had all sorts of modern and personal ideas about how to run industries, and manage housing and workers lives in a planned city. They manufactured matches of all things and hired migrants from Eastern Europe passing through Ellis Island. Barberton grew so fast they called it Magic City.
There are 25,000 residents in the city today and I was only slightly surprised all of them weren’t lined up at the bakery.
I settled for a cherry Danish but there were all sorts of old world foods on offer.
I feel pretty lucky to get GANNET2 checked out by Kip Amore. He has a reputation as a Promaster guru among van owners and I made my appointment months ago to show up here on Monday.
With 84,000 miles under her belt the van needed a few worn parts replaced, the front brakes, the spark plugs and the various fluids.
Kip checked the van with a computer code reader and everything came up green which cheered me up. The transmission fluid showed no wear in the gearbox, the brake rotors were like new and only the front brakes needed new pads.
An ultra violet light showed no coolant leaks except for one loose clamp, easily fixed. A known weak point is the plastic expansion chamber above the radiator and mine showed signs of cracking do we got a new one!
Paul, Kips assistant, installed a new starter battery for us. Most people Kip told me, wait for the battery to go bad but ours was almost four years old and I wanted to start our South American journey with no obvious weak points. We might be gone two years and forty thousand miles so I’m hoping to anticipate possible failures.
We spent the day waiting which is a strangely tiring pastime. Kip offered us the use of his car but there wasn’t really anywhere to go in this Akron suburb. Then we got the test drive and all is well. A few more details to check this Tuesday morning in a return visit and we’ll be done.
We caught Barberton in a good month, cool bright sunny days and crisp cold nights. There’s lots of greenery and summer feels like it’s in full swing but before long it’ll be winter.
It’s the industrial part of the country known as the rust belt but for me it has a certain romantic charm. You see movies set in these quiet brick cities, and as I’ve never had any experience of living here so I don’t have bad memories. I don’t have any reality to match to my imaginative view of these places.
Walking Rusty I looked around.
And so back to the Turnpike for a shower and a rest. Ohio works me.
13 comments:
Excellent news especially that the rotors were in good shape... just pads is a surprise. Now you can go play!!
I envision a trip to Kip probably next spring. We have purchased a summer place in North MI. Its on an island accessable by ferry off of Cheboygan. Very interesting place and water as clear as the Keys. Plenty of parking at our place and free wild camping on north shore!
I was surprised the rotors were like new too. And on this front wheel drive van not only do the rear tires not wear but their brakes are barely worn.
Make your appointment long in advance for Kip as he is snowed under and as I greatly enjoy Michigan don’t be surprised if we actually show up!
84k miles, wow! And it sounds like you are planning to head much further south this year. Like always, I enjoy reading your posts.
Thanks. We are hoping to to be in Colombia by January next year avoiding the central
American rainy season. Last year we left too late so this year we want to leave early and focus on getting south. From
Layne’s lips to gods ear.
Its so cool you got to meet Kip and have him work on your van. I was very tired after a 12 hour day of driving a rented 2018 Promaster campervan in May on our way from NH to CO to visit my wife Fran's Sister in Salida. I passed on the idea of driving another 30 miles to Barberton instead of sleeping in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. I absolutely loved driving the PM for the 4500 mile trip and had no trouble driving in the Rockies or in NYC on the way back. My wife Fran found getting into and out of the van very difficult with her back troubles so I won't be buying one any time soon. She only went along with the rental because she loves me and wanted me to enjoy the experience.
Did your rental have running boards?
No running boards. The van had a couple of footstools. The seat was just too high up for my wife to climb up into it without trouble. I took to exiting the vehicle backwards which worked a lot better for me.
Oh yeah, the PM van we rented had 192,000 miles on it when we picked it up.
This is Layne; the running boards would make all the difference in the world.
I haven't seen many PM's with running boards around here or many rentals for that matter. The young couple, Jess and Ryan Donnelly, that own Top Notch Vans where we rented the van have a video on their Outdoorsy rental page showing Jess leaping into the 42 inch high bunk (video no longer available). We're too old for leaping so they bought us a folding stepladder that we could use for the bed. I'm now looking at older Class B campers like the Roadtrek that might be a little easier for Fran to use. It was hard to give up the idea of owning a PM after months of reading and watching videos about them and driving it for a couple of weeks. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
MY friend, you know nothing about West of the Mississippi with you comment regarding camping. Your reference books are lacking.
Thanks for pointing out the typo. East of the Mississippi.
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