Gayla's Magazine

Oregon RV Service

Traveling up to Washington State to be with Bishop John Stanley we stopped in Eugene Oregon to see a company that has been a real blessing to us!  We have talked often with the owner over the phone, but never met him in person - so this is great that we can stop by on our way!

This is the company that we have our satellite system with on our motor coach.  We could not travel the entire country and Mexico and Canada without their help!  Our communications depend on the technology of our satellite to reach around the world.
They installed the updates ours needed while we were here also.

Right now this company has 25 satellite systems ready to be installed - just setting waiting on someone who is in need of this type of technology.  If you have a idea that this might be your answer to clear dependable communications - contact them! You will find they are great to work with. www.oregonrv.net 

His wife Joyce and I had a good time talking about the Lord!

See the satellite up on top of another RV - it's a powerful tool that provides solid aid for us in our ministry. We can pull over to any rest area, or shopping center and put up our satellite and our equipment starts pulling down emails, our blogs, the internet,  Skype, videos.... on and on goes the story. I can't tell you how valuable this is to us!
Anyone who lives on the road should have this - it takes all the hassle out of trying to find a strong Wifi signal somewhere, or worse trying to find the internet in a hurry in a strange city.

Our Pregnant Yorkie

Missy needed a haircut before her trip out west. So I took her to a puppy spa and she had a day of getting ready for the big trip.

Now she looks cute but we have a suspicion that she is pregnant!  My husband told me he thought she looked like she had gained 3 lbs since he left with her on this trip, we both have wondered about her weight gain. But when I got to California and saw her myself now I am pretty sure she is.  Let's see..... it's been about 6 -7 weeks...... I do believe we might be having puppies soon!

Now how do we have puppies while we are traveling?  This ought to be a interesting trip!

The Newmar Factory

While our RV Coach is being repaired we got to go on a tour of the NEWMAR factory.  This was a real treat to see how these giant 'rolling condo's' are made.  This is the fabric center where all the cloth items in the Coach are made. 

Each year Newmar has different fabric collections for each style of Coach. Beautiful copper colors, raw gold silks, deep Burgundy and sage greens.  It's all so nice.  When someone needs a replacement it can be found easily for the customer - impressive.   

Moving over to another building we get to follow a Coach from the Spartan Chassis beginning.

Every detail is carefully looked at as we discover the inside parts of the RV Coach. So that's where the holding tanks are!

The floors are custom made all in one creation. Then laid into place before any walls go up.

Then miles of wiring, cables, walls, cabinets, pipes and technical systems all are fit into carefully arranged placements.

The huge front cap is one molded piece, and it fits into place like a glove on an hand. And the roof is amazing too.  The whole roof is one long molded piece, and it's lifted by suction and put into place.  No chance of leaking in these RVs'.    

   

Then the meticulous paint work begins. These Coaches go through 2 buildings being created. It's so interesting to watch the process.  At the beginning the Chassis wheels are put on air floating 'dollies' that when the air is on, these huge Coaches can simply be pushed from one area to another with the workers hands!!

And the completed interiors are fabulous to see!  Wow!

Walking down the line of finished works of art, it's been amazing to see how these are made.

Our gracious tour guide was wonderful to show us around.  Thanks Newmar for a great tour and a great Coach.  We love it!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Traveling down America's highways is always an enjoyable experience for me.  We are taking care of business for the Foundation this week, and it requires a trip across several States.  Nothing like watching the foliage of deep greens change to the bright shades of Fall, as we roll past.

The country roads of the deep South have a certain charm to them in a RV.  The view is better because we are higher, and the smooth ride of a big rig is second to none.  Not to mention being able to cook and then enjoying a hot meal in the privacy of our own home away from home.

There are always the truck stops along the way that we access in such a large RV.  And you never know what kind of sights await at each stop.  There are the usual truck repairs happening, that are self explanatory.  And then there are these.....

  It always is surprising to see the door open on a semi truck and a lady driver get out.  I waited till she walked away from her truck, as to not raise suspicions that I was taking her picture! Is she a single mom, trying her best to take care of her family?  

Then there are the unique sights such as pictures that people hand paint on the sides of their vehicles.  Wonder what the story is behind this one. There must be a special one.

Now surely there is a logical reason for why someone would buy things - and some of it looks like food still wrapped in this sack, then walk off and leave it here!  What is going on with this person?? Did they forget where they left their lunch?

Now the story of why this was done, I'm not sure, but I can reasonably assume the ending.  The General Manager surely was upset with whoever did this to his landscaping out front of the Truck Stop.  Trimming is one thing, but shearing off all of the shrubs is quite another. Why???

Rolling mile after mile watching the deeply dug grooves in the highway, makes me wonder.  Did the person just have their radio on so loud they could not hear the noise happening under their vehicle.  Or did no one point out to the driver, 'hey dude you are dragging half your motor behind you'!

   

Funny how God's creation remains stable and steady - the same peaceful scenes to feel serene in, while man's seems to create all sorts of scenarios that create questions, opinions and yes more work. Interesting!      

Mexia Texas

Leaving on a quick trip to Mexia Texas to be in service with the Hoxworth's, we load up the RV with supplies and two sweet people, Carla and Wayne Wade.  Two of God's great friends.  We took them with us, and spent some quality time together along with their little dog named Storm (named after the Rita Hurricane)

Mexia is the place where Anna Nicole Smith was raised.  Sure wish she could have been raised in one of the churches in this town, life would have turned out very very different for her. It's still a down home small town where everyone knows everyone. 

Carla had some paperwork to do on the road for her business.  She and Wade are Real Estate Agents and have a thriving business.  So she spreads out her work and gets started.  It's so good to travel in our Coach - I fed them some healthy food on the way there - and also on the way back.  It's really nice to not have to stop and spend time eating somewhere where no one knows if it's clean, or the food is decent to consume.  Sometimes in the past, we have eaten in places that reminded us of road kill (seriously do they walk out on the freeway and gather their food source?) Ha! 

So our RV trip was good for all of us.  And when we arrived at usual stopping place at the local Walmart, we stopped in their parking lot, got settled and went to church.  The Bishop and I finally closed down for the night well after midnight after meeting with the Pastors and some of their leadership.    And then it was up early the next morning, close in the slides on the Coach, pick up our guests - and head down the road for home. 

We all sipped our steaming Kombucha tea and munched crisp Gala apples rolling along the freeway going home. There is no better way to travel than in an RV!

There is another tropical storm brewing in the Gulf - we will need to get home and push it away from our coast!      

Washing the RV

Stopping to give the RV a good wash after being on the road for an extended time, we locate one just inside the state line. And big RV's can get very dirty as the height and length of them is a big area for bugs, road grit and various grime ingredients collect even more on such a large area.  Now washing a RV is not like washing your car.  It's a very big job that if one was going to wash their own, could be an all day event.  But traveling experiences have shown us a better way!  The big rigs on the road have truck washes almost like the small car washes.  Just much bigger.  Just get in the line, behind a gasoline truck and in front of a 52ft semi.  Our RV looks funny in the line up with all the big heavy equipment, but the other drivers are polite and professional. 

When it's our turn we pull into the big open doors of the truck wash following the motions of the crew.  They guide us all the way in and 4 men start immediately with big power wash spray guns getting the rig soapy. My husband gets out to take care of the bill, and I set in my seat and take pictures of the washers. I am sure the guys are wondering 'what is she doing taking our pictures?' 

As the soapy water makes ribbons and covers the windshield my view is blocked.  But the clean smell of soap fills the air and the washing water slides down in white bubbles covering up all the windows at once.   

And then the giant sprayers come on and suddenly the sound in the air changes from the calling voices of the men covering the top and sides, to nothing but the swooshing sounds of water cascading down.  Giant sprayers hit the sides - all sides at once.  In the ceiling of this big building is a pipe that runs the length of the building.  Water is pouring out in sprayer action washing the top of the RV.  The men have changed out their soapy sprayers to clean water now and the heavy shower is in full operation.  I keep trying to catch the right picture of the waterfall coming down the front but the spray is just too great to catch it in motion.

Then the guys arrive with huge brushes on long poles and the details are looked over such as the big rear view mirrors and even the steps going up into the RV.  No detail is overlooked. These guys do a great job. More soap and more water, repeat all the action.   

Then the giant doors open and they motion for us to drive out. And while we exit carefully the next big rig is being motioned to enter and the process begins again.  This team does this all day everyday.  What a job! Nice and clean and ready to hit the road again!  And in a quarter of the time needed to clean it, we are running down the road again with the sunshine glinting off the clean RV.