The Good, The Bad and the Broken

The good part was that after the salesman arrived late by 20 minutes, we finally got to see the Rialta and it was everything we imagined. It drove so well I forgot about its size. And the interior is beautiful. The bad part was the salesman who sold it to me. I had asked why the mileage was so low and all he had said was it’s a one owner RV. I found when I arrived that the unit had been a repo, which means that it had been sitting in the elements, while it went through the bank repossession. This of course is not good for any vehicle. After completing the paperwork it was nearly 10 PM EST and we had woken up at 6AM. We left his office with me driving, feeling real good. The broken was when I hit the cement posts by the gas pump. I pulled into a gas station and all the pumps where occupied and so I had to go around in circles to find an open pump. Being tired and not familiar with the width of the vehicle I hit the pump protector cement barrier. I hadn’t owned it an hour and I had already christened it. After stumbling around Sacramento looking for the campground we finally found it in West Sacramento, parked it for the night and set up the electric. The lights came on but within 20 minutes they dimmed to nothing. We had lost 12 volt battery power which runs the lights and the heater. Thankfully I had brought an alpaca blanket that my thoughtful daughter had brought back from Ecuador and it really saved us as the temps dropped to the low 40’s.

After speaking with the salesman, who was clueless, and who reminded me there was no warrantee, we finally found an RV/truck repair place on the internet and we arrived at 8:30 AM. They took the Rialta and tried to locate the 12 volt charger, which took forever. Long story short, they called Winnebago for advice, took apart the bed to find it and replaced the unit for a mere $600 something. They really were wonderful and we finally got on the road at about 2 PM, which really put us behind in our schedule. We pushed on through Donner Pass (elevation 7227) and, fortunately, we didn’t have to use chains we were advised to purchase to get over the pass. It was beautiful and crisp. The Rialta, even though it had not been cared for, was still driving like a new car. The handling is great, the power is strong and the drive is comfortable once you realize the size and the need to swing wide around things like gas pumps.

We crossed the California/Nevada state line to find ourselves in Reno at about 5 pm. We were so amazed by the views that we didn’t see the road sign that stated it was the last gas for the next 55 miles. I have to say that there is really nothing after you leave Sparks, Nevada except scrub brush and the desert. As you travel through the Sierra Nevada mountain range there is nothing to break the monotony and you begin to realize the vast emptiness of the land. It was about 20 miles after Reno that we realized that we were running low on fuel. The few exits that we came upon had signs that said no services. When the low gas warning sign came on, we still had about 35 miles to go to civilization and nothing between there and where we were. I found a rest area and pulled in to find a family convoying with 2 cars to Utah who were gracious enough to follow us until reached to the first town with gas. We literally just made it to the pump and both of us were so proud that we managed to remain cool and have faith that we would make it. As we were congratulating each other we hadn’t noticed that we were speeding through this small Nevada town at a high rate of 37 miles until the siren went off. A handsome young deputy from the Pershing County Sheriff Department came up and checked our temp license plate and asked for our paperwork. He came back shortly to the passenger side and asked how our trip was going. He was sweet and looked in and expressed his delight at our find in Sacramento. He sent us on our way ticketless and with a Pershing County Sheriff’s emblem to put on the window of my new home.

April Fool’s Day found us in Winnemucca, at a large campground, being offered a work camping position there. We thanked the owner for his interest but I couldn’t imagine spending a whole summer working there. We managed to leave Nevada without gambling a cent. We pushed on through Nevada, Utah and half of Wyoming today. Seeing the Salt Flats was interesting. It was so flat and desolate, I could imagine racing a car or a motorcycle there. The Salt Lake has a distinct smell to it, almost like the ocean but not as fresh. We had a really great lunch/dinner at the Squatters Brewery in Salt Lake City and as we left we were notified that Route 80 between Laramie and Cheyenne was closed. Not knowing what to expect we pushed on through the mountains and across the continental divide to Rawlins, Wyoming. As I finish this we are sitting in the Rialta with the winds buffeting around us and a light snow falling. It has been a good trip so far with a lot of adventures and sights. The pictures will be posted when I figure out how. Good night to all. Tomorrow we push on to Omaha, Nebraska, and another 650 miles.