We were up and at it early (for us) this morning: we need another vent cover for the motorhome and the place we bought that last one opens at 9:00am on Saturdays. It is on the far side of Rapid City, so about a half hour away. I was waiting for them to open, outside their door at 8:58. I got the second to the last one they had on the shelf in the size we need.
I expect to get a "Did you buy the same thing three days apart?" from our credit card company. ;-)
I also asked about a replacement for the skylight (way more extensive than a vent cover), which appears to have a couple spiderweb cracks) - about $1300 plus labor. Also checked on a replacement awning for over the bedroom slide. Once we get a visit from the insurance adjuster, we'll have some idea of what else we might need. Due to the pandemic (their words) it may take a while to get an insurance estimate.
With that done, I got to have a Hardee's double omelette sandwich for breakfast. Then, a stop at a paintless dent repair place with the CR-V... his estimate came in at $5,500. Again, we'll see what the insurance figures.
Back to the coach, we went right to work on replacing that vent cover... a bit over 20 minutes, so much less than the 90 minutes it took on Wednesday. I took the ladder around to the other side of the coach so Joan could check that side while I was finishing up the inside work on the vent... "We definitely have some roof damage on the passenger side."
I went up on the ladder to see... sure enough, there is one place that is busted all the way through and another 10 or so stress cracks (not all the way through). I called the RV dealer to see what they recommended for a temporary patch before any more crap weather. I expected them to say roof caulk, like what is around all the stuff on the roof (air conditioner, various vents, skylight, etc)... nope, they said, "Really good sticky tape." Yeah, we got that.
We cleaned the roof in all the damaged places and put some 200mph tape on 'em. It was hot up on the roof... I better understand the phrase "like a cat on a hot tin roof." No, Rufus did not help with the repairs. Getting on the roof (from the ladder) is easy; getting off the roof onto the ladder creeps me out. But, I sucked it up and got it done.
While up there, I put tape on top of the slide-out awning while Joan put some on the underside; it should keep the hole from spreading until we can replace the awning.
Once down, I did some sanding on a small repair I did in the gelcoat (a lawn mower tossed a rock, leaving a divot about the size of your thumbnail, right where a black and a white stripe meat up. A bit more sanding (another time), and I will tape that off, paint, and clear-coat it.
Time to take a load off and sit under the shade of the awning. Joan wanted to read a book while under that awning, I decided to get out and do some solo scooting.
My original plan was to ride out Sheridan Lake Road, then go north on 385, then take Rimrock Highway back into Rapid City. A few miles out on Sheridan Lake Road, there was a sign stating: "Pavement Ends." Yep, the road is ripped out, with muddy dirt and gravel for as far as I could see. I try to avoid muddy stuff with my glossy black scoot. I did a U-turn and road that road back into town. New plan: take Rimrock Highway to Norris Peak Road; take that to Nemo Road north until it meets up with Vanocker Canyon Road, my rating of "second best scootin' road in the Black Hills."
I knew there was a bridge that had been damaged on Nemo Road, but I thought that was south of where Norris Peak Road comes in. I was wrong. I caught up with a group of 6 bikers on Norris Peak Road - it is another great curvy road. Those 6 were just as surprised as I was that Nemo Road is closed north of Norris Peak Road.
I pulled up to them (4 Harleys and two big Japanese cruisers) to ask if they knew if the road was really closed, or if there was a way around the bridge damage. They didn't know either... but, I took the barricades across the road to mean: you ain't gettin' through.
One of those guys asked me, "What does that thing (referring to my Vespa) have in it? You were gaining on us through all those curves."
"Two hundred and fifty cc's of throbbing Italian power," I chuckled. "The speed limit and the curves actually give me a bit of an advantage over heavier bikes - I've had a bunch of those. I'm just smiling and riding - this is light and easy." Now, truth be told, if they were riding sport bikes, they'd probably be leaving me behind. I did a U-turn in a single lane of the highway and headed back for those fun curves on Norris Peak Road.
From there, I took Rimrock Highway west to Highway 385. Looking at my fuel gauge, it was down to 3 bars (around 1/4 of a tank). I estimated I had enough fuel to get to the station on Highway 16 that has non-ethanol fuel.
I stopped at Pactola Lake to take a few photos...
I didn't take a camera today - traveling light.
There is a gas station at the intersection of Hwy 385 and Hwy 16 - it looks like there is some kind of an event there, and the place is packed. I considered stopping there for fuel, as I was now down to 2 bars on the fuel gauge. A quarter mile past that station, my low fuel light came on. I can see that I am once again getting good fuel mileage, so I pressed on. I pulled into BJ's gas station with 1 bar on the gauge.
There was a tanker truck blocking one side of the pumps and cars waiting to get to the pumps on the other side. I could see that I could fit between the tanker and the furthest pump (no way a car could get in there), so I asked the tanker driver (who was delivering fuel) if that would be a problem if I slid in there and gassed up... "Go for it! What are you gonna take - about a half gallon with that?" he laughed.
Close: 1.9 gallons... I got 94.2 miles per gallon!
From there, it is about 6 miles back to Hart Ranch. I pulled into our site and put the Vespa away; Joan had just finished her book. We talked about our solo afternoons... she asked, "Did you stop for ice cream?"
"I wouldn't do that without you."
"That's not my thing, but you do have some Bunny Tracks in the freezer," she offered. It hit the spot. I sat out on the patio with her and Rufus. This beats the hell out of watching hail beat the crap out of our stuff.
Ice cream before supper... I almost feel decadent. ;-)
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