We purchased Arthur on 19 August 2019 at Chillhowee RV Sales and Service in Alcoa, TN. Wisely, the purchase price included a 5-year extended warranty. As well constructed as Airstreams are and despite their reputation for quality, MFI is quick to point out that when you put tens of thousands of parts together, including the latest technology in circuitry and monitoring systems, and then drive the assemblage over thousands of miles of less than smooth highways while living in it full time, something is bound to go wrong or break. Many of those things we were able to fix ourselves, but we started a list of those we couldn’t or shouldn’t in order to not void the warranty. Our first service appointment was set for 15 June, and the list had grown to about 20 items. Some were going to be easy while others would require the expertise of a certified Airstream Technician.
Because we had five days to kill between Sumter and Alcoa, I contacted my college roommate from my sophomore year at Virginia Tech and arranged a visit with him at Clemson, SC where he works at the university. Patrick Gee Rose, the tall (by my standards), thin son of Air Force Colonel, Jack Rose and his wife Nina, was a D Squadron “cadet only” in the VaTech Corps of Cadets. “Cadet only” status meant he was taking ROTC but wouldn’t be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant upon graduation. The reason for not commissioning him was that he didn’t weigh enough for a person of his height, and therefore, couldn’t pass the Air Force physical. He tried persistently to gain the few pounds of weight needed but was ultimately unsuccessful. In hindsight, this weight to height criteria was obviously arbitrary, and the process failed to adequately assess him as a person and determine whether he would make a good officer, regardless of his weight. As a result, I believe the Air Force lost an individual who would have become a dedicated officer.
Pat invited us to meet him on campus at the academic building in which he worked. He gave us an interesting tour of the facilities, and as expected, he was very knowledgeable of the capabilities of the sophisticated machines being used, some of which he had a direct hand in procuring. He also graciously treated us to lunch at a nearby restaurant and pulled out an old photograph of the two of us standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1969. What a difference 52 years makes!
For the Clemson stop, we stayed for two days at a fantastic Oconee County park called South Cove, in Seneca, SC. We were parked on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Keowee. The park had a beach with a number of associated water activities and a comprehensive park store with nature center. From there we drove to Cartersville, GA and stayed three days at the Navy Lake Site at Allatoona. That park is an MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) facilty supporting Naval Submarine Base at Kings Bay, GA.
We selected the Lake Allatoona site because it was relatively close to Woodstock, GA. Doug Smith and his wife Helene live there, so we took the opportunity to visit them. MFI’s brother Steve had played keyboard with The Impact of Brass through the late 1960s and into the following decades. Doug had been one of the trumpet players, and MFI at that time was an admitted groupie of the band. She and Doug have stayed in touch via social media, and the Smith’s have always been on our Christmas Card list. They were kind enough to have us over for the afternoon. We drank wine, munched on snacks, and shared a lot of stories and laughs. This does seem to be our recurring routine.
We arrived in Maryville, TN on 14 June and got a hotel room at the La Quinta just three miles from the Chilhowee dealer. Since our purchase of Arthur, the dealer had been bought out and was now Lazy Days RV, a big national chain. Frankly, we prefer the old name. We also needed some things checked out on Sid, so MFI made an appointment at West Chevrolet, which was only 1.6 miles from the hotel. Three days later we headed to Waynesville, NC with a huge confidence boost in both vehicles and a significant dent in our budget. It’s at times like these, you learn what things aren’t covered by warranties. Surprise!
