First stop on the way home was Reed Bingham SP. We have been here before and it is a lovely park. Nice full service sites, and well maintained.
2025 The Little Loop: Changing Direction
And this is the point where it got all very disheartening and disappointing. Our Big Loop just got a lot smaller.
By the time of the U.S. elections, we had spent months planning and making campsite reservations. After the new government was elected, we, and the world, knew there was a new Sheriff in town. Despite the early rather anti-Canadian tone to some of the language, we figured we could comfortably forge ahead with our plans to travel across America.
While on a road trip, one becomes sort of distanced from the day to day news headlines and stories. In St. Pete’s, a friend back home texted us about the latest Executive Order that had dropped. In it, Canadians were specifically mentioned with regards to the need to be registered as aliens, and potentially fingerprinted for stays over thirty days...exactly us. This was a bit of a shock given the long history of our friendly shared border. But to be clear, every country has the right and obligation to manage their borders. But it was also clear that the days of our friendly border ties were over. More news gathering was done...and watching video clips of the President talking of annexation, economic crippling tariffs, 51st state, and taking over countries “one way or another”...this was a tipping point for me. I started to feel no longer comfortable in America.
Now let me also be clear on the fact that we have our own protectionist tariffs, our marketing boards, our industry subsidies, that sort of fly in the face of fair market trading...so one cannot get too high on their horse on our side of the border. However...the language, the tone, the bullying, the aggression...became too much to ignore or try to reason aside. Enough was enough...it was time to head home. How can you enjoy a trip when you feel uncomfortable being in the country? Plus, I certainly did not want to move any further towards the west coast, all the while waiting for the next Executive Order to drop and the surprises it might contain for Canadians.
So we turned around and are making our way home.
2025 The Big Loop: To Miramar Beach
Headed next to St Petersburg FL. As many times as we tried, we could not find a site in the Fort De Soto campgrounds. We ended up booking a few days at the KOA, which was a relatively close drive to our friends Helen & Paul. They rent a condo there every year, and it was a much warmer locale to have a visit.
A long drive from Savannah, and the traffic was actually light. That is until we hit Tampa at 4:00 on a Friday after work. Crazy slow through Tampa and then over the big bridges to St Pete, but with so much traffic, the pace was actually just right. Pulled into the KOA and got tucked in with all the other sardines.
2025 The Big Loop: To Savannah
So we brought the Alto home from storage a week or so early to load it up and get ready for our trip. The weather was cooperating...until the day before we left. A storm dumped 15 cm of snow during a seriously snowy day. Cleaned the vehicles off and the driveway, and by the end of the day the storm had passed. The next morning it was bright and sunny, but damn cold.
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2024 Trip 5: Rock Lake in Algonquin Park
In late August we headed up to Rock Lake for a week. We were able to book a waterfront site, which is always a bonus. Camping in the non-electrical area, is far more civilized than the other electrical campground here, which is akin to being packed into a sardine can.
2024 Trip 4: Sandbanks
Our annual excursion to Sandbanks never disappoints. So much to do in The County, lots of visiting with friends, and of course, time on the fabulous beaches.
2024 Trip 3: Driftwood
Back to a perennial favourite, having snagged a great waterfront site. Bonus this year, our friends Malcolm & Tanya are right beside us.
2024 Trip 2: Sharbot Lake
We were able to snag our favourite site at this park, right on the water in a quiet non serviced area.
Fan-Tastic Fan Thermal Fuse
During those stinking hot days when the Alto is at home in the driveway, I open the windows and turn on the fan to keep some airflow happening inside. I popped back out to check how hot it was, and discovered that the fan had stopped. Odd.
Checked the distribution panel fuse, all OK. Checked the little glass fuse on the fan, again all OK. Pulled off the screen to rotate the fan blades, seems fine, so motor not seized. Removed the roof vent cover opening knob, and unscrewed the bottom plate to expose the guts. Grabbed my trusty multi-meter and first checked that the roof vent cover switch was working properly, all OK.
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| kinda grubby... |
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| fan was overdue for a good cleaning |
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| fan removed by loosening set screw, 3/32" allen key |
Power was present at the various terminals, but still no fan operation. On the back of the speed control switch, I spied a resistor/fuse looking component bridging two terminals, so I tested its continuity, and it was NOT OK. A quick google determined that this was a single use thermal fuse. Given the age and dusty appearance, I was not able to exactly identify this little piece, so the next step was to see if an entire switch replacement was an option. Sure enough, Amazon soon had this very part on its way to me. The shiny new part arrived the next day, and installation was super simple. Moved the wire terminals from old to new, installed the switch and nut, pushed on the knob...done.
Turned the fan on and we were back baby!
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| thermal fuse is the little silver tube |
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| the part number |
What caused the thermal fuse failure remains unknown...perhaps the motor is on its last legs after 14 years of use, and some sort of overheat tripped the fuse, but it sure runs nice now. Changing out a $40 dollar part is a lot less cost and effort than buying a new fan, so it will be a cheap longevity experiment.
So if your Fan-Tastic Fan stops running and the usual suspects check out fine, be sure to check this tiny hidden thermal fuse. Always worth investigating.
Front Storage Cubby
After fourteen years of tinkering and modding our Alto, the well of new ideas can run a little dry. When we recently changed the fabric on the bench cushions, the roll of leftover fabric brought an old idea to the forefront again.
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| the existing cushion...lost space |
