May 30-31, 2013: To Logan Lake and Maintenance on MH

MAY  30, Thursday; Preparing for departure
We spent the day getting ready for our departure tomorrow to Logan Lake and the Coast.  First, Val cleaned the place, vacuuming and washing floor while I washed the windshield, put our chairs in storage including spare water, beer, paper products and ended up rearranging the lockers to suit.  I checked the “HYDRO-THERMO” heating system and checked out the access to the motor from the bedroom and ended up dropping the bed on my hand and almost crushing it.  It swelled up right away but the skin didn’t break.  Val put a cold compress on it.  That bed is HEAVY!!!!!  I took the garbage to the dump and loaded the hitch in the back of the jeep.  4 o’clock and we are pretty well ready to go; time for HH at Marcel and Donna

 

MAY  31, Friday, To Kamloops for some maintenance then onward to Logan Lake
We left around 9:30 am and headed West on Hwy 1 to Kamloops with Val following behind in the jeep.  We stopped for fuel at Flying J @ $1.30/L (that’s over $5/gallon).  We arrived at “CUMMINS” 15 minutes late (appointment was at 10 AM) and they already had a truck in the Bay so we had to wait then finally our rig went in.  In the mean time, we drove to town in the jeep.  Our first stop was at Thompson RV to return an item then onward to Costco.  We also stopped at Walmart and finally returned to CUMMINS around 2 pm.  We sat there and read while they finished working on the rig.  I had an oil change and lube, all the air and fuel filters changed and the same done on the generator.  It all cost a lot more than I thought but at least now I have peace of mind and a starting point for maintenance.  We finally left at 3:30 and headed up the Coquihalla (#5 Hwy) to 97D where we turned off to head for Logan Lake.  We set up then drove to the Kirkby’s for HH and dinner.  Their son Trenton was there, also friends Mike and Donna.  Trenton’s girlfriend CLaire showed up a while later and we proceeded to have a few drinks, good food and great conversations.  We came home around 10 PM and went straight to bed.

N  50* 29.905’

W 129* 48.161’
ALT: 3647 feet

We drove 83 miles @ 44 MPH average.

May 26 to 29, 2013; Lee Creek

MAY  26, Sunday, Lee Creek 
Finally, the sun is out but I spoke too soon; it clouded over and rain for most of the day so we sat inside and read.  I did take Tucker for a walk later in the morning, in between the downpours and we took another one after dinner.  I’ll be glad when this changes because I am feeling like I am back on the Coast again.

MAY  27, Monday; to Salmon Arm

Rain, rain and more rain!  Is it ever going to stop???  We went to Salmon Arm, picked up our mail, went to Crystal Glass to have the radio antenna re-clue, had my computer checked about why my hotspot won’t come in and I think we got that fix.  We went to Save-on-foods and got groceries, went to Cdn Tire to exchange one wiper on the car and bought a pair of pants for work at Work’s World Wear which will be reimbursed to me.  We stopped at Tri-Crown RV to pick up some parts I had on order then we came home.  After putting everything away, we saw Ron and Sheila walking by so we invited them in for a drink.  After dinner, we watched the tube!

 

MAY  28, Tuesday
Well, we had a bit more sunshine today although it was mainly cloudy.  Not much to report on this day, we spent our time on the garden, doing laundry, washing windows in & out and having HH at our place with Donna and Marcel and Bob.  Gail joined us a while later.  I cooked a “Chop Suey” for dinner, a dish our mother used to make for us and it was delicious

 

MAY  29, Wednesday; more shopping
Val went to Kamloops with Donna and I went to Salmon Arm to mail a box, picked up our mail, got my eyes scanned, gassed up the car and picked up a pair of pants at Work’s Wear which had been on back-order.  I drove to Chase and put an order for another batch of wine then came home.  For HH and dinner, we were invited to Geoff and Donna (friends we visited in NFLD) along with Donna and Marcel, Dan and Heather.  It was a great fun and the dinner was superb.  Donna and Geoff are leaving Saturday for NFLD and Heather and Dan are going to the Kootenay for a few days, leaving tomorrow.  We were home by 8:30 pm

May 21 to 25, 2013; Lee Creek, BC

MAY  21 Tuesday; Windshield repair on Jeep
Cloudy again today!  I took the Jeep over to Chase and had the windshield repaired.  It took 2 hours so I had a breakfast meal for lunch at a local restaurant.  I came home afterwards and fixed the toilet again.  I had to tighten the seal between the top bowl and the pedestal as it began to leak every time you lean on it.  It rained and rained in the afternoon so we watched the movies I had rented in Chase then it was dinner time.  Val cooked pork chops and small potatoes.  It was still raining when we went to bed at 10 pm

 

MAY  22, Wednesday; A training day for Val at the Park
Val had to go in to the Park for one day training.  While she was gone I went to Chase to return the movies and pick up a form at the Health clinic for my check-up.  I then drove to Scotch Creek Prov. Park where I had hot dog lunch and cold salad with the crew and Val who is enjoying herself.  I came home and worked on a few minor items and faxed a document to CML.  Val got home around 4 pm.  We drove back to Scotch Creek to Joanne and Don’s cottage for dinner.  We sat around and caught up to everyone’s news.  Present were Rick and Pat and friends of theirs, Harold and Madeleine.  We had a delicious roast beef with mash potatoes, vegetables and gravy.  Afterwards, Joanne served desert then we caught up to more news.  We came home around 9 pm

 

MAY  23, Thursday; Val’s chiropractor
Val had an appointment for 11 am in Kamloops so left around 10 am.  In the mean time, I drove to Sorrento where I picked up our subscription at the Pharmacy for both of us.  I came home and put up some ornaments such as clock and thermometer.  Val got home around 3 pm and after a quiet time, we went over to our neighbours, Ron and Theresa for dinner.  We had a mix of potatoes and vegetables and Mennonite Farmer sausages.  It was delicious and afterwards, we played a game of WIZARD.  Theresa won and Val came second.  The sky was totally clear when we walked home and the moon was shining our way albeit a bit cool out without a jacket!

 

MAY  24, Friday,
Cloudy and cool!  We just worked around the garden today and I put up some ornaments such as clock, thermometer and pictures.  I also called Cummins and made an appointment for next Friday to have “Beaver” serviced and made an appointment with “Trademaster” in Chilliwack for next Tuesday to have the base plate installed on the jeep so that we can pull it.  Happy Hour was at Bob and Gail and we had a visitor from Alberta, Allan, who brought his boat out and opened his cabin for the summer; Dan and Heather also joined us.

 

MAY  25, Saturday, 
It rained most of the day so we spent the day inside with the odd outing with Tucker.  We read most of the day.  It finally cleared enough with some sunshine at Happy Hour so we had it at our place.  Bruce and Joyce are here for the week-end so they also joined us.  Val cooked her first roast in the convection oven; it was a bit overcooked but still delicious.  We watched a couple movies in the evening.

May 17 to 20, 2013; Annual meeting and surprised visitors

MAY  17, Friday: to Kamloops
We got a recall last year about the car’ exhaust system so I had made an appointment with Hyundai and Val took the car to them in Kamloops while I worked on our toilet.  I took it apart and changed all the seals then put it back together.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be!  I washed the seat covers and floor mat so everything in there is like new!!!  I took our portable BBQ apart and cleaned that, it was very dirty after a year of usage.  Val got back around 4 pm happy as she also got her radio working again; it was a fuse behind the dash, nothing simple of course.  We got a call from our friends Glenda telling us they are in Vernon and will pop-in tomorrow...that’s wonderful!  We had HH with Donna and Marcel then Val cooked fish, Yellow Tail Tuna, which turned out absolutely wonderful.

 

MAY  18, Saturday, Annual Meeting
Ron and Theresa, our neighbours, arrived late last night from the Coast.  It is cloudy today!  At 9 am I went to help set up the tents for the meeting this afternoon.  We were just about finished when friends Glenda and Terry showed up with their rig.  I told them where to park and that I would be over soon, in the meantime they visited with Val.  We had a nice reunion and as we were chatting, Charlotte and Rudieger showed up; they are staying at the Egmont Hotel visiting friends over there and surprised us with a visit.  It was really nice seeing them.  They only stayed for about an hour then left.  We had lunch then we went to attend our General Meeting which lasted until 4 pm.  I think it was more productive than last year!  We came back to our place and had HH with G&T.  A few people came over and were introduced.  At 6 pm, we drove to the Salmon Arm Golf and Country Club and had a marvellous seafood dinner for only $26.  We were a bit early so sat outside and had a couple drinks.  Eight couples showed and fun was had by all.  Val drove home.  We called it quit around 10 PM as everyone was tired.

 

MAY  19, Sunday, Lee Creek
It turned out to be sunny today with a few cloudy periods and a little cool when the sun went away but we did manage to wear shorts for a while.  Val had to help Donna cook some turkeys and potatoes for tonight’s dinner so Glenda volunteered to help.  Terry and I went over to visit Marcel and I ended up getting suckered into mashing the potatoes so afterwards, we both got out of there before we ended up with more work.  Terry and I went for a walk around the Park and the waterfront then we relaxed under the awning at our place.  Soon it was HH then dinner.
Dinner was paid for by the Developer as an appreciation token.  It was held at the front where we had our meeting yesterday and the tents were still up.  The dinner was a success: turkey, mash potato, green, yellow vegetables, carrots, 3 different salads, buns and desert.  It was delicious!  There were well over 50 people over there which contributed to the success.
We came back to our place full and sat out and had a fire to end a perfect day!

 

MAY  20, Monday,
We woke up to a beautiful blue sky and sunshine but unfortunately, it soon clouded over.  Glenda and Terry left around 9:30 am and Val did laundry after they left.  A few people that were over for the week-end also left in the early part of the afternoon.  We had lunch with Donna (left-over turkey from yesterday) and visited Ron and Theresa new Park Model then they visited our home.  HH was at our place and we had 8 people over.  Dinner than we watched a movie

May 10 to 16, 2013; Lots of appointments & deliveries

MAY  10, Friday, back to Salmon Arm.
Sunny and hot!  I was up early so that I could make my appointment at 10 AM at Crystal Glass.  The drive to Salmon Arm was uneventful and after getting the windshield replaced on the car, I picked up the mail, bought flea treatment for Tucker then came home three hours later.  I got a return call from a guy I’ve been trying to reach regarding my electrical problems and he will call back in a couple days.  Val did laundry while I was gone then worked in the garden planting flowers she bought yesterday.  We went to the Lessard’s for HH then home for dinner and tube time.

 

MAY  11, Saturday, Gateway
Another sunny and beautiful day!  Val went to help Donna and I worked on organizing my stuff in the lockers.  I also put a charger on the chassis batteries as they are completely dead.  A malfunctioning inverter/charger may be the problem!??  Not much else happened today; HH at Ed and Judy and that’s about it.

 

MAY  12, Sunday,
It rained overnight and it was cloudy all day.  Val decided to vacuum and clean the inside so Tucker and I were kicked outside for a while.  I ordered a receiving hitch for the bike rack on line otherwise, it was a quiet day and Marcel, Donna and Bob came over for HH; Gail is in Kelowna for a few days.  After dinner, we watched “Survivors” then it was bed time.

 

MAY  13, Monday,
Cloud/sun and warm!  I went to bottle our wine this morning then made an appointment for next Tuesday to have the windshield replaced on the Jeep. I checked on line where I could buy heavy duty batteries and found a few but it looks like I am going to have to put out a couple of hundred dollars. We had a light rain in the evening.  Val found out today that she can no longer register as a nurse unless she goes to the University in Kamloops to upgrade her status.  This would take a couple months making it unreasonable so she decided to let it go; she is now OFFICIALLY RETIRED for good!!!  She is taking it with lots of emotions.

 

MAY  14, Tuesday, Salmon Arm
After our morning routine, we went to Salmon Arm to have our eyes examined.  We had our usual breakfast sandwich at our usual cafe shop afterwards then went to the mall to get me a pair of jeans.  We also stopped at “Bricks” to see about a new coffee table for our rig but no luck.  We came home and drove to Scotch Creek where we voted then drove to the Park where we both applied for a job.  I have my old one back and Val has an interview tomorrow morning.  We had a quiet HH by ourselves at home, dinner then watched the election results.  The LIBERALS got back in which was a BIG, BIG surprise.

 

MAY  15, Wednesday,
Cloudy and cold this morning but it did warm up when the sun came out in the afternoon.  Val went for an interview at the Park then drove to Kamloops for her appointment with a Chiropractor.  She picked up a couple parts for the toilet which I discovered needs a new seal.  I drove to the Bank then to the Post Office where I picked up the racks for the Kayak for the top of the Jeep.  I had taken out the two Chassis batteries and traded them for two new one at NAPA store.  I came home and put the batteries back in their slots then put the racks together too.  Val got back around 4 pm so the toilet will have to wait until tomorrow.  We went to Ed and Judy for HH; everyone except Donna and Marcel, were there.

 

MAY  16, Thursday, Doctor’s appointments
We went to Salmon Arm again today.  We both had a Dr’s appointment at 2 pm and an appointment with IRS, my Sleep Apnea consulting office.  We also stopped at the grocery store for some food and Cdn tire to pick up a couple item and get new brakes on the car.  We finally got home at 5:30 pm and Tucker was very happy to see us; he was outside as Marcel let him out.  I BBQ’ed steaks for dinner and Val made a salad with shrimps.

May 5 to 9, 2013: Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

MAY  5, Sunday, Lee creek
We went to meet the kids at Quaaout Lodge at 10 AM and had brunch there.  It was delicious and afterwards, we walked the grounds and the beach.  We came back here at Gateway and visited for a while before they headed back to the Coast.  I took a load to our storage and then relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.  We had HH at our place with 3 couples attending.  Dinner then we watched the finale of “Amazing Race”.

 

MAY  6, Monday,
Sunny and warm!  I washed the cement walkway and the patio then made baseplates for the levelling jacks on the motorhome.  Val trimmed a tree we have and is growing fast and worked on her flower pots.  My brother Johnny returned my call from yesterday and we chatted for a while catching up to news on both side.  HH was at Marcel and Donna then we had dinner and watched the tube

 

MAY  7, Tuesday,
Val went out to Salmon Arm with Donna checking different places for employment.  While she was gone, I worked on a couple projects I had on my list then waited around for my little lady.  Val got back around 4:30 PM and it sounds very promising for her employment.  We had a drink outside then cooked dinner and relax in front of the tube after she went for a walk with Donna and Gail.

 

MAY  8, Wednesday,
Sunny and very warm!  Val went to Kamloops with Donna for job hunting and shopping.  I went to Salmon Arm and had an oil change and the tranny flushed on the car, stopped at the Post Office to mail papers to McMahon that belonged to the trailer, stopped at a glass repair shop and made an appointment for Friday to replace the windshield then came home but I first stopped at a local restaurant that opened recently and we heard it was good, which it was.  A light bulb under the stove hood was burned out so I changed that then I replaced all the burned out bulbs under the cabinet in the bedroom.  The previous owner was not much on maintenance or didn’t care because he was trading it in.  Val got home around 3 pm, we had a time together discussing our day then it was time for dinner, the news and the tube for the evening

 

MAY  9, Thursday, to Kamloops
Sunny and even warmer than yesterday if that is possible in May!!!  We went to Kamloops today to do some shopping at Costco where we bought a bunch of meat then to Cdn Tire to pick up a rack for the jeep to put the kayaks on.  Val had an appointment with a chiropractor so I drove there then drove back to Costco to pick a new tank of propane for the dryer at home then picked her up.  We came back home after a successful day, had HH by ourselves then dinner and the tube.  We did go for a walk in the evening around the Resort.

Import, Export from USA to Canada

SUPPLEMENT: Our experience on importing a vehicle into Canada

I’ve been asked many questions about our experience on importing our Motorhome so I thought I would give a run-down of our experience:

It was NOT our intention to buy but we did.  We traded our fifth-wheel and F350 truck for a Beaver Monterey at McMahon RV Centre in Desert Palm, California.  Would we deal with these guys again...NO!  Once they had our money, we became a pain to them and had to bug them all the time to complete minor repairs and even then, they didn’t complete them all and our salesman....he disappeared once the sale was complete!

BEFORE doing anything, contact R.I.V. (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) and ensure that the motorhome or vehicle can be imported; don’t assume that any vehicle can be because it is NOT true!  Just GOOGLE “R.I.V.”!  Also check out the USA Border Service.  They have an excellent website and both are easy to follow and understand.

Import into USA

The first thing we had to do is go to Palm Spring airport and IMPORT our truck and trailer and had to phone for an appointment.  Both had to be USA Compliant.  The trailer was but our truck was not even though it said “Made in USA”, it had the Canadian Import sign.  So... I had to contact Ford in Kentucky who referred me to Ford Canada who told me I had to contact a Ford dealership in our home town for a “Letter of Compliance”.  We contacted Ford in Kamloops and they told me it would take 10 to 14 days to get the letter...Not acceptable so we contacted a dealer in Salmon arm and got our letter within 72 hours at a cost of $120.( A rip-off we thought)
Once we had that, we went back to the Custom office and imported the truck. Cost $15.
The rest of the paperwork was completed by McMahon.  Once all legal, we signed the papers and turned over our money for the Beaver. 

Out of State possession

McMahon made arrangements to have the motorhome driven to the Arizona State line, at their cost, where we met a Notary and signed a notarized “Statement of Delivery outside California” stating that the vehicle was out of California and possession was done in Arizona (no cost to us).  The motorhome was finally ours, sort of.  We drove to the truck scale down the road on I-10 where we purchased a permit allowing us to drive to Canada, cost: $15.  Oh yeah, we also had called our insurance agent in Sorrento and paid for 30 days insurance for the motorhome.

Export from USA and Importing to Canada

Now, at the US border and, BEFORE WE EVEN GOT THERE, we had to fax the “Original Certificate of Title”, the bill of sale and assignment of “Title by Registered owner”, at least 48 hrs before crossing.  McMahon looked after all that and we didn’t have to do any of it except to wait for the paperwork to catch up to us as we required the originals; it took 5 working days in total.

Once at the Border, we stopped at the US side and signed more papers but having all the paperwork before hand allowed us a quick exit.  Canada, except for the lengthy wait, was also easy.  We filled out an “Importation form” and had to pay over $3000 in GST plus $100 in EXCISE TAX.  When importing, GST is charged on the WHOLE amount and not the difference.

IN CANADA

Once home, we contacted BEAVER INC. and had a letter of “no recall pending”.  We got that within 24 hrs, and e-mailed it to RIV.  We were then allowed to download the “Vehicle Inspection Form” from the RIV website.  We took the form to Canadian Tire in Salmon Arm.  A half hour later and $100 poorer ( we were also charged $9 per tire as an eco tax), we drove to our Insurance agent and after presenting the RIV Inspection and Title of Ownership and Sale contract, we had licenses and insurance but NOT before paying over $5000 in PST.  Again, the PST was charged on the full sale price and NOT the difference.

Hope all this help!  The whole process was much easier that I thought and I would not hesitate doing it again.

May 1 to 4, 2013; Gateway, Lee Creek, BC

2013 MAY  1, Wednesday, Gateway
Up early again this morning; it’s supposed to be warmer today and it is sunny!  Did some blogging and financing then I took Tucker for our morning walk.  Afterwards, O hooked up the satellite on a temporary basis in the bedroom then went outside to finish organizing the lockers below which I DID!!!  I can’t believe the amount of extra stuff we were carrying in the basement.  I got it down to a quarter of that amount.  I found our second GPS so updated that on line; also hooked up satellite TV in the bedroom on a temporary basis.  Dennis and Ruth got back today and brought our beer (9 cases) at a much cheaper rate then we can get here.  We had HH at Donna and Marcel again tonight.  After a good dinner, we watched “Survivors”!

 

May  2, Thursday,
Another productive day!  It was cloudy most of the day but a bit warmer than it’s been.  I unloaded another box that came from the truck and is now part of the Jeep.  I had a guy come over and hook our satellite to our TV; I couldn’t do it as the wiring was all about the Satellite dome on top of the MH and a meter reader was required to find the right one.  We got our finance papers on the MH and I shipped it right back after signing them.  I also cancelled the extended warranty on the trailer.  Our friend Brook, who has been away, came over to take a look at our rig and invited us over for a drink at his cabin on the hill.  After dinner, we watched the tube.

 

MAY  3, Friday,
Another busy day and it was much warmer!  I washed the MH, the car and the jeep.  I felt energetic!  I also went into Sorrento to pick up the air filter I had almost forgotten about.  I checked the batteries and found them to be still low so I think I will put the new ones on.  Val worked on the garden for a while and put up the bird feeder then Donna came over and the visited and planned a trip for next week to Salmon Arm and Kamloops for work.  I got a text from Rochelle that they will come out tomorrow for the week-end; looking forward seeing them.  I BBQ’ed pork chops for dinner then we watched the tube.

 

MAY  4, Saturday, visitors from the Coast
Another beautiful sunny day and again, much warmer too, what a bonus!  I took the old batteries out and put the ones in; those batteries are heavy!  I took the small propane tank to Scotch Creek and had it filled then came home after picking up a couple items for Val at the grocery store.  In the meantime, Rochelle and Kevin had arrived in their new car so we had a warm reunion and they were quite impressed with our purchased.  They also had some big news: not only did Hayley move out (she was the last one living home) but they leased a property in town for the business and will be moving everything over there.  WOW, Big News!  For dinner, I BBQ’ed chicken and Val made a salad.  It was nicely warm outside so we ate outside and no bugs around, how nice!  Once the sun went down, it cooled off quickly so we moved inside and continued our discussions and visits.  The kids have rented a room at the ‘QUAAOUT LODGE” near here, so they left around 11 PM with the agreement we would meet them there in the morning for the breakfast smorg.