Grants Pass RV and Auto Repair

Robert had been suggesting a quad-shock installation for quite a long time, and I was admittedly reluctant. My coach has always been a “rough rider”, and adding shock absorbers seemed to be a sure way to transmit more road bumps up through the suspension to my long-suffering box of rattles. However, the lure of better handling overcame my reservations, and I decided to go for the mod. My risk was small… Except for the expense of the installation, any “damage” could easily be un-done by simply removing the extra shock absorbers. Although straightforward, the installation requires some sophisticated mechanical skills. Among other things, special brackets need to be fitted, formed, and welded; tapered washers must be installed and rotated to correct positions; all bolts need to be fitted, spaced, seated, and properly torqued. In short, although I’m really good mechanically, I’m very glad I let the experts do this one. Clearances checked, welds insp ... read more

If you want to head south for the winter to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of the RV lifestyle, now might be a great time to invest in a used motorhome. There are a lot of folks who took their turn using theirs in the summer and now they want to avoid storage and maintenance costs over the long winter season. Taking advantage of this opportunity can be a good deal for you. Typically an RV has been depreciated about 50% in the first 36 months. After that, depreciation slows down considerably. Want some good advice on RV ownership? Here are a few suggestions you might find useful. 1. Determine your needs Make a list of the features you will need to comfortably spend weeks on end in a relatively confined space. Is the bed big enough? How about the shower? What do you need in a kitchen? How about additional beds? Storage? TV? Satellite dish? Once you’ve gone through the list of creature comforts, you need to think about drivability. How big ... read more

28 November Thanksgiving Yesterday ended successfully, with all vehicles finished and running like champs. Although late-ish in the evening, everybody went home happy for the holiday weekend. Today, Robert and Barbara Henderson (of Lineup fame) have graciously invited us for a Thanksgiving get- together, and we’re looking forward to a pleasant afternoon. The weather forecast for this coming week is stormy across the entire western seaboard, from Seattle to San Diego. We’re not excited about getting caught out in snow country and sub-freezing nights, so our plans are to head back to the coast, tomorrow (Friday). It will still be stormy, but warmer. And watching heavy weather along a coastline is a marvelous experience in itself (with proper precautions of course). After we’ve taken enough pounding, we’ll head east-bound toward the Sacramento area and touch base with friends/family there. The quad shocks we ha ... read more