TN4 Hop 8
This was a hop that, like the stay in Newburgh, was not in our plan. The original, ill-fated Hop 7 would have taken I-84 to I-91 up into MA. But from Newburgh the I-87 route was basically the same time, though 10 miles longer and about $20 more expensive due to tolls. But having traversed I-84 twice on our “road trip” and enjoying it not at all, I opted for the longer, more expensive route.
I am glad I did as it was a scenic route on a beautiful day. The traffic was, relative to I-84, light and the navigation was simple. The first 20 miles were, as usual, white-knuckle because it would have been disastrous if the engine problem reappeared. It didn’t. But I didn’t start to relax until we had gone about 50 miles. At that point Jett called the campground – the New York City North/Newburgh KOA Holiday – to let them know that we had vacated the site a day early. We kept our reservation for as long as we thought there was a chance we would have to return.
The KOA was a port in a storm. I chose it because it was closest to my truck, so I really didn’t care what it had to offer. I didn’t look around with a critical eye. But it is a nice little campground. A few too many long-term residents for my taste, but maybe they are waiting for their trucks to be fixed, too. We were next to a lovely couple who were attending his 65th class reunion at West Point. Wow.
So it appears that the truck has been fixed. I won’t fully believe that until I haul the RV back down to Florida without encountering an engine problem. But I am cautiously optimistic as the service rep showed me a service bulletin which described my symptoms perfectly.
And only $861 to fix it. A bargain.