RV Woes With Insurance and Service...

PROLOGUE:

In our previous blog I wrote about the fact that our 5th wheel had just been returned to us following a tortuous five (5) month adventure to get some simple repairs done; following a major tire blowout.

The tire that exploded and caused severe damage to the electrical, underbelly and side panels.

The tire blow out occurred last early January, 2013, on I-5 in Southern California.  We were only about 6 miles (10 KM) from exiting I-5 to head west toward Bakersfield.  The near new tire failed miserably and the explosion was catastrophic.  It was a Chinese made tire that came highly rated by KAL Tire; a large pan-Canadian tire retailer. Installing these tires was our first mistake.  We weren't told the tires were Chinese made but merely accepted that they were indeed good RV tires.  BUYER BEWARE!!!!  And I should have known better!!!!!

The blast was catastrophic!  We lost all internal electrical (water heater, furnace, some lighting), our trailer brakes and our outdoor clearance lights.

The force from the blow out tore every electrical wire underneath.  It was a mess.

AAA service was called and the technician who appeared on the scene had never seen such devastation...although he had witnessed many tire blowouts.  He removed the old and then installed our spare. 

The catastrophic damage is mostly under carriage....and cannot be seen in this photo.

To be stranded on the I-5 shoulder is no picnic.  The highway is super busy.  It is also dangerous because no one moves over and the gusting from passing semi-trucks is quite disconcerting.

With the spare installed we headed for our exit - at Lost Hills, CA, - and headed east to Bakersfield, CA.  We arrived at Orange Grove RV and, once set up, I called our insurance company.  That was seamless.  Within minutes I was speaking with the key claims manager for the insurance company who was honest and quick to offer his assurance that the company would look after our needs.  He asked me to find an RV repair facility that could look after us then call him back with the contact information.

Following several early Saturday morning telephone calls, I spoke with the owner of a small RV repair facility - Bakersfield RV - who was gracious enough to ask one of his technicians (who was working on his personal vehicle at the shop) if he would agree to look after us.  The RV repair facility was closed on Saturdays. The young tech agreed to service our emergency repairs.  Jeanette and I buttoned up our 5th wheel and I headed right over to the nearby facility.

The technician was a great young guy.  He guided me in, closed and locked the gates and proceeded to have a good look underneath.  The tangled mess of wires proved to be no issue for him.  He predicted that he could get us back to RV'ing, with brakes, furnace, water heater and lights, within a few hours.  I stayed with him but did not need to provide much assistance.  This fella knew his stuff. What a find he was!

With the gates locked, the RV tech went to work on the emergency repairs.

The tech first repaired the wiring to our trailer brakes.  He then deciphered the jumbled mess of wires and began the arduous task of re-wiring. He was logical and methodical in his work.  Once he had completed the wiring, he advised me that he could not find the wires - nor did he have the time - to fix the 12Volt/propane part of our water heater.  Because our water heater also works on 110, it would suit our winter needs well. I was OK with that.

He even straightened out some of the bent metal skirting  and, although cracked and broken, he replaced the fender skirt.

Our insurance claims manager was good.  Bakersfield RV billed the insurance company directly and we continued our winter journey with all systems operating - other than the 12V propane part of the water heater.  It was all good.  Although he didn't want to accept a well earned private tip from me, I convinced the RV tech to take his young family out for dinner.  He did give up his morning for us, after-all!

Now we fast-forward to mid-April, 2013, and our arrival back home on southwest coast of BC. 

Once we emptied and cleaned our fiver, I called the insurance claims manager, once again, to follow up on completing the other RV repairs.  He remembered us and was quick to get us going on getting the required fixes done.  He asked which RV repair facility we preferred.  I thought Fraserway RV would work well.  It is a large, modern and closely located facility.  That proved to be a big mistake.

Our RV at Fraserway RV in Abbotsford, BC

Meeting with an RV service employee, she took photos and wrote down notes of the damage and needed repairs.  The insurance company claims manager had assigned their contract appraisers to examine our claim and the required repairs.  Fraserway RV had us sign a work sheet to proceed with the work.  We thought that would be seamless.  Big mistake!

About four weeks after our RV had been delivered to Fraserway RV, I dropped by to get updated on the repairs.  I was told by the service employee that our insurance company was not responding to her calls and to the documents.  I asked why I had not been called.  I was not pleased to learn that the parts (that take six weeks or more to arrive from the US) had not been ordered.  That would mean another two month delay.

I was annoyed by the lack of action by the repair facility and the appraisers for not responding.  When I stated that I would go back home and confront the appraisers or the insurance claims manager, the service employee asked me to hang back for a few minutes.  Returning from her desk, she sheepishly admitted that she had failed to forward the paper work to the insurance adjusters.  Her incompetence had caused the delays; not the appraisers or the claims manager as I had earlier been led to believe.  Good thing she owned up because I was about to ream two people who did not deserve to be reamed out.

I also was shown a bill for 10 hours of investigative work that a technician (or technicians) had done to determine the level of work and materials that would be required to complete the repairs. At $125/hour, I was told I was responsible for payment.  WHAT???  A service tech in Bakersfield, CA, spent ten minutes under our rig and was able to fix all emergency repairs and, back at home, it took 10 hours to determine what I knew in five minutes were the needed repairs!  I refused to pay that invoice. What gives????  The old line about being born at night but...not the night before...came to mind!  I was not about to pay that invoice..... let me tell you!  This RV repair company can perhaps gouge RV'ers frivolously but not this one!

My temper lost on this, and other idiosyncrasies, I called the insurance company claims manager.  In a clear and concise way, I stated that I would not pay this ridiculous invoice of well over $1250 to determine the work required to repair our RV.  He agreed.  He too was shocked at the high number of investigative hours.  A five minute review clearly paints a picture of the needed repairs.  Highway robbery springs to mind!

A meeting with me, Fraserway RV and the insurance appraisers was arranged.  When we met, the insurance appraisers stated that the insurance company would cover eight of ten investigative hours.  I could not believe that!  Pay for what?  How could anyone justify 10 hours to determine that the 12V/propane wiring would need fixing and that some new j-metal would have to be ordered - along with a new fender skirt - followed by a bit of paint!!!!  This was highway robbery.  It was callous over-billing! Now you may know why our insurance rates continue to climb!!!

The appraiser and Fraserway RV determined that the 12V / propane issue with our water heater would not be accepted under the insurance claim because the mother board was deemed defective.  That would be our responsibility.  I was truly angered by that!  I debated the issue but, in the end, I got nowhere with either party.  Unbelievable!

Grudgingly - and with high trepidation - I agreed to pay for two investigative hours of work and the cost of a new mother board ($169) and 1/2 labour ($63 for install).  The insurance company would cover the balance of the investigative hours plus the body work. I wanted our fiver repaired and returned....in spite of the true feeling of being jerked around.

Finally.....and five months following the delivery of our 5th wheel....I received a call from the inept service employee that we could retrieve our RV on the 13th of September. On the 12th of September, I called Fraserway RV to confirm a pick up time for the 13th.  No one returned my call.  The next day I drove over with our dually.  I could not see our 5th wheel and when I asked the service employee when it would be ready, I was informed that it would not be ready till later the following week.  In disgust, I asked why my call, the previous day, had not been returned. That would have saved me the trip to the RV facility.   I was coldly told that she was busy.....!  What???  Too busy to advise me that they needed more time to complete the job????  Too busy to save me the drive out and back home for no reason????  Just who is the client here?????   That was the pin that burst my bubble. Look out......!   Now I was in BIG TIME battle mode!

One week later I received a call from the inept service employee.  Our RV was ready for pick up.   Jeanette and I were anxious to get hitched up and get out of that awful facility.... ASAP. We had both had enough of this incompetent facility and those few folks we had the unfortunate task of dealing with.

We examined the invoice that we would be responsible for and - believe me when I state this - there was an overcharge of $250 on the bill that had not been previously agreed to.  I was told that it was for some nebulous service.  Without any details, or justification, I would not succumb to paying for that.  After a few terse words, the $250 was quickly removed from the invoice.  We paid the invoice of over $700 - grudgingly - hitched up and left back for home. I knew that if I did not pay the invoice I would not be given the keys to our fiver and it would kept locked up in the shop.

I did seriously consider calling our lawyer.  I seriously thought about filing some legal action.  I was very, very close to placing a few telephone calls to well respected TV and newspaper consumer reporters.  This was a valid story---and it had legs!   Those thoughts dissipated because I was just anxious to rid myself of this environment and get on with life and living.

At home, we backed in, plugged in, connected the water hose, opened the slides and I began testing all of our on-board systems. The furnace kicked on.  Great!  The water heater would not fire up on 110 shore power nor with propane in 12 volt.  What????????

I opened the grate to the water heater and all looked fine.  There was water in the tank and the propane was turned on.  Still nothing!  I went inside; removed the drawers and cabinetry to access a view at our water heater.  I instantly noticed that the new motherboard had not been installed.  The old one was sitting on the counter top. What's with that??????  

I was not amused when I called the service adviser - the inept one - only to discover that she was under the impression that I would not pay for the water-heater mother board. She even said so!  What?????  Had I not already paid for it before we hitched up????

I instantly refused to deal with her from that moment forward.  I was in a fit of anger!!!  I yelled on the phone....insisting that a mobile RV tech immediately drive to our home and install the new mother board I had already paid for. I was incensed!!!  Could this RV adviser (or the company that hired her)  be any more incompetent???

Imagine leaving for our winter snow birding adventure to discover, somewhere south and several hours away from home, that we do not have an operating water heater.  YIKES...is a calm expletive in this case!

Within minutes I received a call from a very calm, engaging and very aware service manager.  She was most apologetic for the grievances they had caused us during these long five months.  She said a mobile service tech would be dispatched ASAP.  She would call me back too to confirm when.  Well, she did call back and arrangements were made for the service tech to show up at our home the next mid-morning.  Oh....but....there was one little discrepancy here.....!  What now?????  Oh....I would have to pay a mobile service charge of $165..... over and above what we had already paid for.....and what the insurance company had already paid.  I went BALLISTIC!!!! I could not imagine that, in good conscience, I would be charged for a repair I had already paid for - that had not been done - and that I would now have to pay for a service call.  UNIMAGINABLE !  At complete wits end, I agreed but under duress and a need to put closure to this unbelievable journey.  I believe I said something to the effect that I want the &*%^&*+&@#$%^&* (darned) thing fixed....once and for all. 

The nice and most competent RV tech arrived on time and he proceeded to install the mother board (which is a two minute job by the way....that any monkey could do).  He plugged it it and nothing happened.  He checked the control board and our panel for power.  HMMMMMM, no power to the mother board.  He asked if I knew where the wiring was?  What????  I told him I believed that it had been ripped completely out during the tire blow out.  Try as he might, (using a mirror and more) he could find no wiring to connect the motherboard to our system panel.

The water heater had to be removed.  Once done (using some of my tools, I might add, because he came over with only a few basic ones) he found the original grommets but no wiring.  Not familiar with our file on this, I explained the tire explosion.  He looked underneath, inside, and everywhere to determine that the wiring had been ripped out as a result of the tire explosion.

REALLY...., said I?  I asked if he would state that to his service manager. He did just that.  Using my cell phone (he did not have one) he explained what I had been trying to make everyone understand these past five months.  The 12V wiring for the water heater had disappeared in the tire explosion.  In fact, Jeanette and I had been using 12V and propane the night before the blow out.  The heater worked fine.

But in spite of my debate with Fraserway RV and the appraisers, they refused to accept that it was due to the blow out. Once the mobile service tech coloured the issue, there was a complete change of heart.  The service manager told me that it seemed I was right after all.  REALLY????  The old motherboard was likely fine and would likely work once the 12V was re-wired.  REALLY????   The old mother board was fine, by the way.  Who had previously diagnosed a faulty motherboard?  Fraserway RV.... while supposedly needing to spend 10 hours investigating the issues for the required repairs!!!  Does incompetence raise its ugly head, once again?

The mobile teck was convinced the wires had been torn in the underbelly....which in our RV...is sealed by metal polar insulating panels. A panel or two would have to be removed and the wiring sourced and fixed.

Evidence that the wiring had been ripped out of the grommets.

The on-site mobile tech was OK to work on my 5th wheel on our driveway but I knew he would prefer to have it back at their shop.  He had limited tools with him too.   Before I would deliver it back to Fraserway RV though I asked if he would confirm his findings with the insurance appraisers who had previously claimed that the 12V issue with the water heater was my responsibility and not as a result of the tire blow out.  He concurred and agreed to speak with the appraisers.  I instantly called the appraiser and when I explained the issue, he was not biting quickly enough....so I put the RV tech on the phone.  20 minutes (on my cell phone) later, the RV tech had convinced the appraiser that only a severe tire blow out could do so much electrical wiring damage.

FINALLY!!!!  I WAS VINDICATED!!!!  WHAT I HAD BEEN ARGUING ABOUT WAS TRUE!!!!!

The appraiser and Fraserway RV talked to each other and, within 24 hours, my water heater was repaired; our RV was back on our driveway; all payments we had been forced to inappropriately pay for were returned and the full extent of the claim was paid for by the insurance company.  That is precisely what should have transpired from the very beginning!!!!  PHEW!!!!!!   All of the discourse, anger, ineptness and discomfort had finally come to an end.

I can't make this stuff up....and trust me when I state that this is a chronology of the facts.

Once back to get our fiver at Fraserway RV, the service manager did not formally apologize for the inconvenience we suffered, but it was clear that she understood our frustration during this five month period.  It was disappointing that a formal apology was not issued.  That would have been the right thing to do in this case. However, my story told via this blog may cause some of you to re-think your RV repair decisions in the BC Lower Mainland.   I will never fail to tell fellow RV'ers about my most negative experience with this company and the insurance appraisers.

No apology was received from the disinterested insurance appraisers either.  While both were 100% guilty of gross incompetence, it speaks volumes about their business ethics....or lack thereof.

The Fraserway RV service manager gave me her business card and stated that she would look after any repairs they made, if required  at another RV repair facility, while we are away this winter. That, I guess, was a small step at trying to repair the relationship with what is clearly - and for a long time to come - a disgruntled customer.

EPILOGUE: 
On our return drive back from the US southwest, this past April, Jeanette and I were shocked to find another of our near new Chinese made RV tires was bulging.  It was soon to blow up too.  It was delaminating!  On that evidence, it seems clear that the previous blowout was quite likely due to delamination. In central California, we slowly limped into an RV facility and - to make this story short - we had to remove the near new and install brand new RV tires. We settled on Good Year, USA made, 8 ply RV tires.  Adding insult to injury, our near new Chinese tires were thrown in the recycled tire heap.....without returning us any of our misspent money.  Recall that these tires were quite new.

I wish I had paid better attention when the tire service adviser at KAL Tire Canada (supposedly a solid company with a good reputation) sold us on the great Chinese RV tires they were peddling.  Of course, we did not know the tires were Chinese made and we didn't know better to ask at the time of purchase.  Buyer beware!

We will never, ever again, purchase tires without confirming that they were manufactured in the US, Canada, Western Europe or Japan.  Having researched tire problems on the internet leads me to that conclusion.  So....buyer beware.

We hope our tire blow out experience is a 'once only' event.  If not, we will certainly be ready when dealing with inept RV service repair facilities and equally inept insurance appraisers.

We are anxiously waiting to get back on the road and heading south for the winter, once again.

Thanks for dropping by.

Some Good....Some Bad....Some Fantastic!

It was a week of good news, really bad news and fantastically great news!  Where to begin?

Easton out for a walk with his Nana.  Every time there is a motorized machine anywhere in sight, he is curious to see it operate. He is such a treasure to be with. It's always good!

I will blog about this later but, after five (5) months at the RV repair facility, near our home, our 5th wheel came back home this Tuesday past.  Less than 24 hours later, it was back to the RV repair facility.  

I was concerned that the operator was going to rip one - or both - of our front legs off.  It came too close!!!

Repairs were required following a nasty tire explosion - last January - that occurred on I-5 in Southern California. Emergency repairs were done in Bakersfield, CA, and our insurance company promised that the balance of the repairs would be done once we were back home.

The metal work and paint job look good. The wiring looks fine too.....but.........

We hitched up and headed back for home.  To have one's RV away for 5 months, for basic repairs, seems ridiculous....! And it was!  

Back home, and backed onto our driveway, we opened the slides and I began testing all of the on-board systems.  Our water heater would not fire up on 110 V or 12 V with propane.  What's with that?  We had been told that the water heater mother board was fried and that a new one was required. Why was it not fixed?  SHEESH!!!! 

Stay tuned for the next blog and the awful experience lived with the insurance appraisers and the RV repair facility.  I guarantee you will find our story to be surrealistic....but true!

Easton is wondering what was up with that pink balloon.

Thursday was an important one on the home front.  Our daughter and her husband, Ginette & Trevor, were off to the medical facility for an ultrasound to learn the sex of their next child.  Yes, Ginette is pregnant and they are expecting a baby girl next February 14th - or thereabouts.  That is around Valentines!  Big brother to be, Easton, was wondering what all the fuss was about.  You see, Jeanette bought two floating balloons for the occasion; one blue for a boy and one pink for a girl.  Ginette and Trevor were to send us a photo of the balloon that would remain in their home.  It was a fantastic surprise to learn that we will be grand parents to another grand child; and a baby girl at that!

Deni, Jeanette's Mom, Mary and Courtney - in Edmonton - receiving their first baby blanket.

The other BIG NEWS - that we are now able to write about - is that our son and his wife, Deni and Courtney, are also expecting a baby for early in 2014.  In fact, Courtney's due date is for early January.  It could even be a New Year's baby!  They opted to forgo the ultrasound and to learn the sex of their first child at birth.

So......the fantastic news is now public!  Jeanette and I are expecting two new grandchildren in early 2014.   Yippee!!!!

Friday had my group back on the golf course.  We chose to play Swaneset Golf and Country Club in Pitt Meadows; north and over the Golden Ears Bridge from our area in south Langley and south Surrey.

The Clubhouse at Swaneset GC

Although the previous days were sunny and warm, the Friday golf round was forecast for rain and cloud.  The day before our round, the weather girl changed her mind and Friday proved to be a great weather day.

There are two golf courses here; the links course and the resort course.

We chose to play the resort course and, following our Tee shots on the first hole, we were surprised to see a huge black bear crossing directly in front of where our golf balls landed.  Whoa!  Before he/she scooted off into the woods and mountain side, it left a huge scat on the fairway. What's with that?????   Was it his/her opinion on the quality of our golf shots?????? 

This golf course brought back fond memories for me.  That fabulous clubhouse was where our daughter and son in law were married at and also where the dinner banquet was held. I had not played this golf course before Friday.  Nice!

L-R  Me, Denis and Rick.  The missing golfer was Fred.  He was not able to play that day.

Ginette and Easton came by on Friday afternoon.  Here she is opening a small gift of clothing - courtesy of Nana - for the new baby girl she is expecting.

Easton was out for a buggy ride and this lady - walking her three dogs - picked one up to show our little fella that it was a gentle and friendly pet. 

Playing in the park, Easton enjoyed the fun of running up, down and sideways.

Sliding is always fun.

Back at Nana's and Grand Papa's to enjoy some fresh fruit and snacks while playing with cars.

Sunday was an eventful meeting of the 'Open Mic' gang.  Although we didn't solve all of the world's problems, we did give it the old college try.  It was great fun; always is!  It was raining and cloudy and to get together with like minded friends is a gift.

Back home, after running several errands, I settled into watching the very last few holes of the PGA FED-EX Golf cup that was won by Henrik Stenson. He takes home two trophies and over $11 million in cash.  Not Bad!

Sweden's Henrik Stenson became the first European winner of both the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup titles - almost doubling his PGA Tour career earnings in one tournament.

I also caught the last quarter of the CFL (Canadian Football League) BC Lions clutch win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Making his first CFL start, the B.C. Lions quarterback threw two second-half touchdowns and helped set up Paul McCallum’s game-winning field goal with no time on the clock as the Lions took over second place in the West Division with a 24-22 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Where's the water heater?????

Back to the 5th wheel saga, I am putting the pieces together for the next blog.  Although not a rant, it may seem that way to some readers.  What you will learn though is how low some companies will go to discredit and cheat one out from its rightful dues.

So....till the next publishing, thanks for dropping by.

HOW ONE'S PLANS CAN CHANGE SO QUICKLY...

That is precisely what happened to Jeanette and I this past weekend.  Friday was a planned men's golf outing at the Belmont Golf Course - photo below - followed by a routine weekend at home. That plan changed quickly late afternoon, Thursday past.  I called my foursome golf guys to let them know that I was dropping them in favour of a weekend at the lake.

A photo Jeanette and I took at Belmont Golf Course when motorcycling last Thursday

Thursday afternoon, we had arranged to look after Easton for a couple of hours while Ginette was practicing her kineseology on a client.  When we arrived at her home, she asked if we wanted to join them at Trevor's family cabin at Barriere Lake for the weekend. It was a last minute decision by Ginette and Trevor too.  The boat needed to be returned to the coast - for its winter storage - and no one else was planning to be at the lake.  Why not?  The weather forecast was for mid-summer like weather.

Coquihalla Highway north towards Kamloops, BC

Now that was one very quick - and most easy - decision.  Golf was out and we rode out early Friday morning.  We would be arriving earlier that Ginette, Trevor and Easton but we had a key to get past the locked gate and the cabin locks.

Fantastic summer like weather for mid-September on the high mountain highway.

Nearing the small city of Merritt, BC.

We stopped in Merritt for lunch before leaving the Coquihalla Highway in favour of Highway 5A (the old highway) along Nicola Lake and north to Kamloops.  It is a two lane road that is twisty and picturesque.  It is a perfect motorcycle road!

Riding along Nicola Lake on Highway 5A

Being mid-day Friday, there was little traffic on the Coquihalla and 5A.  That made for an easy motorcycle ride.

Nearing Kamloops, this farmer was busy haying and bailing.

When we arrived in Kamloops, it was hot!  Our riding clothes quickly came off in favour of t-shirt riding.  What a treat!  From Kamloops, we rode on Highway 5 towards the town of Barriere; about 40 minutes north.

Barriere is when we left Highway 5 and rode east through the town and for another 35 kilometres to the lake and cabin.

It a mostly 35 km paved 2 lane road east from Barriere to the lake.  About 6 kilometres from the cabin, the pavement ends and the road - albeit gravel - is smooth and mainly dust free.  The district applies a coat of vegetable oil on the road and it works well to control dust.

Soon to leave the pavement.....

...for this smooth gravel road.

 We arrived at the cabin by 3:00 pm.  The gates unlocked, I rode the Harley down to its parking spot.

Pleasant 5 hour ride up to the cabin - with breaks, lunch and fuel stops.

It didn't take long before Jeanette and I were changed from riding clothes to beach clothes and enjoying the peaceful view from the deck.

Perfectly calm.....

We walked along the beach a bit and got things ready for when Ginette, Trevor and Easton would arrive.  At 6:30 pm, they drove in.  Once unpacked the barbecue was fired up and dinner was enjoyed outdoors.  The mid-September weather equaled a typical mid-July heat.  It was fantastic!

Our view from the deck during dinner.

The sun setting at the western end of the lake.

Early the next morning, Trevor, Easton and I drove out and headed for the high mountain country in search of wildlife.  None was sighted but it was fun to get out in the fresh mountain air.  We drove through some cut lines (in 4X4 mode) and then ended up at the eastern end of the lake where we hiked through the bush to a quiet sandy beach area. 

Back at the cabin, Jeanette and Ginette were up and breakfast was being prepared. Easton is mixing the pancake batter.

The balance of Saturday was spent boating, kayaking, playing with Easton on the beach and just enjoying a truly pleasant summer like day.

A neighbour flew his float plane in and tied it at his dock.  The next morning he took off back for wherever home is.

Fun time with Easton in the sand.  What's not to like about that.  It's so touching to watch him discover so many new things.

He amused himself for quite a long time.

 When he tired of the beach, we loaded ourselves into the boat and headed for a nice leisurely ride.  Easton loves to handle any steering wheel and dad, Trevor, was happy to oblige.

Mister boater at the helm....

 He loved driving the boat but hated having to wear the life vest.  He'll learn to accept it though!

Cruising at high speed....

Trevor stopped the boat in the middle of the lake and we all just cherished the peaceful quiet before Trevor jumped into the lake for a swim.  Easton was quite surprised when his dad did that!

"Hey....whatch er you doing dad?????"

Back on terra firma, Jeanette and Easton enjoyed some personal time together playing in the water near the beach.  They were both in seventh heaven!

The dock below the cabin

A view of the cabin from dock side...

Trevor got Easton into the water and whizzed him around and around.  There was a lot of laughter. The cool water had no effect whatsoever and Easton wanted more and more whizzing......!

Great fun....

While Trevor and Ginette entertained Easton, Jeanette and I took the kayaks out for a couple of hours. 

We paddled to the extreme west side then back east, past the cabin, and along the shoreline to a point on the east side of the lake. 

Back at the cabin, steaks were soon on the barbecue and the other fixings were being handled in the kitchen.  We enjoyed a fantastic Saturday evening enjoying dinner overlooking the lake and another wonderful sunset. What a blessing!

I handled the steaks.....Jeanette handled the other fixings....

Sunset on Saturday night...

I was up very early on Sunday morning - and so was Easton.  I put him in his jogging stroller (with nice big tires) and we headed off for a long walk while the others slept in.  We were gone for well over an hour and, once back, everyone was still sound asleep so Easton and I played on the swing, in the sand (with plastic pails and little shovels) and I generally followed him as he walked around and about.  Good fun!

Once breakfast was completed, and dishes washed, mother and daughter headed off in the kayaks while Trevor, Easton and I busied ourselves with loading the boat onto the trailer to return it to the Lower Mainland for winter storage.

Trevor hitched up the boat trailer and backed it into the lake.  Once loaded and strapped down, he drove up from the lake and we began the process of washing it down.  It needed a good cleaning after spending the better part of four months or so in the water.

Trevor is giving the boat some final touch ups....

By lunch time we had packed everything up, cleaned the cabin, gathered the trash and an hour later we began our ride/drive back for home.  We followed Trevor for a few kilometres before he encouraged us to go ahead.  We did just that!  We agreed to meet up in Merritt for a mid-afternoon lunch.

Just leaving the cabin in the woods.

We took a different route from Kamloops.  Trevor, Ginette and Easton continued on the Coquihalla while Jeanette and I chose to take the slightly longer route back on Highway 5A through the twisty turns and along Nicola Lake.  We arrived within minutes of each other at the Tim Horton's in Merritt.

Lunch had, we continued our journey south on the Coquihalla Highway and home.  We were in the garage and unpacking by 6:00 pm.

What a fantastic long weekend we lived up at the cabin on Barriere Lake. Talk about a 'peaceful, easy feeling.......while there!

Easton had a blast......  Here he is enjoying corn on the cob!

And that, dear readers, is just how one's plans can change so quickly......and, I might add, for the better.  Great memories lived!

Oh....and there is no Internet or cell service at the lake. If not for a land line phone, we would be completely out of touch while there.  Not a bad thing!

Thanks for dropping by.