Sometimes we look at sights in nature but don't really see. While hiking in the woods the other day, it became a realization that we need to open our heart and eyes to see the beauty of the simple things in nature with each season. There is so much order and purpose in His creation. God has given us awesome beauty in this world to see and enjoy... if we would but stop to see and feel it. Join us as this blog is about stopping to see the real beauty around us...to touch and feel it... "Through the Lens".

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Sunday, November 5, 2017

Locked In and Locked Out....Oh My!!

We left our "home" base in Auburn Alabama Thursday morning!!  Our destination was Rainbow Plantation an Escapees Park located in Summerdale Alabama.  We stayed here the winter of 2010 during our first full-time adventure.  We loved this area and Rainbow Plantation!!  We met some of the most wonderful people that winter and many remain very close friends to us even now!!  
You do meet the most amazing people in this lifestyle!!  Probably one of the BEST perks of full-timing!!                              


   
Our Site at Rainbow                         

That's when all the fun began....NOT!!!!!   We got up Friday morning just as usual.  Mike took our little Shih Tzu, Nick, out for his bathroom break, came back in and we ate a lite breakfast....I remembered we were going to Big Daddy's Grill for lunch!!  I had plans to disturb my doctor terribly and have fried shrimp!!  I LOVE fried shrimp and I practically never eat anything fried anymore!!  A splurge...why not????   After breakfast I was about to take my shower and Mike was going to go back outside when he discovered he couldn't unlock the door!!                      


 He tried several times....nothing!!  He got out his "FOB" and tried that....nothing!!  We looked at each other and just shook our heads! I had the great idea of opening the window and yelling for someone to come and try the keypad for us....I thought this was a logical solution!!  MEN....they just can't resist the opportunity to crawl through a window whenever they get a chance!!   So Mike crawled through the egress window!!  That wasn't easy....let's just say that from this moment forward, no matter what, we go through the door!!  Ooops, its locked!!!  We both felt like it was stuck or something and just simply keying in our code on the keypad was all it would take....nothing!!  He tried that several times...nothing!!  He tried his key....nothing!!  He tried the "FOB"....nothing!!  Well alrighty!!  We have a problem!!  He was locked out and I was locked in!!                 

Mike called RV Lock, the manufacturer of this keyless entry lock, and talked with a lock tech.  He suggested several things which included my taking the back side of the lock off and disconnecting the wires....nothing!!  He instructed Mike to do a few things on the outside....nothing!!  He then suggested we call an RV Technician, wasn't he a technician??  So we contacted a local RV tech to come to the Oliver and remove this lock!!   While waiting on the RV tech to come Mike called Oliver and talked with a service manager there and did a few things he suggested...nothing!!  He did assure us that Oliver would help us and stand behind ANYTHING that had to be done!!  This is a great company!!                       
The lock as it was when it was first installed
The RV tech came and worked 2 hours on our door and lock....nothing!!  He and Mike crawled in and out of the egress window several times....what did I tell you??   The tech pulled, twisted, and hammered trying to get the lock to come off!  It was jammed on the left side ( looking from outside) and wouldn't let go!!  He even thought taking the door off might at least free the prisoners inside!!  We called Oliver to discuss if that would be a good idea and they quickly said probably not.  This is a solidly built trailer and taking the door off is a huge undertaking especially if you don't know what you are doing!!  They said much damage could be done including damaging the fiberglass!!  So what do we do??  Break the lock off anyway you can!!  And he did....he broke the lock off and the door was damaged!!!  The side of the door was bent, the area where the lock was was bent and broken.  The door was gone!!  No real door, no lock....what to do??           
The lock after being pulled off the door
The door after we finally got the lock off 3 hours later
Oliver suggested we come to them asap and they would do whatever was necessary to help us.  They offered to put us up in a very nice hotel, The Commodore, in Linden Tennessee until we could be safely back in the Oliver.  We suggested that if possible we would like to stay in the Oliver....we full-time, its our home!!  So they said we could pull the Oliver into the showroom at the sales office for the weekend.  The sales office has a waiting room, and four sales offices.  Toward the back is the large open showroom.  This is where they pull Olivers for the PDI!!  There is a garage door you back the Oliver through and there you are in a huge open room/garage type area!!                            

We left Rainbow at 2:15 Friday (central time) and headed for Hohenwald Tennessee!  We had originally thought we could drive the entire distance getting into Hohenwald around midnight!  The Oliver representative said they had someone on standby ready to let us in no matter how late it was.  We got to the north side of Birmingham and we both, doggie and all, decided we had enough!!  Now to find a campground on a Friday night during fall, a heavy camping season.  We called a few and the closest we could get was Joe Wheeler State Park and they were willing to wait for us!!  As we kept traveling I knew we couldn't make it.  Mike has had a stroke (ischemic optic neuropathy) in the back of his left eye that has caused him to be nearly blind in the left eye!!  Night driving is something we both avoid if at all possible!!!  I could drive and would have but we were both very tired.  About that time our son called and he too was worried about driving late and tired.  In a few minutes he text me back and said he had found this campground in Cullman Alabama and the lady was very very nice!!  They lived right on property and would be willing to check us in at any time!!  Cullman...we can make that!!!!                               
Office at Cullman Campground


Our site at Cullman Campground

 ( Before I go any further, Phyllis of My Own Highways in My Mind, had made a wonderful offer to us that if at any time we needed to stop nearby she and her sweet husband would be delighted for us to stay on their property!!  Phyllis and Leonard bought land and an adorable home in Cullman a few years ago and it just so happens to have room for friends to stop over.  The only problem, Phyllis, is I didn't know how to get in touch with you!!  I looked at everything I knew to look at and didn't find a phone number and it was so sudden I couldn't send a blog message).

We arrived at Cullman Campground around 10:00.  We didn't even unhitch.  We pulled into our site, which was right next to the office and across the street from the owners home!!  We bungied our door closed for the night and got some rest!!              



When we woke up Saturday morning we saw a delightful campground!!  We couldn't see much Friday night and were really too tired to care.  We walked down to a beautiful pond where we saw this beautiful white goose and a black mallard enjoying the morning.  We saw beautiful trees in full fall color!!  
                 I can't tell you how upset we both have been!!  We had a wonderful couple weeks planned in the gulf area and had been looking forward to being there.  It was then, looking at this beautiful nature, that I realized that God is in control.  It might have been our plan to be in the gulf area but it was His plan for us to see this gorgeous fall beauty!!  Even in something unforeseen (like the lock issue), He can bring beauty to the moment!!  That is exactly what He did this morning on our drive to Hohenwald.  This wasn't our plan but I think God can bring beauty to every situation if we allow Him to.               
We passed this going to Hohenwald
It could have all been much worse.  We could have both been locked out and unable to operate the egress window.  We were able to find a wonderful safe campground to rest in...even though we couldn't lock our door.  We managed to travel 435 miles with our door bungied closed and never had a problem with it.  We are now safely tucked in our spot in the showroom at Oliver for the weekend with a key to the sales office to come and go as we need to.  All offered freely by a wonderful company that cares about their customers!!  I couldn't recommend them enough!!!  They build an awesome trailer and stand by their product.  Can't ask for better!!!              
Inside the showroom area at Oliver
Looking out the garage door at the showroom
We will enjoy our time here in this beautiful mountain area and marvel at all the beauty around us!!  Thank you, Lord!!             
A pull-off from the Natchez Trace


        


And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

25 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Yes, it was quite an adventure...but all things work out in the end.

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  2. What an experience. Glad you are all tucked in. The last pictures are beautiful.

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  3. Like you said somethings happen for a reason, glad that you are back at Oliver getting things taken care of.

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    1. Thanks for your comment...all things tend to work out in the end, it's just a matter of getting there.

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  4. Gorgeous country to enjoy. Going with the flow or God's plan, is definitely a part of the RVING life. We had the same thing happen to us in Nevada. Jim was able to climb out and I handed him the pups through the window so they could go do their thing. We were lucky. The locksmith was able to break it open with only some damage.

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    1. As you already know, it is a frustrating feeling...being locked in or out. Luckily we were in and we were not locked out with our dog inside. Thanks for your comments.

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  5. Wow! what a traumatic experience. Sorry that your plans were changed, but as you said, it's not our plans, but His. Oliver is a great company, and your situation is the perfect example. Would be nice to know what actually happened to the lock. Good luck, and safe traveling...jc

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  6. This will be one of those campfire stories every RVer has. Glad you're being taken care of. We took our RV lock off and replaced it with the old fashioned ones.

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  7. And the worse news ... No Big Daddy's Shrimp! Keep breathing!

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  8. Wow, what a deal! The thing is, products fail and the test is how the company handles the failure. So nice that you are being well taken care of, safe, and in a beautiful area. And your optimistic attitude sure helps.

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    1. Barbara, you are so right, products do fail and the true test is the company behind your rv. As it stands, I would give Oliver Company a two thumbs up. As another bright spot, the weather has been fantastic and being on the Natchez Trace ...great.

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    2. Oliver really did gonway beyond what I think most companies would have done!! We loved the lock and perhaps someday will revisit getting it again but for now.....classic key reigns!!!

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  9. Oh My Goodness ---when you two have an adventure, you HAVE a real adventure... Begin writing your Oliver Book--since you already have stories to tell....

    Glad everything worked out ... Love the little campground at Cullman. Bet you all will return there sometime... SO peaceful....

    Glad also that you saw some Fall Colors when you headed north into TN. Our colors right now are about as pretty as they are going to be this Fall. And the leaves are REALLY coming down today....

    I love fried Shrimp also --and don't eat it much.. BUT--when we go to the beach in Ocean Isle, NC ---we have a favorite seafood restaurant in the area (Dockside)... The seafood is fresh ---coming into the bay right there near the restaurant. We love fried Shrimp AND those huge fried Scallops... YUM.

    Hope you get your RV fixed soon.... Seems like you are having to spend a lot of time there over the past few months... Hopefully this will be the last problem.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. Betsy, thanks for your comments, The weather has been great and the beauty of God's creation through the changing of seasons has been spectacular.
      When we get back down to Rainbow and go to Big Daddy's restaurant, I will think about you as I enjoy some fried shrimp.

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  10. As I read this story, I was reminded of some of the things we encountered on our RV trip to Alaska 10 years ago. We bought the RV for the trip and sold it as soon as we got back. Doug never wanted to see another RV in his life. But he's actually looking at them again now, much to my surprise. You're a good promoter of the Oliver trailers. And it does sound like they treat you right. I wonder if you'll ever trust that lock again, though.

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  11. That is quite a story! Glad they stand behind thier product. It is not a good thing to be locked in the RV, a fire or other emergency would be a really big problem.

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  12. That is quite the adventure.I'm glad you are choosing to find joy even during less than perfect times.

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  13. what an adventure but at least with a good ending

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  14. First let me say what magnificent photos...I really like the header photo, that need a frame and a wall to display it!! sorry about the door...I understand it happens numerous times to casita folks. I saw a utube from a fella that had a quick fix...can't remember the solution but I'll research it and when I find it forward to you...doesn't do alot of good now, but something to share with the good folks at Oliver. Take care Horst

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  15. What an adventure! Great write up!

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  16. Wow, what an ordeal! Had I read this before I published my latest post, I would have added a link to this! The main reason we chose a Tiffin motorhome is because they also stand behind their workmanship. I'm trying to encourage someone who needs an RV like this to consider this brand. Now I'll suggest it even more. Great treatment by the company.
    Our God is faithful-such beauty He blessed us with-even in our trials!

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  17. Boy does that sound so scary. I never heard of getting locked in. The Oliver Company sounds like a wonderful company to do business with. Offering to put you in a nice hotel is a wonderful jester. We will keep you in our prayers for a very quick fix! Enjoy the beauty of the area.

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  18. Wow, what an ordeal that must have been. And how much worse it could have been! So glad the company stepped up and took you in. Great testimonial about a wonderful business. We appreciate hearing this.

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  19. I loved the title of the post! Glad everyone was safe, if not a little sore from the trips in and out the emergency window. I hear stories like this and it makes me even happier that I decided on an Oliver too.

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