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Recent trip to Phoenix

Yahoo Message Number: 2516
We just got back from our roadtrip to Phoenix and I was a little impressed. Last summer we travelled across the northern states to Niagra Falls. For many years northern Michigan was always a sea of traffic, last summer there was very little traffic and all the campgrounds had spaces open even when we where stopping at 7 pm local time. It wasn`t that long ago if you were not off the road by 4:30 you did not get a spot.
This year it may have been snowbirds returning home but, there was a lot of motorhomes on the road going both directions. I am guessing with the fuel prices down people are getting more use out of there equipment. Last year we saw a total of seven Seneca`s on our fourteen day, seventy two hundred mile trip. I was thinking there were more Seneca`s on dealer lots than on the road. This year we saw fourteen on a five day, three thousand mile long weekend trip. There was a 35GS in the camping area at the Phoenix racetrack. I did not get a chance to talk to them as eveytime I walked by they were not there. Sunday the 19th we saw four Seneca`s on the road in Flagstaff Arizona alone, and three more between Flagstaff and Salt Lake City. Nice to see folks out enjoying thier investments.
We had two issues the whole trip. First issue became apparent before we left, the motor for the stairs quit working. Not much of a motor on these for a three stair step, looks like the same one we had on our old C with a single step. This thing did not always pull the steps all the way in without some help last year so hopefully there is a heavier duty upgrade one out there. Second issue was kind of strange, just south of Vegas the engine fan was working going up a grade. It did not cut out when the engine got back down to normal temperature and the little orange engine light came on. Pulled over and checked everything out and could not find anything out of the ordinary. We drove to the nearest Chev dealer at 55 mph to keep the cab noise bearable. They would not look at it, but told me it probably was a bad sensor or the clutch fan itself. He figured we would be able to keep going as there were medium duty dealers in Phoenix that would have parts and be able to look at it and said it may be a little harder on fuel. So we carried on and stopped at a campground just outside of Phoenix for the night. After checking the internet we found a couple dealers that would not be to far off the interstate and printed out directions to both. In the morning we fired it up and no engine light and the fan was working normal. Drove around for an hour just to be sure everything was normal then headed for the track. Came all the way home pulling some good grades and never had another problem. Not sure if I want to take it into the dealer or not. They seem to like to plug the computer in and do "upgrades" and the vehicle never gets as good of fuel mileage again, at least that is what happened to the Jimmy.
One other thing a big thank`s to all for the route and track information. Made the trip way easier knowing what to expect. Seems our group is expanding from how-to fix tips for Kodiaks to routes and travel tips also. That is great as these units don`t always go where the smaller C`s go
Hope to see you all on the road
later brad