When we found out Big Bertha couldn't be fixed on August 3rd as originally planned, we had to figure out where to stay until our new appointment on the 10th. Since saving money was a priority, we left Hope Hull and headed back to Jennings Ferry in Eutaw, Alabama.

At only $14 per night with our America the Beautiful Pass, it was hard to beat.

We made a reservation for 10 days but ended up leaving on the ninth day so we could move closer to Three Way Campers. Instead of facing a four-hour drive the morning we dropped Big Bertha off, we would only have about 30 minutes to travel.

To say that was a smart decision is an understatement.

Back to Jennings Ferry

Our second stay at Jennings Ferry was just as quiet and enjoyable as the first. We didn't do any exploring this time because the heat was simply unbearable. Sometimes RV life isn't about sightseeing and checking places off a list. Sometimes it's about finding an affordable place to park, staying cool, and waiting for the next part of the journey.

The night before our appointment, we moved to Winding Rivers RV Resort so we would be close to the dealership the following morning. It was a nice resort with several amenities, although we thought the sites were pretty close together. I'll be sharing a separate campground review with more details about our stay.

Big Bertha Finally Goes Into the Shop

We dropped Big Bertha off on August 10th and were told we should have her back on Friday.

On Wednesday, we received an update that one of the decals was messed up and needed to be reordered. They were requesting overnight delivery, and if it arrived Thursday, they could apply it, paint, and still have everything finished by Friday.

I followed up Thursday afternoon to see if the decals had arrived. Luckily, they had ordered three because the first replacement decal was no good either. During that call, I told them we would be there Friday between 3:00 and 4:00 to pick up Big Bertha.

We actually arrived early, only to find out they couldn't finish the buffing because the paint wasn't dry enough.

For the most part, though, the repairs looked good, and Big Bertha was shinier than ever. Most importantly, we finally had complete windows again instead of looking like the Clampetts from The Beverly Hillbillies.

It was definitely nice to see her looking like herself again.

NEVER Listen to a Dealership

We were given two choices: take Big Bertha and come back Monday so they could finish the job, or stay overnight on-site and let them finish Saturday morning.

We were told the remaining work would take about 1 to 1½ hours.

We chose to stay.

Saturday morning, someone knocked on our door before 9:00 and told us they would be picking up the RV in about 10–15 minutes. I told them we would be ready.

We were out of the RV and sitting in the truck in no time.

Then we waited.

And waited.

It was another hour before they finally pulled Big Bertha into the bay.

After noon, we were told that the 1–1½ hour job was actually going to take three to four hours. At that point, we decided to leave and get some lunch.

We were gone less than 30 minutes.

When we returned, there sat Big Bertha, finished and waiting for us to hook up.

Apparently, she was as ready to get out of there as we were.

If there is one thing I've learned through this entire experience, it is to take dealership timelines with a very large grain of salt. Too often we've been told what someone thought we wanted to hear instead of being given realistic expectations.

And I'm not basing that opinion solely on what happened this particular weekend. It comes from our overall experience with this dealership since the day we purchased Big Bertha.

Let's just say that if I knew then what I know now, I would have made a different decision about where we purchased our RV.

Thankfully, the repairs themselves looked good, our windows were finally whole again, and it was time to put this chapter behind us.

A Few Days Without the RV

While Big Bertha was in the shop, we headed to Florida to spend a few days with my mom. It was nice having that time with her, but by Friday we were both more than ready to get back to our own bed.

We headed out before 8:00 Friday morning because we had about a six-hour drive back to the dealership.

Of course, there was one stop I had to make along the way.

Priester's Pecans in Fort Deposit, Alabama.

I stop there every chance I get, although I probably wasn't thinking this particular purchase through very well. It's not quite pecan season yet, so I'm pretty sure the pecans I bought were from last year's crop.

Did that stop me from buying them?

Of course not.

Back to Tennessee

Once Big Bertha was finally ready to roll on Saturday, we pointed the truck toward Tennessee.

We found Country Roads RV Park in Decatur and decided to stay for a month. One of our biggest priorities while we're here is getting my sewing room put back together.

Before taking Big Bertha in for repairs, we removed probably 90% of my sewing and quilting supplies from the garage to storage because the service center needed access to the windows. Now everything has to go back into its place.

I am more than ready.

It has been so long since I've sewn anything that I think I'm past the withdrawal stage at this point.

Once everything is unpacked and my sewing area is functional again, the big question will be:

Which project do I start first?

The answer is still undecided.

Where Are We Headed Next?

That's a very good question.

Originally, we thought we might stay at Country Roads for a couple of months. After reading through all of the park information and rules, however, we decided one month might be plenty.

One warning tells guests not to feed the skunks.

Another warns us to beware of coyotes.

With our four-legged babies, neither of those possibilities sounds particularly appealing.

So, once our month here is up, we'll be moving on again.

Where?

We haven't decided yet.

And maybe that's one of the best—and occasionally most frustrating—parts of this lifestyle. Sometimes we know exactly where we're headed months in advance, and other times we're figuring it out as we go.

For now, we're going to enjoy having Big Bertha back, get everything moved into the RV again, put my sewing room back together, and hopefully enjoy a little downtime before it's time to hitch up and head toward our next destination.

Wherever that turns out to be.

Thanks for following along on our journey. There's always another campground, another road, and apparently another RV-life lesson waiting around the corner.

Until next time...

Keep adding memories to your wall.

— Greg & Anna
SeasonedRVers 🚐🐾