I, absolutely, love to see stuff like this. Makes me feel pretty good.
How do you tick off a real Canadian? You can't.
Darren
> Since several of you are talking about taking Mike Beaton up on his
> invitation to visit him, I've just got to tell you about the wonderful way
> Canadians treated us on our first trip up there. It was Sept 1985 and we had
> only had the GMC for about 5 months. It had been in storage before we bought
> it and in our ignorance we struck out for Canada expecting everything to be
> OK. It was until our first night in Canada when it was cool and the furnace
> wouldn't stay lit. Next day in Ottawa we stopped at an RV place to have it
> checked. He spent over an hour and said there was some kind of obstruction in
> the vent. Suggested we just go ahead, and if we needed heat to buy an
> electric heater. It would take all day to fix it he said. I asked for the
> bill. Oh, no charge, just enjoy your holiday in Canada! Couldn't believe it.
> All went well until we were waiting for the ferry to take us to Prince Edward
> Island on a Sunday morning. I had filled up with gas and a little boy on a
> bike rode up and said, Mister, there is gas leaking out the back of your
> motorhome. It was, big time.
>
> I asked the cashier in the kiosk where I could find a garage open. None open
> she said but that man standing across the street owns a garage, Maybe he will
> help you. He did. Opened up his garage and when we pulled the Onan out we
> couldn't believe what we saw. Part of the OEM gas line which had a copper
> tube clamped to it, and to that a clear plastic hose was clamped. The leak
> had loosened all the old oil and goop and was a real mess in the compartment.
> He put on a new hose and cleaned the compartment out best he could. The bill.
> Oh no charge, just enjoy your holiday in Canada! What about the hose. Just
> enjoy your holiday in Canada. Wow! Off to PEI and while there the alternator
> light began coming on. When we got back to the mainland I went to the Olds
> dealer. He was apologetic because he couldn't help. Two men off etc. But let
> me make a phone call, he said. He came back and told me to take it to an
> independent shop where they would fix it.
>
> We arrive at the shop just before noon. The man said they closed for lunch
> but he would work on it first thing after lunch. I asked where I could get an
> oil change and he suggested the Shell station. No, sorry, no lift or pit,
> but let me make a phone call he said. Came back and said to take it to the
> muffler shop where they had a pit. The shop owner was waiting for us and
> guided me into a bay. I told him what brand of oil I used and he said he
> didn't have oil but I could buy it across the street. He had a man change
> the oil while we chatted about football and Oklahoma. I asked for the bill
> and once again I got the now familiar, no charge , just enjoy your holiday in
> Canada. On the way to the shop to get the alternator fixed, I commented to
> my wife that about now I bet our luck would run out and we would get it stuck
> to us.
>
> The shop owner had me wait while he backed a pickup out of the bay and left
> it running. Completely overhauled the alternator, brushes, bearing etc. The
> bill, $27 in US. A real bargain. As I was about to leave I asked him why he
> had left the pickup running. Oh he said, "it ain't got no starter" and the
> owner lives here. I figured he could wait better than you because you are on
> holiday.
>
> All true, Scout's Honor and no embelishment. So if you go to see Mike, just
> hope that any mechanical breakdowns you have will be in Canada!
>
> Justin
>
> PS.....On the way home out of Wash DC we were blissfully driving along when a
> man pulled alongside, honked, and gave me the finger. I couldn't imagine
> what I'd done. I looked in the mirror and all I could see was smoke. You
> guessed it. The old oil cooler line had broken. Fortunately I was at an exit
> and rolled to the service road where I called a tow truck. About six hours
> later and $200 plus change I had new lines and was on my way home. Couldn't
> help but wonder what would have happened if I had been in Canada!
How do you tick off a real Canadian? You can't.
Darren> Since several of you are talking about taking Mike Beaton up on his
> invitation to visit him, I've just got to tell you about the wonderful way
> Canadians treated us on our first trip up there. It was Sept 1985 and we had
> only had the GMC for about 5 months. It had been in storage before we bought
> it and in our ignorance we struck out for Canada expecting everything to be
> OK. It was until our first night in Canada when it was cool and the furnace
> wouldn't stay lit. Next day in Ottawa we stopped at an RV place to have it
> checked. He spent over an hour and said there was some kind of obstruction in
> the vent. Suggested we just go ahead, and if we needed heat to buy an
> electric heater. It would take all day to fix it he said. I asked for the
> bill. Oh, no charge, just enjoy your holiday in Canada! Couldn't believe it.
> All went well until we were waiting for the ferry to take us to Prince Edward
> Island on a Sunday morning. I had filled up with gas and a little boy on a
> bike rode up and said, Mister, there is gas leaking out the back of your
> motorhome. It was, big time.
>
> I asked the cashier in the kiosk where I could find a garage open. None open
> she said but that man standing across the street owns a garage, Maybe he will
> help you. He did. Opened up his garage and when we pulled the Onan out we
> couldn't believe what we saw. Part of the OEM gas line which had a copper
> tube clamped to it, and to that a clear plastic hose was clamped. The leak
> had loosened all the old oil and goop and was a real mess in the compartment.
> He put on a new hose and cleaned the compartment out best he could. The bill.
> Oh no charge, just enjoy your holiday in Canada! What about the hose. Just
> enjoy your holiday in Canada. Wow! Off to PEI and while there the alternator
> light began coming on. When we got back to the mainland I went to the Olds
> dealer. He was apologetic because he couldn't help. Two men off etc. But let
> me make a phone call, he said. He came back and told me to take it to an
> independent shop where they would fix it.
>
> We arrive at the shop just before noon. The man said they closed for lunch
> but he would work on it first thing after lunch. I asked where I could get an
> oil change and he suggested the Shell station. No, sorry, no lift or pit,
> but let me make a phone call he said. Came back and said to take it to the
> muffler shop where they had a pit. The shop owner was waiting for us and
> guided me into a bay. I told him what brand of oil I used and he said he
> didn't have oil but I could buy it across the street. He had a man change
> the oil while we chatted about football and Oklahoma. I asked for the bill
> and once again I got the now familiar, no charge , just enjoy your holiday in
> Canada. On the way to the shop to get the alternator fixed, I commented to
> my wife that about now I bet our luck would run out and we would get it stuck
> to us.
>
> The shop owner had me wait while he backed a pickup out of the bay and left
> it running. Completely overhauled the alternator, brushes, bearing etc. The
> bill, $27 in US. A real bargain. As I was about to leave I asked him why he
> had left the pickup running. Oh he said, "it ain't got no starter" and the
> owner lives here. I figured he could wait better than you because you are on
> holiday.
>
> All true, Scout's Honor and no embelishment. So if you go to see Mike, just
> hope that any mechanical breakdowns you have will be in Canada!
>
> Justin
>
> PS.....On the way home out of Wash DC we were blissfully driving along when a
> man pulled alongside, honked, and gave me the finger. I couldn't imagine
> what I'd done. I looked in the mirror and all I could see was smoke. You
> guessed it. The old oil cooler line had broken. Fortunately I was at an exit
> and rolled to the service road where I called a tow truck. About six hours
> later and $200 plus change I had new lines and was on my way home. Couldn't
> help but wonder what would have happened if I had been in Canada!
