TO MOBILE AND BEYOND

Our 3rd day of driving was supposed to be from Pensacola to Mobile to watch a Bay Bears baseball game at 11:30am. Our Wednesday started around 1am with the LOUD shrill sounds of the LP detector once again. We knew we didn't have a leak, unless one developed in the 35 miles or so we drove from Gulf Breeze to Pensacola, but to be AWAKENED AGAIN by the loud sounds was difficult on the nerves. We unplugged the alarm again and went back to sleep.

Paul searched the internet during breakfast to find an RV supply store between Pensacola and Mobile to buy a new LP detector. We found a store near Foley, Alabama which was only about 10 miles out of the way. We were able to buy a portable LP detector and used it right away. Not surprising, the lights were green, meaning we had no leak. Some piece of mind at last.  

As we got closer to Mobile the rain began (60% forecast) and intensified as we drove past Hank Aaron Stadium. We decided to go on through Alabama and Mississippi and get as far as we could. Most of the next 5 hours were spent driving through heavy rains, with occasional lightning and thunder.

At our gas stop in Jackson, MS, we discovered one of the steel safety cables broke on our tow bar for our car, referred to as a dinghy in RV terms. Wonder how long we were driving illegally? We still have no idea what caused the cable to break.  Since the rain was really coming down hard, we decided to drive another 40 miles to Vicksburg, MS where we had stayed the previous year, rather than find a campground in Jackson and set up in the pouring rain.

5000 lb. safety chain severed

This was the second worst day ever of driving an RV, topped only by last year's drive through blowing snow in Wyoming while enroute to Grand Teton National Park.
   
While in Vicksburg, we checked the internet and found there were NO tow bar dealers anywhere in Mississippi. After some phone calls the next morning, we found that the closest available safety cables were in Tyler, TX. We had two options, either drive both vehicles nearly 250 miles separately, or buy some galvanized chain and some clips at Home Depot and rig up our own safety chain so we could at least ride together legally.

We hit the jackpot in Tyler, Texas. The RV dealer not only had the safety cables we needed but they also had a new LP detector that was the same make and size as the one that failed us earlier in the week. 

Sorry, we didn't find anything else this day to be a photo moment.