The adventure before the Adventure

It would seem simple enough - prep the Sunstar for the trip.  We use it on occasion so there isn't that much to do.  Change the oil, fix a few odds and ends, and gas her up.

Well, given the nature of the trip and VW's change in policy with respect to maintaining the transmission, we decided to get the engine oil changed and the transmission oil changed.  Ok, but only the dealer can do the transmission.  No problem.  Crap, then the A/C proved inoperable on mother's day.  Add it to the list.  Oh yeah, the generator doesn't start, I forgot about that one. And the list grows.

Anyway, I take the Sunstar to the mechanic, oil gets changed, and the A/C diagnosed.  $1500.  In parts.  OMG.  Looks like I'm going to source the parts.  Oh, and the muffler needs to be replaced, and they can't do it.  Crap.  Now the oil is changed and I take her to the dealer for the transmission.  That goes smoothly (and less $$ than expected).  Source the parts and save $800 (yep, got them for less than 1/2 the dealer wanted).  Back to the mechanic for A/C repair.  Pick her up and start looking for a muffler shop.

Two days of searching prove fruitless so I take her to Annapolis RV on the Eastern Shore to get the generator fixed and the exhaust pipe replaced. They order the exhaust pipe.  But they can't find a muffler.  I finally find a place that thinks they can do the muffler.  The generator repair is easy but the exhaust pipe doesn't arrive on time, so over the bridge to get the RV and into the muffler shop.  Two days later and the muffler is on.  Back over the bridge and back to Annapolis RV.  And 4:45 on Friday (yeah, 18 hours before we leave) they start putting the exhaust pipe on.  Finally, 6:30 on Friday I arrive home with a full tank of gas.  We're ready to pack the RV!

I guess if I had a one-stop shop it would have been too easy.  Even taking it to 4 places wasn't the real issue.  But making 3 trips to every shop really burned time.  But the repair list is EMPTY and the open road calls.  Or is that my credit card company.  Time to turn of the phone and turn up the radio.  Which reminds me; what is the first song we should play as we pull out of the driveway?  Any suggestions?