lurker finally exposing himself

[rickdesilva]

After sitting on the sideline for a few months I thought it was time to come out into the open. After owning a coachmen (many years ago), a 35 foot Winnebago Elandan, a FC Bluebird and most recently a WB Bird, I made the jump and bought a '01 Thompson. I keep my coaches for a long time so the Thompson aspect doesn't bother me. So far so good. The Thompson organization has been very accessable and has answered all my questions. I knew what I was getting into before I bought her. We've logged a few thousand miles on her and so far no surprises.

[Just Plain Jeff]

Lurker Finally Exposing Himself?

You'll do well here.

Welcome to the fray. Since you have been watching all this for a few months, you likely know the drill. There have been many very positive comments about the Thompson Coach, you don't have to be apologetic at all. If it's the coach you want, it's the coach you've got.

In addition, you are not far from Elite Coach in Ephrata, PA, an ace chassis repair place.

Hey, isn't Mahwah, NJ Bruce Springsteen territory?

Welcome aboard.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Welcome aboard. I'm not sure why you want to expose yourself to the abuse most of us are subjected to on this forum, but as a former Secaucus boy I know that if you are from the Garden State you can take it.

Be proud of that Thompson coach. I don't know of another coach that has the operating logic a Thompson coach has and Rick made a believer out of me.

[Jerry Winchester]

Hey you stole that Lurker Finally Exposing Himself line from A$$crak4U Tom. But I like it. Shows you are not afraid of the bedwetters on this forum.

Sounds like a nice coach. Our company founders bought a Bluebird new in 1979 and we finally sold a few years back. It only had 30K miles on it and I wouldn't sleep in it without a full body condom (MangoMike is the world wide distributor for these). My best memory of driving it was how hard it was talking to whomever you had riding shotgun because you had an old NA Cat V8 hammering away between the two of you. Made my Bonanza sound like the library.

Welcome and post some pics of that sled....

JDUB

[rickdesilva]

I love the comments....it appears to me that most everyone on the forum is an equal opportunity offender. Being from NJ, I can appreciate that. We'll take credit for Bruce Springsteen.....I thought I loved my Birds, noisy Caterpillar and all, but you couldn't wipe the smile off my face for 20 hours as I drove my Prevost to Florida. She's parked down there now I'll post picts when I get down there next month.

[garyde]

:)
but you couldn't wipe the smile off my face for 20 hours as I drove my Prevost to Florida. She's parked down there now I'll post picts when I get down there next month.

Welcome Rick, Ditto that. Gary

[jello_jeep]

Welcome aboard, ya'll gonna make it to Kerrville ??? Should be a good time :)

[JIM KELLER]

Welcome Rick, Tell us where your coach is parked down here in Florida. Us Floridians might want to polish and test drive that new Thompson while you are up north !

[Just Plain Jeff]

I love the comments....it appears to me that most everyone on the forum is an equal opportunity offender. Being from NJ, I can appreciate that. We'll take credit for Bruce Springsteen.....I thought I loved my Birds, noisy Caterpillar and all, but you couldn't wipe the smile off my face for 20 hours as I drove my Prevost to Florida. She's parked down there now I'll post picts when I get down there next month.

Jersey, eh?

What exit?

[truk4u]

Welcome to the nut house Rick!:p Be careful not to mention poop in any form to Anaconda Boy in Texas, he kinda goes off the deep end. He is good at black water problems, toilets, smelly odors and identifying extreme gas emissions when driving. Never, never, never get downwind after one of his feeding frenzy's with Burrito's.:eek:

Have you signed up for the Rally? You won't want to miss it....

[MangoMike]

Welcome Rick,

Having spent a number of summers on the Jersey shore I have some great memories of the Garden State.

Hope you enjoy your time on POG and do your best to show off your bus at POG III.


Mike

[rickdesilva]

POG lll will be tuff for me this year. I'm still working a full schedule, however if things work out and I can get away it doesn't take long for us to pack and go. Unfortunately I won't know until a few weeks before. But it is definitely on top of the list.

[ken&ellen]

Welcome Rick, As a former upstate NY guy Mahwah always signaled we were entering NJ. Twice a week for years I would drive to pick up my little girl from her mom's place in Princeton and then Mt. Holly. The traffic through the Oranges forced me to get my pilot's ticket and purchase a Mooney aircraft. That was some time ago...Ford still had a plant in Mahwah! Like Mango I have fond memories of Cape May in the summer and Atlantic City's Steel Pier.
Ken & Ellen

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Memories.....I still remember touring the Mahwah plant when they were building the 56 Fords. For those too young to remember that was when a Ford was a Ford, not a gazillion different vehicles with the Ford oval.

[rickdesilva]

My dad was a Ford service manager for a large Ford dealership in the area so I have may fond memories of the Ford Plant especially things like cars with 2 different interior colors. The quality control was unfortunately not that great at the Mahwah plant. They razed the plant in the 80's and a large multi story hotel/ office complex now resides there and the ecological problems still haunt FoMoCo. The ironic part for me is although I live in the town, I also have a Hyundai store in the shadow of the Ford plant and we use the prior holding yards to store our inventory.

[lewpopp]

Isn't that amazing the memories we have.

I can remember very well that ,when I was younger, on a quiet night you could hear a Ford rust.

[MangoMike]

... Now that made me laugh (Dad was a Chevy man).

mm

[win42]

Ole Henry said they painted the Chevy's green so they could hide in the grass and watch the Fords go by. As a person that drove a 31 model A roadster to HS I resemble these remarks, Lew and I saw all of the major industrial developements of the last century. We come a long way baby.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Harry how old was that roadster when you bought it?:D

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Harry, I had a 31 Ford that I drove to high school too, but it was 30 yrs. old and had a Chevy v-8 for power. :D :D NO RUST
:cool: JIM

[win42]

Joe: I paid $60.00 hard earned dollars in 1951 for it. It got me off a Whizzer Motor Bike.

Jim: it had the original 4 banger, big tires on back motocycle tires on the front, no fenders, but it had a yellow model B grill, black fuzzy primer and rumble seat. Last time i saw it it was sporting a ford 59a block with Ardun heads.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Joe: I paid $60.00 hard earned dollars in 1951 for it. It got me off a Whizzer Motor Bike.

Jim: it had the original 4 banger, big tires on back motocycle tires on the front, no fenders, but it had a yellow model B grill, black fuzzy primer and rumble seat. Last time i saw it it was sporting a ford 59a block with Ardun heads.

Sounds good Harry, Those were the days! I think I remember you made a comment that you had a Rod you were still working on (trying to finish).
Time for SHOW and TELL. :D :cool:
:) JIM

[win42]

Jim: All in good time, it's going slow @ present, too much Bus traveling.
65 Ranchero w/ 32 Valve Cobra eng., Tremec 5 speed and corvette type rear suspension. I could use a little help, you wanna visit the Sierra Mountains?

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Now that sounds like a great trip and project both.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Jim: All in good time, it's going slow @ present, too much Bus traveling.
65 Ranchero w/ 32 Valve Cobra eng., Tremec 5 speed and corvette type rear suspension. I could use a little help, you wanna visit the Sierra Mountains?
WOW, That sounds fabulaus! I appreciate the invite, but am chained in over here for right now. Find yourself a club in the area, other Rodders will stimulate you and assist when needed.
I know it must be hard to stay home once you have a bus. It would be for me!;) JIM