After quite a bit of telephone tag we finally got an appointment for 21 March for David Flanigan's crew to do their magic around our residential refrigerator. I'm assuming that it won't take them very long to lock down the refrigerator and build the cabinets around it.
Larry is a very good woodworker, but is not known for his lightening speed. :))
Exciting. ^.^d
David,
David Flanigan's crew (Larry) done some great stuff in our U-225. I am sure you will be pleased with outcome.
I will be taking our new to us 295 GV to them soon for few wants ;)
Our KUDOS go out to Larry AND Bookie - they both did some beautiful wood work in our coach. You won't be disappointed!
Will they want measurements before we get there, or will they get what they want once we arrive?
one day on the wall clock is my guess - if cabinets extensive - 2-3
My guess is wait until you get there. They are very "visual" craftsmen - they have to see what you have, and discuss your goals, THEN they can present a plan to you for approval. They might have suggestions or ideas that you have not even considered!
The work that they do is very individual ... but they also have a book of photos of things they have done for other people. You can get some ideas and they can customize things for you. What they do is really artwork.
We leave for Cypress, TX in the morning, and one possible route takes us through Nac. Would it make sense for us to stop by for a bit and let them take a look at our coach and what is needed?
Also, sometime along the way we need to get engine/transmission/generator service done. Since we start that week in Nac and need to be in St Joseph, MO on Friday of that week we're a bit short of time. Would we be better off having FOT do that work?
FT, MOT or Ramspeck can do that service work, but it's tough to get an appointment on such short notice. Better start calling.
Talked to FOT today and they were tickled that we will stop on the way so they can measure, take pictures, etc. before the actual work will be done. We'll spend tomorrow night for sure at Camp Foretravel and maybe Thursday night, too. Kind of depends on just when we get in tomorrow and how much time the shop guys want. I've decided to postpone the service work until we're back there in March.
As you come from FOT to Cypress, Tx. pay attention to the speed limits. The speed limit will not be the same for more then a few miles. As you go thru some of the little towns the police will be waiting for you to have missed the latest speed limit sign.
Take Beltway 8 west from 59 (I69) over to US290, You will go and stop at 1 toll booth unless you have one of Texas's toll road tags where you can drive straight thru without stopping. This will save you a lot of time not going over one of the other roads even though it is longer.
One last thing is stay off US290 going into Houston. The whole highway into Houston is under construction and the lanes are very narrow. It is very tight if a big truck is in one of the lanes.
Thanks! Nothing like local knowledge. The route you mention is US 290 from Houston out to Cypress. Is that side (outbound) okay, and just the inbound side crowded? Another route looks like I-45 down to Spring, and then west to Cypress. What about that one?
Just looked up the actual address of the campground: 19615 FM 2920, Tomball. Looks like the I-45 route, through the Davy Crockett National Forest is quite a bit shorter. Does have us on two FM roads, but the last one is the one we need to be on anyway.
I have only been the back way once and that was early Thanksgiving morning. There was no traffic and lots of turns. I do not know how good or bad it is on a day when no one was on the road.
My son in law goes that wall all the time of course he is only going in a pickup truck.
I can not say one would be better then the other.
I wouldn't drive our coach on 290 (either direction) between Houston and Cypress unless I absolutely had NO other option. Mainly because of the narrow lanes - but traffic can be terrible at any time (even when it's not "rush hour"). The suburbs outside of Houston toward the Cypress area have hundreds of thousands of people commuting daily and there's no telling what you might encounter.
You might also take a look at 59 to Sam Houston Tollway to 249 to 2920. I haven't been that way in a while, but it is just another option. Best of luck!
Chris
We made it to Tomball without incident, and our work here is ending sooner than planned, so we've been able to move our appointment up from 21 March to 15 March. That's actually going to leave us with at least a week to get from here to Nac, so will be taking a longer route there and checking out some of the parks. This will give Foretravel more time to work on the coach and make our trip up north not quite so rushed.
Travel is best when Your not in a rush. Safe travels.