Terrace to Houston, British Columbia

The two nights we stayed in Terrace, British Columbia were with electricity so we had air conditioning available. It got to 85ºF on Sunday so we needed to cool down the trailer. Care had to be exercised in the usage because we only had 30 Amps of power here. We kept the refrigerator on propane and avoided using the high wattage appliances with the A/C on.

Terrace is a city in the Skeena region of west central British Columbia, Canada. This regional hub lies east of the confluence of the Kitsumkalum River into the Skeena River. On BC Highway 16, junctions branch northward for the Nisga'a Highway (BC Highway 113) to the west and southward for the Stewart–Cassiar Highway (BC Highway 37) to the east. By road the locality is about 127 miles southwest of Smithers and 89 miles east of Prince Rupert.

Thankfully, we got a site long enough at Ferry Island Municipal Park for the combined length of the RV still connected to the truck. We're hoping our broken jack issue gets resolved soon at our appointment on Wednesday, August 21 in Houston. Monday morning I called SMP RV to confirm that the parts are ordered and they have us scheduled for repairs Wednesday afternoon. I'm arranging for the truck to be serviced at the same time so we can replace the fuel filters and have the truck brakes serviced. That should take care of us for a while.

Monday afternoon Karen and I rode our E-bikes into Terrace so she could swim laps at the community aquatic center. I went to Starbucks at the local Safeway to get coffee and a couple of donuts. I then rode down to the other end of town to the only local RV dealership to try and find some parts for the rig. I got to the dealership only to find them closed. Well, at least I got some exercise on the 5 mile ride.

Karen and I rode back to the RV after her swim and I added some additional screws to the inside window valance covers. They have been loose since we drove the ALCAN and I didn't want the whole valance and retractable shade to fall off. Slowly but surely I'm addressing the little repairs needed.

Tuesday morning, August 20 we got an early 9:30 AM start as we headed for Smithers, BC, about 2 plus hours closer to Houston. Smithers is a town in northwestern British Columbia, approximately halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. With a population of 5,378 in 2021, Smithers provides service coverage for most of the Bulkley Valley. We were able to get an unserviced campsite for one night at the Riverside Municipal RV Park & Campground right on the Bulkley River. We originally arrived at noon, but check in isn't until 1 PM. So we drove to the local Canadian Tire Store to get some propane, DEF and fresh water filled. This store also had a complimentary sanitation dump station that we took advantage of and emptied both gray and black tanks before heading back to check in to the campground.

Got site number 29 facing the river for only $33 Canadian dollars ($24 US) per night..

Wednesday, August 21 was the all important repair day for our trailer's broken left jack leg. We got an early start and headed to Houston. Two miles out of Houston we got a call from Mike at SMP RV to inform us our part had been delivered early. We arrived five minutes later and had our trailer in one of their garage bays for the needed work at 11:30AM. We disconnect the truck after lifting the trailer and they started the repair process immediately.

I had made an appointment at the neighboring SMP car dealership to have them check our truck brakes and replace our two fuel filters while the trailer was in the shop across the street. After Karen and I dropped off the truck for the service appointment .we walked down the street to the local Tim Horton's for lunch. At 1:30 PM Mike called and said the repairs on the trailer were completed so we walked back to check the work. Everything was perfect! We paid the bill and walked across the street to check on the status of the truck. Kim at Sullivan Motor Products (SMP) told us the new filters were installed and the brake pads still have about 25% remaining, so they're good for the trip back to the states. We paid that bill and waited 20 more minutes while they washed to truck for us.

The overall experience at both SMP facilities was awesome. They were friendly, efficient, and the price was reasonable for all the services they provided. We got lovely parting gifts too.: a ball cap for me, a grocery bag for Karen and a truck wash for Rambo! By 2:30 PM we were back on the road again. All in all, a very fruitful day!

Our destination for the evening was White Swan Park RV Campground in Fraser Lake, British Columbia, about an hour and a half away. We arrived after 4 PM and got a beautiful pull-through site next to the lake for FREE. The facilities of the provincial and municipal parks here are wonderful and make it easy to say, "I just love British Columbia, Canada!"