Fire Engineer's DNA distribution tour

Wayne and his family arrived in Medford last evening after an enjoyable trip to Yosemite and a run through the giant Redwoods.

The block heater installation was quickly but very professionally done. I'm simply amazed at Wayne's generosity in doing this all across the country. In the picture, Richard is assisting his Dad with the cord while Wayne is under the car.

Wayne and family departed around 7 this morning in order to make it to Camas by noon.

Thanks Wayne and have a safe trip!

 

It was definately my pleasure to meet Wayne (FireEngineer), Theresa, Rich and Judy. Bill Merchant came up from Beaver Creek Oregon to meet with us as well. Wayne and his family arrived in Camas, WA around 12:30, and went right to work on the EBH install. The team of Wayne and Rich have this installation down to a science and it indead takes them about 20 minutes. I am almost posative there was no DNA left behind, but I do have a few CSIs coming over from Portland to swab the driveway anyway - Not.

We vistited with them about some of the stops they have made on their trip, and Wayne filled me in on some corrections I can make the souveneir map. Then we all went out for lunch at a local Mexican resteraunt. Around 2:45, Wayne and his family got on their way, and were planning on checking out some of the waterfalls in the Columbia River Gourge, like Multinomah Falls on my Avitar, and maybe the Bonnyville Dam Power Plant and Fish Ladders. They plan to spend the night somewhere near the Oregon, Idaho border and then head on to Salt Lake City tomorrow.

What a vonderful family and what a wonderful experience they are having together seeing the United States.

Some things I need to add to my map recording their travels is the Painted Dessert and Petrafied Forrest in Arizona and Redwoods of Northern California. Edit 8/25/07 at 7:15 PM, the map is now updated, to the best of my knowlege.

I was having too good of a visit to take a lot of pictures, but I did take this one of Wayne fitting the EBH and my wife got one of us visiting. Rich was taking pictures of each EBH installation for Wayne's records.
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Absolutely, I added reply to your linked forum. It would be an HONOR to meet Fire Engineer. Hey, if
he can drive around the whole USA to help us, I can certainly drive half-way across Virginia!

As to installing "me" (my typo), I think hubby would be happy to install me on some bad place after I
ragged him for killing the mpg on last gas tank. Well, at least he offered to share the driving on a big trip.

 

Wayne and family were in Salt Lake City last night doing two installs. They're a wonderful family, and very patient. Can you imagine being a teenager and driving around the country while your dad installs EBHs? I would have hitched a ride home days ago.

Wayne and Richard were a great team. They knew so many install tricks that I soon realized if I'd tried to do it myself the world have have blown up in the process.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner together before they headed to the hotel. Today they're on their way to Denver for install number 13 on their DNA tour.





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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pvpost @ Aug 27 2007, 07:14 AM) [snapback]502685[/snapback]</div>

Richard and Judy are extraordinary teenagers with extraordiany parents.

I just picked this up from the other thread, that Wayne and Richard completed two installs in Evergreen today.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(philmo @ Aug 27 2007, 09:21 PM) [snapback]503066[/snapback]</div>

So, it is time to update the Sovenier Map

Updated For Mexico, MO., 8/29/07

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Well the FireEngineer and crew pulled into Mexico last night around 8:30 pm oh, that's Mexico,Missouri.

Had a little Swiss chicken dinner, a little chat, Big Brother watching, and then snoozville.

It sounds as Wayne and Co. had a great time with their travels. The wife and I had the pleasures of meeting his Wife Theresa, Son Richard, and Daughter Judy. Very Nice Family

I will try to get a pic of all of them together, since it has only been Wayne and Rich in the pics so far.

Well it's time to get up have breakfast and converse a bit.

Wayne & Theresa's daughter Judy, loves HOT peppers and will eat them without having anything to drink afterwards.

On the road again... left around noon from Mexico, again that is in Missouri. Headed for the Windy City.
It was nice to have them out. They all got a little rest without leaving too much DNA , well I think someone forgot their tooth brush so we have a little DNA

Kudos to the kids for doing all that drive time and not a single Casualty


Here is a pic of whole Install crew in Mexico:
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Now this next pix is of a Homemade Greek Pizza,
Theresa , here is the final product.
I will pm wayne with the recipe for you.
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I started updating my map to include the new Family Photos from Mexico, MO, and then I thought I should enlarge the pictures, so I started going through enlarging all of them, and then I got real tired, and never finished, but here is how far I got.

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Sep 3 2007, 12:38 AM) [snapback]506193[/snapback]</div>

Mine are still in the camera. But I will get them posted soon. Probably on a webpage. I'll leave a link and you can steal them from there.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 2 2007, 11:17 PM) [snapback]506201[/snapback]</div>

Godiva, if you let me steel your pictures, then I think the part of my map that shows Baja California will be covered up. Or maybe I can get rid of an ocean scene. I really only need two coastal scenes, and I am not sure I want to place your photos south of San Yasidro

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Sep 4 2007, 03:16 PM) [snapback]506906[/snapback]</div>

Well, I don't know where you got that ocean pic of San Diego, but it doesn't look like anywhere around here. Not even Sunset Cliffs.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 4 2007, 05:54 PM) [snapback]507023[/snapback]</div>

You could call it ignorance or stupidity, but I think "Literary License" sounds better. They do it in movie production all the time.

The two lower coastal photos came up in a Google seach for California Coast, with out further description. The top one was identified as Monterey Bay, which is near where I grew up, but you see one beach, you seen um all. Yeah, I know that isn't true either.

Also, I notice I started touching up the area around Yosemitte in preparation for pasting in a new Yosemitte photo, but then I never replaced the photo.

 

Wayne (aka, FireEngineer) is The Man!!

There's a separate thread - and pictures! - (see here) about Wayne's visit last Saturday to Richmond, VA for a Central Virgina Prius Meetup and group EBH install. But I wanted to say something here, in a more general-interest spot, about Wayne's visit.

And the first word that comes to mind is ... outstanding. I knew in reading posts from others who had their EBHs installed by Wayne that he would do a very thorough, professional job, and he did. But the speed of the installation took me by surprise.

Then again, I guess Wayne's had some practice, eh?

He did a great job on the installs - 6 in all, and my Prius was the 50th EBH install that Wayne has done. Wayne also gave a really interesting talk on the Prius hybrid battery, using a battery from a Classic Prius as a show-and-tell, and highlighting the differences between that and the second generation battery.

Another highlight of the day was a driving clinic conducted by JimboK (hypermiler extraordinarie). In about ten minutes with Jim, I learned more about about getting the best mpg than I had learned on my own over the year-and-a-half I've been driving my Prius. The clinic started with Jim driving and demonstrating the techniques ... and getting 99.9 mpg while doing it! Then it was my turn, and darned if I didn't get 87.8!!

Of course, one of the very best aspects of the day was getting to put faces to some of the names I've seen on PC. Great people, beautiful weather, nice cookout, Wayne, and JimboK - all-in-all, a very good day.

Thanks, Wayne!

 

Heh, I could have gotten 99.9 on the segment if I waited for the car to finish the initial warmup stage (and had tekn0wledg reset the scangauge), but for a ~4 minute run, I got about 65+ or something (cant remember the exact figure)

But WOW, FireEngineer can do in 15 minutes that which takes dealers two hours (based on their estimate). He is a the man. I think someone also took a video of him doing my EBH install, so hopefully that'll get uploaded for everyone to bathe in his glory soon

 

Thanks Wayne for stopping by my work to install my EBH this morning. It was good to see you again but would have liked to have time for coffee and a chat. Didn't think to ask at the time, and maybe someone else could answer from experience, but is it OK to plug it in just before I go to sleep or does it really need to be on a timer?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Neicy @ Oct 1 2007, 05:59 PM) [snapback]520004[/snapback]</div>

I read in another thread that the EBH is self-regulating, and since it is essentially attached to a huge heatsink, it will never "melt" your engine. Yes, it is safe to plug it in... for weeks at a time... but then again your WASTING far more energy... and paying for it too.

 

After making a pit stop this morning at a rest stop at the PA OH boarder on I-80 to install my EBH Wayne is finally on his way home. Thanks Wayne for making the stop.

Mike

 

Not done with the east yet. Indy on the 6th and Cinncy on the 7th. And where are the Minnesota people, I've been waiting for an answer on the 14th.

Wayne

 

Thanks Wayne for coming to our home on Sunday the 30th to do the installation. Wayne did two while here. What a great person Wayne is. He also showed us the battery which he had with him, an older version, and explained how it works and the difference with the new ones. He stated that the first battery got fried by the owner trying to get to a gas station after running out of fuel and that that cannot happen with the new type batteries. The car will shut down first.

The installation when quick and is very professional. I noticed that when he makes these installation tours he runs on a very tight schedule, but takes the time to explain everything and anwsers all questions regarding the Prius.

Thanks again Wayne, you are always welcome at our home when in the area.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FireEngineer @ Oct 3 2007, 01:19 PM) [snapback]520721[/snapback]</div>

Fellow Minnesotans: I'd sure hate to waste Wayne's generosity in offering to come up to the Twin Cities to do a group EBH install on October 14. Does anyone have anything planned? At the very least, please post whether you'll come out on the 14th. Wayne, can you let me know what time we should set this up for, assuming we can get enough interest to make it worth your while? Thanks.

 

Hi everybody - new '07 Barcelona Red - Pkg. 4 owner here in Minnetonka, MN - 1/2 hour from St. Paul. I just picked up an EBH from Toyota dealer in Golden Valley and am interested in Wayne's installation talents. The afternoon of the 14th works best for me - any time frame yet for a St. Paul meet-up?