Rapid change to our "non-plans", our first experience being towed
NWescapee said
12:27 PM Apr 5, 2015
Due to art shows / work schedules and the need to be connected during the week, we generally have our travel / stays planned out 1-6 months in advance. I know many of you hate doing that, but it's our reality as we are not retired and have work obligations.
However, this time was going to be different, we had 2.5 weeks between locations where we had plans so we were winging it!! Whoo Hoo, we get to join the club of loosely planning RV'ers, watching the weather reports to decide which options were best for boondocking, researching a couple of location options and then jumping in the rig and heading out to make our choice.
Well, that non-plan came to an abrupt end after fueling up in Bullhead City AZ, heading out of town into Nevada towards the Lake Mead NRA and the truck started making really strange sounds 10 miles after we crossed the NV border, pulled over, engine died. Called Coach Net and 4.5 hours after the strange sounds started we were set up in a "RV Park", aka a gravel parking lot with hookups and safe for the night.
So, now we wait for a repair facility to open on Monday and take it from there. We've spent the morning streaming an Easter service from one of the churches we attend, making brunch, now we're unloading the bikes to head out for a ride, might as well try to salvage some fun and exploration time this weekend.
Our first 8 months on the road we had several changes in plans due to the fridge failure, delay in the parts for a truck upgrade, flooding in Colorado and being told to evacuate, then a death in the family, etc. However, for the last year our plans / travels have gone pretty smoothly with small adjustments to our plans as needed, but nothing major. Guess we've been shaken out of our "compliant, everything is going smoothly" status for at least a few days of total unknown.
And now we're rethinking travel plans for an upcoming work trip I need to take. I was going to fly out of Las Vegas, Dale was going to relocate the rig to CA and I was planning to fly back in on a Friday night to CA. Now we're wondering if that's a wise decision or if we should always plan for me to fly in and out of the same airport. I keep wondering what if this had happened after I left for my biz trip and he was on his way to CA and got stranded somewhere that I couldn't easily fly into. So yes, now I'm back into that over-analyzing mode. Any suggestions from those of you out there who have faced similar situations??
Barbaraok said
12:59 PM Apr 5, 2015
Boy does that sound like bad fuel. You're doing the right thing, let them look at it & make leomaide out of the lemons that come your way.
Barb
Olywa said
03:02 PM Apr 5, 2015
I agree with Barb, sounds like bad fuel. We will be going thru Bullhead City next week, where did you buy your fuel? Maybe I shouldn't buy ours there.
Hope everything gets fixed fast.
NWescapee said
05:15 PM Apr 5, 2015
Not sure if it was bad fuel, we fueled up at Sam's Club in Bullhead City AZ. However, it's all speculation as to the problem until the truck is looked at tomorrow.
Enjoyed a nice, but very windy bike ride this afternoon and are considering an evening stroll to a local restaurant.
Still puzzling over what we need to do next time I fly for business, do we have Dale attempt a relocation while I'm on my trip? I just keep thinking how would we have dealt with this if it was after he had dropped me off at the Las Vegas airport with my return ticket to Sacramento.
But, unlike 2-3 years ago, I'm not totally stressed about this. My "type A" personality has not kicked into gear, I'm not terribly stressed over all this, just figure it's taking one day at a time.
Technomadia said
06:55 PM Apr 5, 2015
NWescapee wrote:
I just keep thinking how would we have dealt with this if it was after he had dropped me off at the Las Vegas airport with my return ticket to Sacramento.
But, unlike 2-3 years ago, I'm not totally stressed about this. My "type A" personality has not kicked into gear, I'm not terribly stressed over all this, just figure it's taking one day at a time.
That's the best attitude :)
There's so many scenarios that could happen, you can drive yourself crazy trying to preplan how you'd deal with them. Odds are higher that everything would go fine anyway. And if they don't, you come up with plan B, C and D around the actual scenario that occurs. Maybe you get to Sacramento, rent a car and drive 'back' to him to assist. Maybe you find a place to stay in Sacramento until he's back on the road. Maybe your redirect your flight back to Las Vegas. Maybe you take a flight to Hawaii instead and tease him with pics of you on the beach.
Cheers to you, and hoping all comes out fine when you have the truck looked at.
- Cherie
Barbaraok said
07:37 PM Apr 5, 2015
Even if he broke down in say Barstow, I'll bet he would handle it just fine. But if he doesn't have to move when you are traveling, it might make it easier to fly back to where he is before moving.
Barb
-- Edited by Barbaraok on Sunday 5th of April 2015 07:41:33 PM
TRAILERKING said
08:05 PM Apr 5, 2015
NWescapee wrote:
and the truck started making really strange sounds 10 miles after we crossed the NV border, pulled over, engine died.
What kind of strange sounds??
cherylbrv said
09:26 AM Apr 6, 2015
I can't really offer any advice here, except to say that you and Dale have always been my inspiration when it comes to having one problem after the next after the next. I am also an over-planner but have learned to take things as they come, and that in this lifestyle, plans are made in either jello or bubbles, but never in stone! Just when you think things are going smoothly, the next repair problem comes along (we just came out of a 1-1/2 month delay in Arcadia, FL after the boondocking rally -- had 5 things go wrong, including the king pin breaking! Now, when planning to leave Raleigh next week, the underbelly insulation fell down and there's a leak somewhere under the rig -- that might delay us en route to the Spring rally).
Keep you head up. As you've taught me, it's only time and money but every problem does have a solution (eventually)!
NWescapee said
04:24 PM Apr 6, 2015
So our plans are becoming even more "jello'd" if that's a good way to term it. Sounds like it's an engine failure and might have to be replaced. Just extended our stay in Laughlin and changed my flight plans to fly back into Las Vegas, not sure when we'll make it to CA at this rate. Hoping our extended warranty will be kicking in.
Oh the adventure of it all!!
cherylbrv said
05:08 PM Apr 6, 2015
Hopefully you're in a nice enough place to have to get stuck in.
Camper Chronicles said
07:20 PM Apr 7, 2015
Hi Ruth,
So sorry to hear about what happened and as usual inspired by your positive take on things. As far as traveling...it's only $200 to change a ticket and since odds are less likely it will happened when your out of town I would continue doing what your doing with a contingency plan to change the return ticket if I had to. I am sure your company would understand if you had extra costs and if not you could pick it up yourself .
Wha your doing seems to really be working ...and even though risk mitigation is really my thing...sometimes the cost of mitigating the risk (in time, qulaitY if life, etc) is more than it's worth.
Just my two cents and I really hope your warranty covers the engine ... For curiosities sake..,how many miles on the truck ??
Due to art shows / work schedules and the need to be connected during the week, we generally have our travel / stays planned out 1-6 months in advance. I know many of you hate doing that, but it's our reality as we are not retired and have work obligations.
However, this time was going to be different, we had 2.5 weeks between locations where we had plans so we were winging it!! Whoo Hoo, we get to join the club of loosely planning RV'ers, watching the weather reports to decide which options were best for boondocking, researching a couple of location options and then jumping in the rig and heading out to make our choice.
Well, that non-plan came to an abrupt end after fueling up in Bullhead City AZ, heading out of town into Nevada towards the Lake Mead NRA and the truck started making really strange sounds 10 miles after we crossed the NV border, pulled over, engine died. Called Coach Net and 4.5 hours after the strange sounds started we were set up in a "RV Park", aka a gravel parking lot with hookups and safe for the night.
So, now we wait for a repair facility to open on Monday and take it from there. We've spent the morning streaming an Easter service from one of the churches we attend, making brunch, now we're unloading the bikes to head out for a ride, might as well try to salvage some fun and exploration time this weekend.
Our first 8 months on the road we had several changes in plans due to the fridge failure, delay in the parts for a truck upgrade, flooding in Colorado and being told to evacuate, then a death in the family, etc. However, for the last year our plans / travels have gone pretty smoothly with small adjustments to our plans as needed, but nothing major. Guess we've been shaken out of our "compliant, everything is going smoothly" status for at least a few days of total unknown.
And now we're rethinking travel plans for an upcoming work trip I need to take. I was going to fly out of Las Vegas, Dale was going to relocate the rig to CA and I was planning to fly back in on a Friday night to CA. Now we're wondering if that's a wise decision or if we should always plan for me to fly in and out of the same airport. I keep wondering what if this had happened after I left for my biz trip and he was on his way to CA and got stranded somewhere that I couldn't easily fly into. So yes, now I'm back into that over-analyzing mode. Any suggestions from those of you out there who have faced similar situations??
Barb
I agree with Barb, sounds like bad fuel. We will be going thru Bullhead City next week, where did you buy your fuel? Maybe I shouldn't buy ours there.
Hope everything gets fixed fast.
Enjoyed a nice, but very windy bike ride this afternoon and are considering an evening stroll to a local restaurant.
Still puzzling over what we need to do next time I fly for business, do we have Dale attempt a relocation while I'm on my trip? I just keep thinking how would we have dealt with this if it was after he had dropped me off at the Las Vegas airport with my return ticket to Sacramento.
But, unlike 2-3 years ago, I'm not totally stressed about this. My "type A" personality has not kicked into gear, I'm not terribly stressed over all this, just figure it's taking one day at a time.
That's the best attitude :)
There's so many scenarios that could happen, you can drive yourself crazy trying to preplan how you'd deal with them. Odds are higher that everything would go fine anyway. And if they don't, you come up with plan B, C and D around the actual scenario that occurs. Maybe you get to Sacramento, rent a car and drive 'back' to him to assist. Maybe you find a place to stay in Sacramento until he's back on the road. Maybe your redirect your flight back to Las Vegas. Maybe you take a flight to Hawaii instead and tease him with pics of you on the beach.
Cheers to you, and hoping all comes out fine when you have the truck looked at.
- Cherie
Even if he broke down in say Barstow, I'll bet he would handle it just fine. But if he doesn't have to move when you are traveling, it might make it easier to fly back to where he is before moving.
Barb
-- Edited by Barbaraok on Sunday 5th of April 2015 07:41:33 PM
What kind of strange sounds??
Keep you head up. As you've taught me, it's only time and money but every problem does have a solution (eventually)!
Oh the adventure of it all!!
So sorry to hear about what happened and as usual inspired by your positive take on things. As far as traveling...it's only $200 to change a ticket and since odds are less likely it will happened when your out of town I would continue doing what your doing with a contingency plan to change the return ticket if I had to. I am sure your company would understand if you had extra costs and if not you could pick it up yourself .
Wha your doing seems to really be working ...and even though risk mitigation is really my thing...sometimes the cost of mitigating the risk (in time, qulaitY if life, etc) is more than it's worth.
Just my two cents and I really hope your warranty covers the engine ... For curiosities sake..,how many miles on the truck ??