“Any day in which I learn
something new - is a very good day indeed!” (Abigayle)
August 25, 1998
Just a note to let you know I made it to Portland in one piece. (Barely…) I only got 35 miles before the first breakdown. (So much for “rest and recuperation”.) It’s actually quite a story so I’ll fill you in on just a few of the highlights.
I was on a fairly remote stretch of Hwy.#101 and the road was steep and narrow when suddenly, with no warning at all, the engine just quit. Because I was going uphill at the time, I could barely get two tires off the pavement before I lost momentum and came to a stop. The road was one tight curve after another, which meant I was in a pretty precarious position, so naturally, I tried to start her up again… no such luck! Although I couldn’t see a single home or business from where I was parked, I decided to walk to the nearest sign of civilization and call a tow truck. (Thank goodness for AAA!)
After I walked quite some distance, I finally found a house and the people who lived there were kind enough to let me use their telephone. Afterwards, it took quite awhile to walk back to my RV so by the time I got there, the tow truck was already parked in front of Lucky. When I greeted the driver, he said “Well, I see you’ve unhooked your tow-car. That’s good since I can’t tow both vehicles at once.”
I had absolutely no idea what he meant, since I certainly hadn’t unhooked my car, so I asked him, “What are you talking about?”
Together, we walked to the rear of Lucky…and I can’t describe how my stomach flip-flopped when I saw what had happened. I’m probably not using the right terminology, but bear with me as I tell you what I found. The housing that fits over the ball is held in place with a pin. Somehow the pin had vibrated loose and was no longer holding the ball in place. Then the bumpy road had somehow caused the housing itself to bounce up and remove itself from the ball. It was just poised at an angle…riding on top of the ball.
Then there were the safety straps that wrap around the front tires of the car. They had come undone and were lying in the road alongside the tow dolly. As I drove, they must have been flying alongside next to me, so my car was just sitting on the big, rusty old tow dolly. Whew! I don’t think I could have come any closer to losing that car…and perhaps (God forbid) taking out some innocent family who could have been driving along behind me. (Thank you Guardian Angel!) If my motor hadn’t quit running at that very moment, the results might have been catastrophic. I still get the chills when I think about it!
Then my ignorance about RV’s began to show once again. The tow truck driver suggested that he take a look at my motor, just in case he could fix the problem without having to tow me to a shop. He asked me to show him where my doghouse was. That question really threw me for a loop… because without a dog, why would I need a doghouse? I said as much…and he just about doubled over laughing. “No,” he finally managed to say, “I mean the cover to your motor. Where is it?”
Hmmm. I thought about that question... and for just a moment I thought he might be as ignorant as I am about engines. Doesn’t everyone know where the motor is? I walked him around to the front of my vehicle and pointed to the grill. “It’s in there,” I told him… and again, he began to laugh. (I’m sure glad someone sees the humor in my situation.) Finally he explained that only my batteries and radiator were up front and the engine had to be reached from inside the RV. Well, I’ll be darned! Here I thought that big hump between the driver and passenger seat was to set things on. Oh well, at least now I know where my engine is!
So, he towed me in…and after paying for two hours of mechanics time, they still couldn’t find anything wrong. To say the least, I found that a bit disconcerting, but what could I do? But the engine started right up and so I drove away…a little bit shorter on money but a whole lot wiser about my engine.
I actually made it another 200 miles before the next breakdown. I was driving through the coastal mountains when suddenly there was the LOUDEST noise I have ever heard in a car. It was an ear shattering “BOOM…BOOM…BOOM!” It sounded like my engine was trying to break out of its doghouse. Fortunately, it happened near a wide spot on the shoulder so I pulled over and immediately shut the motor down. Uh-oh…now what was I going to do? From the sound of it, my engine was destroyed…and here I was, nearly broke and stuck in the middle of the coastal mountains, with Portland still 200 miles away.
Apparently, my Guardian Angel puts in a lot of overtime because it couldn’t have been more than 2 minutes later (in fact, I was still sitting in the driver’s seat trying to decide what to do) when suddenly I saw a familiar car pull up next to me. I’ll be darned if it wasn’t my best friend and business partner, Alan. He and my sons had been talking and decided they were worried about me driving Lucky over the coastal mountains alone, towing a car. So Alan decided to drive from Portland towards Gold Beach…just to make sure I wasn’t broken down somewhere; which I was. Unbelievable! Just as he got to me, there I was, sitting on the side of the road wondering what to do. I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my life!
And here’s the best part of all. When I described the horrible noise the engine made, he actually thought he knew what the problem might be. He removed the doghouse and took a closer look at my engine. Apparently the big bolt that holds the alternator in place had vibrated loose and the fan was striking it as it turned. My fan was pretty badly bent but seemed to be operational after Alan retightened the bolt and secured the alternator. Boy, I would never have been able to figure that one out on my own…but at least now I know where the alternator is. Never a dull moment!
So, here I am, in Portland…safe and sound. Lucky quit on me a couple more times but it just turned out to be a gas filter once and a broken gas gauge the second time. I have two 30 gallon gas tanks but I didn’t have the slightest idea how to switch over to the second tank. But then, who would have thought to look on the floor next to the driver’s seat for a compass-like dial. It’s not even marked so you can't tell which way to turn it for each of the tanks. (Who designs these things anyway?) But eventually, through trial and error (and a couple of near-misses) we made it to Portland. In only three days, I have learned so many things I can’t believe it. Now I just wonder what tomorrow will bring? What an adventure!
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Picture below: One last day at the zoo with my grand-daughter, Jasmine before I leave.