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True Story!
Back in February 2000 we purchased our first RV. It was a 1988 Winnebago, 34 feet, 454 Chevy motor-home on a P-30 chassis. We fell in love with the RV n' way of life, we thought we where in heaven. We camped at all the local spots and made a few longer trips to distance parks in Tennessee. Plus a trip to Georgia while visiting our son who was in the Air Force at that time. In 2001 he got transferred to Texas so we decided to make the trip out to Texas to visit him. Up to this point we had not had any problems with our new toy, everything had always worked as it should. I did all the checks, bought 6 new tires, a new Air Conditioner (it gets hot in Texas) figured we might, need 2 of them. Got the oil and filter changed, had the transmission serviced and added a transmission cooler plus the chassis lubed. All is ready to go...... so we're off to see the sites between Tennessee and Texas. First day of the trip was more like a fairy tale everything went smooth. We stopped in Hot Springs, Arkansas to spend the night. While the wife cooked dinner I set up the table and chairs outside for our after dinner coffee and then made all the necessary safety checks, oil and fluid levels etc, did my walk around and everything looks good. After dinner and dishes are done we had our evening coffee and took a walk around the park. AHHHH this is the life.....
The next morning after a hot shower and the morning cup of coffee I cleaned the windshield and packed up a few things while the DW was fixing breakfast. Nothing like a hot home cooked breakfast in the morning to get you to going. By 8 AM we're back on the road headed for Texas. Living the good life.... The rest of the morning was pretty quiet as we motored down the road. Not too hot cold just a nice sunny day with the sun coming up behind us and we're still in heaven. Ahhhh. …..
Somewhere down the road I noticed my fuel gauge was not moving... we should be needing fuel by now but it's still over a half tank...... We're surely not getting that good of fuel mileage. I pecked on the dash and gauge but no change...ummm. Just to be safe we stopped and fueled up. Held almost $70.00 So with a fresh cup of coffee and a full tank of gas everything seemed to be OK.. except for the fuel gauge still hanging around the half way mark. Oh well I'll get it checked later when we get home. By late afternoon I noticed the rest of my gauges are not normal either, battery gauge was showing a discharge just a little to the left, but everything is still working or so I thought. ??? I better stop and get fuel just in case, can't be too careful...... We're only 15-20 miles from our destination of Wichita Falls, TX so I figured I'd stop and fuel up again, prices where good and I needed a break anyway and we'd be on our way.
When we got ready to leave the truck stop after fueling up and doing a little shopping the motor-home would not start. No Problem, I belong to the Good Sam Club and I have the Emergency Roadside Assistance Program. So I called them and help was there in about 20 minutes. After the mechanic got there we tried to jump start it, but no luck. After a few tries we hooked up his truck to the engine battery plus a couple of jumper boxes to the house batteries and bingo! We're running again!
The mechanic says it's on the alternator so I figured I'd have it checked in Wichita Falls after we got set up. Sure was great to be back on the road , only a few miles from our destination and we're on our way.
We called ahead to contact our son and let him know we where getting close since he was the one who made the reservations so he could meet up with us and guide us in to the RV park. We meet up with him and followed him to the park, I left the engine running while we checked in ( can't be too safe). After we got parked and set up I pulled the alternator and took it down to the first place we could find to get it tested. The guy at the auto parts store told us it was good “ 12.5 volts DC no problem,
should be more than enough. gotta be the batteries” he says... Great! I thought. So off to Wal-Mart I go.
I purchased 3 new batteries, 1 coach, 2 house reinstalled the alternator and all looked good........ Right?
We spent the next couple of days site seeing and visiting with our son. Then on Wednesday night we decided to leave a day early so we could stop by Branson, Mo. on our way home. So on Thursday morning early we're up and packed and on the road before day light. On our way toward Oklahoma City, OK. On our way we decided to stop by Ft. Sill, OK. After all we are retired military and thought maybe we could do a little shopping on the base while we where in the area and see if it had changed much since we where there some many years ago. We took the exit that said Ft. Sill and as we pulled up to the gate we where greeted by a group of soldiers/trainees who where pulling guard duty at the gate. I thought I was at the main gate but ended up I was on the training side of the base. They (the group of trainees) approached the motor-home as if we where a pack of terrorist or something. The one in the guard shack was on the phone (probably talking to the Sargent of the Guard) trying to figure out what they are supposed to do now...... They told us to exit the vehicle, open all the doors on the storage bays. Then they proceeded to check each bay to see what's in there and then they go inside the motor-home and go thru every drawer, cabinet etc......
After that they told us we where at the wrong gate and needed to turn around and cross back over the interstate to the opposite side to get on main post. Then they had to physically move the barriers in front of the motor-home so we could proceed on base to just turn around. After that we decided to just skip going to the base get back on the interstate and continued our trip toward Oklahoma City, OK.
About 50 miles down the road I noticed the engine was losing power, it would hardly get above 50 mph. I took first exit we came to thinking maybe it was just bad gas or something. We filled up with gas, (I forgot and left my gas cap laying on the pump), jumped in the motor-home and started back to the interstate but the engine was still not running right so I turned around and headed back in to town. Up ahead I saw a bridge and that went up and over a set of railroad tracks...... At the last second I jerked the steering wheel to the right taking the last side street available before the incline going over the bridge. I didn't think I had enough power or speed to make it over, so around the block we go and think this time I'll try to get up some speed to assist us over the bridge. By now we have stopped using the AC and anything else electrical because it drains the batteries to fast.
We just barely got over the bridge, by the time we crested the top we where down to about 5 mph. Just over the bridge was a red light for the main street thru town. I decided I needed to turn left so into the left turn lane we go. We set at the red light thru two light changes scared to death trying to figure out if we had enough power to get thru it. With the traffic backing up behind us when the light turned green we went for it. We got thru the red light and spotted an Auto Zone parts store just up ahead. I pulled in to the parking lot at an angle to park, leaving the engine running just in case. I when into the parts store to see if they had an alternator to fit the motor-home or if they knew somewhere I might find one. They did not but someone in the store told me about a guy named Charlie that that could rebuild mine and also where we could find an RV park in park in for the night. So off we go to find the RV park. When I came out of the parts store I noticed I did not have enough room to make a U-turn back onto main street so I took the side street. I figured I could go down a block and just turn right and get back to the main street thru town. As we proceeded to the next street and turned right we ran into a slight incline it was only about a block long so I went for it........
The engine died as we neared the top........ Here we sit, in the middle of the street, no power, engine will not restart, dead in the water, blocking traffic in both directions, in a strange town, not knowing a soul but I still have Good Sam and his Emergency Roadside Assistance Program. So I call Good Sam Roadside Assistance Program. No problem, we'll have someone there ASAP. They even called me back to confirm our location and to assure us that help was on the way.
About an hour or so later we're still sitting and waiting on Good Sam..... during this time a crowd of people had gathered around the RV sitting in the middle of their street. I don't know if anyone has been to Oklahoma in the summer but it's hot! Damn hot! I have the doors open, the windows open, the hood raised and it's hot! And no AC.
Well to make matter worse mother nature comes calling on the wife so she goes back to the bathroom to do her business and just as she is sitting down on the toilet the window shade in the bedroom falls from it's hanger and lands in the floor. Here she is sitting on the toilet, window shade is gone, the crowd of onlookers starring thru the window at her sitting on the toilet...... not a pleasant moment for her or me after she got done yelling about my no good piece of ----- RV.
About this time Good Sam called and ask if help had showed up? I told them no and they again assured me that help was on the way and would be there shortly. About and hour later the wife says “why don't you try to start the thing?” I told her the batteries where dead but I tried it anyway.........
it fired right up and we're off....... doors open, windows open, steps out, hood still in the raised position but we're moving again. Made it up to main street, turned left proceeded thru town until we got to the RV park. I did not stop at the front office to register we just drove past it and into the park, found a spot and parked it. By the time I got it parked the manager was there asking why we didn't stop to register? I explained our problem. He was very nice and told me just to come by and register later. After I got the electric and water hooked up , so the wife could have some relieve from the heat, I stopped by the office and registered and then headed out on foot to find this guy named Charlie.........
About 6 blocks down the street I find another parts store. This time it's an O-Riley's. I go inside and inquire about an alternator for my motor-home or the guy named Charlie that lives around here somewhere? They said they did not have an alternator that would fit but they could get one here by 2 PM. I asked if they could deliver it to the RV park and they said yes..... I ordered it and went ahead and paid for it.... I returned to the RV park to remove the old one for exchange so I could be ready to replace it with the new one when it arrived. Things are looking up, or so I thought...
Shortly after 2PM they showed up with the new alternator, we exchanged alternators and off he goes. I installed the new alternator only find that it was too big. The mounting holes will not line up properly. I called O-Riley's and explained that it did not fit. No problem, we have one here that will. Can you send it over? Yes, It'll be right there. We exchanged alternators but this time we had to change the pulley on the alternator as the one they brought over this time was different. No problem I'm told, this one will work. I looked at it and sure enough it was smaller than the one I just took off. So off he goes............ This alternator is too small. The holes do not line up either..... I called O-Riley's again...
We close at 5 PM he says but I have one here I sure it will fit. We'll have the driver drop it off on his way home. On his way home the driver drops off another alternator, we exchange pulleys and I ask him to wait to be sure it fit and he did. It fit but the batteries where so drained the engine would not start. I then asked the driver if he could run me over to Wal-Mart so I could exchange the batteries. He says sure but only after he goes home and eats dinner... .something about missing a meal once and found it in the trash when he finally got home. He got back around 7 PM, I already had the batteries removed so we could just load up and go. Wal-Mart, after a little talking exchanged my batteries, so I return with 3 new batteries and thanked him for returning and helping me out, Tried to pay him but no thanks, he would not have it....
I installed the 3 new batteries, the engine fires right up and I swear even the gauges looked to be working that night. Maybe this trip is not a total lost yet??? After a quick meal I just passed out on the bed, man I was pooped.
Early the next morning after losing almost a full day of travel time I was eager to get back on the road...... as we/I still planned on stopping in Branson, Mo. On the way home......... So at 4 AM the next morning I'm up and ready to hit the road. Wife is pissed about now as she likes to sleep in and we are on vacation.... But up an at em I always say, early bird gets the worm. She gets up, gets dressed and moves to the co-pilot seat, no shower as the water heater has stopped working. Just get me home she says, forget Branson, just get me home........Sounds like you might be a little grumpy this morning I said, trying to cheer her up..... I packed up and zoom zoom, just like Willie Nelson, we're on the road again....... About 40 miles out of Oklahoma City I noticed my headlights are getting really dim so I cut the headlights off to save power in the batteries and we're losing speed and power again.
It's barely daylight and we're back to the same old song....... I exit the interstate and try to find another O-Riley's...... Bingo. There it is just like the last one. I sure could use some luck from those little green Irish men about now. I pull in to the parking lot, go inside and tell them about my day yesterday and ask if they could test the alternator for me. Sure bring it on in. So I go out and remove the alternator and take it inside. It tested bad, They had a replacement on hand, same part number and all but we still had to change the pulleys?????? We exchanged alternators and I installed the new one. I;m getting this down pretty pat now, Only about 20 minutes start to finish, out with the old, in with the new... We're back on the road again and it's still early in the morning not even 9 AM......... yet?
This time we barely made it 80 miles. I guess because I didn't get the batteries charged or exchanged. Same old song, Losing power, speed. Exit, find an O-Riley's, exchange alternators, charged batteries and back on the road....... We have done this so many times I cannot count em. Well I could but I don't want too......
The next time we made it to Fort Smith, Arkansas. But this time it's different. Same old story, losing power and speed. So we exit and find O-Riley's and swap out the alternator again. This time I ask if they could verify the part number. They did and it was the wrong one. They had a different part number and had one in stock, we exchanged alternators and charged the batteries. Plus we did not need to change the pulleys. The alternator we took off was for a Chevy 350 with smaller pulley. The one we put on there was for a 454 with the larger pulley. Finally got her right …. but we are fed up. The wife is fuming setting there in 108 degree heat watching me change out the alternators sweating like a raging bull. My wife about this time is checking out the guys in the parking lot with their big trucks wondering if any of them are heading toward Tennessee . After I got it all back together we headed to the nearest Chevrolet dealer. My wife had said something about the guys and their trucks so I figured I better just trade this thing off and go home before she traded me off. I figured we could just trade for a truck, throw our stuff in the back, and drive home...... We find the dealer, go inside and the first thing out of their mouth was........ we cannot trade for a motor-home. Kinda like they where reading my mind or something............ LOL … Oh well, so much for that idea.
Back on the road again and I thought all is well finally....... We made it to Little Rock, Arkansas before stopping for the night. We got a hot shower in the clean bath house in the RV park. Changed cloths and when out to dinner. Wife is in no mood to cook after the day we had. Headed out early the next morning after coffee and some old cinnamon buns, forget Branson, just get us home, I'm selling this thing, I'm done Rving and done with this piece of ______ RV.
No more trouble until we're about 40 miles out of Nashville, Tennessee. We needed fuel again so I stopped at a truck stop to gas up. It's a big place with RV pumps by the auto pumps. Prepay, so I go inside and put down $70.00 on the old credit card and return outside to start pumping the gas....... Wife is sitting in the RV waiting patiently for me to return and take her home. Got about $60.00 in the tank before it shuts off..... hummm. Just $10.00 more I might make it home without stopping for fuel again. so I'll just squeeze the rest in to the tank slowly.... I keep on slowing pumping the gas into the tank, I just pump in a little and it goes down, so I keep repeating this process trying to get it all in the tank.
About this time the wife (bless her heart) gets out of the RV and walks around the rear of the RV and says.......... Hey! Whats this running out of the back of the RV? I stop pumping the fuel, thinking what the heck has she found now? I walk around to the rear of the RV and gas is just pouring out of the rear heater system, a steady stream. Gas is everywhere! Just a circle of gas about 20 ft in diameter encircling the whole RV looks like. I tell the wife to try to keep people away and them about the spill. I run inside to tell the cashier that we have a major fuel spill and I need some water. Her response is “ there's a faucet on the front of the building”.......... I go out to the faucet and there's no bucket, no hose ..nothing that I can use to haul water. I run to the RV and grab a gallon jug of water and pour it on the spill....... No where near enough, so I run over to the faucet, fill up the jug, and back and forth pouring water on the spill. My wife is still stopping incoming traffic and telling them about the spill and not to smoke around it. I thought........ I really need to move the RV before something bad happens. So I run over to the RV, jump in and the darn thing will not start. So back I go to hauling water I go. I tell the wife to grab the broom and try sweeping the gas and water away from the RV and pumps....... I tried to start the RV again and it started right up. I moved the RV over to the side of the parking lot, helped the wife clean/ sweep the spill enough that I thought it was OK. We got in the RV and left. Gas is still leaking from the heater system at the rear of the RV. We drive down the road to the next exit and get off to check the fuel leak. It's stopped now. I guess the extra fuel I was trying to squeeze in the tank was just running out of the over flow and dripping out the back. Never had that problem again. Oh what a trip, just get us home and we'll never do this again.....
When we get in to Nashville it's darn near 5PM, Rush hour is underway, It's dark, It's cloudy and it's starting to rain.... I turn on my wipers and headlights but the wipers are barely moving, like really slow......so I turned off the headlights to reduce the power drain of the batteries........ My gauges are going nuts, we are losing power and speed but we keep on going. The wipers are working a little better now, but not by much. We still have about 75 miles to go before we get home. As we hit I-24 heading east toward home we are down to about 50 MPH, slow but still moving, By the time we get to our exit our speed is down to about 30 MPH. We made it off the interstate just in time to creep along on home..
As we near our street our top speed is about 10-15 MPH.... Just crawling down the street and it's all level ground. We finally pull up in front of our house, What a feeling to get back home after the ordeal we've been thru. I stopped and backed the motor-home into the driveway and into the RV port set up behind our house. When I turned the key off the engine stopped! I turned it back on and nothing, no start, no lights, not even a dim light on the dash. But we're back home!!!!!
Talk about the skin of your teeth, we made it but I still don't know how...... Over the next few days we cleaned everything out the RV, after all we're done RVing, and we're done with the piece of ____! Quote “Nevermore” After 3 weekends of trouble shooting this monster I find I have a short in the wiring harness going to the transmission. After a quick repair we're back.. and this is not so bad. A couple of short trips to test the waters....... We're back on the road, loving it again. Then the biggie. ….......
Another Road Trip To Texas.... WITH NO PROBLEMS.............
Oh yea! This is great! We kept it for another year before we traded up to a newer Holiday Rambler motor-home....... But nothing can replace the memories we have of our first. It's always special.....Still love to travel, still love to RV and really looking forward to going Full time some day.
See Ya Down The Road............
P. S. This is a true story about a rookie Rver and his lovely wife and their first RV.
We still talk and laugh about the good times......... and bad...
WOW, What a trip!!!
This is not and should not be looked at as a required reading assignment. It was posted for your entertainment only... Read at you own risk!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Litefoot
A Vacation to Forget
True Story!
Back in February 2000 we purchased our first RV. It was a 1988 Winnebago, 34 feet, 454 Chevy motor-home on a P-30 chassis. We fell in love with the RV n' way of life, we thought we where in heaven. We camped at all the local spots and made a few longer trips to distance parks in Tennessee. Plus a trip to Georgia while visiting our son who was in the Air Force at that time. In 2001 he got transferred to Texas so we decided to make the trip out to Texas to visit him. Up to this point we had not had any problems with our new toy, everything had always worked as it should. I did all the checks, bought 6 new tires, a new Air Conditioner (it gets hot in Texas) figured we might, need 2 of them. Got the oil and filter changed, had the transmission serviced and added a transmission cooler plus the chassis lubed. All is ready to go...... so we're off to see the sites between Tennessee and Texas. First day of the trip was more like a fairy tale everything went smooth. We stopped in Hot Springs, Arkansas to spend the night. While the wife cooked dinner I set up the table and chairs outside for our after dinner coffee and then made all the necessary safety checks, oil and fluid levels etc, did my walk around and everything looks good. After dinner and dishes are done we had our evening coffee and took a walk around the park. AHHHH this is the life.....
The next morning after a hot shower and the morning cup of coffee I cleaned the windshield and packed up a few things while the DW was fixing breakfast. Nothing like a hot home cooked breakfast in the morning to get you to going. By 8 AM we're back on the road headed for Texas. Living the good life.... The rest of the morning was pretty quiet as we motored down the road. Not too hot cold just a nice sunny day with the sun coming up behind us and we're still in heaven. Ahhhh. …..
Somewhere down the road I noticed my fuel gauge was not moving... we should be needing fuel by now but it's still over a half tank...... We're surely not getting that good of fuel mileage. I pecked on the dash and gauge but no change...ummm. Just to be safe we stopped and fueled up. Held almost $70.00 So with a fresh cup of coffee and a full tank of gas everything seemed to be OK.. except for the fuel gauge still hanging around the half way mark. Oh well I'll get it checked later when we get home. By late afternoon I noticed the rest of my gauges are not normal either, battery gauge was showing a discharge just a little to the left, but everything is still working or so I thought. ??? I better stop and get fuel just in case, can't be too careful...... We're only 15-20 miles from our destination of Wichita Falls, TX so I figured I'd stop and fuel up again, prices where good and I needed a break anyway and we'd be on our way.
When we got ready to leave the truck stop after fueling up and doing a little shopping the motor-home would not start. No Problem, I belong to the Good Sam Club and I have the Emergency Roadside Assistance Program. So I called them and help was there in about 20 minutes. After the mechanic got there we tried to jump start it, but no luck. After a few tries we hooked up his truck to the engine battery plus a couple of jumper boxes to the house batteries and bingo! We're running again!
The mechanic says it's on the alternator so I figured I'd have it checked in Wichita Falls after we got set up. Sure was great to be back on the road , only a few miles from our destination and we're on our way.
We called ahead to contact our son and let him know we where getting close since he was the one who made the reservations so he could meet up with us and guide us in to the RV park. We meet up with him and followed him to the park, I left the engine running while we checked in ( can't be too safe). After we got parked and set up I pulled the alternator and took it down to the first place we could find to get it tested. The guy at the auto parts store told us it was good “ 12.5 volts DC no problem,
should be more than enough. gotta be the batteries” he says... Great! I thought. So off to Wal-Mart I go.
I purchased 3 new batteries, 1 coach, 2 house reinstalled the alternator and all looked good........ Right?
We spent the next couple of days site seeing and visiting with our son. Then on Wednesday night we decided to leave a day early so we could stop by Branson, Mo. on our way home. So on Thursday morning early we're up and packed and on the road before day light. On our way toward Oklahoma City, OK. On our way we decided to stop by Ft. Sill, OK. After all we are retired military and thought maybe we could do a little shopping on the base while we where in the area and see if it had changed much since we where there some many years ago. We took the exit that said Ft. Sill and as we pulled up to the gate we where greeted by a group of soldiers/trainees who where pulling guard duty at the gate. I thought I was at the main gate but ended up I was on the training side of the base. They (the group of trainees) approached the motor-home as if we where a pack of terrorist or something. The one in the guard shack was on the phone (probably talking to the Sargent of the Guard) trying to figure out what they are supposed to do now...... They told us to exit the vehicle, open all the doors on the storage bays. Then they proceeded to check each bay to see what's in there and then they go inside the motor-home and go thru every drawer, cabinet etc......
After that they told us we where at the wrong gate and needed to turn around and cross back over the interstate to the opposite side to get on main post. Then they had to physically move the barriers in front of the motor-home so we could proceed on base to just turn around. After that we decided to just skip going to the base get back on the interstate and continued our trip toward Oklahoma City, OK.
About 50 miles down the road I noticed the engine was losing power, it would hardly get above 50 mph. I took first exit we came to thinking maybe it was just bad gas or something. We filled up with gas, (I forgot and left my gas cap laying on the pump), jumped in the motor-home and started back to the interstate but the engine was still not running right so I turned around and headed back in to town. Up ahead I saw a bridge and that went up and over a set of railroad tracks...... At the last second I jerked the steering wheel to the right taking the last side street available before the incline going over the bridge. I didn't think I had enough power or speed to make it over, so around the block we go and think this time I'll try to get up some speed to assist us over the bridge. By now we have stopped using the AC and anything else electrical because it drains the batteries to fast.
We just barely got over the bridge, by the time we crested the top we where down to about 5 mph. Just over the bridge was a red light for the main street thru town. I decided I needed to turn left so into the left turn lane we go. We set at the red light thru two light changes scared to death trying to figure out if we had enough power to get thru it. With the traffic backing up behind us when the light turned green we went for it. We got thru the red light and spotted an Auto Zone parts store just up ahead. I pulled in to the parking lot at an angle to park, leaving the engine running just in case. I when into the parts store to see if they had an alternator to fit the motor-home or if they knew somewhere I might find one. They did not but someone in the store told me about a guy named Charlie that that could rebuild mine and also where we could find an RV park in park in for the night. So off we go to find the RV park. When I came out of the parts store I noticed I did not have enough room to make a U-turn back onto main street so I took the side street. I figured I could go down a block and just turn right and get back to the main street thru town. As we proceeded to the next street and turned right we ran into a slight incline it was only about a block long so I went for it........
The engine died as we neared the top........ Here we sit, in the middle of the street, no power, engine will not restart, dead in the water, blocking traffic in both directions, in a strange town, not knowing a soul but I still have Good Sam and his Emergency Roadside Assistance Program. So I call Good Sam Roadside Assistance Program. No problem, we'll have someone there ASAP. They even called me back to confirm our location and to assure us that help was on the way.
About an hour or so later we're still sitting and waiting on Good Sam..... during this time a crowd of people had gathered around the RV sitting in the middle of their street. I don't know if anyone has been to Oklahoma in the summer but it's hot! Damn hot! I have the doors open, the windows open, the hood raised and it's hot! And no AC.
Well to make matter worse mother nature comes calling on the wife so she goes back to the bathroom to do her business and just as she is sitting down on the toilet the window shade in the bedroom falls from it's hanger and lands in the floor. Here she is sitting on the toilet, window shade is gone, the crowd of onlookers starring thru the window at her sitting on the toilet...... not a pleasant moment for her or me after she got done yelling about my no good piece of ----- RV.
About this time Good Sam called and ask if help had showed up? I told them no and they again assured me that help was on the way and would be there shortly. About and hour later the wife says “why don't you try to start the thing?” I told her the batteries where dead but I tried it anyway.........
it fired right up and we're off....... doors open, windows open, steps out, hood still in the raised position but we're moving again. Made it up to main street, turned left proceeded thru town until we got to the RV park. I did not stop at the front office to register we just drove past it and into the park, found a spot and parked it. By the time I got it parked the manager was there asking why we didn't stop to register? I explained our problem. He was very nice and told me just to come by and register later. After I got the electric and water hooked up , so the wife could have some relieve from the heat, I stopped by the office and registered and then headed out on foot to find this guy named Charlie.........
About 6 blocks down the street I find another parts store. This time it's an O-Riley's. I go inside and inquire about an alternator for my motor-home or the guy named Charlie that lives around here somewhere? They said they did not have an alternator that would fit but they could get one here by 2 PM. I asked if they could deliver it to the RV park and they said yes..... I ordered it and went ahead and paid for it.... I returned to the RV park to remove the old one for exchange so I could be ready to replace it with the new one when it arrived. Things are looking up, or so I thought...
Shortly after 2PM they showed up with the new alternator, we exchanged alternators and off he goes. I installed the new alternator only find that it was too big. The mounting holes will not line up properly. I called O-Riley's and explained that it did not fit. No problem, we have one here that will. Can you send it over? Yes, It'll be right there. We exchanged alternators but this time we had to change the pulley on the alternator as the one they brought over this time was different. No problem I'm told, this one will work. I looked at it and sure enough it was smaller than the one I just took off. So off he goes............ This alternator is too small. The holes do not line up either..... I called O-Riley's again...
We close at 5 PM he says but I have one here I sure it will fit. We'll have the driver drop it off on his way home. On his way home the driver drops off another alternator, we exchange pulleys and I ask him to wait to be sure it fit and he did. It fit but the batteries where so drained the engine would not start. I then asked the driver if he could run me over to Wal-Mart so I could exchange the batteries. He says sure but only after he goes home and eats dinner... .something about missing a meal once and found it in the trash when he finally got home. He got back around 7 PM, I already had the batteries removed so we could just load up and go. Wal-Mart, after a little talking exchanged my batteries, so I return with 3 new batteries and thanked him for returning and helping me out, Tried to pay him but no thanks, he would not have it....
I installed the 3 new batteries, the engine fires right up and I swear even the gauges looked to be working that night. Maybe this trip is not a total lost yet??? After a quick meal I just passed out on the bed, man I was pooped.
Early the next morning after losing almost a full day of travel time I was eager to get back on the road...... as we/I still planned on stopping in Branson, Mo. On the way home......... So at 4 AM the next morning I'm up and ready to hit the road. Wife is pissed about now as she likes to sleep in and we are on vacation.... But up an at em I always say, early bird gets the worm. She gets up, gets dressed and moves to the co-pilot seat, no shower as the water heater has stopped working. Just get me home she says, forget Branson, just get me home........Sounds like you might be a little grumpy this morning I said, trying to cheer her up..... I packed up and zoom zoom, just like Willie Nelson, we're on the road again....... About 40 miles out of Oklahoma City I noticed my headlights are getting really dim so I cut the headlights off to save power in the batteries and we're losing speed and power again.
It's barely daylight and we're back to the same old song....... I exit the interstate and try to find another O-Riley's...... Bingo. There it is just like the last one. I sure could use some luck from those little green Irish men about now. I pull in to the parking lot, go inside and tell them about my day yesterday and ask if they could test the alternator for me. Sure bring it on in. So I go out and remove the alternator and take it inside. It tested bad, They had a replacement on hand, same part number and all but we still had to change the pulleys?????? We exchanged alternators and I installed the new one. I;m getting this down pretty pat now, Only about 20 minutes start to finish, out with the old, in with the new... We're back on the road again and it's still early in the morning not even 9 AM......... yet?
This time we barely made it 80 miles. I guess because I didn't get the batteries charged or exchanged. Same old song, Losing power, speed. Exit, find an O-Riley's, exchange alternators, charged batteries and back on the road....... We have done this so many times I cannot count em. Well I could but I don't want too......
The next time we made it to Fort Smith, Arkansas. But this time it's different. Same old story, losing power and speed. So we exit and find O-Riley's and swap out the alternator again. This time I ask if they could verify the part number. They did and it was the wrong one. They had a different part number and had one in stock, we exchanged alternators and charged the batteries. Plus we did not need to change the pulleys. The alternator we took off was for a Chevy 350 with smaller pulley. The one we put on there was for a 454 with the larger pulley. Finally got her right …. but we are fed up. The wife is fuming setting there in 108 degree heat watching me change out the alternators sweating like a raging bull. My wife about this time is checking out the guys in the parking lot with their big trucks wondering if any of them are heading toward Tennessee . After I got it all back together we headed to the nearest Chevrolet dealer. My wife had said something about the guys and their trucks so I figured I better just trade this thing off and go home before she traded me off. I figured we could just trade for a truck, throw our stuff in the back, and drive home...... We find the dealer, go inside and the first thing out of their mouth was........ we cannot trade for a motor-home. Kinda like they where reading my mind or something............ LOL … Oh well, so much for that idea.
Back on the road again and I thought all is well finally....... We made it to Little Rock, Arkansas before stopping for the night. We got a hot shower in the clean bath house in the RV park. Changed cloths and when out to dinner. Wife is in no mood to cook after the day we had. Headed out early the next morning after coffee and some old cinnamon buns, forget Branson, just get us home, I'm selling this thing, I'm done Rving and done with this piece of ______ RV.
No more trouble until we're about 40 miles out of Nashville, Tennessee. We needed fuel again so I stopped at a truck stop to gas up. It's a big place with RV pumps by the auto pumps. Prepay, so I go inside and put down $70.00 on the old credit card and return outside to start pumping the gas....... Wife is sitting in the RV waiting patiently for me to return and take her home. Got about $60.00 in the tank before it shuts off..... hummm. Just $10.00 more I might make it home without stopping for fuel again. so I'll just squeeze the rest in to the tank slowly.... I keep on slowing pumping the gas into the tank, I just pump in a little and it goes down, so I keep repeating this process trying to get it all in the tank.
About this time the wife (bless her heart) gets out of the RV and walks around the rear of the RV and says.......... Hey! Whats this running out of the back of the RV? I stop pumping the fuel, thinking what the heck has she found now? I walk around to the rear of the RV and gas is just pouring out of the rear heater system, a steady stream. Gas is everywhere! Just a circle of gas about 20 ft in diameter encircling the whole RV looks like. I tell the wife to try to keep people away and them about the spill. I run inside to tell the cashier that we have a major fuel spill and I need some water. Her response is “ there's a faucet on the front of the building”.......... I go out to the faucet and there's no bucket, no hose ..nothing that I can use to haul water. I run to the RV and grab a gallon jug of water and pour it on the spill....... No where near enough, so I run over to the faucet, fill up the jug, and back and forth pouring water on the spill. My wife is still stopping incoming traffic and telling them about the spill and not to smoke around it. I thought........ I really need to move the RV before something bad happens. So I run over to the RV, jump in and the darn thing will not start. So back I go to hauling water I go. I tell the wife to grab the broom and try sweeping the gas and water away from the RV and pumps....... I tried to start the RV again and it started right up. I moved the RV over to the side of the parking lot, helped the wife clean/ sweep the spill enough that I thought it was OK. We got in the RV and left. Gas is still leaking from the heater system at the rear of the RV. We drive down the road to the next exit and get off to check the fuel leak. It's stopped now. I guess the extra fuel I was trying to squeeze in the tank was just running out of the over flow and dripping out the back. Never had that problem again. Oh what a trip, just get us home and we'll never do this again.....
When we get in to Nashville it's darn near 5PM, Rush hour is underway, It's dark, It's cloudy and it's starting to rain.... I turn on my wipers and headlights but the wipers are barely moving, like really slow......so I turned off the headlights to reduce the power drain of the batteries........ My gauges are going nuts, we are losing power and speed but we keep on going. The wipers are working a little better now, but not by much. We still have about 75 miles to go before we get home. As we hit I-24 heading east toward home we are down to about 50 MPH, slow but still moving, By the time we get to our exit our speed is down to about 30 MPH. We made it off the interstate just in time to creep along on home..
As we near our street our top speed is about 10-15 MPH.... Just crawling down the street and it's all level ground. We finally pull up in front of our house, What a feeling to get back home after the ordeal we've been thru. I stopped and backed the motor-home into the driveway and into the RV port set up behind our house. When I turned the key off the engine stopped! I turned it back on and nothing, no start, no lights, not even a dim light on the dash. But we're back home!!!!!
Talk about the skin of your teeth, we made it but I still don't know how...... Over the next few days we cleaned everything out the RV, after all we're done RVing, and we're done with the piece of ____! Quote “Nevermore” After 3 weekends of trouble shooting this monster I find I have a short in the wiring harness going to the transmission. After a quick repair we're back.. and this is not so bad. A couple of short trips to test the waters....... We're back on the road, loving it again. Then the biggie. ….......
Another Road Trip To Texas.... WITH NO PROBLEMS.............
Oh yea! This is great! We kept it for another year before we traded up to a newer Holiday Rambler motor-home....... But nothing can replace the memories we have of our first. It's always special.....Still love to travel, still love to RV and really looking forward to going Full time some day.
See Ya Down The Road............
P. S. This is a true story about a rookie Rver and his lovely wife and their first RV.
We still talk and laugh about the good times......... and bad...
WOW, What a trip!!!
Thanks for taking the time to write this wonderful story. Glad you made it home all in once piece and not having to face divorce papers afterwards.
We had one trip go wrong for us, but not nearly as bad as what you went through. Years ago, late in the afternoon on a Friday of a Labor Day weekend, we pulled our 25 foot travel trailer up a very remote gravel bush road for a weekend fishing trip with our 2 young sons. (4 and 7 at the time) We were new at pulling a trailer and my husband had tightened the anti-sway bars down. (note: our 1/2 ton truck didn't have 4 wheel drive) About an hour away from our destination, we came upon a long, curving, steep hill to climb.
About half way up, we were losing traction, I could hear the tires spinning up gravel, and I knew we weren't going to make it. I closed my eyes, praying and hoping for the best but it didn't help. We came to a halt, mid-hill. At this point, it is 8 pm and it is getting dark. We discovered that we didn't have back-up lights on the trailer, (oh goody!) so there I am trying to hold a little flashlight at the rear of the trailer so he could see to back down. There are low ditches on either side of the road and with no traction for the brakes, the trailer almost slid into the ditch on the left hand side. He was able to pull it forward, but when he tried to back up again, the trailer promptly swung to the other side. This time the right tires of the trailer were IN the ditch. Out comes the jack and a pile of boards to lift the jack high enough to reach the trailer. After jacking the trailer up, with both of us sweating, swearing and yelling, we pushed it off the jack. It moved about 5 inches back towards the road. Repeat, again and again until the tires were all on the road. He gave it one more try at backing up and promptly went right back into the ditch where we came from. After checking that there weren't any rocks or stumps to get hung up on in the bush, he backed it up as far as possible off the road into the bush with the front of the truck sticking out on the road. It was on my mind that a logging truck might come down over that hill in the night. Of course being ignorant newbies, we didn't have any flares or reflective markers in our trailer. (learned that lesson to get some)I walked to the top of the hill with my flashlight, rooted around through the bush and found enough dead branches to lay across the whole road, and hoped it was enough warning to slow a vehicle down. That's where we spent the night, sideways, trailer jammed into the bush, with our beds on a sideways slant.
Being a holiday weekend, we figured there would be more fishermen coming up that way in the morning that might help us out. Sure enough, around 9 am, a truck comes along with two men in it. We explained our situation and the one guy takes one look at the anti-sway bars and tells hubby the are too tight, and that the rear tires on our truck didn't have enough weight on them to get traction. DAH! Hubby loosened them up, we pulled out of there, backed up a bit, and then drove up that hill lickety split.
Now that's not the end of our story. When arrived at the lake where our friends were camped, with the truck still running, all four of us jumped out to say hi and explain why we were late. After some banter, we decided to get back in and find a level spot to park the trailer. Oh, Oh! The doors were locked with the truck still running, and of course the extra truck keys are in my purse on the console between the seats. Someone must have hit the power locks as we got out.
Fortunately, our friend had a long tent pole and we opened one of the louvered rear windows wide enough to slide it through and pop the unlock button with it.
The rest of the weekend was uneventful, other than catching a few nice specks
Hardship stories like these give us many funny memories to be repeated around the campfire.
gouligann.... Thanks for sharing your camping memories!
Life & time has a way of making them seem better and/or worse than the actual where.
Enjoyed the read...
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We're only 15-20 miles from our destination of Wichita Falls, TX so I figured I'd stop and fuel up again, prices where good and I needed a break anyway and we'd be on our way.
