- Location
- Las Vegas, NV
Okay... here's an update on our ongoing travels and travails..
o Picked up the Jeep on Tuesday, the day before we were scheduled to
leave. Front bumper wasn't exactly as I wanted it, but it works. Rear
bumper has a couple of D-ring mounts that I wanted on the front
bumper. Howrever, they are danged purdy and just the color I wanted.
Can't show photos yet as the card reader is still packed up in
storage. Paid too much. Shoulda put it all in writing before hand. My
bad. Not all the lights on the Jeep work when hooked up to the
motorhome as a toad. Blown fuse under motorhome dash which seems to
have blown the module that controls the lights on the toad.
o First thing Wednesday morning, had to track down and replace the
module that controls the lights on the Jeep when it's being flat
towed. Left rear brake light on Jeep wouldn't work. New module...
everything's okay.
o Top off with fuel. We leave Los Angeles about 1:00PM
o Five miles from Ludlow on the eastbound I-40, motorhome's check
engine light comes on, engine loses power, revs fluctuate, engine
dies. Mercifully, the generator works and we have air conditioning
from the two roof units as well as plenty of food and excellent cel
phone coverage. Call the extended warranty company who notes our
problem and tells us to take the coach to a repair shop, but they are
no help with a suggestion of *which* repair shop. Call AAA. In the
meantime, I call Good Sam Club. Hell... I'm a member and I figure
that they should be able to help out. They don't have any member
shops in the Barstow area so she searches the Internet and asks if
I'm near Hemet. Oy! I hang up with her and call the manufacturer of
the coach. They are closed but have an after hours call-back service
so I leave my number. AAA finally calls taking almost two hours to
find a tow truck to come get us. They are sending a tow truck out of
Barstow. Estimate that it will take four hours round trip at $175
per hour. AAA will cover $200 total. Great! Michaelle suggests that
I check to see if the engine might start again. I've already tried
three times, but just to appease the wife, I try again. Damn thing
starts right up and we drive off. Call AAA back and ca ncel the tow.
o Make it into Laughlin at 8:30PM. Maunfacturer's emergency after
hours called during the trip and gave us the number of Ford Emergency
Roadside Assistance 800 line who gave us the 800 number for Ford
CoachNet. Motorhome hiccuped a couple more times, but made the trip
just fine.
o Checked into hotel. It was expected to be a 122 degrees in Laughlin
that week. Weather service issued emergency heat advisory. The only
way to run both air conditioners on a 30 amp motorhome is to run te
generator, Neighbors driving coaches with 50 amp services get kind of
grouchy when they have to listen to your generator running all night
long, so most RV parks have "quiet hours" starting at 10:00PM.
Considering that Laughli's weather forecast calls for lows in the
triple digits, we decide to check into a hotel. RV park = $25 per
night. River Palms Resort = $19 per night. No brainer here.
o Get woken up by call back from tech from Ford Coach Net. I explain
the symptoms and he figures it's a bad fuels pump that's turning the
gas to vapor right in the tank. Says that job is relatively simple to
do, but labor intensive as it requires dropping the fuel tank. Call
warranty company. New fuel pump is covered. Yay!
o Two days later, we check on the coach only to discover that the
refrigerator isn't working. Check propane levels... nada. Okay. Visit
the three gas stations on the Nevada side only to be told that they
don't have the extra employee needed to pump propane. Drive over to
Arizona. Get the propane at $0.40 less per gallon. Sure worth the
five minute drive. Nevertheless, dumbnutsme didn't restart the fridge
properly and by the Sunday morning, we have several science projects
and many new odiferous wonders to behold. Nothing quite like the look
of bad milk or the small of bad shrimp. Oy!
o We leave for Las Vegas Sunday afternoon. Generator won't run
because we have less than 1/4 of a tank of fuel. Anything less and
the generator won't run. Safety measure so that one doesn't suck out
all the fuel while camping, leaving none for traveling home. Stop in
Searchlight to get gas. Radiator overflow boils over. Lose a gallon
or so of coolant. Top it off with water and move on.
<note to self: don't turn off engine immediatelly after completing
five mile uphill climb in desert heat.>
o Two miles away from our destination, just as we were exiting the
northbound 95 at Russell Road, engine dies AGAIN. It's 3:30PM and
really couldn't be any hotter... unless you count the next two hours.
We are stuck right at the limit line of the intersection. We are also
blocking the left turn lane as were right in the middle between the
wall on the left and the island on the right which devides left and
right turning traffic. Some trucks run over the island, but most
passenger cars just line up behind us an lay on their horns. Not onlt
are th emergency lights on the coach flashing, but since the Jeep is
hooked up and the new module is working, its emergency lights are
flashing too. More horns. How nice. We disconnect the Jeep and roll
the Motorhome back away from the pork-chop shaped island freeing up
traffic to freely turn either way.
o Two hours later, I finally send Michaelle on to our friend's home
to help scour the Yellow Pages for RV repair shops in the area.
Shortly after, I get a visit from the Neveda Highway Patrol. Chceking
up on me, he leaves me with a phone number to call if I need help. At
this point, I'm still hoping that time will once again work to my
favor and let the engine fire up. It does, but doesn't stay running
long enough to get me past the limit line. Each time, I have to coast
back to free up traffic.
o After waiting 2 1/2 houra, I call AAA again. Mind you, I'm stuck in
Henderson, but they send a tow truck out of North Las Vegas.
$175/hour... North Las Vegas... Oy! Another hour close by abd I get a
call from the AAA. The tow truck they sent overheated. They don't
have any other contracted stations to call. I'm on my own. Good luck
Mr. Steiner.
<note to self: ditch AAA RV service. Find another *real* emergency
roadside assistance program designed for RVs.>
o Call *NHP on the cel phone. Highway Patrol gives me three numbers
of tow companies, First one that I call is annoyed that I'm calling
on a priority police line. Well duh! They gave me the number. They
make me call back on anoter number only to go through three levels
of voice mail to get right back to the same person who transfers me
to the department that tows motorhomes. Excellent! I give them my
information and they give me the news that they won't have a truck
available to 5 hours. Goodbye! Call the sencond place. Same result
without all the voice mail. 5 hour wait. Goodbye! Third place takes
my info including credit card number and says that will have truck
to me with in the hour.
o Ten minutes later, I try the engine again. It's starts and keeps
running. I make it to our friend's house. We spend the night and
visit. The coach goes into a truck shop Tuesday. They have a week
backlog before they can even look at the coach. Fortunately, we have
another friend's who lives in SoCal, but keeps a house near
Summerlin. He's going to rent us his house for $500/month. We think
this might make for a nice base while we find jobs, look for better
and more permanent housing and look for permanent employment.
Monday, we drive the motorhome over there and unload all of the food
and all of our clothes.
o Vacation isn't quite over yet. We have friends who have a house in
Lake Havasu City. They've invited us there for a long weekend. We got
here on Wednesday and will stay until Sunday.
All in all, getting broken down in the desert wasn't too bad. Had
air conditioning, water and cel service. Even had TV reception on
the off ramp in Vegas. Doesn't look like there's any wheeling on top
of Mt. Charleston and Big Bear is too far away now. Gonna have to
wait until weather cools off before I can test out the new lift.
So... which of youz guyz out here in Las Vegas cares to introduce me around?
o Picked up the Jeep on Tuesday, the day before we were scheduled to
leave. Front bumper wasn't exactly as I wanted it, but it works. Rear
bumper has a couple of D-ring mounts that I wanted on the front
bumper. Howrever, they are danged purdy and just the color I wanted.
Can't show photos yet as the card reader is still packed up in
storage. Paid too much. Shoulda put it all in writing before hand. My
bad. Not all the lights on the Jeep work when hooked up to the
motorhome as a toad. Blown fuse under motorhome dash which seems to
have blown the module that controls the lights on the toad.
o First thing Wednesday morning, had to track down and replace the
module that controls the lights on the Jeep when it's being flat
towed. Left rear brake light on Jeep wouldn't work. New module...
everything's okay.
o Top off with fuel. We leave Los Angeles about 1:00PM
o Five miles from Ludlow on the eastbound I-40, motorhome's check
engine light comes on, engine loses power, revs fluctuate, engine
dies. Mercifully, the generator works and we have air conditioning
from the two roof units as well as plenty of food and excellent cel
phone coverage. Call the extended warranty company who notes our
problem and tells us to take the coach to a repair shop, but they are
no help with a suggestion of *which* repair shop. Call AAA. In the
meantime, I call Good Sam Club. Hell... I'm a member and I figure
that they should be able to help out. They don't have any member
shops in the Barstow area so she searches the Internet and asks if
I'm near Hemet. Oy! I hang up with her and call the manufacturer of
the coach. They are closed but have an after hours call-back service
so I leave my number. AAA finally calls taking almost two hours to
find a tow truck to come get us. They are sending a tow truck out of
Barstow. Estimate that it will take four hours round trip at $175
per hour. AAA will cover $200 total. Great! Michaelle suggests that
I check to see if the engine might start again. I've already tried
three times, but just to appease the wife, I try again. Damn thing
starts right up and we drive off. Call AAA back and ca ncel the tow.
o Make it into Laughlin at 8:30PM. Maunfacturer's emergency after
hours called during the trip and gave us the number of Ford Emergency
Roadside Assistance 800 line who gave us the 800 number for Ford
CoachNet. Motorhome hiccuped a couple more times, but made the trip
just fine.
o Checked into hotel. It was expected to be a 122 degrees in Laughlin
that week. Weather service issued emergency heat advisory. The only
way to run both air conditioners on a 30 amp motorhome is to run te
generator, Neighbors driving coaches with 50 amp services get kind of
grouchy when they have to listen to your generator running all night
long, so most RV parks have "quiet hours" starting at 10:00PM.
Considering that Laughli's weather forecast calls for lows in the
triple digits, we decide to check into a hotel. RV park = $25 per
night. River Palms Resort = $19 per night. No brainer here.
o Get woken up by call back from tech from Ford Coach Net. I explain
the symptoms and he figures it's a bad fuels pump that's turning the
gas to vapor right in the tank. Says that job is relatively simple to
do, but labor intensive as it requires dropping the fuel tank. Call
warranty company. New fuel pump is covered. Yay!
o Two days later, we check on the coach only to discover that the
refrigerator isn't working. Check propane levels... nada. Okay. Visit
the three gas stations on the Nevada side only to be told that they
don't have the extra employee needed to pump propane. Drive over to
Arizona. Get the propane at $0.40 less per gallon. Sure worth the
five minute drive. Nevertheless, dumbnutsme didn't restart the fridge
properly and by the Sunday morning, we have several science projects
and many new odiferous wonders to behold. Nothing quite like the look
of bad milk or the small of bad shrimp. Oy!
o We leave for Las Vegas Sunday afternoon. Generator won't run
because we have less than 1/4 of a tank of fuel. Anything less and
the generator won't run. Safety measure so that one doesn't suck out
all the fuel while camping, leaving none for traveling home. Stop in
Searchlight to get gas. Radiator overflow boils over. Lose a gallon
or so of coolant. Top it off with water and move on.
<note to self: don't turn off engine immediatelly after completing
five mile uphill climb in desert heat.>
o Two miles away from our destination, just as we were exiting the
northbound 95 at Russell Road, engine dies AGAIN. It's 3:30PM and
really couldn't be any hotter... unless you count the next two hours.
We are stuck right at the limit line of the intersection. We are also
blocking the left turn lane as were right in the middle between the
wall on the left and the island on the right which devides left and
right turning traffic. Some trucks run over the island, but most
passenger cars just line up behind us an lay on their horns. Not onlt
are th emergency lights on the coach flashing, but since the Jeep is
hooked up and the new module is working, its emergency lights are
flashing too. More horns. How nice. We disconnect the Jeep and roll
the Motorhome back away from the pork-chop shaped island freeing up
traffic to freely turn either way.
o Two hours later, I finally send Michaelle on to our friend's home
to help scour the Yellow Pages for RV repair shops in the area.
Shortly after, I get a visit from the Neveda Highway Patrol. Chceking
up on me, he leaves me with a phone number to call if I need help. At
this point, I'm still hoping that time will once again work to my
favor and let the engine fire up. It does, but doesn't stay running
long enough to get me past the limit line. Each time, I have to coast
back to free up traffic.
o After waiting 2 1/2 houra, I call AAA again. Mind you, I'm stuck in
Henderson, but they send a tow truck out of North Las Vegas.
$175/hour... North Las Vegas... Oy! Another hour close by abd I get a
call from the AAA. The tow truck they sent overheated. They don't
have any other contracted stations to call. I'm on my own. Good luck
Mr. Steiner.
<note to self: ditch AAA RV service. Find another *real* emergency
roadside assistance program designed for RVs.>
o Call *NHP on the cel phone. Highway Patrol gives me three numbers
of tow companies, First one that I call is annoyed that I'm calling
on a priority police line. Well duh! They gave me the number. They
make me call back on anoter number only to go through three levels
of voice mail to get right back to the same person who transfers me
to the department that tows motorhomes. Excellent! I give them my
information and they give me the news that they won't have a truck
available to 5 hours. Goodbye! Call the sencond place. Same result
without all the voice mail. 5 hour wait. Goodbye! Third place takes
my info including credit card number and says that will have truck
to me with in the hour.
o Ten minutes later, I try the engine again. It's starts and keeps
running. I make it to our friend's house. We spend the night and
visit. The coach goes into a truck shop Tuesday. They have a week
backlog before they can even look at the coach. Fortunately, we have
another friend's who lives in SoCal, but keeps a house near
Summerlin. He's going to rent us his house for $500/month. We think
this might make for a nice base while we find jobs, look for better
and more permanent housing and look for permanent employment.
Monday, we drive the motorhome over there and unload all of the food
and all of our clothes.
o Vacation isn't quite over yet. We have friends who have a house in
Lake Havasu City. They've invited us there for a long weekend. We got
here on Wednesday and will stay until Sunday.
All in all, getting broken down in the desert wasn't too bad. Had
air conditioning, water and cel service. Even had TV reception on
the off ramp in Vegas. Doesn't look like there's any wheeling on top
of Mt. Charleston and Big Bear is too far away now. Gonna have to
wait until weather cools off before I can test out the new lift.
So... which of youz guyz out here in Las Vegas cares to introduce me around?
