We left the PNW allowing plenty of time to get to Houston TX, with good reason as it turns out. We made it precisely 110 miles down the road before pulling into a rest area and noticed smoke rising from the front driver’s wheel well. It didn’t take long to figure out that the brake caliper had seized. I tried taking the tire off to see if I could free the caliper but one of the lug nuts refused to budge past a certain point. Good Sam Roadside Assistance to the rescue. Despite a few miscommunications a very large tow truck arrived a few hours later. We had already reserved a spot at a nearby RV park and Good Sam set up an appointment for us at a nearby Dodge dealer. After a 3 day delay (and new rotors, calipers and pads on the front axle) we were back on the road.
It’s amazing (or not) how much you pay attention to every little sound driving down the road after repairs. Just hoping that nothing else is going to rear its ugly head. But it didn’t. All the way through Oregon, Idaho and into Utah. We rolled the dice on the Hill AFB FamCamp without reservations, mainly hoping for somewhere with great WiFi for a paid interview with User Testing. Well, we got a site for 3 nights and had 2 days before the interview. Naturally, I looked for a Chinese buffet and found a very good one. But while driving through town I noticed some vibration coming from the truck. Damn!! Bright and early Monday morning I drove into town to get it looked at. Surprisingly, they were able to start troubleshooting immediately. The mechanic took it for a short test drive and put it on a lift as soon as he got back. More bad news. The driveshaft was on its last leg. Their first call for a replacement part was the nearby Dodge dealer, where they were informed that the part had been discontinued. They finally tracked one down but it would be several days before it arrived. As I type this, we’re still waiting.
More money for repairs. Bad news. More delay. Bad news. Finding the problems without major accidents? Charmed life. Being in a very safe RV park with full hook ups and shopping within walking distance while we wait? Charmed life. With any luck, the charm will continue and the repairs will be made as quickly as possible and we’ll be on our way again soon.