I left Rochester with a couple of concerns. The first was the truck.  The local dealer suspected a bad flywheel and I got a few dire warnings on the internet about immediate repairs. It didn’t seem that bad to me so I pressed on, while researching transmission shops along the way. The second concern dealt with an intermediate stop in Trent SD. The campground sits next to the Big Sioux River and they had some flooding. My preferred route was closed due to high water on the road. The day before leaving I got a call from the campground owner that a decent route had just reopened.

So, off I went and arrived at the campground after just a minor detour through town. The water gradually receded and by the time I left I was able to drive directly to the interstate. Enter the second concern.

On my way north the truck seemed to be driving normally. A couple of times I heard sounds that could’ve been rocks hitting the under carriage. Shortly after the second noise, my speed started dropping off while the tachometer was rising. Of course, this all happened on a Saturday afternoon. Crap!!

I pulled onto the shoulder (about 35 miles south of Fargo) and quickly determined that the truck would not be moving again under its own power without repairs. Called GEICO for my roadside assistance. After some initial confusion, they dispatched 2 tow trucks. I already had an appointment at a transmission shop in Fargo so that’s where they towed the truck. An OTR tractor arrived to hitch up to the 5th wheel and take me to my campground.

I got setup in the campground without problems. Talked to the transmission shop on Monday. They dropped the transmission and confirmed that I would need a new clutch assembly and flywheel but the price quoted was about $2k less than the dealer in Rochester. I can live with that. And the truck will be ready well before the sugar beet harvest starts.

Overall, the trip could have been better, but it also could’ve been a hell of a lot worse.