Dealing with Mechanical Issues on the Road

Ever since we visited Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory and sampled their new Milk and Cookies flavor, Pattie and I have kept a pint of it in the freezer for “In Case of Emergency” situations.  In June, we went through two pints!

 The Bus is a big complex beast that we subject to vibration, weather and constant use.  Stuff is going to break or require additional maintenance.  We have learned to deal with these issues and are blessed with a flexible schedule to address them.

Pint #1

I am not sure what political party is running Illinois; but if they received any of that trillion dollars of stimulus President Obama allocated to “shovel ready jobs,” it was not used on their roads.  On I-39N in El Paso, IL there is a bridge overpass across Highway 24.  In the right lane the expansion joint has a 2-inch lip with a pothole just prior to it.  Now The Bus isn’t a Corvette.  I cannot dodge potholes.  We hit it direct sending the passenger side tire upwards with enough force to crack the front right air bag housing.  The air bags are the springs and carry the weight of The Bus.  Shock absorbers control rebound; but they do not carry the load.  With a loss of air pressure to the front right side it caused the left side to also deflate resulting in a severe up and down ride (think teeter totter at 60 mph).  I never felt like I was losing control, just knew that I needed to put the flashers on and drop speed to below 30 mph.  

We limped off the Interstate to examine the damage.  Well, I was like a pig looking at a wristwatch at that point.  I knew something was wrong, but nothing was apparent like seeing parts of an air bag blown apart.  I called Good Sam Roadside Assistance that I pay for each year and they suggested I drive to a nearby truck stop and they would have a mobile technician meet me there.  I reviewed the coverage they offer and discovered that it really does not cover much.  They will make the calls and send someone, but you end up paying for most services.  I can do that without their help and will rethink continuing this program. 

Bill's Truck Repair

We limped along at farm tractor speed along a small highway paralleling the interstate to the next exit that had a truck stop.  We had lunch at the diner and the nice lady there told us about a local guy that works on trucks.  We called him and he said his shop was the next exit north and he would look at it first thing Monday morning since it was Father’s Day afternoon.  The little highway continued to parallel the interstate so we used it to make it to his shop. We figured we would need to boondock at his shop, but a small gas station next door had a Burger King and five full hook-up RV sites.  What a blessing! We grabbed one, ate some ice cream, and settled in for the night.  

Cracked housing where fitting enters top

Bill of Bill’s Truck Repair met us the next morning at his shop and quickly discovered the cracked passenger side air bag housing.  After a few calls, we found a replacement at a Freightliner dealer 50 miles away.  Pattie and I took the Jeep to get the part, grabbed lunch, and headed back.  Bill and his assistant had never worked on an Allegro Bus before; but they were true mechanics with years of experience working on semi trucks.  Replacing this air bag was not big deal to them and in a total of three hours of their time; we were back on the road. 

New air bag with fitting

Fast forward to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula about 10 days later. 

Pint #2

Colwell Lake, Michigan

Pattie and I were searching for a campground that we could use through the Fourth of July holiday and not having much luck.  We took the Jeep on reconnaissance and found a National Park campground that was first come first served.  We grabbed a lovely spot right on a small lake and planned to boondock for 10 days.  This is not a problem for us as long as we conserve water and run the generator for a couple hours in the morning and a couple in the evening to keep the batteries charged.  On day two, the generator stopped working.  We told the camp host that we had to leave but would return. They suggested we leave a couple lawn chairs at the campsite to hold it since we paid for it.  (Note: always keep a couple sacrificial lawn chairs in your reconnaissance vehicle to hold your spot until you return with your RV.)  We broke camp and drove to Escanaba, MI where Hilltop RV is listed as a Cummins service center.  I met with them, explained what was happening and ordered fuel filters and a fuel pump for our diesel generator.  They made us an appointment in two days to make the repairs and we found a campground with electric hook-up, made camp, and ate some ice cream.  On Friday, we arrived at Hilltop RV for our appointment and they asked, “Is this generator diesel?”  I said of course it is the parts you sold me are for a diesel.  They said, “We don’t work on diesels.” 

Small in-line filter Tiffin adds

They were nice enough to call a diesel mechanic a couple blocks away that could see me right away.  The guys at A&E Truck and Auto Repair discussed the situation with me and they agreed that it sounded like a clogged fuel filter.  They replaced both the Cummins Onan fuel filter and the cheap in-line filter Tiffin put near the fuel tank.  The generator ran smooth and we headed back to our secluded boondocking spot on the lake to enjoy the Fourth of July weekend.

Stuff happens on the road.  You must deal with it.  These large RVs are complex, but nothing a good competent truck mechanic cannot figure out.  One note, I do not have an extended maintenance warranty.  In this case, it would have been more hassle than it was worth trying to find someone to make the repairs and accept the warranty companies polices for payment.  Cash speaks and repairs were made quickly.  I also watched the mechanics replace the fuel filters and will carry spares to do it myself in the future. 

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!