First Time Getting Towed - (Buffalo, WY)

We were up early this morning.  The plan was to get on the road around 8:00 a.m. in order to get to Gillette early enough to plug in and get the air conditioner going while it was still relatively cool.

We were about 15 minutes late getting started as we had to dry off some of our outdoor gear, before stowing it.  It was a mile and a half to U.S. 16 and then another mile to Lehigh Dump Station.

We dumped tanks and removed the plug for our fresh water tank to let it drain.  No need to carry any more weight than necessary through the mountains.

The rig felt lighter as I towed.  We made it up over Powder River Pass and then it was a steady descent with 45 - 50 mph curves and a few uphill climbs mixed in.  I geared down on the descents having to hit my brakes only occasionally.

Everything was fine until we got to the bottom of the last five miles of 7% grade going into Buffalo.  Just after that section, just before town, there is one last short little downgrade.  I down-shifted one last time .... and then it happened.

I heard a very strange noise coming from the truck.  It definitely didn't sound right.  Within a hundred feet, it got worse and the engine started vibrating.  As soon as I could, I pulled off the road onto the shoulder before doing any more damage.  "This can't be good", I thought.

I popped the hood and gave a cursory look at the engine, not really having a clue what I was looking at.  But I thought it was a good sign I didn't see any liquid anywhere.  I started the truck up again, and it started fine, ... but the engine started to vibrate somewhat violently.  I said to myself "Yeah, I don't think we're going anywhere".

Linda remained surprisingly calm.  I think she's starting to buy in to my "It is what is" way of thinking.  She didn't even get out of the Jeep, but rather waited for me to walk back and give her the news.

"Okay, so we call Coach-Net and we go from there," she said.  Hmm.   No hysterics or panic.  For a moment I thought "Did my wife pop a sedative?".  :)

So, I called Coach-Net, our 24/7 emergency roadside assistance, and discussed the problem.  With it being a Sunday, there was no place to tow us to get the truck looked at.  Ultimately, we decided to have the truck and trailer towed to a KOA near the interstate - that was our "safety tow".   And then we would have the truck towed the 30 or so miles up the interstate to the Ford dealer in Sheridan in the morning - that would also be covered under our Coach-Net plan.

The Coach-Net rep got off the phone to contact towing companies and then called back a few minutes later.  He said Experts Towing & Recovery would come tow us to the KOA, but they were towing a motorhome off the mountain, so it might be a couple hours.

Fortunately, it was still early in the day and it hadn't gotten hot yet.  Since we carry safety cones in the Jeep, I set those out. 

 

 

Just a few minutes after we put the cones out, a local man stopped to see if he could do anything.  He didn't really know any more than I did, but it was nice that he stopped.

After awhile we saw the bright red tow truck that had passed us earlier coming down the mountain .....

 

 

with the motorhome we had seen on the side of the road facing the opposite direction.

We waved as he went by.  Shortly thereafter, we got an automated call from Coach-Net.  "Please press '1' if the service provider has not yet arrived, or press '2' if service is in progress or has been completed."  I pressed '1' and was connected to a rep who was ready to make some phone calls.  Easy there.  We knew the estimated time of arrival was still an hour away, but there wasn't a choice of "Press 3 if the service provider has not yet arrived ... and you're okay with that."  :)

Finally, Ron with Expers Towing arrived.  I just followed instructions as he hooked up the truck with the trailer still attached.  He was very nice and conscientious.  Once we were hooked up, he headed back to help Linda pick up our cones, but she already had that under control.  I handed him a bottled water and we jumped in the tow truck.

We had called the KOA earlier to make sure they had room and that we could get a site the tow truck could just pull through.  The lady on the phone, Star, was very sweet and helpful.

Linda went on ahead to check in and let them know we were on our way.  It was somewhere around noon, when she got a shot of us rolling in.

 

 

Star came out of the office, hopped in a golf cart, and led us in to our pull-through site.

 

 

After Ron got us unhitched, I asked if he thought it would be okay for us to start the truck, get the rig level, and unhitch.  So I cranked it up and he immediately said "fuel injector".  He said to give it just a little gas.  When it started knocking, he yelled "Shut if off!"

He said "That's a rod.  New engine."  Another camper walked up and said "I heard that.  I'm sorry."  Okay, so I wasn't quite as upbeat at that point.  Ron said it could cost about $26,000.  Yikes!  That's more than the truck is worth.

In a bit of shock, we slowly got the rig set up.  I kept telling myself "Let's just wait and see until we get it diagnosed tomorrow", but I knew my hopes for a $2,000 or less fix were most likely a pipe dream.

Still, we were supposed to be in Gillette today setting up our booth for the Holiday Rambler Rally, and I worried more about that commitment than our truck.  We emailed the vendor contact to let him know what was going on, but we assured him we would be there to do our seminar and provide weighing services at the end of the rally.

As the night went on, we did our "what's the worst that can happen" routine.  If it is a total engine failure, at least we have the money.  But it might make more sense to buy a used truck.  Either way, our savings would take a big hit, and we'd have to seriously consider taking a paid job for awhile to refill the hole.  Fortunately, we have lots of options and it's certainly not the end of the world.

Oh well.  It is what it is.  We'll be up at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow to call Coach-Net so they can call Experts Towing (gotta be official) to tow our truck to Sheridan.  Oh, by the way, shortly after Ron left, we got a second automated call from Coach-Net.  This time I pressed '2'.  We have been big fans of Coach-Net since we started this lifestyle, and they came through again.  I've already contacted them to see if they could use a moble rep.  :)

I can't say it was a fun day, but it was another new experience.  Always learning.  :)

---

 

 

Comments

[Ron Westcott]

"It is what it is"... that's our saying too. Things come up all the time, some minor some major. You just have to find solutions, put the problems behind you and keep moving forward. I think you guys are good at that!

[Jerry]

Bummer. Sorry to hear such a good track record stop on this point. I am sure you guys will make a good decision. We are praying for wisdom for you and Linda.

[Whuntsman]

Not sure what year your Ford is, but we just went through much the same issue. We were lucky in that we decided to buy an extended warranty when we bought our truck because we had never owned a diesel before. A new alternator, several new EGR valves (in 20,000 miles) and a new engine block later, it has paid for itself and then some.

[JC]

Okay, everybody in the trailer who's glad the hard-earned savings was spent for the little Jeep as a separate vehicle, raise your hand! Yeah . . . thought so.

JC

[Wayne]

So sorry to hear of your break down. I recently checked with Jasper just to have a budget number. 5,000 for a short block.

You may want to consider a donate button for the engine repair, With as many folks as you have helped, I'm sure there would be folks that would be happy to help.

I'm sure you are aware, Gate Guarding will pay +/- 1,000/wk

Man I am keeping fingers crossed for you.

Wayne

[Illinois Snowbird]

Howard, I am sure you have already been researching options on the internet, but you have several even if it is a rod through the block, you can get reman engine from Ford or another company such as Jasper. If heads, etc are still good, you can go with a reman shortblock. One important consideration is the warranty. Parts & Labor and nationwide. Reman products often have early hour failure (first 5K miles), therefore, the natinal warranty is important. Best of luck to you!!!

[Allan Webster]

Sorry to hear about your problem. At least you aren't stranded without transportation.

[Nancy and Bill]

Sorry about the breakdown. Just glad everyone is OK:o)) We always remember something you said... "Coachnet is a no brainer!" We've only been full-timing since March and have called them twice with exceptional results both times!!

[Candace Jones]

Linda, we had to get towed off the top of a mountain last year in CO. It was so scary! When they hitched the truck still attached to the Airstream I about freaked. You remained calm! Way to go girl!
It was only a new thermostat for us! So sorry to hear about the engine!! It is upsetting but remaining calm really does help you to focus and deal much quicker!
In our prayers,
Candy

[George Stoltz]

Howard and Linda,

I feel your pain and wish for you the best. Do give Jack Meyer a call. His knowledge is so very useful. Perhaps he can give you some options.