SOOOOOO….
We left Gulf Shores AL on April 24th with every intention of doing a bit of sight seeing on the way to Detroit. The plan included the Space Center in Huntsville, Mammoth Caves in KY, and the Air Force Museum in Dayton OH. It would have landed us in Detroit on April 30 or May 1st.
NOT
In Clanton AL the truck went into low power mode – AGAIN! We limped into the nearest RV park and found a mechanic. It took a couple of days, new filters and some Pentecostal hand laying, but it was deemed fixed.
Nope…
Another 150 miles and it went back into low power mode. We figured it had to be something electrical. As we attempted to reach another campground via high hills, backing 60+ feet of vehicle toward an empty driveway, we were met by someone who had a gadget that reset our power mode. Voila’ we could climb the hill again.
First stop, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts for the same gadget.
Bruce bought the last one and we set off down the highway. As we finessed the engine to keep us going, I made an executive decision to head toward Clarksville TN to see friends. I’d grown tired of my own mental gymnastics. The mind is a terrible enemy at times and mine was feeding on too many ‘what if’s’.
I called our friends, let them know what was going on, found a place to park and fortunately, they were glad to have us drop in.
Good friends are the best!
After we parked the RV in Clarksville, Bruce noticed something wrong with the wheel hubs, on 2 of the RV tires. He knew it was a serious problem and immediately contacted our manufacturer. They gave us the name of a local dealer/repair place, 7 miles away. It was Saturday evening, Sundays are a bust for RV repairs, so let’s have a nice weekend with our friends.
Good plan!
Monday found us leaving for the dealership. Once we arrived, we learned they were closed on Mondays…Yes, Bruce checked, no there weren’t hours of operation on Google, yes he’d left a VM and an email but hadn’t heard back.
Optimistic learning curves are his speciality.
Back to the campground after calling to be sure they could accommodate us. I nursed my frustration with some grocery shopping.
Tuesday morning arrives! An actual person speaks from the dealership. We learn that this is a very dangerous issue, we shouldn’t drive anywhere other than to their place, and they can’t help us till Thursday morning because they may need parts, and it will take that long to get them.
Another trip back to the campground office to see if we can occupy this space a few more days.
Side note: campgrounds usually offer weekly rates, which are less by about a day’s fee. We were already into this place, $300+ for 5 days. I asked if they would go back to our original date and give us the weekly rate but ‘unfortunately, we have to count your week from today’, was their reply….
One more gripe for me to nurse.
Thursday we set off at 7:15 am (anything before 9am on a pull day is early) to drop off our house at the repair place. Since it was going to be awhile, we headed to breakfast, Starbucks and TJ Maxx. At least it kept me busy!
We’d decided to make our way to Terre Haute IN, after it was repaired. We still had a truck to repair, and the mechanic there was excellent. It was home to us for 4 months, and we loved the campground. It would give us a chance to recover from this unplanned side trip. AND, the manager at the campground loves us, and will move heaven and earth to have us stay awhile.
Back to the RV repairs. After spending the day in Starbucks and TJ Maxx, we headed back to find out what our situation was. Turns out, when they lifted the RV up,
One of the tires fell off and caught fire!
Fire is a bad word for us, we really didn’t want to experience it again. The manager said we were within 5 miles of having it happen on the road. The hub had sheared the pin that holds it to the axle. Turns out it’s a flaw in the supplier that Grand Design used, and there will be a huge recall. We managed to pre-empt it.
However, it was going to require some new parts, and a couple of days delay, and because it was on a lift, we couldn’t go inside to pack a bag. One of the repair guys ventured in to find meds, eye glasses and the cat box, but that was the limit. Fortunately, Bruce had Hilton points that covered a hotel and there was a local JC Penney’s.
All of this definitely brings me to the place of asking,
“WHY GOD?”
I know the answers are, “for provision and protection” and “to improve your situation”. But it doesn’t prevent me from feeling like there is an agenda working against me. Every plan I made, since August of 2024, has gone kaput. My joy over planning and anticipating adventure, has dissappeared. My frustration is real and deep. I even told Bruce one evening that I was done. Time to find a place to settle and buy a house, cuz this ain’t workin anymore.
It broke his heart.
Bruce has a huge need for adventure, and living this way is filling that need. I like going along for the ride, but when it gets this frustrating – not so much. So, I’m grateful to God for his protection, provision and direction. But trust me, it’s
IN ALL CAPS!
And I persevere, hoping to experience again, the joy of planning adventures.