First trip out of state, what an adventure!!!

[Hondalee]

Ok here goes the start of the adventure. I like old Diesel engines and one is coming up for sale out of state. We have a niece in the air force stationed in Florida so what better way to get the wife on board this trip than visit her favorite niece.
The trip is set so now to get my 1995 Country Coach Concept ready, I will also need a trailer to haul my antique engine. So I prep my old farm trailer I use to haul my tractor and fire wood on. The lights were busted long ago so I need to install new lights and plugins, and to be safe I should check bearings and so on. In the end all new wheel bearings and electric brake assembly. Alright trailers now good to go, on to the bus!
Two new front tires, oil change, add antifreeze, cleaned radiator, checked belts washed bus and we are looking good!
Time to go this is going to be great just the wife and I with our two old dogs,let's get this show on the road!
Up early morning and hook up newly remodeled farm trailer with my motorcycle loaded for fun and where off. Ho (darn) that's the wrong size ball on the hitch, no problem quick stop by Walmart and hit the road!
Only 5 miles to Walmart and then off!
Just before we pull in to Walmart someone flags us down and says we are dragging something, ok thanks.
Pull into parking lot and my new trailer brakes are smoking!
I had never hooked trailer up to make sure it all worked, (Darn)! No problem for now I will just cut power to electric brakes and try again. One mile down the road we pull over and check trailer and it worked! It's all good and time to hit the road to start the adventure!
(Mod edit)

[Davdeb1]

I can feel your ear to ear grin doing this. I'm fulltime over 2 years and your plans still make me grin! Good for you, have fun!

[Gordon Dewald]

Wonderful way to start and adventure with an an adventure.

[Hondalee]

Ok let's let puppy's go poddie then load up and hit the road, woohoo! Ho wait what's that sound? It sounds like air hissing, Darn!
So now I'm thinking now what? I hope it's not one of the air bags leaking. I am determined to hit the road I hope it's not to serious. I find a hole blowen in a air line, time to channel my inner Magiver and break out a rubber tire patch and a hose clamp, slowly crawl back under to see if I can plug the leak. ( I'm not as flexible as I once was)
Success!! Time to hit the road, it's now 12:30 and I'm now on the on ramp wohoo!
It's all good, this is great! Cruzing down the interstate in my favorite toy my most cool big bus, loving it!
Ok hunny puppy's got to go poddie, we have made it almost 100 miles and still loving it!
Pull off the interstate looking for some nice green grass for the puppy's and while turning I notice something in the rear view mirror, ho that doesn't look right I think that tire just had a little wobble. We go a couple more blocks to find a spot to stop, set the break put in neutral. About that time a women pulls up and tells me ( you lost your spare tire a couple blocks back!). Now this is a surprise to me because my first thought is " I don't have a spare tire". Oh you got to be (kidding) me, I couldn't have a wheel just fall off wright?
Well I'll be (darned) the whole wheel is gone and all the lug nut are still on. Time to go for a walk! About 1/3 of mile back in my the bushes there it set, wheel totally distroid. Lug holes 4 times bigger than they should be, lugs on wheel hub totally stripped. To make a long story short after a lot of searching a lot of sweating covered in bearing grease I find a new wheel and hub assembly put it all back together. At this point it's now 5:30 pm we have went less than 100 miles, I climb into the bus to find the wife and dogs sitting in the heat sweating giving me that look and says you sure you don't want to just turn around?
I respond by asking why did you turn off the generator that was powering your air conditioning? She says I didn't touch a thing, I respond saying you gotta be (kidding) me what now!?
(Mod Edits)
Stay tuned it gets better! A lot better! NOT!

[spritz]

Boy not a good start, hope it get's better, can't wait to hear how your doing.
Tim

[beamisl]

Um,


Eventually you will get everything fixed and shouldn't be a problem getting down the road.


Good Luck, Lynne

[Hondalee]

Ok here goes a little more of the adventure.
So after finding out the generator died I didn't want to deal with it wright now I wanted to stay positive and move on down the road! Woohoo! Turn the key and click click clack and nothing! (Darn) it, really! Batteries to weak to start the engine. Now you got to know I am pretty handy and a DIY kind of guy so I tested these batteries before leaving and still just click click.
No problem my high dollar classic has a boost button to allow house batteries to help start this big rig, woohoo she started I'm hitting the road it's all good nothing stopping me now! We drive for a couple of hours make it past St. Louis and on to cape girardeau to stop for the night,12 hours on the road and we have went 250 miles, we are kicking some (butt ) now! Lol
I decided to take a chance and park at SAMs club in hopes they would have some bus batteries we park and the wife tells me, hunny the frig is not working. I dident want to hear any more I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. The next morning into SAMs and lucky new day they have one bus batterie so we bought it and replaced the weakest of the two. Turned on he key and "BAM" just like that she started write up, we are hitting the road. Wohoo on the road again! We are driving for just a bit and I notice the DC charging gauge is at 12 volts, hay that's not right. Maybe it wasn't the batteries maybe it's the alternator ? Screw it I'm driven driven driven, living the dream! Just me the wife my trusty dogs and my beautiful classic bus. Other than DC voltage all other gauges look good I will just keep driving till something stops me. (Darn) the engine light just came on!
What now?
(Mod edits)

[OLYLEN]

I have been RVing for over 50 years and have not had that much trouble in all that time. Think I would stay at home or is your whole life this way?
Good luck.

LEN

[George Schweikle]

Hondalee,

You are being subjected to "The Innate Perversity of Inanimate Objects". Or, (Mod edit) happens...

Good luck.

[Hondalee]

This is an on going trip/ struggle. There is a lot more I just type slow and I'm only adding to the story when I take breaks from working, I mean vacationing. Lol
I have not yet begun to fight!!! Lol

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by Hondalee

This is an on going trip/ struggle. There is a lot more I just type slow and I'm only adding to the story when I take breaks from working, I mean vacationing. Lol
I have not yet begun to fight!!! Lol

Love the attitude. When life gives you lemons make lemonade.

[Stealth01]

Lookin' Forward to Chapter 2!!

[Grey Ghost I]

I am really enjoying reading this, but I sure hope you get it all fixed. Good luck and best wishes!

[spritz]

ONO,
Making our first out of state trip come December we will be going 1700 miles. I hope we don't have your troubles. I'll crumble!!!!!

I can't wait to hear what has happened since your last post.
Tim