Jynxd

07/26/19 – Well, It looks like we have pushed all of our vehicles just a bit too hard on this trip and they are all finally complaining. I noticed water leaking out of Bob’s truck in Valdez. Jimmy also noticed he had a possible fan clutch issue on his Truck as well as having to purchase a couple of tires for his trailer due to irregular wear. We joked that the only vehicle that hadn’t had any problems was the oldest, our little Toyota RV. We should have known better than say anything! We had just left our beautiful little campground next to the Nelchina River and were headed to Eagle River outside of Anchorage, where Bob has arranged to have a new Radiator put in, when Jack, our Toyota RV, began coughing and sputtering and then quit completely. So much for our bragging rights. Fortunately Michael had the forethought to purchase towing insurance from Good Sam. We contacted them and they arrange a tow truck to come all the way from Wasilla, AK to take us to a mechanic. We waited approx 2 hours and Stan from Towz R Us showed up and put or Toy up on his Flatbed Wrecker and strapped her down. It was pretty spooky watching our little RV rocking and rolling over the frost heaved hwy on its way to the Repair Shop. We were taken to E.G.M. Auto Repair in Wasilla, home of Tiny the Tow Dog, where just getting the Toy off of the wrecker onto the lift was a challenge but the folks and E.G.M. were professionals. After placing the Toy on the lift, the mechanic reached down and turned the key and it fired right up! WTF!? He began by putting in a new fuel filter and took Jack out for a test drive. He had not gotten far when it quit again. So while we waited for another wrecker to bring it back to the garage, they ordered a new fuel pump that they will install tomorrow that will hopefully, solve the problem. Watching these folks work together was like watching a TV Reality show, what a bunch of characters. They told us we would not be charged extra for the entertainment.

07/27/19 – Bob Dropped us off at a motel and after spending $140 for $60 quality room we hung around until approx 1:00pm when J&J came to pick us up and we went back to the Repair shop only to find out that the parts store had sent the wrong fuel pump and they had sent someone to Anchorage to pick up another and were not expected back until 4:30pm. We hung out at the Lake Lucile Park where Bob and J&J were camped, toured the Headquarters of the Iditerod Dogsled Race, took some walks, and played some games. We went back to the repair shop at 5:00pm to find the Camper still on the Rack and only one person at the shop washing the tow trucks. We grabbed some sheets and blankets out of the RV and spent the night in Bob’s little 2 man tent as we could not see overspending on another hotel room. I think Sierra is wondering what is up with these crazy hoomans who keep downsizing her accommodations. House to RV to Hotel Room and now a 2 man (+1 dog) tent. The rain was steady last night but the temperature was not too cold, and the tent kept us fairly dry until morning when it began to seep in around the base. Not bad for a 20 year old tent.

07/28/2019 – I woke up early and took Sierra for a walk and then crawled back into the tent and slept for another couple of hours. Bob and J&J have been very accommodating and offered us their couches but we are already relying on them for rides and meals and so opted to at least try the tent gig. If the RV is not repaired and it continues to rain we may need to take them up their offers. We are blessed with good friends and their morning coffee was hot and welcome after a damp night. Mike and Jim drove over to the Repair shop but as expected for a Sunday, no one was around and things were locked up tight. We decided to take a drive over to Palmer to explore the town. They are known for their enormous vegetables in this farming community. We walked through the garden next to the visitor center and museum. This area was settled when the US government offered land in the newly acquired territory of Alaska to anyone who was willing to build a farming community there. While at the visitors center, Mike’s phone rang and he almost didn’t pick it up as he did not recognize the number. Our RV was repaired and ready to be picked up. Thank goodness for this unexpected but very welcome news. We cut our tour of Palmer short and drove back to Wasilla to pick up the RV. With a new fuel pump, filter and seal on the inside of the fuel tank, we gratefully climbed back into our little home and drove her over to the Lake Lucille campground to rejoin our Caravan. Just a couple of days ago I was feeling like she was a bit small for this trip but after that night in the tent she felt spacious and warm. Thanks to the folks at EGM Automotive for their excellent service and going above and beyond to work through the weekend to get her back up and running.