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| Just so you know I'm being safe out here |
Where have you been in the last couple of weeks? I know exactly where consort and I have been: In the exact same place in the exact same circumstance for over a week. I'm beginning to wonder if we're still in Punxsutawney experiencing our own personal Groundhog Day.
When we left Missouri a couple of weeks ago, we headed for Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, our hometown, to spend time with our daughter, SIL, and GSx3 (grandsons times three). During our time in Broken Arrow, we planned to stay with the GSx3 while daughter and SIL traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate a wedding anniversary with a group of friends.
We arrived in Broken Arrow and spent a beautiful, uneventful week parked at Bluff Landing, our favorite local campsite. After a week, we decided to move the trailer to daughter's house and park it in the street while we stayed with the grandsons. The thought of packing for two humans, two canines, and one feline was overwhelming; moving the trailer -- essentially packing EVERYTHING in one big box -- seemed the easier solution.
We had a great time with the grandsons and were able to attend our oldest grandson's football game.
For those of you who read the blog regularly, you may remember we had a truck issue, followed by a repair, in Wilkes-Barre, PA, home of Mom & Pop's Pierogies. The auto shop in Wilkes-Barre replaced a wheel bearing. On the drive from Wilkes-Barre to Broken Arrow, the truck seemed to be making an abnormal sound. Consort decided to take the truck in to the local Ford dealership once we arrived in our hometown to have them diagnose the problem.
Diagnostics revealed there was a wheel bearing that needed replaced, and it wasn't the wheel bearing we had replaced in Wilkes-Barre. We agreed to the repair and left the truck to be serviced. On the day we were scheduled to pick up the truck, we received a call from the dealership. The wheel bearing issue was resolved, but the truck continued to make the same noise. Upon further checking, the mechanic determined the turbo bearing was bad. The cost for repair? Nearly $6,300, and that's on top of the cost to replace the wheel bearing.
Our plan was to pick up the truck after the wheel bearing repair, then move the trailer from the street in front of daughter's house back out to Bluff. We made arrangements with the dealership to pick up the truck prior to the turbo repair so we could move the trailer. After the trailer was safely ensconced at Bluff Landing, we planned to take the truck back to the Ford dealership for the final repair.
We picked up the truck and drove across town to daughter's house. We hitched the trailer then drove back across town headed to Bluff Landing, about a 20-minute drive. We drove three miles on streets to reach the turnpike, then entered the highway. We drove eight or nine miles on the turnpike before exiting. When we exited the turnpike, we made a left-hand turn and began the final leg of the trip to Bluff. After only a tenth of a mile, consort said, The rear tire on the trailer is smoking; we need to stop. We took the first available right-hand turn off the main road onto a side street and parked.
Both consort and I got out of the truck to go back and check the tire. We're thinking a fender might be rubbing the tire, or maybe we have a blowout. What we found was nothing. Literally. There was no tire and there was no wheel. Only the axel and brakes remained. As we stood, dumbfounded, looking at the gaping hole, a gentleman passing by in a pickup stopped and said, I think that's your wheel back there.
It was. Consort walked back and retrieved the wheel/tire combo, then immediately got on the phone with our insurance. We were assured they would send a wrecker tout suite. The agreed upon plan was to have the fifth wheel towed to Bluff, then have mobile RV repair come out and repair the wheel.
Three hours later, after numerous phone calls and texts with the insurance, we decided to give up on the wrecker. It was 8 pm and apparent that nothing was going to be done. We unhitched the trailer, left it in the street, and drove back to daughter's house.
The next morning, we delivered the truck back to the Ford dealership for the turbo repair. Consort was also on the phone with the insurance company trying to find a tow. You wouldn't think it is a big deal to tow a vehicle, even an RV; but, as it turns out, fifth wheels are a bit trickier. Around two o'clock, 23 hours after the wheel fell off, a wrecker arrived to tow the fifth wheel to an RV repair shop. During all the phone calls with mechanics, it was determined the repair was too big for a mobile RV repair unit.
The wrecker that was sent out is made to tow 18-wheelers. It was enormous, as you can see from the photo; it completely dwarfs the trailer. The tow-truck driver used chains to hold the axel up so it wouldn't drag on the ground, hitched the fifth wheel, and delivered it safely to the mechanic.
In the meantime, the Ford dealership repaired the turbo issue. While repairing the turbo, it was discovered that another wheel bearing had gone bad on the truck. And this particular wheel bearing was the same one the shop in Wilkes-Barre had just replaced. Apparently, we got a defective part in Wilkes-Barre. There have been more phone calls, and an exchange of photos and information, after which the Wilkes-Barre shop determined to take care of the replacement repair at no cost to us.
The excellent insurance consort purchased from Progressive will take care of all the towing and trailer repairs. The first estimate for towing came in at $5,000. Our insurance company declined the bid and contacted 918 Wrecker Service who agreed to tow the trailer for half that cost. Prior to this incident, if you had told me the cost to tow a fifth wheel would range between $2,500 and $5,000, I would not have believed you. I have now caught up and am fully in the saddle.
While the repairs are going on, we're staying with daughter, SIL, and GSx3. It's like being at a resort. I'm not sure who is enjoying it more: Consort and I, who are able to fully relax, or the wee mangy mongrels who are free to run in and out of the house and all over the backyard.
Working out logistics on all of these repairs has NOT been fun. Consort and I have received a crash course in the procurement, maintenance, and transportation involved in fifth wheel repair. But we're blessed. Of all the places these annoyances could happen, there is no better place than in your own hometown. That fact alone reduces the stress of the situation by half. Staying with grandsons not only keeps you busy, but it is conducive to huge belly laughs. It's hard to stay annoyed when your mouth is full of laughter.
As of today, we're still waiting on repairs to be finished. Both the RV repair shop and the Ford dealership tell us we'll have our vehicle and trailer by the end of the day. We have no expectations; we've been told the same thing, "ready today," more than once. But no complaints. It will all be done eventually. In the meantime, based on all that is going on, I believe we're experiencing our very own Groundhog Day right here in Broken Arrow, OK.
Reading: Insurance policies
On the TV: Politics
Current hobby: Re-organizing closets and drawers
(Don't judge! I love it & am quite good at organization!)
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