The Death Wobble

 On March 31, consort and I pulled up stakes in Brownsville and headed west. Our final destination, Apache Junction, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona.

On our first leg of the trip we planned to boondock overnight in the Kerrville, Texas, Walmart parking lot just north of San Antonio.  We were passing by Kerrville around two o'clock in the afternoon and were having such a pleasant day, we decided to keep driving.  As the afternoon slowly passed, I began searching for a place to park the rig overnight.  Consort has an app on his phone called Park4Night that lists places near you that allow boondocking.  We decided to stop at Iraan, Texas.  (We never learned whether that is pronounced Iran or Ira-ann.  Based on the fact it was in western Texas, we assumed it was Ira-ann.)

Park4Night directed us to the city park in Iraan for an overnight boondock.  When we arrived, we noticed a sign at the entrance that said, No overnight parking.  Just to be safe, we contacted local law enforcement to let them know we were in the park and to verify an overnight boondock was allowed.  They assured us we were okay.

Iraan, Texas, is a small town with a population of 1,230.  It is located about 13 miles off of I-10.  The area around Iraan had a definite desert look with flat mesas in the distance.  It reminded us quite a bit of the Oklahoma Panhandle.

We spent a quiet night in a very isolated area.  The night sky was unencumbered by lights and the view of the stars was magnificent.  We didn't bother with a generator as the night air was very cool.  The only sound was that of birds scavenging and hooting throughout the night.  It was the perfect scenario for sleeping, yet neither consort nor I slept well.  We were up at the crack of dawn the next morning, had a quick breakfast, hitched the fifth wheel, and took off.  That first day we traveled 540 miles, about nine hours in the truck.

On day two, we continued west on I-10.  Our goal was to reach El Paso.  We arrived in El Paso, which is much bigger and busier than I anticipated, and felt like we could continue on, and so we did.  We followed I-10 north driving around the outskirts of Las Cruces, New Mexico, then continued west.  We ended the day at the Deming, New Mexico, Walmart.  415 miles, about seven hours in the truck.    

The Park4Night app stated that the Deming Walmart welcomed overnight boondockers and even had a portion of their parking lot set aside for them.  (You really can fulfill all your needs at the Walmart store...)  We were surprised to find so many 18-wheelers and RVs already set up in the parking lot when we pulled in around four o'clock.  There weren't many choices left for parking, so we pulled in next to an 18-wheeler leaving room between us for consort to park the truck.  As we were unhitching our truck from the trailer, another 18-wheeler pulled in next to us leaving just enough room for our slides to open.  The lot was hot, as most are, so we unloaded the generator and hooked it up so as to have electricity and AC in the trailer.

There we are, all snuggled up with our 18-wheeler neighbors.  Evidently, more 18-wheelers pulled in overnight.  When we went to bed, there were about 15 different types of RVs, including fifth wheels, motorhomes, Class C's, and vans, and twice as many 18-wheelers, parked in the lot.  I don't know how familiar you are with 18-wheelers, but when they park for the night, they do not shut down their rigs.  The loud motors are running all night long.  And, of course, we had our very loud generator running.  You can imagine the cacophony.  Despite the noise, or perhaps because of it, consort and I slept like babies. Reminded me of a scene from My Cousin Vinny.

There was an instance on the drive from Iraan to Deming when the truck lost power and a large wrench appeared on the dash with a warning about reduced engine power.  Consort pulled the rig over to the shoulder and we shut the truck off.  After waiting a few minutes, he restarted the truck and everything seemed fine.  We decided to continue on to Apache Junction where we would have the truck thoroughly checked; although, while in Deming, he had a mechanic run a cursory eye over the engine and oil levels.  No major problems presented.

The closest route to Phoenix from Deming takes you through some pretty good-sized mountains.  While the Smoky Mountains do not frighten me, the Appalachian Mountains made me very nervous.  I cannot imagine a time when I would willingly drive with a fifth-wheel attached through the Rocky Mountains.  Just the thought of it makes me shudder.

To avoid the mountains, we decided to stay on I-10 and drive from Deming, New Mexico, two hours west to Tucson, Arizona, and then head north to Apache Junction on the outskirts of Phoenix.  We plugged in an audiobook and started off, anxious to finally reach our destination.  About halfway between Deming and Tucson we stopped at a rest area for a quick break.  Consort let D.O.G. out to walk around while I grabbed a couple of sodas and some snacks out of the fifth wheel.  The scenery was beautiful!

Once everyone had their fill of walking around and enjoying the dry desert air, we loaded up and headed out.  

Approximately eight miles west of the rest area, we hit a rough patch in the road.  Without warning, the truck began to violently shimmy and shake back and forth.  Consort was barely able to maintain his grip on the steering wheel and I was barely able to suppress my screams.  With skills that never cease to amaze me, consort got the truck slowed down and off onto the shoulder of the road.  Right before the truck shut down of its own volition, the same warning we had seen the day before, a wrench, appeared on the dashboard, followed by an oil can that flashed onto the monitor.  We were both a bit shaken up by the abrupt stop, but completely unharmed.  Aside from being stranded in the middle of nowhere, the biggest problem was that there really is no shoulder on I-10 and it is a very busy highway.  18-wheelers and RVs were zooming past shaking us from side to side.

Consort contacted the insurance carrier for the truck and arranged for a tow.  The insurance company we've had for 30 years maintains the insurance on the truck, but does not cover fifth wheels.  While consort spoke with the truck insurance, I contacted the fifth wheel insurance carrier.  There's no reason to go into much detail here, but I will pass on the most important bit of information I garnered:  If you are stranded on the side of the road, especially an interstate, call 911 and request a highway patrolman to come to your location and manage traffic.  It was a godsend.  As drivers approached us, they could see the patrol car with flashing lights and would immediately pull over into the outside lane.  It also alleviated all danger for the wreckers.

Just as we finished the necessary phone calls to insurance carriers, lining up a truck repair and campsite, the highway patrol officer arrived.  Only ten minutes later the first wrecker was on the scene.  He loaded our F-350 onto a flatbed trailer and left for a Ford dealership in Tucson 53 miles away.  A second tow vehicle arrived just minutes later.  The tow for the fifth wheel was simply a heavy duty truck with the appropriate hitch for a fifth wheel.  A very friendly and experienced driver secured the trailer to the truck and towed us to a KOA campground in Tucson.

The next morning the dealership called and told us it would be a week to ten days before they would be able to look at the truck, run diagnostics, and determine what the problem was.  This was unhappy news, indeed.  Our plans were to park in Apache Junction for the month of April visiting with my brother and sister-in-law, then head north to Flagstaff to spend time with our friends.  I began the process of calling friends and the campground in Apache Junction to let them know of our dilemma and delayed arrival.  

When I spoke with our friends in Flagstaff, a little over four hours from Tucson, they offered to drive their truck to Tucson, hitch our fifth wheel, and deliver us to our campsite in Apache Junction.  I can't even begin to tell you how that made us feel.  With that simple offer of help, they changed what could have been a very frustrating situation into an entirely workable plan.

The KOA campground in Tucson.  Loved the covered parking that
 kept you shaded from the intense Arizona sun. It is a great idea!

We landed in Tucson on a Thursday afternoon.  The phone call from the dealership was early Friday morning. Later that day, around lunchtime on Friday, consort received a second call from the dealership.  They understood we were full-time RVers and moved our truck to the head of the line for repairs.  They ran diagnostics and determined we needed a new oil sensor, a $25 part.  The service tech said he would replace the faulty sensor and our truck would be ready for pick up late Friday afternoon, which was, in fact, the case.  Insurance covered all of the towing, so our out-of-pocket consisted of nominal charges for the repair and, of course, an unplanned stopover at the KOA.

While we were parked at the KOA and unable to go anywhere without a vehicle, we began in-depth research on why the truck was doing the shimmy/shake.  Sure, we had an oil sensor issue, but that did not explain the violent shimmy/shake we experienced before stopping.  We finally hit on the answer:  Our truck has a death wobble.  Yes, that's what they call it, a death wobble.  Apparently, this is an inherent problem in the Ford F-250 and 350 trucks.  It has been an ongoing problem for a decade.  When these trucks hit a rough patch on the road, whether or not any trailers are attached, it will begin to violently wobble from side to side. It stems from defects in the steering linkage and suspension.  Ford is aware of the problem, but has yet to recall the vehicles for repair.  The good news is that the death wobble is a fairly simple fix.  

We picked up the truck from the repair shop late Friday afternoon.  We left Tucson Saturday morning, April 3rd, and arrived in Apache Junction without incident later that same day.  Upon arriving in Apache Junction, consort located a diesel mechanic who was familiar with the death wobble and had repaired the problem numerous times.  While I am sitting here writing this blog, the truck is in the shop getting all necessary repairs.

We're anchored in Apache Junction for the month of April, and I'll keep you up-to-date on the happenings.  But for now, I must sign off.  While consort and brother are hanging out with the dogs and waiting on the truck repairs, my sister-in-law and I are headed out to spend the afternoon at IKEA.  Oh, yes, I know where every IKEA in the nation is located and we may be planning all travels around their locations!

Reading:  Just finished the book 1984, a work of fiction by author George Orwell written in 1949.  If you've read it before, it's worth re-reading.  We in the USA seem to presently be heading down a path toward this dystopian society.  I believe that we, as American patriots, need to wake up and take a stand for our republic.  I am grateful for the freedoms and the rights granted me under the constitution of the United States of America and will defend them with every breath.