Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Trip report (Hmm, frustrated version, or fun version to tell? Long either way...)
| Trip report [message #219464] |
Wed, 21 August 2013 15:22  |
Tilerpep
Messages: 404
Registered: June 2013
Location: Raleigh, NC
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Well, I'll try to balance the frustrating and the awesome versions of the story, and give the highlights - with a storyteller’s license of possibly obfuscating facts to make a better read...ha!
I knew the S.S. Ingvar (Sparkles Sisyphus Ingvar 'the far travelled') was not ready, but summer was running out, and concert tickets ...that night...for teenager's favorite singer were purchased for next state away...we left home port.
Got gas 20 miles from home port.
Tires whumping so bad it was questionable it was just tires.
Next 'check things out' stop, kid asks if they can play Wii video games and I consent. They hook it up, and discover they left all game discs at home. Miffed kids developing.
Get going again. Wife asks "how much gas has it used?" I replied "nearly all of it I think" and within five minutes starts sputtering. With great hope I threw the auxiliary fuel switch...and immediately ran out of gas 120 miles from home port. (Lesson- tank is EMPTY on gauge last line, auxiliary switch provides no benefit for unknown reasons.) Waited one hour in 92 degrees for AAA to bring gas. Was very pleased to have a fridge stocked with pumpkin pie and cool whip to eat while waiting.
AAA guy provided 5 gallons AND a jump start. Dang, why do I need a jumpstart? Added more gas at next exit, and nearly took first “gas bath” after trying to fill it all the way up - the pump does not shut off like a car. Jumped clear, took three different experiences to learn/hear the preliminary gurgle from the bowels and not do this.
Dash air, which had been working fine (except a sporadic willingness to operate in top fan speed), was not keeping up with afternoon sun. I move lever to 'recirculate' and RRRROOOOOAAAARRRR it goes crazy. Won't return to normal position. Can feel vibration in feet along with noise. Have to shut it off. Miffed, hot, kids developing.
I can’t stand the heat and vibration, stop for more gas, and decide to run generator despite known pinhole leak in exhaust at manifold. It turns on, and I run overhead AC the rest of the way. We arrive at concert in time. Hooray. Great concert.
Estimate 3 mpg for first leg of trip (initiating the descriptive title “The Summer of Petrol”). Next leg of journey delayed four days while we visit family and 1) rebuild carburetor 2)buy more new tires and 3) fix other stuff. Dash air turns out to be a complete full size pine cone that had not shown itself during driveway tests of recirculate feature – at highway speed it blew from its hidey hole into the barrel of the axial blower fan blade thing. Thus the out of balance reality and noise as well as the blocked recirc door.
New tires make ride 60% better, but make me second guess decision to not replace wheels first. Predicted RV budget is now officially spent, and not happy with ride. One kid declares she is going to grandma’s rather than continue with this adventure. The remainder proceed with newly tightened compressor belt now causing the AC belt to go crazy, this limiting dash air for different reason. Choose new destination close to where we are, and proceed to get caught in rush hour urban traffic due to not having my preferred GPS computer set up because the inverter has stopped working. No way I am going into the mountains at dusk in current state of exhaustion and mechanical uncertainty. We add WalMart camping to our list of “been there, done that”. Head to mountains next day. Beeeeyootiful favorite, memory laden campground. Can’t find a level spot. Air compressor gives out and will not run at all requiring handheld compressor run off borrowed 12 volt battery pack and air bag lock outs employed. Fourth site attempt is a keeper. Rebuilt carb a second time on the picnic table and discover “idle air restrictor” is missing with appreciated assistance from the GMC forum. Dana air compressor proves to be DOA, shaft will pull out front; backup Hadley pump hasn’t worked and I pull it apart on same picnic table to see if it will get me home. It has had a small fire in the housing at some point in its life, and is waaaay beyond repair.
Unseasonably cool weather, even by mountain standards, highlights the fact that the furnace does not work. (Chronological abnormality here, fast forward five days to when I decide to learn about RV furnaces on the picnic table of campground #2 – appears ‘time delay relay’ is bad – I can make it cycle directly hooked to battery, but not in the furnace.) We redistribute the blankets assigned to the kid who went to grandma’s earlier! Fantastic day hikes and views. Enjoying fridge, and bathroom compared to our pop up we camped in for 14 years. Oh yea, no hot water heater, not there yet in the repair list.
The swaying that made me wish I had tracked down a steering damper was actually less a problem in the mountains due to the lower speeds. I took great joy in using “Super” gear, as designated by GMC, rather than the more obvious choice they could have gone with of “second” gear. It was like going into a telephone booth every time I downshifted. Motor pulled strong up the hills (and why not? Rocking the post rebuild improved 5 mpg should give me enough torque to take the mountain with me). Tremendous rock overlooks, waterfall hikes, and a few bear sightings (all at favorable distances - for us and the bears) along with starting the generator for Keurig coffee in the morning despite no hookups, were pretty sweet.
Oh yea, it rained a few times, and we did the buckets thing due to multiple roof leaks. We turned for home, stopped by grandma’s to pick up the kiddo that bailed, and made it home. Fixed some more stuff, discovered generator exhaust leak was more significant than I thought (oh yea, set off the carbon monoxide detector once from generator – adjusted Onan carburetor and insisted family not keep opening door until I got it tuned right to squelch that. I have two installed and was glad.) and headed to the beach.
Wumpity wheels still prevalent, generator not an option due to my first attempt at welding repairs for pipe not being finished, and a warm refrigerator because I forgot to plug it in the night before and pre-chill it (learning basic RV stuff as well as GMC specific) we ran through heavy rain while kiddo played now functioning WII video games. Registered 7 mpg, but not convinced this will hold (in fact it didn’t, trip home showed 5 again, need to check some more pieces).
The family all went to the beach one morning while I enjoyed a perfect temp, coastal breeze and rooftop vantage point over the salt marsh to make my first attempt at stopping the water intrusion. Lap sealant around all the longitudinal roof seams, all the ladder connection points, the roof fan and the antenna connection took care of 80% of water issues. Clearance light replacement will probably do the rest, but they take time to retrofit (times ten).
Finished the week at the beach, found the clipped off towing light wires and added a trailer pigtail, and successfully towed the jet ski home with the RV. If I could resolve the wumpity wheels, it is approaching pleasant to drive…kids played WII, we had lunch from the fridge, and the rig handled the winds from three thunderstorms admirably.
Thus reads the inaugural trip report for the S.S. Ingvar. Even at its current length, this report leaves out discoveries, travails, and successful MacGuyvering that occurred, while under-reporting the actual enjoyment of camping. Despite the possibility of apparent disregard for our general well being, let it be stated for the record that I had spent five weeks rebuilding the essential “go” and “stop” of drive train and brakes (among other things) before initial use. I had to run “The Beast” (one of many nicknames developing) to discover what worked and didn’t. The saga continues…
1975 Glenbrook, 1978 Royale rear bath
Raleigh, NC
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