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| Trip report [message #274736] |
Wed, 01 April 2015 15:58  |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
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To the wilds of Patterson, LA, for the GMCMI spring hoodah. Several of us spent the preceding Tuesday in Waveland, MS at the State park there. Nice campground, congenial company, etc. Young Sam the BWD took off to greet another dog I didn't see, and burned a blister about the size of a quarter on my index finger with his lead. Next morning, a C.W. McCall style Con-voy to the convention just down the road. Excepting me, I had to get gas, so I appeared just as everyone was finishing registration. The coach ran flawlessly, oozed a bit of oil. J.R. gave me a set of soft washers to cure this. A little bit of oil goes a long way in the wind. New Orleans in mid-morning isn't a bad passage at all. I held 60 through the place.
The Convention has been covered elsewhere better than I can - lots of good tech information, sevenses with friends - ice cream socials, good food. A success.
I started out late Monday morning to make an appointment today. Overnighted in Creola AL, just N of Saraland, on a Mobile County park. The Mobile River Delta Park and Campground. Highly recommended, there's a marina and nice shaded campsites. Mostly fishermen in large trailers. It's worth a stop, I rate it slightly above Buccaneer, even with Wekiwa Springs. YMMV.
The trip up 65 and across 85 was without a hitch till I got to the city. The bypass reported only 1 lane open at a wreck, and a three mile backup so I attempted through town - after all, wasn't yet 3 PM. There came a pause in traffic and the coach wasn't having any. We stopped on the inside wall, just out of the HOV lane. Fortunately a Stat Trooper appeared and blocked the shoulder and called a Hero truck. The Hero guy hooked in the frame behind the bumper and hauled me across seven lanes of I-75/85 while the trooper did a rolling block. Opened the hatch to a blast of hell. OK, when it cools, it will go. So I took the toad and young Sam home and then went back and waited out the rush hour. Fired her up and headed North. About three miles later, the alternator belt departed. With the headlights, no way the battery will make it 50 miles home, so I called a tow company. Called six tow companies. One gent finally got loose and showed up in the gentle rain just past midnight. After surveying the coach, he didn't think his lift bar would clear the radiator. "But we've a truck that will, a wheel lift. Call early in the morning." Some home to bed, called this morning, that truck broke last night, it's at the welders all day, how about tomorrow? I got a hot battery, drove down in the toad, hooked up, and drove it home. I turned on my road and it sputtered a bit, so I parked it out front for a couple of hours and then fired it up and came up the driveway.
So the list - A new fan clutch (which I have) - new thermostat and gasket (which I have) - soft washers under the oil cooler fittings in the radiator (which I now have) - 3 new belts and 3 spares - run it till it sputters again, and look for hot spots underneath. I think the tanks are getting warmed up. The temp stays quarter scale, actually just under starting ten miles of highway, throughout the day. However as the day wears on, the problem appears when stopping. If I run long enough, it will appear at cruise. This points to hot tanks, I think.
Oh yeah - 10.065MPG for the ride, with the toad connected. 1 quart of oil in the roughly 1200 mile strip, which is spread fairly evenly on the underneath of the coach. This at as close to 60 per as I could get, cruise control the whole way.
A great trip, with a bit of frustration at the end.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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