3600 miles and only one issue (maybe more but one big one)
Dec 30, 2017 19:05:35 GMT -8
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Post by shastatom on Dec 30, 2017 19:05:35 GMT -8
I live in SE Minnesota and just bought another trailer in Idaho about an hour north of Boise. A 58 Shasta Airflyte. I jumped in the SUV on Tue and took off for Idaho. I90 was very quiet and clear so I was about an hour south of Billings Tue at 5 pm (900 miles into the trip) when the pulley broke and the serpentine belt came off. It was -10-15 below and got pulled into a gas station and it had just closed. Pounded on the door and they just kept looking the other way and told me once they were closed. I tried to say I was broken down but no go.
Lucky a very nice guy was filling up with gas and told us he would come back to check on us when he got his wife picked up. Lucky he stopped back because we had on all our cold weather clothing and boots and our feet had turned to ice, or were getting painful. He got us in his care and 45 min later the tow truck showed up.
The tow truck was so old and rattly that I thought we would need another tow truck to pull that to Billings. The tow truck also didn't have heat so back to ice cubes again for an hour. He dropped the car off at the dealer and us at the hotel down the street and our first day was over.
Day 2
I got up early and was second in line at the dealer and they took a look at my car and they told me it would be about 1200 dollars for a belt and pulley. Ouch, and the parts would have to be ordered and may take a few days. Told them to get going and I went back to the hotel to tell my brother and called my wife. She told me to see if I could rent a truck to go and get the trailer. I tried to do this before around my neck of the woods and no luck. But I Googled it and Enterprise rents 3/4 ton pickups for this type of purpose. Kwik call and we are on the road again to Boise.
Day 3
We get up early to get on the road an hour north of Boise, meet the very nice lady with the trailer and it is everything she told me. She also had new the axle repacked last year and new tires put on wed. morning for the trip. We load the camper up and head back to Billings. We only make it to Bozeman before I couldn't drive any further. 729 miles in one day in the mountains seemed like enough.
Day 4
Get up at 5 so I can beat the traffic and weather. Didn't beat the weather. Drove 150 miles to Billings in 3 hours in blowing snow and jerks causing white out conditions passing. Almost ended up in the ditch because of one guy. My brother said we would be seeing him again,,,,,, in about 5 miles there he was in the ditch almost on the other side of the interstate.
Get to Billings, pay for the SUV and drop the truck off and off we go again in the light snow. Not a big deal for me, being that I am in Minnesota and use to this but my brother hasn't lived here in 30 years and forgot what it is like. He thought conditions were awful. Me if the road is clear with no ice or packed snow and I can see 1000 feet, it is ideal winter driving.
Get to Sheridan WY and the snow stops and everything is great until Rapid City SD. Snow. We stopped for the night and it was only 6:30, I must be tired or getting old.
Day 5
Get up and on the road by 7:45 and drive in lite snow until we cross the Missouri river and then it is clear sailing all the way home. Pull in the driveway at 7:05 and kiss the dogs and tell the wife I am home and now I am relaxing and making plans for what to do to this trailer.
I will go out tomorrow if it gets warming then below zero and start planning. I also need to get it unhooked from the car and find a spot on the driveway for it.
Lucky a very nice guy was filling up with gas and told us he would come back to check on us when he got his wife picked up. Lucky he stopped back because we had on all our cold weather clothing and boots and our feet had turned to ice, or were getting painful. He got us in his care and 45 min later the tow truck showed up.
The tow truck was so old and rattly that I thought we would need another tow truck to pull that to Billings. The tow truck also didn't have heat so back to ice cubes again for an hour. He dropped the car off at the dealer and us at the hotel down the street and our first day was over.
Day 2
I got up early and was second in line at the dealer and they took a look at my car and they told me it would be about 1200 dollars for a belt and pulley. Ouch, and the parts would have to be ordered and may take a few days. Told them to get going and I went back to the hotel to tell my brother and called my wife. She told me to see if I could rent a truck to go and get the trailer. I tried to do this before around my neck of the woods and no luck. But I Googled it and Enterprise rents 3/4 ton pickups for this type of purpose. Kwik call and we are on the road again to Boise.
Day 3
We get up early to get on the road an hour north of Boise, meet the very nice lady with the trailer and it is everything she told me. She also had new the axle repacked last year and new tires put on wed. morning for the trip. We load the camper up and head back to Billings. We only make it to Bozeman before I couldn't drive any further. 729 miles in one day in the mountains seemed like enough.
Day 4
Get up at 5 so I can beat the traffic and weather. Didn't beat the weather. Drove 150 miles to Billings in 3 hours in blowing snow and jerks causing white out conditions passing. Almost ended up in the ditch because of one guy. My brother said we would be seeing him again,,,,,, in about 5 miles there he was in the ditch almost on the other side of the interstate.
Get to Billings, pay for the SUV and drop the truck off and off we go again in the light snow. Not a big deal for me, being that I am in Minnesota and use to this but my brother hasn't lived here in 30 years and forgot what it is like. He thought conditions were awful. Me if the road is clear with no ice or packed snow and I can see 1000 feet, it is ideal winter driving.
Get to Sheridan WY and the snow stops and everything is great until Rapid City SD. Snow. We stopped for the night and it was only 6:30, I must be tired or getting old.
Day 5
Get up and on the road by 7:45 and drive in lite snow until we cross the Missouri river and then it is clear sailing all the way home. Pull in the driveway at 7:05 and kiss the dogs and tell the wife I am home and now I am relaxing and making plans for what to do to this trailer.
I will go out tomorrow if it gets warming then below zero and start planning. I also need to get it unhooked from the car and find a spot on the driveway for it.
Geeeeze!!!
