lucky or not?

Cobraman · 10-01-2019, 05:27 PM

Long story
Wifey and I Started out on a trip to Stevensville Montana from Denver, Co. 2 weeks ago to eventually get there for a wedding pulling our 2018 Rockwood 2304 mini-lite with my tired '97 F150 with the 5.4L motor. First nite stayed at Dinosaur Nat. Monument (A-1 FOR THE CAMPGROUND!) next morning headed to Vernal Utah where things went sour. The truck started acting up, and lost power bad in town, then it died at 3 street lights, had just passed a Ford Dealership so turned around and took it to them. HA!!! They checked for codes and it was throwing 8 different ones and there was one code they never knew existed. They determined that the fuel pump had gone south, so they ordered one, it was to take 2 days to get it from Salt Lake City. We stayed at the KOA(great campground, clean, friendly, and in a beautiful setting AAA+) just on the north side of town waiting for them to repair the vehicle. 2 days came and went, fuel pump showed up morning of the 3rd day. That was Tuesday when we got there, had to be in Stevensville on THURSDAY for family stuff! They installed the pump, still throwing 3 new codes...determined the injectors needed to be replaced, 2 more days to get them at the earliest! We were at that point looking for a different tow vehicle, we had to get going on the road. WELL, they had a 1999 F250 Lariat with a 7.3L diesel that someone had just traded in the day we got there on Tuesday, talked to him about his truck but had no idea I was about to buy it. Made the deal, only had 132641 miles and was a dream to drive! Next day was thursday, hooked up our new old truck and away we went. Man that sucker towed my trailer like it was a sleep walk. Finally made it Friday afternoon at the rehearsal dinner. The truck is a long bed BEAST!!!
So with that long story being spilled did we get lucky or NOT?

cfo111 · 10-01-2019, 05:34 PM

If your happy with it it's not up to anybody else right?

Cobraman · 10-01-2019, 05:51 PM

As a follow up to my story, we were driving back from Montana thru Wyoming by way of Lander Wy. on US 287, the wind out of Lander was strong blowing out of the West at about 25mph. We got to where the highway crosses the divide and the wind was wicked close to at least 50. That's when we had to drive across the wind, at a "draw" where the road was about 20' higher than the bottom area the wind hit us dead on sideways with a huge ferocious gust that made this BAD sound from the trailer, looking in the mirrors on on driver side I thought at first that we had blown a tire and that it had torn the skirting up over the wheel well, at the time I was driving only about 50mph. That was a good ting because if we had been driving faster surely it would have lifted the trailer and only bad things would follow. Instead we got lucky, but the wind had torn the plastic belly pan out from under the trailer and it had gotten wrapped around the front wheel!!! Got out my trusted "BUCK" knife and crawled under the trailer and cut away the belly pan! Really lucky...the gas hose from the tanks had barely touched the tarmac along with the trailer wiring. If I had been going faster it would probably scrapped the hose and wires badly. I always carry a nice big roll of "duct tape" which I used to tie up the wiring and hose with to the frame. I had to cut away 80% of the belly pan. Here's something that was really scary: while pulled over an a very narrow edge of the highway trucks and other people with huge motorhomes, trailers, and cars whizzed by me without not even moving over a tiny bit, my legs were sticking out most of the time!!! My wife was standing at the rear of the trailer trying to wave vehicles over but she said only a small handfull moved over. We even had out some of those triangles to warn drivers but the DA---D wind blew them across the road into the barrow ditch about 30 yards before they got hung up in weeds. Very scary!!!
They best part of that debacle is that the trailer is still under warranty and ROCKWOOD is going to replace it at no charge to me at my dealer here in Denver at "WINDISH RV CENTER"!!!!! Still lucky I ask?

Cobraman · 10-01-2019, 05:53 PM

sorry about the long story posts. I am a bit long winded!

todtc318 · 10-01-2019, 06:12 PM

Very lucky for a wide variety of reasons. Enjoy your new truck and trailer.

tuckerdog1 · 10-01-2019, 06:20 PM

I've said several times, these trips are not vacations, they are adventures. Sounds like you had a good adventure.

Tuckerdog1

HangDiver · 10-01-2019, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuckerdog1

I've said several times, these trips are not vacations, they are adventures. Sounds like you had a good adventure.
Tuckerdog1

This^^^^^ Also, I'd say you were very lucky as thats a long stretch of nothing between Dino Natl Monument and Vernal (I've stayed in both of those CGs). Great story and a happy ending!

Nancyc7 · 10-01-2019, 08:05 PM

Great Stories!! Don't apologize.

We loved our stay in Vernal, Utah. We stayed in Fossil Valley RV park. Very laid back place. Rode my bike to town every day in the early morning.

Chris Pastuzyn · 10-02-2019, 04:46 AM

One heck of a adventure, Glad all went well .Have you played the lottery lately? Sounds like you may be do!
Welcome from New Jersey

str8t six · 10-02-2019, 09:04 PM

great score on the truck! crazy that it has such low mileage!

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