On the road
again! For about 5 miles.
We had
planned on staying in the Savannah, GA. area for several days but thought we’d
be staying at a Walmart about 15 miles from Tybee Island and THREE (Count them:
3. Jackson, Pulaski, and Jefferson. ) Civil War forts. Instead…
We left the
Cummins Power shops in Port Wentworth, 15 miles northwest of Savannah, to head
to that Walmart. Mona was in TOAD following me in FROG and the diesel was
feeling her 400 horses as she pulled me up the first, then the second grades on
the highway (bridges, really). The hose that had been found broken on the
turbocharger and had been letting a lot of power go was fixed! Until it wasn’t.
BAM!! The sound was an explosion, and Mona heard it
better than I did since it came from our rear engine compartment. Then thick
black smoke poured out of the 4” exhaust on the left side rear of the coach and
the engine lost 80% or more of its power instantly. We crept over the top of the bridge and
pulled off to the side with flashers going.
PS: This is where our Verizon family plan on the
two smart phones we own really pays off.
We are always on the phone with each other (no minute maximum for phone calls
and texts) when driving separately. And we always drive separately when going
only a few miles. It takes 20 minutes to
hook up TOAD with the hitch and buddy brake, and another 20 to unhitch.
Mona walked
back to the coach and I called the shop, still only 5 miles back. The manager, Dwayne, assured me that if any
part of this issue had to do with ‘anything they had touched’ we would be
charged nothing and a tech was being pulled off another job and sent straight
out. About twenty minutes later Matthew pulled up, took a look in the engine
compartment and said, “I can see it myself.
The new hose fitting is blasted right off the turbocharger.”
We could
drive on flat ground slowly for a short distance so pulled off at the next exit
into a large parking lot Matthew knew of. The Cummins techs each drive a fully
stocked road service truck so he went right to work. We asked if we could go get our shopping
done, since we had been away for the past two weeks and he said fine.
An hour
later we were at that Walmart we had been originally heading for when he called
us back. “We’re towing her back to the shop.
The part has to be ordered in and that could take a couple of days”. By
this time we had guessed that might happen.
The same part that was now blown had taken a lot of work to locate in
the area. So we thought there might not be
a second just lying around.
We finished
our shopping and as we got within a couple of stop lights of the shop who
should we find in front of us but good old FROG, on just two legs! The truck hauler had her solidly towed and we
just followed her into the yard.
They have to
disassemble the drive shaft to tow our beast (we had seen that at the last tow
in January down in Florida) so while the wrecker dude put her back together he
let us fill the kitchen cupboards and refrigerator with our shopping. Fun to do on an angle!
While waiting for FROG to be made free of the Tow I noticed one of the jobs waiting in the shop yard to be completed.
When we were
finally level I rolled us into the same spot we parked in last night, and where
she had waited for us while we were gone the past two weeks. I’m telling you, this is not a bad place to
stay parked, and we have now planned to stay here through next Monday or
Tuesday- our daughter Jenn is sending our next mail packet to the office here
at the shop.
There is
room for four RV’s to hook up with 50 amp service, city water and a dump
station and all at no cost while here.
And a water
view! Watch out for the alligators
sneaking under the fence. And it’s a gated
RV park! There’s a serious fence and
gate with a serious combination lock RVer’s get the combi to so we may go in
and out anytime.
And if you
have to break down anywhere in America, Savannah is NOT the worst plac e to
have to stay an extra week! And the next two days are expected to have as high
as 80 degree temps so Tybee Beach (and a fort or three?), though now about 45
minutes away, is calling.
Back on the
grid instead of dry camping as planned, Mona just turned on the electric fire
in the living area and she’s toasting her tootsies while reading her book.
The life of
(who remembers?) Riley!
-Ken
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