Well today was going to be a long trip for us, about 250 miles, but we didn't know how truly long it would be.
Our destination was Klamath, California just past the Redwoods National Park. We stopped in Eureka for diesel and I thought I smelled something burning by the tires. Jim thought it was the brakes since we had just gone through some mountains so we waited awhile and the tire cooled down.
We continued on and I radioed Jim that I could smell something burning. He stopped a few miles at a rest area and realized the tire had heated up again. He crawled under the rv and noticed something seemed to be rubbing the tire. We only had 38 miles to go to the campground and he thought if he took it slow he could make it.
No such luck. We probably only went two or three miles and the tire blew. Jim had to drive down a little way where he could pull off the road in front of a little country road, so we thought. It was 3 and he didn't want me to call Good Sam because he thought he could change the tire faster than it would take a tech to get to us. As he proceeded to take the tire off, a big truck came down the little county road followed by a logging truck. I spoke with the driver and sure enough we are stopped smack dab in the middle of a logging company. He asked if we could pull the rig a little farther up which Jim was able to do and the trucks pulled around us.
He got the tire off and then realized it looked like the bearings had gone out. We had one bar on our cellphone and could not make any calls, but we did have 3G on our Millenicom mobile hotspot. I was able to call out using Skype. We have Good Sam roadside coverage and just as I was about to complete the information, the call dropped. So, I called again and started over telling another person what had happened. She said they could send a mobile tech, but since we had an extended warranty with another company we should call them first. Jim calls the extended warranty company and they say they don't do mobile repairs. By now I have reached my frustration point. I called Good Sam and said we just need some help. They gave me the number of the tech service. It is now 5:30. Two more phone calls later and the tech guy told Jim with the parts needed he could not get to it until tomorrow morning.
So here we are on the side of the road, no way of getting the rv fixed today. Fortunately, there are people put in your life that offer you some hope. The owner of the logging operation had told Jim we could pull up in the yard and spend the night. He also sent one of his guys to see if he could fix the wheel. It was so nice of him to help! Jim went ahead and pulled the rv up the road (without the tire on the wheel). I can't tell you how scary it was following the rv up, but we made it.
Jim went out to get us something to eat and tonight will be our first real night of boondocking.
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That is a harrowing tale. What a fix to be in.
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