This is gonna be short and sweet….well, not sweet at all! We had a great trip to Vancouver, WA yesterday and spent the night at Dave and Carol’s. Haven’t processed the pictures yet so no photos tonight. They provided us with a wonderful spot to park in their driveway, with electric and we had a great dinner at McMennimins on the river. Altogether a lovely evening.
We left around 10 this morning, met our grandson at Multnomah Falls and had a great visit with him. We were almost to Hat Rock RV Park, just out of Umatilla, when a car pulled up beside us and waved us off the road. Thank goodness there was a large empty lot right there and we pulled in.
“Looks like something’s wrong with your front tire on your tow car,” he said. “Your wheel is not tracking – it’s all cockeyed.”
We looked at the left front tire and the belts were showing- that tire was about to blow! The right front tire is fine and the steering was not locked. Russ pulled forward a bit and the tire rolled. We were luckily right next door to an RV park and a very nice manager. The park is all residential as far as we can tell and he had no spots, but he let us pull up in front of his place and plug in. Someone who was supposed to come in tonight was delayed until tomorrow so we did get a spot for the night.
It is HOT HOT HOT here and Poppy and us too would have a real problem with no A/C.
So once again, here we sit! We’re only about 25 miles from Pendleton, OR where we had our problem in the spring. I am certainly beginning to wonder if there is not a major problem with the Fit that we haven’t figured out. We tow it according to the published specifications and are so careful to go by the guidelines.
It is too late tonight to get help and not much around here in the way of dealers. We are going to try and rent a tow dolly tomorrow and tow the durn (and you know I REALLY want to use another adjective!) thing home. We will get it fixed and then it is getting sold and perhaps the motor home too. No problems with Therapy but I think we are just too old and too tired to mess with this crap. Sometimes things are just not meant to be.
No, no, no! I'm so sorry that you keep getting on the receiving end of this cr*p. I hope you get some answers and that things look brighter tomorrow or at least in a few days. Hang in there, Russ and Donna...
ReplyDeleteP.S. Is there ANYTHING we can do to help?
ReplyDeleteawww shoot...but look at the positive side...it could have blown while rolling down that road...so you got stopped in time..thank heavens for strangers!!! Don't give up yet...sleep on it...it definitely could have been worse....hang in there folks...and the best of luck
ReplyDeleteOhhh noooo!!! Thank God you did not blow a tire, especially on the RV. That is my biggest fear. Good luck and keep us posted. Lynda
ReplyDeleteOh so sorry for your problems. I am so happy though that you are both safe.
ReplyDeletePlease take your time with your decision on the Fit and MH. It all may look dark right now but please don't make your decision while you are unhappy.
Hope you get it all taken care of tomorrow. Prayers coming your way for safe travels home.
hang in there Russ and Donna..things will seem better in the morning..you are more than welcome to join my 'party'..hugs to you both and a pat on the head for Poppy!
ReplyDeleteHang in there. You know about our great start, but the things you do and the people you meet are worth all the bumps in the road.
ReplyDeleteOh no!! So sorry ... wish we had known you were coming through Vancouver. We might have met you at McMennimins.
ReplyDeleteI've been in your shoes -- not with the motorhome, thank goodness -- where I was ready to chuck the whole thing, so I know how frustrated you must feel.
ReplyDeleteDon't go doing anything you might wake up to regret the morning after you cash the check. The Fit ... yes; I think you should sell it since it's given you more fits than you need. Get home safe and then think about what you want to do.
I think you have been given some good advice by folks here. Have been where your at but not with the same problem & not as serious. Know how frustrating it is & know how easy it would be to throw the towel in. But, give it some time. There has to be a reason for the problem recurring. Could be something simply out of alignment with the rig, tow bar, or the car. Perhaps the tow bar has not been properly installed. The key is in finding the problem. I suggest you post your problem on the RV Net Forum. For sure you will receive some answers, suggestions & direction. Most important....take some time to let emotions calm down & rethink your feelings. Relax, & give it a couple weeks or longer if necessary. You probably already know that if you sell your rig at this age & stage of the game, you are not likely to get another one. It's your decision.......all the best.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a problem somewhere for this to happen twice. I'm sure we're going to be getting rid of the Fit at least and then make up our minds on Therapy. I'm really thinking it has something to do with the brake set-up. We'll see. We're on our way home with the Fit on a flat bed trailer.
DeleteOur thoughts and prayers are with you, Donna & Russ. Take care.
ReplyDeleteSOOOO grateful you found the problem before it could cause damage to the car or the RV. I understand the frustration you're feeling. You can't have fun if you're concerned about safety every time you venture out.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you and Russ.
You can dump that car it you need to, but hang on the Therapy, because that's what it really is -- therapy! We can attest that therapy (especially PT -- can be painful, but it really gets you where you need to be. Please don't let frustrations ruin the rest of your life. And you aren't too old and too tired. These are the best years of your life.
ReplyDeleteMust be very frustrating alright. I was wondering about putting the spare tire on instead of renting a tow dolly and all the hassle and work that goes along with that. I suppose the Fit drives o.k. when its not being towed?
ReplyDeleteNo can do. The front end may be messed up. Looks like the tire was crabbing sideways. Just can't figure out what went wrong. That brake must be locking up somehow. But we have it loaded on a flat hauler and are getting ready to leave Kennewick. Wish us luck.
DeleteI know you don't need advice from a duck, but just sleep a few nights on this before you offload something you'll want again in a couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteI hate to hear that you're having toad problems again. D: You want I should come around and kick it for you?
Hope you figure out the car issues. We have been lucky in our 4 years of fulltiming that we've had very few problems with the Lazy Daze or tow car. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteI am soooo sorry to hear about your issues and I agree it is so frustrating. But don't make any rash decisions. There's got to be an answer out there about what is causing your issues. But I am glad to know you guys are okay. Let us know what you find out.
ReplyDeleteWe don't tow our car behind. We have it on a trailer. Works much better and saves the car from trouble and wear. Bought a brand new 16ft car hauler for 2000 bucks. Much cheaper than wearing down a $15-20,000 car. And you can even back up with it. You might want to consider this for the future, but I wouldn't give up the RV.
ReplyDeleteAfter pulling the flat hauler today, we may consider that idea. It wasn't that bad and that may be a solution. We'll be dropping the car at the dealer tomorrow for repairs so we will see what happens after that.
DeleteSorry this happened to you and spoiled your fun.
ReplyDeleteHope the dealer finds out what went wrong with the Fit and gets you back on the road quickly.
Take it slow in your decision making, you worked hard to get to where you want to be, don't let your dreams go too quickly.
Oh no, I refuse to let you sell therapy! You've had good times & they aren't over with yet! Stuff happens, I think the tow dolly is a good idea too. If I ever tow, I'm considering doing that too.
ReplyDeleteAnd look at the bright side, you got to stay somewhere hooked up with the use of your RV. If you had tire trouble in a regular vehicle, you'd be sitting inside of a hotel room somewhere instead.
Just remember all the issues I had! I've been there before in a van & the RV. Breaking down in the RV was better for the dogs. We could still either plug in or use the genny to run the a/c. Could not do that with the van.
I think the good samaritan gave you the perfect hint. The tires are not tracking all the time. When the MH goes right or left, the Fit front wheel should copy the MH front wheels. I suspect the are free to spin, but not free to turn right and left... at least not all the time. Theye were scrubbed off. Easy to check after you get it all put back together, have some one drive beside you on curves. By the way, get an infrared thermometer, (39.95) from Harbor Freight, and check all wheel and tire temperatures after a few miles. If the Fit Front tires are even a little warmer, you still have a problem. Good tool to have on board anyway. Temp checks should be done every day to avoid future troubles.Good luck. Don't give up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that information. It's very good to know. We had talked about tire monitors for both the motorhome and the Fit, but I never followed through. The infrared thermometer is a good idea. I'll get one.
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