Launched South today - a bit of a stutter 😳 Darn Murphy!

[Rob&Deryl]

We started our trek to AZ this morning. We got on the road pretty early though not as quickly as we hoped. I did have to sweep the pine needles off of the slides before closing them and since I had totally shuffled the basement, putting last blocks, hoses and cables in took a bit longer.
We had a pretty aggressive plan for day one, 322 miles, and we were almost undone by it.

150 miles in, on I84 in CT, I got a dash message that DEF service was needed. Yikes! Ok, well we had planned a down day on Wednesday and already had a an appointment at a RAM dealer next Monday to correct alignment so figured we could do some calling and solve it.

At 200 miles I get a new message that says I have 150 miles till it goes into 5mph limp mode. Double yikes!!

Deryl gets on the phone calling dealers. First 3 say they are full up, sorry. One said we could drop off the truck and they could get to it on the 28th (today is the 18th) 10 days from now. Deryl called RAM corporate to see if we could get any help from them and they called a couple of dealers but apparently they have no influence. Finally, (oh, I was parked at a rest area on I84 about halfway between the Hudson & Delaware rivers) she called one in Stroudsburg PA and they said they could look at it as they always left some slack in the schedule for urgent problems. We agreed that a) we could make it to them & b) we couldn’t get there today & c) they were 4 miles from our planned stop for the night so could we bring the truck in first thing tomorrow? Yay!

We are set up at the campground now with the truck unhooked and the campground folk gave us a good drive through site they use for overnighters (there appear to be hundreds of seasonals parked here) and they reserved it for a 2nd day for us just in case.

Crossing fingers for tomorrow.

FYI, today, I91 just south of Hartford was extremely rough. Sections of I84 were also real bad along with the traffic jam backed up 10 miles due to construction on either side of Waterbury. NY didn’t get any awards for smooth roads either.
While stopped the rest area, i checked on the trailer. I found an open cabinet and all the Corelle bowls on the floor with 2 exploded into shards. Aside from some other leapers, nothing else broke.

Dinner and sleep now. For the newcomers, this is why less than 300 miles is a good goal. Hope to see you in chat Wednesday.

 

[darsben]

We left yesterday and spent the first night on the Thruway. Tonight we are near Covington, Ky

 

[ziplock]

Here I sit, brokenhearted.
While you two guys have both departed. hahaha

Keep us posted of your trek west! We will be thinking of you!

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Update: had a great dinner and am now killing brain cells. The heat is working fine.

 

[darsben]

Now you jinxed me. I threw a serpentine belt and at a repair place in Florence KY

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Well, you made it further south than we did. Sorry for your trouble. Cold here in the Poconos last night. Sitting at dealer waiting for a part to arrive From Scranton. Serious parts shortage. One part I need I may be able to pick up in Raleigh NC on Friday.

 

[darsben]

Parts shortage just bit me on the Arrse. Air pump frozen no replacement readily available. We have a work around. You guys really jinxed me

 

[Rob&Deryl]

He

Parts shortage just bit me on the Arrse. Air pump frozen no replacement readily available. We have a work around. You guys really jinxed me

hey, everyone needs a skill

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Dars, Did you get the belt?

Today, they worked on the truck all day and fixed it!
Turned out to be the DEF pump. When he removed it, other parts fell out of the tank too. I guess the rough roads did it in. Part of the diagnostic process involved removing the DEF injector and of course, the bolts sheared requiring dropping the exhaust to get in and drill them out. I decided that since the injector was now out, why bother testing a 6 year old one and just put in a new one (which they had in stock - whew). Of course the diagnostic still failed so it was the pump. None in stock and none available nearby but, there was one available in Scranton so they sent their parts driver to get it! Supply Chain up close and personal!
While reading the codes they found a problem with the “active air box”. I had been getting that message for years and reported it every time it was serviced but, “no problem found”. The diverter was frozen. Supply Chain… Nearest available one is in Raleigh NC. Sigh… Well, it turns out we will be within 20 miles on Friday! So, I will buy it and install it myself.
The air filter was dirty and they had removed it so I said put in a new one rather than put the dirty one back. I got their last one. Supply Chain… back ordered to December.

I am having my Quaranteeny and then making dinner.

Head south again in the morning.

 

[jackiemac]

Glad you got it sorted so quickly!

 

[John From Detroit]

While stopped the rest area, i checked on the trailer. I found an open cabinet and all the Corelle bowls on the floor with 2 exploded into shards. Aside from some other leapers, nothing else broke.

I wound up latching all my cabinets and drawers
The drawers were a 4 drawer stack I ran eye bolts in betwen 1&2 and betwen3&4 and droppoed a dowel rod down the eyes. They stayed closed.
Cupboards depending on how they were laid out either got hook and eye or a common hinge with the pin removed and a bit of machining to make 'em easier to join and a cotter key or small hair pin type pin inserted (Easy to slide in and remove) they too remained very closed (This was on the handle edge of the door. Opening was NOT an option whenpinned..

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Today was mostly uneventful, in a good way.
We broke camp in record time and we’re on the road by 8;30.
I80 west of Stroudsburg was a bit rough but overall, roads were better. Had some construction on I81 near Carlisle that backed things up many miles.

I did get myself in a jam when I got in a Waffle House parking lot and could not make the loop behind the building. We figured on a 5 point turn after breakfast but that got squashed when a trucker came in bobtail and parked across from us. That left us backing out on to a busy 4 lane. There was a traffic light nearby that we noticed put a big break in traffic when the light changed. I set up to be able to back out quickly and Deryl stood by the road to give me the all clear. Deryl let me know the light had changed and there was 1 box truck. While waiting for the box truck, the truck driver of the bobtail came running out, took charge, stepped into the road and stopped the box truck (which blocked the road for me), then watched the other lane while I did a quick back out in to the outside lane, Deryl jumped in and off we went. Whew.

We arrived at our campsite, set up, walked about, met neighbors, had cocktails, made dinner, and now, sitting around the campfire!

Tomorrow, Holly Point Campground in the Falls Lake State Park.

Sleep now.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

The trip to Holly point was pleasant. We turned off of I81 on to I64 toward Richmond and then on to US29 to Lynchburg for lunch. US29 was a good road, divided some of time and sometimes not as it rolled up and through the blue ridge foothills gradually downhill to Lynchburg. There was a “visitor center” north of Lynchburg we wanted to stop at for a break. Don’t do it. The parking lot is a maze of twisty turns and trees too low. Oh, and the “visitor center” was one small room in the basement of the library. No waste cans to be found either.
After Lynchburg the road leveled out to a nice 2 lane through rolling countryside. As we came in to the Raleigh Durham area we did travel on about 10 minutes of Interstate I85, US70, then a long slow traffic filled NC98 to New Light road to Holly Point.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Holly Point Campground is very nice. Sites are spread out. It was easy to back in to our site, #30 which is one of the longer sites. Room for the trailer with room for the truck and a visitor car. Enjoying it till we move on on Wednesday.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

I read here the I95 south of Florence SC is bad. How far south does the bad road go?
If I can take I95 for much of my way to Hardeeville SC, I can do it in one day but if I need to stay on the 2 lanes for much of it I guess I need an overnight parking somewhere.

 

[Rene T]

I hated towing my 5’er on 95 in SC. It was thump thump thump almost all the way to Ga line. I started taking 77 and 26 because of that. You’ll see all kinds of tire rubber on the side of the road from blowouts. My name is on some of it. I heard they are trying to fix it but last year going south in our car I didn’t see much construction going on. Let us know how 95 in SC is now. I’ll be going down that route next Sunday on my way to FL except I won’t be towing. Those days are gone.
Good luck.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

It’s 11:25pm. Sitting at the campfire with a nightcap.

We had friends over for a dinner party! We served up a 3 course meal and sat around the fire after. I am so happy. Nothing went wrong today

Great weather. Late at night it is very quiet here. Earlier, airplanes to and from RDO fly over the park.

Best day of the adventure so far.