Cascade Charlie, SASS # 48668L Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Well...Some days you get the bear and some days the bear gets you. Today, I was gotten by the bear. Long story, but here goes.... Last Friday I bought a new 2011 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Diesel LTZ. Great!. No problem changing the 5th wheel hitch from my trade-in to the new truck...except that they can't have it done before mid morning on Monday. Okaaayy....I'll just postpone our trip to Texas by ...a few hours since I can't get the (also new) 5th wheel loaded on Sunday like we wanted. I call the dealer mid morning today and find out there is a slight delay. Sooooo...I finally get away from the dealer with my brand new (38 miles on the odometer) truck around 12:45 in the afternoon. We hustle down to my friends farm where the camper is stored and get everything ready to haul it out of there and back to the house so we can load it up and get on the road...finally. Well...The Gd landing gear won't come up and I can't figure out why. The property owner comes down and we start chasing sparks to find out what's wrong. Another 45 minutes later we finally find an in-line fuse that is tougher than all hell to get at and after CAREFULL inspection (at first glance it looked good) we find the 30 amp fuse to the landing gear moter is blown....a trip to town to buy a BOX of fuses and then we get the camper on the truck and ready to roll. Okay...we're only about 6 hours behind our self imposed time schedule and I'm actually maintaining my cool and not getting in a hurry (or angry). We finally get everything loaded (You'd think the apocolipse was coming the way we packed almost everything we could for a simple one week trip.) and set out on our 600+ mile journey to Texas only 8 1/2 hrs behind schedule. Yahooo! We're on our way! We're 10 miles down the freeway and the trailer is towing like a dream behind the new truck. Untill.....It downshifts and I hear a bang in the back end. Then I get an info signle telling me that the exhaust filter is cleaning and to continue driving until message is cleared....Oh shit!! Then, I get a message that power has been reduced...Oh SHIT, SHIT!! Again! Then the truck will barely make 35mph on the freeway and I'm frantically looking for a place to get off and safely check on things. Luckly, I activated the ONSTAR system earlier in the day and got 300 minutes of phone time with them for a mere $9.95 total. I had them do a diognostic check on my systems and they told me what was wrong in a mixture of leagalize,mechanic talk and computer geek speek. ONSTAR contacted my auto dealership and I spoke with them, then they put me on with roadside service and I spoke with them. Then everybody came to rescue me and I ended up with my old trade-in truck for a "loaner" (I liked that part...it was a good truck). I went back to the camper that was parked in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn Express where all the truckers take a rest with full expectations of spending the night in the camper ...that didn't happen either...SHIT!! The 12volt system was rapidly depleting so I backed the truck up and plugged the camper in so the batteries would charge......nothing was happening and the lights were continuing to get slightly dimmer and the heat wasn't heating. SHIT!! Well...Now the time has come for us to do what we were trying to avoid...That's unload all our guns from the camper and shlep them home. Well....here we are...High and dry and warm in our own house with electricity and heat and connectivity to the net. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. I'll let ya know.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Hacker, #60477 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Glad you started early Charlie. Keep on, keeping on and we'll keep the lights on for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Don't a Lotto ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I'm on vacation this week. Thank you for keeping Mr. Murphy otherwise occupied. He comes for a ride with me about every six weeks anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudflat Mike, SASS #20904 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Share body heat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rancho Roy Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Wow, brand new truck with a brand new, not yet broken in motor and your pulling a 5th wheel............And planning a 600 mile trip with a new truck AND a new camper..............Man , you got guts! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascade Charlie, SASS # 48668L Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 Wow, brand new truck with a brand new, not yet broken in motor and your pulling a 5th wheel............And planning a 600 mile trip with a new truck AND a new camper..............Man , you got guts! Good luck! Supposedly, today's new engines don't require the break-in required years ago. Besides, it's a diesel and built for it. I wouldn't try it with a gas engine. I just spoke with the service mechanics and they assured me that there is nothing wrong with hooking up a trailer right off the show room lot and driving it across country. There was a lose hose connection. Another 30 minutes of reprograming and I'm outta here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oklahomabound Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 ...so many parts, hooked up to so many different things, coupled with typical American work--without a quality assurance check more than likely.... just a sign of our times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascade Charlie, SASS # 48668L Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 ...so many parts, hooked up to so many different things, coupled with typical American work--without a quality assurance check more than likely.... just a sign of our times. Ain't dat da trooth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Stevens SASS#55996 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Supposedly, today's new engines don't require the break-in required years ago. Besides, it's a diesel and built for it. I wouldn't try it with a gas engine. I just spoke with the service mechanics and they assured me that there is nothing wrong with hooking up a trailer right off the show room lot and driving it across country. There was a lose hose connection. Another 30 minutes of reprograming and I'm outta here. Charlie, went to EOT this summer in a buddies Duramax that does the same thing. Can't get it squared away. We drove a quarter of the way out there from MI at 35 mph. After the third dealership they finally told us to keep driving at the max speed of 35 mph for a half hour and it would burn off and return to normal power. Pretty frustrating trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi Charlie, Hope to hear that you made it safe an sound to CAC! I have a little trailer story. Nothing as big as yours (story or trailer). Hubby and I were at the lot to pick up ours. I commented that one tire looked low. I was ignored. I said it again. Ignored again. Finally after the third time, the guy showing us how the trailer worked said to a nearby "mechanic, "Can you check the tires they're supposed to be at 50." The "mechanic" checked them, and said "one was 42 the other was 46." A few minutes later I said, I still think that tire looks low. Ignored again. When we got home, hubby checked the tires and they were still 42 and 46. Sheesh! Such a simple thing. Take care, Allie Mo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spittoon O Tool SASS #62053 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 That wasn't a Bear that got you, that was a T-Rex! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Smokepole #29248L Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi Charlie, Hope to hear that you made it safe an sound to CAC! I have a little trailer story. Nothing as big as yours (story or trailer). Hubby and I were at the lot to pick up ours. I commented that one tire looked low. I was ignored. I said it again. Ignored again. Finally after the third time, the guy showing us how the trailer worked said to a nearby "mechanic, "Can you check the tires they're supposed to be at 50." The "mechanic" checked them, and said "one was 42 the other was 46." A few minutes later I said, I still think that tire looks low. Ignored again. When we got home, hubby checked the tires and they were still 42 and 46. Sheesh! Such a simple thing. Take care, Allie Mo Under inflated tires cause trailers to wander.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 There was a lose hose connection. Another 30 minutes of reprograming and I'm outta here. My work truck is a Mercedes powered Freightliner. EVERYTHING goes through the computer. Even things you wouldn't expect. The lights, the HEATER, everything. For the life of me I can't see why the HEATER needs to be computerized! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Under inflated tires cause trailers to wander.... Hubby inflated them before I towed it. He towed it home from the lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 My work truck is a Mercedes powered Freightliner. EVERYTHING goes through the computer. Even things you wouldn't expect. The lights, the HEATER, everything. For the life of me I can't see why the HEATER needs to be computerized! Darlin', That's so they can charge you an "arm and a leg" to fix it. Regards, Allie Mo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Smokepole #29248L Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 So that you can get ................. Are you ready for it???????? HOSED!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Second year on the buses we had a power problem, turned out to be a hose/duct on the super charger. Made it a real dog on upgrades. hope that solved your problem and the rest of the trip goes as planned.........Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedar County Sheriff, SASS#4578Life Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Howdy Charlie! Yur whole problem wuz buyin' a Chevy, new or otherwise . Ya shoulda got ya a nice lightly used FORD F250 or 350 7.3 Turbo diesel! (Not one a th' newer 6.9's) I got a '97 a little over a year ago, an' I love that truck!!! Give Tammy a hug fer me, Pard! Hope ta see you folks up here in the upper left corner soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phiren Smoke GUNFIGHTER Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Charlie, Sounds like you are going to make it, just a little later than you had planned. My better half and I are headed out tomorrow morning. If there is any thing we can assist with please let us know. Smoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 97% of all Fords are still on the Road >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3% made it home !!! Ford 350s ,,,,, ya picked a Bad time to leave me Loose Wheel ,,,,, And "A"arm ..... 16,000 Km (about 10,000 Miles) lost the front drivers side wheel and "A arm" twice and the other side once !!! Last time they put a "Saftey" cable on to hopefully stop the "Departing Parts" from Killing someone ...... Wouldn't Buy a Ford "Super Duty" again................. Ever !!!! Jabez Cowboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taquila Tab, Sass #25048 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 97% of all Fords are still on the Road >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3% made it home !!! Ford 350s ,,,,, ya picked a Bad time to leave me Loose Wheel ,,,,, And "A"arm ..... 16,000 Km (about 10,000 Miles) lost the front drivers side wheel and "A arm" twice and the other side once !!! Last time they put a "Saftey" cable on to hopefully stop the "Departing Parts" from Killing someone ...... Wouldn't Buy a Ford "Super Duty" again................. Ever !!!! Jabez Cowboy I had a Chevy 2500HD with the Duramax engine. It blew a head gasket and was in the shop for over two months waiting for the parts that were on national back order. After getting it fixed the injector sleeves went bad. The warranty on the was 7 years or 200,000 miles. I only had 92,000 miles on it but they said it was out of warranty by FIVE days and wouldn't honor it. When it came time to buy a new truck I bought a Ford F-250 with the 6.4L engine. I'm at a little over 43,000 miles now and haven't had any trouble out of it. I wouldn't buy a Chevy again..................Ever!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ugly, SASS #18106 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Sorry for your problems Charlie, lookin' forward to hearing all about them at CAC; we're leaving @ 7:00 in the a.m.; see ya down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 So that you can get ................. Are you ready for it???????? HOSED!!!!!!!!!!! Keep your day job... Oh wait, you retired... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny Annie SASS #37063 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Wow, brand new truck with a brand new, not yet broken in motor and your pulling a 5th wheel............And planning a 600 mile trip with a new truck AND a new camper..............Man , you got guts! Good luck! We bought our Silverado in Tucson and immediately hooked it up to the travel trailer and have had nothing but a fabulous, reliable, hard pulling truck. The salesman told Blacksmith when we picked it up that he "had no business under the hood of that truck" as it was really a rolling computer with an engine attached. Ford = Found On Road Dead!! So sorry you're having such a terrible trip! Maybe this is a sign you will shoot really good when you get there. Wish we were going, just couldn't do it this year. Hugs to you and Tammy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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