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Thursday

Update from the repair shop. The critical parts of the engine are open for inspection. The warranty representative paid a visit and hypothesized several ways the engine blow-up could have been our fault. None of those scenarios were supported by the evidence before him (as explained by the engine mechanic). The warranty inspector settled on the explanation that we must have over-revved the engine somehow. This engine is electronically controlled. There is an engine log. There were no over-limit records on the engine log. The Warranty Rep left to file his report. We’re supposed to hear their determination in 24 hours. (Of course they’ll cover it. The engine is included in the coverage we purchased. It’s probably a $25,000 decision for them; replacing an engine. They’re just being prudent.)

A drive through the Utah Badlands

Lunch in Richfield. Dinner in Cedar City. (A photo of Cedar Canyon.)


Here in Utah, we’re dealing with the low-altitude suck. You open a bottle, and air rushes in. So much easier to manage than the high-altitude puff we encounter when we first return to Colorado each year. I have the Exploding Catsup Incident in mind. Judy with both hands on the bottle, unable to control the erupting volcano. At lower elevation, we don’t have to struggle to keep contents in their bottles. We just have to keep from being sucked into each container as we open it for the first time.
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Wednesday

We headed out in the Jeep bright and early, drove past the grease spot on the ramp to Interstate 70,

…and made our way into the high country.

A stop at the Dillon Overlook

Black-billed Magpies,

Robins, White-crowned Sparrows, Cassin’s Finches, and a little gray mystery bird at the Vail Pass Rest Stop.
Lunch at the Charbroil Burger in Glenwood. Dinner in Green River, Utah.
The repair shop has opened up the motorhome motor. It seems there is a skirt around the inside of the bottom part of the engine block. That skirt came loose and intercepted a piston. The service manager says he’s only seen that once before in all his years working on Cat engines. The warranty company says they will come by to have a look within the next two days. Can’t do anything with it until the warranty company approves the repair.

When the rig broke down we had to cancel all our plans and start with a new plan. The trip to Ridgway State Park and Orvis Hot Springs with the massage didn’t fit anymore. That was disappointing, so we treated ourselves to a make-up massage at a local spa in Littleton yesterday afternoon instead. As the massage was drawing to a close, I was wishing I could make time stand still so that great back rub wouldn’t be over yet.
That got me to thinking. Can I make time stand still? I came up with a plan. Out on the open highway in Western Colorado I waited until the navigator said we had 76 miles to go to our destination in Green River. I set the cruise control on 76. One hour to our destination. When I saw the marker for 75, I changed the cruise control to 75. Still an hour to go. I did it again at 74. This worked for several minutes. The time to our destination never changed. This is an auspicious start to the Taylor Time-control project. I haven’t figured out how to make time stand still indefinitely, but I’m sure I’m on the right track.
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Tuesday

No motorhome news today. We’re still in the hotel in Littleton.

When we moved out of the motorhome and into the Jeep, we pretty much took everything we had. It’s too much stuff. We weren’t really prepared to move out. Today we thinned it out somewhat, and dropped off a lot of stuff at Matt’s house tonight. Now we should at least be able to see out the rear window.

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we’re off to Green River, Utah (in the Jeep), on our way to the Accounting Conference in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, along the way, Bullock’s Orioles at Chatfield State Park.






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Monday

The motorhome news isn’t good. The engine is blown. There is a hole in the block underneath the number 2 cylinder.

The hole is just to the bottom right of center in this picture. The service manager tells us that this particular situation is unusual. Usually, if there is a hole in the block, there is a piston rod sticking out through it. Our number 2 piston rod is still attached to the crank shaft. They’ll have to dig deeper.

Meanwhile, we’ve moved out of the motorhome. It was sad to pack up and drive away, not knowing when we could come back.

They’ll get our rig towed into a bay and start taking things apart. When they get enough forensics, a representative of the Warranty Company will come out and have a look to see if they approve the repair. The warranty company has already asked us for the complete service record on the vehicle to make sure there isn’t any owner neglect involved.

We’ve asked how long the repair might take. If everything goes perfectly, it will be two weeks. We’ve also heard estimates of four weeks and six weeks.

We’re checked into a motel in Littleton. We’ll stay here two nights, then head off for the Conference in Las Vegas (in the Jeep).
On my evening walk, I got an Eastern Meadowlark. Colorado is loaded with Western Meadowlarks, but this is the farthest west we’ve ever gotten an Eastern one.


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Here’s the plan

We leave Chatfield and host grilled burgers and homemade chocolate malts with Jon and Deb, and Janis and Brian, at Rifle Gap State Park, on Sunday. A couple days there, then south to Ridgway State Park and Orvis Hot Springs for a soak and a massage. Two days from there to Las Vegas for the accounting conference for a week. From there, we’re off to Truckee to get the White-headed Woodpecker and Mountain Quail, Redding because it’s on the way, and Crescent City on the Northern California coast for two weeks.

What actually happened: We were up by 7, on the move by 8:15, all the way out of Chatfield Park by 8:30 and pulled over on the shoulder of the ramp from C-470 to I-70 westbound in a cloud of smoke and pool of oil by 9!

The big-honkin tow truck was there by 1.

The tow-truck driver, Aaron, had to very carefully lift the front of the bus, then disconnect the drive train. He popped the decorative hub off the right rear wheel and un-bolted the axle, but the axle wouldn’t pull out past the decorative wheel-work, so he had to put the axle back in, crawl underneath the rig, and take out the driveshaft.

Even having to pull the driveshaft, it only took an hour and a half to get the motorhome underway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgfTDUjKJeg

We were towed to a repair shop out on the east side of Denver. Our plans are on hold while we wait for more information. A preliminary look from the mechanic suggests that this is serious. We should find out more tomorrow.
Today’s installment of: Life on the (Side of) the Road.