Update on truck

Finally, after much worry, we got the answer on the truck.

The failure was not due to any driving or towing problems. It was just a failure on a part or parts. There is no way to determine what caused the failure other than to completely tear town the engine and check each part. They will not do that.

The Ford extended warrany representative came down to the Ford dealer today and agreed that it was a failure of the oil cooler and authorized the complete replacement of the engine, radiator, oil cooler and anything else related to the problem. The entire engine and cooling systems was cloged with this grey goop.

Total cost $22,000. Our cost $100 plus $8.30 cents in local taxes.

They hope to have all the parts in about 3-4 working days, and the repair will take an additional two days.

Thank God for Ford extended warranty!!!!!!

We, Linda and I, and Jim and Bobbie are parked at our friends house.

We will keep you updated on the repairs.

love to all of you

Jim and Linda

Update on trucks problems

We finally, after three phone calls to them, hear back from the Ford dealer. It does look like it was the oil cooler which when it went caused problems with the EGR valve and contaminated the radiator and engine with the coolant/oil mixture.

Currently the extended warranty will cover all but $100 dollars of the repair and we should have the truck back by Friday afternoon.

If during the repair they find other problems they will have to also be addressed.

Jim C. took their Chevy in this morning and they brought him back to the campground.

Just before we got our estimate, they got their estimate. They do not have an extended warranty and the repairs to fix what they think are the problems is going to cost $2300. They will not get their truck back until Monday.

Abel was good enough to loan us his truck today so I could do my hearing doctor appointment which went well, but I will have to make another trip to see him as one of the adjustments he made is causing feedback in both ears. I have lost another 5-10 percent of my hearing in both ears and have been having problems hearing clearly in crowds or where there are other ouside noises. I had to use my medicare and supplement for the hearing test, but everything else was covered by the state of Washington.

We also used Abel's truck so the four of us could do a grocery run.

We had a small party at a local bar last night, and this afternoon several friends showed up for happy hour. It is nice to be able to see old friends again.

Linda has been very stressed out by all of the problems in the last few day, which, including the trucks, our propane detector started going off while I was at the doctor, and when I came back the valve controlling the toilet water storage tank would not open. I hope I can fix that tomorrow and that it will not be a major repair.

So, at least a little good news for us, but not so good for Jim and Bobbie.

Pray that tomorrow will be better

Love to all of ya

Jim and Linda

Truck breakdown

We left a COE campground in Plymouth, WA, on the shores of the Columbia river, this morning heading for Yakima. A short trip of about 90 miles or so. Got about 50 miles and were going thru a construction area when the truck started to lose power.

We pulled over and did a walk around and everything looked fine, and as were were parked at an on ramp, we started to pull back onto the highway, when in my mirrors I saw a truck jack knifing just behind us, so we pull back over onto the off ramp and shut down and we all headed back towards the accident. By the time we half way back, a state trooper was there and a number of the road work crew were there so we headed back to the trucks to keep going.

I started the engine and we hear strange noises coming out of the front so I pulled back over to the side of the off ramp and shut down and opended the hood.....

Oh my dear God!!!!!!

This nasty grey goop was coming out of the radiator overflow tank...it was bubbling out like mount St. Helens after an erution!!!!

Called road service and waited about an hour and a half. We sent Jim and Bobbie on ahead into Yakima to the rv park where we are staying and asked Jim to come back and get the trailer.

The road service sent two trucks out, one for the truck and one for the trailer. As it happens there was a Ford dealer at this exit, so the tow was about a half mile or so.

The diesel mechanic, after we explained everything to him, thought that it might be a blown oil cooler, and if so, the problem is not as serious as it looked to Jim C. and I.

We are both, Chapmans and us, at the rv park in Yakima and we had our happy(?) hour as usual, plus our dear friend Abel came by and joined us, before taking to one of the local pubs to meet up with old frinds from when we worked here.

Hopefully the dealer will call us in the morning with good news that the repair is not going to kill us....we have an extended warranty and hope that it will cover most of the expense.

Abel loaned us his truck for the night, and I have a hearing doctor appointment in the morning.

Jim and Bobbie are also having truck problems, and had made an appointment for early this afternoon that they had to cancel, so that Jim could come down and tow our trailer into Yakima.

He has a new appointment for tomorrow morning.

We will keep you updated with all of the truck problems as we find out anything new.

Depending on how expensive these two truck repairs are.....we may have to shorted our Pacific coast trip and head straight south to Yuma, AZ.

Hope you have had a better day than we have

Love to all of ya.

Jim and Linda

SOUTH FORK, CO. TO PENDLETON, OR.

Hi all

Just a short update here.

We left South Fork Colorado on the 14th heading for Yakima, WA.

We drove for three days and did about 850 miles, than stopped for two nights in a little town of Glenns Ferry, Idaho. Very neat little town with lots of history on the Oregon trail. There was a very major river crossing here called Three Island Crossing. It was very dangerous for the pioneers and a lot of folks and animals drowned while trying to make the crossing. Those that did not want to try had to stay on the south side of the river and take a much rougher trip for the next hundred miles or so. Very rough and very little water.

Tonight we are in Pendleton, Oregon, after another 280 miles of driving, and will do some sight seeing here in the morning before moving on to Plymouth, Washington for the night (45 miles). Than into Yakima on Tuesday.

Pendleton has "underground Pendleton" tours and Pendleton woolen mills which has been making blankets and coats and stuff for a very long time.

Here is the link to the Picasa page and the first three albums are the trip so far.

hppts://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos

It is very difficult to tell you about the vast lands that are in the west. You can see, at times, to the horizon in a four directions. It is pretty amazing. Especially if you live east of the Mississippi river where in most cases, your view is blocked by buildings, trees and other stuff. So enjoy the pictures, but probably not near as much as we enjoyed it first hand.

Take care.......

Jim and Linda

FALL IS COMING TO THE MOUNTAINS

........and there is a definite chill in the air. Our daytime temperatures are in the high 60's, low 70's and the nights are in the 40-50's. The little chipmunks are scurrying around with their cheeks full stocking up for the cold winter ahead. So far, there has not been any color change but I'm sure you will start seeing some changes in the next week or two. Although, I don't think the colors will be as vivid as we have back home. That is one thing that I do miss......I really enjoy the fall in the midwest.

This was the perfect place to spend the summer and as much as we have enjoyed our time here in the mountains .....we have a very bad case of "hitch-itch" and are anxious to get back on the road. Jim and Bobbie closed up the campgrounds on Monday and are getting the books closed for the season and we will leave Beaver Creek Campground on Sunday and head to a local private campground here in South Fork for 3 days (they have a special rate of 3 days for $30.00). This will give us all the opportunity to get the rigs washed and cleaned before we start heading for the Northwest since we will have unlimited water and electric.

We have our route mapped out as far as Yakima, Washington...from there your guess is as good as ours. All we know is that we will be heading down the Oregon/California coast and eventually be in Yuma, Arizona sometime in November.

Take care.........