Enduring A Traveling Full-Time RVer's Worst Nightmare

We were encountering our worst nightmare in our 10 years as full-time traveling RVers, losing access for nearly a month to our tow vehicle and our 5^th wheel home, while incurring a MAJOR ($$$$$) truck repair expense.  What would you do if…
 

Sorry, I was putting the cart before the horse.  Let me backtrack to my last post.  We had just enjoyed visiting Flaming Gorge Dam and crossed over from Utah to Wyoming on US-191.  Big Boomer, our 2009 International Durastar medium duty truck, now seemed a bit sluggish and fatigued, but we attributed it to the inordinate number of steep inclines along our route.  Then he began bucking and chugging.  Perhaps we got some bad fuel earlier this morning that didn’t agree with Big Boomer’s belly?  Dad put some additive in the truck fuel tank just in case.  Shortly thereafter, the dashboard icon for high exhaust heat was blinking and buzzing.  We pulled over ASAP at a summit overlook and turned the engine off, hoping Big Boomer just needed a rest and reboot.  Our Verizon cell signal was weak.  But Mom insisted after Dad’s heart attack that if we want to stay and play in remote areas, we invest in a satellite phone.  We phoned Kyrish International in Houston, TX, who handles all Big Boomer’s medical problems.   After describing the symptoms, they suspected it was the fuel filter or fuel injectors.  We had just another hour to reach Rock Springs, where we planned to boondock for the evening at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Middle Baxter Road Dispersed Camping Area.  If we took things slowly and said our prayers, we should be OK getting there.
 

And thankfully, our prayers were answered.  We knew from staying previously at Middle Baxter Road that Verizon worked well in the area. So, while Dad unhitched Mom did her research.  Though there are several truck service centers in Rock Springs, none of them work on International trucks.  Then she learned that Loves Travel Plazas are now an official partner to International and supposedly provide a full range of services for International trucks.  We were just 18 miles away from the Loves in Green River, WY.  We arrived there to learn that they do not have the ability for computer diagnostics on 2014 or older International models.  But in describing the symptoms, they believed it was probably just the fuel filter (OK, that is reassuring--it is one of the diagnoses that Kyrish gave us).  Upon inspection, the fuel filter was filthy and gummed up with sludge. They had it changed within an hour for $150.
 

We returned back to Suite Retreat, noticing a slight improvement in Big Boomer, or perhaps it was just wishful thinking.  Hopefully, Boomer would be good as new after a good night’s rest.
 

But within a few miles of departing early the next morning, it was apparent Big Boomer’s condition had not improved.  The bucking/chucking and loss of power still existed.  And now it was snowing outside.   We cancelled all our Harvest Hosts reservations for the next several days and headed via I-80 to Cheyenne, WY, location of the closest International Truck Center, 250 miles away.  Unfortunately, getting service there was not to be.  First off, this was Friday morning, May 20, and they do not work on weekends.  Secondly, they were backlogged up the wazoo, and the earliest they could even look at Big Boomer was the following Wednesday—right before the Memorial Day holiday weekend.  But most importantly, I-80 was closed between Laramie and Cheyenne due to hazardous snow conditions and would remain so for several more hours.  Poop, this situation just got uglier.  Mom, still researching/working the phones while Dad talked encouragingly to Big Boomer, found a Boss Shop in Rawlins, WY, that said they had the computer equipment needed to diagnose Big Boomer and could take us in within 2 hours.  Well, those 2 hours turned into 5, but they did give a diagnosis of “low fuel pressure”.  However, they could not pinpoint the specific cause of the problem.  That would require a full tear-down of the engine, and now they tell us they do not have any technicians onboard capable of such a task.  Furthermore, they do not stock any major parts. They stated it was still safe to drive the truck, suggesting we just take things slowly.  Well, no problem there, since that was Big Boomer’s current level of energy.  We forked over another $150 to be no closer to resolution. 

Mr. Snow Miser was up to his antics.

Mom continued to search and call service centers that would work on an International medium duty truck.  McCandless International Truck Center, located in Aurora, CO (outside of Denver) and 238 miles away, became our only option.  At least they work 6 days a week 6 a.m. to 12 midnight, had qualified technicians, would likely have parts more readily available, were aware of our problem and ETA, and indicated they could accommodate us.

 

Unfortunately, weather conditions were deteriorating, and Big Boomer was taking a turn for the worse, now emitting white smoke.   We literally limped into McCandless International Truck Center at 6 p.m. on Friday evening, so grateful to GOD for our safe arrival.  We dropped Suite Retreat in the truck center’s huge, gated parking lot and went into the Shop to register Big Boomer for Triage.  Yes, even though he was on life support, there were many other trucks here before us, some in worst health than Big Boomer.  There were others still awaiting diagnostics like us while many were in a holding pattern pending approval from credit agencies to finance their costly repairs.

 

Feeling some relief that Big Boomer was in good hands, we went to return to Suite Retreat for the evening.  No can do.  We learned that the truck center locks the gates at midnight and no one can be on their premises until 6 a.m.  This is a mandate from their insurance company.  We will need to stay in a hotel.  This possibility didn’t even dawn on us.  We only had one other experience where Big Boomer required emergency service while we were towing, and we were permitted to stay within our fifth wheel right on that truck center’s premises.  But that was many moons ago in TN during the first year of our full-timing lifestyle, when liability insurance companies were not as rigid and our society was not so litigious.   We did a quick search for nearby RV Parks, but only one was within 5 miles.  It got a 1-star review with repeated mentions of tweakers and a homeless encampment on its perimeter.  No, thanks anyway.

 

The nearest hotel, Quality Inn-Gateway, is a little more than 1/2 mile away in a business park, easily walkable for us and no highways to cross.   We keep a to-go-bag already packed for emergency situations, another good full-timing practice that we implemented many years ago.     So after grabbing our bag, we walked over to the hotel to reserve a room through Sunday evening at a weekend rate of $176 night (with tax).  Ching, ching.

 

We visited the truck center on Saturday afternoon--Big Boomer had not been examined yet.  Kudos to Dad for thinking ahead.  He requested and received permission to get Maximus the Trike out of the truck garage.  So at least now we would have some transportation without incurring rental car costs.

 

McCandless completed computer diagnostics mid-day on Monday, May 23.  Cylinder #6 of our engine was not getting fuel which indicated the valves were not opening. They suspected at the very least we needed a new cam and diesel particulate filter (DPF) for our emissions system.  The estimate was nearly $20,000!  Holy Havarti! That’s a huge chunk of cheese!  But the real kicker was that they could not give a full estimate of costs until they tore down the engine completely.  This did not occur until Thursday, May 26, nearly a week after we first brought Big Boomer in.  That’s when we learned the unpleasant details of the domino effect.  The dogbone that held the valve lifters in place on cylinder #6 broke.  This caused one of the lifters to turn, seize, and gouge the cam, resulting in the bending of the push rod that opens the valve.  With the valve not opening, no fuel was getting to the cylinder.  Hence, the reason why Big Boomer lost power outside of Flaming Gorge.  Unfortunately, the gouging also caused metal particles to flow through the engine and ruin the oil pump. This also resulted in the cylinder dumping oil/fuel into the DPF system, fouling the very expensive filter.  The engine head still had to be examined for cracks through a process called magnafluxing.  The technician did not attribute any of the damage to us continuing to drive Big Boomer.  He believed the damage was already done, as substantiated by the Boss Shop diagnosis of “low fuel pressure” even after replacing the fuel filter at Loves Travel Plaza.

Engine Specialist Patrick in the process of tearing down Big Boomer's engine.

 

The culprit! This dogbone broke and allowed the lifter to turn and do the
damage to the lobe on the cam shaft.

Damaged valve lifter showing the roller bearing that ruined the cam
shaft when it turned and did not roll properly.

The bent push rod

The cam shaft showing the damaged area on the lobe where the lifter
gouged out the surface.

The repair process would take 7-10 days once they were able to get started and all parts were received.  Not to mention that the shop would be closed completely on Monday to commemorate Memorial Day.  And then, of course, there were others in line ahead of us, including the schoolie-turned-RV that belonged to a young family who recently entered the traveling lifestyle.  (They required a whole new engine to the tune of $39,000, which fortunately was paid for by their parents).  Seeing so many vehicles awaiting service got me thinking of the plight of the independent over-the-road trucker.  Losing a pick-up or delivery, having no transportation, nowhere to stay, and having these astronomical repair costs.  My heart went out to them.

 

Meanwhile, we tried to get a weekly hotel rate, but the Quality Inn-Gateway only offered daily rates.  By joining their rewards program, we received a discount that reduced the price to $139 (with tax).  Unfortunately, the daily rates changed dramatically every few days at all the hotels in the area, as did the anticipated completion date of our repairs.  So, we changed hotel locations on 3 occasions for cost effectiveness during our 3+ week-long ordeal, staying within a 10-mile radius of the truck center.  Of course, this would not be possible if we didn’t have the trike.  We investigated Air BnBs as well, but housing is costly in Aurora because of its proximity to Denver.  We would reap minimal savings and be further away from the Truck Center if we did a BnB.  Similarly, we presumed we could hire a reliable business to transport our fifth wheel to a private RV Park.  But the closest one that could accommodate a rig our size was over an hour away in Fort Collins, if they even had an opening for the entire duration of our repairs, for which the timeline of completion kept changing.  The State Parks in the area have a 14-day-stay limitation, and all the weekends during May and June were already booked.  So, we stuck with the hotel option.    Of course, if we still had our tabby cat, our decision may have been different.  I was relieved she crossed Rainbow Bridge last October.  At least she wasn’t inconvenienced by this situation the way me and my pocket pal Nezumi were.

   

On Tuesday, May 31, we received the abysmal news that the engine head was indeed cracked.  Up, up, and away the estimated engine rebuild costs went. Thankfully, we had McCandless’s lead engine mechanic doing the job for us. As part of the process, he added a second dogbone to all the lifters on the new engine head. Ironically, this is now standard on all new International engines after they discovered this mechanical flaw, though no recall was ever issued.

Close up of a new dogbone that keeps the lifters in
proper alignment to the cam shaft.

This is how the lifters were originally installed with a single dogbone.

This shows the addition of the second dogbone which
should ensure the problem does not occur again.

By the time we resumed traveling, (already 2 weeks beyond when we were to start our summer volunteer gig in MN), we had incurred $30,923 in fees at McCandless to rebuild Big Boomer’s engine.  That was a $10 grand savings compared to the cost of the new engine about which we inquired.  Add in another $3,216 in hotel costs over a 3 1/2-week period, not to mention the cost of some meals and the $300 we forked over at the prior two repair places.  (I nearly hit the floor just writing those numbers!  But my Mom always tells me that my family is like the Weebles—we wobble but we don’t fall down.)  Thankfully, Dad and Mom (our household’s Chief Financial Officer) have done well with monetary planning.  They both researched the full-time traveling lifestyle for a decade before becoming nomadic.  They worked toward the goal, paying off our house mortgage early, purchasing our first RV and having Big Boomer custom-built and paid for BEFORE selling our home.  So, we hit the road debt-free and with the financial security of having various investments and the cash proceeds from our home sale.  My folks worked diligently in Corporate America and did well for themselves despite neither of them having college degrees. Thus, while this exorbitant expenditure will create a HUGE hole in my swiss cheese inheritance,
my family is blessed to have the financial resources available to deal with the situation expeditiously.  Our ability to pay outright for the repairs saved us in downtime, too--we did not incur delays awaiting credit approval from finance companies. 

 

What would you do if this happened to you?  I know lots of folks think that our traveling lifestyle is all rainbows and unicorns.  But things do go wrong, though usually not of the magnitude of Big Boomer.  Mom calls these times of tribulation “Roseanne Rosannadanna” moments.  I know she dates herself, but Mom’s reference is to cast member Gilda Radner’s character from the early years of Saturday Night Live.  Roseanne Rosannadanna was a news anchor notorious for segueing to inane issues while reporting on breaking news.  Roseanne always said in her nasal New York accent, “If it’s not this, it’s that.  It’s always something.”   Mom truly believes this idiom sums up the traveling full-timing lifestyle.  Because when something happens (and it will), it is always at an inconvenient time, in the middle of nowhere, and destined to be costly.

 

I realize no one can plan for every emergency repair, but we can minimize the impact on our finances and the stress on our mental health.  With that in mind, here are some Rambling RV Rat suggestions:

• Know before you go.  Research and educate yourself about all aspects of the nomadic lifestyle—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

• Reduce or eliminate debt before hitting the road.

• Establish a budget to support YOUR full-timing goals.  Everyone’s wants/needs are different, so costs will vary (for example, some folks prefer to stay in full-service resorts, others, like us, enjoy boondocking). There is no one-size-fits-all in this nomadic lifestyle.  And though adhering to Mom’s budget is something we have NEVER managed to do in all our years as full-timers, she still finds it extremely useful to track expenditures.

• Put money aside to be used exclusively for emergencies/costly repairs.  Too often folks find themselves in a financial pickle after a mechanical problem occurs, forcing them off the road.    

• Ensure you have a good credit rating.  If you don’t have the means to pay outright for a repair, at least financing it will be a viable option.

• Though we have never purchased them ourselves, extended warranties for your RV and/or tow/towed vehicle may be a viable option, especially if your units are pre-owned.

• Watch videos and/or take courses on RV/vehicle maintenance/repair.  Once you get proper training, it is amazing how much money you can save on do-it-yourself projects.  Mom says Dad is a keeper just for his handy-dandy mechanical skillset.  For example, he designed and installed our solar setup, reinstalled/reinforced our water tank after it fell out of our basement, changed one of our Mor-Ryde  independent suspension springs, etc.

• Develop an exit plan.  Though we all want to remain in the nomadic lifestyle indefinitely, costly repairs, health issues, and other unforeseen problems could knock any of us off the road at any time.  Though our Escapees long-term leased lot in Livingston, TX is not our intended end-game, it is our “safe harbor”, the place we can go to put down wheels temporarily so we can make well-thought-out plans for the future rather than rash decisions.  And it sure came in handy during the early days of COVID shelter-at-home.  

 

My last words of advice are simple:  Always try to make chicken salad out of chicken poop.  Though Big Boomer’s health crisis was a stressful experience, we made the most of our time in CO.  We toured many attractions in the area, participated in 3 Patriot Guard Riders commemorative events, met some wonderful new folks, and enjoyed time with RVing friends who were passing through the area.  I’ll tell ya all about those adventures in my next post.