Wednesday, September 25 2019: Acquire the RV, Begin Preparations, Pick Up the Family
0000: I stopped for a break and had to snap a pic of a Joshua tree before continuing south.
0200: I walked the dog, then settled in for another car-nap somewhere on the outskirts of Phoenix where I figured I wouldn't attract too much attention.
0600: I awoke and figured it was time to start fighting the Phoenix traffic. I headed toward IAA so I could be at the door when they opened.
0800: I ended up 5th in line when the doors opened, and was served fairly quickly. Normally they just use a forklift to pull your vehicle out of their yard, and dump it in the parking lot where it becomes your problem. The motorhome, however, was stored in their "special yard", and informed me they don't have the proper equipment to move it. I was relieved, as it meant they probably hadn't handled it improperly, and it was likely dropped off by a qualified towing service. They assigned me an escort named Jack who would supervise me while in the special yard. I hoped to get it running quickly so I could get out of their hair.
0900: Once in the special yard, I knew I'd have to address the no-keys situation, and likely have to jump-start it. Before breaking the ignition cylinder, I thought I'd look around for some keys. That took all of 30 seconds, as there was a set stuffed in the couch right next to the door! How fortunate! Also, I discovered a set of current plates, which helped alleviate my concerns about multi-state trip permits and whatnot. I really didn't want to get pulled over on this trip.
The newly discovered keys allowed confirmation of the expected dead battery. Jack and I worked at jump starting the thing, and it cranked slowly. The fuel filter was bone dry, and I knew from previous experience with old Chevies that the mechanical pumps are reluctant to prime with a long feed line and slow revolutions. I decided to just go buy a new battery, starting fluid, gas can, gas, and all the various oils/fluids.
1100: Equipped with the new supplies, I replaced the battery, gave it a shot of starting fluid, and she fired instantly. It ran as long as the starting fluid lasted, and was done. At least it sounded mechanically sound. The fuel filter was still dry. I asked Jack how often these things get siphoned in their yard, he said never. My skepticism won out, and I rapped my knuckles on an empty sounding tank. So I put 5 gallons in it and nothing leaked out. I started cranking again, still nothing.
At this point, I figured at least the steering wheel is unlocked, so I asked Jack if he'd rather sit there and watch me struggle all day, or have someone tug this thing out of their yard. Frame accessibility was poor in its current parking position, so it would behoove me to drag it elsewhere anyway. They eventually obliged after some waiting. I aired up the rear left tire with my portable 12V compressor, and we dragged it to a new resting place near their exterior fence. I deployed the south side awnings to make the 97 degree, high-humidity conditions a little more bearable inside. I was happy to see they functioned.
Getting it out and exposed, I surveyed the damage more closely and determined it was all cosmetic, much to my satisfaction. I may have a rather loose definition of cosmetic, but either way, it meant our plans weren't dead in the water quite yet.
My skepticism concerning the fuel delivery system grew, so I refilled the 5 gallon gas can, and ran down to a parts store to get a universal electric pump--they had a Holley on hand so I bought it. I also got 25' of rubber hose, and 50' of wire just in case things got interesting. I also picked up a new manually operated transfer pump, since the one I had at home was junk, and this one was rated for fuel.
1230: The first order of business was popping the fuel line off the carb and see if the manual transfer pump could successfully draw from the fuel tank. It did! This left me wondering why the mechanical fuel pump wasn't doing its job, so I started following the fuel line away from the carb to locate said pump. I failed. The line reached the location I expected a pump to be located, made a left turn, crossed the crossmember, then started following the frame rail to the rear. I surmised it must have been upgraded with an electric unit at some point. I was able to crawl around and locate the electric pump, and it was not receiving power. So I traced the power wire, watched it change colors a couple times, go through three series fuses and a switch, then connect to the tail light circuit (constant batter power). Obviously this is NOT how I would do things, but with the flip of an oddly placed and unlabeled switch, it worked well enough for now! Finally we have fuel! I reconnected things, started it, and rejoiced to hear it idle. I ran the transmission through reverse and drive and achieved the expected results. Then I noticed a couple picture messages from the wife--they were departing PDX and on their way. I had so much left to do!
1400: The next order of business was to make the coach street legal, then rent a tow dolly. I headed off to Lowe's to buy some 1x2s, since I needed a place to mount the lights I'd brought. I also bought a 24"x24" piece of 1/2" plywood, though I wouldn't know why until later. Something told me I'd need it. Bruno greatly appreciated the chance to enjoy the AC, and I'll be honest, I took my time in there. Pro tip: buy your lumber in Oregon, not Arizona--the price discrepancy was astounding.
Slightly rejuvenated, I went to work making what my coworkers have deemed the wooden exoskeleton. I eyeballed a few compound miters with the reciprocating saw and was happy enough with the results. The passenger side headlight retaining ring was broken, and the aging tape didn't appear trustworthy, so I fixed that up with some zip ties as well.
Good as new, you could hardly tell she'd been wrecked!
1600: With the business day winding to a close, I figured I'd better make this thing inspection worthy for the U-Haul folks. I went to the rear to assess the setup, and discovered the 2" receiver was homemade, and not suitable for towing a vehicle that belongs to someone else. That threw a huge wrench in our plans. It looked like the wife and I would BOTH have to drive home all the way from Phoenix now. No trading off, and no chance for me to work on my self-evaluation for work.
I continued improving the roadworthiness of the coach with little things here and there, and hoped the thunderstorms would hold off until I was done.
1900: I was half done wiring up the lights, but it was time to pick up the family from the airport. I picked them up and brought them to the RV. She wasn't thrilled about the generator location:
As much as I didn't want to pay for hotels every single night of this trip, I knew we'd be kicking and bumping into the darned thing, and likely soiling/snagging clothing along the way. We commiserated about not being able to tow the Corolla home, discussed plans, then went to Whataburger since it carries fond memories for her (we don't have those in Oregon). I originally still had aspirations of making it to Las Vegas, but she convinced me to join them for dinner. It was enjoyable until a torrential downpour with lightning chased us out of the outdoor sitting area.
2130: Back at the RV, I set about finishing the lights. It was nice to have a flashlight holder and a go-fer for a little bit. If anyone doesn't know about the battery powered Ryobi soldering station, I highly recommend it (seriously, I recommend it as an electrical engineer). It's probably the most handy addition to the shop this year.
It was getting late, and I was still doing the finishing touches and had a gas station in my future, so the wife found a hotel for herself and the kids 6 miles away and departed in the Corolla. I finished up, and checked out all the lights. We were good to go.
2300: I headed for the gas station 3 miles away where someone asked me how long I'd owned the coach, which turned into the first of many conversations about it. I then proceeded to the back of the hotel parking lot. It was 6 miles in total, and it was FAR from inspiring.
- The throttle was the worst I've felt. Heavy, unresponsive, unpredictable
- The steering was the worst I've felt. Constantly fighting itself, and willing to go any direction but straight. My input had slop as well, so I had to modulate fighting it in opposite directions.
- The engine pinged like crazy under throttle, and didn't want to go over 35 mph.
This was all rather discouraging. I snuck up to the hotel room for a midnight shower, then returned to the RV for some research/reading and eventually some sleep. Hot, humid, beaten.
