OH, GIVE US A BRAKE!

March 4 - APACHE JUNCTION - FOUR WINDS TO A SOUTHWIND!

While moving from Lake Havasu City to Apache Junction today, we got a phone call from the RV dealer in Yuma.  The owner of the Southwind made a counter offer and we accepted.  The deal came together and we got the Southwind!  Jim was especially happy because we could cancel our plans to RV shop the next day.  Instead of RV shopping we spent the day preparing for our new arrival; got the insurance, found a storage place for the Four Winds until the new owner could pick it up at the end of the month, made plans to transfer our stuff from the old RV to the new one, etc.

March 7 - GETTING THE WIND KNOCKED OUT OF OUR SAILS

We left Apache Jct. at 6:30 this morning to drive the 180 miles to Yuma, excited to pick up our new Southwind.  After doing a final inspection, filling out the paperwork and writing the check, we hooked up the Jeep to our new home on wheels, stopped to fill the 75 gallon gas tank and left Yuma about noon.

This new motor home sure is nice!

About 20 miles out of Yuma we made a sudden stop on the freeway because of a serious accident up ahead.  The brakes sure worked great in the new rig!  After a 30 minute delay we were on our way again.  For some reason, the GPS  took us through Phoenix instead of going south of the city.  Looking at the time, I realized we would be getting to Phoenix during rush hour.  It was too late to turn around and take the other route, and we needed to get to the storage place before 6:00.  The traffic through Phoenix was hideous.  Jim's palms were sweating and knuckles turning white from gripping the steering wheel.  I had to shut my eyes a few times and tried not to scream.  Start, stop, start, stop, tic toc, tic toc; I called the storage place and let them know we were stuck in traffic and wouldn't make it there by 6:00, but would be there tomorrow.

Because of the terrible traffic jam, the GPS rerouted us off the freeway onto city streets.  The traffic was still bad, but moving better, but now we contend with stop and go lights.  Start, stop, start, stop, tic toc, tic toc.  As we came to a red light there was a screeching sound.  I said "is that our brakes?"  Jim said "ya,I think so but that's pretty normal, don't worry about it".  Every time we had to stop at a red light the screeching got worse.  I said "that's NOT normal, and what is that smell?  It smells like something burning".  All of a sudden the GPS put us back on the freeway.  We were still 25 miles from home and just wanted to get there, then the ABS light came on and then another light with a ! point flashing and the words BRAKE FAILURE flashing, that's when the warning siren came on.  There was no place to pull off the road with all the traffic, so we got off at the next exit.  The siren was wailing, the warning lights flashing, and we were both about ready to have a stroke.  We managed to make it another few blocks where we found a large parking lot behind a Mexican restaurant, and using the emergency brake came to a full and complete stop, thankful to be alive and not the headline for the 10:00 news:  "WISCONSIN SNOWBIRDS CAUSE 200 CAR PILE-UP ON I-10". 

This doesn't look good.

Jim called our Emergency Road Service; by now he's on a first name basis with them.  While waiting almost 2 hours for the Road Service to arrive, I ordered take-out from the Mexican restaurant, brought it back to the RV and we had our first dinner in our new home.

Brent our RV doctor/tow truck ambulance driver arrived and asked about symptoms, did an examination, and gave us the diagnosis.  One of the brake thingies probably jammed when Jim slammed on the brakes at the accident site outside of Yuma.  The brake thingy got so hot it melted and boiled the brake fluid.  Brent said we were lucky it didn't start on fire and burn up the whole RV!

The RV Ambulance has arrived.

Jim and Brent arguing with Road Service about how much of the towing bill will be covered.

We unhooked the Jeep, the Southwind got hooked up to the tow truck.  At 10:00 we were back to our RV Park where we still had the Four Winds to live in.

It could have been so much worse and we are grateful we didn't kill ourselves or anyone else in the process.  The angels are watching over us again.  It must be a full time job working to keep us two out of trouble.  Oh, speaking of trouble, remember "if it has tires or testicles, it's going to be trouble".  I guess I'm not the problem.