America's Calling - June 2014

It's wet and windy at home - winter has set in and we are getting down to single digit weather temperatures - in short, Winter Sucks.

So here we are again......back in the US, for a holiday this time as we have jobs to go back to..............

We arrive and pick up the rental car for the trip over the Grapevine to Duane's place in Bakersfield - guess what - they are having their first heat wave and we arrive to over 100F.  Not a problem now as we have acclimatised to America and we can handle this, although when it hits 113F a few days later I have to admit that we did hibernate in Duane's house for most of the day.  We aren't using our air conditioning as it blows the fuses every time due to the power connections not being correct for an RV at Duane's, so she is like a sweat tin on wheels.  Lovely concrete pad outside the shed this time - almost like the Hilton.

Anyway, we uncover our baby (the RV) and dust her off as they had a wicked dust storm here not long after we left last time and we had a good covering of red dust inside and out.  

Over the next few days, we clean her up, check her out and on Saturday we head down to the smog place to get her passed........$89 & she failed - we couldn't figure this out as she had passed with flying colours last time and had no issues.  Bugger, we had wanted to start our journey, anyway, they had us over a barrel so we booked her in for first thing on Monday to be diagnosed and hopefully fixed.  

Geoff Edginton is staying at Duane's also and Greg & Stu from Christchurch stop in also.  Seems like most of the hot rodders from NZ are here this month - the LA Roadster Show is on....

Anyway we help Duane with his stock and cooking, Daryl on the BBQ and me on salads or curries.  A few bourbon's and beers die along the way.

Duane told us there were some foxes living around the back of his place and I snap these during our stay.

We also have an eventful night when a raccoon climbs a power transformer and shorted it out causing a fire on the boundary fence.  After waking Duane, who crabbed his fire extinguisher, we ring the fire brigade who arrived about the same time.  Went back to bed about 1pm and it was fixed before the morning arrived!

Never a dole moment!

Monday morning we dropped her off around 8.20am and went shopping, awaiting the call to tell us what the issue was.  No phone call and by 1.30pm we drive back and find her still sitting outside - things don't work fast in America!  Anyway after a few words by Daryl they said they would try and get to it today......

We pass at 3.30pm to see they were finally working on her and 4.30pm we got the call to say it was all fixed - funny as they said they had to ring us to tell us what it was before doing any work.  

We go back down and the guy says it is not quite right but it is close enough - I ask what was wrong with it and he says "the way he explained it to me was that the catelic converters had been bumped and this was leaking - they had just put it back in place'.  Okay, we pay the $103 more and get out of there.  

Later I comment to Daryl about this and he explains that these are welded on and no way could that have happened - the original test 2 yrs ago was 26 - the failed test was 257 (the maximum allowed is 150) - the final test is 20.  It seems that they may have stuffed up a test or something but just wouldn't admit it......

Duane says that's pretty much how it works you just hope you don't get fleeced too much in the process.  Pay it and run!

So finally, Tuesday we head off to look at a cheap run around to tow, pay the rego on the RV, return the rental and hope to hit the road before lunch.  Haha this is America....  we buy the run around as our tow car, drop off the rental, change the ownership & pay the rego on the RV, pick up some water and hoses for the RV and head back to Duane's.  We sort the insurance, another hour......

Daryl & Duane

Finally, about 2.30pm we pull out after saying our thanks to Duane, whose hospitality has once again been fantastic.  We were wanting to head to Carpentria but looks like the park is full when we ring so we try Buellton again, near Solvang - plenty of room.  Decision made, we head over the hills out of the heat and arrive just after 4pm - nice camp and has had a remodel since last time also.  A very pleasant 30 degrees with a nice breeze greets us and we plug in and set up.

We stop to check on things along route 166