Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - Travel Day to Phoenix

Having made the decision to look for a new-to-us truck in Phoenix, we got up early, as we had more things than usual to do. Still managed to get out before 9:30, having said goodbye to our very accommodating hostess Judy and her husband. After getting gas, we headed east on I-10, happy to finally be getting out of California (they have so many inane rules here!), stopping once for breakfast, again at the AZ border for gas, and finally in to Phoenix, stopping at the Flying J to dump, and at a Chevy dealer just to see if they had anything in their inventory (one, ridiculously priced, but I expect little else from a dealer.) Though the road was mostly flat, there were a few climbs, and it was so hot in the desert, I ended up having to put the heater on to keep the engine from overheating, but I still spent a lot of time in or near the red. I'm sure hoping we can solve this problem with a new truck! After a relatively uneventful day, things suddenly got very challenging. While on the phone trying to find a place to spend the night, Hubby called out to me that I was getting a flat tire, so I quickly pulled over and got off the phone. Turned out not be a flat, but something much worse. A bearing had gone on one of the RV trailer tires, and when I touched it after we put it on the Jiffy jack, the wheel fell off. Not good! I then spent the next hour trying to find roadside service (which I never did), eventually calling the police for their assistance (of which they offered precious little). Finally, they managed to call a wrecker service to tow it, probably to an RV place. Meanwhile, the sun was setting, and we were still on the side of the 101 freeway with the horses. We decided that I should head out to a stable (not the one we had planned on, but one that was somewhat closer in Glendale) and get the horses settled, then come back and find a hotel and do whatever needed to be done. I headed out, getting to the stable at late dusk, dropped off the horses and trailer, then headed out again. Hubby had decided the best option was to let the wrecker company take the RV back to their place, as the owner offered to repair it for us, inferring that the RV dealer would drag their feet, probably replace the whole axle as opposed to replace the bearings, and take a week to do it. Turns out they needed to bring out the big truck (the one they use for tractor-trailers), disconnected the van and got it up on the trailer (I would have liked to have seen that!). Hubby said it was quite an operation. Anyway, we met up at the towing office, then, based on their recommendation, went to the nearest hotel, a Day's Inn on Deer Valley Rd. (a big mistake, the place was a dump and there was a spring sticking up out of the mattress. I had to put a washcloth down to keep from getting poked all night.) A $20/night motel we had to pay $50 for. But at least everyone is safe, and we've met the challenge again, though it took great doses of adrenaline to keep us going. We both had the shakes from exhaustion by the time we got into bed. Tomorrow promises to be a tough day, too.