Day 8(?): The Side Trip Nobody Orders

Every road trip needs a plot twist or two.

Ours arrived just outside Dallas as we were climbing a long Texas hill heading toward the panhandle. The RV suddenly felt sluggish, and lost power.

Check Engine Light On.

The light blinked and went back out, but power was diminished and we had to put on the hazards and limp down the shoulder.

We found a place to pull off the road to diagnose.

We rebooted the truck.

I plugged in my code reader and got a Cylinder 5 Misfire. That’s enough information to make you concerned, but not enough information to tell you whether you’re dealing with a minor annoyance or a major vacation-altering event.

Fortunatley, we were close to a town with a Ford dealer, and even more fortunate, they agreed to look at it immediately. Finding service is one thing. Finding service willing to see you right now is something else entirely.

So instead of rolling west toward Palo Duro Canyon, we’re sitting in a Texas dealership waiting room where we have just been informed that our engine has lost compression on two cylinders and we need a new engine. Yup, you read that right…a whole new engine. Ugh.

So, now we are waiting for a quote on how much and how long this is going to take. Suffice to say that our timeline is impacted.

Definitely a huge bummer but we are remaining optimistic.

Travel has a way of reminding you that control is mostly an illusion.

You can plan the route.
You can check the weather.
You can service the vehicle.
You can pack spare parts.

But eventually the road gets a vote.