Breakdown, Beyond, Belief

The Short Road Home.

Every adventure story eventually comes down to the question, “What happens next?”

A few days ago, we knew the answer. The script was written.

We would roll on, point the RV toward Palo Duro Canyon, continue west through Texas, Arizona and Nevada, spend time in California, then head back through some of our marquee National Parks  and eventually slip back into Virginia Beach with thousands of photos, stories and memories.

Instead, I am typing this update from, My Desk.

Not because I want to.

After the engine issues in Texas and the initial diagnosis that no traveler wants to hear, we found ourselves staring at an estimated repair bill that was larger than the value of many perfectly good used cars. The trip ended not at a campground or scenic overlook, or in our driveway but in the parking lot of a Ford dealership.

The RV is now on the way back home to Virginia Beach on a very expensive Uber ride of its own. The irony is not lost on me that the RV now has traveled farther this week than we did. Worth pointing out though, while $5000 does seem crazy for a tow home, note that we would have spent an additional estimated $3500 just on gasoline if we completed the trip as planned. Still hurts, but helps me justify the insanity of the expense, a little.

Since arriving home, I’ve begun the process of figuring out exactly what happened, why it happened, and what comes next.

The first step is information.

I’ve submitted requests for more details from the Texas Ford dealer that diagnosed the engine failure and the maintenance shop that performed the oil change and 50,000-mile service just days before the trip. At this stage, I’m not accusing anyone of anything. I simply want facts.

What work was performed?

What was found?

What tests were run?

What evidence supports the diagnosis?

And perhaps most importantly, could there another explanation?

Before we spend seventeen thousand dollars replacing an engine, I just want to be certain that the engine truly needs replacing. Right?

There will be additional inspections, second opinions, probably a fair amount of detective work, potential social media smear campaigns and more intrique than a spy novel. The challenge now is determining whether this is a failed engine, a failed component, a maintenance issue, bad luck, or some combination of all four.

Once the cause is determined, we can look at things like requesting consideration from Ford on repairs and rebuilding or replacing the engine for the least money.

The good news is that there is no immediate rush, now.

We’re sleeping in our own bed.

The Garden is still growing.

The Birds are still singing.

The pool is still clear.

And the National Parks aren’t going anywhere.

One of the surprising things about the last few days has been the huge number of people who have reached out with encouragement, advice, mechanic recommendations, and stories of their own travel disasters. Apparently, breaking down hundreds of miles from home is a more common travel experience than I realized.

Every adventure story worth telling has a chapter where things go sideways. Those challenges are needed for the hero’s journey to have any meaning.

They usually make for the best stories later.

As for us?

We’re already talking about the next trip.

The breakdown was frustrating.

The tow bill is painful.

The repair estimates were shocking.

But none of those things changed why we travel in the first place.

The goal was never just to reach the destination.

The goal was to live outside our daily routine.

To see new places.

To make memories.

To collect stories.

To reunite with the USA

And despite everything, we still managed to do that.

So for now, the RV sits on a flatbed trailer as we are waiting for answers.

The investigation begins.

The repair plan will come later.

And somewhere out there, all the national parks are still waiting for us.

This story isn’t over.

It’s just paused for maintenance.

Tomorrow the Adventure Continues

By The Numbers

• 2 National Parks visited
• 6 states traveled
• 1,500+ miles driven
• 1 repaired tire valve
• 1 major engine failure
• 1 very expensive tow home
• Countless memories
• Unlimited determination to finish what we started

Stay tuned.

The next chapter may involve mechanics, engines, lawyers, negotiations, and more troubleshooting than sightseeing.

But one way or another we will travel again. Bet.