Whelp…F!

That was my initial thought when my steering and brakes went out.  It’s interesting how things like this can happen.  We could have been on the highway, barreling down the road at 60 mph on a downhill grade, but we just so happen to be pulling into a Wal-Mart parking lot when the look of concern came over my face, at least I assume that was the look, it could have been a wide-eyed-holy-s**t-panic look…but whatever.

Since we were rolling so slow without anything in front of us we were able to roll to a complete stop somewhat easily with a little assistance from the emergency brake.  It was at this point when Michelle noticed some smoke coming from the engine compartment.  I was quick to pop the hood, hop out and assess the damage.  Thankfully it wasn’t smoke, just steam from the now leaking coolant.  But no steering, no brakes…what’s the deal with that?

Upon further inspection I found that the serpentine belt was not doing its job properly.  I mean, I’m not a mechanic, but I’m pretty sure that belt needs to be wrapped around the pulleys to make…well…everything work.  As I looked further I didn’t see that the belt was broken and I couldn’t locate where the leaking coolant was coming from, but my theory was that it did indeed break or at least come loose and subsequently detach a hose.  This fix was above my pay grade unfortunately, at least for now.

After a moment to gather my thoughts, I got to it.  It was time to dust off the AAA card in my wallet. Having purchased a AAA Premier membership two years previous with a recommendation from my dad was a wise move.  It’s been good, I’ve only used it twice; this instance being the second and let me tell ya, it’s paid for itself more than the $119/year fee.

We managed to break down in the perfect spot to be honest.  After the tow truck was en route I made my next call to a local RV park which was just down the road, conveniently a mile or so away from the local Dodge dealership.  Randy, our tow truck driver, with A-1 Auto Repair & Towing Service was awesome.  He certainly made the circumstances much easier with his upbeat attitude and customer service.  We dropped the trailer at the RV Park and got the basics hooked up.  I then rode to the dealership to drop off the truck while leaving Michelle and the girls with our trailer.  Randy was even gracious enough to give me lift back to the RV Park.

We weren’t even supposed to stop in Winnemucca.  The plan was to stop about 20 minutes outside of town at a rest area to dump our tanks and fill up with fresh water and continue on through.  Well, it just so happened that this rest stop was closed, so Winnemucca it was.  Stopping at Wal-Mart was even a last minute decision.  So as I said, it’s interesting how things like this can happen.

I am grateful for how this played out.  I am grateful for my family remaining safe.  I am grateful that God is looking out for us.

Stay tuned for part two of our little snafu….