October 30, 2023
Although I was exhausted from the speed of repacking my household effects from September 19 to October 4th. I took a deep breath after drinking a cup of coffee for breakfast and begin carrying boxes containing office supplies, business phones, router, printer, scanner, file cabinet folders, copy machine, satellite dish, Echo’s large dog cage, my suitcase; everything from the freezer, refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, two large bags of dog food, and finally Echo down 32-steps to my pickup truck for the trip back to my motorhome. I loaded everything into the motorhome, drove my pickup truck back to the apartment garage, backed the jeep out, and drove the truck in; locked the door. Returned to my motorhome, attached the jeep to the back and rolled out of Sioux Falls.
I usually hookup office equipment once I settle in an area, I plan to stay for a while. Meaning, once my office is set up in the motorhome it stays that way, since I am usually working on a few projects at a time until I decide to change locations.
As usual it’s always great to be back on the highway with no particular destination or time frame to arrive or leave anywhere. I love my highway life and have learned to deal with whatever occurs such as now. For the last six years, I have had no overhead or living expense requirements until now; paying for an apartment I am absent from which sucks and won’t ever happen to this women again. No matter the types of weather I am forced to deal with in the future. Basically, I don’t ever have to return to Sioux Falls in April or May. It’s just been a habit that I always return home on April 4th.
Prior to this year’s weather change. On a monthly basis, I only pay $230 for household effects storage, $80 for storage of my pickup truck in a private garage, and $150 a month for food to restock my refrigerator and motorhome cabinets. Also, I pay $250 for my annual non-resident New Mexico State Parks System 12-Month Permit, and $180 for my long-term permit which covers a 7-month long-term-stay at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) properties permit.
Furthermore, Dispersed Campgrounds and Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds; owned and managed by the government allow campers to stay 14-days free. Then you are required to move to a 25-miles radius for any 28-day period.
Dang it. I had been driving for four days. Suddenly I heard a strange sound from the rear of my motorhome. As a result, I pulled my motorhome onto the shoulder of the highway and did a walkaround of the motorhome and jeep which is my tow vehicle. The jeep’s front tire on the driver’s side was ripped open and laying on the shoulder under the tire mount. I could see exposed tire wires from the wheel and noticed fluid leaking from under my jeep. I don’t have flat tires often, but I do expect it to occur from time-to-time.
So, I returned to my motorhome and called AAA, whom I pay annually for roadside services. I thank God for AAA; they are reliable and have rescued me from some hellish situations. This time, the tow driver and I had to disconnect the jeep and load it on a flat-bed tow truck. I followed the tow truck to Dodge City Kansas. The Western Tire Shop determined the gearshift slipped into lock position which caused the tire to blow.
As a result, the tire shop mounted the new mountainous terrain tire which had been stored under the rear couch in the motorhome for the last five-years, because it was too big to be carried on the spare tire carrier on the back of the jeep.
Thirty-minutes later the new was mounted on the driver side and the passenger side front tire which was also damaged and showed a large drag mark patch in the center; was moved to the rear of the jeep and the rear tire which was not damaged was moved to the front on the passenger side. So claimed the guy working on the installation of tires on my vehicle. Then the jeep was reconnected to the back of my motorhome, and I was back on the highway.
Upon my arrival in Quartzsite Arizona, I dropped the jeep at an auto repair shop, who finally in the second week of my vehicle being parked on their lot, determined the front tire blow-out damaged the jeep’s transmission. As a result, the shop gave me two repair options; buy a new transmission for $5000, or a used transmission for $3000. I elected to purchase a used transmission because I could not justify putting a new transmission on my Jeep Wrangler T.J which is twenty-one years old. While waiting for the arrival of the replacement transmission, I was told the radiator was also damaged which I also decided to purchase a used radiator for its replacement.
Yes, my jeep has been well cared for, looks new when it is clean and runs great. I have never had any severe problems with my jeep other than the occasional running out of gas due to its small gas tank. Therefore, I have called AAA to bring me some gas on the side of the highway; other times I push the limits and roll into service stations with my tank light flashing empty. Meanwhile, this is the worst experience ever.
Laughing…., I know nothing about the newer model Jeeps, but these older Jeeps were built to do some amazing things. I really love my Soft-Top Jeep! Once my jeep is repaired, I will be moving onto my next destination which is currently unknown.