We’ve been bouncing around for a few days. All the state parks and national parks are full up, most of the private campgrounds too, which leaves us searching for boondocking sites. It’s fine, but we then find ourselves every couple of days searching around again for a new spot. We can’t just mosey on and stumble in like we usually do in life. It’s a stress, which is something we’re just not much accustomed to any longer.
The speedometer started acting funky the other day, making noise, and jumping all over the place. Lowe helped me take it off. It didn’t seem like there was anything wrong with the cable, so I greased it all up a bit and hooked it back up. No difference. Then today it just crapped out completely. This minor job could have been made a thousand times easier if they had just given me just two inches more cable. Anyway, I’m not sure now if it the problem is at the tranny connection, the speedo connection, or if it is the speedo itself. What I do know for sure is that I’ve got no speedometer, but worse, I’ve got no odometer. We don’t have a GPS, so I rely on the odometer for every turn we make. Now I have to use dead reckoning. Next I’ll have to get a sextant.
And did I mention that our air horn stopped working the other day? Yeah. That sucks. It’s been our dinner bell for two years.
We just popped into Prescott for lunch. There we ran into some friends on the street that we last saw in Baja last year. They are Canadians who just happened to be in town visiting friends. It seems like we are always running into people this way.
Watson Lake outside of Prescott was a pretty cool place for the kids to adventure.
When we started up 89A we had no idea what we were in for. We put this bus to the test every day.
Arizona is weird—they list the elevation and year founded, but never the population. Jerome is one of these old mining towns up on the side of a mountain that has been restored for the day-trippers. It’s couple of blocks are filled with restaurant/bars, and shops selling stuff that nobody, I mean nobody, needs.
The exact same thing could be said of Cottonwood. Good place to get a beer and a burger, and if you need it you could pick up some $1,500 cowboy boots too. We spent a couple days at the Dead Horse Ranch State Park where we could wander into town easily. Oh, I forgot, the old town did have something we needed—a bike shop where we finally found a wrench narrow enough to tighten one of Lowe’s pedals that has been falling off regularly for the past month.
I give her a 1/2 inch and a 5/8 and I tell her to get cranking. If anything on this bus breaks I’m blaming her and her assistant from now on.
Our kids aren’t usually big picture posers, but recently Ouest got it in her head that she wanted us to make a picture book with pictures of her in every place she’s been. Which is fine, except Lowe isn’t about to be left out of this, so we get both of them now posing together all the time.
20 Comments on “Bouncing Around AZ”
check the speedo with a drill hooked to the cable if it works then the issue is in the tranny/wheel end. A temp one mounted on(not in) the dash board shouldn’t be too hard to find. Almost a GPS thingy with give speed if set to that readout…
Good tip. I’ll give it a try.
That lake looks so serene! Putting it on my list!
Seems like I remember my dad doing what RB has suggested.
Jerome is a cool town. I could live there, I would have some massive leg muscles…. I spent a (weird) night in the haunted hotel (AKA Asylum) in Jerome a few years ago.
My daddy would be proud of you teaching your kids how to be a mechanic. Grease, it’s not just for boys.
The skateboard sure comes in handy! The fact that your fifty year old bus is still on the road is a miracle, things will weear out. A GPS is a good investment. Great light in the pictures.
The great thing about a fifty year old bus is that it takes fifty years for something built in 1966 to wear out! Show me a 2016 Winnebago Whatever in 2066 and let’s see what’s still working.
Heh . . . I’ll bet you were glad the brake problems from your early days with the Travco were figured out and rectified when you took on 89A – especially the stretch down through Jerome. 🙂
TJ
The bus life has been vastly improved with the advent of functioning brakes, yes.
I love Oeste under the bus on the skateboard. She’s so cool.
When she asked if she could use a tool I gave her the wrench and told her to make sure she put it away. The next morning as we were packing up she happened to go under the bus one last time, and when she came out she said, “Papa, look what I found under the bus!” She was holding the wrench, of course.
I’m going to need another set of tools soon.
Let us know if you will be in Denver. You can boondock in front of our house, use the washer/dryer, etc. My kids would love to hear your stories.
Didn’t you guys just get like 100″ of snow? 🙂
Thanks for the offer, but doesn’t look like Denver is in the cards this trip.
Pat, this sounds like the speedo seized up and it may have broken the cable (or the drive in the tranny) when it finally quit. Borrowing (or stealing) a used GPS until you figure it out should be less expensive than another speeding fine 🙁
The GPS could be a good investment. You don’t have to use it to tell you where to go, but you can use it for travel speed and location. It can be a very handy tool to find repair shops and parts. It will help you find fuel and groceries. I think Ouest would really enjoy it. My kids loved to watch where we were moving on the maps. They enjoyed telling me I was speeding. They also liked zooming in and out to see what was close by. They also used it to answer questions about landmarks. It is a pretty helpful tool; but by no means 100% accurate.
Enjoying your adventures.
Boy, everyone here sure likes their tech gadgets. I’ll be sticking with dead reckoning for now. 🙂
In my home country of Ireland all directions are given not in miles, but by proximity to public bars,castles and churches. “Turn left at the fifth church, go up the hill past the second castle and it’s just past Mike’s bar on right.
Yes . So much snow. Back to back storms. We are out of town until Monday. Hope lots of it is gone by then. It’s an open invite. Anyway, good journeys!
O.K. nobody said it…There is a plastic gear where it screws into the tranny that drives the speedo….If you are lucky you can get it out easily…Or a dry Vac……It used to be $.50…way back when……Now?…..Can’t be over $100.??
David
have been following your blog for years- retired rural letter carrier out of Eau Claire wisc- daughter in Shakopee minn- beach bum in Fl now- for winters- kids pictures better all the time! skateboard under bus= priceless- raised 3 beautiful daughters- lots of memories- enjoy- — get a kick of those minn plates on bus– Walden creek rv steve
Simplicity is the greatest virtue in any machine, and the ultimate luxury in life.