From Patagonia Lake we made our way back through Tucson again, stopping off just outside of Saguaro National Park. It was one of those places that we were driving in and thinking just how familiar it looked. We’d been there before, but hadn’t remembered until we arrived.
Continuing on we headed northwest towards the Colorado River. We drove along happily until we heard the first pop. A little backfire in the engine. Ugh.
I pulled over and everything looked okay, but I figured I’d better start with a look at the spark plugs. The #3 plug was the one that had burned up its electrode last time the bus was having trouble, so I started with that, and found that it had burned up again. No idea why. I replaced the plug and we were back on our way without issue. I’ve since pulled it to check it again, and after 300 miles or so, including some hard mountain driving, it’s still in perfect condition.
We spent a few days at Buckskin State Park on the Colorado River. It’s a beautiful area that we’ve somehow never managed to pass through before. Once at the park there wasn’t much to do other than hang out along the river, and hike up in the hills, which was just fine by us. This time of year it’s a quiet place. Full, but quiet. We had to move spaces every day or two. Getting reservations anywhere these days is really just a matter of stringing together a bunch of other people’s cancellations. I really don’t see how anyone that hasn’t booked a year in advance will be able to visit a State or National Park this summer. Even the popular boondocking spots are sure to be crazy. It’s pretty wild to see how many new RVs are out here, and also how many van campers. Back in the VW days we would have been the only people not in an RV at a place like this. Now there are a bunch of van conversions, and rooftop tent kitted vehicles.
We continued north to Lake Havasu State Park where we had strung together six days on four separate reservations (with a $5 reservation fee tacked onto each one, even though we had no choice and were staying consecutive days). There was a balloon festival going on, so we left early in the morning to be sure and be there when they had the morning launch. Instead, we arrived to find the wind absolutely howling, and a completely empty fairground area.
Tough morning for the vendors. One place managed to score six bucks for hot chocolate while the rest absorbed their sunk costs. We did come back later in the day when there was live music playing and things had picked up a bit then, but apparently the whole weekend had been a bust due to wind. By the end of the week we’d be wondering to ourselves how the organizers could have ever thought they’d be able to launch balloons in a place like this. The wind was a nearly constant presence.
We did get one nice calm night, though.
8 Comments on “Colorado River”
Possible blockage in cooling system around cylinder #3?
It’s been many years since we’ve camped in a state park, but I am stunned at how closely packed in those campers are at Buckskin. That would be fairly unpleasant if you wanted some solitude. Happy to see you’re still on the move and I wish we’d had the guts to do the unconventional thing when our kids were young. Ouest and Lowe are fortunate to have you as parents.
Love your pictures and comments. I live in Tucson and every year we spend time at Buckskin sp, Patagonia, and Fools Hollow sp (north in the mountains). My daughter has been a fan of yours for several years and knew I would enjoy your travels. I kayak and hike. I love that your family have been traveling via sailing and now rv. I remember years of camping in tents with our two daughters and loved every minute of family time in nature.
I look forward to seeing future travels from you. God bless you and stay safe.
Are you planning on going to Quartzite?
The plug looks like it has pre-ignition damage – so maybe ignition timing or a hot spot in that cylinder?
Could you get an electronic ignition conversion for it?
If all the plugs had the electrode issue I’d say plug temp was too high. That #3 cylinder could have a cooling issue as one post suggested. I was wondering if there may be an old spark plug washer stuck in the #3 cylinder spark plug hole preventing the plug from being tight enough. That would account for the plug coming out earlier and being lean.
I hope ol bus is running better. Safe travels and good health to you all.
When just one electrode is burning off quickly, then there is some kind of issue with the mixture in that cylinder.
It can be caused by a compression problem, lot’s of carbon build up, or a vacuum leak. Most of the time it is due to a valve seat issue in the engine which can cause the mixture to be off enough to cause that cylinder to run hotter.
With an engine that old though, and because it seems to last in good condition awhile, it might be a weak or sticky valve spring. With a valve cover off, a good mechanic can test that without losing the valve down on top of the cylinder.
It’s worth testing them because a broken spring will not be a good thing.
You probably know all this but just in case!
Have fun you guys.
Magic