We got up early this morning and as soon as the girls were on the school bus, we loaded tools up in the Huzz's truck and headed up to Jackson, MS where our newly purchased 1999 Fleetwood Bounder was sitting on a salvage yard waiting for us to come get her. We truly had no idea what was going to happen when we got there.
If you read my
first post about the rig Hunny purchased from
Salvagebid.com, you'll remember my reference to my bouncing anxiety levels. At this point, the level is up a couple of notches.
We arrived at the salvage yard and were directed to the back of the yard. We slowly meandered our way through the maze of wrecked and burned out vehicles, including school buses, big rigs, travel trailers, and what not. I had a thousand thoughts going through my head. I knew what ours looked like according to the photographs on the internet, but I wasn't prepared for how BIG it was!
We located our rig and parked the pick up in front of it. I asked Hunny if the contact person at
Salvagebid.com knew how long the rig had been at this particular lot. We knew it was previously stolen and had been vandalized but we didn't know WHEN that happened.
Hunny came prepared to put fuel in it, crank it up, and drive it home. We did a walk around, examining the tires for the potential 140 mile drive home. The tread looked good and none were flat. Then, we opened the door to climb up in it.
Oh. My. God. The internet photos did not prepare me for the smell! It stunk to high heaven! There were dead wasps all throughout the rig but mostly in the cab area. *anxiety level is steadily rising*
Electronics had been yanked out.
Cab area with filthy water stained and mildewed privacy curtains.
The end pieces of the cabinetry were pressed wood that looked like it
had gotten wet, swollen, and then dried hard but the cabinets and inside the cabinets look fine.
There were black streakson the ceiling running toward the outside of the coach. Yellow fiberglass insulation was hanging out of the empty refrigerator space.
In the bathroom, the skylight had fallen in and the tub was full of leaves and dirt.
The bedroom looks okay even if the roman shades look water stained. The end tables have peeling formica and are missing a drawer. The beige carpet is dirty and stained.
But the dining area and sleeper sofa look promising.
We walked through it and then Hunny declared it was time to fuel her up and hit the road. We exited the coach, got the gas cans, located the gas line, and began to pour the fuel in. I leaned back on another travel trailer a few feet away just daydreaming and listening. I started thinking about what I wanted to eat for lunch and where I could get it nearby. Then I heard it. The tell tale sound of liquid hitting the ground.
I looked up and saw Hunny dutifully pouring the gas into the gas pipe. I still hear liquid hitting the ground, but where? A few seconds later, I saw a little drip out of the corner of my eye, about 5 feet up under the motorhome. The gas that Hunny is pouring in, is now pouring out! I jumped up and hollered, "Stop pouring!"
He looked at me, puzzled, and sat the gas can down. I pointed out the spot where the gas was coming out and he got down on all fours to investigate. A coupling had been removed from the gas line, leaving a nice little 6 inch gap of air. A few seconds, and lots of bad words later, he got up and went to the pick up truck where he retrieved a siphon hose.
He then spent 10 minutes or so, siphoning 10 gallons of gas INTO the gas line that leads to the tank. Once he was satisfied with that task completion. We move on to getting it started and ready to drive.
He attached his battery charger to the coach battery and instructed me to hold it up while he got in the cab. He turned the key on and I heard all sorts of things start whirring and spinning. I heard a couple of clicks as he attempted to start the engine. He turned it off, got out and came to me holding the battery charger. He tells me to get in the cab and turn the key.
I climb up in the cab to do as instructed. Dead wasps and bumblebees were laying on the dash and in the passenger seat. I reach to turn the key and two bumblebees come crawling out of the vents on the dash! I have a self-diagnosed phobia about stinging insects. I am NOT happy to be this close to a couple of live bumble bees! Why are they in the dash!?! *anxiety level rises about 10 notches* I'm feeling a mild panic attack coming on but I'm able to get it under control right when Hunny tells me to turn the key.
I turned it and heard more whirring and buzzing. I was certain we stirred up a nest of stinging insects! He tells me to stay put while he crawls underneath the rig. *yeah, right!*
I few very long minutes go by and I hear him holler to "Turn it again"! We were rewarded with the sound of a roaring engine! Yippee!! It runs!!! *anxiety level slightly nudges downward*
I exit the coach as he is disconnecting battery cables and stuff. The engine is running, everything sounds fine to me. I know nothing of how engines work, so in my opinion, if it's roaring then it must be working.
Hunny starts loading tools and gas cans into the back of the pick up truck. Then he hands me the keys and tells me to "Move it out of the way." I get in to the pick up and immediately feel a sense of relief *anxiety levels down* when I put it into gear and back it up. I wait for the rig to move but nothing happens. He puts it in gear, but again, nothing happens. He got out of the coach and crawled underneath again. He comes out looking for some little pieces (Bushings?) that I had previously seen on the dining table, telling me they go to the drive shaft of the rig. They had been removed for some reason.
He got those pieces reinstalled on the rig and again attempts to drive it. This time, we have success. It drives! It moves! It sounds kinda rough. With me following him in the pick up, he drives the rig out of the salvage yard into the main parking area.
Once we got to the main parking area, I am again instructed to a task. This time, I need to drive into the nearest town for several quarts of oil and transmission fluid. Oh, and lunch, bring back something to eat.
While I am gone, he's busy checking and replacing all the tail light bulbs and things. I get back with the fluids and lunch and we take a break to eat.
We then start the journey home. He gets the rig on the road and we head for the nearest gas station. He attempts to pull up next to a gas pump in order to fuel up. My thoughts are, "How are you gonna do that and the gas pours out on the ground?" I discovered very shortly that while I had been away running the lunch errand, he had gotten a piece of radiator hose and duct-taped it to the gas line!
He pulled up too far past the pump and stepped out of the rig to request my assistance lining him up as he reversed into position. He gets back in the captain's chair, puts the rig in Reverse, and .... nothing. He put it in drive, moved forward a few inches, stops, and tries Reverse again....and....nothing. Oh Joy! It won't reverse!!! Fortunately, the gas station had a drive through that went around the back of the building, so he's not blocked in with no way out.
I hear more bad words coming from inside the rig (he likes those bad words when he's frustrated) and then he makes another appearance, stepping out of the rig.
"Where'd you park the pick up? Pull up over here. I need to fill those gas cans." He filled another 10 gallons of gas in the cans and carried them over to the rig to pour in. Before he gets back in the coach, he tells me to take the pick up to the local auto parts store and purchase 7 quarts of transmission fluid. He tells me to meet him on the shoulder of the interstate on ramp heading back home.
I got the requested transmission fluid and met him on the on ramp. *anxiety level has risen and leveled out at this point*. I haven't said much to him all day. I just made it my job to be his extra hands and keep my thoughts to myself. I have plenty of thoughts going round and round my noggin but this is not the time to share it with him. I figured it's best to wait a day or so and then vent. So, while he's pouring this transmission fluid into the rig, I just stand silently and think, awaiting my next instruction.
That task completed, we get back into the vehicles and start moving up the on ramp. By the end of the ramp, merging onto the interstate, we're moving at about 35 mph. I say aloud to myself, "Yeah, this is gonna be fun." We gradually gain speed, moving along at a nice 60 mph for about 50 miles when he calls me on the phone and requests a stop at an upcoming truck service station. He thinks the rig needs more gas. (He's put 20 gallons in it so far with probably 5 or so hitting the ground back at the salvage yard.)
This time, the gas pumps are pull through with a large truck yard. No reversing necessary! He puts 40 gallons of gas into the rig and I see the fuel leaking from the
make-shift rigged coupling. I point it out and he shrugs it off saying, "It'll do until we get home and I can get a proper one." *Oooo-kay.* Then I asked him, "What are you gonna do about getting this thing in the yard at home? It doesn't reverse, so how do you plan to back it into it's spot?" He tells me that what his tractor is for. *Okidoki, then.*
We get back on the road and this time, the rig accelerates up the on ramp just like my suburban would do. By the end of the ramp, we're doing 65 mph. *anxiety level eases off a little more* Now, I just have to stay right here behind him until we get home.
At this point, there is no registration papers or proof of insurance for the rig. The license plate is expired in 2016 in Mississippi. As we're moving at a nice clip down the interstate, I begin to relax. Until I saw a state trooper assisting a motorist on the roadside. About 10 minutes after we pass the trooper, I see him coming up behind me on the interstate. I move over to let him pass but realize as I do so, that I just exposed Hunny to the trooper who has a perfect view of the aforementioned expired license plate! *anxiety level goes up* A few minutes later, Hunny changes lanes and the trooper passes by seemingly not to notice the expired tags. *Whew!* At that point, Hunny accelerates and got the rig to 80 mph for a few miles before slowing down and settling into a relaxed pace.
We finally make it to the home stretch and pull into the yard, parking it directly in front of the house. Just before turning it off, he put it in Reverse again and to our surprise, it worked! I suppose all that transmission fluid needed to get worked through the phases.
Now that we know it runs, the next step is repairs, cleaning, and the hunt for appliances. There are a lot of little things that need doing.
