Captive in Carson City Nevada

[kdmac]

Hello All,
I have been non-communicative for quite some time, I basically fell out of the groove of posting, but I did check on you all from time to time. I vicariously traveled the east coast and environs with Nan and Liz, loved that. And checked out all the GTG photos, always fun.

I spent my summer rock-hounding, fishing, hiking, exploring and making wonderful buddies in south central Oregon at a most relaxing RV park on a cattle ranch. But, finally headed out on my journey south to Arizona via a few national parks along the way.

BUT!!! lo and behold just two hundred miles into my journey the "Check Engine" light went on and I already sensed the loss of some compression as I hauled myself up and over some insane mountain passes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains....tey are splendidly beautiful mountains. So, there I was in an extremely small town of Lee Vinning California at the gateway to Yosemite when the light came on. I made a quick right turn off the highway and lucked out; there immediately was a forest service road with old abandoned hunters campsites...I backed into one, unhooked the trailer and drove back down 1/2 mile to the Shell station in town.

The Shell station has a service dept of the nicest, sweetest, most ethical and most decent of people. They determined that number one cylinder was blown and likely the head cracked. Too much for their little shop so we spent an hour on the phone with Good Sam Emergency Road Service and they were good enough to pay the entire cost (Kudos to Good Sam) of towing my truck AND my trailer 100 miles back north to Carson City Nevada to the Dodge dealer where my connection with decent people was severed, leaving me bleeding and traumatized.

My truck arrived to the dealer on 9/28 it is now 10/12..............need I say more. I am a praying woman with a deep faith in God. So I turn this over to Him and remember the scripture, "Be anxious for nothing" and "All things work out for to those who love the Lord" So, as the days go by I am emptying my wallet to the RV park for $35 a day. I never pay that at an RV park, but am captive and have no truck. I have walked up to the office and turned my wallet upside down to empty it's contents into her till. This park is between two freeways, no where to walk safely and it's noisy.

I have a lifelong friend who is a mechanic in Castle Rock Washington. He called the dodge dealer and told them to check both heads since the truck is torn down to that level...which is standard procedure. They didn't do it. the truck sat for days waiting for parts...once the parts came they then AND ONLY THEN turned their attention back to my truck and THEN AND ONLY THEN decided to check the other head (again, this could have been done while it sat waiting for the first head)....it too was cracked and now more days waiting for parts. Twelve days into this I called the sevice manager and was treated with a dismissive and uncaring attitude. I regained my composure then called the General Manager of the dealership. he called back and admitted they had grossly mismanaged the service and that they would pay 1/2 my RV park rent. He also said they were bringing in someone to devote to my truck and it would be done by late afternoon the following day. It was not completed the following day.

I am now into day 15 and I do expect they will have it done today. But, now the billing issue is yet to experience and I just may go postal all over their #$%@'s.

Other than that, all is well.

[Forestgal]

First, it's wonderful to hear from you again. I'd wondered where you were and how you were doing. Sounds like all was going swimmingly ... until then end of September.

I'm soooo very sorry to hear about your misadventures with the car. It's NO fun to have a car quit when you're home, and I simply can't imagine how absolutely helpless you must feel being totally stranded in a place like Carson City. I'm sorry that you aren't closer to me. At least then you might have had someone to commiserate with throughout the process.

I'll be praying with you that the service department gets its act together by week's end (see how gracious I'm sounding?) and you'll be able to hit the road. Please know that you're always welcome here if you should need additional (heaven forbid!) work on your truck, or anything done to your trailer. I have an awesome repair place for your rig if you need that.

Anyway, know that you've got lots of support here and can vent as much as you need. Hang in there, and thanks for allowing us to share your burden.

Laura -- and Jed

[Liz]

Other than that, all is well.

Well, I'm glad you have retained your sense of humor. So sorry you're having to go through all the wait and expense. And I'm also sorry I missed out on all the summer adventures and pictures you didn't post about. I would have enjoyed those vicariously as well. Glad you're back....don't disappear so long this time. And, keep us posted on your present situation.

[mtngal]

Oh kd! So sorry to read about your troubles! If you are stuck past
this week let me know. I'm just over the hill (yes, the treacherous
passes, but I'm used to them and will zip over for an escape to
Lake Tahoe or where ever.

But mostly hoping the repairs are completed soon and you are on
your way!!!

[Acadianmom]

I know how aggravating it is when a shop works on one thing at a time and doesn't order all the part they need in the first place. What kind of idiots do they have running the shop anyway. Once you get out of there I would give Dodge an ear full. I know my dealership always wants a good review from me. Be sure they won't get dealer of the year. lol

Hope you can get back on the road soon.

Martha

[Bethers]

I went to bed last night with a reminder to myself to send you a message today. Ouch, sure didn't expect to hear this from you first. I am glad that their service manager has agreed that they mismanaged your service and seems to be going to take care of that - hopefully with their bill to you also. Hope you can get out of there and on the road soon - back into the land of the caring.

Big hugs to you.

[sharon]

Oh kd, so very sorry to hear of this setback in your travels! Dealers can be the worst. I've always had better luck with an independent, but being in a strange area you sure didn't have much choice. Hopefully they will make it right for you money wise, but there's no way they can make it up to you for the frustration.

I, too, have missed your witty and interesting posts. Sure hope it wasn't something that we said and that it was just burnout. I get that way at times, in fact have been that way for this whole trip. Thank goodness for Liz!! If I was home, I'd for sure have grabbed Evie and we would have brought shoulders to cry on and wine to go along with them. In fact, I could even have brought the truck and hauled you to a better camping spot if you wanted. California is expensive to camp in....even state parks.

Hope you get your truck back soon and back on the road. Please let us know how you are and when you get to Az, Evie and I will come out and visit. She's always up for a road trip and will pretty much follow me anywhere. Poor woman hasn't figured out how much trouble she gets into following me! Big hugs to you and a healing pat for your trucky.

[chalet05]

kd, Your turn of bad stuff should be over!! My first year out on my own had me not liking mechanics much - still have that problem from time to time. Yep, lots of room to vent here.

[Gentleladybear]

So sorry to hear of all the problems you are having. Hope they are resolved quickly and in your best interest.

Have a friend that when I tell her about a bad time, she will look at me and say, other than that Mrs. Lincoln how was the play. It always puts a smile on my face. Hope it does yours.

Nan

[kdmac]

So sorry to hear of all the problems you are having. Hope they are resolved quickly and in your best interest.

Have a friend that when I tell her about a bad time, she will look at me and say, other than that Mrs. Lincoln how was the play. It always puts a smile on my face. Hope it does yours.

Nan

Oh Nan, you made me chuckle! I haven't cracked a smile in FIFTEEN DAYS.

I have to admit to a little something...I was a bad widdle girl. I kind of took a chance at screwing up everything but I just couldn't control myself. When I called the servide dept today (after waiting till noon for them to call me) I let all the fury go and "Unleashed the Kracken" all over the little mechanic man. I told him "I won't deal with any surprises at bill paying time, that I am fully aware of the cost of all the parts and labor (due to my mechanic at home educating me), that I have unleashed my fury on the internet to every site and forum I know warning people to stay clear of Carson City Dodge, I told him I contacted friends in fleet managment for the USFS and the USDA Forest Patrols to not do business with Carson City Dodge. Anyway, with all of that said the word got back to the general manager who got really mad at what I had done and he called me. As it turns out, I got my point across; they ended up charging for parts only and paid half my RV park rent so I give them credit for that...But, I can say I was very glad that I was able to piss him off....I spent 15 days really pissed off. so "What goes around comes around". But I thought to myself that if they were selling hamburgers I am sure they would have spit in mine.

Bill paid, ready to leave. I got into my truck, and I could see people looking out windows to see what the wild, furious, freaked-out witch looked like. I immediately hit the switch for my air bags and lo and behold.....they didn 't work....I had warned him that I didn't want them to screw up my air bags. I hauled my fat little butt back to the service counter and out came the little service department manager. He lucked out finding that the electrical switch had been separated and had it fixed in about ten minutes... I drove out of there never to return. I actually did do alot of praying over these days and God did help me out, the whole cost should easily have been another $1000.

[BirdbyBird]

Glad you made it out and back on the road.....minus money but good to have the humor alive and well.....

[BarbaraRose]

Sounds like a pretty traumatic few weeks for you! Glad to hear you asserted yourself! Good girl! Hopefully, now you can get on the road for AZ and have some new fun adventures this winter!

[Forestgal]

I remember when I cracked a block 30+ years ago on a car I was told to baby it for a while until it was broken in. Is that something you need to be mindful of for a while?

Laura

[kdmac]

I remember when I cracked a block 30+ years ago on a car I was told to baby it for a while until it was broken in. Is that something you need to be mindful of for a while?

Laura

That's a good point. I wasn't given any advice by the service dept....I doubt very much they would provide any tips to me after this fiasco. But, my dear friend that helped me in this deal owns an Off Road 4x4 business and he didn't mention a break-in period...but I plan to be as gentle as possible and drive only in the cool of the morning and not haul too far for a while, and I plan to pull over after dropping down off a giant pass and let it cool for an hour. My friend told me to do that.
I will 'Google" the point you made and see what I find...thanks...good heads up.

[snowball]

Have missed you as well KD in fact if you look somewhere you will find a post asking where our 'lost' ones are!
Where do you plan on going in AZ? we will be in Quartzsite some time in Nov. for the 'season'
Travel safely and enjoy the trip
sheila