[RC] Tevis Bound...????? Part 2 - Patrick Allen/Evelyn Hartman
Pat had planned our trip, where we would stay each night, that is before we
started. We soon found out that the gas tank overflow recovery tube had a leak
in it thus limiting how much gas we could put in it making it necessary to stop
for gas more often.
We stayed in the KOA campgrounds in Lost Hills, just
outside of Bakersfield on Monday night. The campground in Auburn was where
we stayed on Tuesday night. Wednesday was a very exciting day for me.....that
night we would be at the Tevis.
We headed for Truckee to get the last of our groceries
and stock up on ice. When we left the store parking lot my heart was
singing.....only a few more miles and we would be there. I was so looking
forward to seeing all of you, making new friends and renewing others.
We followed the directions printed off the Tevis website
and turned off on Mt. Watson Rd. and started up the hill. Got about 2 miles up
the hill and the engine vapor locked causing us to loose all power, brakes,
power steering, everything. Nothing but the incredible driving skills of Pat,
who has been a Professional Truck Driver all of his life, saved us from a
horrible crash. As luck would have it, the grace of God, or our Guardian Angel,
he was able to steer the motorhome onto a small gravel area at the side of
the road.
When we finally came to a stop our hearts were in our
throats with fear and disbelief at what had just happened. What to do now? Pat
opened the hood to let the engine cool off although the gauges weren't
reading hot.
We sat there for over an hour trying to think of what to
do. I got out and walked aways up the hill and could see that it just kept
curving and going up. We got it started again and decided to try it one more
time. Got only half as far as the first time and the same thing happened only
this time there was a car coming up behind us and one coming very fast down the
hill at us. We were both screaming, STOP, STOP, as Pat once again managed to
maneuver us back to the wide spot down the hill. Neither of the cars
stopped.
We sat some more. Beautiful setting, blue skies, warm
breeze, orange butterflies flitting all around us, but for our situation a very
frightful place to be. One man stopped, nothing he could do...didn't even know
what Tevis was.
We got the motorhome started again and managed to turn
it around so we were facing down hill. 2 men with a horse trailer, going to
Tevis stopped, said to go back down into Truckee if we could get there. Didn't
get their names but thanks to who ever they were just for stopping when others
didn't. A local stopped, having talked to the two men in the blue Dodge
truck with the two horse trailer and said the same thing about going back
into Truckee, he couldn't help as he had wife and 3 big dogs in his little
car.
We took a chance and started for Truckee, all downhill
and got to a service station. Checked the transmission and the fluid was OK.
Both the mechanic and Pat believed it to be a vapor lock which could have
caused the gas tank to implode.
