April 8th ~ Just outside of Bakersfield, CA
OK, what do we do now???
Getting from Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area to Rivernook Campground was an adventure all by itself…
Tim and I were in the lead vehicle, with Tim driving and me in charge of navigation. I spotted a large piece of carpet in the road and warned Tim to avoid hitting it.
Dick and Karen were following us in their 32 foot rig. Evidently Dick decided to take a magic carpet ride and seconds later Karen was contacting me on the walkie talkies that they had run over the carpet and it had done some damage to the undercarriage.
We swung around and joined them on the side of the road. After a cursory inspection, it was decided to proceed a couple of blocks to a large dirt parking area where they could further assess the damages.
Hmmm, sizing up just how bad it might be
Well, it was not great. The tail pipe tip was broken off, the muffler was loose and wrapped around the drive shaft and the support bracket that holds the carrier bearing for the drive shaft was bent.
First task was to remove the rest of the tail pipe. They were in need of a good hack saw. Just about then, a guy drove up in a truck, who just happened to have one.
Trying to get it safe enough to drive
They then tried to jerry-rig things, holding the muffler in place with some wire coat hangers, but it was too heavy. Time to cut off the muffler. We knew it would be loud, but at least drivable for a short distance and the RV would not need to be towed.
Dick, after making several calls, was able to find a muffler shop about 15 miles away that not only had the parts that were needed, but had a lift large enough to raise the RV, and best of all, could get us in right-a-way.
Off we went…
The folks at Bob’s Muffler in Bakersfield could not have been any nicer. Not only did they install the new muffler, but were also able to weld a couple of other places that needed to be repaired.
The parts that were broken and/or sawed off
While we waited, the four of us walked right across the street to a small “hole in the wall” authentic Mexican Restaurant, Super Taco, for a wonderful lunch. Warning – the salsa is VERY hot. I can vouch for the fish taco and horchata – yummy!
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that we managed to arrive in Kernville in one piece and that the damage to Dick and Karen’s RV, although not minor, was able to be repaired both timely and professionally. Feeling super fortunate!
A Note From Abroad 
So glad the story had a happy ending! We discovered more than once that there are businesses who go out of their way to quickly get RV travelers fixed up and ready to be back on the road. Glad you found one of those!
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So were we! Right place, right time 😁
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Wow! Who would have thought a piece of carpet could do so much damage. I like the way you described all the tech auto part “thingy’s” that was wrong like a pro.
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I too was so surprised that running over a piece of carpet in the road could do that. The auto parts description must be accredited to my husband 😬
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Viel arbeit !!!!!!!!! alles gute.
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Yes, thankfully, all ended well!
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Yes, luckily everything ended well! that should always be like this. that’s just part of it !!! I eagerly wish you nice greetings. !!!(*L*)!!se
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So glad all’s well!
Happy Easter to all of you 🙂
Love,
Linda and Paul
PS we are sooo enjoying all your travels and posts!
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Hi Linda and Paul! I knew that if we didn’t get back on the road, and write about it, that you two would run out of reading material 😂🤣😂 We too wish you a wonderful Easter and send our love.
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Great story looking for the good and being grateful for it! ❤ 😀
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Somehow it always feels better to find the positive side of things 🌹
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The journey is always the story.You know that. Be happy y’all weren’t 200 miles out on bad road.
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Ray, we were very fortunate to still be close to “civilization”. 😉
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Each day is full of surprises on the road isn’t it.
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True! We never know what each day has in store for us.
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Oh no! Having RV problems is never fun.
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No, it is not – and can certainly be expensive 😩
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I’ve also had reason to be grateful for the kindness of strangers, most recently last summer when the serpentine belt went. And my undercarriage story is that a friend was driving my camper late at night, and I was too late seeing the woodchuck to warn him. It took out the sewage hose and the fittings that held it – fortunately after its shutoff, so we weren’t dribbling much down the road! In daylight the next day I was able to cut off the trailing hose and wire it up so it didn’t drag; the full repair waited a few days until I was home. Don’t know how the woodchuck made out.
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Oh dear! Glad you were able to do enough temporary repairs that would see you through for a few days until you made it home. I’d guess that the woodchuck did not have a happy ending 😩
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raveling is always an adventure. Glad it all came to a good conclusion.
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Not knowing what each day might bring is part of the charm 😃
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Reminds me of the time I high centered on a road edge and did serious damage to my sewer connection. Ouch. I managed to jury rig it until we got to Las Vegas. –Curt
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That was not a good thing! One of our most valued items we take with us on the road is a well stocked tool box. I’m guessing you do the same.
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The further you get from civilization, the more important it becomes. 🙂
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Wire coathangers and duct tape – never leave home, on an RV trip, without ’em. 🙂
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Two of our essentials!
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I am so glad to hear that everybody made it to your destination safely! 🙂
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Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment 💐
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Yikes! A wild carpet ride!
Glad you’re on the road again! It’s a wonderful life. We did just a bit of rv travel a few years ago, and now we are LIVING in our RV with our 3 boys while setting up our homestead. Perhaps it’s more of an adventure to travel in an RV, but we have different adventures!
Enjoy the road!
🌻
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A wild carpet ride indeed! What memories you are creating with your three boys. 😁
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