Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Tuesday, April 28, is going to be sunny and perfect for travelling. Beate, me, Susan and Dale are planning to drive to just before Albuquerque today and enjoy our last bottle of wine together before we go our separate ways. We're heading to Custer, SD, which is north, while the DaGirls are travelling East to get their new four-legged companion, Mocca.
We're stopping at the New Mexico Welcome Center. Just as I'm unbuckling my seatbelt, Dale slams his fist against the RV wall, grabs a fire extinguisher and shouts, "Get out—get out—the rear tyre on the Jeep is smoking!!!" Luckily, there isno fire, just a lot of smoke from oil or brake fluid. An hour later a tow truck arrives and drives the Jeep to a nearby repair shop in Gallup, NM.
Diagnosis: A seized wheel bearing has locked up the rear axle. We've had a total loss on the differential. A new axle should arrive on Friday, plus one business day for installation, and it'll cost a few thousand dollars. Just WUNDERBAR!
Susan found us a really nice campground right next door, where we've been waiting since Tuesday. It's a bit of a trek without a car, as the town is about five miles away. When I picked up the reserved rental car, they told me it wasn't available for four days. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.” No car at all. Let me tell you, I was not a happy costumer.
But the local Walmart delivers fresh groceries, we've got a lot of beer, wine and a full freezer of fish and meat on board, and we've got plenty of sun. And we've got reliable internet. It's almost like being on vacation!
We're using the time to do some small repairs, clean up, or work on creating this new website.
