Day 18 - Blow-Out In Allentown, Pennsylvania - Part 1

Day 18 - Sunday, September 7, 2014

6:45 and I was up. I was determined to see if I could make it with careful driving further to New Jersey. I had seen that the transmission struggled when it was used for a longer period of time, so I decided to try and drive until I felt the issue, then I thought I would pull over until it cooled off - a few hours if necessary - and then drive on. 

Really, a person might say I should have stopped anywhere earlier, but this was a hard decision to make. I was enroute to Chicago when it began very lightly. I had no idea how big an issue it was. I got to Pennsylvania and the mechanic’s suggestion was to get it seen as soon as I could, but he knew I really wanted to get to New Jersey, simply because the Framer had booked his flight and would be arriving, and I couldn’t let him down, knowing that he only had three days with us. Also, I felt that once I was in New Jersey, I would be in a campground and I could stop to get the van seen to. So off I drove.

The drive was smooth for the first hour or so, and then suddenly I noticed it beginning to sound like it was revving. I decided I would try to get to the next town, and then pull over and let it cool down, and reassess. I didn’t get the chance. 

Minutes later, as I was on the I78 heading north Courage called out, “Mum, you have to stop! You have smoke behind you!” 

I didn’t really hear him, because I had already been on the way to cutting across the lanes to get to the right side of the freeway, so that I could safely stop the van. As I switched lanes and moved to my right, I saw two police cruisers enter the freeway from an entry point. I drove directly across in front of them and pulled to the right, and their lights came on at this point. I don’t know if I thought I was in trouble or what. I really didn’t think about it, because by now I could see billows of grey smoke wafting up from behind me, and I knew I was at the end of my road.

It’s interesting how when you know you have a situation you don’t worry about possible laws you have broken; you just respond. I put the van into park, opened the door, and slid out onto the concrete, and at the same time, the officers left their cars and headed towards me. 

I told them I had blown my transmission and it was clear that I was right. There was fluid  pouring from beneath the vehicle and the trailer was covered in oil. They assessed the situation and then spent the better part of an hour trying to get the situation sorted out. They called Triple A and got a tow arranged, and then were trying to figure out what to do with us. One of the officers, who funnily enough, looks just like my brother-in-law, Roger, when he smiles - which was a nice, and reassuring point - stayed with me, while the other officer took off to a situation. Before he left though, he came up with some suggestions, one of which was to rent a car. We went through the list of ones that would do a one way drop, and being it was Sunday, it was a very difficult situation. Finally he said, “You could do hotwire,” and I kind of looked at him with slightly raised eyebrows, and then said, “Okkay,” thinking it an odd thing - joke? - for a police officer to say! But hey, the police and I are on really familiar terms now, right! (laugh) I then clued in that he was talking about a rental place, and told him my confusion. This trip has certainly taken away some of my police intimidation! 

Shortly after this the tow truck arrived and it was a flatbed truck, so I knew that was good. The second he got out of his truck though, he had a dubious look on his face: they were not set up to take 2 vehicles. Triple A did not cover this. I pulled out my card and told him I had RV coverage. He was very kind, and said there was no way he was going to leave me on the edge of the freeway; he would break rules and bring all of us in: the van, the trailer, the five kids, and me. What a guy!

As we were driving, he said that he had arrived to a call with no details. He had no idea what he was coming out for. He volunteered that he didn’t know why he brought the flatbed. He normally would have brought the small tow truck with three seats. A little later in the drive, I said, “So, why did you bring the flatbed?” 

He responded, “I don’t know. Something told me to."

Loads of Oil

Playing Sad

I turned to the backseat, met eyes with Ayana, and we grinned. We knew who the ‘somebody’ was. Once back at the garage we were met with a firm statement by the lady in the office that there was no way that Triple A covered my situation and I was stuck. One tow - one vehicle. No motor attached, no luck. She called Triple A and put them on the line, and I talked to her about my coverage, and it was still no good. Then miracle of miracles, my girl called me back and apologized profusely that there had been some internal policy changes, and guess what? My trailer was covered. heh heh heh. Of course. Piece by piece God will work this out. I knew it.

For the next few hours the secretary in the office and Triple A, and me, to the extent that I could, worked extremely hard making unnumbered phone calls to every rental car agency, tow truck company, and taxi cabs to find solutions. 

Our Tow Truck Angel

There were so many decisions to be made, and solutions to be found. It was a web.  We needed to get my van and trailer towed to New Jersey; No one was willing to send drivers on a Sunday. Then I came up with an idea of separating the vehicles and getting *two* tows, since it was their responsibility to get me and my RV to a garage. She agreed to this, but then there was still noone that could afford to lose workers on a Sunday for a three hour stint.

The one company that could do it was the one I was with now. They had the complete operation, but the owner was not willing to cross state lines. When it was clear that noone would be able to drive, plus transport us all (king cab), then it looked like we could take a rental car.  

I had to decide where to fix the van!  Eventually, that decision was made for me, because the owner arrived, and as unsympathetic and scary as he was, he did hear the situation from us talking, and his heart was softened just a tad. He said gruffly, “I’ll tell you what I can do. I’ll call the garage and see if they can fix the transmission.” He made a call, and without looking at me, said, “They can begin tomorrow, and have it done in a couple days, about $2000. That’s all I can do.” 

Notice the False Teeth on the Counter!!! Ick!!! Seriously!!!!  

This guy was the type that when I was standing there with the secretary and we are trying to solve our problem, the phone rings. It was him, at home, calling to ask why there were unanswered calls on the screen. He sat at home watching the workers in the office!

So now that we knew the van would be fixed in Pennsylvania, the next problem was getting the trailer to the trailer park at Liberty Harbour RV in New Jersey. No one was willing to rent a car to pull a trailer. It seemed crazy. Here we were 90 minutes from our campground - stuck. The Framer there, and us here. We could get us there in a rental car, but we needed our home. 

I was not worried. I had a true peace in all of this. I had seen God the entire way:

The mechanic at Denise’s brother’s house.

The police arriving on scene *as* the transmission was blowing out.

The tow truck driver that was ‘told’ to bring the king cab and flat bed.

The Triple A girl that found recently changed policies that would get my trailer hauled.

The garage owner who got us in to the garage the following day.

I knew it would work itself out. I sat out in the lobby of this dark little office, with a statue of a Blue’s Brother, and three real dogs, while the kids watched TV. It made me think of the “Taxi” station from the 1980’s. (smile)  I sat there and suddenly thought to see if the Framer could rent a car at his end and come get the RV. As I thought of this, there was a burst of words from the inner office: “We found a towing company!!” Easton would drive for us, and as I asked, Were they private? No, they were not. So I would not even have to pay for this out of pocket. I had resorted to asking the Triple A girl and the office people if they knew anyone personally who given it was Sunday, would like to take a drive, and haul a trailer to New Jersey. In my neighbourhood there are plenty of people who have hitches, and who could do that! They knew noone, so then I suggested finding a private towing company. 

How Ironic That I Would See This on the Wall of This Very Unusual Office Right After All Was Solved!

Finally, it was organized: Van in repair in Allentown, PA; Easton towing trailer; and a cab company would take the children and I to Jersey City.  It went from a horrid mess, to falling together beautifully. We were able to throw much of our food stuff into the trailer right before the taxi arrived. We then loaded up the kids, and at that moment the tow truck for the trailer arrived, and he followed us out of the parking lot. The van will be sorted out tomorrow.