Cross Country RV haul
4/24/21
My sweet Malaya is sound asleep in the bunk above the cab I slept in the main space, (converted kitchen table). My actual room is currently transporting my extra belongings. I will be leaving them in Pagosa Springs after this visit in Sedona.
The actual drive from Deerfield Beach to Sedona took a solid 4 full days of road haul. Point and go kind of mentality. It was brutal and my body aches. My initiation was through a torrential Florida springtime thunderstorm. The First day I was able to make it to Riverside Alabama Just outside of Birmingham. Of course, when I called the RV park 3 hrs. before my arrival the owner informed me that their park was full, but he just happened to have one space the exact size I needed. He only charged me $25 dollars because it didn’t have sewer hookups. I didn’t need them at that point any way.
Towards the end of that day a strange squeal developed in the engine. I thought for sure it was the steering pump and planned on having it looked at the next day.
Day 2 ~My intention was to find out what the squeaky squeal was and then continue on. Driving into Jasper Alabama I found a mechanic who checked my belts and added steering fluid. After a 3 hour detour I was back on the road. The squeal continued intermittently and each time I heard it I thought about what I would do if the steering quit and I had to manhandle the rig to the side of the road. My whole body would tense up and I felt the sound screaming through my entire body each time it occurred. Not to mention the windy winding roads in Arkansas were an absolute nightmare to drive. After 479 miles I had it. I found a campground in Russellville Arkansas. I made it before Sunset and enjoyed the beauty of the nearby glistening lake from the rooftop of my rig. I figured after a good night sleep I would find a mechanic first thing.
I woke early, made a delicious cup of coffee, and took a walk down to the water. Later I had a little meditation on top of the Rv. I showered and made sandwiches for the road. I was at the nearby mechanic shop at 7:30 am waiting. After an hour of no one showing up I decided to continue on to Oklahoma City hoping to find help there.
My friends called and asked about the noise. Paul is a Ford Guy and knows his engines. He said its not the steering because the noise was happening only while I was driving straight he thought it could be the tension in the belts and since I already had the belts checked there wasn’t much I could do unless a mechanic could actually witness the noise. I decided to continue driving. I talked my self into just driving until I couldn’t. Rather than obsessing about breaking down I decided to obsess about making it. Every time I heard the noise I would breathe and say out loud to my self, “ it is all going to be ok, what if I just make it?”
Little did I know that the next 8 hours would be the hardest of them all. The wind was insane. I was whipped around that road like a tiny sailboat in a tumultuous sea. Doing my best to stay on the road especially after a giant semi truck would pass. It was absolutely exhausting. I made it to Tucumcari New Mexico by 6PM and slept in a noisy packed RV park right off the 40. I suspect all the other drivers had the same idea of getting off the road during the wind storm. I fell asleep fully dressed in my clothes.
I woke at 1AM frantic. The storm was rocking and shuttering my little RV, blowing debris from the desert. I felt so small and venerable. All I could think of was WTF am I doing in the middle of the desert driving a giant wobbly vehicle. I want off this ride! I started thinking about how I could escape this death trap and move on with my life. I felt so alone and afraid and uncertain of what to do, knowing I could not continue driving in these conditions. I also couldn’t stay in the middle of New Mexico. The anxiety grew until I was in a complete panic, crying to my self as the gale force winds battered my RV.
I prayed.
I asked for guidance.
I felt a calm force come over me, and my mind cleared.
I am an aviator and I know how to read weather charts. I can look at the weather and know what to expect. I got online and looked at the weather. Surface winds were to continue through the rest of New Mexico and Arizona. The morning would be the most calm. The winds would pick up again mid morning and continue to rise late afternoon. I made a plan to get on the road at 5am and just see where I could get to before the winds got too bad. Note to self, (know the weather before I get on the road.)
The 4th day I woke at 4:30 am made coffee and quietly drove off into the darkness. The morning was glorious. The drive was smooth, and I enjoyed a few hours of wide-open roads. Not too many travelers at that time of the morning.
The sunrise painted the vast desert sky with streaks of purple and pink. I had a newfound confidence in my ability to just keep going. My fantasies of quitting my trip and selling my RV to the next dealer on the road vanished as I progressed into the calm clear morning.
I felt a great excitement as the landscape grew into Rocky Mountains. My mountains. I only had 8 hours left until I got to my daughter. I kept going. The squealing noise lessened. My excitement grew.
I made it to Sedona, found a cute little RV spot next to the water, which happened to have a last minute cancelation. I booked the place for two nights. My beautiful daughter met me here.
We had a lovely evening of vegetarian Lasagna and Margaritas on top of the camper.
Life is good. I am exactly where I need to be.
The challenges of getting here gave me a tremendous sense of gratitude and appreciation for this sweet peaceful moment in nature with my girl. I know this time is about learning to trust that I am not alone and I will be taken care of no matter the situation and to enjoy the ride.
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