Well, that's not normal

[TravelingZombies]

:-/ We finally got our truck ready to go and this happened. We were driving along the highway going around a left hand curve at 65 m.p.h. and the passenger side front tire was shaking so bad I thought the whole thing was going to fall apart and break up.
Taking it to shop this Friday to have it repaired. We're hoping the repairs will be "affordable" and if so we'll be heading back out on the road for awhile. 
We don't exactly have a huge emergency fund yet so our back up savings is enough to cover towing and if repairs are to much we can rent a U-Haul and car trailer to bring truck back to home base. Probably sounds crazy but we're not able to resist the road calling and all the adventures we still have waiting for us.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Ahhh, feel for ya. But yea get it fixed and back out ya go.

We were towing our 40 ft 5th wheel toyhauler on a vacation and got about 15 miles away from the house and the RV tire blew and ripped off the back panel sides of the rv....what a train wreck but we somehow pulled off the panel and jury-rigged it up and out of the way....replaced with a new tired and limped our asses home....but what can you do....you get it all fixed and start again

and yes that monster rv is gone. We went massive smaller with a tag along but that was just a personal choice for downsizing but the point of the story is CRAP happens for vehicles....and we need a fund for these issues and get'er handled and then back out we go to find more adventures and probably more repairs again LOL

another was when the big front fan blew on the mega cab. Some part broke and who knows..ugh. stuck in truck stop but lucky it WAS A truck stop with a mobile mechanic hanging around we got to auto zone with him, he and hubby replaced some parts 'to hold it' and then we limped to state park where we called a dodge dealership and they brought out a rollback to take it off for fixing. Hey crap goes down and it sucks rocks but it happens to all of us....just fix and repeat and hit the road and fingers crossed

 

[MG1912]

I'm not going to lie... it does sound crazy to me. The "what if's" in your situation would plague me to the point where I couldn't enjoy the scenery. But to each his own...

 

[jacqueg]

Vehicles break, it's a fact of life. If we worried about it, we'd never go anywhere. How do you manage to go anywhere?

 

[MG1912]

I manage to go anywhere by having the peace of mind knowing I have a sufficiently-funded emergency fund to cover a minor or major repair. I would not have that peace of mind if I did not have such an emergency fund. In fact, I wouldn't even set out on the road without it. Not only would I not set out on the road without an emergency fund, I would not even set out on the road if I suspected my vehicle might experience a failure; I would first repair the vehicle. If that took all of my funds, then I would work and save until I had an emergency fund.

 

[MG1912]

At the end of the day, it is a risk-management process. "What is the risk involved here?" is the question I ask myself. The answer in the OP's case, it seems, is a major breakdown on the road (they already said the vehicle was recently repaired and is, in fact, currently being repaired with unknown costs!) with an emergency fund that they say will only cover a tow. So, if I put myself in that situation, and I found myself on the side of the road with a blown head gasket on my truck (very major repair) and a few hundred dollars in my pocket to get towed to the nearest shop... what about living expenses if I can't stay with my vehicle? What about the transport costs, and would I really want to go all the way home over a repair? Who can I rely on if things go really south, and it turns out the transport costs are more than I thought, etc.? OP said family/friends were no help this last breakdown. The OP themselves acknowledged, "Probably sounds crazy but we're not able to resist the road calling..." Hence why I responded, "I'm not going to lie... it does sound crazy to me." "To me" is the key phrase in that statement. This is all just my opinion.

 

[bullfrog]

It is an individual value judgment. As long as those judgments don't injure or kill us or anyone else for the most part in this country we get to to make them. Lake Powell is a very remote place and even here we have had a crazy at midnight jump on a bicycle with the clothes on his back start riding to Alaska for a fishing boat job. Concerned the next morning I headed out to find him as with over 100 degree heat and over 50 miles to any water I figured I would find him. What I found was a crashed and beat up bicycle at about 44 miles on the side of the road. I drove to the first gas station and they hadn't seen him so I figured we would find his body when the vultures did. A year later we had a new NPS water quality person boat up from Wauweap and they needed transportation. Low and behold watching from the point I couldn't believe my eyes as it was him. When I picked him up I jokingly asked him if he wanted his bike back! Lol!!! All this to say it is fortunate we live somewhere where people get to make their own decisions and even more fortunate there are people willing to help those that make bad ones until they learn better.

 

[RoamerRV428]

:-/ We finally got our truck ready to go and this happened.

MG in full truth what part of this is a what if......it is a what if but in not what you are thinking.
the OP got their vehicle ready, no clue their tire/axle whatever went wonky on any of it..........something that can hit any of us at all times.

I get your 'be prepared' at all times, heck we all want that and try for it and I get your overzelous need for control but SO MUCH is  never in our control.

There is no what if scenario here, the OP didn't know, the OP was driving a 'ready to go vehicle' and hit crap as any of us can at any time.

But of course it is all our personal prespective on our personal vehicle and our personal desire and drive for what we want and risk management like you said but there is no total control over our lives truly....at some point crap goes south for everyone when we 'think we got that all great control' and whammo.

So just some of my thoughts on it truly and not dissing yours ever, I understand your thoughts but control over our entire lives with mechanic issues won't ever be a hardcore truth ya know.   I think those with less control issues go for it more or manage their risk more widely   I know I am in that category of go for it if all the ducks 'should be in a row' and if the ducks fly and go spastic, then it is what it is but can we always have 'what ifs' covered, nope.

 

[MG1912]

Well said, and there is wisdom in your post. I did state that it was only my opinion, and I maintain that people should take risk factors very seriously.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Well said, and there is wisdom in your post.  I did state that it was only my opinion, and I maintain that people should take risk factors very seriously.

oh yea all cool and I get your 'be prepared' cause heck I am one those people for sure   I absolutely get your drift on it!! If I could master control it all by gosh darn I would LOL

 

[TravelingZombies]

In the last 5 years I have invested around $10,000 in maintenance and upgrades. I am not unfamiliar with unexpected repairs lol. It's my life story and it's a funny story.
When we first went out I got bad gas and then truck had trouble starting but both issues were fixable for less than $15 and took about 5 minutes to do.
I have gone through 28 vehicles in the last 22 years. The vehicle I have now is the longest I've had a vehicle last.

 

[RoamerRV428]

darn TZ, don't ask me from you guys wishing me luck HA

 

[txmnjim]

I'm not going to lie... it does sound crazy to me.  The "what if's" in your situation would plague me to the point where I couldn't enjoy the scenery.  But to each his own...

i'm sort of like you MG. i was stranded on the side of the road so often in my day that would rent cars for all trips. have a new car now so not an issue but it really makes me think of any future "van dweller" life. if i cant get an excellent van with few miles for $30,000 when the time comes than it may not work out for me. (we may just buy a new Odyssey if all works out and hit the road). good luck to the OP and certainly hope its not too big and expense!

 

[txmnjim]

I have gone through 28 vehicles in the last 22 years. The vehicle I have now is the longest I've had a vehicle last.

whew, i thought i was bad! i've had 9 in last 15 years or so...good luck

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Well that is unfortunate. Hopefully it's fixable and doesn't break the bank! This past week we had to drop the transmission on the side of the road to change out a clutch. Breakdowns happen, doesn't matter if it's new or old vehicle. The way I see it, part of the money you save from not paying a mortgage and property taxes goes into vehicle maintenance and repair. Emergency funds are nice, but they disappear so easily! You just gotta accept these things. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Let us know how it goes!

 

[jacqueg]

I manage to go anywhere by having the peace of mind knowing I have a sufficiently-funded emergency fund to cover a minor or major repair.  I would not have that peace of mind if I did not have such an emergency fund.  In fact, I wouldn't even set out on the road without it.  Not only would I not set out on the road without an emergency fund, I would not even set out on the road if I suspected my vehicle might experience a failure; I would first repair the vehicle.  If that took all of my funds, then I would work and save until I had an emergency fund.

Very happy for you.

But there are people here that have to live in their vehicles in order to save money. This forum is for them too, and they don't need anyone to point out to them how broke they are - they know.

 

[Scott3569]

This is actually one of my biggest fears, having a major breakdown and then be up schits creak with out a paddle. I receive a settlement each year. and I am going to use this for my emergency fund.. Most of it anyway..

If I need to replace my engine I want to have the funds to do it..

the Structure of my van is sound, I have been trying to work out some issues with it running rough.
If I do get it back running smooth.. I could break down again next week.. If I do not have the funds for all the needed expenses.. that would be very bad..

For the OPS sake, I certainly hope things go well, sounds to me like tie rods, control arm issues, repairs should not be through the rough, like if you needed to replace your engine.

 

[TravelingZombies]

Took truck to shop today and had complete inspection done.
Lower ball joint, brake fluid flush and stabilizer bar pins for a total of $1150. Not bad enough for doing shorter trips but needed for extended trip we have planned for next month. Headed out tomorrow for 12 day road trip in home state and getting repairs done by the 13th of August before we head back out till late December.

 

[kklowell]

What is the labor rate where you are?

 

[TravelingZombies]

$90/hr but I get %15 family discount on total cost