Date:         Fri, 27 Aug 2004 04:04:25 -0400
Reply-To:     Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject:      On the road (NOT!)
Comments: To: subaruvanagon@yahoogroups.com
In-Reply-To:  <004401c48b7f$fe689230$6501a8c0@ERIC1>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

So I picked up my SVX converted Westy Syncro from Small Car on
Saturday. Not everything was done (parts not in), so I hung around the
Seattle area until Monday (well, actually I was camping up in the
Olympic National Forest on one of the fireroads. Nice spot too, if a
bit damp.) 200 miles on the conversion then back to Small Car on
Monday.

On Monday springs and shocks were installed and I was on the road at
1pm. Later (by 2 days) that I had intended. I headed out and in a bit
of insane driving got to Denver by 11am Tuesday (local time...which is
+1 hour from Seattle.)

In Denver my interior was reinstalled (I'll be putting up a web page to
show everybody how nice it is.) Only issue of note on the drive was
avoiding a really nasty dust devil in Eastern Washington (more like a
weak tornado) I used the brakes (disc brakes in rear, big brakes in
front). I like my brakes a LOT now.

SewFine did my interior incredibly fast (well, everything was prepped
already, so it was just installation on this trip). I was on the road
again by Wednesday 3pm. Middle of Nebraska and a nice night's sleep.
Then onward to Chicagoland.

Got to Chicago and picked up my camping AC from Terry K. Left his place
around 9:30pm. Headed north  and then picked up the Eisenhower
Expressway east. And disaster struck.

High water temperature idiot light starts blinking. I pull over
immediately. Temperature guage is reading WAY too high also. After
letting things cool down a bit, I check and sure enough I'm way low on
water. Must have a leak somewhere but I don't see it. I add water. And
more water. Finally it's topped up. I go to start it and it won't
start.

So I sit on the side of the expressway trying a few things. (and
running my generator to recharge the battery.) No luck. State Patrol
stopped by, and a few other emergency vehicles. Finally a flatbed tow
truck wandered by and I got towed into Cicero.

Tomorrow we'll see if the shop can figure what's the deal. Maybe I'll
be on the road again by the afternoon.