Fwd: Saturday, August 13, 2016, Municipal Camp in Rivière Du Loup, 50 miles up the road

I had the first good night's sleep last night in several weeks, and was well rested to move on north, way north.  Then, giving new meaning the the expression, stuff happens, stuff happened, big time.

First, I solved the problem of my steering wheel rattling by filling the offensive tire with air from my on-board compressor. John (my mechanic back home) advise loading it up with Green Slime to plug the look.  As I said, there is a solution for every problem, although I now hope that is truly the case, as you will shortly read.

Second, that pesky loud flapping I hear on every turn of my wheels did not disappear with the added air, so that is still on my todo list, or maybe my to tolerate and ignore list, and take my chances.

Third, when I opened my air compressor compartment, I found it coated with dark oil that was not there last week.  John and I both figured out that onevof the air hoses to either the front or rear differential is back flowing.  I need to figure out if this will be problematic, if not, I will have to refill the differential at every oil change along the way.

 

See photo here. .http://ontheroadannex.blogspot.com/2016/08/photo-1.html

Putting these remaining problems aside for the moment, we got underway at 10:30 to catch the 2:15 ferry at Rivière du Loup to San Simeon and then Toudassac on the north side of the St Lawrence.

At 1:00 p.m. I decided to stop for some breakfast at a stop off the highway.  I try to combine these stops with rest breaks for Donner, but this stop did not have this appeal, as it was a huge concrete parking lot with not a tree in sight.  I stopped anyway and shared my carrot muffins with my travel companion who didn't deserve it after what he had just done. You see, when I left for the grocery store, he decided he wanted to come and in trying to break out of the Defender, managed to push pass the gate blocking his exit, but then get his head caught between two of the stainless steel rungs on my roof rack ladder.  His cries of anguish brought me back running to the Defender, but he was able to extricate himself just as I got there. A new rule...constrain him with a leash anytime i leave him in the Defender.

But wait, there's more.

As we started to pull out of the hot, treeless parking lot, the Defender stalled going up a short incline.  See photo below.  Well, I could not get started after waiting and trying again and again. Finally, I called AAA even though I had no idea where I was, where I would take the Defender to, or where I would spend the night with Donner, who sat patiently in the rear of the immobile Defender.  None of the few passersby spoke English until a saintly gentleman happened by until I figured out my options and selected one. (Denis was so helpful  he not only earned his On the Road patch, but I decided to finally, after 23 years, christen the Defender Denis.

See photo here... http://ontheroadannex.blogspot.com/2016/08/photo-2.html

Instead of having Denis towed to a nearby camp Denis mentioned and having it towed to a nearby garage on Monday, I decided to have it towed 50 miles to the Municipal camp on the river at Riviere Du Loup and then to a nearby garage on Monday.  

I have no idea when Denis will be ready to get back on the road. And when it is on the road, I have no idea about where we will go from here or what the delay will do to our itinerary and schedule.  I will think about those things tomorrow since there is nothing I can do about it now. Fortunately, I have 10 days of food so I don't have to deal with the issue of what to do with Donner while I shop.  There are many more complexities to this story that I have neither time nor battery to explain, but just think about it and you will understand. Traveling alone with my dog, a reactive dog at that, with a disabled vehicle in a French-speaking country 1400 miles from home, is not a pleasant experience. But that is why I hope that that maxim, there's a solution for every problem, still holds.

The bottom photo shows Denis being unloaded from the tow truck.  Zoom in and you will notice Donner staring out the rear window after his most interesting 50 mile ride probably wondering what is going on. Fortunately, he was tethered down for the ride.

See photo yhere...http://ontheroadannex.blogspot.com/2016/08/photo-4_13.html

Click the following link to see out home for the duration of this saga ...http://ontheroadannex.blogspot.com/2016/08/photo-4.html

By the way, I told the camp personnel that I might be here for a week.

Incidentally, my friend Mike back home is being extremely helpful doing research for me to save me time and battery. Thanks, Mike.

Stuff happens, but why is it only to me?

Ed

ETM