Friday, August 10, 2007

Carla & Bobby's Not So Excellent Adventure *Updated Again*

This afternoon my sister and her husband loaded their four kids into the RV for a road trip out to Wyoming to visit my dad. It was supposed to be a three day drive. They drove about three and a half hours and got as far as Illinois. Nope, that's not a pic of their RV but it accurately depicts what happened.

The poor family was stuck on the side of the road for hours while their 1-800-roadside-assistance people tried to find a mechanic willing to look at this thing before Monday. You can't expect to just pull an RV mechanic out of your ass at nearly 5pm on a Friday out in the middle of nowhere, now can you?

They finally found a company willing to tow them to Peoria so someone could look at it in the morning. Which was 50 miles away from where they were, by the way. It was going to take awhile for the tow truck so they decided to send sis and the kids on into town to find a hotel. But no rental car place would come out to them. Plus it was over $100 a day for a mini van rental. (Remember there are four kids so a regular sedan wasn't gonna work.) So my sis and her four tired, hot, bored, cranky kids and a bunch of their stuff rode in a taxi van for an hour to Peoria. At a cost of $100. Ouch. When I talked to her, which was now after 8pm, hubby still had not arrived. Last she saw him, he was stuck on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck. I sure hope he's there by now. Cuz she sounded like she was about to lose her mind. I think she may have discovered a new level of hell.

The kids are happy though. For now. They were excited because the hotel had a pool. And it's 5 feet deep! They all took note of that fact for some reason and reported it back to me.

We're all really hoping they get this thing running tomorrow. If so, they can continue on with this trip. If not, they'll be looking for some place to entertain four kids in Peoria until Monday. The kids will be really disappointed, too. They haven't seen their grandpa in several years and they were all extremely excited about their 'cation. That's Tatum's word for it.

So send some good mechanic ju ju to the great state of Illinois tonight for my poor, frazzled sister and brother-in-law. Oh and when they get back, I probably wouldn't ask them how the vacation went if I were you......

*Update* Saturday 3:30pm
The fuel filter was clogged so it was fixed. But the mechanic suggested a new fuel pump also. At a cost of over $700 total. My bro-in-law said no thanks since he's a mechanic and decided to just buy the part. Total cost was still $400!! The plan was to keep chugging along and try to get to Wyoming. They got about another half hour west when bro-in-law decided they just weren't going to make it. So they pulled over in an abandoned parking lot so he could put on the new fuel pump. So as of right now sis reports that she is sweating her ass off trying to entertain the kids while the hubs is sweating his ass off underneath the RV working on getting them up and running again. Hopefully, they will be back on the road again heading west within the hour. Reminds me a little of those Chevy Chase vacation movies. I hope she's taking pics of all this.

* Saturday 7:30pm
My dad spoke to Bobby on the phone who was somewhere in Iowa washing his hands after having just replaced the second fuel pump. It seems RV's have a front and rear fuel pump. So now this one has two new ones. Maybe the problem is solved now.

* Sunday 2:00pm
They're still 600 miles from their final destination. And there's still something wrong with their RV. It seems they can't let the gas tank get below half a tank or it starts chugging like it's running out of gas. Even though it's not. So every 120 miles they stop for more gas. And to think my sis thought it was too expensive to just fly. Wonder if she's thinking the cost would have been better than all this headache? Wonder if their family will ever take a road trip again? Or will they all be permanently traumatized by this event? Well, at least her kids will have some really funny stories to tell their kids someday about that family vacation where mommy and daddy were really mad.

27 comments:

Rhonda said...

Ack...SO not excellent.

Middle-Aged Moi said...

If I were your sister I would be BAWLING MY EYES OUT! The poor thing! I can just picture myself by the side of the road with my four kids...ugh. I REALLY feel for her. But her kids sound like mine. .... A POOL? All is right with the world again. (until one of them pukes in it and you have to try to catch it. Long story.)

Unknown said...

Sounds like the kids are making the best of of it but bless her heart!!! Hope thing get better!

Catherine said...

What a nasty way to start a vacation. Sorry it's started out this way. Hopefully it will be better today.

If it gets too rough maybe your BIL can find on of the National Lampoon Vacation movies to watch and his will look a little better.

Hopefully they're on their way to visit g'pa today!

Pug Mama said...

good Lord, that sucks....

Susie said...

Holy crap that would suck!!! Tell your sister we are all thinking of her.

Liene said...

What a bummer. Well I have to say this though, at least she wasn't driving a huge U-Haul truck across the country for a move. I know a family that was moving from CA to D.C. a few years ago who decided to move themselves instead of the military moving them. Out in Arizona or New Mexico the U-Haul broke down and it was so hard for them to get U-Haul to give them a new truck and then they had to unpack the broken down one and repack everything onto the new truck by themselves!!!

I hope they get back on the road soon!

M3 said...

Oh that stinks!!! Ugh. Sending them good thoughts and ju ju too.

Shannon said...

Your sister will never want a 'Cation again! Brave souls...

Middle-Aged Moi said...

It just keeps getting better, doesn't it......?

Kim said...

That is awful... but just a little info.. Peoria is 30 minutes from my home town of Monmouth, Illinois.. How cool..
Well hopefully they get it fixed soon..
Take care..
Have a Great Day.
Kim

Daniella said...

B4 I read your vacation comment, that's what I thought of. We call ourselves the Griswoldas b/c stuff like this is always happening to us. With us it's our boats - same thing just with water :) Hope they get there soon.

C's Mom said...

Man, what a nightmare....that bites an enormous bone....HARD!

I would have freaked by now. Good for your sis hanging strong.

Debbie said...

I'm am originally from that part of Illinois and I can tell you, there is NOTHING to do!!! So sorry!!! Maybe running through corn fields but then they may get lost and that would be another headache. Hopefully they are on their way by now!!!

Kim said...

They will all laugh at this someday..
I am sure it is not to funny right now..
Have a Great Sunday.
Kim

aimeeg said...

Wow. Kim is right though--someday this will make a great story. Someday far, far from now though.

I hope they finally make it there!!!

Rhonda said...

Geez! It just keeps getting better...

Catherine said...

Your poor sis and hubs!! I tell ya, if it wasn't so sad it would be funny! Some day they'll laugh about it by I'm not thinking that day will be anytime soon.

At least you have a gift idea for Christmas...a DVD of one of Chevy Chase's Vacation movies!

Middle-Aged Moi said...

I think I would have set the thing on fire by the side of the road by now and taken an airplane home.

redmaryjanes said...

How awful! I don't enjoy road trips when everything is going great, but that would be my biggest nightmare!

Wendy said...

My family had several family vacations like that when I was a kid. While we weren't happy at the time, now they are some of our fondest memories. Hope they get everything fixed!!

cougchick said...

wow. that sounds awful. hope they get there in one piece and SOON.

Anonymous said...

OMG--Poor Carla. I feel like jumping in our Blazer and heading out to rescue her! Sure hope once they get to WY things will be a lot more fun. But---then they have to think about driving back to OH.....?????

Anonymous said...

Yep, I'm thinkin' flying to Wyoming would have been a heck of a lot cheaper....but not nearly as FUN! I'm also thinkin' Carla wouldn't describe it as FUN. Keep us updated on the return trek home. Can't wait to hear about it at the girl cousins get-together...I know I'll pee my pants laughing.

4D said...

That is so frustrating but still comical (I feel bad for chuckling. I hope they get there and get it all fixed up for the trip home.

Keep smilin!

Robin said...

Holy Nutcrackers, that sucks Donkey Balls!!!!!!

Honestly, I bet she is wishing they would have flown by now.

Noemi said...

Ouch! Just reading the whole ordeal is hard... I hope they get to their destination safe and sound!

I feel like I was reading a script for a new comedy movie! LOL