Road Trips 2011

[eubank]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

... Coming down McClure Pass, even though I was geared down, it got worse than it has before and I stopped. The front rotors were around 230˚ ... Gene

McClure, eh? As I recall, the steeper part of that one is on the north side coming down toward Glenwood, but it's been years since we were last up there. (We used to make runs over from Paonia to Glenwood for a day at the pool.)


Lynn

[Gene]

Lynn, you are right and the Pass. The brakes were fine coming down the 3 passes from Denver, but from Glenwood Canyon and through Glenwood Springs and then the winding road to McClure, the brakes got used a lot, letting them heat. Barb drove that part from Edwards to Redstone, so I can blame her. I didn't gear down quite as much coming down the south side as I had on the other passes, and that's when they got hot enough to be a problem. It has happened a few others times under similar circumstances in recent weeks, but this was the worst.

Because our Toyotas have given us so few problems, I hardly have had to get anything fixed in the 11 years we've been here. It was easy to go to the dealer and the last time they, in my opinion, overcharged us to hook up the computer and tell us they didn't know why something happened (it hasn't happened again). So I asked a friend to recommend a mechanic, I called him, he agreed with me it sounds like a rotor, said he could fix it before we have to leave on Friday. Lesson for dealer—don't make more money that a service is worth because you can lose a bigger job. I just checked the internet and it appears warped rotors are not uncommon on Tundras.

We have bought many Toyotas, but the drop in quality is disturbing and we will be looking at other brands next time. I priced rotors and they cost less than they used to, so that is comforting (in a way).

Frank&Mike, thanks for the compliments. Maybe we'll take photos next week, but we've been to Santa Fe so many times, we never think about it.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

.......It was easy to go to the dealer and the last time they, in my opinion, overcharged us to hook up the computer and tell us they didn't know why something happened (it hasn't happened again).

Gene

Gene,

What was the something that happened?

That was one of the biggest sources of customer complaints at the Chevy Store.
But Pep-boyze duz it for free!!

Normal charge was one hr labor,(pro rate $60) only applied if the customer declined repair.

Computer diagnostics can be a great help, but in a lot of cases are not the best option. Unless the system is wired to the ECU no computer is going to help.

Sorry to admit this.....but a lot of tech's these daze are all to quick hook up the TechII and get paid the 1hr flat rate, regardless of the chances that a fault code will be stored.

My first rule was.... ALWAYS confirm customer complaint, if not possible explain the possible charges for an intermittent concern that may involve extended diagnostics.

Bob

[slowmover]

Another day of buying, hauling and spreading mulch. Each bit shovelled three times. 94F with 74% humidity. Nice to break for the 1300-1900 siesta and read of cool Colorado mining towns. Had a grandmother born in one now long disappeared (outside Walsenburg).

As to vehicles: Quality by brand is unreliable. Quality by model is a closer bet. But one still have to "like" the vehicle to surmount difficulties. IMO, brake rotors don't count as a difficulty. To flip this to another side my opinion is also that the vehicle used the most tends to be the most reliable (not counting 5-mile trips). Rotor or bushing or ?? is par for the course.

.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by REDNAX

.... Rotor or bushing or ?? is par for the course..

Rotors haven't always been Bic lighters....

[Gene]

Bob, what happened last spring was that I had the Tundra in 4WD for about 150 feet to drive across wet grass, when I put it back in 2WD, the anti-skid light started blinking and some other light went on. I drove to town (4 miles) and put it in and out of 4WD several times, but nothing changed. We had dinner in a restaurant, came out and started it up all was normal. Never happened again. It does not appear the mechanics checked anything but the computer and the service manager said the computer cost a lot so the owners wanted to recoup their investment, but he didn't seem to feel the charge should be so high, but couldn't do anything about it.

I took the truck to a local mechanic who confirmed the front rotors were warped. He's replacing the pads since they were 2/3 worn. They got right on it and if I wanted to wait all afternoon, I could have had it back today (he's 40 miles away). I'm letting him change the oil since I won't have time to do it. We'll pick it up Wednesday. First time I've had a rotor changed since about 30 years ago when I had a junker truck that I needed to get to some mines in difficult locations during my short career in gold mining.

The Tundra promotes the big, wonderful brakes they have. They promote the truck is for towing all sorts of stuff. Towing means more demand on the brakes and the OEM rotors are not up to it. Other than very minor things like a bad wiper blade or poorly adjusted emergency brake, we now have had more problems with the Tundra than all the 5 Toyotas before it. Japan may be losing its mojo—look at Sony too.

Tomorrow I will install the surge protector I got. Hard-wired Surge Guards - Product - Camping World With a coupon I got it for $204 with shipping and tax. It is not a design that would pass electrical codes for residences or other uses, but I guess RV's don't get the same protection. The connections are possible to touch and then you go "ouch!" (that's not the exact word I would use). I will try to mount it on the board under the bed next to the converter. This requires a junction box under the bed to attach longer wires to reach the surge protector, some plastic conduit parts to provide channels through the boards that will not abrade the Romex, 10-2 w/ground Romex (copper is very expensive these days), and lots of tape to cover and insulate things. The Surge Guard has lights on it that tell you what is what and it has to be mounted where you can see it. I thought of putting it in the small wardrobe next to the bed, but it'll get in the way. When you look at the picture you see the screws where you insert the conductors. There's a small cover for it. It looks like it can easily fall off. I thought of putting it on the outside of the wardrobe next to where I sleep. When I can't get out of bed, just put my fingers in there and I'll be full of energy!

Rednax, my mother-in-law comes from west of Walsenberg where her father had a sheep during the Depression. Later he worked at a dairy in Walsenberg. She moved to Pueblo during the end of WW II and taught morse code, married and produced my lovely wife.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

Gene,
MOST of the time with the GM a system a warning light will set a history code.
But not all systems will set a code. The engine, brake and emission management take priority. Drivetrain not so much.

With whats happened at Toyota recently what surprises me is the SM's attitude.
If they didn't replace the PCM, what cost was he protecting.
Guess I'm a little too old school.
I usually had much more leeway when it came to "customer goodwill" service.

[Gene]

Bob, goodwill may be expendable when times are rough and cars aren't selling. Dealers make their money from service and especially from warranty work, but low sales affects them too. The warranty that customers see is somewhat vague and subject to interpretation. I asked why the problem with the anti-skid control system—which is related to the ABS system—was not a drive train issue and thus covered? The service manager has a detailed booklet that further describes what is covered. Toyota contends it it not drive train. My contention is the warranty is vague and a customer cannot tell whether ABS and related systems are covered or not and we buy believing such things are covered. I wrote a letter to the president of Toyota North America, but never received a reply. One can argue whether the coverage extends down the drive shaft to the differential to the axle to the things connected to the axle, but it is best to reply to a letter regardless of what you think of the customer. Last year I complained to the president about deterioration of a fake chrome part surrounding the grille and they replaced it at no cost. I guess one thing was enough for them.

We will buy new vehicles in the future and instead of just looking at Toyotas, we will look at vehicles that are super reliable. We are asking ourselves whether a new 4Runner is a good choice, whether a Subaru (very highly rated by CR for reliability) or some other SUV type vehicle is best for us. Then will come a truck. The mechanic told me yesterday fixing Fords is what makes the most money for him; he loves them for that reason. I listen to mechanics when they tell me what vehicles drive their customers crazy. This doesn't leave me with many choices for trucks. We talked about a Suburban which could serve as a tow vehicle and an SUV and then get a sports car (my 2nd or 3rd or 4th childhood) if I can get in and out of it with arthritis. We also look at resale—Toyota resale has been so good we don't have to spend as much money when we buy a new car. Whether that will hold up, we don't know.

We have fantasies about all sorts of vehicles, some of which are absurd. We try to be practical. A Unimog is not practical despite the cool name. A Porsche is cool, but so is a Miata and costs a lot less. Toyotas are dull, Honda's duller. Chrysler products traditionally have terrible resale. GM has a lot to prove and their newest vehicles have been well received. The Ford EcoBoost is interesting, but will it prove out over time?—Ford has brought out vehicles before without adequate testing and paid for it. We might even look at Hyundai—they have improved a lot using Toyota's QC ideas. The irony is S. Korean companies have learned from Japanese practices while Japanese companies have forgotten some of them.

We try to buy without being swayed by our bad experiences in the past. Just because I inherited a terrible car (an '85 Toronado) doesn't mean that 26 years later GM still makes cars like that. My first car, a '56 Mercury, was also pretty crappy, but it isn't fair to be biased against Ford for something made 55 years ago. And, sometimes you get the good one or the bad one. Some Airstreams have few problems, others do.

It looks like I will only get to start on the surge protector having slept late and having a bunch of other things to do. Tomorrow will be taken up going 65 miles to the orthopedist—my warranty has run out, but Medicare pays for repairs. Thursday will be packing, hitching, cleaning the house so we can go early on Friday. Vehicle fantasies will continue.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

Gene,

Your future plan is a sound one, I would expect nothing less.

My biggest ally in the business....extreme customer communication.
It sounds like your SM did not subscribe to that philosophy.

Good luck with YOUR warranty repairs.

Bob

[Gene]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

My biggest ally in the business....extreme customer communication.
It sounds like your SM did not subscribe to that philosophy.

I think his hands were tied. That's never a good position to be in.

Gene

[slowmover]

I'll grant all of the above (sales, service, margins, etc). But a warped rotor just ain't a big deal, IMO. Engine, trans, rear axle, ball joints . . . premature wear on those would tick me off. Enough to change brands. Rotors are something I've broken (not warped, broken; 1973 Town & Country ina very hard panic stop), but it wasn't enough to offset the other qualities of the vehicle (and that one -- year model -- not even a good example). Continuing electrical problems are the worst for breakdowns/aggravation. Inexcusable also.

If my TV brakes rotor warped pulling a trailer on a downgrade, I'd certainly want trailer disc brakes and the best (integrated) brake controller. That combination will stop the rig faster than if the TV were solo. Less stress all around. The nicest part of having a diesel -- beyond fuel economy with the right brand, model & year -- is the luxury of an exhaust brake.

DirecLink paints the picture of the future, what with anti-lock trailer disc brakes. A complete package. (Send for the free brochure).

For someone trading TV's every few years it'd be hard not to follow in 2Airs footsteps. Whether he trades for business reasons or because he simply wants to is unknown to me. But his analytical abilities coupled to information-gathering skill is deeply impressive, whether on this or any enthusiast board.

At 8-yrs/175k our TV is but one-half the way through it's projected use by us. We replaced tires and relined brakes at 120k. U-joints at 150k. That's it. Will start on replacing some items before they wear out given a 360k lifespan. 13-cpm fuel cost, too.

Back to vacation? More pics? It's durned hot down here in the Kingdom of Grasses. Need to feel that canyon breeze and smell the conifers.

Go easy on it

.

[Gene]

If our previous Toyotas hadn't been nearly bullet proof, the continuing issues with the Tundra might seem normal wear and tear. If I had some time, I'd probably change the rotors myself, but it's done with new pads too, and back home. So far engine, transmission and rest of the big stuff are fine. Fit and finish not so good.

I've poured enough money into the trailer this year for various upgrades and maintenance, so disc brakes are more than I want to do. Rotors every 62,000 miles are cheaper than discs on the trailer.

Santa Fe on Friday.

Gene

[Gene]

We left for Santa Fe at 9:32 figuring we could beat the deadline with time to spare. The RV park sets the deadline—don't come in after 5:30 or we won't park you (5:00 in winter) and go away. I can understand it because many spaces here are very tight, partly because of trees and other plants, and partly because of some tight spaces. It is an older park, closer to town than any other and has good wifi, friendly people and is well maintained.

We live close enough to Santa Fe to do it in one day and far enough for it to be hard to make it in one day. It's about 335 miles to the park. Last time we made it in 7 hours, so we figured we could make it by 4:30-5.

First mistake was to stop for lunch, something we didn't do last time. Second was not to check for construction. US 285 between Tres Piedras and Ojo Caliente had a lot of construction and one of those dreaded pilot cars going 20 mph for several miles. After that the vehicles in front of us did not optimize the speed limit and were clumped together so no one could or would pass. I think sionce the interstate system was built, a lot of people don't know how to pass on a 2 laner. It was slow going to Espanola and then the expressway that has been built south from there has a 45 limit for more miles—good revenue producer and most people go 60.

By then we had lost about an hour, but we knew to call them and tell them where we where. They don't close the office until 6. As we passed the Santa Fe Opera, they called us to see where we were and we told them we might be a few minutes late. That was ok. It was more than a few minutes. Cerillos Rd. is a major artery from I-25 to downtown, often congested and slow. It was also rush hour. It was also under construction. We got to Trailer Ranch at 5:45, the last one in and stopped behind an Interstate.

Turns out Bob, the Interstate owner, is looking for a place to live and hopes to find one with fewer allergy problems than Georgia. We got a quick tour of the Interstate and then went to our space. It is tight! Once in it, it is spacious, but the turn into it means repeated backing and forwarding. After we got set up I discovered the cable for TV was too short and Bob lent us an extension, we found out we had the same allergies as me and we have similar decorations inside our Airstreams. He was off to somewhere for a few days and will be back Monday when we can return the cable.

We collapsed into the trailer and ate a barebones dinner being too tired to go out. Then we watched an episode of Mad Men.

Today we go to Albuquerque for a funeral service for one of Barb's cousins and celebration of Barb's grandmother's 102nd birthday. This is a weird combination of events, but it is practical since people are coming from all over the southwest.

We have a painting with us we bought years ago as an investment. Someone our realtor here knows may be interested and a gallery here wants to see it. I have been negotiating with a NYC gallery, but it is far away and a deal with them is complicated. I have learned galleries prefer consignment and we'd rather have it closer to us and here we can show the painting at the start of negotiations. It is an 1881 example of the Hudson River School. This has turned out to be more like a business trip than a road trip, but the bed was comfortable—after yesterday's anxiety drive, gravel would have been comfortable. Before we left we had a showing of the house and we await whether they are serious—at least there was a showing. They loved the house, but have some issues about whether there's enough water to irrigate.

Gene

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

We left for Santa Fe at 9:32
Gene

Who are you, and what have you done with Gene?

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Boondocker

Who are you, and what have you done with Gene?

[Gene]

After recovering from our trip to Albuquerque, today we went to Trader Joe's and stocked up. It has been very dry in NM and only lately as the monsoon season started have they had rain lately. Heavy rain is forecast and some big storms are just east of here and coming this way. It's getting dark and we await the rain. We plan to go see Harry Potter at a matinee.

Here are some photos of Trailer Ranch in Santa Fe. There are small houses here and other buildings, all in traditional Santa Fe style. They make the place look a lot bigger than it is—

1. Our site with some more space than most sites.

2. A view showing office on the right and trailer spaces. There are at least 2 other Airstreams here, though we haven't seen anyone. Like us, they are probably seeing things or resting.

Gene

[Aage]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

It is tight! Once in it, it is spacious, but the turn into it means repeated backing and forwarding.

For a moment there Gene, I thought you were beginning to tell a rude joke!

[Gene]

Aage, I hadn't thought of that, but now that you mention it, my subconscious must have been active when I wrote that.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms yesterday with frequent electrical surges. The TV kept going off, the A/C flipped its breaker and I kept the computer on battery power for a couple of hours to protect it. I have surge protectors for the TV and computer, but I have to install one for the entire trailer when we get home. TV reception here is not good with lots of snow and many stations are impossible to watch; doesn't matter since we are usually busy anyway.

We started negotiations on a Hudson River School painting and will hopefully close a deal today. Barb found a necklace to go with a pendant she has at a reasonable price near the Plaza, a hard thing to do in Santa Fe. We continually forget the camera. And we had a pizza last night I will not recommend. The restaurant was something like Espiritu Pizza and the pizza featured a crust that partially tasted like matzah dough and partially tasted like nothing but a soggy thing topped by three varieties of mushrooms (the mushrooms were very good) and embedded in cheese glue. It took as sense of humor to finish it, but we failed.

And we watched CNN whenever we were in the trailer because the debt crisis is making us very nervous. As retirees, we stand to lose a lot the ways things are going. 535 people picked at random could do better than the 535 members of Congress.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

535 people picked at random could do better than the 535 members of Congress.

Gene

Welcome To La Nova Pizza And Wings!

"the dart board method" is a much more effective way.

"never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups"

[eubank]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

... And we had a pizza last night I will not recommend. The restaurant was something like Espiritu Pizza and the pizza featured a crust that partially tasted like matzah dough and partially tasted like nothing but a soggy thing topped by three varieties of mushrooms (the mushrooms were very good) and embedded in cheese glue. It took as sense of humor to finish it, but we failed. ... Gene

You'll have to make the trek to Taos and go to Outback Pizza. (Outback because it is out back, away from the street. Even the door.)


Lynn