Stranded in Tyler, TX

[Stream 1529]

I left Texarkana Monday morning working my way home, San Antonio, after a nice week's stay in Memphis. I got off of I-30 onto US 271 driving towards Tyler, and then beyond. The sun was out for the first time in a week, and I had the windows down just enjoying the drive.

I was just outside of Tyler approaching their Loop road when the Excursion kind of paused. No bangs, pows, or hisses; not even a little smoke. I pushed down on the peddle, nothing there. Jest nothing. I looked around hoping for a driveway or something I could coast into. Nothing, the highway didn't even have a shoulder. I stayed in the right hand lane and coasted to a stop at the light. I tried to start it, it turned over, but still nothing. I just sat there watching the light change from red to green; over and over.

I have Good Sam Emergency Road Service, and called them on my cell. I explained the problem, and after answering numerous questions about the trailer and the Excursions asked me to hold. When she came back on she said that I was less than 9 miles from the local Ford dealer, and there was a Good Sam rv park close by. She said that she had talked with the Ford service guy, and he was expecting me. Then she told me that she'd made a reservation for me at the rv park, but that I should call to confirm when I had the chance. She also had called the Tyler police to notify them that I was disabled on the road. About 5 minutes later I saw the police car behind me with lights flasching. Thirty minutes later two tow trucks arrived for the Excursion and the trailer. The Ex went to Ford, and the trailer and I went to the Whispering Pines RV Park. I took care of the paper work, and the tow truck driver backed the trailer into it's slot.

I noticed that I felt calm, and was amazed because I generally I'm not more often I'm tense and on edge. I had had time to realize just how much worse it could have been. It could have died where there was no cell service, or it could have died in the middle of one of the small towns I had driven through - two lanes and a curb. At the RV park a guy had even walked up, after the trailer was parked, and offered to take me to get groceries if I needed. Wow. I took him up on it because since I had no idea how long I'd be staying here I would need to get a few things.

I talked with the Service guy, and he said he understood my plot and would get to the Ex as soon as he could. He already had all of my warranty data, and said that when they could get a diagnostic run he would be able to give me a time line. This morning he called and said they had the Ex in a service bay, and would call with the results when he had them.

So here I am in the trailer, clueless for now. Grateful as well, for a lot of things, but a lot of it goes to my spending the 100 or so bucks for the road service. I know a lot of people don't like ERS policies in general, and some may not like Good Sam in particular - and that's just fine with me. All I know is that, for me, Good Sam got me out of a crack in a very professional and courteous manner. Everything they did cost me zilch over the cost of the contract. Now, I just need some not so bad news from the Ford dealer.


__________Tom