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MagillaGorilla's avatar
MagillaGorilla
Explorer
Nov 09, 2015

What was your best DIY road side repair?

Here is mine.

While traveling at night my alternator belt blew. I was able to get off the highway and into a parking lot. I don't have a toad and there was nothing around me that I could walk to.

I keep a battery charger in my MH. So I hooked it up to my chassis battery, ran a cord through the "dog house" on my gasser, fired up the gen set and plugged the charger in. Not only was I able to get all the way to my destination that night, I was able to drive the MH to a shop the next day and had all new belts put on it.

I have a few more stories but that is the best of my road side repairs.
Class A
  • Effy's avatar
    Effy
    Explorer II
    Nov 09, 2015
    Alternator tensioning bolt broke on my 77 Camaro heading to the beach. Jammed a Lacrosse ball in between the bracket and the alternator body to hold tension on the belt and lasted the whole trip.
  • Charley67's avatar
    Charley67
    Explorer
    Nov 09, 2015
    Was driving a 67 Nova over some rough terrain and literally drug the gas tank off. Only had a screwdriver, pliars, and a hammer for tools. The metal straps that held the tank under the car were broken, so with the hammer and screwdriver I punched a hole in the trunk, put the tank in the trunk, and ran the gas line and electrical connection through the hole, used the pliars to get them connected. Trunk lid had to stay up, but I went on my way. The shirt I was wearing was white when I started this repair.
  • barmcd's avatar
    barmcd
    Explorer
    Nov 09, 2015
    I spun a wheel bearing on a rental trailer. I disconnected the trailer and went to an auto parts store and bought a set of wheel bearings, races a big hammer, a chisel and propane torch. I heated the race with the propane torch and pounded it off the axle, installed the new race and bearings and went on my way.

    When we bought our own trailer, I always carried a full set of replacement wheel bearings and tools.
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Nov 09, 2015
    Not really a roadside repair but still a repair solution. The transmission fluid cooling line ruptured and we lost all forward motion at the entrance to an RV park. I put DW in the toad and, using our cell phones to coordinate things, she was able to push the motor home in to a parking place for me to make permanent repairs. This kept us from blocking the only entrance in to this park.
  • docnascar's avatar
    docnascar
    Explorer
    Nov 09, 2015
    I was chasin' sun on 101
    somewhere around Ventura
    I lost a universal joint and I had to use my finger
    This tall lady stopped and asked
    If I had plans for dinner
    Said no thanks ma'am, back home
    we like the girls that sing soprano


    :D
  • Oregun's avatar
    Oregun
    Nomad
    Nov 09, 2015
    Was driving along a county road and my F250 started to die, pulled over and it completely conked out. Tried to restart and it would only crank. Had my wife crank it over and checked it had spark. Unscrewed the gas filter from the carb and held it up to the sun, no light. Took the only thing I had with a point on it (key for the truck) and plunged it into the screen inside the filter creating a hole in the screen. Put the filter back on and hooked the gas hose back on. Truck started right up and drove off.
  • Farmerjon's avatar
    Farmerjon
    Explorer
    Nov 09, 2015
    fredandkathy wrote:
    One day while driving my 1978 Chevette, the timing belt broke. I just happened to have an extra in the spare tire compartment along with an assortment of hand tools. Well about an hour after it broke, I hade the new belt installed and was on my way. The Chevette was my first new car and I just sold it about a year ago for almost what I paid for it.

    Wow that's a fantastic roadside repair.

    A simple one was when a group of us went to the beach in a Model A sedan.This was in 1963. On the way home we got caught in miles long bumper to bumper crawling traffic and the fan belt broke.
    We all donated shoe laces and got it back on the road.
  • fredandkathy's avatar
    fredandkathy
    Explorer
    Nov 09, 2015
    One day while driving my 1978 Chevette, the timing belt broke. I just happened to have an extra in the spare tire compartment along with an assortment of hand tools. Well about an hour after it broke, I hade the new belt installed and was on my way. The Chevette was my first new car and I just sold it about a year ago for almost what I paid for it.
  • Farmerjon's avatar
    Farmerjon
    Explorer
    Nov 09, 2015
    Does it have to be a class A story?
    I also have lot's of stories but this was good.
    We had the the front u-joint come apart on our 87 F250 4x4. I disconnected the rear u-joint and tied the drive shaft up front and back.
    Put it in 4x4 and drove it home.

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