For the past several days we've be packing and toting, checking lists and testing gear. Getting ready for the opening event of our TC season.Yesterday with our granddaughter Cassie, new puppy Luna, and TC buldging with every imaginable gadget and gear, we cranked up the diesel,after his winters nap, and drove to the end of our driveway. I applied the brakes, the pedal went to the floor. Our experienced truck guru said after all the years and miles of highway and over sand travel, salt and corrosion had done in the the brake lines;A redo of the whole brake line system was suggested.It has been raining cats and dogs and elephants since. I have to remove the TC from the pickup,a job way beyond my pay grade in these conditions. We have a 5" + rainfall so far with more predicted. Our cellar is starting to get wet, I'll be manning the pump soon.So luck, joss and zen have been with us. A brake line failure underway while heavily loaded, not a pleasant thought. Thunder claps as I write this. Although we'll miss our eighth Mid-Atlantic Truck Camper Rally, we are truly grateful that we've avoided a potential calamity. We will miss all of our TC'ing friends and Laughing Fellow Rovers.Love to all,skip

Overall, I'd say good luck as well!

It's always a shame when you have to cancel a trip but at least it happened in the driveway. You'll just have to add an addtl trip this season to make up for it :)

Makes you very thankful. I had a similar experience a few years back. I had just negotiated some extremely steep grades inside the Thousand Trails CG in Idylwild, CA and had gotten to a level spot in town. I had stopped to hitch my Suzuki Samurai to the truck/TC. after hooking up I started the truck engine, stepped on the brake pedal and it went to the floor. Master cylinder had let go. If it had happened on one of the hills in the CG I would have been 1/2 way to Hawaii before I got stopped.

Skipbee,We're camped at Assateague as I write. The winds are howling outside and the surf is almost over the dunes. Tomorrow we'll be at the Rally where we'd hoped to meet you. We're disappointed but then we're relieved that you found out the potentially lethal problem.

skip...count yourself lucky! Thank God it happened at home. We had a brake line go while towing 7000# of Airstream on vacation a couple of years ago...not fun. But we got it fixed at a local Chevy dealer and continued on.There will be another rally...another day...and you can drive there safely.Bill

Good,Luck, Good Joss, Good Zen we Lucked Out Again!

14 Replies

skipbee
Explorer
May 04, 2014
Hi Dick & Elizabeth,

We are greatly saddened by Marley's passing but at the same time we are very grateful that we had her in our family for so many miles and years. It is a reality that we must accept the shorter life span of our fur kids. There is a tradition among TC'ers that TCC'ers (truck camping canines) are often found as full and important team members.

From John Steinbeck's adventures in his "Travels with Charlie", the first documented truck camper man and dog circumnavigation of the USA, to our 100,000 miles of travels with Marley, having a hound around seems to be a win/win deal to us.

Besides being a major security asset, a pup is as well, a really attractive companion to experience the new places and people we have encountered as we've traveled. In my mind Marley's presense has been a major reason we have never experienced a violent or theft problem. We never were with out her onboard. There were several occasions when she would bark in the dark. We also always had a dog aboard our cruising yacht with never a loss or confrontation. I think the bad guys would just as soon pass a possible dog attack, when there are many less threatening targets.

We hope to see you both again in our travels.

Love to all,

Linda & skip
AidenJ
Explorer
May 03, 2014
Sorry for you loss, will be hard to imagine you 2 without Marley. We lost our border collie after 15 yrs. and swore no more dogs, but as you can see from our profile we have a great little traveler. Hope this is the last of the bad news for you.
Dick and Elizabeth
ticki2
Explorer
May 03, 2014
Skipbee

Ten years seems to be the average for brake lines these days . Such a shame , for something so important they should be ss from the factory . Unfortunately fuel lines will probably be next . Glad to hear is was only a minor disappointment and all are safe .

Thank God for puppies :)
skipbee
Explorer
May 02, 2014
It is a great deal to have so many kindred spirits who understand the problems of gypsy life. About 3 weeks ago we lost Marley, my service dog of 14 years. Our Vet said we were very blessed to have had her help for that long. Luna a 12 week old Golden doodle came to us, put her little paw on Marley's shoulder as she was failing. As if to say," Rest easy old one you have served well and now you must rest."

Luna has helped blunt the sting, I imagine Marley's spirit and energy entering our new little family member. Wishful thinking probably but it is a comfort.

Once again thanks to everyone.

Love to all,

Linda & skip
silversand
Explorer
May 02, 2014
....a nasty surprise, but lucky brake !

Man the bilge pumps, we've got ~6 more days of rain along the East Coast. This is the coldest, windiest and wettest Spring I can remember.

Unfortunately, the East will probably forgo summer this season till September (ie. summer conditions will arrive 2 months late; but I hope not)...
mkirsch
Nomad II
May 01, 2014
The brake lines on my TC hauler went about a week after my last trip of 2013. Didn't miss a trip but I know what you mean about luck, providence, higher powers looking out for me, etc...

Ironically enough, the brakes let loose when I was using the TC hauler to run after parts to fix my DD, which had a rusted out power steering cooler.
AidenJ
Explorer
May 01, 2014
Wow Skip you sure lucked out as did I. Pretty much same scene in our yard, loaded the camper so we could get things ready for the year and low and behold no brakes (rusted lines). Got me thinking about our last trip coming through those mountain passes on our way to and from Alaska:E Could have been a wild ride.
Dick
Farmerjon
Explorer
May 01, 2014
You probably missed out on some wonderfully exciting experience, like maybe driving across a busy intersection against the light or careening down a grade faster than you thought possible while your engine is screaming way over redline.
I'm glad your lines broke when they did. I would say that was a blessed event.
whazoo
Explorer
May 01, 2014
Like Bill said, there will be another rally. Not so a Skip and Family. If you had gotten on the road you'd have been joss out of luck. Nice to hear about a missed calamity Skip.
billtex
Explorer II
May 01, 2014
skip...count yourself lucky! Thank God it happened at home.
We had a brake line go while towing 7000# of Airstream on vacation a couple of years ago...not fun. But we got it fixed at a local Chevy dealer and continued on.

There will be another rally...another day...and you can drive there safely.

Bill