This is an if I told you you'd think I was lying situation if ever there was one. I was dead set on spending my birthday on the road, seeing the ocean, visiting Astoria and so from Seattle I went (after driving up there the previous month from Arizona), me, my son (in the P30), and my girlfriend (in our 98 Pathfinder towing a smaller trailer).
Made it to Astoria and the Goonies house, next up, Cannon Beach. We hang out there for awhile and when we go to leave the transmission on the Pathfinder is shot (anybody want to buy a Pathfinder). We're in a one horse town with no cars for sale and a single mechanic so I head down to Tillamock to look, found a 1988 F-250 for $700, extended, 460, cap on the top, figure it will get us to Portland where we can find something else.
While in Portland, front brake seizes, smoking, boiling brake fluid, I get it resolved enough to get back to base. I post it for sale (with all issues disclosed) and off we go to find something else. Manage to find a really nice 4x4 Jimmy, well cared for, low miles, very good price, YES! So we leave Portland and 15 miles down the road, master cylinder goes out, ouch. I get a new one, bench bleed it, toss it in, bleed all four corners and, we're off again! Next morning wake up in Eugene with eyes on Ashland, the very first pass before Grant Pass and boom, radiator gone! It actually exploded while I was under the hood, shot hot fluid about a foot from my face so that was a close call. With a $120 tow to get us off the 6% grade on I-5 and a 54 mile trip to an Autozone as well as a few hours of my time, I get it fixed.
From there we making it to Redding, from Redding to Sacramento, we're leaving Sacramento on our way to Salinas and half way into that the wheel bearing on the 1997 Chevy P30 step van completely goes out, arrrrg, major failure!
So, here we sit, someplace outside of Berkley, broken down for the last few days as I wait for parts to come in and painstakingly attempt to clean up the threads and spindle on the step van. Today it becomes clear that this spindle is done for, now my issue is, if I had a spindle/knuckle sitting here I would be on the road in an hour or two but I can't find one for a 97 P30 with an i-beam front axle to save my life. Does anybody have or know of one they can send this way or, know of a place I could get one at a fair price?
Any thoughts or ideas are more than welcomed, I'm 870 miles from my front door and 1,250 hours into this adventure, I'm honestly worn out from it, broke, need a shower and I just want to get home so I'm looking for any nuggets, insights or wisdoms that might help me along or get me back on the road again.
I do have a place in Tucson I can offer up for dry camping f anybody can use it, that goes without or without helping but figured I would put that out there too...
