Most Expensive Camp Site Ever

[JimBollman]

Was heading home last Sunday with my 2000 F250 7.3L with 8 foot Shadow Cruiser Popup on the back pulling a 12 foot enclosed trailer. Was on the last leg of a 2+ week trip and heading down the new I-99 old Rt 15 in PA when I heard a strange noise coming from the engine compartment. Pulled into the PA Visitor Center and discovered the serpentine belt trying to self destruct. I trimmed some of the loose pieces that were swing around and hitting things but it didn't look like it would last the 500+ miles I still needed to go. I went into the visitor center and ask the fellow where the closest Ford garage was and he wiped out a small map of the Mansfield area and put an X on the map where the Ford garage was located. and told me about how far I needed to go. Made it to Mansfield and got off on the North side of town so I could go slower the last bit and scout out the area. Drove by a Walmart maybe 1/2 mile from the Ford garage that the visitor center guy thought allowed overnight camping. Drove to the Ford garage just to see where it was with the plan to loop back to Walmart for the night. Started to pulled into the Ford driveway to turn around and the belt snapped. Drove in about 30-40 feet and shut down and set up camp for the night.

Was in easy walking distance of a dinner and a ice cream shop, we had emptied out most of our supplies and turned off the frig not intending to cook any more this trip.

Was sitting by camper having coffee when they opened the doors Monday morning. They were great, told me where to drop the trailer and got it right in. Bad news the water pump had seized causing the belt to break. It probably was making noise earlier but the diesel noise masked it. Before noon we were on the way South again. Camping for the night a little over $700.

Couldn't have pick a better place to break down. Ford of Mansfield PA was great.

[stufarmer]

$280.00 +++ a night in Key West. Best rate we could get in October 2016. Kinda expensive considering we live in Tampa ..

[SidecarFlip]

I'd sure like to have a new truck with the 'tow haul' package and engine brake but being retired, I cannot bring myself to adopt a payment book.

[Oregun]

When driving back from the Mt St. Helens viewpoint the road was winding and down hill, so was using the brakes heavily. When we got to the bottom there was a campground there so we pulled in to check it out. As we were driving slowly around the campground I pressed on the brake and it went to the floor. Pulled into a camping site to investigate. Turns out coming down the mountain the brakes and master cyc were heating up but as long as we were moving down the road they stayed cool enough but once we pulled into the campground they overheated and partially melted the master cylinder piston. We spent the night there and after everything cooled down we got back 40% of the braking back. Limped home with that and the emergency brake when needed. Mechanic told us about the plastic piston and said it happens a lot. 90 F250HD

[SidecarFlip]

You got away pretty cheap actually, a water pump on a 7.3 isn't overly expensive but the time to install is. I put one on my '97 and it entails pulling everything off the front, radiator, mounts, ac condenser and ata if equipped, to get to the nut that secures the fan clutch to the water pump shaft and it takes a special tool to remove the nut, it's a LH nut.

I've heard people say you can do ity without removing the radiator and stuff, but my hands aren't that small and a punctured radiator is pretty expensive in itself.

[SidecarFlip]

I locked the alternator on my 97 7.3. but I was less than 5 miles from home so I 'muscled' the truck home with minimal brakes (no vacuum pump) and armstrong steering, believe me a 350 4x4 with big tires steers wickedly hard with no assist.

Took all of 15 seconds to grenade the belt, little warning, just a shrill scream like squeak and it was gone. I put on a Gates Fleetrunner Greenstripe and a new alternator and bought a spare Gates for the toolbox, just in case.

Your high buck stay at the Ford garage reminds me of hunting out west. Most of my game meat in the freezer costs around 300 bucks a pound. Wife always chides me about that.

[Rubiranch]

gbopp wrote:
You may have paid a little over $700 for a campsite but, you got a free water pump and belt installed. 🙂

Yep, another happy ending. I love free stuff. 😉

[Reddog1]

Hello Brad.

Wayne

[BradW]

Reddog1 wrote:
You got off easy, could have been 50 to 60 thousand dollars.

About time I caught a break! 🙂 🙂 🙂

[Jfet]

Boatycall wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
Would you break down 100 miles from the city, get it towed for $260 and go for coffee, would you call it $260 coffee?

Clearly you haven't been to Starbucks lately.... :B

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. I was wondering why he didn't say "Would you call it $270 coffee?"

[Boatycall]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Would you break down 100 miles from the city, get it towed for $260 and go for coffee, would you call it $260 coffee?

Clearly you haven't been to Starbucks lately.... :B

[Reddog1]

You got off easy, could have been 50 to 60 thousand dollars.

[BradW]

Spent one night camping in the back parking lot of Ford dealer in Brevard, NC a few years back when the clutch slave cylinder went out on of 2001 F-350. I think that night was about $400. 🙂

[JimBollman]

Yep I know I got a free water pump and belt. I just thought it was humors. I originally planned to spend the night a couple of hundred miles further down the road but it was far enough to make it home on Monday about 11:30pm, so same time table roughly.

Felt very lucky, I almost went a different route and would have probably added a tow off the NY Thurway to the bill.

Dennis, the Lost State of Franklin took in present day East TN. Was suppose to have been the 14th state.

[Dennis12]

Where you from Franklin ? Just kidding, seen it on your profile.