What A Long Strange Trip it's Been

When we first purchased Jesabel we made a maiden voyage to Oklahoma City. The minute we started home the fuel shutoff valve failed and the engine "derated" (meaning it was in "limp home mode" and wouldn't exceed about 45 mph). This on a turnpike with a 75 mph limit! We were towing a car and quickly unhooked it to use it as a "blocking" vehicle, as we were terrified someone would run up our rear end. After a week at the Cummins dealer we finally told them "no mas" as they kept finding things wrong and the bill kept creeping ever higher. It was a portend of things to come. Shortly there after we made a quick run up to Muskogee for a cook off and asked some friends to join us for dinner. We were ensconced in an RV park and when we returned to the coach after dinner there was a waterfall emanating from the top of the slide out. Turns out the slide out seal was deteriorated. Also the vent over the kitchen had leaked (and would continue to leak the whole time we owned it) and had warped the floor. Then there was the fuel leak that required the removal and replacement of the fuel tank. All this in the first six months we owned the coach! And we won't even go into how much we have invested in air conditioning repair. The coup de gras was the upper radiator hose failing, causing the engine to burn up last year. Jesbael has not run right since and, after years of putting money into the coach, we had finally had enough. We thought we had the coach traded/sold and drove all the way to Fort Worth only to have the dealer renege on the deal. That story is in a previous blog.  Now we  found another dealer who will work with us (I hope) over in Houston. We were recently released from a gate and decided to take the opportunity to head that way. Jesabel was not happy and definitely not through with us! About 35 miles out side of San Antonio a loud noise came from the right front side of the vehicle. The hub had failed after the bearing spun in its race. We had just paid a shop dearly to replace those bearings (less than 90 days ago) and we immediately called them. The repair person quickly ascertained that the race had spun and that the hub was a goner. It took two days to get the parts and to get us off the side of the road. Now we have the "chicken or the egg" argument going and have yet to see the bill for the repair. Did the race fail or did the bearings fail first? Personally I think that since they were the last folks to work on the wheel, they are at least somewhat culpable for damages. I sent Missy ahead once we knew parts and a repair were imminent, which is a whole another story. If we finally rid ourselves of Jesabel and get a newer RV-I will update as soon as practical. I am determined to leave Jesabel in Houston!