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79miller
09-28-2004, 07:51 PM
Have a little time on my hands so here's a little picture story about last weekend, it's a little long but what the hell:
We've been a little busy this summer with our new little boy born the weekend before memorial day.
Kiss my ass or put me back, it's cold out here!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850kma.jpg
We haven't been out yet and I've been tweaking in need of a trip to the river.
He's 4 months old now, so it's time to take the little river rat out to Parker. We picked up all the right gear, packed up the motorhome and headed out.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850dane1.jpg
Here's Parker ready for the cruise, her first trip also.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850parker.jpg
Traffic was f'n terrible, I think it was National Idiot Day on the 60 fwy. This guy must have been the NID Master of Ceremonies cruising the #2 lane in his 1942 Mercedes diesel with a towing package. I think we were by some town called Beaumont, not sure why it sounded so familiar, but I know I've heard of it somewhere. Was there something on the board about some people trying to overthrow the local government? I'll continue the story...
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850mos.jpg
Did run next to this clean Cole for a little while.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850cole.jpg
Continued....

79miller
09-28-2004, 07:51 PM
After getting my new trailer roller mount polished I was able to get another 10mph out of the trailer. I think I'm going to have it chromed, that's gotta be worth another 5mph.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850rllr.jpg
Here's a shot of my boat doing 70mph!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/185070mph.jpg
We usually cruise up Rice Rd. but decided to try the Ehrenberg route to Parker. Good thing!
As we turned off the fwy, I looked in the rear view mirror and I noticed one of my trailer wheels was black. What the hell?!?! I know they were nice and shiny cause I polished them up that morning. Figuring the bearing buddy puked some grease, I pulled over, went to take a look and almost shit myself. The wheel cap and bearing buddy were MIA and the bearings looked like they had been hit with a torch. I didn't have any tiedowns or chain to take the wheel off and hold up the axle, so we limped it back to the Flying J truck stop back on the 10. With the sun going down, I forgot to get a pic...
I pulled into the tire/oil change center and walked in. They didn't have any parts and didn't think they could do much to help out but said I was welcome to pull into one of the semi bays and use their jack.
We jacked up the trailer and I was able to pull the wheel right off the axle, YIKES! I think if we went another 5 miles the whole thing would have been welded into a big pile of shit or that tire/wheel/hub combo would have passed us up later down the road.
I was able to get the axle nut off and pull off the outer bearing, or at least what was left of it. The inner bearing was obliterated and jingling around. I was able to get the races out of the hub and Chris, I think he was the supervisor, offered their parts truck and a driver to run me into Blythe to see if the Autozone had bearings. These guys were lifesavers, I'm sure I would have been screwed at some hole in the wall garage...
Here's what's left of the bearings.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850junk.jpg
I grabbed a couple of Cokes for Ray (the driver) and I, and we headed west in search of bearings.
We make it to Autozone and luckily I was able to read the the part numbers off the bearing races and after a little cross-referencing, we found the bearings in stock. A tub of grease, brake clean, bearing buddies and a bottle jack later, we get the hell outta there. $100, cha ching. Oh, why does the parking lot of every Autozone look like an oil tanker crashed into a food truck and nobody felt like cleaning up?
We get back to the Flying J and get it all back together, minus the bearing buddy. The end of the hub was so mangled there was nothing left to press the BB into. Oh we'll, we just have to cruise the rest of the way until we can find something in Parker.
Continued...

79miller
09-28-2004, 07:52 PM
11pm and we pull into La Paz County Park. We left Fullerton at 2pm, so much for getting there before the sun went down. I'm just glad we took the Blythe route, we would have been sitting at what's left of the shoe tree calling a flatbed for the trailer...
Dane didn't care, he had a few too many Enfamil Lights on the way up and passed out in his car seat.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850dane6.jpg
We let him hog the bed for a while once we got there. That's what I look like after a few roadrapers...
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850dane2.jpg
Made it to Roadrunner for a nightcap/roadraper, said hi to Michell and hit the sack.
6am and BAM, little boy is up and ready to go. We hit Roadrunner for some tasty breakfast, then off to town for some kind of grease seal and bearing cap. Get back around noon and say screw it. I didn't want to launch the boat with an unsealed bearing. So, we set up the Cheasy up on beach, drank some beer, watched the boats go by and played with Parker in the water.
Hittin' the bottle.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850dane3.jpg
Super dog.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850parker2.jpg
Yo bitch, get me another beer!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850dane4.jpg
Continued...

79miller
09-28-2004, 07:53 PM
Did see this guy let out a bunch of smoke from under the hatch. Might have been powder from a fire extinguisher also. Must not have been too bad, he fired it up about 10 minutes later...
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850boat.jpg
Saturday night, hit up Roadrunner for some more grub, wanted some of Foxes baby backs, but no boat in the water, no ribs...
Did meet a guy named Greg from Havasu, and his puffball dog Timmy, at the campground. Real nice guy, until he whipped out a bottle of Yeager from the freezer and forced me to drink with him. Alright, he didn't really force me, but he did keep refilling my cup. Then he drug me to Roadrunner for a few more cocktails, he got me wasted. I stumbled back to the motorhome and poured myself back into bed...
I didn't see him the next morning to say bye, I think he was still in a Yeager coma in his motorhome, but I did want to say thanks for the good times, drinks and the hangover for the drive home. We're heading back out in 2-3 weeks and I'll have a fresh bottle of Yeager for him in freezer if he is still out there....
Patched up the bearing and headed home.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850wheel.jpg
Not the best trip, but it sure as hell beats sitting at home. Hopefully we can make a few more trips this year before Glamis season.
Don't forget to check your bearings before you head out, I know my dumb ass is sorry I didn't. Thanks again to Chris and Ray at the Flying J.
Hope everyone liked the story...
The end.....

Mrs.Racer277
09-28-2004, 08:12 PM
Thanks for sharing the pics and story. Sorry the trip sucked. The baby looked like he had a great time. Very cute. Better trip next time. :D

Prop Rod
09-28-2004, 08:43 PM
glad to see you guys bring the baby to the river. We have been bring our little one since she was a month old. It seems like as soon as the boat fires up its an instant rocking chair and see's out like a light. Definantly a water baby. She's now a year old a we took her to havasu for the first time ever! What a blast. Hope to see you out there some time.

little rowe boat
09-28-2004, 08:48 PM
Cute kid,already a river rat,gotta love it.Congrats :cool:

Mandelon
09-28-2004, 08:49 PM
Good recovery. Nice job on the pics and the story. It was funny how you reference comments from old threads throughout. :cool: :cool:

Scream
09-28-2004, 08:56 PM
This was a great story, and that kids mouth...lol Too funny. Better luck next trip.
Scream

79miller
09-28-2004, 08:59 PM
glad to see you guys bring the baby to the river. We have been bring our little one since she was a month old. It seems like as soon as the boat fires up its an instant rocking chair and see's out like a light. Definantly a water baby. She's now a year old a we took her to havasu for the first time ever! What a blast. Hope to see you out there some time.
That's what I'm hoping for, fire up the motor and beddy bye! Not much left in this season, but I know next year he'll get his full prescription of Parker, twice a month, unlimited refills!
Hittin' the sack.
Thanks everyone...

PlyaPlya22
09-28-2004, 09:03 PM
Great Story, next time it'll be better. Nice lookin boy.

Ivan Dan
09-28-2004, 11:25 PM
Love the shot of the little dude wearing the lifevest and sunglasses. Some people parked next to us in the Channel on Labor Day weekend with a little boy about Dane's age and he was LOVING every second of it. Glad to see you guys made it out this summer atleast once or twice before Glamis season starts. Tell Michell I said hello.

BarryMac
09-29-2004, 05:57 AM
Great pics and story, hopefully the next one will be a little more favorable to you and your family...
gjb

LeadDog
09-29-2004, 06:17 AM
That's a great story! Sorry for the bad weekend, but I'm sure the yeager made it all better!
SEE YA IN DA SAND! ;)

JetBoatRich
09-29-2004, 06:30 AM
Nice story, sorry to hear you had trouble :hammerhea but sounds like you made the best of it and had a good time :cool:
Good looking kid by the way :cool: the glasses are cool

rodnjen
09-29-2004, 06:36 AM
I'm glad you shared your sons first trip with us. My wife and I are expecting our first child in 9 weeks from now. One of our big discussions (one of many) is how old with he/she be for the first trip to the lake. My dad lives there, so its not as if we're camping out of the old '65 Dodge van like when we were kids.
As long as its not too hot, I'm thinking late spring. Did you take the baby in the boat? We have 21 open-bow, so there's plenty of room, just not sure what age is "reasonable."

91nordic29
09-29-2004, 06:38 AM
The wheel cap and bearing buddy were MIA and the bearings looked like they had been hit with a torch.
that happened to us (closer to home) on the way home from pleasant. Monday morning hubby was on the way to work when something shiney in the bushes caught his eye. chrome wheel cap. bearing buddy in the road. :confused:

OGShocker
09-29-2004, 06:40 AM
Did run next to this clean Cole for a little while.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850cole.jpg
Continued....
What a GREAT looking little one you have there!!!! :rollside:
I know we must have passed you. We went by this very same boat in the same area. We were in our lifted 2500HD. You would remember if you saw us cuz' it pukes large amount of black smoke when were on the gas.
What were you driving??

montyawards
09-29-2004, 07:13 AM
That's what I'm hoping for, fire up the motor and beddy bye! Not much left in this season, but I know next year he'll get his full prescription of Parker, twice a month, unlimited refills!
Hittin' the sack.
Thanks everyone...
Are you kidding? Next year will be next baby. No more summers for you. But that was a good story. You should write something for all your trips and then post them on your website. Or Maybe not. Lets just get back out there.

79miller
09-29-2004, 08:03 AM
I'm glad you shared your sons first trip with us. My wife and I are expecting our first child in 9 weeks from now. One of our big discussions (one of many) is how old with he/she be for the first trip to the lake. My dad lives there, so its not as if we're camping out of the old '65 Dodge van like when we were kids.
As long as its not too hot, I'm thinking late spring. Did you take the baby in the boat? We have 21 open-bow, so there's plenty of room, just not sure what age is "reasonable."
We had a motorhome there, so if it got to hot we could kick it in the AC. We didn't launch the boat because of the open bearing, but we were planning on taking him for a cruise. Get all the sleep you can get, the first couple months are tough. After that, it's good times, our little boy is a character, smiling all the time...
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850WCD.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/1850danemess.jpg

79miller
09-29-2004, 08:04 AM
Love the shot of the little dude wearing the lifevest and sunglasses. Some people parked next to us in the Channel on Labor Day weekend with a little boy about Dane's age and he was LOVING every second of it. Glad to see you guys made it out this summer atleast once or twice before Glamis season starts. Tell Michell I said hello.
I'm sure Michell will read this, take it easy!

79miller
09-29-2004, 08:10 AM
What a GREAT looking little one you have there!!!! :rollside:
I know we must have passed you. We went by this very same boat in the same area. We were in our lifted 2500HD. You would remember if you saw us cuz' it pukes large amount of black smoke when were on the gas.
What were you driving??
We were in a white and green American Eagle pusher towing a blue 21' Jet with a wheel bearing ready to self destruct. The one swerving in the lanes as I was cursing out some of the idiot drivers out there (present company excluded).

79miller
09-29-2004, 08:18 AM
Are you kidding? Next year will be next baby. No more summers for you. But that was a good story. You should write something for all your trips and then post them on your website. Or Maybe not. Lets just get back out there.
I don't know about that, we are still set on one. I just strap a zip tie on before we get to it, no swimmers getting out that way. The hard part, let me rephrase, the challenge is cutting the zip tie off...
I'm game for the 14th -17th, go up Wednesday night and make the last trip a good one...

jas0502
09-29-2004, 08:28 AM
Great story!!! your son is very cute. Sorry to hear about your trip, but it sounds like you made the best of it.
The same thing happened to us in 29 Palms on a sunday a few years back. Napa oouldn't help us, but Autozone had the stuff and got us back home. :D

MsDrmr
09-29-2004, 08:29 AM
simply adorable

DryHeatOnly
09-29-2004, 04:45 PM
Stressful trip but worth it, I bet ;)
We took each of our 3 babies out to the river regularly when they were young. 10-14 years later, we haven't stopped. :cool:

Hallett
10-01-2004, 09:33 PM
thanks for the great pics, looks like you had a great time. :)

DansBlown73Nordic
10-02-2004, 01:11 AM
You did a excellent job with the story.
I also had a bearing buddy disapear this year. Matter a fact I took one off one of my other trailers and lost that one to.... :mad: :jawdrop:
I bought a new set and drove them on. I think the old one was out of shape.