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View Full Version : I had a day from hell :(



hd&boatrider
03-10-2004, 08:43 PM
I go out to Bullhead (BHC) to pick up the Commander to bring back to CA for my buddy who bought it. Left Monday night and was supposed to be back Tuesday night.
I start catching a nasty cold when I left and couldn't sleep for shit when I pulled into AZ. I got up 4:30 AZ time which is 3:30 CA time since I couldn't breathe so I figured might as well get up. Registered the new SHockwave in Kingman and looked at some properties for sale. Everything seems pretty good at this point.
I go home and decide to wash my jeans but I didn't have time to dry them....no biggie and threw them in a bag wet. I will get back to the jeans later. Hooked up the boat and headed out. As I came down BHC Parkway the rear axle is smoking a bit. It stopped as I turned into the gas station so I thought maybe the brakes just worked a little hard coming down the hill. Try the CC pump and it won't take my card so I go in a give the attendant ny card, Fill up and I check the tires. The rear R tire is low so I put some air in. Off I go.
I stop in Needles (about 15 miles) and decide to check the tire again as I suspected a slow leak. Sure enough low air. I bought the foam tire stuff and put some in and top off the air. Off I go.
Cruising along the 40 and things seem fine. I get into Barstow and check the tire. Low again and I am getting pretty concerned now. ****, I just remembered I did not get my card back. Call the office and have them cancel the card and order another one :(
I figured I would check the tire again in Victorville. It is about 5:45 and I call Big O because I wanted them to change out the tire with my spare. They won't be there so they send me to Pep Boys. Pull into Pep Boys and they will change the tire for me. Feeling better now as the tire had lost more air and was looking pretty much bald.
As the guy has the spare on without the lug nuts he lets the lift down. ****! Pumps it right back up and he puts the lugs on and says I am good to go. I kick the tire and the tire is loose. I tell him he needs to tighten the nuts. He says they are tight and I must have an axel problem. I am like WTF! I didn't have the problem when I came in. After talking with the manager I pretty much understand that my bearings are shot. I must have called apx 20 numbers as the sun was setting in Victorville trying to get one of those mobile mechanics to come out :( AS I am sitting on the phone a 300ZZX comes sliding around the corner...the car is coming straight at my truck/boat. I kind of brace myself and the guy hits the curb and stops dead. Smoke is coming from the car and he just sits there as I am looking at him. After a little time he just backs up and skids away. WTF! I guess this is Victorville and I have had it.
I finally get a guy on the phone. He was rude and said someone would be out in 45 minutes. I call back in one hour to check on when they would be arriving. There is no record/order on my call...WTF! They said they will have someone out shortly. I call back about 45 minutes later and they say they don't have anybody to come out...WTF! I am cold as I am in shorts and a tee shirt and of course the friggin jeans are wet!
I am getting pretty pissed and now that I am not leaving my boat at this ****ing Pep Boys to be stolen or stripped. **** it....I drive my wobbly ass about 1 mile and get a room at a nearby hotel.
I have a pair of wet jeans, no tooth brush, hungry, sick, pissed off to the 10th degree and I am running out of Skoal. I am just about delerious. I decide to eat something and go to the room. I call the front desk and ask if they have security on the grounds. They say yes and I have them send him to my room. I give the guy $20. and ask him to not let my boat out of his sight. He takes care of it as nobody ****ed with it.
Can't sleep again....****! MF'rs are driving by with big ass booming stereos. I am in ****ing HELL! The high desert....**** this place. It is all about trying to survive at this point without friggin killing someone.
Next morning with about 2-3 hours of sleep I get a call and the mechanics are on their way. They don't have the parts to fix the problem. The bearings are totally gone :( I call Extreme and get to Tony. He will have all the parts necessary and all I need to do is pick them up. I call my brother he gets the parts and drives them to Victorville. We get the trailer fixed and I get home and want to collapse. Oh ya.....I was so cold in the AM that I put the friggin jeans on....wet...because I really had no choise....
Bottom line it could have been a lot worse. If I would have started down that Cajon Pass I would have had a major catastrophe (sp) coming down that mountain. Boat, trailer and probably the truck would have all been damaged. I did not know the bearings were completely gone and am very lucky I pulled into Pep Boys to change that tire. If not.....WTF a lot worse.
Thanks to Jason and Linda (Mr And Mrs Boardsmnj) for offering to help in any way. I appreciate it very much. Both of you are stand up people that have the true boating spirit. I won't forget it :)
That was my day....how about yours? lol

RiverToysJas
03-10-2004, 09:03 PM
Damn Tom, at least things can only get better from here!
Just one more story to reinforce my desion to store the boat @ the river instead of tow this year. ;)
RTJas :D

redneckgirl
03-10-2004, 09:08 PM
Tom
That sucks, at least you and the boat made it safely. Good thing it wasn't the shockwave.... By the way when do you pick it up? :D :D
RNG

hd&boatrider
03-10-2004, 09:08 PM
Originally posted by RiverToysJas
Damn Tom, at least things can only get better from here!
Just one more story to reinforce my desion to store the boat @ the river instead of tow this year. ;)
RTJas :D
I hear you Jas....sooner the better so as to not tow. The bad thing is that you can't just run out to the local lakes like you like to do from time to time.

hd&boatrider
03-10-2004, 09:12 PM
Originally posted by redneckgirl
Tom
That sucks, at least you and the boat made it safely. Good thing it wasn't the shockwave.... By the way when do you pick it up? :D :D
RNG
Actually, I am glad that this happened to me instead of my friend who bought the Commander from me.
I did have the energy to go by Shockwave when I got back. The engine is there and they need to put it in. I am hoping over the next day or so. After that it is off to Wired For Sound for the stereo install. I am hoping next weekend the boat will be out and safe in BHC :).
I need to get some sleep....Maybe if I drink the entire bottle of Nyquil it will knock me out....yes, it is the big bottle n:wink:

Mandelon
03-10-2004, 09:13 PM
Sucks indeed but could have been a lot worse. I joined some Good Sam RV AAA type service that will come out with parts, or even two tow rigs to take your truck and flat bed for your trailer if necessary. After reading your hellish story I am glad I did. Probably $39.00 well spent.
I got a speeding ticket towing my utility trailer at 75mph yesterday. :yuk: 55 mph would be a damn hazard on the freeway, but they don't see it that way.
I carry spare wheel bearings for my trailer and a spare wheeland tire on the desert trips just in case.
Hope you get better quick.

hd&boatrider
03-10-2004, 09:15 PM
Thanks Mandelon and all those little things you do are WELL worth it!

cc322
03-10-2004, 09:17 PM
Look at the brite side, you got a new 25 tremor:D and when things get that bad you gotta get rid of the skoal and step up to the COPENHAGEN, its a cure all too, cures zits , warts, freckels , coughs , colds runny noses makes conseption a wonder and child birth a pleasure copenhagen makes me feel so good :D Also saw your boat at the shop last weekend NICE and congrats.

77charger
03-10-2004, 09:37 PM
A little lesson to check bearings before long trips or season(lift up wheels and spin listen for abnormal noise,looseness,harder to turn wheels) and to grease them.
I found a bad set on my trailer also noticed odd wear on tire so i looked closer at it bad outer bearing as well another on the otherside ready to go

HOSS
03-10-2004, 09:40 PM
At least you didn`t run out of Skoal.:cool:

THATJEFFGUY
03-10-2004, 11:59 PM
Hell, it was only a Commander !! You shoulda left it at Pep Boys for the high desert tweakers ! Oh shit...not another Commander bashing thread !! :eek:

svlperry
03-11-2004, 12:16 AM
hey u guys don't talk shit about the high desert i live up here and it's not a bad place plus i live a hour closer to the river than u guys

HavasuDreamin'
03-11-2004, 05:40 AM
Ever since pops told me the story about spending three nights in an Indio gas station during the mid 1970's, sleeping in the boat (Campbell 24') because the wheel bearings were shot, I make sure I grease them up several times per year, and go thru them and repack them about every 2-3 years.
Could have been worse. ;)

AZKC
03-11-2004, 08:01 AM
Ding..... #1 answer

THATJEFFGUY
03-11-2004, 08:06 AM
Oh, trailers have wheel bearings ???? :D

hd&boatrider
03-11-2004, 08:11 AM
Originally posted by svlperry
hey u guys don't talk shit about the high desert i live up here and it's not a bad place plus i live a hour closer to the river than u guys
I can only go by my past experience......I didn't mean to offend you. Kind of like someone who has an ugly boat or Harley. While it may be ugly to me if it works for you great.

hd&boatrider
03-11-2004, 08:12 AM
Lets just dsay I learned a good lesson about wheel bearings :)

superdave013
03-11-2004, 08:34 AM
I learned my lesson when I lost a bearing at desert center. Had to chain up the axal and keep on rolling. My tire came all the way off.
I keep an entier new set of bearings, seal, lil tub O grease and bearing buddy with me at all times now.
You can get the bearings/seal in a kit. Everyone should have an extra with them.
Like HD, I repack them once a year (when boat's not in dry dock)

RiverToysJas
03-11-2004, 08:45 AM
does anyone know how the newer sealed bearings hold up over time? That's what my Extreme has.
RTJas :D

hd&boatrider
03-11-2004, 08:47 AM
Originally posted by RiverToysJas
does anyone know how the newer sealed bearings hold up over time? That's what my Extreme has.
RTJas :D
If that is the one that you uses oil which I am getting on the new trailer with the Shockwave Tony at Extreme said you just have to change the oil. How often? I am not sure.

bigq
03-11-2004, 08:53 AM
Had the same experience coming back from BHC oddly enough. Blew the bearing out just outside of Hesperia. What I did was reoved the wheel (the whole hub assembly just slipped off) and used two HD Tie downs to pull the axle as close as possible to the frame and drove the rest of the way home. It sucked and now I have them put an extra fitting on the trailer to carry a hub and bearing assembly along with the spare.

Ducatista
03-11-2004, 09:08 AM
That sounded like a day from hell, glad you got through it. I didn't know Corona was an improvement over the high desert!:D
Well at least your trailer will be in shape after this, and your friend will not have to deal with it. Congrats on the Tremor, thats a fine boat. Peace my brother:cool:

THOR
03-11-2004, 09:08 AM
HD,
that sucks man.
I honestly tried not to laugh, but I kept picturing all those little punks sliding around the corner coming at your rig with their stereos bumpin'. Funny shit man.
Sorry to hear about your troubles.

4day!!
03-11-2004, 09:09 AM
Dude, i feel for you, running out of SKOAL...YIKES!!!:(

hd&boatrider
03-11-2004, 09:11 AM
Originally posted by Ducatista
That sounded like a day from hell, glad you got through it. I didn't know Corona was an improvement over the high desert!:D
Well at least your trailer will be in shape after this, and your friend will not have to deal with it. Congrats on the Tremor, thats a fine boat. Peace my brother:cool:
What's next....a Harley slam....lol I am glad it happened to me and not him also.

hd&boatrider
03-11-2004, 09:11 AM
Originally posted by THOR
HD,
that sucks man.
I honestly tried not to laugh, but I kept picturing all those little punks sliding around the corner coming at your rig with their stereos bumpin'. Funny shit man.
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
I am laughing about it now myself so don't worry about that :)
As well that ends well....or something like that

hd&boatrider
03-11-2004, 09:12 AM
Originally posted by 4day!!
Dude, i feel for you, running out of SKOAL...YIKES!!!:(
Honestly....that was probably the worst thing of all that happened....lol Helps calm the nerves and all :)

77charger
03-11-2004, 06:27 PM
Originally posted by superdave013
I keep an entier new set of bearings, seal, lil tub O grease and bearing buddy with me at all times now.
You can get the bearings/seal in a kit. Everyone should have an extra with them.
Like HD, I repack them once a year (when boat's not in dry dock) And i thought i was the only one.Never een left on the side of the road and if it happens well i can fix it.
BTW bearings fail because water gets in easy but harder for it to escape then it rust the bearings out while sitting.

Kachina26
03-11-2004, 07:54 PM
Originally posted by svlperry
hey u guys don't talk shit about the high desert i live up here and it's not a bad place plus i live a hour closer to the river than u guys Brother, I'm up here in the High Desert too and you know that you would not want to spend the night in a hotel on 7th st by the Pep Boys. I love the HD, but we got a rep and for good reason. Sorry about your bad night up here, I had the same experiance except I sat awake all night on a freeway offramp 10 miles north of Baker waiting for the tow truck, (thank God I had to pee or I wouldn't have seen the bad bearing) I didn't get home until 7 am only in time to go to work. What a day that was.