Before we started our trip north – and after completing the expensive repairs to the fuel lines – I made the statement that the truck was ready for the trip. As you know, that was absolutely not the case. Two days ago I made this statement: “I am keeping my fingers crossed that the truck is now ready to take us back to Florida.” Once again I was mistaken. I need to stop saying things like that. Because the truck is listening.
I traveled to Leominster MA yesterday to do a number of things, the most significant being upgrading our cell phones and switching carriers. That is a trip of just over 20 miles. On the trip home, just 2 miles shy of my destination, a car pulled up alongside and honked furiously. He was obviously trying to alert me to something, though I had no idea what as the truck was running just fine. But he pulled over and I stopped behind him. He came back to me and said “Something is burning!” There was, indeed, some smoke, but it wasn’t coming from my rear tires, as he thought – it was my engine smoking. It was pretty obvious, once I looked under the truck, that a fuel line had broken as diesel fuel was spewing onto the asphalt at a high rate – maybe a cup a minute. I shut off the engine and the spill stopped.
It would seem that the fuel line repair performed on Tuesday had lasted a grand total of 40 miles. I called the garage and spoke to Josh, my mechanic. He was nearly as distressed as I was and sent a tow truck out to get me. The driver loaded the truck onto the bed and dropped me off at the RV park, then took the truck to the garage where Josh assessed the situation. He called me later (8 pm!) and said that a “clip had let loose.” He had ordered a part which should arrive this morning. He promised to have the truck repaired as soon as the part arrives.
I am going to avoid any further statements of optimism about the repairs.
Because the truck is listening.