Pennsylvania Breakdown, Not the Dance!

Let’s see. Last time we were headed back to PA. Then our friends Bud & Linda called to see what we were up to and next thing we’re meetin’ at the Springville Auction so we delayed leavin’ Gloria’s for a day.

We did meet Bud, Linda, their daughter Tammy and her son Nolan in Springville, but at a Chinese restaurant for lunch then we went to the Auction. It was so nice to see them both as we have really missed them since leaving home. It was also a treat to see Tammy & Nolan again. By the time we arrived at the auction most of the flea market vendors had left and the remainder were packin’ it up fer’ the day. I didn’t see anything I couldn’t live without and didn’t know what I would throw away if I had made a purchase. “If you buy something new, you have to throw something away”. After all we only have so much space and we have yet to make pickles or jam so we need some extra weight capacity. Well after that stop we said our goodbyes, we’ll see them the end of August, hopefully before the grange picnic. We headed home and had our last dinner with Gloria’s family then did some preparation for departure the next day.

Thursday we were up and after uninstalling our 30 amp circuit we were off for a early 11:30 am start. Yikes!! We’re getting’ worse.

We traveled down the road back towards Springville, NY then south to Salamanca, NY. As we approached Ellicotville, NY we tried to reach our friend Char, who we had been unsuccessful at reaching a few days earlier, and were surprised to find her at the Springville ‘Wally World’. We just passed there, and could have stopped to at least see her, Oh well. We promised we’d be back in September and stay a few days with her.

We rolled through Warren, PA and as we did for some reason I thought of a blogger friend, Diana Tolerico of Life on the Open Road. Who recently had a mechanical breakdown, when a wheel bearing on her trailer froze up and had to be towed to a shop. I thought she was lucky, even though her trailer needs a new axle, that she had no devastating fire like the Happy Wanderers, Ed & Marillyn, fulltimers who lost there entire trailer with all the contents in a recent similar fire. I thought that it was good I had brought a set of wheel bearings with me, just in case. We had thought of staying at USFS Camp Buckaloons again but decided to venture further south to Tionesta Lake, a USACE park on Tionesta creek, to be closer to our home base.

Well don’t ya know that there Murphy fella was not only lookin’ over my shoulder, but was listenin’ to my thoughts as well. Just south of Buckaloons Campground, as were runnin’ along through a light misty rain I look back on the drivers side o’ the trailer and I think I see smoke. Na, I look at the other side of the trailer, it must be mist. I look back at my side, it sure looks funny fer’ mist comin’ off the tires. Now we’re on a two lane mountain road, that all the locals want to drive 60 or better even though the speed limit is less and there’s hardly any place to pull off except a spot here and there. Well I’m figurin’, if this is smoke I need to pull off RIGHT NOW!

I pulled off to the side of the road part in someone’s driveway but mostly in his grass  and went back to feel the wheels. Gingerly I touched each wheel trying not to get burned and couldn’t determine if one was hot, one felt warm but I was fearful of getting’ burned. So I went down to the house we were in front of to ask if there was a place down the road we could turn around. The husband said yes, a couple hundred yards, but the wife said we were awful big. After an inconclusive decision I asked if we could turn around in their drive. He said yes but “If you get off in the grass your sunk”. Well after backin’ down the grade in the driveway, without getting; in his grass we were off north again. My Idea was if we could get to Buckaloons I could have a level spot to look things over & make repairs. It would have been the perfect spot seein’ the city of Warren is a couple o’ miles further & I could get parts or supplies.

Well we went back about 500 yds and I saw smoke again, it had stopped rainin’ by now. I pulled over at a loggin’ yard but it was too steep and rutted fer’ any mechanican’ work. I had some water in a jug I had brought in the truck fer’ whatever and I figured’ this was as good a reason as ever to use it. Since I couldn’t tell which wheel was affected, fer’ fear of getting’  a good burn, I doused the front wheel. Nuthin’. I doused the back wheel, Ssssss… the steam rose from that one. I guess it was pretty hot. I waited fer a spell and doused her again. Buckaloons was only 1.5 miles back, could we make it? I tried again headin’ south and another 500 yds. or so seen the smoke again. We found another pullout and squeezed in. I didn’t want to damage the axle spindle if it wasn’t damaged already, so Buckaloons was out. Whatever repairs were taken place they would have to happen here.

After jackin’ and removin’ the tire, I couldn’t feel any play in the wheel bearin’, but I wasn’t takin’ any chances so off we went to Warren for some wheel bearing grease. We had some dinner while we were out, then back to do the fixin’.

I pulled the drum and hub and broke down the bearings cleaned them and the hub, the grease looked fine. Couldn’t find any wear spots on the races or the bearings, but just in case Ole Murphy was watchin’ I installed new bearings. Put everything back together and the wheel turned just fine with no play. 

Well if it wasn’t bearings it must be the brake dragin’ and since I don’t know if cuttin’ only the hot wire will disable the brake, I cut both wires goin’ to that brake. Not the greatest idea but it will get me home, with three wheel brakes left.

I finished around 9:30 and I know Linda didn’t want to stay by the road that night, but we stayed. I told her if somethin’ goes wrong, I can’t see the smoke in the dark so we have to wait for daylight. The traffic had us swayin’ at times as they zipped by but actually we both slept well all night. I think we were tired from all the stress of the day.

When morning came we were up early and down the road turned around and headed back south for Tionesta Lake. Arrived there around 7:30 and found a spot as no one was on duty. First order of business was was to cook & eat some breakfast. We met both camphosts here, nice folks.

Well I been long winded enough so I’ll say goodnight. Hope to see ya down the road as we’re;

Dancin’ on the Wind.