Hello Everyone!
I have been out for a couple of months traveling in the step van. I had plans to be at the block party in Nashville, I was headed to Nashville when the unexpected happened. My step van had other plans let's say, it wanted to take a break I guess!
I was traveling to Nashville and I had got to Sikeston Missouri and stopped for gas at a Love's truck stop. I filled up and got something to drink and all the things you do on a rest/gas stop. I started out and when I got back on the highway the step van would not shift into 2nd gear. So I am running down the highway at 15 miles per hour. Yes, it sucks! I found a place to turn around and headed back to the Love's because I knew I could park there till I figured out what was going on. Did all the normal things checked fluid and it was full looked around to see if there was anything I could see that might be a small fix to get me to Nashville, well nothing I did fixed it so I was stuck there.
I called around Sikeston and looked for a shop to take a look at it and no one had the ability there to deal with a medium-duty vehicle like the step van. It was too tall for their lifts and their buildings were too short to get it in. I did call one and they told me to drop it off and they would look at it, I explained to size and everything and he told me "No Problem" bring it in. I drove 6 miles at 15 miles per hour to get there and when I arrived someone said we cannot fit it in the building, so it was a slow drive back to Love's, I was pretty angry at this point. I told them I called and talked to someone and they told me it was just a "Misunderstanding" I questioned that and asked how when I explained everything and the size of the vehicle over the phone, even give him measurements of the step-van. So lack of training and knowledge on that person's part played a role in this screwup by them.
Finally, I got a hold of someone that could look at it but it was in Cape Girardeau Missouri about 30 miles away. I could not drive it that far at 15 miles per hour so it had to be towed. It was a medium-duty vehicle so the tow was double what it was for a simple car, that was understandable and he brought a truck that tows semi trucks in. That was the only truck they had that they could use. It was either big or small. LOL. I had to get a motel to stay in while the van is in the shop because there was nowhere at the shop I could stay in it and the shop is out of town a few miles. There was nowhere around the shop for anything and it was a small shop. They dropped me off at the motel so no taxi bill there, that was nice of them to do.
So the tow bill and the week motel hit me kinda hard, they will be able to look at it on Tuesday I hope, and tell me what is wrong with the step-van, hopefully, it is a simple fix and I can be back on the road soon. So I am sitting idle till then. But I figure I can get some rest and relax for a little while and it will be fine, I hope.
So I missed the Block Party, I am sorry I did not make it there and could meet everyone there. I will be swinging into Nashville to see 