WOW what a week we have had! We thought the five hour trip from Bundaberg to Sunshine Coast was going to be a breeze, and one that we could take slowly…..guess the universe has other ideas for us.
Travelling from Bundaberg to the Sunshine Coast is a familiar trip for us because we used to live in D’aguilar and then at Glasshouse Mountains. And we used to drive back n forth every Christmas/Easter to David’s Parents. Never ever has it taken so bloody long!
But we never expected it to go down the way it did – two days worth of travelling and lots of break downs.
We also expected to be leaving Friday but we didn’t get our Motorhome registered due to a lack of dining table (crazy hey!) Which was a good thing because we were able to get more renovations completed in the Motorhome, and David was able to fix the head casket in our Car.
Monday morning was when we were meant to leave, but knowing us we had far too much stuff to pack, last minute things to fix and so we didnt leave to really late.
All was going well – Registration passed (Yippee We Now Have Plates) and we made it to Maryborough Petrol Station. Where we had a yummy dinner.
While we were sitting there David was thinking about why he wasn’t able to get much get up and go when going up hills – she was pulling back and even dropping speed. But we thought we could make it to the Sunshine Coast, to Coolum and then have a look at what was causing the issues.
We made it as far as Glenwood.
We tried going up a steep hill, but it was not doing well. Within no time David had stopped, and had put on his hazard lights. Because I was driving behind him I had to pull up and also put on the hazard lights. She had lost power.
It was pitch black by then, and we were on a spot where there was no where to pull off the road. Trucks were speeding by doing 110k’s – not even stopping or slowing down. When trucks came from both direction I was starting to wonder how they could safely take over without hitting both of us.
Nicholas let me know that Dad needed to roll back down the hill, to find a spot to pull off the road.
I started backing up with my Hazard lights flashing……
there was no-where to pull off the road.
We kept backing up for ages (I cant remember how far we had to back up but it seemed like forever – about 500 metres says Dave and Nicholas!).
We are so very fortunate that we did not have a trailer attached – not sure what we would have done in that situation?
I saw a side road on the right hand side – and I decided that it was too risky for me to keep going as well as David so I pulled into the side street. But I didnt realise that by pulling off the road meant I took all of David’s lights – he now was going back down a hill towards traffic without seeing where to go.
Crap.
Also our Bedford Motorhome needs to be working for the breaks to be working – there is only so much air left in the tanks before you have no breaks at all.
He had to stop when there was too much traffic coming both ways…and he guessed that he had about 20 more pumps left in the breaks before they gave out.
The warning alarm was starting to come on.
Incredibly he made it to a side street on the left, and rolled it back in there as far as the Motorhome would go. Then I got back onto the highway and also turned into the same side street.
I looked over and saw that we were at the “Opal Place” where there was a Petrol station that we could pull into. David still thought that we could possibly work on getting it going – she was able to start on flat ground, and he took it for a spin up the road – yet as soon as she approached a hill she stopped again.
We parked at the back of this Tourist Place!
Bugger.
He rolled it back into the Petrol Station Car Park, parking out of the Way as much as Possible. It was far too late to think about trying to work out why we were losing power and we were both exhausted by then. So we agreed to hit the sack, and try to work out what to do in the morning.
We Sticky Taped This To Our Window ~
Yet we woke up before anyone turned up for work!
Before we lost power on both our phones, and our Computers, I quickly did a search on “Diesel Injector Pump Services” in Gympie and Nambour.
David wanted to return to one in Nambour (if we needed to) because last time we dealt with our Injector Pump they had such good customer service!
David thought about trying to source a product in the morning, driving to get it and bring it back…but that was before we woke up in the morning and worked out where we were/what could be done.
Woke to see the Sun Rising!
We are so grateful for all of the help we received via our Facebook page! All of the great hints/tips that came in helped us to realise that we had to use our filters that we had, change them and to work out if it was a blocked fuel line, or something more?
Thanking you also Alison and your Hubby’s help via phone – it was good to hear what to look for!
When we woke up in the morning, David changed the filters. We had breakfast – thanking you to the amazing staff who were so kind to let us stay in the car park. And looked over to the next building – it was a Mechanics. Couldn’t believe it, Thanking you Universe!
Didnt realise that this was a Mechanics!
The filters didn’t help, as soon as we took it up the small hill next to us it stopped.
We rolled it back down, and stopped out the front of the David Long Auto Repairs.
And waited….they didn’t open till 8.00am.
We went back to the petrol station and had coffee’s and David kept thinking/researching our possibilities……Does he drive ahead and go to work, trying to pick up a new Lift Pump down in Nambour? Is that the issue? Can we get to Gympie and he leave us there – so that he can go to work?
We had breakfast and coffee’s at Rosie’s Cafe!
So many ideas going around and around, and so many “What could be causing it” questions!
As soon as the Mechanics opened David asked for their advice….they were so very helpful. Apparently the hill that we broke down on late at night gets a lot of vehicles – most of them end up back at the Mechanics (smart place to have one!)
With their advice/help/tips n hints David took out the lift pump – and cleaned it out. Once all the crap (aka Sh#t) was out of the lift pump it was soon realised that there was no issues with it.
The Mechanic That Helped David Owns This Car ~
Love the way he has “Pimped His Ride”
SO back to the fuel lines – they were blocked. Every time David tried to bleed the new filters hardly anything was coming out.
David (with the mechanics help) unblocked the fuel lines – and we were able to make it up the small hill next to us, down the side street and back to the mechanics/petrol station without any issues. We thought all was solved and we headed off with smiles on our faces…..]
Back on the Road
We headed off and was doing well. No worries – we will make it to the Sunshine Coast in time to park at Coolum Beach and find something for dinner!
Until we reached the hills through Gympie…..
Oh bummer! Not again?
Yep – we were having issues once again, dropping back to 40k’s and crawling up hills……we kept going for as long as possible but didnt make it to the Sunshine Coast exit that we were looking for.
Instead David took the next available exit – where it was mainly down hill and we were able to roll down. We pulled over where possible and discussed our options.
We both knew that if we came across one more hill that we would be done for….so we asked a guy at the local petrol station if there was a show grounds near by.
Yep we were in luck – there was one around the corner. I went ahead to see if they had any available spots left but their office door had a sticky note to say that they would be back asap.
I returned to find David stuck on another hill. This time the hill was only less than one k from the showgrounds, but because she was so steep it wasn’t possible to start it up – basically we were stuck on the side of the road outside houses, and we could not roll back down because their was no-where to roll to. We couldn’t get it going, we couldn’t move forward……..
David found that by trying to bleed the air filters was not going to work – wherever the blockage was, because of the very steep hill she wasn’t able to get any diesel through at all. What was coming through was a little trickle.
Talking back n forwards we realised it was something blocked way back in the line, and the hill was making it worse….He had no other option but to find a way to break the line, and replace it with Diesel closer to the filters.
As soon as he did, and as soon as he bleed the filters it worked…we got her started.
We climbed the hill no worries, and we flowed down to the Showgrounds. To where we are staying for the week so that David can replace every bit of fuel line possible.
While We Were At The Mechanics ~
We look and see an old Motorhome at the back….
wondering what its story is!
He also wants to add filters before the Lift Pump so that we have more of a chance of not ever losing power on a hill again. It is not a job he is looking forward to, but its a job that must be done so that we can safely head south to New South Wales.
I never realised about the lack of power means lack of usage of our breaks, and I never want to be stuck on a hill again. Sure was an experience, and a journey that one day we can look back on and laugh about.
We actually held it together (both of us kept on smiling) while trying to get to the Sunshine Coast. We sure had a “new life on the road” experience!
Now we are going to explore new areas, and find new places to visit!
Let The Fun Begin!
Thanking you all so very much for your help, your hints and your tips – it made it so much easier to get back on the road.
Important Places that Helped ::
David Long Auto Repairs
Address :: 5 Arborten Road Glenwood QLD 4570
Phone :: (07) 5485 7204
Petrol Station Next To David Long Auto Repairs
(Tried to find their details on Google and I couldn’t?)
Couldn’t say Thanking you enough!
Cheers
Lisa
New Life on the Road.
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