Route 66, 64 Impala, Endura.......Tow Truck .......Priceless

July 14, 2008, 02:09:07 am

Well it started like any other road trip. Load food, clothes, Mutts
and car trailer. Ok, not always car trailer, but this trip was going
to be different. We would be bringing in our latest addition to the
Family, a 64 Chevy Impala project car.

We figured leave California on Friday, travel to Oklahoma and be back
on Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week.

Things were really uneventful for the first few days. The coach ran
well fuel mileage was respectful at 9.7-10.0 MPG. I really like the
mileage this thing get for the weight we carry with car trailer (empty).
I was going to rent a trailer in Ok, but after being told it would be
$500.00 for a weeks rental....PASS

I just borrowed a trailer....cheaper, well somewhat. more on this later!

So, as I stated the first few days, uneventful.....

Let's start with the 64, This was a FIND. The car is very straight and
has new front and rear suspension. All of the chrome seems to be there
including door panels and original seats. All things mentioned will
need to restored of course, but at least i wont have to search ebay
for anything anytime soon.

Let the adventure begin....

Oklahoma Ants:

While getting the car i was introduced to "huge" Oklahoma fire ants, I
stepped one and it just stood on it's hind legs. When you get bit by
one of these you really feel it, not only at the time of the bite but
well after as well. I finally been to a town that time forgot, it was
nice to see when things ran on a simpler time and very nice and
respectful people.

KOA:

I have yet to have a good experience with these folks. They never seem
to have enough pull thru sites or vacancies. I'm sure some of you
have, but i have not.

Big Tom's (Amarillo, Tx)

This has become my and my wife's best place to get a steak anytime we
travel on the I40. We plan our trips around their hours of operation....

McLean, Tx (Route 66)

This is another town that time forgot, great little gas station for
phillip 66 of yesteryear.(see pics)

Route 66 Casino:

This was a "find", we always pass this up on our trips. We stopped in
only because of refueling in Albuquerque, NM. They have good RV
parking, but be prepared to back your rig in or park nose first. I
parked in the Valet parking by accident. I'm glad i did due to the
fact the rock group of the 80's Poison was playing. Parking was a
mess. When we woke up there was another Endura parked behind us. We
left before I was able to speak with the owner to see if he/she was a
member of this site.

We had dinner inside casino, they had a Surf and Turf for $12.99. I
would bet this would cost $30.00 in any other restaurant. Plus, it was
a good quality steak and crab legs (1lb)

Gateway Canyon RV Park (Williams, AZ):

Great place and very pleasant people. I was asked a lot of questions
of the 64 in tow. One of the older gentleman was taken back to his
youth after seeing the car. This car is a conversation starter. This
RV park has great views, close to town for breakfast. They even give
you a .30 cent discount on gas at the Chevron Station outside the park
should you need fuel after a good nights rest.

Seligman, AZ:

9:00AM

Well this is where the "fun" begins. We had a great evening and
excellent breakfast. I was in the middle of climbing a hill, when the
transmission downshifted the clutch fan disintegrated and took out the
fan shroud both lower and upper and the radiator and a belt.

ATT cell no service, they don't always have "Bars"

9:30AM

Stop AHP (Arizona Highway Patrol) to have him called a tow truck. He
offers to let me use his cell phone to call AAA, he also has limited
service. So, i'm placed in the back seat of the troopers car looking
like i'm being arrested....nice

We travel about a mile and make the necessary calls to AAA. AAA states
that someone will be there in about 2hrs. I clearly state to the agent
that we are broken down at MILE MARKER 113 on I40 West Bound.

11:30AM

AAA tow service calls (i have found the only place on the couch that
the cell works, but cannot be moved at all...period) they are $200.00
an hour and are getting to leave Kingman AZ. AAA will only pay a TOTAL
of $200.00 for towing of the coach. Kingman is roughly a couple of
hours from where we are, so i made the call to cancel this particular
tow. The nearest MDT service is Las Vegas, roughly 4hrs from our
location. I was looking at a $1000.00-$1200.00.

12:30PM

Contact Gulfstream to see if they can be of any help. I had my issues
with them in the past, but today I'm in need. To my surprise they
connect me with Coachnet. Coachnet was very professional and seemed to
expedited the tow truck. This was without it's challenges, Gulfstream
had originally given out the wrong cell number to Coachnet, coachnet
did not send out the tow truck because they could not confirm the size
of the coach i was driving. I'm not sure how they could not, since
Gulfstrean has a profile of the coach we purchased, but it seemed it
could not be provide to Coachnet.

Let Coachnet know that im in a Kodiak C5500 (they have no idea of what
that means, they tell tow service coach is a Class A with rear engine
gas, I dont even know if a rear gas Class A exists)

1:30PM

I'm called by tow service, they will not send out tow truck until the
size of the coach is verified. I explain to the lady on the phone
again what i'm driving (she still does not understand).

2:00PM

Tow truck driver calls to confirm size of coach. I tell him Kodiak
C5500, he knows exactly what it is. Tells me he will be there in a
couple of hours.

4:00

We get connected and are on the way. Tow truck is hot, limited A/C,
dogs are left in coach.

7:30 Henderson Chevrolet declines to work on medium duty truck. I
might be over thinking this, but i would think Chevrolet would know
who has the ability to work on it's product line.

8:00PM

We are towed to Fairway Chev in Las Vegas. Great people!! We get
disconnected and start to cool coach with a/c's. It is still over
100deg, the generator is shutting off every 10min. not a good scene.
Wife is hot figuratively and physically and so are the mutts and
myself. I ran all the available water hoses to get water to the coach,
we had to take showers to keep cool.

My old neighbor which now lives in Vegas brings food and water for us,
i hope to return his generosity in the near future.

shut everything off just to keep one a/c going on low setting, high
setting would cause to shut off generator.

I still need to get to work, so I have my neighbor break into my house
to get extra key for my truck at home to have a close friend of the
family come get the car, mutts and us.

Thursday:

Informed that coach will be ready Friday......

Friday:

Back to Vegas, stay at Sam's RV park.

Saturday:

Back Home with out problems.....
Time to look for a new Roadside Service, AAA has lost my business.

Sorry for the long winded note........Picture posted

Re: Route 66, 64 Impala, Endura.......Tow Truck .......Priceless

Reply #1 – July 14, 2008, 07:08:05 am

Yahoo Message Number: 1399

Great report.
Coachnet would be my choice. AAA does not cover all the USA with RV
coverage.
Is the fan blade problem common?

Re: Route 66, 64 Impala, Endura.......Tow Truck .......Priceless

Reply #2 – July 14, 2008, 03:16:27 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 1403

I'm not aware of it being a common problem