On the first day of our RV trip to Texas, Tom and I drove from our home in Colorado to the Gears RV Park just north of the New Mexico border. Our trip was off to a great start... for the first 60 miles.
Highlights
Tom and I were excited to finally hit the road again and we were especially looking forward to caravanning with our friends, Dennis and Wendy. We agreed to head out Thursday afternoon with the intent of crossing the Texas border before an impending snowstorm hit Colorado and New Mexico. We all pulled out of Woodland Park at 2pm... right on schedule. After filling our fuel tanks in nearby Manitou Springs, we were ready to put as many miles behind us as possible. We hoped to reach Dalhart, Texas before stopping for the night.
The distance from Woodland Park, Colorado to Dalhart Texas is just under 300 miles. Assuming good weather and minimal stops, the drive should only take about 5 hours. Oh, and of course that also assumes reliable vehicles.... bad assumption!
Challenges
Soon after passing through Pueblo, Colorado, about 60 miles into our 1,200 mile drive to South Padre Island, our truck indicated a problem with the Diesel Exhaust system. We pulled off at a rest area in nearby Colorado City so Aly and I could stretch while Tom checked our DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid). Tom had filled the DEF just before we left home and he couldn't see anything obvious wrong with it.
We waved at Dennis and Wendy as they passed us on Interstate 25. We had been driving faster than them and figured we'd catch up again soon. But, after pulling back onto I-25, our DEF indicator began counting down miles toward the Dreaded Limp Mode. If you clicked on that Dreaded Limp Mode link, you might think that's a picture of Tom in the article. It sure looks like him! And, that guy has a similar truck and camper. Nope, he's just one of the many other diesel truck owners struggling with DEF problems. In fact, we had the same problem on our way to South Padre Island last year. We were stranded in Fort Stockton, Texas for a weekend that turned into an entire week. At that time we had less than 3000 miles on our brand new truck. It was our first experience with DEF problems and Limp Mode.
Learning from our previous experience, we found the nearest RAM Dealer. It was 50 miles ahead of us in Trinidad, Colorado. Fortunately our truck still had over 100 miles before entering Limp Mode. I called the RAM dealer but it was late Thursday afternoon and they were closing soon. The service department didn't have any openings until the following week but they agreed to try and look at our truck if we brought it in first thing Friday morning. Deja vu! Last year we pulled into Fort Stockton late on a Thursday afternoon... January 26. This year Thursday is January 25. Last year we were stranded an entire week after a storm rolled in. Let's hope history doesn't repeat!
Anyone that spends as much time on the road as we do, knows that "car trouble" is inevitable. We do what we can to reduce the potential of car trouble... like buying a brand new truck. Ironically, "new" is at the root of our car troubles with all the exhaust requirements and high-tech sensors. Regardless of our vehicle troubles, we are grateful to have a cozy home with all our stuff, while stranded.
Home Sweet Home
Knowing we would be stranded near Trinidad for at least one night, Tom and I unloaded our home at the Gears RV Park, 17 miles north of Trinidad, and settled in for the night.
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