The QRZ Summer Tour - Day 1

One of the nice things about being self employed is that you decide your own timetable.  In our case this has been a lifesaver since our schedule was wrecked within 2 hours of leaving the house.

Before I write anything else, I'll take this opportunity to introduce Robin Lloyd, my wife and traveling companion in life.  Since I normally work from home, Robin and I typically spend a lot of time together and are seldom apart.  This has made it easier to spend even more time together within the confines of the motor home.  So, when I refer to we in this context, I'm talking about me and Robin and/or QRZ, which for all intents and purposes, are the same thing.

The Zed in Road Configuration, towing our  Jeep Wrangler

Our first stop was to be Chevalis, in Washington State, which seemed like a good shakedown destination for a first trip in an unfamiliar vehicle and home.  The route was to take us north, to Flagstaff, Arizona, and then if time permitted, northwest to Chevalis.   Well, as it turns out, time did not permit it because by the time we reached Flagstaff, the coach has lost both its fifth and sixth gears.  No mater what I did, the transmission would not shift beyond 4th gear.  We spent the night in Flagstaff to regroup by Sunday had decided to drive the bus to Las Vegas where we would have it looked at. 

Our Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine.  12.7 liters, 470 hp.

To make a long story short, the transmission received a clean bill of health from the Detroit/Allison repair shop.  It was OK.  The problem was caused by my faulty driving technique when I let the gearbox temperatures get too hot.   Lesson learned.  The transmission temperature gauge on the dash has a purpose and it's my job as the driver to monitor it when using the transmission brake so that it doesn't overheat.  $700 later and 3 days behind schedule, I was again on the road but now this time to Glacier National Park in Montana to attend the 76th annual Glacier-Waterton hamfest.