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Sunday, May 22, 2011

The worst 24 hours EVER!!! and we arrive at Padre Island National Seashore

Ok Time to vent....we have had the worst luck in the past 24 hours...time to get our air conditioning fixed. The part cost $550 so we were expecting about 3 hours for the labour. As it turns out when they took out the AC pump they discovered a piston shattered which took out the accumulator. 8 hours of labour later, $900 in parts and a $2000 bill we are nice and cool.  Lucky us...of course this all happened 5000 miles after the warranty expired!
During the AC fiasco, we were shuttled by Ford to The Alamo.  Then Ian lost his iPhone 4. He left it in the shuttle van and they of course can't find it.

We came home to confirm the time of tomorrows hockey game and the menu says it wasn't playing...we try to call Dish network but our majicjack isn't working so we spend a couple hours on web chat trying to figure out what is going on. Apparently Versus switches networks when racing is on and doesn't carry the games. Hockey is the only thing we watch on the satelitte! Supposidly we can get "Distant Networks" from Dish Network which allows us to get the local channels across the country, but it is a 14 day waiting period... provided you can get the form.  We try to arrange to get a form...but it's against policy to email it, and they can't figure out where we get it off of the net (4 different operators in 4 different departments cannot find it)... connection was lost and we gave up for the night.

In the morning we tried to call the number they gave us and our majicjack isn't registering on the computer  but will allow us to make a 30 minute free call so Ian calls them, talks to them and they still can't figure out how to get us a form...then 30 minutes is up and the phone dies... and we know nothing more then we did last night...ARGGG! During this both Sierra and Aayla stepped in an ant hill and were both bit numerous times by the ants which was a screaming fit for both of them...poor girls...those ants were nasty little biters!

We decide to just leave and drive and head out to Padre Island National Seashore. We stop and fill up the diesel and off we go...

But we are burning fuel like crazy...like literally twice as much as we were burning for all the driving we did so far. If it continues this way we will run out of money and not make it home, let alone continue the trip. We look at our bill from Ford and see they performed a recall on the Engine Control Module...we look out the window and see this

That white stuff is fuel spilling out our exhaust pipes...diesel fuel that isn't burnt, actual fuel being spit down the pipes...money litterally being thrown out the window. We have gone from 16 litres per 100 km's to 30 litres per 100 km's.  Turns out, the recalled software from Ford is not compatable with the aftermarket tuner on the truck.  We pulled over at Walmart and updated software.  Good to go.

Discouraged and grumpy we arrive at Padre Island National Seashore Entrance fees here are $10 per vechicle but that cost was covered by our America the Beautiful Pass. No cell service so no internet and no phone...we try to enjoy the beach.



Sierra chasing Sea gulls in the parking lot
You can camp for FREE on the beach if you continue past the Visitors Centre and hit the end of the paved road. The first 5 miles are supposed to be safe to drive but with the trailer on...no way right now, the beach conditions were not safe for that right now.


We headed North again, past the Visitors centre and shortly after there is Malaquite Campground on your left (After pulling in from the road there is a dump station on your right before you enter the campground).

Our site #36 with the beach behind us. Sites are $8 a night, no hook ups

Sierra enjoying the waves

Aayla wants to enjoy the waves but she is a bit timid.

Ian isn't impressed with the sea weed and the garbage all over the beach

LOVING the warm gulf water

Between the two shelters you can see our trailer parked as Aayla
 runs from the waves. Behind her are mounds of seaweed and garbage washed ashore.





Digging for baby colourful clams

The view from our campsite to the beach
As we settle for the night all we can do is hope that with tomorrows sun, a better day will come.

2 comments:

Sue and Doug said...

my goodness!!..that is quite the 24 hours you have had!!..we feel bad for the four of you!..hopefully as the sun comes up tomorrow it will be a much better day!!!..

Anonymous said...

Oh, man. These RV things are fun, but they can also be hella expensive.