Quick…Call AAA …..we are not in Kansas anymore…!!!

The next destination on our journey is Colorado Springs…..our first time in Colorado…checking off our 28th of the 50 states in the US.

Colorado Springs, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain range is at an elevation of just over 6,000 feet above sea level…..so the road represented a significant climb pulling the trailer. We thought it sensible to have an oil change done on the truck before heading out the next day (yes we had one done before we started our journey…and yes we had put on significant mileage to date)

I totally believe the online forums telling us that the I-70 west across Colorado is a terrible road…..so we planned on taking the 40 across. Less busy and reportedly a better road surface.

Campsite in Colorado Springs was booked…..oil change on Saturday…tank full of gas, hooked up and ready to go on Sunday morning, 231 miles…google time 3hr 45 min drive…..

Uneventful drive …..’til about halfway. My ever vigilant driver asked me to look in the mirrors and see if I think there is smoke coming off the truck wheels…or is it just dust….(it was hot, 36degrees C…97F….a dry and windy day so it could have been dust…!!!)

There’s no point in taking risks…we decided to pull over and double check…..

Nope…it was indeed smoke…….the truck proceeded to vomit most of its oil onto the tarmac…….not a good look.

So now we were at the end of a double lane/overtaking section of a mostly single lane highway with lots and lots of truck traffic (you know the bit where everyone jostles for pole position before dropping back to one lane…!!!)……and not only stationary….but not going anywhere under our own power……fun….!!!

AAA…thankfully we have premium service that covers both the truck and the trailer in both US and Canada. The problem is…trying to explain to the person on the phone (remember we are now in the middle of absolutely nowhere in Colorado….to describe the cell service as spotty would be highly optomistic)….find the highest point of ground….turn in circles ’til you have a bar….and hold the phone as high as you can while still being able to hear (as giant transport trucks rip past…buffeting you as they pass)

It took the first two hours (while we were standing outside the trailer for fear of being crushed by the transport trucks jockeying for their positions as the road narrowed….in 36 degrees C…no shade) for the AAA peeps to actually figure out where we were (yes we sent a pin…yes we were EXACTLY one mile from a T-junction).

This good samaritan stopped to chat….he said he already knew he couldn’t help…but just stopped to make sure we were OK……

Many thanks to him….we really appreciated him stopping…..

Strangely just after we stopped….within 10 minutes we had two phone calls from good friends who rarely call….but just wanted to check in……sometimes people are just tuned in, no rhyme or reason. It helped, we were not alone.

Eventually the tow truck arrived…….no long train like the last time with Matt from Hoooked-on-u in Montana.…..but this time the truck on the flatbed …the trailer hooked on the back.

On a day full of ironies…our AAA coverage covers 100 miles of towing for the trailer……the KOA in Colorado Springs….our destination…..98 miles…!!!!

Brandon…our saviour and tow truck driver was beyond awesome…….he quickly spotted the oil plug hanging by its last thread..

……and he reseated it so we would not lose it……

Then loaded us up, and hooked up the train…

We are hoping that being towed by AAA is NOT becoming an annual event….LOL….but here we go…

And by the way….I dread to think just how bad the I-70 road surface is….b’cos the 40 was……….well it was rough…..!!!!

Brandon also went above and beyond by stopping along the route at an Autozone store…so we could pick up replacement oil….in the hopes that we had been quick enough stopping to not incur engine damage…..

We arrived at the Colorado Springs KOA campground on the back of a tow truck….must’ve been a sight for the people there….mind you I’m sure they have seen the likes before.

Brandon drove the trailer through the campsite and got us set up (AC on and fluffball in the trailer to cool down) and helped us pour the replacement oil into the poor truck before taking it off the flatbed. Of the 8 litre capacity…only five were needed to fill….so all indications were that the engine was safe. The truck started no problem before we took it off…..and having gone above and beyond, Brandon went on his way.

If you have ever been to a KOA..(Kampgrounds of America) when you check in they have a guy in a golf cart that leads you to your site to get you set up. On this day it was Percy…..Percy was marvelous….and very sympathetic to the bedraggled state we arrived in…….he left us by instructing us to , once we had everything sorted out, come over to the food concession…and our supper was on him.

I’m sorry I did not get a picture of him, he was a ray of welcome sunshine……it had been a day….!!!!

Next day was a trip to a AAA auto shop in the city to have the truck checked over to be absolutely sure it was OK. We have, you will not be surprised to hear, been towed to a AAA shop before and been reassured by the goodness of humanity.

I cant say enough good things about Academy Car Care ..a AAA certified auto shop. They checked the truck over thoroughly….and also washed/degreased the whole underside where the oil had been dripping on the exhaust and burning…..!!!.

They also took the oil out, put a new washer in the oil plug and put our oil back in. They were sympathetic, friendly and courteous, took us in straight away…..and did not charge us a dime for their service.

Bullet dodged…..

Faith in humanity fully reaffirmed….!!