June 16

June 16, 2007

More Problems, More Help

So far on this trip we have had a mechanical problem every day. It has changed our plans, slowed us down, but it hasn’t stopped us yet. Today the issue was tires. Low tire pressure caused our dear Helen to lean to one side. Her tired haunch made us worry about driving conditions.
This morning we measured pressure in each of the tires and filled them back to where they used to be. The guy at the Goodyear Tire finished up and wished us good luck. After making a five-point turn out of the shop we made our way back on the road.
Standing upright once again, Helen lugged along, determined to get out of Missouri.
We reached the border under a cloudy, late afternoon sky. We needed two pictures; one by the “Welcome to Kansas” sign, and the other in front of the “Welcome to Missouri” Sign. We missed the Missouri sign on our way in. Crossing the highway, and border on foot we quickly posed for a mock “entering Missouri” pose.
It was when we were walking back from taking these two pictures that the next problem presented itself. About to climb in the side door we were blasted with air pouring out of our rear inside tire. The tube inside the rubber had popped. Like a big long sigh through her rear inside tire, she returned to her tired lean. Thankful that we weren’t on the road when it popped, we looked around for ways to fix it.
The two $10.00 Aldi’s car jacks were seeing sunlight for only the second time in five days. Remember the last time was when they fell out on the road. We needed blocks to set the jacks on so that they could reach the Bago. Ian and I walked up a dirt drive to ask our new neighbors if they had anything that could help us. We caught the first guy we saw outside in his front lawn. Sean Smith was his name, and he also was not wearing a shirt. There were some large wooden beams in his lawn that he helped us haul down the hill to where the other guys waited. Needing some leverage to turn the tire iron, we raided an abandoned truck bed for iron tubes to place over the handles.
Removing the spare wheel off the back gate, we noticed how little air was in our one and only reserve. We needed to get it to an air compresser and fill it up. That’s when our next friend showed up in his white pick-up, also not wearing a shirt. “Need a little help?” His name was Ron Kreg, a Kansas resident heading into town, kind enough to lend a hand. Ian and Luke jumped in the truck with our spare to fill it with air. The remainder of us stood around, shirts still off, listening to Sean’s life story. It wasn’t long and he headed back up to his house, telling us we could keep the giant wooden beams from his front lawn if we needed them. We declined the offer, knowing there wasn’t any room for any unessential items inside the Winnebago.
Ian, Luke, and Ron returned with a tire full of air. We threw it on where the old tire failed us. Sean came back down the hill, this time with his brother Dustin. They both had more stories to share with us, as Dan and Micah strained under the weight of the back dual tires. When it was done, it began to rain. There stood nine men, not a single shirt, getting soaked in the rain, nodding in approval of a job well done. We exchanged some information and got out the rain. We gave them the website URL and told our new friends to check up on us when they had the chance. If you guys are reading this, Thanks, we needed you that day, we’ll keep you updated.
It was on the road that night that we got a phone call giving us the bad news from back home. When we found out about Kyle’s car accident, the inside of the Winnebago got real quiet and serious. We knew him through football, mutual friends, school, and family. A few of us had talked to him just before we left on the trip. The weather fits the mood here. It’s been raining off and on all day. I hope that back home, our friends are doing okay. We’re praying for everyone involved and effected.
Another Wal-Mart tonight. Tires aren’t looking so good from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Any more problems will have to wait for tomorrow.

Winnebago Guys,
Tulsa, Oklahoma
1,039 miles from home