The campsite was beautiful, though, large & shaded, at the top of a hill, with a view of the lake. As soon as I stepped out of the Bus, I could smell the hemlocks, I almost forgot that the engine had been vibrating all the way up, and the generator hadn't been charging since Old Forge.
The engine compartment was full of oil, too, but we MADE IT!
The camping was great, with a side trip to The Wild Center in Tupper Lake (Thanks to Scott & Patty for giving us a ride up there) and the usual socializing with our VW friends around the campfire.
A fellow club member (Hi Roger!) loaned us a charger so we could trickle the battery, and aside from that, we just reminded ourselves that Old Forge was within our AAA towing range, so on the way home, we just had to make it that far.
Camping weekends always end too soon, and on Sunday, we had to head back home, so we set out for our first goal, Old Forge.
We stopped at the Ace Hardware in Old Forge to get some sandpaper for a bit field machining on the commutator (which didn't help) and the old girl stalled out.
Now, this was a problem, since the excessive endplay that was making the engine vibrate was making it bind when hot, so the starter couldn't turn it over fast enough unless the engine sat & cooled for an hour or so. We'd already gotten one push start from a friendly stranger on the way up.
Yes, it's true, I ought to have my head examined. We REALLY should have taken the Dodge on this trip, instead.
As luck would have it, some of our camping buddies were across the street at the Old Forge Hardware Store, and they noticed our distress (OK, I was yelling & waving).
With a stout push from Dan, Michelle, & Robert, we were underway again, with our shaky, oily, & electrically challenged engine.
At this point, I made another fateful decision.
Calculating that we had just enough gas to get home, I resolved to stop for nothing.
After a grueling drive, we were getting off the Thruway, when the engine stopped dead, right in the EZ-Pass booth at Exit 34. The people behind us started honking & yelling in about 5 seconds, but another kind stranger helped us push our Bus to a spot where we could wait for the tow truck.
Smoke was pouring out of the engine compartment, & I feared the worst.
Our AAA driver, a really nice guy whose name my Swiss-cheese brain can't recall, put up with me fussing like a nervous father while he loaded our "baby" onto the flatbed.
Turns out, he knew the Bus because his wife parks in the same garage that I do.
Small world.
Once the Bus was off the flatbed, and we'd unloaded our camping stuff, giving the engine
time to cool, I tried turning it over, expecting to hear gruesome noises.It sounded normal enough, but wouldn't start.
Puzzled, I put some gas in the tank, and she fired right up! Clattered a bit, but ran.
It was then that I realized that we'd RUN OUT OF GAS 2.4 MILES FROM HOME !!
The smoke that I'd mistaken for a blown engine was oil getting slung out from behind the crankshaft pulley due to the excessive endplay & getting plastered all over the exhaust system, where it was burning off!
Sigh.
Live & learn.
I should have agreed to stop, get gas, push the Bus away from the pump, & eat lunch while the engine cooled so we could start it again.
Of course, I shouldn't have lost my head & decided to take the Bus camping in the first place!
At any rate, we were all home safely, so things worked out OK,
But, clearly, this engine had seen its LAST road trip!
