Does anyone know of a place to park a 55' RV/trailer near Folsom Street for Saturday night and Sunday (Folsom Street Fair) of the weekend of the 26th/27th?

(last year I had to parallel park it on Howard..... that was fun.....)

here's another pic for those who know him.....

Sad news for our faire friends....Steve Ratti, The Rat Man as many knew him, passed away yesterday from heart failure. He has been living with us for the past nine months, working faires with Dave and Liz in the crepe booth, and chasing beers, er...... bears, in Valhalla. (fingers slipped on that one, must have meant to be there ~sad smile~). Leah and I could use all the prayers and thoughts you have to spare.

Yes, if you didn't hear, we had QUITE the night last thursday (3/19) on our way to our first show (SCA March Crown in Woodland, CA)

100 miles into the trip, a wheel bearing seized up on the rear end of the motorhome.

Well, if you stop one tire of a drive line and the other keeps going you get pretty much ONE result:
The drive rod snapped inside the rear end housing. The end cap proceeded to spin loose and the two duelly rear left tires still bolted together on the brake drum decided to go their own way with the axle rod still attached.

As the rear of the RV then slammed to the ground in a brilliant midnight display of sparks bringing a July 4th show a little too early for northern Californians, we carved our mark down the I-5 for about 200+ feet across both lanes and onto the shoulder using what was left of the axle hub.

As I begin to try to gain control and pull off to the side, the tires and axle rod - looking like an old fashioned tether pole thrown from a class 7 tornado - proceeds to pass us. But not before slamming into the FRONT tire, whipping it around and driving the rod right through the side of the RV about a foot from my leg. (ya, that's gonna take a bit of Bondo......)

Luckily, the tires then found their way off the road into a ditch as to not be a hazard to others.

After attempting to sleep the night on a highway downgrade with a weigh station at the bottom and every trucker riding his jake as they went past, the next morning we and the local towing company had to find a way to move the combined length of a 55' Frying Dutchman and trailer to a repair shop.

One tow truck took the trailer - easy.

but, how do you move an RV whose ass is on the pavement? oh, it was fun.....

Luckily, I have a custom hitch that is so well built (reinforced with 5" I-beams all the way up the rig to the main frame), they were able to lift the entire back of the RV by the hitch bar. But, we're facing down the road and the tow truck is facing up hill against the highway traffic!

No room to turn around. So, the tow truck had to back all the way down the hill whilst I steered the RV to the weigh station where there was enough room to turn around and tow it forward.


....this is called fun.


Now we're on the grand search for a new rear end which will likely cost a very large hunk of cash - so much for making a little extra at our first show....

Hoping we can make it to Tulare next month.... if there's any money left for gas and booth fees......

Thank you all for your thoughts. Leah and I are fine, the Frying Dutchman will live to fight another day.......

~Robert
(and his faithful sidekick Leah who has more loyalty than brains)


********UPDATE************

GOT THE AXLE REDONE........ IT LASTED.......... 500 MILES......................


********UPDATE************



(letter now sent to the CA Bureau of Automotive)


I'll try to keep this a brief as possible - though some details are important.....

Have a 30' RV broke down outside Weed/Mt Shasta CA on 3/20/09.

Rear axle lost an oil seal and the wheel bearing burned up and disintegrated on the freeway.

Axle housing had to be replaced and new bearings installed.

Skinner Truck Repair of Mt Shasta said the cheapest they could find a used one was $950 (just for a core axle).

Found a used one in my home town of Medford, OR for $250.

Took it to a local axle specialist - Buddy's Axle and Driveline, White City OR - who rebuilt the differential and spindle and bearings - $500.

Took it to a second shop - Sam Jennings, Medford OR - to have the new wheel bearings installed, brakes, seals - everything redone like new - almost $900.

Once the axle was finished, took it back down to Skinner's Truck to have installed and told them to be sure they put gear oil in it as the brake shop did not. They assured me they always fill them after they are installed.

3 days later, they call me and tell me the RV is done.

When I picked it up 4/23/09, I asked them repeatedly if they put new gear oil in it and they assured me (more than once) they had - paid them by check $684.

Drove the RV directly from Weed to Tulare for a trade show that weekend - about 450 miles. That Monday, I get about 30 miles up the highway and the axle disintegrates again. It didn't even make it 500 miles. There was NO sign of oil in the axle and the bearing ends were completely dry. Took pictures on the side of the highway showing clearly the axle bearings and ends were bare dry metal. BOTH tow truck drivers agreed there was no oil to be found (usually when an axle breaks, it pukes gear oil all over the highway!).

I call all 3 shops. Skinner's says they "put oil in it". Buddy's Axle says it wasn't really anything they worked on as they only did the differential gears, but would be happy to help repair it again. Sam Jennings tells me not to repair it in Fresno but they'll have it towed back to Medford to find out EXACTLY what happened and see who's at fault.

Upon getting the RV back to Medford to the mechanics of Sam Jennings: Mark, the owner of Skinner's drove up to see the axle. Buddy came into Medford to see the axle. They ALL agreed there was SOME oil in it - but not NEARLY enough as it should have had.

Buddy volunteered to rebuild the axle for free. Sam Jennings Brake agreed to make all the other needed repairs and transfer all the brake and bearing parts needed to restore it as it was.

BUT Skinner's Truck did nothing! After a week, I placed a stop-payment on the $684 check to Skinner's when it was obvious they were not going to take responsibility.

Now both the other shops have put in labor, parts, and time to repair an axle that broke down as no fault of their own at NO CHARGE. Sam Jennings had to front the tow bill of almost $2000.

Sam Jennings now refuses to release the RV until they are reimbursed the $2000 tow bill but Skinner's Truck refuses to pay. In fact, the last time one of Sam Jennings mechanics tried to call them, they told him to F***-off and hung up.

I have accrued more costs (hotel, food, etc), loss of wages, loss of work/time/business because of Skinner's error easily exceeding the $684 for their original work.

Had I had the repairs redone in FRESNO where it broke down, the bill might have EASILY exceeded $4000-5000+ which Skinner's would be liable for. Not to mention, when a rear wheel bearing separates, often the tires/axle break off onto the freeway causing a SERIOUS hazard to other motorists (this happened the FIRST time it broke - my real dually wheels PASSED me on the freeway!!)

To only require that Skinner's pay for the TOWING ONLY seems to be a perfectly reasonable demand - in fact they're getting off REAL CHEAP!!

All we are asking is they cover the towing expense, but they are stonewalling.

I do NOT want this to go to the extent of legal action. I just want my RV - being a traveling tradeshow vendor, my livelihood depends on it.

The little red hen liked bread and so did all her neighbors.

So, she got an idea......

She called all of her Democrat neighbors together and said, 'If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?'

'Not I,' said the cow.
'Not I,' said the duck.
'Not I,' said the pig.
'Not I,' said the goose.



'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did. The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.




'Who will help me reap my wheat?' asked the little red hen.

'Not I,' said the duck..
'Out of my classification,' said the pig.
'I'd lose my seniority,' said the cow.
'I'd lose my unemployment compensation,' said the goose.

'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did.



At last it came time to bake the bread.

'Who will help me bake the bread?' asked the little red hen.

'That would be overtime for me,' said the cow.
'I'd lose my welfare benefits,' said the duck.
'I'm a dropout and never learned how,' said the pig.
'If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination,' said the goose.

'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen.



She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, 'No, I shall eat all five loaves.'


'Excess profits!' cried the cow. (Nancy Pelosi)
'Capitalist leech!' screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer)
'I demand equal rights!' yelled the goose. (Jesse Jackson)
The pig just grunted in disdain. (Ted Kennedy)


And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.


Then Farmer Obama came. He said to the little red hen, 'You must not be so greedy.'



'But I EARNED the bread!' said the little red hen.


'Exactly,' said Farmer Barack. 'That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle.'


And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, 'I am grateful, for now I truly understand.'


But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the 'party' and got her bread free. And all the Democrats smiled. 'Fairness' had been established.


Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared...so long as there was free bread that 'the rich' were paying for.



=================

EPILOGUE


Bill Clinton is getting $12 million for his memoirs.


Hillary got $8 million for hers.


That's $20 million for the memories from two people, who for eight years, repeatedly testified, under oath, that they couldn't remember anything.


IS THIS A GREAT BARNYARD OR WHAT?

HEY, ALL YOU RENNIES!!!

Have YOU been reading the on-going saga?


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