Yesterday was a good down day, got the fuel filter changed, Miss Laurie did some laundry, used the oven to make some meatloaf, dumped the tanks, topped off the water, and just had a break from driving.

It’s Saturday morning and quite a bit warmer this morning and the forecast is for temperatures in the 70’s or 20’s with sun shine all day, so we are heading west, just to update the air filter did not get changed, the correct one that was to be in this morning, didn’t show up, something about a truck down. Said it was heading out of Tulsa this morning but I wanted to be on the road by 9am if possible, so I just got a refund, picked up another fuel filter and some Lucas diesel fuel conditioner. So back to Thunder and pack things away, put the old air filter back in place, add some of the conditioner, a quick bite of breakfast and we were on the road.

As we made our way to I-44 Thunder still has a little cough but much better than Thursday when we pulled in, as the fuel filter has made that much difference, I’m lead to believe that we just got some bad fuel. A fuel top up at the service centre on I-44 and just ease Thunder down the road, maintaining 60 to 65 mph, as we continue to roll, Thunder just keeps running better, pretty soon Miss Laurie has noticed we are running over the speed limit. Leaving Chandler and heading to Texas we are climbing continually from 850 feet at Chandler to about 2500 feet at the Texas State line and to 3500 feet by Amarillo TX. Well we have settled into a rest stop for the night, was another big day of driving, but the cold is driving us west. As we shut down just before 4pm the temperature is 75 or 22 degrees and clear sunny skies. Will be making a run into New Mexico tomorrow which should get us past the cold diving in from the north, now the cold will because of the elevation but sunny and 51 is much better than 28 for Monday’s high…just saying.

It’s cold this morning 28 or -2 degrees, we have been plugged into 50 amp service over night and had our space heater running, we have maintained a coach temperature of 62 or 16 degrees, not bad, the furnace has kicked on for the wet bay a few times overnight, and is on as I am writing this morning. It is about 5:30, the clocks have been adjusted, me not so much…and the radiators in the front of the coach have just turned on. We let’s talk about the drive yesterday 411 miles (661 kms), on the road at 9am and off at 5pm, much longer day than normal but we did stop for a half hour lunch break, we are at Oak Glen RV Park in Chandler OK, with full hookups for $28 US per night for 50 amp.

Thunder developed a cough or stutter yesterday as we were leaving Arkansas, I think it is a fuel issue and suspect fuel filters, so today will be locating filters and changing them out, so we extender our stay an extra night, to give me some time to repair Thunder, it’s still going to be cold here today 52 or 10 degrees and back near freezing tonight, then Saturday and Sunday look warmer before really cold hits over night on Sunday so we need to be back on the road tomorrow and into Texas then New Mexico on Sunday. I suspect fuel because it has developed quickly about half way through yesterday and has gotten worse as we progressed, almost to a limping condition by the time we made our destination, I suspect we picked up some dirty fuel on this trip so I will probably pick up extra fuel filters as it may reoccur as we travel, but I will report as we progress.

Well it’s noon and the fuel filter on Thunder has been changed, I have an air filter coming in today so I can change it as well, the air filter will be in by 2 pm so I will install the new air filter and then try out our repairs to see if we are ready to head to Texas in the morning and on to Albuquerque New Mexico on Sunday. That should get us west of that Siberian express that is rolling through the first of next week with highs of 30 or 0 degrees. Well the air filter was the wrong one so will be in Saturday morning, I took Thunder for a little drive and while not perfect is running better, so the issue is fuel. I will pick the correct air filter up in the morning and we will head down the road

Day 767