In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:
Lots of it?! 
Too bad, I was kinda excited to see a trip report not a broken report when I saw the thread this am. No chance of DIY CL/Wrecking yard trans?
In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:
Lots of it?!
Too bad, I was kinda excited to see a trip report not a broken report when I saw the thread this am. No chance of DIY CL/Wrecking yard trans?
In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:
I say buy those Turboniq rocket boosters over in the open classifieds and shoot for plaid.
sent ya an email about a 4l80e in el paso.
I just looked at a map and realized where you are.
I was hoping you were a bit farther North- I have a good friend in Moab, Utah that may be of help, but that's no good.
I know it's not plausable, but check all the fuses, seriously. I had the tranny give up a couple of times on my long trip just from a blown fuse under the binnacle. sorry that you're dealing with this...
Here is a 4l80e in socorro
Sorry to everyone who was hoping for a trans swap nightmare, plan b is in effect. In short, we don't trust the thing enough at this point to think just a transmission will take it the rest of the way. Next up, we figure out how to camp out of a box truck!
We limped the RV to a friendly mechanics house, still TBD whether it will become his or get sold.
Well poop. Still looking forward to the long form write up.
Sorry to hear this. Yes the trans is fried. Probably sunshell and the clutches. You should be able to limp around in 1&2. I drove 120 miles in first and second, stupid i know, but it was cooked anyway. Trans was a 4160E in a GMT400 platform. Good luck.
What about a panel van vs. box truck? work better w/ the pets? would think the gas mileage is better, too..
Sucks, but at least you have a plan B and are moving again.
Quick update for anyone who was worried we might be having a bad time- you couldn't be more wrong! Big turbodiesel box truck is absolutely the right answer for the 10% grades in Colorado and Utah, we've got a tent set up in the back and just roll into the campsite, slide the door up, and hop in. We're enjoying ourselves more with this thing than we ever did when we had the RV. Thank you to everyone who tried to help with the transmission, things just happened to align such that it made more sense to leave it than fix it- sorry to anyone we disappointed with that decision.
Glad to hear the trip is a success!!!
Awesome!!
We're back! Some fun (approximate) stats:
Distance: ~6200 miles
Average speed including time stopped/sleeping/hiking: ~20 mph
Gallons of fuel burned: ~350 gasoline, ~380 diesel
Maximum altitude: ~13000 ft
Maximum depth below ground: ~900 ft
Time zone changes: 9
National parks: 9
It was incredible! I'll do a full write up and link it here after normal life has resumed, pictures have been sorted through, unpacking is done, and I have had time to collect my thoughts, probably starting in a week or so. Needless to say, we discovered early on that our natural pace is pretty much all the way at the Team Polizei end of the spectrum and therefore we tried to cover as much ground and visit as many places as possible rather than have to pick and choose. Here's a picture to hold you over:
Excellent!!
Welcome home!
That went by quickly!
In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:
Your cat looks ready to bungee jump!
Moar!
Welcome home! Oddly enough, I was passing through your area with my new parts car yesterday. Wasn't sure if you guys were home yet. Looking forward to the write up and reading all of the unplanned details.
It's funny how some cats travel well (I've seen pics of them sprawled asleep across the dash of RV's) and some are totally opposite, "Why is house moving??? We gonna DIE!!!"
I've started working on a recap thread in the adventure forum, I'm posting as I write so bear with me on the updates. I'm not sure whether I'll finish it today or not.
Ian F wrote: Welcome home! Oddly enough, I was passing through your area with my new parts car yesterday. Wasn't sure if you guys were home yet. Looking forward to the write up and reading all of the unplanned details. It's funny how some cats travel well (I've seen pics of them sprawled asleep across the dash of RV's) and some are totally opposite, "Why is house moving??? We gonna DIE!!!"
Oh gods, yes! I got to deal with both types, when I moved a friend from the Pacific Northwest to the Mid-Atlantic, in a Hyundai Santa Fe with a 8-month old mutt as observer. The black 'tuxedo' queen was as serene as could be about the experience, occasionally walking up to the driver's seat to check the scenery and accept a skritch or two. The orange tabby, on the other hand, I eventually named "The Eldritch Horror". Speed up, slow down, touch a rumble strip, got dark, got light, EVERYTHING was met with commentary ranging from muttering to outright shrieks. Climbing up from Ogden Utah through the Wasatch on I-84 was adrenaline-pumping, what with the jet-ski trailer on the back, anemic engine at altitude, semis all around me, and this marmalade-colored hellion screaming with every change of stage.
Nearly three thousand miles of this later, the tux has moved on to another household, as a gift to a grieving widow, but the brain-dead lump is still here. There is no justice when living with a cat lover.
Thread-jack over. Welcome home! Looking forward to the travelogue elsewhere! 
Looking back at your trans. issue we missed the right answer. Rent a uhaul, swap trannys and then return the van. It seems obvious now.
Thread resurrection..
How's the RV these days? I'm inheriting one of these from my folks - a '94 with a Cummins turbo diesel + Allison transmission. The transmission control board "burned out" (unsure of the actual point of failure, I've not inspected it directly) while the RV was in a mechanic's possession to fix fender damage after a high speed blowout... we've since found a replacement unit for $1000 or so. I'm planning on having it fixed in FL, flying there and driving back to TX with my aging father as a big road trip ordeal. Really curious how yours has treated you, any tips you might have for resto modding, towing, etc.
It is crazy to find another 30 year old with a 1994 Fleetwood Southwind, on GRM of all places.
In reply to Rex :
I have no idea, it has probably been parted out or is in Mexico or something- it was sold at the El Paso CoPart as a result of damage incurred during the trip!
My tips would be... don't listen to me. We bought ours cheap, fixed it somewhat, and had an incredible trip in part thanks to its' failure to continue functioning. I'm glad I did it once but am going to go custom built and much smaller next time I do the RV thing I think. The Fleetwood was always intended to be a one-trip vehicle.
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