exhaustedThere are three problems with the vehicle:
- Brakes. At first we thought this was just a broken sensor on the parking brake, but while that sensor is indeed broken, the slowly fading brakes have convinced me that there is a broader problem, and Cory (whose specialty is brakes/wheels, but is also a good general mechanic) will do a complete service.
- Fuel Tank. There's no problem on fuel usage on the forward (15 gallon) fuel tank, but the rear (20 gallon) tank burns off at twice the normal pace. There is no obvious leak when not moving at speed. Our initial suspicion is a problem in the fuel feed from the rear tank to the fuel transfer valve. Cory will investigate and fix it if he can.
- Springs. The rear springs sag, and in particular the vehicle lists to the right a bit. Cory will replace the rear springs, which should level the vehicle.
My mechanic will have the RV for two weeks. Two weeks from Sunday, I intend to take the train down from Reno to Emeryville to Fremont, where I can walk to his shop and collect the vehicle. I can then come back the next day, pay him for the work, and collect the spare keys I left with him. The longer-term plan is for Lisa to come down again two weeks after that, leave the minivan with Cory for some other work we want him to do, and then have her and me return home in the Rolling Stone. Then a week after that, we'll reverse the process to get the Astro home with Lisa.
With the RV safely stored, we headed over to the Holiday Inn Express Union City. I apologize for us not coming to BayCon even for a single evening, but I am utterly knackered after the hours I've been working, and Lisa isn't that steady either. We ordered out pizza and are taking advantage of a good hotel room where I hope to get a lot of sleep tonight before we head home tomorrow.