MAY 12, 21 .. 8 DAYS plus 13 HOURS .. WE NOW HAVE OUR TRUCK BACK ..
Patti and I arrived back in Anchorage (from Arizona and the Mayo Clinic) at 12 o’clock midnight Monday the 3rd of May.
On Tuesday the 4th of May, when I went to pick our truck up, it would not start after being stored for two months (this is no big deal, I’ve stored vehicles for over one year from time to time with no problems) so I had it towed to our service shop, one we have been using for some twenty seven (27) years, because there was no gasoline in the gas tank due to a leak in the tank.
And?
We were engulfed in The Perfect Storm. In Alaska many people use studded tires during the winter. Alaska State Law ( It is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle with studded tires on a paved highway or road from April 15th through September 30th ) requires owners of vehicles using studded tires to have them removed by mid-April.
https://dps.alaska.gov/AST/PIO/PressReleases/2021-Studded-Tire-Deadline-Extended
Having been out of state and down in Arizona from March 9th until May 3rd I did not know that the deadline had been extended.
So on Tuesday May the 4th I did not know that my repair shop had been inundated with customers having their tires changed-out from studded to non studded tires. This is a big project since service facilities may store the regular tires when they install the studded tires.
So all of these customers (rightfully so I must say) came before me (especially when our truck just showed up on a tow truck with NO appointment and NO advanced notice) in terms of service.
When I called our repair shop on Wednesday the 5th telling them our story I was told that they had 20 customers in their lobby awaiting tire change-overs.
Bottom line : They did not ‘get to’ our truck until the past Monday the 10th. Then to make matters worse, when they called me Monday they told me they did not have the locking gas cap key which they needed to remove and inspect the gas tank (they did say they could remove the gas cap by destroying it or could I get them my key). I was able to have a great neighbor drive me down with the gas cap key.
Yesterday (in the very late afternoon) our truck was ready (they had to replace the gas tank) but I could not get down to get it.
Today (Wednesday the 12th of May) I picked it up at 1pm.
Had there not been a deluge of tire-change customers, we would have had our truck back last Thursday.
I only report this because several of you have been asking about its status.
No wheels for 8 and a half days is an adventure believe me, especially when we had been away for two months. Luckily I rode my bicycle to Costco three days to get some vital food and other items as well as to our local Walmart Store.
All in all, what with the trips to Costco and Walmart and the Post Office on my bicycle, we did just fine.
Smiles and Hugs from Patti and me ..