The Journey- the blessings

It's about 1500 miles from Houston to Las Vegas. And if you have ever flown or driven that way, you know that it's mostly barren wasteland in which a vehicle could break down with catastrophic results.

And, my 1988 Pace Arrow motorhome broke down not once, not twice, BUT three times along the way. And although each time could have left me stranded in the middle of nowhere, each time I was blessed!

The engine had been running sporadically good then bad from Houston to just outside San Antonio. After getting gas, I headed back onto IH-10 and it stalled, sputtered and coughed but I was able to keep it running after a little cajoling and praying.

First Breakdown

I pushed on through for about another hundred and fifty miles, sometimes going as slow as 20MPH up the steeper hills. Around midnight I pulled into a little town with a population of about 3000 to gas up.

After more cajoling and praying, I got it started again and headed onto the main street back to IH-10. The engine started coughing and sputtering. Before it died completely, I was able to coast into a little shopping strip mall and park. I went to sleep and when I awoke in the morning, I saw that I was in front of an auto parts store.

Inside the store, after I explained the symptoms, the owner suggested I go to his auto repair shop which was just a 2 blocks away!! The engine started immediately, but sputtered all the way to the shop.

The following afternoon, I was on my way. The mechanic had stated emphatically that the carburetor needed rebuilding. I had no choice but to agree and thought this was a good thing to do even if it wasn't the problem.