After getting initiated to vanlife with a short trip just over an hour from Montreal, we were ready to explore a little further! However, our second little trip did not go as planned. Vanlife is unpredictable and sometimes the adventure gets more spicy! A camping named "Le Rescapé" was waiting for our arrival in an isolated forest in Beauce, near Saint-Benjamin. We planned to visit the Miller Zoo, do some hiking in the area and try a microbrewery in Frampton. There was enough food and water in the bus to survive for 4 days. A good part of the itinerary was already done and the farther we got from the city, the more beautiful the landscapes became! On the other hand, the road conditions were getting worse. Beauce is impressive with its large hills, its beautiful forests and steep slopes! Sometimes we wondered if our old machine was going to be able to climb the slopes and brake enough on the descents.
Blue Bird reacts well to these roads with his powerful engine but the biggest problems are the unpredictable bumps and holes. We had to reduce our speed so much that sometimes we were driving at 50km/h in a 90 zone! We came to a scary hill that absolutely had to be climbed and we were a bit worried. I pressed hard on the accelerator to get enough momentum and crossed my fingers! The bus climbs the mountain without any problem but when we reached the top, we hit a massive big bump at full speed! We heard a disturbing noise on the left side of the bus and we stopped briefly for a quick check. All 4 tires were OK and nothing was leaking underneath the vehicle. Righ before we got back on the road, my girlfriend noticed there was something wrong with the front wheel on the driver's side. The dust cap on the bearing was gone. We lost this important part during the day but there was something worse. The bearing had accumulated dust and some of the balls were cracked in half. The rest of the bearing was in good condition but I knew it wouldn't last very long. Normally, this part doesn't break on a truck, it is solid and resistant. We had 30 more minutes to go and I made a bad decision. We got back on the road. I really didn't want to cancel our trip and spend the night in a gas station's parking lot! It was a Sunday night during the construction vacations and all the garages in the area were closed at that moment. To get to our destination, we had to drive on a small gravel road. The sun was setting and it was getting darker and darker. The last kilometer was stressful because the campground's entrance was not well indicated on the GPS and there was no cell phone reception!
We managed to find the place and park the bus successfully without losing the wheel on the way! We could now relax, prepare something to eat and enjoy the nature around us. The forest was very dark and there was no light around us. Quiet and calm! I went to take a look at the bearing and you could tell it didn't enjoy the last few kilometers. The part looked like oatmeal and the grease had gotten all over the wheel! It was very worrying and we shouldn't ride anymore. We enjoyed the campsite, it was very peaceful. Well isolated in the forest, we were able to relax and prepare ourselves for the rest of the trip which was uncertain. On the second night, we grilled sausages directly on the campfire and we needed a lot of wood to keep warm. It was a chilly night, around 9°C. We were lucky to have big blankets in the van!
Before leaving, I spent a few hours on the phone trying to find a garage in the area that could accommodate us. Most of the garages had no availability and the others were on vacation. I finally found a place south of Lévis that could help us. It was about an hour away and unfortunately we had to get towed to avoid taking more risks. Our insurance company sent someone and an hour later we were ready to leave. The towing guy was concerned about the height of the bus once mounted on its huge vehicle. Because of the small chimney on the roof of the bus, we reached the height limit to get under the overpasses! The tow truck driver reassured us that everything was going to be fine and we left for Lévis. The driver was very welcoming and we exchanged a few stories during the trip. The people of the region are very nice and always ready to help us. Once we arrived at the garage, we thought we would be able to get back on the road quickly. Change the damaged bearing, get some grease, new dust cap and back to live the adventure!
Unfortunately, the problem was much more serious than that. Because of the friction, the bearing had melted and welded to the steering knuckle. This essential part called "the steering knuckle" is the axle that holds the wheel in rotation. Its role is to maintain the wheel in place. The end of the part was too damaged and the wheel could be lost. The mechanics were not able to repair it so a new one had to be ordered. Finding a part like that for a 23 year old vehicle that is no longer on the market is quite a challenge! The mechanic was able to place an order and the delivery was supposed to be on the next day. He generously offered us a quiet parking spot to spend the night, he provided us with water to fill our tank and we had access to the bathroom in his garage! What a hospitality! A big thank you to Mathieu from the garage Hallé et fils in Lévis who answered all our requests and repaired our bus as quickly as possible. We were not very happy to sleep in a parking lot but we managed to enjoy our evening by watching TV shows on the tablet.
The garage is located on route 175 along the Chaudière River. Not far away, there is a small grocery store and the Fougères park right in front of the water. It is the perfect spot to break down, we were lucky in our misfortune. The next day we had a picnic in the park. The river was almost empty at that time and we were able to walk on the rocks. The place was peaceful but we were still nervous about the part which was not arriving. The work day was almost over and the mechanic informed us the part had been lost during delivery. It was a cheap recycled pary that came from a scrap yard and we never found out what happened. Mathieu was disappointed, he started making calls to try to find another recycled piece. A few minutes before the garage closed, he managed to order a part from the United States that would be delivered within the next five days. Depressed by these bad news, we decided to abandon ship and get back to Montreal.
We spent a second night at the garage and the next morning we took a cab to the Sainte-Foy train station and then a bus to Montreal. Our trip did not end well but we knew it would happen sooner or later with this kind of vehicle. We were aware of the risks and it was part of the adventure. We were sad to announce our friends we got back to town and left the bus 250 km away from home.
The days passed and I didn't receive any news from the garage. We learned a little later that the last part we ordered had not been sent because it was too rusty. The supplier had it in stock but did not inspected it. This kind of situation can happen very often when shopping for used parts at scrap yards. We spent another week researching all over Quebec and Ontario with no luck. The part was not available anywhere! This is one of the big disadvantages when you decide to get an old van. The waiting time was endless and we had only one option left: to buy a new part manufactured by the Ford dealer. It was the most expensive option but we tried everything to avoid it. A few more days of waiting and the bus was ready to go. Three weeks after the accident, we were able to pick up Blue Bird and get back on the road! The moral of the story: don't drive with a broken vehicle and try to avoid a catastrophe! We were introduced to another side of vanlife that is also part of the game!
