George and the ANWB
It truly is as they say; “Taking a Land Rover for a drive is always an adventure”. I do, however, refer to the older models of the marquee. The later models just stop because of some sort electronic failure and they’re not supposed to do that.
No, I am talking about getting into a vehicle and just not knowing what the day is going to bring you. Allow me to put this in a more literal context:
adventure (plural adventures)
1. That which happens without design; chance; hazard; hap; hence, chance of danger or loss.
2. The encountering of risks; hazardous and striking enterprise; a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a daring feat.
3. A remarkable occurrence; a striking event; a stirring incident; as, the adventures of one’s life.
4. A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account
It is interesting to note that any of the four statements above constitute for a busy day on themselves. But when the word (i.e. adventure) is put in a Land Rover context we achieve a unique situation where all of the above are achievable in a single event.
So, is this an old automobiles lament? It is not, I assure you. It is merely an observation, a statement if you will, and factional at that. Off course, it could be stated that you run a risk with any old car and it is true that they do break down. But when it comes to servicing, towing and repairing or simply driving a Land Rover it is a whole different matter indeed. Let me tell you the story…
A simple “on the road” drive apparently does not exist. One might hope or even expect a clean run but one must always be aware, and prepared, for any eventuality. As it was this time.
Getting water into the cab is a nuisance but not a technical inability to get from point A to point B. Although the Mister did replace the door seals his feet, or rather his right foot, still got wet. The reason why I mention this is because it creates a mind set for the rest of the drive which would add to the sense of adventure. It must be said that the reason for the drive constitutes for a big part the negative spiral in which we became entangled.
About three quarters of an hour into the drive, in a long left hand high speed turn on the freeway a clear, audible “dunk” was heard and felt. It was actually a quit sickening feeling which I never encountered before; it took me a while to realize what went wrong. It took the Mister quit a bit longer, although the amount of possibilities was limited.
Because of some new noises we stopped to take a look, but nothing was to be seen, so we drove on. During the return voyage the noises coming from my right front wheel were first ignored, then diagnosed as sustainable (we did want to get home), then undeniably present and eventually reason enough to pull over to the hard shoulder and, reluctantly, call the ANWB. This is the first point of the definition of “adventure”.
30 minutes it would take for help to arrive. As it turned out, within 20 minutes the first(!) ANWB vehicle stopped. This one drove by coincidently and the driver turned out to be an enthusiast of the marquee. Actually, owning a 1948 Series I (the oldest one can get) and 3 more of a slightly younger era, one could call him a fanatic. It really takes a special kind of human to own and care for these most ancient, and valued, of Land Rovers.
Not long after a second vehicle pulled over and I was, quit unceremoniously, pulled to a less dangerous location so the ANWB men could work in safety. This would account for the second point in the above list, being pulled without the engine running leaves one without power steering and with a rather short tether braking was quit necessary.
The diagnosis was easily made. The wheel bearing suffered a catastrophic failure.
The boys tried to tighten it up but the conclusion was that one should not drive with this any further for risk of a complete lock up of my wheel, which would be a dreadful experience indeed.
In essence; I was bogged down, not by mud, sand, water or anything else dramatic, but by a wheel bearing. It also constitutes the third point on the list.
The fourth, and luckily the last, point could be construed as us being dragged behind a tow truck to an undisclosed garage with whom we have had no dealings in the past. I do feel comfortable with British4x4.
Being towed, by the way, is an adventure on itself. Having permanent four wheel drive means that when lifting the front wheels of the ground and keeping the rear wheels on the ground the transfer box in the middle will run twice as fast as it would normally do. One does not want this. The rear drive shaft was taken out by the boys in order to let the rear wheels run free.
In the end the bearing had welded itself to the hub and had to be forcibly removed. The men at Autopunt.com were efficient, professional and friendly. They took care of me in a way one does not expect anymore. They even hooked me up with a winch specialist who knows all about my Ramsey.
In conclusion, it was, as they say, a hell of a day. It took us 6.5 hours to get home. The other bearing has to be replaced as soon as possible and I made a few new friends in the process.
It is as I stated earlier, taking a Land Rover for a drive is always an adventure.
Until next time…
George
“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” – G. K. Chesterton -
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