Day Two - Not a Good Day!

Wind, heat, hills - 1

Range Rover - 0

20 miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the middle of the Fort Bliss Military Reservation aka a US Military Missile Testing Site, Kels blew her top rad hose all over the highway! Nice day two...

The day started badly - if anyone every tells you it is easy to sleep in a tent in a wind storm with gusts up to 60mph, tell them they can do it alone! No sleep all night and I wasn't alone in the agony! I think the entire campsite was awake - no way anyone could have slept through it considering you could hear the gusts coming from hundreds of feets away. They sounded like a freight train and considering all the tornadoes recently, I have to say I didn't like the sound much.

The drive was laboursome. Heavy head winds meant that every mile (which wasn't many - only about 160 total miles today) was work - I guess too much work for the old girl. Heading up a steep 6% grade leaving the missile testing grounds, coolant started flying out of Kels and I barely got pulled over before she stalled. Nice. Thank goodness for BCAA and being able to call a 1 800 number to get a tow truck sent which was an adventure in itself.

Ever tried to tow a Range Rover? They don't like being towed. With a regular tow truck, you have to disconnect the rear drive shaft so its easier to use a flat deck. Remember when I mentioned I was heading up a steep hill? Made for an interesting angle to then winch her up on the deck and, oh, a tow truck driver that didn't know where to hook the chains. Steep angle, emergency brake off, transmission in neutral and one of only two tow hooks popping off the frame...thought I saw the last of poor Kels and was wishing I had taken out my camera so I could at least have captured the chaos for prosperity.

Eventually we made it to Las Cruces and Kels was dropped off at the local NAPA authorized dealer and repair shop. Of course, there is no replacement rad hose in the city so it'll be noon tomorrow before the shop can even begin to repair her.

So I am in the local Comfort Inn for the night - hopefully for only one night but at least there is no way the wind will keep me awake tonight!