Welcome back once again for our fourth-and-final installment of “On the Road” with Atlantic British. Atlantic British sales associate Eric Riston (extension 231) is leading a group of fellow off-road enthusiasts on a cross-country road trip to Moab, Utah, and back.
When we left off, the convoy was making its way back to the East Coast, visiting kitschy roadside attractions such as Cadillac Ranch, and resisting the temptation to eat Texas-sized steaks. They were pushing the trucks hard, running late, and generally travelling on the brink of disaster.
On the Brink
Suddenly, one of the trucks sprang a coolant like and the CB crackled to life “"I'm smelling a lot of coolant back here!" came the call from somewhere back in the convoy.
As Rover luck would have it we where within an eight of a mile from a full service rest area. We pulled to the side near the lawn so we could diagnose the issue and let the dog run in the grass. Nothing says Rover journey like having a large four legged rover with you.
It took a while to figure out exactly where the leak was. It turned out one of the main radiator hoses had the smallest of pinholes in it. At this point, we decided to eat lunch while the Rover cooled off. Once lunch was done, the repair started. We were back on the road in about an hour and a half, from start to finish -- not bad for a laid-back diagnosis and repair with a lunch break added in.
We thought that would be the last roadside stop we would have in Oklahoma. Well, just as we pulled out on the highway and got up to about 70, we heard an incredible “POW!” and the On The Road D2 develops a horrible rear wag. Sigh. I look at the trailer in the rear view and see that it’s listing. In a way I was happy. I knew right then it was just a flat tire, and I had three spares. We looked ahead and there was a huge pull off the size of a football field. A quick hi-lift jack action and within 20 minutes we were back on the road again. This little sliver of highway around Vinita Oklahoma gave us more trouble than the rest of the trip combined, and were thankful to put it behind us.
The Road Behind
We made the rest of the trip home without major issues, save for skirting some very bad storms over a few days. In the end, we covered just under 6,000 miles and had only a few breakdowns. The moral of this story is be mildly prepared, carry some common spares, and trust that Rovers try their best to make it home.”
"On the Road" is not only about what you can do in your Land Rover but also where it can take you. The next stops for On the Road will be a private event in New Jersey, and the ever-popular Vermont Overland Rally, or VOR as it is also known, in the wilds of Vermont.
Rover on,
Eric
The Road Ahead
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