Mechanical Malfunctions Hinder Tour as Van Attempts to Become Tar Sand
It has been a very busy week at the Tar Sand Exploration Station! Following an incident with a malfunctioning water pump in San Francisco, the TSES hit the road (albeit 2 days later than planned) confident in the mechanical soundness of our vehicle.
After a harrowing drive to Las Vegas on what was possibly the most poorly planned route of all time, we arrived to the sin city on the verge of overheating. Though we made every effort to pull over and set-up shop, the proliferation of valet's and casino security ensured we moved along before we even rolled out our carpet. Feeling bitter we loaded the van's propane tank and began our voyage onwards towards the Grand Canyon.
This is where things began to get interesting. I'll spare you the mechanical details, dramatic pit-stop engine poking stories and simply describe how our trouble began to manifest in smell. Smell you say? Yes smell. The van began to first smell slightly, then overpoweringly of the area surrounding the Canadian Tar Sands. It was a light pungent odour at first, akin to rotten fruit. As we travelled on under the blistering sun the smell grew into a monstrous stench of rotten eggs and dead animals. We stopped, examined the van, enlisted others opinions, removed propane, cleaned the fridge and wondered if somehow the van had become so invested in the tar sands that it was becoming them. We could not use any of the vans amenities for fear they would cause a spark and explode. Subsequently our camera gear and phones slowly ran out of batteries and abandoned us as we became consumed by heat, worry and a terrible smell.
The van finally made a clear declarative statement yesterday and refused to start up again after being refilled at a Chevron pump. A man with a huge truck and freedom declaring lisence plates pulled us to the parking lot and jumped the vehicle. He then even generously followed us until we got to an auto-parts store to ensure that if the van gave out, someone would be there to help us.
More friendly faces met us at the store and basically offered us free mechanical advice. It turns out the smell was not in fact the vans poetic metamorphosis but an overheating battery. Darrell, the TSES's #1 volunteer, then replaced the battery and regulator in the parking lot. When we went inside to say our thanks the kind store employee wished us on our way and reminded us to say a little prayer for the vehicle.
We drove on and the smell did not return. Now sitting in the Four Corners taking a much needed break we are plotting our path forward. Though frustrating the lack of actually touring on this tour has been, we continue onwards hopeful of what the road will bring. Upcoming planned stops include Devon Energy Headquarters, following a proposed pipeline and setting up shop outside a bar in Nashville.