1st and 2nd snafu with the big truck.
Stuck on icy grass and Frozen fuel filter....
Had to stop 1/2 way to our destination in Northern NY for the night. We stayed in a hotel, and I was very nervous about the truck not being plugged in overnight. Temps dropped to 15 overnight. Truck fired right up the next morning, no problem!
Then we hit our destination, and while turning around in the driveway, I got the rear wheels over a lip of frozen ice left from the plow. Figured I'd go back a little further and get a running start. Nope, ended up stopping with the rear wheels in a little dip in the lawn, couldn't move forward or back. There was about an inch of ice on the grass.
Luckily my brother was able to pull me out. I've done plenty of off road recoveries at the beach. Never used a kinetic rope, but we all use our poor tow straps as is they were! Broke a few.
We'll, my brother put an old tire between the straps to act as a shock absorber, and I thought it was genius! His truck actually pulled me out with ease, so no running start needed, but the tire would've been a great shock absorber if we needed it.
Then we parked the truck for a week.
Yes, I put a bottle of Howe's in the tanks before heading up North.
Large Marge sat for 8 days in 5 degree temps. Yes I had the block heater plugged in for 24 hours before starting (although I don't know if the block heater actually works).
Truck fired right up, but then died within seconds (starved for fuel). This happened a few times before it occurred to me that the fuel filter must be clogged.
My brother is a trucker and told me to heat the fuel filter with a torch to melt the wax. I did that a few times, but probably not enough as I was afraid of dying....
Went to NAPA to get a new filter, and of course they didn't have one. Closest one was an hour drive away.
*Note to self, have spare filters on hand before next trip.
Loaded new fuel filter with about 1/2 a coffee cup of denatured alcohol and diesel fuel.
Dumped rest of denatured alcohol in the fuel tanks.
She fired up and got us home (500 miles away and 50 degrees warmer).
Anybody else use denatured alcohol? My brother has owned rigs for 50 years and swears by the denatured alcohol. He said with the new low Sulphur diesel, the anti gel additives don't always work.
Used our Mudflap app on way home and paid $4.03/gallon for fuel. Saved $1.39 off pump price! Best price in NY!