Tok AK .... again

Upon leaving Fairbanks we have now made the turn south and east and will be working our way back home.  We hope to spend tonight in Tok.  Delta Junction is about half way between Fairbanks and Tok.  It is the northern terminus for the Alaska Highway.

There are some pretty mean bugs in Delta Junction

Three petroleum pipelines have passed through Delta Junction.  From1943 until 1947 the US Army sent gasoline, diesel and crude oil from Whitehorse to Fairbanks up the 3" Canol pipeline.  From 1955 until 1971 the Army pumped petroleum products 626 miles from Haines to Fairbanks through the Haines-Fairbanks pipeline through an eight inch pipe. And from 1977 to present the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company has pumped oil 789 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez through its 48 inch pipe.

Mt Hayes and the Tanana River

Tanana River

The Alaska pipeline crosses the Tanana River near Delta Junction on a suspension bridge

Since the Exxon Valdez disaster the TAPS has put in place a number of spill response plans and equipment all along the pipeline corridor.

This monster air boat and at least 4 smaller airboats were stationed at the Tanana crossing

We visited Rika's Roadhouse, an example of the historic roadhouses used by Alaska travelers during the early 20th century.  It is now a part of the Big Delta State Historical Park.

Rika's Roadhouse

I think they need to take a weed whacker to the roof

Tanana River

We spent one night on the highway about 35 miles outside of Tok

At our camp 35 miles NW of Tok I observed another pool of oil under the engine.  The pattern and location were identical to what I had seen in Fairbanks the day before.  I figured it unlikely that another RV had parked in our space in Fairbanks, and then parked in this space in the pull-out at MP 1344.5, so I faced reality and admitted that we had a serious oil leak.  CRAP!  Not only did we have a leak, but when I started the engine it seemed to gush. DOUBLE CRAP!  I checked the oil level in the crankcase, and it was OK. We drove on into Tok and stopped at the visitor center to ask about diesel mechanics in town.  The guy there was very helpful and offered two choices:  Willard's Auto and Electric Service and Northern Energy.  Both were closed on this Sunday so we made camp at a very quaint and small campground, the Alaskan Stoves CG.

The solar array at Northern Energy.  22,000 watts vs 400 watts: we're seriously out-solared.

Alaskan Stoves CG has a clear theme.  There is a handmade stove at each site as well as other stoves throughout the park.  You can even stay in Sam McGee's wood stove cabin.  They also have tent cabins and a "teardrop" trailer for rent.

The self-serve fee box at Alaskan Stoves CG

Stoves galore

Our home at Alaskan Stoves CG

Sam McGee's wood stove cabin

Inside Sam McGee's wood stove cabin

The "Pavilion" complete with sink, fridge, utensils, and of course, a stove

Want to rent a "teardrop" camper for the night?

Another cute men's room sign

Map showing most of the Alaska highways

On Monday morning we drove over to Willards Auto and Electric Service to see about a repair.  It was horrifying.   They were supposed to open at 8:00 AM, but by 8:30 no one was there except about 8 RVs wanting service.  One mechanic showed up about 8:45 and immediately started bitching that the other mechanic had not yet arrived.  Long story short: mechanic #1 identified the problem as a fuel leak, namely a bad lift pump.  He called Cummins, the manufacturer of my engine, and got a quote of $600 for the part plus shipping  The nearest part was in Portland OR.  It would have to be overnighted to Fairbanks, then somehow huttled 200 miles to Tok, which was not served by FedEx.  He figured about 9 hours to install (?????) at $130 per hour.  He didn't seem to be very competent.  I really din't want him to work on our engine.

Willard's

In the meantime I called Northern Energy, the other place in town reported to do diesel repair.  It turns out, they only do work on their own fleet vehicles.  DANG!  I had no confidence in Willard's, so, being dumb and optimistic I drove over to Northern Energy to see if there was anything they could suggest or do.  There I met John, who at least agreed to look at it for me.  He confirmed that the lift pump seal had failed, and the more I talked with him, the more I was convinced that he was a very qualified mechanic.  Besides spending several years servicing the fleet at Northern Energy, he had been a diesel mechanic in the army for over 13 years, servicing combat vehicles in Iraq.  I asked him if he would trust Willard's to work on his vehicle.  He responded that he would never trust anyone but himself to work on his own vehicle.  Looking pitiful and having no other option, I engaged John to replace my lift pump on his own time.  He ordered the part from Cummins in Portland, and it was shipped via FedEx to Fairbanks overnight.  The part and the air freight were only $525, significantly less than the quote from Willard's for the part only.  Dorcas and I drove 200 miles back to Fairbanks to pick up the part at the Cummins service center the next day, and John installed it the day after that.  In the end I paid John $50 per hour (more than twice his day-job salary) for 4 hours of work.  Everyone was happy.

Our mechanic John

Besides all that, there had been one other glitch.  Motor homes are not designed and built with ease of engine maintenance in mind.  Consequently, access to the lift pump was not possible through the rear access hatch or from underneath the coach.   Dorcas and I had to dismantle the wardrobe, pull up some carpet and move the bed frame in the back of the coach in order to facilitate the repair.  After the removal of many screws and carpet staples, we were able to expose three hatches that led to the engine below the floor.

View of engine access hatches in the bedroom

Then we had to put it all back together.  John confirmed something else we already knew: namely that we had an exhaust manifold leak.  It is not an urgent repair, but will require disassembling the bedroom again.  Fuel milage may suffer a bit since the turbo charger is not producing maximum boost.  In the meantime we will move on, and I will schedule the service for October after we get home.  While the carpet is torn up we may also install wood flooring throughout.

While on our mad dash to Fairbanks to pick up the lift pump we saw four road side moose.  These guys were grazing near the Johnson River bridge at MP 1380.5

Moose cow and calf

Moose calf

John brought his dogs to meet Matilda and visit while he worked.

Lela, a blue merle Border Collie loves to fetch and find hidden Yummy Chummies

Xena, a Husky-Border Collie mix loves to chase squirrels and keep them treed until John "takes care" of them.

We have spent 5 nights in Tok, four more nights than we had originally intended.  It is time to move on.  We had hoped to head north and visit Chicken AK and Dawson YT on our way out of Tok.  At least I did; Dorcas was concerned about the road and was resistant.  Our delay in Tok made that issue a moot point.  Next stop: Canada and the Yukon Territory.