Calamity Part 3: It Gets Worse

On Tuesday August 13 our DOC (Diesel Oxidation Catalyst) arrived.  The next day, Wednesday August 14, the coach went back into the service bay for installation of the new DPF and the DOC.  About noon that day we get a call from the shop that there is a problem.  The DPF is secured to the after-treatment unit and to the frame with a large stainless steel circular clamp, much like a very large hose clamp.  Each end of the clamp has a welded loop holding a T-bolt and corresponding screw.  During the removal of the DPF clamp the mechanic broke the T-bolt.  CRAP!

Here is a look at the DPF clamp

Here is another look at the clamp installed

Broken T-bolt

The DPF clamp is a Freightliner part, rather than a Cummins part.  Cummins says the DPF clamp is on back-order at Freightliner and won't be available for at least 7 weeks.  WTF!!!!  Without this clamp we are dead in the water.  The service advisor, the service manager, the mechanic and I are looking at the part, looking at each other and scratching our heads.  Perhaps the clamp can be repaired?  The T-bolt cannot be removed without drilling out the welds and spreading the loop at the end of the band.  Then the clamp loop must be welded back together after installing a new T-bolt.  Unfortunately this shop does not have the equipment to weld stainless steel and would have to take the part to another shop.  In the end they are able to find a different but similar clamp from which to harvest a T-bolt, drill out the welds, install the new T-bolt and take the clamp out to be welded at another shop.  Crisis averted.  At least this crisis.

Freshly welded DPF clamp

DPF clamp showing new T-bolt

They put everything back together, new DOC, new DPF and all the appurtenances. Per Cummins protocol they performed post-diagnostics tests, which included an "air handling test".  The air handling test failed, and they ultimately determined the turbocharger is shot. Apparently they now believe the turbocharger failed, taking out both the DOC and the DPF. Can it get any worse?  There was only one turbocharger available in the US, and they ordered it for us.  It was expected to arrive tomorrow (Thursday), but we wouldn't know for sure until tomorrow AM, when we could check the tracking info.  If it does arrive tomorrow they might be able to install and complete repairs tomorrow.  At this point the repair estimate is becoming huge.  I mean max-out-all-the-credit-cards and call-my-broker-to-cash-out-my-stocks huge. 

But alas, the turbo did not ship this day in fact was delayed for several more days.  The saga continues ....

In the meantime a little information for those who might wonder:  DPF, DOC, what do all these acronyms really mean? What does the diesel after treatment do and how does it really work?

The harmful emission gases in the exhaust stream move from the exhaust side of the turbo to the aftertreatment system (outlined in red).

The Cummins Particulate Filter contains the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) which collects and oxidizes carbon to remove particulate matter (PM) by more than 90%; the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) aids in this process and is also contained in the Cummins Particulate Filter. The exhaust passes from the turbo through the DOC and enters the DPF.

After collecting the particles from the gases in the DOC and DPF, there is still nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) left in the exhaust. In order to reduce the NOx levels a light mist of urea (Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) or AdBlue) is injected into the hot exhaust stream in the Decomposition Reactor.

The exhaust progresses from the Decomposition Reactor into the SCR system which converts the toxic NOx and urea mixture into harmless nitrogen gas (N2) and water vapor (H2O), which effectively eliminates harmful emissions resulting in near zero emissions from the exhaust.

Click HERE to view a short video illustrating the process.  

Rocky Mountain National Park

Calamity update:  On Friday at 7:00 AM they took the coach into the shop for a complete engine diagnostics.  The results showed, as we suspected the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) was shot.  Not good.  In addition to the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), the Inlet Catalyst Module aka Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) was also bad.  The DOC likely failed first, dumping raw soot into the DPF, causing its failure.  Both are high dollar parts.  CRAP! The DOC is not in stock here and has been ordered, along with a couple of related air tubes and other minor parts.  Best case scenario is parts arrive Monday and repairs are completed on Tuesday.  So, we'll be parked at Cummins at least until Tuesday evening, maybe until Wednesday or Thursday depending on how things work out.

So, what do you do when you get bad news and you need leave your woes behind?  ROAD TRIP!

So, on Saturday August 10, we made a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, about 65 miles from our parking spot.  Along US 36 between Lyons and Estes Park we saw a number of strange towers along the highway, about every 3/4 mile.  Dorcas asked me what they were, and I told her they were high water sensors for when the Little Thompson River floods.  Dorcas can sometimes be a little gullible, but she's not that gullible.  We learned later that they were actually cell towers.  This section of highway is very dangerous and previously had no cellular service.  Hence, they erected 31 mini cell towers along this 20 mile section of road. 

Many months ago we had made a 7-day reservation for Site #133 at Glacier Basin CG in the interior of the park starting Friday (yesterday), but due to our calamitous circumstances, we would not be able to use that reservation.  We could have checked in one day late (today) but our coach was still broken.  RMNP is an extremely poplar park and very crowded.  In order to reduce crowding and enhance the visitor's experience, they use a timed entry reservation system.  We had looked online and no entry slots were available for at least a week.  However, we were able to use our camping reservation confirmation to gain entry to the park anyway.  SWEEET!

Traffic jam at the park entrance 

After we entered the park, we headed to Glacier Basin Campground to check out our reserved Campsite D133.  It was an excellent site with a large parallel parking space and close to the bath house. We had not yet canceled our reservation, hoping for a miracle, so the site was vacant.  So we parked on it a while and walked Ginger around the loops. RMNP is not particularly dog-friendly, less so than many other national parks.  Dogs are only allowed in the campgrounds and on paved trails. 

It is a beautiful site!

What a view it would have been!

Glacier Basin Campground is on the road to Bear Lake, a very popular destination in the park.  We had passed signs alerting us that the Bear Lake parking lot was full, but we drove up there to see for ourselves. Sure enough, the lot was full and rangers were turning cars back.  There was a shuttle bus stop near the campground and we could have taken the bus to Bear Lake, but dogs are not allowed on the bus.  So instead we headed up Trail Ridge Road to the top of the world.

There were no bikes in the rack! Go figure

The Trail Ridge Visitor Center is at EL 11,796

These poles mark the corners of the building during high snow pack

Wildlife sightings on this trip were very sparse.  We did see a few herds of elk, but they were too far away for a decent photo.  We looked hard for marmots and pikas. but we found none.  DANG! I love to watch marmots and pikas.  I guess your wildlife sighting chances are reduced when you just have one short day trip to look for them.  But we did find some not-so-live wildlife at the Fall River Visitor Center.

I finally found a marmot!

As we were leaving the park I received a phone call from a National park reservations representative.  She was aware we had not checked in at our site and wanted to know if we were coming or wanted to cancel our reservation.  I had looked into canceling our reservation the day before and, based on the posted cancellation policy, we would not get any refund.  We still intended to cancel, to free up the site for another camper, but not before this day trip.  I learned from the representative if we canceled now, we would get a significant part of our reservation fee refunded.  So I did.  Every little bit helps.

Marking time: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

On Thursday August 8, we visited the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (RMANWR), which was only a few miles from our parking site.  

From Wikipedia:

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,988-acre (24.981 sq mi) National Wildlife Refuge located adjacent to Denver and Commerce City, Colorado, in the United States. It is approximately 8 miles northeast of downtown Denver. The refuge is on the grounds of the former Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a United States Army chemical weapons manufacturing facility. The site was designated a national wildlife refuge in 1992 by the United States Congress, and underwent a costly environmental cleanup in order to remove pollutants. The refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. More than 330 species of wildlife inhabit the refuge, including raptors, deer, raccoons, coyotes, white pelicans, black-footed ferrets, black-tailed prairie dogs, and bison.

We saw every critter in the list above except for a raccoon.  

National Parks and other Federal facilities are often environmentally progressive.  At this facility there were solar powered EV charging stations.

This bison is giving Dorcas the evil eye

There was an 11 mile loop road around the refuge that was keyed to an audio guide we downloaded. 

We saw a number of mule deer

And white pelicans

Check out the rack on that mule deer!

Black-tailed prairie dog  

The prairie dog is also known as "barking squirrel"

Black-footed ferret

Check out this video of the black-footed ferret.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was a nice diversion too take our minds off our mechanical woes.