Limping Back to Texas

While we worked our way southeast through Idaho we called Jack and Judy Rust, our friends in Boise, about lunch after church. They were available so we attended the Mountain Calvary Chapel in Nampa then drove to the Cheesecake Factory to meet them for lunch. Before leaving in the morning, I had added more coolant to the reservoir and off we went.

After lunch we continued on to Jerome County Fairgrounds Park, about two hours from Boise for a three day stay. Located just off of Interstate 84, the Fairgrounds is a perfect place to spend the rest of the Labor Day weekend. Camping is only $20 per night and includes electric and water. This was our base for visiting the Twin Falls area and where I could inspect and clean our Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve.

On Monday, September 1st we stopped at the Visitor's Center in Twin Falls after crossing the I. B. Perrine Bridge which is a four-lane truss arch span over the Snake River. Located north of the city of Twin Falls, it carries U.S. Highway 93 over the Snake River Canyon connecting Twin Falls County with Interstate 84 in Jerome County. The Perrine Bridge is a popular destination for BASE jumpers from all over the world. With a main stretch of 993 feet cradled a mere 486 feet above the depths below, it's one of the tallest in North America. BASE jumping from it doesn't require the courage of a thousand lions, just a legal permit, and a parachute.

Unfortunately, there were no BASE Jumpers on the bridge the day we visited.

Looking to the northwest, downstream the Snake River is quite a sight.

From there we drove out to the Shoshone Falls. Often referred to as the Niagara of the West, Shoshone Falls is a must-see attraction in Twin Falls, Idaho.  At 212 feet tall and 900 foot wide, Shoshone Falls is one of the largest natural waterfalls in the United States surpassing the height of the famous Niagara Falls. Shoshone Falls is located on the Snake River as it carves its way through a deep basalt Canyon on its way to the Columbia River.

Not that spectacular in the late Summer and early Fall but worth the trip.

The Spring time, when the snow-pack begins to melt, is the best time to see Shoshone Falls. In the summer months, a portion of the river is diverted for irrigation purposes, which reduces the flow over the falls. In the Fall, you will often experience a minimal flow where Shoshone Falls will appear nearly dry. At this time, the majority of the water coming down the Snake River is used to recharge the reservoir system upstream of Shoshone Falls. Karen and I thought it might be worth a trip in the Spring after the snow melt

On Tuesday we returned to Twin Falls to do some shopping at Costco and a stop at O'Reilly's for more coolant and brake cleaner. I learned the technique for cleaning the ERG valve on YouTube the night before and planned on doing it that Tuesday evening. Upon removing the EGR valve I was somewhat amazed and relieved at the lack of carbon build-up inside. I used water first, then sprayed brake cleaner inside to remove the carbon deposits. The whole process took less than an hour to complete.

Wednesday, September 3 would turn out to be a long driving day. From Jerome, ID we traveled southeast into Utah, through Salt Lake City to a small, rural town called Santaquin. It took over four and a half hours to drive the 292 miles to a Harvest Host called Rowley's Red Barn. We set up in their overflow parking area and chilled out eating some local, homemade ice cream while visiting their country store.

Thursday morning, before leaving again I checked the coolant reservoir and topped it off. Not wanting to be caught on the road without enough coolant I once again drove to the local O'Reilly's for another gallon.

I cannot find any evidence of an external coolant leak. This leads me to suspect a reservoir cap not holding pressure or worst case, a cracked EGR cooler or blown head gasket.

We haven't had any luck finding a mechanic that could look at the truck, so we will continue driving south and monitor the coolant level, engine coolant temperature, engine oil temperature and pressure. So far while driving with the 12,995 pound RV in tow, we are holding all of those reading in the normal range.

Thursday, September 4 was a short travel distance to Yuba State Park - Oasis Campground in Levan, UT. Yuba State Park got its name from the individuals who built the dam. Local farmers and ranchers had to build the dam themselves or risk losing their water rights. The men working on the structure called it the U.B. Dam. As they worked they sang a song that stated they were damned if they worked and damned if they didn’t. The phonetic sound of the reservoir’s name was eventually spelled Yuba.

Yuba Reservoir was built between 1902 and 1917. In Spring 1907, the amount of snow-melt was so high that water began pouring out of the reservoir faster than could be released by the spillway. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at Deseret, 40 miles to the west, responded to the threatened structure by blasting a temporary spillway to relieve pressure on the dam. We spent one night at Yuba State Park before heading south to Zion National Park.