June 4th

There are just two weeks to go before our departure. 

We received a recall notice from GM:

We have learned that your 2011 model year GMC Sierra HD, equipped with a 10.5 inch rear axle, may have a condition in which the rear axle right-hand side bearing adjuster clip and bolt may come loose within the rear axle.  If this occurs, a grinding noise and a vehicle vibration would be noticeable when the vehicle is in motion.  If the adjuster or bolt punctures the differential cover pan, a fluid leak could develop.  If enough fluid were to leak out, you may hear increasing noise, additional vehicle vibration, and smell of burnt axle lubricant.  If these warnings are ignored and the vehicle continues to be driven, a slow loss of vehicle motion would occur.

The good news is that we got the notice before we left on our trip and we have an appointment with our dealer to service the truck for our trip and inspect the rear end to see if repairs are required.  They indicated that only two vehicles out of eleven inspected so far needed the repairs.  Also good news but we asked them to have any parts needed on hand so the repairs can be made quickly if needed.  Hopefully they will.  We are concerned about them doing repair work on the truck and not having much time to make sure everything is OK.

This week we will be arranging to have our mail held and possibly forwarded to some spots along the way, have telephone, TV, internet, and garbage services suspended or reduced while we are gone.  Our dog Sadie (a border collie) will go in to get a bath and a summer cut for the trip and just before we leave she will get a final health check and certificate of health for the Canadian border crossings.  May no longer be needed but it is another, just in case.  She recently got the rabies vaccination and certificate that is required to enter Canada.

We have the meats frozen that we want to take but will it all fit into the freezer?  It will be close and we may have to leave an item or two or may still have some room.  We won’t know until the freezer is loaded, but will continue to evaluate everything for necessity right up to final packing.   It’s a good thing one of us isn’t quite so particular or we’d be packing for the next year.  You will just have to figure out which one of us that is.