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Day 1

7/24/95

After spending a week underneath the '52 Chevy Pickup replacing the rear main bearing oil seal, the radiator and various lesser problems, my expedition towards Alaska has finally begun.

I have moved all of my belongings into a storage facility and will search for a new place to live when I return from my trip. For now, that is not a concern.

Although I didn't get started until late afternoon, my first day out went very well. The morning was spent changing the transmission oil & fuel filter, and repacking to accommodate one last box of windsurfing gear, just in case. I also looked into getting a cellular phone, but the costs were prohibitive since most contracts required a minimum year of service.

I have modified the truck to carry two 5-gallon jerry cans of fuel on the step sides, increasing the total capacity to about 25 gallons. Since my speedometer/odometer is broken, it is difficult to determine the gas mileage, but some rough calculations from today's trip came out to 20 mpg. I believe they used to call this particular engine the "Thriftmaster". I estimate my cruising speed at 45-50 mph.

I also added a chain that connects the two cab doors, providing a little more security against theft of the vehicle-even if someone breaks the window, he would need to climb in a window to be able the drive the truck away.

In the bed of the truck sit four large Rubbermaid plastic containers for food, camping gear, tools, and windsurf gear. These containers are lockable, and almost all valuables in the bed are locked by cable to each other, and would be fairly difficult to carry off. A tarp covers the bed.

I also have the following items in the bed:

Bungied to the roof of the cab on the passenger side are: Bungied to the dash are: On the passenger seat and floorboard are: Bungied to the tailgate is an old blue beach-cruiser style, single-speed bicycle.

I am extremely pleased with the new radiator I just had installed, and the truck is running as cool as a cucumber -- a constant 180° F, even up hills. In addition, the oil leak seems to have stopped completely after replacing the rear main bearing oil seal and oil pan gasket. Now I'll watch the oil level to see if the engine is burning any oil.

Before I left home, I completed a run up to the top of Page Mill Rd, behind my old house. I had promised myself and my Dad that I would do so as a mechanical test before I set out for Alaska. Everything seemed to run fine, but I did notice the on sharp turns, especially sharp right turns, the rear wheels rub against the inside of the wheelwells. In fact, rubber shavings are sprinkled generously over the back of the rear wheelwells, and if I don't watch it, it might wear through the tire and cause a blowout. For now, I'll just take the curves nice and easy.

I called Patti Halprin tonight, a producer at the Learning Company where I work, who has just moved with her family to Talent, Oregon, though she continues to work long-distance for the Learning Company. I'll be staying at her house tomorrow night, and if I can make it there by 7PM, I might have a chance to see a ballet/opera/cultural thing that the Ashland area is known for.

Tonight I am staying at the Garden Court Inn just south of Yuba City,CA. I'm in room #27, or "down that way and past the police car" as the clerk put it. The phone fell apart when I picked it up, and the air conditioner/light switch combinations had me a little confused for a while, but I'm doing just fine.

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Copyright © 1995 by Patrick Malone