A hiccup along the way...and then to Utah

When we started up the rig to leave Arizona, two Check Engine lights greeted us.

Well, thanks. That's exactly what you DON'T want to see when you a start your travel day.

After some help from ChatGPT, a Google search, and a call to Newmar Customer Support, we were cautiously optimistic that we could drive that day. The code referenced has to do with the emissions system. "In Freightliner trucks, SPN 3058 typically indicates an issue with the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system. It specifically refers to a slow response of the EGR valve actuator, often accompanied by an FMI (Fault Mode Indicator).This code sets when the actual EGR flow deviates significantly from the desired flow during deceleration, suggesting a problem with how the valve is responding to commands." 

The Newmar mechanic recommended we limit our key cycles, aka how many times you shut off and restart the engine. If the system thinks you are just trying to bypass the warning codes, it can push you into a limp mode. So, we went about our driving that day and just kept it running when we stopped to fuel up.

When we landed in Needles, CA, Chad found a Velocity Truck Service Center about 45 minutes away from us in Kingman, AZ that works on Freightliner chassis. We took one day off (with fingers crossed that it wasn't going to be the worse case scenario) to visit the repair shop while they checked the error codes. Once they ran it through their system and cleared the codes, the codes didn't come back. A test drive later with no recurring codes, we were on our way.

So, nothing was wrong?!? We left the shop telling ourselves that making the appointment was the right move for our peace of mind.

The next day we ordered an engine code reader! We follow a couple of Newmar SuperStar owner forums on Facebook, and it seems a lot of the owners carry a code reader. It will give us one layer of information and then we can hopefully make an educated choice on how serious any given issue is when we come across one. And more than likely we will clear the code, keep driving, see if it reoccurs, and schedule an appointment at a Freightliner when it seems serious.

From Needles, we then made our way to Hurricane, UT for a couple weeks. Then it was time to journey north of Salt Lake to land near Ogden, UT.

It was time to celebrate our son, Carter. He earned his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Weber State University, located in Ogden, UT! We are so proud of his achievement. We could gush all day about him, but I will try to rein it in for this post.

Another accomplishment of Carter's - he built this pan head motorcycle from scratch!

Big smiles from all of us!

Carter accepted a full-time Process Engineer role at PCC Structurals in Ogden, UT. PCC Ogden specializes in castings for aerospace, energy, medical equipment, and commercial applications. Carter manages their wax room, which is the starting point for the custom metal castings the company creates. https://www.pccstructurals.com/processes/investment-casting.html

Ogden will be our location for a couple months, during which we will soak up lots of time with our kiddos. Chloe is also living in Ogden for the summer while working as a Pharmacy Technician. She just finished her junior year at the University of Utah.

We have a list of home projects that we are going to tackle while we are nearby, and also complete a few projects on our rig, as well.

I can't believe it is already May. Happy Spring and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!