Running on fumes
Roosevelt Lake, Denali Hwy
Toyota
For those of you who have been following along with my weekly Words from the road, you will know of our earlier Toyota dealership shenanigans.
Well, the saga continues. Read This ain’t so clutch if you need a refresher.
After driving away from Anchorage two weeks ago with our new clutch in tow, we noticed fairly quickly that the clutch pedal was biting fairly high once again. Tom insisted that we check back in with Toyota in Anchorage to make sure everything was hunkydory.
A few days later we dropped in to Toyota so they could take a peek. They discovered a leak in the clutch master cylinder. In order to fix the issue they’d need a few days to order in the replacement part. Being that it was Thursday, we took Envy away for a wet weekend of fun up Petersville Road, which you’ll have read about in my last post Finding friendship in the fog. Upon returning to Toyota the following Tuesday, we waited patiently while the mechanics twiddled their thumbs. I say this because a couple hours into waiting, the sales manager came over to notify us they had, in fact, ordered the wrong master cylinder. And they would need a few more days to get the right part in.
You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.
Ladies, you can probably relate to what I am about to say. Can you recall a spicy incident in life where you kept your cool in the present moment, and then, once you had extricated yourself from the situation and fled to the comfort of your car, an uncontrollable onslaught of tears released due to all the pent up rage you have inside your soul from said spicy incident?
That was me five minutes after we left the dealership. I was fuming.
We’ve now had two Toyota dealerships order the wrong parts. Good job guys. A+ for effort.
Nearing the edge of a melt down, we decided to leave Anchorage and source another mechanic further north so we could continue on our journey. Before leaving, we popped over to Napa Auto Parts to purchase the part Toyota could not source for some ridiculous reason. $129 USD later, and off we went, happy to see Anchorage disappear from our side mirrors.
On our way to Fairbanks, we called ahead and were fortunate to find a garage there willing to slot us into their busy schedule and replace the cylinder we brought with us. Our fortune was quickly halted when we saw the bill. $1500 USD for a half day service. Yikes.
Understandably, we’ve driven Envy a long way. Keeping her wheels turning is everything to us. Regardless, I can confidently say I will never take her back to the dealership again. Chivalry is not dead. Customer service is.
Let’s hope Toyota back in Whitehorse refunds the parts they got wrong, as we’ve now been carrying around the extra clutch kit for over a month. At this point our expectations are as low as our Vitamin D count.
Moving on.
Denali Highway
Between Anchorage and Fairbanks is a beautiful highway that travels east west across part of the state, offering an idyllic, easy drive through a wide valley. Rivers snake their way on one side of the road to the other, leading to rows of jagged peaks in every direction. All the precipitation we’ve had the last month has painted the landscape in a kaleidoscope of green. The epitome of scenic. Even in the rain.
Yes, you heard me correctly. It is still raining.
Camping that night included a windy evening at Roosevelt Lake, cocooned in our tent, accompanied by a small cluster of seagulls huddled together trying to stay warm. We all felt the wind ruffle our feathers while reminiscing distant memories of warmer days in the sun. I’ve cursed the sky a few times in the last week, but I am nothing if not optimistic that warmth will return to our skin once we get back to Canada.
The drizzly weather and unexpected issues with Toyota dealerships may have knocked our spirits for a short time, but nothing can take away from the beauty of this state. Alaska is as breathtaking as she is vast.
In times like these, a little perspective is key. The ups and downs, much like the roads we travel, make the journey all the more adventurous.
