Private to feralfae, if you’re out there:
That sweet Honda generator you so generously gifted me year before last was today involved in the successful rescue of a young couple who picked the wrong time and place to go tent camping.
We got their batteries recharged and the engine block warmed up but the truck still wouldn’t start because he was unaware of this thing called winter formulation diesel. He filled the tank with fuel from the city down in the valley where it never gets cold and didn’t know the trouble he was making for himself and his wife.
I asked him about it first thing and he didn’t know the answer, so when the batteries were finally charged and the block heater was warm but the engine still wouldn’t start we took the Mr. Heater from their tent and put it under the fuel tank. That worked in much less time than I would have guessed.
They came to see the snow, and got rather a better look at it than intended. So they’re on their way back to civilization and I’m back where it’s warm.
You are a good person Joel! But now Joel needs to re-pickle his EU-2000.
I just can’t imagine having the slightest desire to go camping out in the snow, but there’s no accounting for taste.
I’m more than a little curious as to how their batteries ended up dead. My diesel truck can sit in sub-zero temps for days or a week or more, and always starts just fine, even without using the block heater.
Good work, Joel! You (& feralfae) are probably life savers.
I used to see it all the time many years ago when I worked in a dealership in the Texas panhandle. It was an Oldsmobile shop back when 5.7L “diesel” engines were a thing (ptui). So people commonly owned them without even knowing there was such a thing as summer and winter fuel. First good cold snap we’d have a shop full of Delta 88s with gelled fuel and dead batteries, because of course they just cranked and cranked until they could crank no more. Those shit cars were a godsend to wrecker drivers.
Congratulations on the save, Joel. Great work. I am happy to know that you and the Honda did such great jobs that 2 people will have a great rather than disheartened memory. Good for you, and thank you for letting me know about it. Very neat. And Happy New Year from balmy 29˚F Montana. * *
I’m giving up on twinkles here, and I’ll just use feralfae. Twinkles are a lot more fun. I like to camp in the snow, by the way, skiing in some neat place. feralfae
They tip you?
They offered to. I refused it and delivered a homily on neighborliness in the local area. “You want to live here, neighbors are important. You will receive help and you will be asked for help. And you won’t get paid.”
Which is not to say we don’t have our genuine recluses, for whom that rule doesn’t apply. Hell, my physically closest full time neighbor is a woman I’ve literally never met. They want to be left alone, and nobody bugs them. But they do have kind of a habit of dying alone.
Besides, I get a kick out of pulling people out of ditches like that. Taking money for it would spoil the fun. 🙂
And now we know why God has allowed you to live as you do without croaking…(this is only partially in jest…)
Good on you, mate.
I used to drive around after a snow storm looking to pull people out of ditches my rule was to refuse money *once if they insisted I took the money. I had fun unsticking people but if they really wanted to give me money I wasn’t going to object too hard, also it’s not likely I was ever going to see them again anyway.
Good for you Joel! Another example of representatives from the generation that’s “going to change the world” yet can’t even change a flat tire.
They apparently can’t read owner’s manuals either, Mike. Or don’t vehicle manufacturers include an owner’s manual any more? with instructions about how to maintain a vehicle including type of fuel?
Didja tell ’em you’re a blogger and give ’em a link so we can mock them enthusiastically???
}:-]
Great job Joel, and happy and healthy New year to you and Torso boy. You are a good man.