Thanks to VALLEY FORD
We made our Kings Canyon/Sequoia NP Trip
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This page was intended to document modifications to our camper. The truck itself has gone thru several mods and additions, some that I've listed here but mostly not. Its a keeper but it is getting some miles on it and its 8 years old. Recently one thing after another kept threatening our planned trip to Kings Canyon/Sequoia NP. Lost a front unit bearing, good friend Mike and I replaced, then the water pump started leaking, replaced belt/hoses, temp sender, then the check engine light came on . What the heck. Picked a code reader and it says I've lost a glow plug....err well 2 hours on one bolt later I got it fixed, actually not bad 'cept for that one pesky valve cover bolt). Drove for a few days-EUREKA! (finally) So we loaded up the Camper, One of favorite places, we really enjoy it up in the Sierras, some nice primitive camping and a real nice established campground by the Big Trees.. really looking forward to this trip. We were not quite half way on Hwy 41 to our anticipated destination, just past the town of Lemoore, I pushed in the clutch to slow down for a light.....it didn't come back up. I quickly turned into the right turn lane and turned off the key (to stop). Good grief. It only took a minute or 2-to figure out we were toast...this trip was done, now how to get off the highway and back to Lemoore to find a phone book and some help.
Valley Ford in Hanford, CA. There the dealership and quite a few folks tried their darndest to make us comfortable while they tried to figure out how best to help us/ Problem was the camper. Wouldn’t go thru Bay door, so we were dropped off by the tow service in the main drive thru. After awhile a mechanic inspected truck, determined that though we may have other clutch problems it might only be the master/slave cylinder. Which if lucky might get us fixed, (which wouldn’t require off loading camper). So the truck & camper was hand pushed into a parking spot. So there we are- in all our glory, camper loaded and scooter on the front bumper, sitting between the main customer service window and the Ford "training" building front door. I felt really bad but we were helpless.
It was determined they didn’t have required parts, we got permission to stay in the camper, and were later that evening given a power cord to plug in. Parts were overnighted, Felix got our new clutch cylinder install (in the parking lot) and we were on the road by 8:30 the next morning! This really is a condensed version of the story, but the folks at Valley Ford honestly bent over backwards to help us out and I can not say how grateful we were and are (especially when we were sitting at camp under the Pines verses what almost ended up a disastrous ordeal and canceled trip).
 Not saying they'd welcome campers in droves to sleep in their lot- and I know we were lucky-but again you just gotta say something when you are fortunate enough to witness folks at their best and going out of there way to help someone out. Yes we paid for the parts & service. the goodwill was from their hearts. Just makes you feel good-its refreshing to see that kind of response, seems to happen to seldom anymore. So like I said, if your in the area, need service or looking for a FORD vehicle, Id Highly recommended them-really good people
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