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Disability Adds Complexity
Last week I alluded to van trouble with our 2010 Chrysler Town & Country. Well, it’s a little more extensive than the wheel baring we initially thought. A funny noise and service engine soon light prompted a visit to the mechanic. He then referred us to a transmission place after hearing not one but two suspicious noises. Upon further inspection with his diagnostic tools and a drive around the block the transmission guy advised Mom she shouldn’t be driving it. Great.
For those of you who aren’t mechanical, the transmission is a major part that’s quite expensive. A lot of times if the transmission goes out the best option is to go ahead and get a different set of wheels. Not so easy when you’re talking about a converted vehicle. Not only are accessible vehicles hard to come by they’re expensive themselves. If you don’t decide on a new vehicle the two options are to rebuild the tranny or replace it. Because of the importance of the van to us we didn’t want to take a chance rebuilding it, so we’re having it replaced.
Simply to get the transmission in will take 7 to 10 days. Of course that meant an alternative way to get to Mom’s for the holiday weekend. I would’ve stayed home if I had caregiver coverage, but no one wants to work on a holiday (or ever really.) Luckily I could still schedule public transportation to get there. Once I was there though I couldn’t go anywhere. I can’t just catch a ride with friends and riding in the truck-bed didn’t seem like a safe option. Therefore our plans came to a screeching halt. We spent most of the weekend unsuccessfully trying to think of something fun to do. Not to mention it was an extra day because the bus didn’t run Monday because of the holiday. We did binge-watch The Great Food Truck Race. You know, living vicariously through a TV show.
Throwing disability into the mix just adds that extra complexity to the situation. Would you have made the same decisions? We’re doing the best we can and just rolling with it, but it’s not easy and it’s expensive.
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3 Replies
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Yes, I’ve had to do this before as well. I’m surprised how long yours has lasted! I think my transmission went after 7 or 8 years. Have you ever rented a handicapped van in the meantime? They’re a little costly, but even if you had it for a day or two so you wouldn’t be stuck inside for 10 days might be worth it.
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Luckily(?), I’m not much of a family person so I don’t mind missing stuff, but I’ve told my family “if I show up I show up” but to never count on me being at an event because I’ve had enough times where something or other broke and there was no easy way for me to get somewhere.
As far as vans go, I just got a new one 2 years ago and the thing sounds like it’s about to fall apart and it only has 6000 miles on it. I took it to my local dealership since it’s still under warranty and they said all the sounds are coming from the modifications (although I don’t really believe them–one of the sounds is coming from the front wheels which weren’t modified). So now I have to take it to the place that modified it that’s 3 hours away and I know they’re going to say they can’t find anything wrong.
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Our van conversion growls whenever it starts, but so far nothing serious. That is just the exhaust pipe against the heavy metal skirt that protects the undercarriage.
I did have to replace the transmission on a previous van, it was almost $2000 but the car was only 5 years old and ran for several years after that was replaced. I hope you have as good a result as I did!