Last year, we were returning home from the RV show in Quartzsite, AZ and while climbing through the Guadalupe Mtns in NM, I heard a small pop from the back of the motorhome and then saw a cloud of smoke/steam that proved to be our engine coolant blowing out of the ruptured radiator hose. We weren't overheating, and we were just leisurely climbing the not all that steep grade, and boom,  the hose burst. Fortunately, there was a huge pull-off right in front of us where we could get safely off the road. After spending that night along the road, and another night at a repair garage in TX, we resumed our trip home to Pennsylvania.

The point of this blog post is this: A few months prior to our trip, the motorhome was in our local garage getting serviced.  I'm good friends with the guys at this shop, and I trust them a lot. While we were going over things I asked if they thought it would be a good idea to replace all the belts and hoses. The mechanic poked around at most of them and said they seemed pliable and no signs of cracking, and he didn't think the expenditure for new hoses was needed. At that time, in a warm cozy garage near home, I agreed with his opinion. 

Sitting along the road in New Mexico, on a freezing night, in a very lonely place, I wished I had TRUSTED MY INSTINCTS!

Safe Travels...

Don