[Vwdiesel] stranded

[Travis Gottschalk]

99 chevy lumina-2 flate rear tires in Wyoming desert near rock springs WY with no cell service for 10 miles. I put the spare on and drove at idle till one tire ripped off. Then put the other flate on and made it the 10 miles (looking at the cell phone) till I got a bar of service. Paid $450 to have an outfit change both tires in the field but I made it to MN the next day and had to change my breaks as they were metal on metal. I for the longest time carried 2 tires in the VW pickup after this
 
81 rabbit truck-blew the radiator end cap going up a ski mountain. Made it to the top before blowing. Skied all day. Came back with a few pop bottles of water and made it down the mountain mostly with the engine off. Couple tubes of silicone on the left side of the radiator and some fresh coolant and I was on my way till the radiator could be ordered in. Drove the rest of the trip (Idaho to Minnesota-1500 miles) like that. 
 
81 rabbit/s gelled fuel filters. Would go a few blocks and then die. Changed one fuel filter to the thermostatic T style on the TDI's. Never had the chance on the other and now don't drive in the winter. Only did at the start of winter one time and once thawed it was good to go. I normally could limit it back to home. 
 
81 rabbit truck. Glow plug -the fuse burned. Just put the two ends together once I figured it out.
 
81 rabbit truck. Left lights on-low bat by the end of day. Had enough juice to warm the glow plugs on a warmer day but not enough to crank so I push started it. 
 
04 Golf. Changed the fuel filter and it wouldn't stay running-turned out to be the fuel pump. It was likely running just fine without it till I introduced air. I made the mod so it can run if it stops working on the new one.
 
Fathers 2000 Chevy Impala dumped the tranny on the ground twice in 50K miles-call AAA and at 50K trade to an 02 that was flawless.
 
Brothers 97 sportster. water in brake fluid. Boiled once using rear brakes, rusted locked in place-Trailer home
Brother 97 Harley sporster-threw drive belt-Trailer home
Brothers 97 Harley-Voltage regulator-made it to a dealer in time to change out before dead battery-several times
My 97 sportster, cylinder base gaskets leaking-carry extra oil for rest of trip and have no one behind me as they were getting sprayed with oil. 
My 97 Harley-Battery cable bolt fell out (call home to get tools to get to battery)
Fathers 03 Ultra Harley. Breaker switch went out. Harley dealers in the whole North West (canada, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho) didn't have it Montana did. They put a smaller amp on in that worked till he slowwed down and it over heated so every town he had to wait a few minutes in. 
 
So other then some flate tires or a Harley or so nothing has left us on the side of the road yet. Fathers car seems to use a lot of low beam head lamps. They are easy to change on the 09 sportwagons though. He did have what we found afterwards an iced intercooler but it is still driving 1.5 years after and we just kept driving to the nearest town where it went away (limp mode in a blizard).