If there ever was a person who can tell you about breakdowns going to Burning Man it is me. In the past 6 years I have had 4 blowouts, one blown engine, (actually a broken crankshaft) and a transmission that failed to go into forward gears when I got in the RV to come home. I drive old rigs and worked as a heavy duty diesel mechanic for over 20 years as an ASE certified Journeyman. I removed, rebuilt, and reinstalled one automatic transmission by myself on the playa on the tail gate of a pick up in the middle of a  whiteout after BM 03, and then drove it home the next day. Even I have had my share.

I want to impart a little advice form someone who has been through hell on  the way up and back with mechanical problems on my rigs as well as others.

The Number One Problem for most of us is Tires.

You absolutely must have good tires for this trip. You will be driving a heavily loaded vehicle through some of the hottest and most remote areas in the US. Any questionable tires are likely to blow out. When they go it will probably be miles from nowhere and in the middle of the day with 100+ temps.  When tires blow out they tend to do other damage to the vehicle. That can be anything from simple body damage, to tearing out brake lines and wiring. Several Burners have died over the years going to Burning Man when tires  blew and they lost control. Above and beyond anything else, tire blow outs are the most common breakdown on the road. Sadly a lot of them could have been avoided by simply checking the air on the tires with a known accurate gauge before the trip even started.

To find your tire pressure look at the side wall. By federal law, every tire  has to have the recommended tire pressure on the side wall. Sometimes it is pretty small, but it is there. It will give you a maximum pressure COLD. If your vehicle is heavily loaded this is the pressure you will want to use.  Cold tire pressure is simply the pressure of the tire when it has set over night or only been driven a short distance, like going to the station to air it up. Note that once you air it up the pressure will be higher once the  tire is hot from driving on the highway. This is OK since tire companies take this into consideration when they design the tire. The base line pressure is always the pressure cold. Note that it is very important that  you go buy the tire manufacturers recommended tire pressure, Not what is in your car owners manual. The rash of blow outs on Ford SUV'S a few years ago was in part related to pressures listed in the vehicle owners manual being  too low for the load. If in doubt you can always go to the tire store where  you bought your last set and have them check the pressures and advise you of any tires that might not make it. Don't forget to check the spare for condition and inflation. A worn out old spare or one that is under inflated  may not get you to the next town if you have to change a blown tire.

Also be advised that trailer tires DO NOT generally use the same pressures  as the tow vehicle. They tend to be at least 55 psi. If you run these at normal car tire pressures of around 35 psi they will blow out from heat build up from excessive sidewall flex. Check the sidewall of the trailer  tire to get the proper cold tire pressure. This is a good time to inspect tire side walls to see if any are dry rotted. Dry rot is very common on
trailer and RV tires from setting and not being used. If there is signs of  cracking or splits in the rubber on the side walls the tires are probably not going to make the trip without blowing out. If they blow do you have a
spare for the trailer, a lug wrench and a jack to change it? Your car jack  and lug wrench probably wont work on the trailer.

Speaking of trailers.... when was the last time the trailer wheel bearings  were packed with grease and adjusted? Lots of people loose trailer axle bearings going on the trip to BM every year. This is not a cheap repair on the road and is very dangerous if a bearing fails from lack of grease.  However for basic mechanical repairs it is fairly cheap to have done before hand. If a trailer axle bearing fails you can loose the entire tire, wheel and hub assembly at highway speeds. If this happens it will also cause you  to completely loose your trailer brakes if it has them. This can cause a serious accident or death from a roll over when you over correct trying to keep it under control. Imagine trying to control your car or truck, heavily  loaded, towing a trailer heavily loaded, and loosing an entire wheel assembly at 65 mph on a down hill grade! This happens every year to people  going to and from Burning Man.

With all that out of the way. The next things you need to do is make sure  ALL the lights work on your trailer and tow rig. This includes the license plate light. Non functional lights, any of them, are sufficient reason for the police to pull you over. We all want to avoid the hassle of going  through that. You also need to make sure your wiper blades are in good shape. It does rain on the trip sometimes.

Mechanically you need to check the air filter, change the oil and oil filter  and have the chassis lubed. This is very important protection for your engine. You will be pushing it harder than normal and having fresh engine oil and filter is a must. Also you need to check the belts hoses and cooling system for over all condition and make sure the water pump and fan clutch (if equipped), are in good shape as well. I will recommend one thing. IF you are replacing belts, hoses, radiator cap and thermostat and your  water pump is several years old it is probably going to fail once the rest of the system is brought up to spec. If you have all that apart go ahead and spend the extra money and replace the pump too because half the work of  replacing the pump is already being done.

How about that tune up? With gas closing close to $4.00 a gallon in remote areas of  Nevada a tune up will be worth it in the long run the engine will run better run cooler and get better mileage.

I know all this is beyond most peoples ability to perform yourself. Or in a  lot of cases able to afford before BM. If you are concerned about your vehicles ability to make the trip take you vehicle to your trusted mechanic
and tell them your are about to make a long road trip across the desert and  want it checked out. It may save you a lot of hassle and your life.

For more information send an email to:
- Gary Taylor