TLDR: Spent $900 getting truck ready to go, 2 hours from home blew a gasket, going to miss youngest daughter's first Christmas.
Yeah, I finally got all caught up on this thread. Been a busy few days getting ready to leave for Christmas at my families 7 hrs away. Schedule is check into hotel, dinner at Moms tonight, Grandmas traditional Christmas eve dinner, Christmas breakfast at dads, drive home day after. Girls have been up there all week with grandparents.
Spent last 2 days running around getting truck fixed, and reservoirs set up for all the girls. $450 on truck, oil change, 3 coils, 4wd transfer case motor. Spent another $460 on 2 new tires(other 2 still half new) going to great white north, all ready.
Got 2 hours from home, chugging up a hill (pulling enclosed trailer) and suddenly Blue smoke blowing out the back. I'm thinking oh s*** blew rings or main seal or worse. Get pulled over and nothing coming out exhaust, (kinda better) just dripping onto and burning. Looked underneath, hard to find anything as the whole bottom is covered in oil. Drive another mile to the next exit, didnt want to check on steep decline, get it shut off check the oil, and actually didn't lose that much, and leak seems to have slowed. Turned around and nursed it back home, no going into overdrive, lotsa nasty looks on interstate. Stopped once and added a quart. Lost 2 quarts getting home.
Only other vehicle right now is red car the deer killed, still driveable, but not far and not at night.
So now going to miss the youngests first Christmas. At least she's with all my family...