Adventure! That is what happens when things go wrong.
I had a chevy van and had it inspected before a road trip. Somewhere in east Ohio a rear wheel fell off. Felt like I had picked up some gravel in a tire and suddenly … adventure! I figure inspection station forgot to torque the lug nuts.
I got tired of working on my 6.4L Ford and swore off emission diesels forever. I loved driving the diesel but hated owning it. My 100k mile service cost me close to $1800 and I do all the work. Radiator was $900 of that but it never leaked again. I carried EGT sensors, tools, diesel additive, … and worried that I forgot to carry something I’d need. And there wasn’t much I could fix on the side of the road. Typically, first step was to remove the cab from truck. So, now I drive a 5L gas wonder but really should have bought a 6.2 1 ton. Now the good that comes from this is that there is now the 7.3 godzilla that would be absolutely awesome.
Back to the original question. I don’t think I’ve ever called for a tow. I somehow manage to get it going. Like the van. I jacked up the vehicle. Put the wheel back on and fastened it by borrowing lug nuts from the other wheels. Repaired it the next day in the Chevy dealership parking lot. Just don’t give up. Even something like having an ODBII reader can help you out. I carry a Blue Driver. Even if you don’t have problems you can use it to monitor vehicle health.
If your going to call for help, make sure you have phone service. This might mean carrying a SPOT like device for times when you haven’t any service.
Just remember … its adventure. Well maybe not so much when you live in Alaska but I live in Texas and just worry about sun burn. -d
