I couldn't believe the repair shop invited me into their work area where my van was up in the air. That is only the second time in my RV-traveler career when a shop allowed me into their inner sanctum. The young mechanic showed me that the aftermarket part I had ordered online was not going to fit my van.
He was so professional and so young! How had he even lived enough years on this earth to pick up all his skills and knowledge? Normally I don't think about being impressed with people's jobs. Perhaps that is because I think in terms of meaningless office work in giant corporate or government bureaucracies. But guys who actually know how to do things, how to fix things, are so impressive.
That repair shop will definitely get my business again when I loop through Grangeville ID next year. They didn't even charge me anything. I insisted on paying something, so the manager let me tip the mechanic $20. Finally the manager had an educational discussion with me about keeping transmissions cool when climbing up the nearby and infamous White Bird Grade, from the Salmon River trench up to the Camas Prairie.
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But an experienced traveler can let a great mechanic influence them, coax them, back to the same area next year.