Northbound Episode 8 - Breakdown on the Side of the Dalton Highway

Northern Slope oil town of Deadhorse, Alaska. This is a place only the most adventurous vanlifers will ever dare to visit. There isn't much besides massive oil company dormitories for workers to stay on their three-week shifts and vast work yards full of drilling equipment and heavy machinery. For this trip to the top of North America to happen, all Famagogo needed to know were two things. 1) Deadhorse, Alaska, was the most northern point you can drive to in North America. 2) It's the northern terminus of the Pan-American highway. The Pan-Am is said to be the most incredible road trip in the world. An Overlanding challenge to not be lightly accepted going from Deadhorse, AK, to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost point of South America. But Peter and Kathy Holcombe are on this path and had to visit Prudhoe Bay to start this journey South. And what a rough start it's become. Just minutes after arriving at the Northernmost point. Vanlife hits a low point. They hear a catastrophic grinding sound from the rear of their Sprinter van. This could be one of the worst places in the world to break down... With no assistance from the Oil companies for a mechanic to fix the van. And a towing estimate of $6000 for the 850 miles to the nearest dealership service center in Anchorage. They decide to roll up their sleeves, call some friends for help, and see if they can fix this themselves. A major repair. Especially in a muddy gravel roadside spot with cold and rain in the forecast.