Ukraine Refugee Assistance

Prologue (continued):

Thankful we had finally caught a break, we decided to sleep in until almost 6am!  Woo hoo!

Back at the truck, things were looking a bit "frozen":

What you cant see is that when I fired the truck up, the cold idle shot up to nearly 3000rpms!

I wasn't worried about it at first, as I figured it must have just been THAT cold, but when the cold idle stopped then the normal idle was bouncing rhythmically between 500 and 1500rpms.  It was a bit embarrassing since the truck is so loud and we're still in the hotel parking lot.  We decide to pull out to the street and to continue de-icing the windows somewhere where we wouldn't be so bothersome.

We're driving through town a bit and pointed towards the highway, and I notice that the temperature gauge is starting to climb...  How in the heck can I be overheating in this weather????!!!

We pull over to investigate.

I had my water pump changed in Africa about a month ago now, but I'm wondering if they didn't top up my coolant all the way when they were done... or do I maybe have a leak somewhere?  It's the only thing I can think of.  I carefully grab the radiator cap and try to twist it off.

it doesn't move...

Now why wouldn't my radiator cap....  oh my god.  It's frozen.  This whole thing is frozen!!!!   We gotta get home by the evening tonight or my family wont make their flights tomorrow, and the entire cooling system of my truck has completely frozen over!  What the heck are we going to do??  God, I hope nothing split!

(note:  When the water pump was changed, I did ask for a 50/50 mix of coolant to be added.  Unsure of what the freezing point of the stuff I got was yet, as I have yet to test the antifreeze)

On our drive through town Mrs. Hungary and I noticed a car repair garage.  We walked there thinking they might have a torch or something we could use, but they were closed.

Mrs. Hungary thought she saw a hardware store a little further on, so we went there instead.

Success!

I get to work on the radiator with the torch.  That can of coke you see there on the header was supposed to be my morning coffee but it froze over too.  It's nearly thawed by the time I took this photo.  My goal here is two things:

1) close the hood and use the heat from the engine bay to melt as much as it can.  When the coolant temperature sufficiently drops, we can start the engine again and repeat.

2) use the torch to heat the bottom of the radiator from underneath.  My main focus point is trying to make a fluid path from the inlet of the radiator to the outlet back to the engine.  If I can do that then we can start moving (I do hate this torch though, it's crap)

While all that was going on, Mrs. Hungary found a convenience store nearby and bought us both coffee and breakfast

(oof.  Zip ties everywhere, trash, charging cables.... There is a lot going on in that last picture)

Eventually we get things thawed and running normal.  We decide we're going to err on the side of safety and block off part of the radiator with cardboard.  Not sure if it's needed, but we figure stopping 60mph sub-zero temps from potentially freezing things back over would be a good idea.

After all of that, we're only about 3-hours behind schedule.  Not bad, but things in the truck just are NOT warming back up the way they should be.  Our toes are freezing, and it's getting tougher and tougher to keep moving them to stay warm.  We stop once for fuel and a warm-up but things quickly go back to frozen once we're on the road:

It takes me a while (sorry, frozen brain) but eventually I stick my hand down by the floor vent and notice that the air coming out is ICE COLD.

Heater core is frozen solid still...  And since I have the switches set to "fresh air", it's probably going to stay that way.  Just in case it helps I throw the lever to "recirculate" and by the time we're 4-hours from home things thaw and we have heat again.  No more stops needed.

The truck is home now, and I haven't even been able to empty it of trash from the last run.  I did start a list of needed repairs, but it's the holiday season so I probably wont get to any of it until after the New Year.  Next run is in April though.  She'll be ready before then.  The beneficiary will be a prenatal center in Dnipro.  Stay tuned for more on that one

Good times

Leave the 4Runner alone, so we can put it in a museum.  I'll send a fresh 2004 Land Cruiser as soon as I win the lottery.

You need a bigger truck or 3/4 ton 4WD van.

Keep it up Man...of the year.

Hurtling headlong into oncoming traffic at the border reminds me of returning from Romania via Hungary to Austria a few times. The line is no joke! At least 8-10 km on the Romanian side of the border of trucks parked half in the lane. Hopscotch out and back into the gaps behind some insane Romanian drivers leading the charge. Back then they all drove like they had death wishes. Luckily I never had the pleasure of doing that in the wintertime.

Is Toyota® aware of all this yet?

Hey Bill, what parts or accessories could you use for the 4Runner? I swear I have a oil pan heater that's like, a silicone pad you stick onto it that runs off an American 110v plug you can have if you think you can use it.

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Is Toyota® aware of all this yet?

I'm trying! I have a dealership contact in Bill's home area back in the PNW who had some ideas of who to talk to at Toyota Motor Sales USA, but some winter nasties and the holiday break stalled that out just as soon as we got rolling. Toyota is probably as understaffed as anybody else right now so it may take a while to get any traction with them.

If anyone else has any avenues they want to pursue to get Toyota's attention, by all means do it!

akylekoz said:

Leave the 4Runner alone, so we can put it in a museum.  I'll send a fresh 2004 Land Cruiser as soon as I win the lottery.

You need a bigger truck or 3/4 ton 4WD van.

Keep it up Man...of the year.

Hahaha, sorry.  She's going to the youngest Hungarling.  He's got his own duck for it and everything

JFW75 said:

Hurtling headlong into oncoming traffic at the border reminds me of returning from Romania via Hungary to Austria a few times. The line is no joke! At least 8-10 km on the Romanian side of the border of trucks parked half in the lane. Hopscotch out and back into the gaps behind some insane Romanian drivers leading the charge. Back then they all drove like they had death wishes. Luckily I never had the pleasure of doing that in the wintertime.

It's crazy isn't it?  Luckily for us they had plowed quite extensively off of the left hand side of the road.   The oncoming traffic was a bit hesitant to use it, but it made for a good "soft runoff" when things got tight

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Is Toyota® aware of all this yet?

I've written them a few times early on.  While friendly, the person I reached didn't seem super interested (but said she would pass the info onto people who might be).  Maybe it's time to make another slide show and send it her way.

GIRTHQUAKE said:

Hey Bill, what parts or accessories could you use for the 4Runner? I swear I have a oil pan heater that's like, a silicone pad you stick onto it that runs off an American 110v plug you can have if you think you can use it.

We're pretty well sorted at the moment, but thank you!  I mean, at least I cant THINK of anything but this is GRM...  We're kind of used to driving with blankets on our laps because it's the middle of winter and we decided to fly and drive a challenge car with no heater.

Next run is in April.  Should be warmer.  I also bought two manual window regulators after my trip to Africa.  I'm really done with these electrics.  Once I get around to finding some door cards, I'm going to toss the electric regulators in the attic.

DarkMonohue said:

Woody (Forum Supportum) said:

Is Toyota® aware of all this yet?

I'm trying! I have a dealership contact in Bill's home area back in the PNW who had some ideas of who to talk to at Toyota Motor Sales USA, but some winter nasties and the holiday break stalled that out just as soon as we got rolling. Toyota is probably as understaffed as anybody else right now so it may take a while to get any traction with them.

If anyone else has any avenues they want to pursue to get Toyota's attention, by all means do it!

We'll get 'em somehow.  If not, that's ok too.  We'll still make our runs.

Ohhh, guys - Sarah and Bill - i'm so sorry 

This trip has been so difficult, so hard... and so cold for you   

Winter trips are always harder but still... it's too much.

Unfortunately moving the Christmas miracles to a warmer season - it's not in our power 

Thanks God and it's good thing that you didn't go through the mountain route how you planning. 

Hug Sarah from me once again 

I did ask for a 50/50 mix of coolant to be added

hmmm, It seems that those African masters just added pure water instead  

We always do the same thing - mix 50/50 coolant and water(sometimes it's more water) - and the radiator never freezes - even at lower temperature 

VikkiDp said:

Ohhh, guys - Sarah and Bill - i'm so sorry 

This trip has been so difficult, so hard... and so cold for you   

Winter trips are always harder but still... it's too much.

Unfortunately moving the Christmas miracles to a warmer season - it's not in our power 

Thanks God and it's good thing that you didn't go through the mountain route how you planning. 

Hug Sarah from me once again 

Right?  It could have been a lot worse.  Luckily we were prepared for the cold weather and the deliveries all made it without any serious issues.  We couldnt ask for more than that! 

Besides, April will be warmer

Found the next HungaryBill mobile.

That's right. 

In the end - it's absolutely worth it  all the efforts it takes - it's worth it 

Sorry guys, but i didn't have time to write my part of the story - either i had too much work to do or there was no electricity when i got home 

Tomorrow i'm going to Lviv for my work for 10 days - we organized family camp 

I've been thinking i would have time to write a few words about the trip before i left.

I'll do it a little later 

So if someone is around let me know 

Bill i saw the slideshow - it's amazing 

i'm planning to make my version too 

VikkiDp said:

Bill i saw the slideshow - it's amazing 

i'm planning to make my version too 

Awesome, I cant wait!  I hope you have a nice (and relaxing!) time in Lviv.  You deserve it.

Here's a link to the slideshow for everyone who's interested.  I think it's an easy way to share all the good work we were able to do with anyone you think might like to see such things:

84FSP said:

Found the next HungaryBill mobile.

I love that Camaro and the work it did with Mr. Meyer.

Since this all started, Helge and I have become FB friends.  After my trip to Africa he tried to find the duck that used to reside in the grill of his Camaro so it could fly again with the Toyota, but it seems it's been lost to time.   That would have been something though...

I've said it many times, Bill, but it needs to be said yet again. 

You and Sarah are truely some of the bestest humans alive.

I remember you talking about that now, very cool.  I think there will be a place in history for the HungaryBill 4Runner.  

m4ff3w said:

I've said it many times, Bill, but it needs to be said yet again. 

You and Sarah are truely some of the bestest humans alive.

 

Biased source! 

But thank you

84FSP said:

I remember you talking about that now, very cool.  I think there will be a place in history for the HungaryBill 4Runner.  

I was actually hoping to catch him and his car on tour one of these days.  We just missed him last summer in Copenhagen, but I thought it would be super cool to get a picture of the vehicles together (if possible).  My fingers are still crossed.

ok, first update of the New Year!  Here's where we're at:

So I've just switched bank accounts locally.  This doesn't change a thing as far as donations coming in go, but it's been a major headache with getting funds out to places.  I still have over $4000 that's owed to the Ma'lva rehabilitation center, but it's taking forever to clear (and is giving me a huge headache).  As I'm writing this, I'm also reminded that I wanted to write Mayor Kozma to make sure he got his last transfer ok.  I haven't heard from him in a while so it'll be nice to touch base again.

Mrs. Hungary and I found a FB page locally that hasn't been used since 2019.  It was started by a military spouse to organize volunteers in the area, and we thought it might be a good place to organize some workers for the Kisgorbo shelter.  More to follow on that one (in other words:  fingers crossed for a peaceful and productive takeover).

VikkiDp and I are in the very very early stages of organizing our next delivery.  Our thoughts at the moment are for a prenatal center in the area, and we thought it'd be a great place to bring the remaining baby blankets (of course, I'm sure stuffies will be welcome there as well).  More to follow on that one I'm sure.

Other than that, things are sitting pretty well.  It has been a while since we made it out to visit Ira, but we've hardly been sitting on our laurels so I think that's ok.  The truck, of course, needs some wrench time.  It's currently covered with a tarp, and sits largely untouched since the last run (cold weather makes me a wimp when it comes to going outside).

Happy new year everyone!

OOh!  I almost forgot!

We sent a second package to VikkiDp's neighbor.  We actually ordered the items back before Christmas but they didn't arrive before our trip.  He was asking for snow boots, some under shirts, and a tool set.  The tool set I was able to provide as I had an extra portable socket and screwdriver set in my truck (one that I took with me to Africa) but the snow boots and undershirts couldn't be sourced locally.  We ordered both from Amazon.

While all that was going on, a certain GRMer sent some money our way and asked that we also send some thermals along with.  So we bought 5 thermal tops and 5 thermal bottoms, as well as some thick winter socks.  All were sent late last month and should be arriving there any time now.

Good times.