We Ignored the Check Engine Light to Make It to Disney

We Ignored the Check Engine Light to Make It to Disney

Sometimes the worst camping trips make the best stories.

There’s a certain level of confidence — or maybe denial — that comes with towing a camper down the interstate. You hear a weird noise, you turn the radio down. A light comes on, you convince yourself it’s “probably nothing.” And if there’s a non-refundable vacation involved? Well… logic tends to leave the chat pretty quickly.

That was us on the way to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground for a Run Disney weekend.

About halfway into the drive, the truck decided to throw a check engine light. Not ideal when you’re towing a camper and still hours away from your destination. To make things even more interesting, the truck also started randomly idling at way higher RPMs than normal anytime we stopped.

Did we turn around?

Absolutely not.

We had campsite reservations. A race weekend planned. The camper packed. Monty and Gadget already mentally checked into vacation mode. At that point we convinced ourselves the engine issue could wait until we got there.

Because that always works out well.

Then Came the Brake Noise

The drive itself wasn’t terrible. Stressful? Yes. But manageable enough that we kept rolling south convincing ourselves the truck would magically behave long enough to survive vacation.

Then we pulled into Fort Wilderness.

And heard it.

A grinding noise coming from the brake drum loud enough to immediately kill the excitement. Not a tiny squeak or an occasional chirp — the kind of grinding noise that makes your stomach drop while you’re backing the camper into a site pretending everything is totally fine.

Now we had two separate problems:

• A truck with a check engine light and high idle RPMs
• A completely different grinding brake issue

Nothing says “welcome to Disney” quite like mentally pricing out repair bills while unhitching a camper.

Vacation… With a Side of Panic

The next morning, instead of relaxing at the campsite, we found ourselves sitting in an AutoZone parking lot getting a free code scan and Googling symptoms like we suddenly became certified mechanics overnight.

Was the check engine light serious?

Was the brake grinding serious?

Could we make it home?

Would this become a funny camping story later… or a financially devastating Disney trip?

These are the thoughts that run through your head when your tow vehicle starts acting possessed on vacation.

The Reality of RV Travel

One thing nobody really tells you about RV camping is that vehicle problems hit differently when you’re far from home. It’s not just getting your truck repaired — it’s your transportation, your tow vehicle, and your entire trip wrapped into one stressful situation.

But honestly? These moments end up becoming part of the experience.

Not the glamorous Instagram version of camping, obviously. More like the “standing in a parking lot covered in brake dust holding coffee while Googling engine codes” version.

And somehow those are always the trips you remember most.

What We Learned

A few takeaways from this adventure:

• Warning lights rarely show up at convenient times.
• Brake noises should never be ignored.
• Non-refundable vacations make people ignore common sense.
• Every camper eventually becomes a roadside mechanic.
• Stress levels increase dramatically when Disney is involved.

Most importantly: sometimes you just have to laugh through the chaos.

Because at the end of the day, the camper still made it, the race still happened, and Monty and Gadget still had a great time at Fort Wilderness — even if we spent part of the trip wondering whether the truck would survive the drive home.

And honestly?

That’s camping

-Tim, Kristen, Monty and Gadget