Image Credit: @kortneypoulson/TikTokA woman on TikTok has recounted a strange experience on a weekend camping trip, where her GMC SUV overheated as the family tried to drive a rented camper in 98-degree heat. A three-hour drive turned into a five-hour trip, with the engine in the GMC running incredibly hot.Kortney Poulson (@kortneypoulson) posted the two-minute video onto her account, with it showcasing a few moments from the trip before the GMC ran into trouble. The family was on their way to Bryce Canyon for the weekend, before the trouble started.According to her video, the family found the only way to keep moving was to blast the cabin heater and then pull over at every pass point to let the engine cool down so they could continue. The family was at least able to make light of the situation with a few jokes in the video.AdvertisementAdvertisementMost of the comments on the video were sympathetic to their plight. Many were astounded that the family had kept driving, in what has been very hot weather in America recently, as well as with the heater on full blast.Why Did the GMC SUV Overheat While Towing the Camper?The heat itself does not dictate a vehicle's towing rating. These ratings are for all weather, but heat can have a slight impact. What it does is shrink the margin for staying within it. According to hitch manufacturer BulletProof Hitches, the vehicle and components within it are under more strain as the heat ramps up.That means that what might work in weather with a temperature of 70°F may suddenly run into issues at around 110°F or higher. In those instances, cars could overheat or even fail entirely. The family was driving in 98°F, so the GMC would have been under more stress than normal, given it was towing in that weather. BulletProof Hitches stated that transmission fluid can be a problem in this weather, as it breaks down faster in very extreme heat.Putting the heater on full blast is a well-known trick. Hot coolant goes through the heater core, drawing heat out of the engine, but it then dumps it into the cabin. But the measure should buy struggling motorists more time to get off the road, find somewhere to pull over, and let the engine cool down. It did, of course, mean that Kortney and her family were melting inside the GMC when you would normally expect nice cool air to be blasting inside the vehicle.The Heat Issues Lengthened the Journey TimeImage Credit: @kortneypoulson/TikTokAnother effect of the heating issues was the journey time being lengthened. The trip should have taken them three hours, but it ended up taking well over that before they finally arrived at Bryce Canyon. "We left our house at 12:30. It's supposed to be a three-hour drive," said Kortney in her video.AdvertisementAdvertisement"It is 5:22, and we are still an hour and 45 minutes away," she added. Eventually, they did make it to the campsite. It was, however, dark at that point, and while they were looking forward to the weekend, they did have some worries about getting home. "So grateful we're here. Pray that we make it home on Sunday," said the mother of two.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
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