The worst my Av has done was broke a rear brake pad in Nebraska, But since I was already stopped in a hotel waiting for my Trailer wheel bearing to be fixed. I don't think that counts as stranded. The wife had her Honda, which we just had a new clutch installed the day before in Iowa. So I went to the local parts dealer picked up a set of cheap pads and fixed the issue. That drive was the worst trip of my entire life.
We loaded all our stuff on out trailer in Milwaukee. We get just across the border into Iowa and the wife's Honda is having issues going into gear. So we get to Cedar Rapids Iowa at about 9pm and the Honda will not go into gear anymore. When you push the clutch in all you hear and feel is grinding. Well no shops are open at that time of night. So we call a tow truck, since my Av is loaded down with a trailer. The drive recommend a shop. So we have it towed there. We stayed in a crappy Motel6. The next afternoon about 2pm we get the Honda back after spending $550.00 on a new clutch, oh yea the Honda had 186k on the stock clutch. So we are driving into Lincoln Nebraska and the wife calls me and says the trailer looks like the tire is on fire. So we pull over on the side of the Interstate. Sure enough the wheel is about to come off. So we take the first exit for Lincoln. It leads to a Gentleman's club. So I go inside and ask if I can leave my trailer in the parking lot? We drop the trailer and go find a motel, then my son pukes all over the inside of the passengers door.
So next morning comes I go to look at the trailer, it is beyond my help. I could not even get the bearing washer off. So I call I guy who came out and fixed it for me for $220.00. Well after the guy shows up we head back to the hotel and I hear a bad dragging metal sound. I get back to the Motel and pull of the passenger rear and sure enough the brake pad on the inside has cracked in half. So pads cost $20.00, me and the wife changed them.
We start driving across Nebraska the next morning and the wind is 50+ MPH hitting me head on. Now the Av is not very aero dynamic to began with, but my trailer was worse. We took are 6x12 dog yard and assembled it inside the trailer and wrapped it with tarps. So my Av spent most of the nice flat drive across Nebraska at 55MPH in 3rd gear.
Then it snowed when we got to Wyoming. The day we left Milwaukee it was 85 degrees.
Now that is the worst trip ever.
Oh and the people who were renting my house would not leave or pay me when i got back to Pocatello. So I had to live in a trailer with my family in a friends back yard for 2 months.