6000 Mile Trip!

Glad you're home safe. Looking forward to hearing the details.

Wow... that ended quickly =(. Hope you had a great time! 9.3 mpg over the trip isn't too bad at all. When is the next trip planned?

Stats:
21 days
5860 miles
Drove through 13 states
Used approx: 630 gals of gas at average $2.70. 13qts of oil.
Stayed at 11 campgrounds/dry camped two nights
Damage Report to TT: valance and blinds fell over couch, tp holder fell off, lost 4" bumper cap while driving, lost sewer cap while driving, cut pull away brake cable on sharp turn, hinges on underbed storage broke, several screws on plastic wheel covers on drivers side pulled out, door shelf in refrig broke, various screws fell out of things... All fixed on the road except for refrigerator shelf. Hoping I can order a replacement.

No damage to TV.

Wife and puppy are fine!!!

After leaving Albuquerque, we continued south and cut through Texas. We've spent a lot of time in Texas. One year we spent the summer exploring and enjoying the state. On the suggestion of one of the forum members we booked it to Tyler State Park! AWESOME!!! Campsite was lakeside. We napped by the lake after a great lunch. Then rode our bikes around the park and swam in the lake. Spent an entire day doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying! So appreciative of the tips, advice and suggestions we've received here!

We left Tyler and headed toward home. 70mph. 6mpg. Stopped for gas. Switched drivers. Exhausted the songs on MP3. Scanned through local radio stations. Finished up the snack foods. Pulled in campground just outside on Pensicola after closing, left before it opened, called in credit card to pay...

Decided to book it back from Pensicola to Palm Beach where we live. Left at 6:00am. DW and puppy slept soundly till about 8:30. Ate breakfast in the car as we drove. Stopped for a really nice lunch about 1:30. Gotta love living in South Florida! 630 miles from border to driveway!!! Backed the camper into the driveway at 7:30pm.

We are home!!!
Will post stats in a different post...

We drove to S Tn from Va over the weekend, 625 miles and saw lots of gas at 2.45. Diesel was 2.79 going down but after the 4th started dropping. Our TT is black with bugs dirt and carbon.

Anmacc2 wrote:


Stats: we are now 4000 miles into our 6000 mile trip. We are exactly 2000 miles from home. We have used approximately 500 gallons of gas at $2.75 a gallon. We've burned through 10qts of oil!!! Valve seals for sure. The outsides of the TV and TT are filthy, covered in road dust, mud, and bugs and all streaky and water spotted from the rain. We've kept the interiors clean and organized! I clean the windows on the van at every fill up. Some of the roads have been rough! Valance and blinds fell over the sofa. Bathroom medicine cabinet opened and spilled contents. Dishes slid out of their racks in the cabinets but none broke. Clothes bounced off rods even with lock bars on. TP holder fell off... Nothing major.

All part of the fun!!!

thanks goodness for the nice plastic dishware for sure.. :)

so it seem your overall MPG is 8 ? guess the high altitude lack is air is tough on the gasser.. is your average for gas $2.75 thus far? is that what this is saying? The Durango area is quite nice for sure. I have been in the high desert of New Mexico and it is a beautiful place for sure..

we enjoy your post and hope you have more fun.

carl

We got caught in a hailstorm in Colorado Springs but we were under a covered portico so we got to watch without worrying about damaging the vehicle. We did run out in the rain and hail for fun! It was COLD!!! It was like marbles rolling down the parking lot.

While rain on a vehicle covered with road dust just seems to make it worse, it seems HAIL has just enough abrasive action to take most of the dust with it.

It was coming down good enough on Monday that we found an appropriate spot to pull off the road and wait 10 minutes for things to lighten up.

Awesome trip, sounds like some great memories.. hope you are taking many photos.. create an album and have it printed as photo book (costco, snapfish, etc can do it).. put the book on the coffee table and enjoy the memories..

We spent the 4th, 5th, and 6th in Bayfield near Durango! So beautiful I can't describe it! Up in the mountains, right by a huge lake and small dam! Country stores and local restaurants where everyone knows each other. They shot fireworks over the lake! We drove the van down by the lakeside to watch. We went to an art and craft fair located right next to the dam. Explored all of Durango. We were going to ride the small gauge train up to Silverton but a rock slide covered the tracks and we would have had to wait an extra three hours. We rode our bikes all around town. The whole experience was great.

We took the van through all the dirt roads and mountain trails. I have mud caked in my hubcaps! LOL

We packed up this morning in the pouring rain!!! Fortunately we've got this down to a science so it was quick and efficient. Left in the pouring rain too! Country mountain roads, pouring rain, and oh yeah!!! This new thing we never encountered before!!! Gravel mixed with oil roads!!! It sounded like pellets hitting the van! It only lasted ten miles! I was so glad I don't have a new vehicle!

We headed south into New Mexico! We did not know that New Mexixo is all mountains too!!! We're still at 6000 ft in Albuquerque. The mountains here a very different than in Colorado. This is high altitude dessert. So beautiful. The colors are magnificent. You can see the layers of passing ions of time. We drove miles and miles seeing nothing but untouched land. We saw deer, horses, elk, goats, and lots of flying things and little scurrying things too. The land is flat with huge rock formations jutting out of it.

Stats: we are now 4000 miles into our 6000 mile trip. We are exactly 2000 miles from home. We have used approximately 500 gallons of gas at $2.75 a gallon. We've burned through 10qts of oil!!! Valve seals for sure. The outsides of the TV and TT are filthy, covered in road dust, mud, and bugs and all streaky and water spotted from the rain. We've kept the interiors clean and organized! I clean the windows on the van at every fill up. Some of the roads have been rough! Valance and blinds fell over the sofa. Bathroom medicine cabinet opened and spilled contents. Dishes slid out of their racks in the cabinets but none broke. Clothes bounced off rods even with lock bars on. TP holder fell off... Nothing major.

All part of the fun!!!