Insayn's 2013 road trip prep.
Howz everyone doing these days? Been a while since I posted last. I got busy with other hobbies and fabricated toys. We're gearing up for a long road trip next summer out east (hot hum...
Forum Discussion
Funny, I was just wondering where you've been just a few days ago.
When will this trip be? Hot and humid, that narrows it down to about April through September. :W
How long will you have? You've got a couple of kids, right? I see in your last post you'll be towing a "Yak-a-Haulit" and started to give you a WTH??? on that, but Googled it and and found your pics. :B You probably ought to check out floating the Buffalo River here in Arkansas.
Interested in history? Cowboy history, American Indian history, oil-boom history. There are many interesting, historical places in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. My wife and I love driving around this part of the country, visiting little museums, old west towns, off the beaten path stuff.
There's a battlefield site in western OK that's associated with Gen. Custer. Ft Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas, The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, the Will Rogers Museum and the J M Davis Gun Museum in Claremore, OK. The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK (world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR (home of WalMart), Poverty Point in Louisiana (one of the oldest and largest prehistoric Native American culture sites known in North America) are all worthy destinations.
And, there are Civil War sites in this part of the country that just shouldn't be missed, like the Shilo and Corinth Battlefields, Pea Ridge, Wilsons Creek, Vicksburg (the remains of the ironclad USS Cairo is there. It's so cool!). Speaking of riverboats, if you can make it up to Kansas City, MO you have to see the Steamboat Arabia Museum (sank in 1856 on the "Big Muddy" Missouri River with a full cargo hold, located and dug up from a cornfield in 1988 by private individuals and the entire salvaged cargo is on display in the museum). There's a lot to see, for sure.
Regarding your proposed truck upgrades, I've done a lot of the same things to my '95 F350. Most of the big stuff is on my profile page. Since you tow a trailer, have you thought of adding an exhaust brake? If your going to replace the exhaust, that's a good time to do it. It's probably my most appreciated add-on. Wasn't cheap, but in hindsight well worth it.
How's the truck's cooling system? About a year ago I replaced the water pump, t-stat, upper and lower hoses, etc. etc. I used the water pump from the later model 7.3's (probably like the one on your engine), and while putting the big hoses back on, one of the squeeze-type hose clamps got away from me and poked a hole in the radiator. I wasn't planning on replacing that, but was very glad I did afterward. It lowered my average "cruising" temp by about 20 degrees, even with the toolbox I carry on the front hitch receiver.
Plenty of time to make plans. I live in Little Rock if you end up stopping in the area.
:):)
When will this trip be? Hot and humid, that narrows it down to about April through September. :W
How long will you have? You've got a couple of kids, right? I see in your last post you'll be towing a "Yak-a-Haulit" and started to give you a WTH??? on that, but Googled it and and found your pics. :B You probably ought to check out floating the Buffalo River here in Arkansas.
Interested in history? Cowboy history, American Indian history, oil-boom history. There are many interesting, historical places in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. My wife and I love driving around this part of the country, visiting little museums, old west towns, off the beaten path stuff.
There's a battlefield site in western OK that's associated with Gen. Custer. Ft Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas, The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, the Will Rogers Museum and the J M Davis Gun Museum in Claremore, OK. The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK (world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR (home of WalMart), Poverty Point in Louisiana (one of the oldest and largest prehistoric Native American culture sites known in North America) are all worthy destinations.
And, there are Civil War sites in this part of the country that just shouldn't be missed, like the Shilo and Corinth Battlefields, Pea Ridge, Wilsons Creek, Vicksburg (the remains of the ironclad USS Cairo is there. It's so cool!). Speaking of riverboats, if you can make it up to Kansas City, MO you have to see the Steamboat Arabia Museum (sank in 1856 on the "Big Muddy" Missouri River with a full cargo hold, located and dug up from a cornfield in 1988 by private individuals and the entire salvaged cargo is on display in the museum). There's a lot to see, for sure.
Regarding your proposed truck upgrades, I've done a lot of the same things to my '95 F350. Most of the big stuff is on my profile page. Since you tow a trailer, have you thought of adding an exhaust brake? If your going to replace the exhaust, that's a good time to do it. It's probably my most appreciated add-on. Wasn't cheap, but in hindsight well worth it.
How's the truck's cooling system? About a year ago I replaced the water pump, t-stat, upper and lower hoses, etc. etc. I used the water pump from the later model 7.3's (probably like the one on your engine), and while putting the big hoses back on, one of the squeeze-type hose clamps got away from me and poked a hole in the radiator. I wasn't planning on replacing that, but was very glad I did afterward. It lowered my average "cruising" temp by about 20 degrees, even with the toolbox I carry on the front hitch receiver.
Plenty of time to make plans. I live in Little Rock if you end up stopping in the area.
:):)
