Made it to the valley

[joebedford]

We took just over two weeks to make it from Ontario to the RGV. ABout 2100 miles. Visited family, had some fun in Memphis, New Orleans and Galveston.

Our rig performed pretty well except for the short day we didn't have trailer brakes - somehow THREE of the wires on the 5er axles were cut. I must have hit something that jumped up and cut them, but I don't remember doing so.

The strangest thing that happened was on our first day where some guy in a SUV pulled up beside me and honk honk honk and pointing back at the lower side of the 5er. I was on a 6 lane highway but I pulled over to the shoulder and did a quick check - nothing. I wasn't safe there so went slowly to the next exit where both DW and I did a thorough check - nothing. We went another 50 miles to a service center where I got DW behind the wheel and had her back up and go forward while I was watching the wheels rotate - nothing. We never did find a problem (it wasn't the brakes). I can't imagine why the guy did it - just to mess with our heads? Very strange.

[John_Joey]

You ain't messing around with that thing are you. Makes my rig look like a popup camper. 😉

On edit:

13.4 now I can understand how that might have been an "interesting" exercise getting on and off the ferry. My eyes would have been glued to that passenger side mirror after I rotated it up.

[joebedford]

We were under the limits: 27000lbs, 55 long, 13.4 high and 8.5 wide:

[TomG2]

bucky wrote:
If I'm at the speed limit or over they can kiss my grits. They don't worry about us so why would I worry about them? They're just jealous.
I do not purposely hold up traffic, not even the jerks.

It's even more fun to run side by side with others to make sure that nobody is exceeding the speed limit behind you. Merry Christmas!

[bucky]

If I'm at the speed limit or over they can kiss my grits. They don't worry about us so why would I worry about them? They're just jealous.
I do not purposely hold up traffic, not even the jerks.

[John_Joey]

joebedford wrote:
... The ferry was "interesting" getting on and off. They put us in the middle of the 3 lines right at the front. We're 102" - in retrospect, I wonder if it was legal for us to take that ferry?....

Pretty sure most RV's are over 96 inches now-a-days. Wide body use to be a big selling point in Class A's back in the 90's. Behind our 5'ver is a Class A, check out their mirrors.

Over the last few years we've seen all sorts of big rigs use that ferry. Pretty ride down the Bolivar peninsula. If others want to give it a try, here's an image.



ON EDIT:

From their website.

"Vehicles should not exceed 80,000 pounds, may have a maximum length of 65 feet, a maximum height of 13.5 feet and a maximum width of 8.5 feet"

[joebedford]

Yes, we took the ferry to Galveston. The ferry was "interesting" getting on and off. They put us in the middle of the 3 lines right at the front. We're 102" - in retrospect, I wonder if it was legal for us to take that ferry? Doesn't matter, we made it!

As far as my driving in the middle lane goes, I do it when traffic is heavy and there are lots of ramps - e.g. in a city. I learnt that from truckers - traffic flows much more smoothly. If I held the guy up, it wasn't for more than 10 seconds.

[shepstone]

Could have been water overspill from the fresh water tank that he was pointing to

[FlatBroke]

Was leaving for AZ November 1. Health problems cropped up so it was Dec. 1. Told the Card Dr if I didn't get out of here the weathers going to kill me. Got the go ahead for end of December!

[DustyR]

61* In Rio Hondo @ 6:15AM with a predicted high of 78* and partly cloudy or as I prefer mostly sunny. 😉

[her_I]

pawatt wrote:
86 degrees predicted for Christmas Day. a frigid 78 degrees here at the moment.

Thank you sir!!!!

[pawatt]

86 degrees predicted for Christmas Day. a frigid 78 degrees here at the moment.

[empty_nest]

her&I wrote:

joebedford wrote:
We took just over two weeks to make it from Ontario to the RGV. ABout 2100 miles. Visited family, had some fun in Memphis, New Orleans and Galveston.

Our rig performed pretty well except for the short day we didn't have trailer brakes - somehow THREE of the wires on the 5er axles were cut. I must have hit something that jumped up and cut them, but I don't remember doing so.

The strangest thing that happened was on our first day where some guy in a SUV pulled up beside me and honk honk honk and pointing back at the lower side of the 5er. I was on a 6 lane highway but I pulled over to the shoulder and did a quick check - nothing. I wasn't safe there so went slowly to the next exit where both DW and I did a thorough check - nothing. We went another 50 miles to a service center where I got DW behind the wheel and had her back up and go forward while I was watching the wheels rotate - nothing. We never did find a problem (it wasn't the brakes). I can't imagine why the guy did it - just to mess with our heads? Very strange.

Never mind all the other stuff, you are just trying to make us jealous. We would gladly take 2 weeks to get there but stuck here in Ontario for this winter. It was 26F last night with snow squalls.

I agree. Been snowing here all day long. All I can do is browse the web and look at all the warm and beautiful places down south. Enjoy, everybody!

[John_Joey]

her&I wrote:
..you are just trying to make us jealous...

Whatever you do, do not check the weather down here. Just take my word it's cold/wet/ and windy.

That prior snowbird thread a few weeks back about how Texas was going to be worst then normal, while Florida would be better, is all true.

WPB is the place to be is my thoughts.

[her_I]

joebedford wrote:
We took just over two weeks to make it from Ontario to the RGV. ABout 2100 miles. Visited family, had some fun in Memphis, New Orleans and Galveston.

Our rig performed pretty well except for the short day we didn't have trailer brakes - somehow THREE of the wires on the 5er axles were cut. I must have hit something that jumped up and cut them, but I don't remember doing so.

The strangest thing that happened was on our first day where some guy in a SUV pulled up beside me and honk honk honk and pointing back at the lower side of the 5er. I was on a 6 lane highway but I pulled over to the shoulder and did a quick check - nothing. I wasn't safe there so went slowly to the next exit where both DW and I did a thorough check - nothing. We went another 50 miles to a service center where I got DW behind the wheel and had her back up and go forward while I was watching the wheels rotate - nothing. We never did find a problem (it wasn't the brakes). I can't imagine why the guy did it - just to mess with our heads? Very strange.

Never mind all the other stuff, you are just trying to make us jealous. We would gladly take 2 weeks to get there but stuck here in Ontario for this winter. It was 26F last night with snow squalls.