Hi all y’all,
I’m in Arizona! The start of what I hope will be a long multi-year road trip/adventure. It certainly has begun as an adventure. The following is a trip summary of my trip/shakedown run. It was one helluva trip. I’m resolving most of the problems I encountered, I’m just posting this for all y’all’s enjoyment.
Steve
November 21st
My trip to Tucson actually started on the 21st. However, when I started out I decided to stop at Camping World in New Braunfels to bring back some RV parts I didn’t need. When the rig barely started and nearly 900 miles to go I knew I was in trouble. I drove back to San Marcos and brought the starter into a local shop for rebuilding.
November 23rd
I restarted the journey on the 23rd driving right into a winter storm with heavy cross winds and mid 30 degree temps. I knew the heater didn’t work but didn’t think I need would it this early in the season. Time to break out the old snowmobile suit! Thank goodness I’m a cold-blooded Norwegian originally from the Chicago area. Off I went heading west, the RV running great. It took a while to get used to being passed by the semi’s, every time I was passed the rig would first get a gentle shove towards the shoulder and then immediately afterwards a gentle pull towards the side of the passing semi. Hard to believe, but I did get used to it. Everything was fine until I stopped at the Flying J gas station in Comfort Texas for a sandwich. I made the mistake of shutting off the engine and much to my dismay the new starter acted up again. I drove 16 miles west to Kerrville and purchased another starter which I installed in the Flying J parking lot lying flat on my back in mid-30’s degree temps and 15 mph winds. I continued west on I-10 to Junction Texas where I stopped for gas, this time I didn’t turn off the engine. About 6 miles west of Junction I noticed that it was beginning to rain and the roadside shrubbery was covered in ice, a rest area loomed and called it quits for the day after having driven 170 miles. For dinner I had a can of chili and some hot cocoa. I crawled into bed at 7pm under every blanket I had and didn’t stir until 6am the next morning. I awoke surrounded by semi’s.
November 24th
After a hot pancake breakfast I made on the RV’s gas range, I left the Junction rest area at 8am determined to make El Paso 439 miles away. Traveling west the weather got worse and worse, all along the road was ice covered shrubbery and an occasional semi lying on its side. However, my tires kept throwing up spray so I knew it wasn’t icy, at least not at the moment. However, as it got colder spray thrown up from passing semis froze to my windshield which I had to scrape off every 5-10 miles. I stopped for gas and a burito somewhere east of Van Horne TX, which was fortunate because there was no electrical power in Van Horne. I left the engine running the entire time. When I reached El Paso it was around 5pm and there was fast heavy traffic, another challenge, oh good! I decided to continue to New Mexico and at around 6pm stopped for the night at the welcome center rest stop in Anthony NM after driving 459 hard fought miles. According to the highway mileage sign, I was 300 miles from Tucson. After another chili dinner I crawled into bed under my five blankets and fell asleep.
November 25th
After another hot pancake breakfast I left for Tucson, more overcast icky weather, more ice freezing to the windshield forcing me to pull over every 5-10 miles and scrape it off (note to self, fix the damned heater!). After 170 miles, I crossed into Arizona, amazingly within 10 miles it was sunny and all the bad weather was now behind me. I stopped at a Burger King and had an “Angry Whopper” (a Whopper with hot peppers on it, yummm!). From there the drive was uneventful until I hit a long grade just west of Benson AZ (about 40 miles SE of Tucson) as I crawled up the grade the engine started to lose power, finally with just a short ways to go the engine stalled leaving me sitting on the shoulder (heavy sigh). I tried and tried to start the engine but no joy was to be had. I finally called AAA and then, while I was waiting on hold, I gave it one more try and it fired up! Off I went finally arriving at my destination the Tucson Trap & Skeet Club - RV Park at 3pm physically and mentally exhausted. What a trip!
November 26th
It’s a beautiful sunny Arizona day in the mid-60’s, I’ve had my first shower since I left Texas, followed by a nice pot of my wonderful coffee, and a bacon and cheddar cheese omelet, life is good again.
Steve
