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Trip Report [message #364972]

Thu, 24 June 2021 21:13

Carl S.

Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.

Karma: 13

Senior Member

On June 14, Kathy and I completed a cross country trip from our home in Tucson, AZ to our birthplace in Lebanon, PA. Total mileage was 5246 miles. We took our time with the longest day being just under 350 miles and the shortest being about 30 miles. On the way, our stops were; Las Cruces NM (at Hal Kading's place), Monahans Texas, Jacksboro, TX, Arkadelphia, AR, Memphis, TN, La Vergne, TN, Kingsport, TN, Shenandoah NP, Virginia, and finally just outside of Fredericksburg, PA, where we stayed for three weeks, parked at Kathy's aunt's farm. Several were two night stays.

The most we payed for a space was $54.00 at Graceland RV Campground in Memphis, the least was at Hal's place at the Las Cruces Airport.The rest were at state parks, Forest Service campgrounds or C.O E Campgrounds ranging from $8.88 - $28.00 per night. The motorhome used a LOT of gas, and only a pint of oil on that leg of the trip. The only problem I had with it was that the cruise control decided to take a break for about 50 miles somewhere between Nashville (La Vergne) and Kingsport. It started working again the next morning and never failed again.

We spent 3-1/2 weeks visiting with family (mostly Kathy's and some of my extended family), with a side trip to the Flight 93 Memorial near Shenksville (a very moving experience, by the way). I changed the oil while we were there. WE left PA on Memorial Day, after a huge family picnic at Kathy's Aunt Sophie's house and headed up toward State College on Route 322.

First stop of the return trip was at Cook Forest State Park in PA, then on to Canton, then Mansfield, OH, Ft Wayne and Indianapolis, Indiana, (where we met up with my nephew and his family for dinner), then on to Springfield, IL. two nights, (Land of Lincoln) Then to Hanibal, MO, Topeka and Dodge City, KS, then to Amarillo, and Palo Duro Canyon, TX, where we camped for two nights, did some hiking, and took in a showing of "Texas The Musical" (Highly recommended) in the park's amphitheater. Took our time going across New Mexico with stops in Roswell and Deming, then home on June 14.

Overall, the coach performed admirably with the speed averaging between 60 and 65 mph most of the way. The only problem I had was some fuel starvation on the way up into the Mescalero Mountains at temps of well over 100 degrees, which I'll get into in a separate post when I have a chance. The weather ranged from crosswinds across NM and TX, to torrential rains in East TX, AK, and TN, to misty rain in Kansas and Texas. Temps ranged from the low 40s in VA to over 115 in TX, NM, and AZ. The Onan and roof air got a lot of use toward the end of the trip.

We had a great time and I would encourage all of you to take a trip like that if you have the time!

Carl Stouffer '75 ex Palm Beach Tucson, AZ. Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member

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Re: Trip Report [message #364973 is a reply to message #364972]

Thu, 24 June 2021 21:16

Carl S.

Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.

Karma: 13

Senior Member

Oh, we saw only ONE other GMC the entire trip. It was parked in someone's yard along I-69 somewhere in Indiana (I think).

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Re: Trip Report [message #365047 is a reply to message #364973]

Sun, 27 June 2021 11:27

Gregory keller

Messages: 12
Registered: July 2019

Karma: 0

Junior Member

Thanks for your report

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Re: Trip Report [message #365055 is a reply to message #365047]

Sun, 27 June 2021 14:33

Carl S.

Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.

Karma: 13

Senior Member

Gregory keller wrote on Sun, 27 June 2021 09:27

Thanks for your report

You're welcome. With all the problems on these forums, I like to put up a success story once in a while to encourage others to go for it (although most of these guys do all the time).

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Re: Trip Report [message #365060 is a reply to message #364973]

Sun, 27 June 2021 17:03

nchapekis

Messages: 165
Registered: February 2004
Location: Ypsilanti, MI

Karma: 0

Senior Member

Our cruise control does the same thing...quits working for awhile, then starts working again. Been like that for the 18 years we have owned her. Doesn't happen too often, though. One of these days I'll make the effort to figure out why.

Nick Chapekis
Ypsilanti, MI
former owner - 78 Kingsley

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[GMCnet] Re: Trip Report [message #365061 is a reply to message #365060]

Sun, 27 June 2021 17:08

Gerard Hickey

Messages: 53
Registered: June 2019

Karma: 1

Member

On 6/27/21 3:03 PM, Nick Chapekis wrote:
> Our cruise control does the same thing...quits working for awhile, then starts working again. Been like that for the 18 years we have owned her.
> Doesn't happen too often, though. One of these days I'll make the effort to figure out why.

This actually came up on the list a couple of months ago. I saved a copy
of Ken's email because I need to check my coach as it exhibits the same
basic problems. Here is a copy of what Ken sent out. Hope it helps you.

On 1/31/21 10:44 PM, Ken Burton via Gmclist wrote:
> Here is an off the wall problem I have found on a couple of these that won't engage or intermittently drop out after engagement. The CC unit is
> mounted to the body of the coach just behind the hatch cover. The CC unit is powered by the engine 12 volt power system but when they mounted the
> unit it was grounded to the body which is the house 12 volt ground. So the return ground path has to go through couple of jumpers on the back of the
> trans and another from the body to the frame. After 40 years they deteriorate and then there is no return path back to the engine ground.
>
> The easy way to check and fix this is to disconnect the ground wire on the CC unit. Attach that wire to about a 2 foot new piece of wire. Then
> attach the other end of the new wire to any bolt on the engine just below the CC unit.

--
Gerard Hickey / WTØF IRLP:3067/Echolink:529661
hickey@kinetic-compute.com DMR: 3102272
425-395-4554 Allstar: 531920

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[GMCnet] Re: Trip Report [message #365131 is a reply to message #365061]

Tue, 29 June 2021 19:07

Jeanette

Messages: 118
Registered: May 2013

Karma: 0

Senior Member

We make a trip from central Tx to northern Minnesota every year (1200 miles). Only twice in 25 years have we broke down - once for a transmission n once a blown engine. The GMCs like to run. Keep going as much as u can!

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 27, 2021, at 5:09 PM, Gerard Hickey wrote:
>
> On 6/27/21 3:03 PM, Nick Chapekis wrote:
>> Our cruise control does the same thing...quits working for awhile, then starts working again. Been like that for the 18 years we have owned her.
>> Doesn't happen too often, though. One of these days I'll make the effort to figure out why.
>
> This actually came up on the list a couple of months ago. I saved a copy of Ken's email because I need to check my coach as it exhibits the same basic problems. Here is a copy of what Ken sent out. Hope it helps you.
>
>> On 1/31/21 10:44 PM, Ken Burton via Gmclist wrote:
>> Here is an off the wall problem I have found on a couple of these that won't engage or intermittently drop out after engagement. The CC unit is
>> mounted to the body of the coach just behind the hatch cover. The CC unit is powered by the engine 12 volt power system but when they mounted the
>> unit it was grounded to the body which is the house 12 volt ground. So the return ground path has to go through couple of jumpers on the back of the
>> trans and another from the body to the frame. After 40 years they deteriorate and then there is no return path back to the engine ground.
>>
>> The easy way to check and fix this is to disconnect the ground wire on the CC unit. Attach that wire to about a 2 foot new piece of wire. Then
>> attach the other end of the new wire to any bolt on the engine just below the CC unit.
>
> --
> Gerard Hickey / WTØF IRLP:3067/Echolink:529661
> hickey@kinetic-compute.com DMR: 3102272
> 425-395-4554 Allstar: 531920
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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Re: Trip Report [message #365178 is a reply to message #364972]

Fri, 02 July 2021 08:59

Scott Nutter

Messages: 782
Registered: January 2015
Location: Houston/San Diego

Karma: 4

Senior Member

Sounds like a great trip! If you haven’t already done it, do the southern route to Florida. Lots of interesting sites and things to do. Especially the beaches in Destin Florida!
Scott.

Scott Nutter 1978 Royale Center Kitchen, Patterson 455, switch pitch tranny, 3.21 final drive, Quad bags, Dave Lenzi super duty mid axle disc brakes, tankless water heater, everything Lenzi. Alex Ferrera installed MSD Atomic EFI Houston, Texas

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Re: Trip Report [message #365183 is a reply to message #365178]

Fri, 02 July 2021 09:17

Carl S.

Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.

Karma: 13

Senior Member

Thanks Scott.

We have been on that route on a bonsai trip in a car when I moved my wife from Ormond Beach to Tucson 22 years ago, but plan to repeat it in the motorhome at a more leisurely pace.

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[GMCnet] Re: Trip Report [message #365184 is a reply to message #365183]

Fri, 02 July 2021 09:21

Billy Massey

Messages: 916
Registered: January 2004
Location: Central Texas

Karma: 1

Senior Member

We loved that route as well. Pass Christian, MS is the best in my book.

On Fri, Jul 2, 2021 at 9:17 AM Carl Stouffer wrote:

> Thanks Scott.
>
> We have been on that route on a bonsai trip in a car when I moved my wife
> from Ormond Beach to Tucson 22 years ago, but plan to repeat it in the
> motorhome at a more leisurely pace.
>
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Re: [GMCnet] Re: Trip Report [message #365277 is a reply to message #365061]

Tue, 06 July 2021 22:20

Carl S.

Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.

Karma: 13

Senior Member

Thanks for that Gerard. I had previously read Ken's missive about grounding the cruise control transducer to the engine, and had done that several years ago. Maybe it's time to check that ground again.

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