| [GMCnet] At the turn, cross country adventure [message #93853] |
Thu, 29 July 2010 15:05  |
Gerald Work
Messages: 102
Registered: June 2010
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Hi all,
We have crossed the half way point in our cross country adventure and are effectively heading back west, although not at anything like a fast clip. We have a heavy 78 Royale with a full leather interior, no roof pod, two folding bikes, two lawn chairs, a folding table and an auto sat finder on the rear. Weight balance is within 50 pounds side to side on all 3 "axles". 225 Toyo E series Tires are inflated to mfg weight to inflation chart (65 front, 60 rear). Gearing is 3.5 via Manny Powerdrive. We do not tow anything.
Here are the system by system stats so far.
Engine (455 with non std Rochester 4 bbl dyno tuned by the Dyno Shop in 2002 and not touched since) 6123 miles so far on this trip, overall 8.43 mpg based on our odometer and actual fuel used including fuel used running the generator which we have done a lot as hot as it has been. Driving mostly on secondary roads but don't see much variation with speed in the range of 55 to 65 mph. 1.5 quarts of 5-50 syn oil used.
Aluminum radiator, temp has not varied from thermo set point no matter what the altitude or grade. Can't say enough good here.
Manny trans and Powerdrive have been flawless. No fluid used. Have yet to see 150 degrees F. Sensor is in the side of the pan. Can't say enough good here either. A must do upgrade that will transform your driving experience.
Gas quality has varied all over the place. We even experienced dieseling for the first time while running on fuel purchased on Prince Edward Island. A can of Seafoam cured that. Have experienced some vapor lock while on high ethanol "fuel". A quick flip on of the aux electric fuel pump cured that.
460 amp hour house battery pack has come in handy on several occasions when we stayed in one place for two or more days with no shore power. We use about 20% in an average day including making coffee in an electric pot each morning, sat TV, recharging camera, computer and iPad, Fantastic vent fan running all night and several puck lights on in the evenings. Driving the next day or running the Onan 6000w generator for a couple of hours will charge the bank right back up to 100%.
Our Onan generator has been used a lot and it starts and runs like it should. D. Simmons priming kit really helps and is highly recommended. Follow his instructions to get yours adjusted so it runs around 115 to 120 vac with the roof air running. Ours is at 122 vac and 60cps fully warmed up with the new Carrier Air V low profile roof air on high cool. It is really nice to be able to pull into a parking lot, start the Onan, turn on the microwave and have cool air inside the coach while we eat!
Folding biles are really handy. For example, we are in a parking lot on the outskirts of Fredricton, NB at the moment. We rode all over downtown today and will go back tonight for an art market and the changing of the guard ceremony. Roads and parking lots are narrow and crowded for the GMC so far easier to ride in.
Sat finds a US signal north (and east) as far as about the bridge from NB to PEI or a little beyond. That leaves out the tip of Maine so the sat hood appears to be a bit too aggressive, but this Winegard unit does work better and further into the Maritimes than I thought it would.
I also want to recommend these HID headlight conversion kits. Lights are way, way brighter and whiter without blinding the on coming drivers. And, they consume fewer watts of power. Supposedly will last the life of the vehicle. They are a direct plug in replacement but you will need a headlight housing with a replaceable bulb like a Hella or the like. Be sure the headlight housing is well designed with a good, sharp horizontal cut off or you will blind the on coming traffic. These lights are so good that I seldom use high beams and they really penetrate the fog well. Do a Google search for HID auto headlights for a list of sites that sell them. I have no brand recommendation at this point. Cost is around $100US for the kits.
Only issues so far are a failed starter solenoid in Bend, OR, one blown tire in the mid west and a starting battery where a plate apparently broke loose from all the very rough roads we have seen along the coastal routes on secondary roads circumnavigating the Maritimes.
Language has been a bit of an issue in some of the Acadian regions where many are not bilingual and English is not to be heard. Prices are quite high especially for food, wine and beer. We have come to referring to prices in terms of a CPU (Canadian Purchasing Unit - a $20C bill). For each one of those you get some stuff and a couple of coins in change. A half rack of beer is around one and a half CPUs. Wine is one half to one CPU for what would be $5 to $10 wines at home. Fuel is right around $1C per liter, nearly $4US per US gallon. Camp grounds are around $30 to $40 per night. An all day pass to a very fancy pool at a really nice RV park near Fredrichton, NB, was one CPU each. A two hour boat trip on the river was $12 each.
More later. Hope this is helpful.
Jerry and Sharon Work
78 Royale rear lounge
Kerby, Oregon
Sent from my iPad
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