Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. (Future road trip)
| Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207865] |
Wed, 15 May 2013 22:43  |
rick flanagan
Messages: 26
Registered: May 2010
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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Hi All,
In the first part of July my wife and I will fly to Orlando, FL to pick-up Murphy, our ’76 Eleganza, from Jim Bounds. It has been recuperating there for the past few months. Right now our planned return route is to go to Atlanta and then to Memphis to catch I40 West. We’ll just travel west on this until turning off to go to Santa Fe, NM and Zion National Park (approx. 4 days of visiting). Then we’ll go north to visit family in Idaho and the edge of Montana (approx. 4 days of visiting), before we head home to Berkeley, CA. We have only 3 ½ weeks to do this.
Can anyone give us advice about travelling along I40 West?
Any suggestions for things to see along the way or places to stay?
If anyone has a recommendation for an alternate route, we’d love to hear about that too?
Thank you so much,
Rick & Debbie Flanagan
(Who are seriously missing their coach.)
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| Re: [GMCnet] Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207910 is a reply to message #207899] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 08:13  |
Jerry Wheeler
Messages: 246
Registered: January 2013
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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As I have said in the past, exit 200 on Interstate 40, to the south side
about 3 blocks on the left, is a nice catfish restaurant that has a 25
space full hookups RV parking lot; good food and good rates. We always
make a stop there for either lunch or dinner and stay the night when on 40.
JR Wheeler 78 Royale NC/OR
On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 8:34 AM, Jim Galbavy <j.galbavy@att.net> wrote:
>
>
> rick,
>
> You have about a month and a half to plan. Your coach ran great from LA to
> Orlando. We did it in 48 hours never going over 65 mph. There were just too
> many switches and guages for me. I know she is kind of a test sled. Sounds
> like you have decided on your route. I would go by AAA and get some ideas,
> then you and your wife decide on stops. Even do it on the fly and enjoy
> the ride. Just don't tie yourself to a schedule, if you can. Big thing is
> plan for your fuel stops.
>
> It'll be a while before I will want to go coast to coast again. 'took
> about a week to recover from the last coast to coast to coast. 8)
>
> jim galbavy
> '73 x-CL ANNIE
> Lake Mary, FL
> _______________________________________________
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| Re: [GMCnet] Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207916 is a reply to message #207914] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 09:36 |
tphipps
Messages: 3005
Registered: August 2004
Location: Spanish Fort, AL
Karma: 9
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Senior Member |
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Rick, Expect Summer Heat in the Southland. If genset is running, plan on running it and the overhead A/C. Also add genset gas consumption to your refueling calculations, about .5 gallons per hour at full generation ( worst case), good for planning refuel stops. Lots to see on your way home. Write tourist bureau for state maps and state events. Might find some interesting treasures there. Next Exit book is good for running down Interstates, get it at Camping World. Takes the wonder out of what's at the up-coming exits.
Have fun and enjoy the ride.
Tom, MS II
2012 Phoenix Cruiser model 2552
KA4CSG
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| Re: Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207917 is a reply to message #207865] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 09:38 |
Devin
Messages: 203
Registered: July 2012
Location: Nashville Tennessee
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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What are the dates? There may be some of us GMCers already gathered here in Nashville which is about 60 mile further if you go this way. We are camping at 7 Points which is a Corps. Of Engineers campground on Percy Priest Lake and well worth the stop.
Devin Wells
Nashville, Tennessee
1974 GMC Sequoia 260 "Gilligan"
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| Re: Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207919 is a reply to message #207865] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 10:13 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Senior Member |
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Rick,
Your planned route will get you north and out of the worst of the heat faster, but if you want to cut off some time and mileage, do a Yahoo or Google map for the most direct route.
< http://maps.yahoo.com/directions/?lat=32.1134605&lon=-93.658653&bb=38.702659307238%2C-105.51310678125%2C25.524261692762003%2C-81.80419921875&a mp;o=Orlando%2C%20FL&d=Santa%20Fe%2C%20NM>
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: [GMCnet] Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207932 is a reply to message #207928] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00 |
Dwayne
Messages: 418
Registered: October 2007
Location: White Rock BC
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Rick
when you just about get to Knoxville, Tenn, turn off south and spend a good
day in Pigeon Forge - Dollywood - great place
then Grande Ole Opry in Nashville - be sure to check the dates since there
are days they are closed. RV camping really close by
Then in Memphis - visit Beale Street and the Memphis Belle
Google this places for more info.
Dwayne Jacobson
White Rock\
77 Kingsley
On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 10:14 AM, rick flanagan <rflanagan@powis.com> wrote:
>
>
> We are use to traveling in 100+ heat and my coach has 3 AC units, but we
> have never traveled in high humidity. GULP!
> Carl, thanks for the google earth advice. It does shorten the trip by
> several hundred miles.
> Has anyone ever been to the classic RV museum in Amarillo?
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
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--
Dwayne Jacobson
Haven Properties
Ph: 604-538-3823 Ext 22
Fax: 604-538-5845
Cell: 604-644-8090
dwayne@havenproperties.ca
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Dwayne & Sharon Jacobson
White Rock, BC
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207933 is a reply to message #207927] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 13:11 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Senior Member |
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| Michael Leipold wrote on Thu, 16 May 2013 09:52 |
I drove cross country in August of 2011, it was a heat spell, and my GMC did not have dash air from the factory and I did not use the Genset for overhead AC. I lost about 15 pounds, never had to stop to use the restroom, and looked great for my wedding. Mandatory afternoon naps due to vaporlocking, I had a great time. 
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Ha! Vapor LOCKing? or vaporIZing? 
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: Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207936 is a reply to message #207928] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 13:18 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Senior Member |
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| rick flanagan wrote on Thu, 16 May 2013 10:14 |
We are use to traveling in 100+ heat and my coach has 3 AC units, but we have never traveled in high humidity. GULP!
Carl, thanks for the google earth advice. It does shorten the trip by several hundred miles.
Has anyone ever been to the classic RV museum in Amarillo?
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Rick,
The AC units will take the humidity out of the air. We rarely travel in high humidity either, but we DO travel in 100 degree heat on a regular basis. No problem with the Onan and roof AC running.
To help plan your gas stops, go to gasbuddy.com. Figure out how long you want to drive between stops and check gas prices within 50 or 60 miles each way of your destination. Gas can vary a LOT between stops that seem close together. For instance, on our trip to San Antonio, gas in Lordsburg and Deming NM was 15 to 20 cents higher than Las Cruces. Las Cruces also had ethanol free gas at some stations (puregas.org). Heading down through Texas, the north side of El Paso had cheaper gas than the west side. Gas was considerably higher in Pecos and Ft. Stockton than it was in Del Rio.
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: [GMCnet] Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207937 is a reply to message #207933] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 13:17 |
Sammy Williams
Messages: 522
Registered: August 2010
Karma: -2
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Senior Member |
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Stop in Toadsuck Arkansas and get a T-shirt. This is just one example of
why we take trips like this. (Toadsuck is a real town on I-40 in Arkansas,
about 40 or so miles west of Memphis.)
Sammy Williams
On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 1:11 PM, Carl Stouffer <carljr3b@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Michael Leipold wrote on Thu, 16 May 2013 09:52
> > I drove cross country in August of 2011, it was a heat spell, and my GMC
> did not have dash air from the factory and I did not use the Genset for
> overhead AC. I lost about 15 pounds, never had to stop to use the
> restroom, and looked great for my wedding. Mandatory afternoon naps due to
> vaporlocking, I had a great time. :)
>
>
>
> Ha! Vapor LOCKing? or vaporIZing? :roll:
> --
> Carl S.
> '75 ex Palm Beach
> Tucson, AZ.
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
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| Re: [GMCnet] Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #207943 is a reply to message #207937] |
Thu, 16 May 2013 13:54 |
k2gkk
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
Karma: -8
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Senior Member |
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There is a "Corps" campground at Toad Suck Ferry Lock and Dam that is alongside the Arkansas River (part of the McClellan-Kerr Waterway project) that connects the Port of Catoosa (east of Tulsa, OK) to the mighty Mississippi and thence to Gulf of Mexico. It gives grain and other shipments a direct outlet between the midwest and "other" ocean markets.
Mac in OKC
Money Pit
ex '76 P.B.
Sent from my iPad
On May 16, 2013, at 13:17, "Sammy Williams" <bd5av8r@gmail.com> wrote:
> Stop in Toadsuck Arkansas and get a T-shirt. This is just one example of
> why we take trips like this. (Toadsuck is a real town on I-40 in Arkansas,
> about 40 or so miles west of Memphis.)
>
> Sammy Williams
>
>
> On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 1:11 PM, Carl Stouffer <carljr3b@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Michael Leipold wrote on Thu, 16 May 2013 09:52
>>> I drove cross country in August of 2011, it was a heat spell, and my GMC
>> did not have dash air from the factory and I did not use the Genset for
>> overhead AC. I lost about 15 pounds, never had to stop to use the
>> restroom, and looked great for my wedding. Mandatory afternoon naps due to
>> vaporlocking, I had a great time. :)
>>
>>
>>
>> Ha! Vapor LOCKing? or vaporIZing? :roll:
>> --
>> Carl S.
>> '75 ex Palm Beach
>> Tucson, AZ.
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
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| Re: Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #208025 is a reply to message #207865] |
Fri, 17 May 2013 08:47 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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Senior Member |
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| rick flanagan wrote on Wed, 15 May 2013 23:43 |
Hi All,
In the first part of July my wife and I will fly to Orlando, FL to pick-up Murphy, our ’76 Eleganza, from Jim Bounds. It has been recuperating there for the past few months. Right now our planned return route is to go to Atlanta and then to Memphis to catch I40 West. We’ll just travel west on this until turning off to go to Santa Fe, NM and Zion National Park (approx. 4 days of visiting). Then we’ll go north to visit family in Idaho and the edge of Montana (approx. 4 days of visiting), before we head home to Berkeley, CA. We have only 3 ½ weeks to do this.
Can anyone give us advice about travelling along I40 West?
Any suggestions for things to see along the way or places to stay?
If anyone has a recommendation for an alternate route, we’d love to hear about that too?
Thank you so much,
Rick & Debbie Flanagan
(Who are seriously missing their coach.)
|
Rick,
I'm not surprised you are missing Murphy. I'm the guy that keeps saying that a GMC will be more a part of your life than just another toy.
I think you need three (minimum) things.
1 - A navigation program to plan and track you excursion.
2 - Access to a Point of Interest data system
3 - ¡¡GAS BUDDY!! Requires internet access
As to 1, beg, borrow, buy or steal Street Atlas, Streets and Trips or Co-Pilot. Let it pick the first route and show you where you should be looking for gas and when to plan to hold-up. If you go to the Discovery Owners site, you can download overlays for the navigators that will provide a wealth of information that is otherwise difficult to accumulate.
For item 2, you need to decide between AAA planner, Google trip planner or www.roadtrippers.com. These can layout a route (that may not agree with above) and can tell you about things along the way that fall into your interest categories. Start with both the above early as they will require some proficiency to be as useful as they have proven to me.
Item 3 is almost essential these days. Did you know that gas is .20~.30 cheaper in Alabama than it is in Florida? If you can hang on an extra 10 miles, you could save 20$ on a fill.
Problem, this is an on-line application or service. You can do the next days planning if you are in range of Wifi when you park, but carrying access is still a better idea if you can manage it.
If you get a GPS that can talk to the navigator, and a means to power the laptop or tablet from the coach power, then you have a road map with a "You Are Here" arrow that is always good.
I wish hours of boring driving and days of interesting stops.
Matt - always a pathological navigator
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: Road Trip Orlando to Berkeley, Ca. [message #208035 is a reply to message #208025] |
Fri, 17 May 2013 09:45 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Senior Member |
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| Matt Colie wrote on Fri, 17 May 2013 06:47 |
| rick flanagan wrote on Wed, 15 May 2013 23:43 |
Hi All,
In the first part of July my wife and I will fly to Orlando, FL to pick-up Murphy, our ’76 Eleganza, from Jim Bounds. It has been recuperating there for the past few months. Right now our planned return route is to go to Atlanta and then to Memphis to catch I40 West. We’ll just travel west on this until turning off to go to Santa Fe, NM and Zion National Park (approx. 4 days of visiting). Then we’ll go north to visit family in Idaho and the edge of Montana (approx. 4 days of visiting), before we head home to Berkeley, CA. We have only 3 ½ weeks to do this.
Can anyone give us advice about travelling along I40 West?
Any suggestions for things to see along the way or places to stay?
If anyone has a recommendation for an alternate route, we’d love to hear about that too?
Thank you so much,
Rick & Debbie Flanagan
(Who are seriously missing their coach.)
|
Rick,
I'm not surprised you are missing Murphy. I'm the guy that keeps saying that a GMC will be more a part of your life than just another toy.
I think you need three (minimum) things.
1 - A navigation program to plan and track you excursion.
2 - Access to a Point of Interest data system
3 - ¡¡GAS BUDDY!! Requires internet access
As to 1, beg, borrow, buy or steal Street Atlas, Streets and Trips or Co-Pilot. Let it pick the first route and show you where you should be looking for gas and when to plan to hold-up. If you go to the Discovery Owners site, you can download overlays for the navigators that will provide a wealth of information that is otherwise difficult to accumulate.
For item 2, you need to decide between AAA planner, Google trip planner or www.roadtrippers.com. These can layout a route (that may not agree with above) and can tell you about things along the way that fall into your interest categories. Start with both the above early as they will require some proficiency to be as useful as they have proven to me.
Item 3 is almost essential these days. Did you know that gas is .20~.30 cheaper in Alabama than it is in Florida? If you can hang on an extra 10 miles, you could save 20$ on a fill.
Problem, this is an on-line application or service. You can do the next days planning if you are in range of Wifi when you park, but carrying access is still a better idea if you can manage it.
If you get a GPS that can talk to the navigator, and a means to power the laptop or tablet from the coach power, then you have a road map with a "You Are Here" arrow that is always good.
I wish hours of boring driving and days of interesting stops.
Matt - always a pathological navigator
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To add to what Matt said, if you have a smart phone (with internet access), there are a lot of travel aps that can be very useful on the road. These include 'Allstays Camp and RV' (very helpful interactive site for finding RV parks etc), gasbuddy.com, puregas.org, myPilot (for Pilot/Flying J truck stops - very RV friendly), etc.
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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