| Florida Panhandle trip [message #138687] |
Fri, 12 August 2011 10:11  |
bobby5832708
Messages: 237
Registered: November 2006
Location: Winter Springs FL
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Decided to take a week off and go to the beach, we've been working way too much lately (where's this 'economic slowdown' I keep hearing about).
We left Central Florida yesterday and drove to Destin in the Fla panhandle, about 450 miles. We will be at the Henderson Beach State Park. Here is my trip report so far:
1. Started cold engine at home, cranks for about 3 seconds and starts, put trans in gear, press pedals and turn steering wheel, coach drives fine through city traffic and out onto the expressway and never misses a beat.
2. Stop just east of Tallahassee and add gas. Leaving the engine idling I put in some BP regular, get back on interstate using about 3/4 throttle and coach picks up smoothly to 70 and never misses a beat.
3. Stopped to eat lunch at a rest area west of Tallahassee, watch a local tv weather report where they say the temp is 98. I've got the Onan and 1 roof air running along with the dash air (MIL is along for the ride so we have to keep her cool back there). After heat soaking about a half hour the engine restarts with about 4 seconds of starter and foot off throttle. Pulling back onto I-10 I get just a bit into the secondaries and the coach gets up to 70 without burping, missing, farting, hesitating, or any other drama.
4. Once we get to Destin we are in bumper-to-bumper traffic on US-98. I added some gas at the local Walmart/Murphy USA and while refueling the manager comes out and wanted to see the inside of the GMC and had me take his picture by it so he could show his brother. We dropped MIL off at SIL's house and make our way to the state park. The engine runs fine even while driving in heavy traffic. It never even hints at running on when switching off the key, probably because I have the idle set at about 575 in gear with ac on and the dist vacuum on the manifold.
5. I have to adjust the dash air thermo switch (I added an externally mounted one because the original one died) to cycle earlier as the evaporator freezes up after about 45 minutes. I just switch to 'vent' for a couple of minutes and when the airflow returns I go back to 'AC'. I've been meaning to do this for about a year now, but...... you know how that goes!
In summary, it's yet another boring (in a good way) trip. When I get back home next week I will figure the gas mileage, rough guess right now is about 10. Hopefully the return trip will be just as uneventful. The GMC never ceases to amaze me for a 37 year old vehicle, so far (4.5 years) it hasn't stranded us, it runs fine, and it doesn't cost the proverbial 'arm-and-leg'. What more could I ask for?
Bob Heller
2017 Winnebago 29VE
Winter Springs FL
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