Well I am back safe and sound. And amazingly I did not hit any dear. THANK GOD! So here's the story and the numbers.
I left last saturday morn. around 11am est. I drove 16 hours straight. Then around 3am I was just west of Iowa city when I had a little problem. I was running out of diesel. I had stoped at the last 2 exits and no diesel. I was below E, where I knew it was anytime and I was done. So I pulled into an exit and those stations had gas only as well. There was a sign saying diesel 24 miles ahead. I was not going to get there. So I pulled over and called AAA for a fuel delivery. 4 hours later my 6. 25 worth showed up. I drove 2 miles down 90 and there was a station with diesel. S**t. 4 hours with no heat, and wasted time. Anyway I got down the road and drove another 15 hrs thru SD and into WY and then into Montana. I passed many CTD's. I know some of them had to be some of our members. So here I was as it was getting dark and I was running around 80 mph with another Ctd around Park City WY. All of a sudden the check engine light came on and the amp meter was around 8. The lights when dim. So I turned around and went back to the last exit I had just passed. I checked the batteries with my portable spotlight. They both seemed to be fully charged. I had packed many of my Snap On tools. But who would have thought I should bring the snap on Load tester. Anyway I ate some dinner and whent back out on the road because everything was back to normal. 10 minutes down and the same thing occured again. I figured its the alternator. I turned back and slept in the bed of the truck in a sleeping bag till morning. Was quite comfortable under the stars. Got up around 7 and got back on the road without having to run my lights and everything was fine for the remaining 6 hours up to Kalispell. On the way I met a guy named Michael from Kalispell. I turned him on to the TDR. He is a carver and was down in Casper Wy for a few days selling his wares. He gave me some good advice that I took later. More on him later. The #'s ended up being 2539 miles in 35. 25 hours with and average speed of 65 mph for 35 hours. 15. 5 mpg was pretty good considering I was flying the whole time.
The guys at S & S were great. As soon As I got there they jumped all over the CTD and started to mount the frame mounts and wiring. I also had to have a new hitch put in. They told me that they have had some people with the factory mount braking while towing with the extender bar. They said Dodge has a TSB on it. So we put a new Super Hitch and extender bar on. Pretty heavy duty. I hung out with Lyle the Warranty manager, Bob the sales manager, Barney one of the shop mech. '
s and Doug, the owner general manager of the company. They filled me in on Glacier National park, which we were able to see from right where we were standing. They told me that they stand there and wacth forrest fires. They also go snowmobiling up there. We joked about the guy who took my money from the dealership that went under. This guy also took Doug for a whole camper. I told Doug I want to plow this knucklehead in when it snows. So we said I would leave my buss. card and a bill for plowing him out for the 5200 of my money and the 18 grand he took of Doug's. We had a nice time and a few laugh's with some ice cold beer. So I had dinner in Kalspell and came back and slept in the camper on the lot, so I could use it and ask any questions before I left.
Tues. morning and Bob(sales manager) came and got me for breakfast. Learned alot about the area and their company history. We went back and loaded up and I got ready to leave.
Just as I got ready Michael the carver I met in Sheridan Wy showed up to see my camper. Customers on the lot were taking pictures of the new rig. I met another guy who had a brush with greatness when he met Albert Einstien back in Princeton Nj in 52. Anyway talking with Michael. He was about to go over a friends place of buss. to log onto the TDR site. He also just told me that he was just commisioned by the Olympic committee to do the carving for games. He must be pretty good. He suggested I drive back thru Helena. A good thing later as i drove thru the Mtns. Very scenic. Got some good pix.
So I got down the road and took some beautiful pix of Flathead lake and the some pix of the MTNS. It was overcast and they had some slides in Glacier Ntl. Park so I could not go up there and check it out. I was really dissapoited. I went down and had the new set up weighed on the scales. I weighed in at 11820 lbs. fully loaded up.
I drove thru a Indian reservation instead of taking 90 down thru WY. As soon as it got dark I had that problem again with the lights and the alt. So I ran with my hazards for a while. I ran with a few other cars letting them lead and using their lights. I was looking left and right constantly looking for dear. I ended up driving for hours with flasing the highbeams on and off just so I could see. I was pretty much alone out in the middle of nowhere. I also had lost my cell service. I ended up getting pulled over as I went thru Ashland Wy. around 11pm. The officer told me to pull over and wait till morn. I drove up a half a mile and got out and started beating the alt. with a trailer ball. I could not believe that all of a sudden the gauge was up at 14 amps. I went down the road and it started to go down again. I jumped out and did the same thing and it worked again. I had to do this many times as I drove down the road. I could not believe it. I ended up driving for for 29 out of 32 hours before I stoped and slept. I got back behind the wheel and realed of another 15 hours until I got to Indinapolis. I hit some terrible weather. It was lighting all over and the wind was like 50mph. I pulled over and sleep 25 miles outside of of INDY. I had planned on going into the racetrack in the morning to see all the May testing for the 500. Woke up and the forcast was rain. s**t. Oh well I had to drive home. 11. 25 hours later I was home safe and sound. Did I mention that all the way out and all the way back I must have seen over a hundred dear already hit. I was so terrified to hit one myself. I felt very good I did not. I only hit one bird.
So the #'s on the way back were 36. 75 hours with the load. Only 1. 75 hrs. longer than the way out empty. Not bad hauling a 3300 lb load. I averaged 61. 33 mph and around 12mpg. Total drive time 72 hours and 5100 miles in 5 days. I have driven the whole east coast but this was my first time west. I took it as a challenge. A test of my ability. I did it by myself. I think I did pretty good. I have a new appreciation of OTR drivers. I used a little over 357 gallons of diesel. Prices varied from 1. 09 for #2 at home to a high of 1. 77.
The S and S people were great. The camper is awesome. We are very happy with our purchase. The trip finishes a saga where I was ripped off to the amount of 5200 bucks. I believe good things happen to good people. I feel fortunate.
Please check out the pictures. I think they look pretty cool.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1500602&a=12966000&p=48705091
Thanks to everyone who helped me out with this situation and with advice.
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RED 98 3500 12v 4x4 Quad Cab SLT Larimie, 4"BD exhaust and brake, triple mount AutoMeter Ultra Lights on the pillar, governor spring kit, delivery valves, 370 B injectors, 332-700 camplate, 16 cm2, new carter lift pump,B&M Hammer Shifter, Catz Foglights,New Factory towing mirrors,Mag-Hytec diff,South Bend Clutch, Hellwig AirBags,Horton Fan Clutch, NorthWest "Fear This" mudflaps,custom dynamic timed pump by AWD,Linex,Cup Smoothie,Tonneau cover w/ bike rack over the bed,Billet grill and bumpers inserts, Eclipse w/center seat sub enclosure and remote alarm,Super hitch.
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