Flyingw
10-27-2013, 01:56 PM
I just got home last night from a little road trip and I wanted to share this with you guys. While you're reading this, keep in mind I HATE long road trips. Any more than a couple of hours and I'm ready to get the hell out of the truck. This comes from 10 years in the Air Force taking very long airplane rides to the Middle East. This all started out with a fellow board member who recently moved from Texas to Arizona. Arizona requires titling for all OHVs whereas Texas does not. He didn't have titles for his trikes and found that titling them in AZ was going to be costly. His priorities in life had also shifted to his newly acquired home so he wanted to sell his trikes and put the money in to his house but without titles, he might as well give his trikes away and one (200S custom) he practically did for $150.00 because he had no title for it. We hatched a plan for us to meet in Tucumcari NM and hand off his trikes to me so I could bring them back to OKC to sell them but then a family friend of mine in SO Cal died of cancer and I had a funeral to attend. I looked up flights and car rent to attend the funeral and it would have been a $1300.00 trip and I still had to travel to NM to get the trikes so I talked myself in to driving out to SO Cal to go to the funeral and get the trikes and haul them back to OK. Sounds easy enough, right?
I took off on 10/17 taking the northern route out I-40 and drove to Albuquerque NM the first day (561 miles) dragging my empty utility trailer. I set out the second day and drove to PHX AZ coming in through Flagstaff (480 miles). I got to PHX and hung out for a couple of days leaving my trailer in PHX. On 10/20 I departed PHX for the San Diego area taking the southern route through Yuma. I stopped and met a fellow triker (RapidRick) in El Centro Ca. I pressed on to my Sisters house arriving in the early evening (410 miles). I went to the funeral the following day (Monday). I departed on Tuesday heading back to PHX taking the northern route up through Riverside to I-10 East all the way to PHX. I arrived back in PHX Tuesday afternoon (400 miles). On Wednesday Richard (Kasey) amd I went to Bob's salvage, the trike Mecca). Thursday 23 Oct I had my truck serviced and I pulled the hubs off my trailer and replaced the wheel bearings ensuring it was road worthy. On Friday I departed PHX fully loaded. I had an 85 SX and parts in the back of my truck. I had two Rs and a 70 loaded on my trailer so on Friday I drove to Pecos TX where I stopped for the night (647 miles). Yesterday I left out of Pecos TX, next stop HOME!! I drove from Pecos TX arriving at home about 4:30 (529 miles).
I was about 100 miles SW of Wichita Falls TX clicking along about 80 and a Texas State cop tagged me with his radar (speed limit was 75). I pull over and hand him my license and insurance card. He looks back at my trailer and asked where I was coming from. I told him PHX heading home. Then out of his mouth comes this........ "You know those things are dangerous. You ride those".... I busted out laughing!!!!!!! All I could say is "you just have to know how to ride them". He takes my license and comes back with just a warning. WHEW!!!!!! I cruised the rest of the way home chuckling to myself about that.
In total, I drove 3310 miles (remember I HATE to drive) and burned 217 gallons of gas. The weather from departure to back home was absolutely beautiful. I had no mechanical difficulties. My trailer pulled like a dream even when it was loaded. It was an absolutely uneventful drive. I am so fortunate to have traveled all the distance and nothing went wrong. I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!! There's allot to be said about ensuring your vehicle is ready for such a trip. I had new tires, new shocks and had it serviced and inspected before I left home. I was worried about my trailer so that's why I decided to replace my wheel bearings. My trailer is a cheap locally built 5x12 utility trailer but it too has fairly new tires. I am so glad this trip is over. There's no place like home. Now its time to resume my vacation!!!!!!
I took off on 10/17 taking the northern route out I-40 and drove to Albuquerque NM the first day (561 miles) dragging my empty utility trailer. I set out the second day and drove to PHX AZ coming in through Flagstaff (480 miles). I got to PHX and hung out for a couple of days leaving my trailer in PHX. On 10/20 I departed PHX for the San Diego area taking the southern route through Yuma. I stopped and met a fellow triker (RapidRick) in El Centro Ca. I pressed on to my Sisters house arriving in the early evening (410 miles). I went to the funeral the following day (Monday). I departed on Tuesday heading back to PHX taking the northern route up through Riverside to I-10 East all the way to PHX. I arrived back in PHX Tuesday afternoon (400 miles). On Wednesday Richard (Kasey) amd I went to Bob's salvage, the trike Mecca). Thursday 23 Oct I had my truck serviced and I pulled the hubs off my trailer and replaced the wheel bearings ensuring it was road worthy. On Friday I departed PHX fully loaded. I had an 85 SX and parts in the back of my truck. I had two Rs and a 70 loaded on my trailer so on Friday I drove to Pecos TX where I stopped for the night (647 miles). Yesterday I left out of Pecos TX, next stop HOME!! I drove from Pecos TX arriving at home about 4:30 (529 miles).
I was about 100 miles SW of Wichita Falls TX clicking along about 80 and a Texas State cop tagged me with his radar (speed limit was 75). I pull over and hand him my license and insurance card. He looks back at my trailer and asked where I was coming from. I told him PHX heading home. Then out of his mouth comes this........ "You know those things are dangerous. You ride those".... I busted out laughing!!!!!!! All I could say is "you just have to know how to ride them". He takes my license and comes back with just a warning. WHEW!!!!!! I cruised the rest of the way home chuckling to myself about that.
In total, I drove 3310 miles (remember I HATE to drive) and burned 217 gallons of gas. The weather from departure to back home was absolutely beautiful. I had no mechanical difficulties. My trailer pulled like a dream even when it was loaded. It was an absolutely uneventful drive. I am so fortunate to have traveled all the distance and nothing went wrong. I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!! There's allot to be said about ensuring your vehicle is ready for such a trip. I had new tires, new shocks and had it serviced and inspected before I left home. I was worried about my trailer so that's why I decided to replace my wheel bearings. My trailer is a cheap locally built 5x12 utility trailer but it too has fairly new tires. I am so glad this trip is over. There's no place like home. Now its time to resume my vacation!!!!!!