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Road Trip/ Fleeing The Great White North


REALLYRURAL

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My cat Ziggy (aka Kalamazoo) and I threw everything we could lay our hands into the toyhome and left Maine on the 16th.

Drove to Peabody Mass the first day and spent the evening with my son Jim.  Took him to our favorite Chinese Restaurant SuChangs in Peabody.

Really amazing food and service.

Went to bed at nine and hit the road at 2am on the 17th.  Stopped at Hollywood Casino in Maryland and played some Texas Holdem.  Had some luck.

Then drove to Dale City just below DC and stopped in the rest area there.  This is a great place to stop as Dale City rest areas are patrolled by the State Police and is RV friendly. I stage my pass through DC around these rest areas.  I would rather hang in a rest area than sit in the gridlock that exists there.

Stopped a Kenlys in NC and purchased a silicone seat cushion that has made my hips really happy.

Stayed in Waterboro NC at a Walmart that night.  I spoke with the Store Manager. She was very pleasant, helpful, and allows anyone to stay.  It was a crowded parking lot.

I did look at the crime rate for the area and it appears to be at 167 percent above normal.  Everything you need is around there though autoparts, clothes, food and fuel.

Went to Jacksonville Florida the next day.  Played Texas Holdem at a really nice poker room there and donated the luck I had in Maryland.

Stayed the night at a Walmart on Beach Road in Jacksonville.  I was beat.  I went in and spoke with a Manager....  She was pleasant and welcoming but concerned about when I would be leaving in the morning.  I explained that I just needed some rest and a restock of my food in the morning and I would be on my way.  She said that would be fine...  But security gets nervous when anyone stays beyond 10 a.m.  I left around 9 a. m. and was really amazed that I could have stayed at any Walmart in the area.

Stayed one night at Gamble Rogers in Flagler Beach (one of my favorite parks) but the place is booked solid and the only hope of staying there is to catch a cancellation as I did. I could not get another night so I had to leave Ziggy behind as she did not want to leave.I went back and picked her up two days later.  She did not want to leave and gave me the cold shoulder.

I stayed three nights at a campground(110 dollars) beside the Saint Johns River on route 40 and tonight We are staying at the Lake Dorr campground in the Ocala National Forest for at least three nights at 12 bucks per night.  I will be buying the America the Beautiful pass tomorrow as it would only be 2 dollars per night. (hint when in Florida do not leave the screen door or anything open at anytime. What an interesting collection of flying bugs I am killing tonight.)

PERFORMANCE AND FUEL MILEAGE?

Before leaving Rockland I always run the Toyhome over the scales at the dump. This years weigh in was 5600 pounds with me the cat and a 200 pound motorcycle.

in previous years it weighed 6200 (12 to 15 mpg) then 7800 the next year (10 to 12 mpg).

This trip at 1700 miles into it I have ranged from 9 mpg to 15mpg and currently averaging 13 on the Flat roads of Florida.

The 9mpg was the one tank of gas that I ran through the carolinas with the overdrive off and the cruise control set at 70mph.  I stuck with it for a full tank of fuel.  The cruise stayed very nicely at 70 but I could actually observe the fuel gauge move in a distressing way. The next tank of fuel with the cruise set to around 62 it got 15 mpg (I was so disappointed with the 9mpg that I just set it and did not hit the throttle at all and we were now in two lane highway so I just stayed in the right hand lane)...  I knew it could do better.

Time for bed more to come.

If your not happy now. You are missing one hell of an opportunity.

 

 

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So to bring everyone up to date...

I HAD ONE HELL OF A ROAD TRIP WITH MY 1988 TOY-HOME AND JUST HAD TO MINOR MAINTENANCE ALONG THE WAY....

8 Thousand mile trip and the only breakdown has been loosing a fuel pump in my driveway at my home base.

I had run the fuel down to zero twice before the pump failed. Pumps need fuel to cool them..

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