MontanaChinook Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 And that's the truth, but... I was in Bozeman for work thursday and friday, on campus, and while I was getting out of the parking lot, I got my new roof rack tangled in the rain gutter of the shack where you pay for parking. They had to send the people behind me out a different exit, while I got a stool out and loosened up the rack enough to get it unstuck. Then I drove farther east for a music camp out thing, which was great. My gas gauge drops to empty after about 3/4 of a tank, and its a small tank..but I have some idea of my gas mileage. But I had been driving into a headwind on my way there...I figured I'd fill up in a certain town, even though I was worried I was pushing it a bit to make it there. 10 miles out I start feeling that old jerky running out of gas feeling...no frontage roads on this stretch so I wasn't sure what to do, just knew I was NOT going to be sitting on the side of I 90. So instead of going the shorter distance on 90, I took the next exit, which is a state highway, and a back way home. 15 miles to the next town. At any point I could have stopped and asked for help...tons of ranchers with big gas tanks to refill their trucks (but might have been diesel), a Fish Wildlife & Parks boat check station...but no, I'm "self sufficient", ie unwilling to ask for help. So it starts stalling in 5th so I find that 4th seems ok...then 3rd...then I need my hazards...then I'm between 3rd and 2nd...then I'm creeping along on the side of the road between 1st and second, sputtering, stalling, suddenly getting surges of power again, figuring I'm not going to stop and start walking until this camper won't go another inch. If I kept it almost floored, and in the right gear, I'd get little bursts of power. Anyway I made it within sight of the town and took a back road to get off the highway, and stalled. Started walking, then realized I had to go back and get my wallet. Figured I'd try it again.. started and moved another 300 yards. Started walking again. Remembered that this little towns gas station isn't open on Sundays. Pay at the pump, but no way to buy a gas can. I have gas cans...but didn't on this trip. Was going to use my metal water bottle.. So I walked back to the camper again, and figured hey, turning it off for a bit seems to allow it to go a little ways further, so I tried again...I actually sputtered it all the way to the gas pump! So now I'm sure I sucked up any crap in the gas tank. And depending on how accurate the pump was, my Chinook takes only 10.7 gallons when pretty much dry. So...fix gas gauge, always have a gas can whether full or empty, and really, even though I hate inconveniencing people, it would have avoided a lot of stress to just pull over and ask for help. Good times though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I love it when people look at the experience as good instead of terrible. I keep telling my wife that if nobody died, we got home safe, it did not cost too much to fix, all is good. She told me that I listened to "Don't worry, be happy" way too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 One of my personal rules is any new RV (to me) the first overnighter is at Wal-Mart. That way you can get the fix-it stuff right now, instead of forgetting and it bitting you in the behind on the next trip. WME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 Suckin up a lot garbage means you need to go out and buy a new fuel filter before you drive it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 I always carry a 2 1/2 gallon gas can (with gas in it). I only used it once, when I intentionally ran out of gas to see specifically where it runs out of gas. I figure worst case, the 2 1/2 gallons will get me 25 - 30 miles. John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 Yeah I have one of the metal military style 5 gallon cans. I'll be carrying it from now on. I don't do the Walmart thing...but I guess if I were on the road cross country, I might have to do it now and then. Yeah, fuel filter is a good idea. Weber carb soon, too...but I want my interior back together before I spend any more "unnecessary" money. Yes, I'm pretty open to adventure. There isn't much worth getting upset about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 The Wal-mart I use is 8mi from home. Its not a travel trip but a checkout camp. Going cross country we stay a Wal-Marts when we can. 3 nites at Wal-Mart then a night at a camp ground for water, dump and wash clothes. Down south we spend a lot more time in campgrounds, because its just to hot and muggy to dry camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 Yeah, I hear you. I'm still not really an RV guy...I haven't paid for camping in years, and plan to be on public land whenever possible. When I was in Bozeman, I had the option of staying in the dorms, but I was headed out in the camper that weekend anyway, and figured I'd be more comfortable there than some dorm room. They gave us parking passes for the night, so I just slept in the camper outside the dorms. It will a very rare thing for me to be in a campground, hooked up to water and electricity. But I'm spoiled, being in the west...I'm sure if I headed east, I'd end up in some actual campgrounds. But at this point this camper is just way better than the back of my truck, which is how I've car camped the last 20 years, way up in the mountains, down in the desert, on forest service roads off the highway on the way to wherever I'm traveling. Developed, pay campgrounds are like the city to me! Though I hadn't heard the word and didnt know anything about the "rv lifestyle" when I bought the Chinook, I'm a boondocker, all the way. The camper just makes it that much more comfortable. My camping education has been all BLM and Forest Service undeveloped unofficial camping, pulling over on the side of the road and laying out sleeping bags to sleep during road trips, driving up to a big town during the summer when I'm working out in the middle of nowhere and parking near a city trail, hitting the bars then laying out a pad and bag on the trail and trying to be up and gone before the early morning hikers get creeped out...Not including wilderness backpacking since the rv can't come along on those trips Anyway, I know this kind of freedom is more of a Montana, Utah, Idaho Wyoming sort of deal, but that's where I'm coming from with the rv thing. I'll be doing that same kind of stuff, just in a lot more comfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Here in Wisconsin, we don't have much available free camping, except in northern WI. The closest forest service land from my house is about 150 miles away. While in Wyoming, we frequently hit the free sites and love being away from everyone. My daughter's favorite camping site is in the Bighorn Mtns. near Burgess Junction. We will be camping there next summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 Nice. Yeah, I'm spoiled out here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Though I hadn't heard the word and didnt know anything about the "rv lifestyle" when I bought the Chinook, I'm a boondocker, all the way. The camper just makes it that much more comfortable. Your plans are those of a typical Chinook owner. They were not made for the Resort RV travel crowd. No way would a rig without a proper bathroom appeal to that group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 That's true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bufbooth Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 When I was a kid, my dad would look for a closed (for the night) gas station and park right at the pump. Once in a while we would get a knock on the door by the police to move us along but my dad would just state out of gas and that always took care of it. We did get gas there the next morning. This was mid to northern Wisconsin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 Not a bad idea! We'd make an annual trip, my Mom, Brother and me, to Virginia Beach, from NY. All of us in a VW Rabbit (moms favorite back then. I think we went through 3 or 4). We'd sleep somewhere outside DC, in a fast food parking lot, in the Rabbit. That was probably the start...but I was very east coast still. I moved to Utah for school, and right off the bat I'm on a road trip to Jackson WY in an old, painted (along with "we've come for your daughters" in huge letters...) VW Bus. They just pulled off the road into a a dirt pullout, and laid out sleeping bags. I think there were 8 of us. I had never done that before. No experience with public land and the ability to just camp, and skip hotels. B All that kind of college stuff in the west was very formative to how I live now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusker Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 I love your attitude you have about about the situation. Glad to hear it all worked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 Yeah I'll admit I was getting pretty tense at times, but kept reminding myself "yes, it's going to run out of gas. then you'll walk to the gas station, get gas, walk back, and everything will be fine. no need to get tense". Basically- it's going to happen either way. So why be uncomfortable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 Living in WY we use BLM land a lot for weekends and fishing trips. Its just those pesky 1 month vacation trips that force us into the campground. This summer it was ID, OR, CA, NV and UT for 3 weeks. Any of the places that are high desert you can be comfortable at night with out AC. Its that's low desert stuff that is a PIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted August 15, 2013 Author Share Posted August 15, 2013 Yeah, I'm almost always bundled up at night, no matter how hot it is during the day. I may be traveling the country next year, and I'm sure I'll find that I'm paying for camping a lot more often once I leave this area of the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey 4x4 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I almost ran out of gas on an interstate that was under construction and had cement columns forcing the entire flow of traffic into one very thin lane with barriers on both sides. I told myself earlier I'd be fine on gas for a while and stopped paying attention. Before I knew it, the fuel gauge was quite low. I started getting nervous as my GPS stated the next exit was something like 5 miles. All I could think about was being the old Toyota broken down on the interstate literally stopping ALL cars on a major road. Thankfully I made it to the next exit and my Toyota started doing the "low fuel limp" as I turned into a gas station. That was a "tight butthole" scenario as we call it. I now play it safe pretty much filling up any time around 1/4 tank just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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