TheSamba.com :: View topic - Southern California to Texas and back....

Thu May 24, 2012 11:16 am

Mesa Verde Park

Aloha
tp

Thu May 24, 2012 1:44 pm

Have fun in the 74. Now I need to get the work started on mine :?

Thu May 24, 2012 6:51 pm

notchboy wrote: Have fun in the 74. Now I need to get the work started on mine :?

yeah, you do. no, better idea...sell it to me. ;)

Thu May 24, 2012 6:58 pm

Stuartzickefoose wrote: notchboy wrote: Have fun in the 74. Now I need to get the work started on mine :?

yeah, you do. no, better idea...sell it to me. ;)

Dude you're like a paycheck away from living in your bus as it is. Get a job first :wink:

Thu May 24, 2012 7:23 pm

notchboy wrote: Stuartzickefoose wrote: notchboy wrote: Have fun in the 74. Now I need to get the work started on mine :?

yeah, you do. no, better idea...sell it to me. ;)

Dude you're like a paycheck away from living in your bus as it is. Get a job first :wink:

just paid tuition for next quarter, parents reimburse for good grades....i done have a paycheck to look forward to as it is....:( and to top it off...dad wrecked his car today :evil:

Thu May 24, 2012 10:15 pm

notchboy wrote: Have fun in the 74. Now I need to get the work started on mine :?

Thanks...but before the trip, I still have a lot to do on the bus.

Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:07 pm

thanks to a lot of procrastination and some setbacks (ie...my friend who I told to watch out when drilling holes for the batery mounts, drilled a hole in my battery), i'm on the road. sadly, no route 66 in the arizona area. i had to make up time so i can be in dfw for a old friends reunion of sorts.

BIG THANKS to vddubzen for his hospitality...great hangin out with you and your son over dinner! Thanks again!

Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:15 pm

Have a great time. I hope that the winds are not what they were when I went through to Albuquerque a couple of weeks ago. I just came off a 4300 mile trip and will echo what has been said about checking the oil every fill up and being pro-active in dealing with the minor issues that come up. My wife and I had no problem with using the truck stops (thanks Pete for the heads up on the truck stop guide), The Pilot just before you get to Albuquerque even had a place sectioned off for cars so you didn't have to worry about getting smushed. The rest of the time we just found a corner that would keep us out of harms way. The good thing about the truck stops is that they are quick to get into and out of. Perfect for when you are trying to make time.

Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:32 pm

I've made it out to Dallas, TX. It was windy all the way from Gallup, NM. Weather was fairly mild so that was great. My steering box is pretty shot though. I had it preloaded all the way, and I tried filling the box up with lube but the thing is too far gone. Loose steering made for an interesting drive with crosswinds and whatnot.

Motor has done well for the most part. Only one fill-up where the dipstick was too hot to touch. That was when I was heading from Flagstaff to Albuqurque. Starting and warm-up idle control was a bit iffy once or twice...but I think that higher altitudes might have played a factor. Closer to sea level, motor has been running great.

Depending on driving style and terrain, I avg'd anywhere from 14-18 mpg.

So far...so good.

Sun Jun 10, 2012 8:33 am

Depending when you're coming through FLagstaff again, let me know. I can give you a plce to park.shower.beer etc. May even camp out with you somewhere in the woods. I am on and off the river, so give me a few days advance. Thanks
I can also provide mechanical help/tools
Tony

Sun Jun 10, 2012 8:42 pm

TopBud wrote: Depending when you're coming through FLagstaff again, let me know. I can give you a plce to park.shower.beer etc. May even camp out with you somewhere in the woods. I am on and off the river, so give me a few days advance. Thanks
I can also provide mechanical help/tools
Tony

Thanks for the offer! Awesome. However... I'll be returning to California via I-10 so I won't be coming through Flagstaff.

Interestingly enough, my first night on my trip was through Flagstaff. I had planned on staying at the truck stop but the particular one there didn't allow camper rv and vans. It was already midnight and was scrambling to figure out where to crash. I read somewhere on the web that the Walmart there didn't allow overnighters BUT saw several camper RVs there. Lucked out and crashed there!

Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:52 am

So I decided to go northwest from San Antonio to head back to Los Angeles. The idea of triple digit weather on the I-10 didn't look too inviting. I went from San Antonio to Ft. Stockton. From there I took the 285 and headed toward Roswell. Man, that was hell day. Triple digit weather sucks.

I did make it there for the night and in the morning I headed up to Albuquerque for a quick stop. Then off to Flagstaff. From there I took Route 66. Absolutely loved the drive on 66 down to Kingman. Buses are so much more to fun to drive 55mph and under. Haha.

Took 66 again all the way to Oldman. Slow and windy but very picturesque. Made it worth driving.

Got back into California and when I got to about 50 or so miles from my home, my oil light started flickering at idle. Stopped and checked oil level. It wasn't terribly low- close to the minimum line, but there were some bubbles. What the? Anywho, filled the oil level up, but the oil light still flickered.

Made it home in one piece...no breakdowns. But the dreaded oil light flicker is going now. Was running 20w-50 and was religious about checking oil level up until the last two fuel fill-ups.

I drove about 3500 miles roundtrip so I think it's time for a oil change and tuneup. Hopefully it was just the bus's way of telling me that it just needs new oil, filter, and valve adjustment.

Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:09 am

frankenwabbit wrote: So I decided to go northwest from San Antonio to head back to Los Angeles. The idea of triple digit weather on the I-10 didn't look too inviting. I went from San Antonio to Ft. Stockton. From there I took the 285 and headed toward Roswell. Man, that was hell day. Triple digit weather sucks.

I did make it there for the night and in the morning I headed up to Albuquerque for a quick stop. Then off to Flagstaff. From there I took Route 66. Absolutely loved the drive on 66 down to Kingman. Buses are so much more to fun to drive 55mph and under. Haha.

Took 66 again all the way to Oldman. Slow and windy but very picturesque. Made it worth driving.

Got back into California and when I got to about 50 or so miles from my home, my oil light started flickering at idle. Stopped and checked oil level. It wasn't terribly low- close to the minimum line, but there were some bubbles. What the? Anywho, filled the oil level up, but the oil light still flickered.

Made it home in one piece...no breakdowns. But the dreaded oil light flicker is going now. Was running 20w-50 and was religious about checking oil level up until the last two fuel fill-ups.

I drove about 3500 miles roundtrip so I think it's time for a oil change and tuneup. Hopefully it was just the bus's way of telling me that it just needs new oil, filter, and valve adjustment.

Oh, I bet you loved that strip from Ft.Stockton. How many times did you start to get all nervous and shit being out in the middle of nowhere in an old bus! :lol: Then you get outside of Roswell and all is good. :wink:

Ive done that route three times myself. Once in my old 63 notchback.'

Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:05 am

the nice rack is what made me realize that was you....:lol: i thought i was a google search picture at first... :lol:

Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:09 am

Stuartzickefoose wrote: the nice rack is what made me realize that was you....:lol: i thought i was a google search picture at first... :lol:

Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:12 am

notchboy wrote:
Oh, I bet you loved that strip from Ft.Stockton. How many times did you start to get all nervous and shit being out in the middle of nowhere in an old bus! :lol: Then you get outside of Roswell and all is good. :wink:

Ive done that route three times myself. Once in my old 63 notchback.'

It ain't very reassuring to be on all road all day in la, la, land and not see a single air-cooler. Also, There is no easy way out of Central Texas when headed West to AZ or Northwest to CO.

I'm surprised that you went the Ft. Stockton route where it is usually 60 miles or more to the next town. I usually hang a hook a bit East of that route along a San Angelo, Lubbock and Clovis line. The main reason is that are more inky dinky towns along that route that a UPS or Fedex delivery truck can get to.

This time of year, I would do the Ft. Stockton to Albuquerque run at night and then spend a day near the Big Q resting up. There are camp grounds up in the Sandias near Tijeras, NM.

You made better time than I would have. I'm usually pretty gutted after a 600 mile day.

- Andrew in Austin, TX -

Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:24 pm

aryue wrote: notchboy wrote:
Oh, I bet you loved that strip from Ft.Stockton. How many times did you start to get all nervous and shit being out in the middle of nowhere in an old bus! :lol: Then you get outside of Roswell and all is good. :wink:

Ive done that route three times myself. Once in my old 63 notchback.'

It ain't very reassuring to be on all road all day in la, la, land and not see a single air-cooler. Also, There is no easy way out of Central Texas when headed West to AZ or Northwest to CO.

I'm surprised that you went the Ft. Stockton route where it is usually 60 miles or more to the next town. I usually hang a hook a bit East of that route along a San Angelo, Lubbock and Clovis line. The main reason is that are more inky dinky towns along that route that a UPS or Fedex delivery truck can get to.

This time of year, I would do the Ft. Stockton to Albuquerque run at night and then spend a day near the Big Q resting up. There are camp grounds up in the Sandias near Tijeras, NM.

You made better time than I would have. I'm usually pretty gutted after a 600 mile day.

- Andrew in Austin, TX -

Last time I ran it was in Aug 11 in my 09 Chevy van towing the 74 bus moving back up to Seattle from San Antonio. I stopped in Taos and fell upon the good graces of a fellow samba member and good friend. That Phat Phuck in the back ground is peacefulwarrior :lol: :lol:

The haul sure aint bad in an AC van :wink: but Roswell streets in the old part were all tore up ass at the time. That sucked with the trailer :x

Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:49 pm

notchboy wrote: Stuartzickefoose wrote: the nice rack is what made me realize that was you....:lol: i thought i was a google search picture at first... :lol:

what a badass.... :roll:

Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:23 pm

notchboy wrote:

That's quite a haul from San Antonio to Seattle. I've done a couple of round trips to L.A. during the cooler months.

I wonder if Frankenwabbit is still sleeping off the effects of the long trip to L.A.

- Andrew in Austin, TX -

Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:45 pm

notchboy wrote:

Oh, I bet you loved that strip from Ft.Stockton. How many times did you start to get all nervous and shit being out in the middle of nowhere in an old bus! :lol: Then you get outside of Roswell and all is good. :wink:

I got a lil bit nervous mainly because it was 107F that day and the bus didn't feel like doing anymore than 60 (I drove at 55mph) in the heat. I just didn't want to break down. Fortunately I had my GPS telling me where all the fuel stops were. That "sort of" eased my mind a lil bit. ;-)

aryue wrote:
It ain't very reassuring to be on all road all day in la, la, land and not see a single air-cooler. Also, There is no easy way out of Central Texas when headed West to AZ or Northwest to CO.

I'm surprised that you went the Ft. Stockton route where it is usually 60 miles or more to the next town. I usually hang a hook a bit East of that route along a San Angelo, Lubbock and Clovis line. The main reason is that are more inky dinky towns along that route that a UPS or Fedex delivery truck can get to.

You made better time than I would have. I'm usually pretty gutted after a 600 mile day.

- Andrew in Austin, TX -

Y'know...I didn't see many old vws driving about on my trip. Saw an AZ vanagon with the South African inline 4 banger setup on my way to Albuquerque; and one 74-79 Bus in Flagstaff (beige w/white top, historic plates). That was pretty much it.

I went that route because I really didn't know any better. It was a last minute decision. While on my way to Las Cruces from San Antonio, I decided I didn't want to drive two to three days on the I-10 in triple digit weather. Figured it would be better to brave it one day driving to get to Roswell and drive in slightly cooler weather northwest.

Oh trust me, I was pretty gutted. Between the heat, long driving days, loose steering, and the fear of breaking down, my stressed neck/shoulders were thoroughly sore.

But in the end...all worth it for the experience of it all!