Road trippin to the Jerome Jamboree

[grandpa pete]

" Old Guy " in Florida looking forward to new scenery .

Thankyou :
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[Hikelite]

[richparker]

Great trip so far. We pulled into Spider Rock campground on the east side of the Canyon a few hours ago. The bus is running good and the temps are within the norm. However, the bus was dancing like Muhammad Ali in the wind. Crazy wind from all directions, which killed my milage. I'd hate to drive that road (64) without a rebuilt front end and proper tires. Besides the wind the trip thus far has been a blast. Road 64 had some great views, especially across the north rim of Canyon De Chelly and the steepest mountain pass I've ever been on, 14% grade (I have a pic). We had no problem descending with four drums. So far we're getting ~18.5 MPG and haven't used any oil. Photos to come when I have better cell service.
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[mark d]

enjoyed your thread. cool side tent. who make sit if you don't mind ?
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1972ish westfalia

"what good are tractors without violins ?" jose figueres

[richparker]

14% grade

Holding on in a narley cross wind

Some scenery

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[richparker]

Lil P and I are on the road to Jerome! It's still early so there's really no wind yet, hope it stays that way.
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[Tcash]

Holding on in a narley cross wind
Why is thumb and your knuckles white?

Have a safe trip
Tcash

[Manfred58sc]

Try listening to Phish "never get outta this maze" during your next windstorm..it helps.
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Fat chick owner/operator

[richparker]

Made it home, the trip was a blast! Good times, good people and the bus ran great. Full trip report will follow.
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[Xevin]

i'd rather be with an animal
said one, two, three, four, five against one.
(It's on Sirius, folks)

Cool times with Lil P.
It's bus times like yours that make me want to have one of those little guys. Someday your boy might be known as Sunnydog II
Rock hard, Ride free!
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[richparker]

What a fun trip! I saw Mtnbus roll back through town this afternoon while I was working. Even though I was at work I felt like I was still Vdubin.

So, Thursday morning Lil P wakes up kinda early cause he was cold. He climbed into bed with me to warm up and that got me another 1.5 hrs of half sleep! I packed everything up and we hit the road around 9ish for Jerome, a 215 mile drive. It was a super nice morning and Canyon De Chelly was beautiful in that morning light with no one on the road just us. The drive down was great and both Miles and the bus did excellent. We showed up to the event around 3, we were bus #41 to enter (they out a small sticker on my windshield). I found my friends and set up camp, which took forever with a 3 year old.

Friday I'm awaken buy a SC circling my camp, "shit I forgot to put out the chairs to save a spot for ChazD". I came storming out of the tent and the SC moved on. I put out a chair and go back to bed for a few minutes and I hear another ACVW pulling up. I storm out again and it's ChazD, woot woot. This dude hitailed it from Denver all the way to Jerome with a 1600SP. Sorry Asiab3, but in the mountains and the windy valleys of Colorado and Arizona will eat a SP for breakfast. Mtnbus had a funny story about how it was so windy that he couldn't put his bus in 4th going downhill with a 1600DP. I remember those days and maybe I'll pine for them again on the future.

Next two days are a blur of good laughs with fellow ACVW drivers, kids, beer and food. With events going on all day and the Mine exhibit to explore there was always something to do.

We left Sunday around 930 and embarked on the 380 mile adventure home. I was kind of worried Miles would not do good and have a melt down, but I was wrong. The lil guy hung in there and was a trooper! First part of the trip is through Sedona and up Oak Creek Canyon, awesome views. This is a tight winding canyon at first but then you climb this crazy section for around 1000' that's right out of a Bond movie. It's 2 new Mustang GTs, me (fully loaded), and a newer Jaguar 2 door sports car behind me (Type S maybe). Anyway, I F-ing pushed those mustangs up that canyon! They were driving like they were in you moms Buick and their stock exhausts sucked. My VS echoed off the canyon walls making those fags in their convertible Mustangs feel like fags! Next part of the trip is pretty straight desert driving through the Navajo reservation. We stopped in Tuba City for lunch which was NUTS. We stop at the Subway, pretty safe choice on the res. Go in, it's filled with a bunch of europian tourist, order and sit down to eat. Then this huge native guy comes in and says who owns that van, I just almost stole your bike. I jump up like WTF, I look out and I see it's still on the rack. I say "you can't steal it it's locked". "Oh yea, I can steal it no problem". So the lady working at Subway calls the police. Right about this time everyone in the restaurant leaves and it's just Miles and I. This native guy is with 2 other guys and he's pacing in front of the store looking at me. Shit, if I go out there I'm gonna get mugged. So I waited till the cops show up. As soon as they pulled in the parking lot I walked out to the bus, checked the bike rack and put Miles in the bus. Right when I finish a cop came over to talk to me. I told him my story, on a camping trip and headed home and didn't want any trouble. He let me go on my way with no issues. So we're off again. As we're coming to the entrance of the Four Courners Nationl Monument a cop coming towards me turned right in front of me blocking the road, I was going like 45-50ish. I'm like shit they are gonna try to bust me for weed. But I had no drugs or liquor in the bus and knew there was nothing to find. As I get down to like 10 he pulls from in front of me off to the side and waives me on. What is going on here? As I crest a small hill I see 2 Harley's off in the ditch, it looked like they crashed into each other. Wow, that was a lot of excitment in 60 seconds my heart was racing. So know I'm back on Colorado and I'm coming up to a rural intersection and I'm making a left. As I approach a State Trooper passes me then does a quick 180 like he's gonna pull me over, heart racing again and he pulls over to the side. Whew! We make the rest of the way home with ease and Miles was very happy when we got here. I had unpacked most of the bus while Miles was getting his cartoon fix and I had the garage door open. Some time goes by, I'm giving Miles a bath and there's a knock at the door. Hmm, it's 830 at night who could this be? I open the door and to my suprise it's a Sheriffs deputy, wtf. He says, you know your garage door is open. Yes sir, I just got back from a camping trip and was unloading the gear. There's been some thefts in the area and just wanted to let you know it was open. Thank you, shake hands and he's off. Dude, 4 cop encounters in 1 day is way too many for me. Kinda trippy, but that's road trippin for ya.

Trip stats:
Total milage: 817
MPG: 20, with 18.5-19 going (windy) 21-22.7 coming back (no wind)
Oil used: ~1/4 Qt
Temps: non issue
Total miles on engine: 5000 since 5/21/16

Most accurate elavation sign I've ever seen.

Camping at Spider Rock campground, Canyon De Chelly.

Thursday set up

Bus painting

Mtnbus' set up

Pic of the event from the Mine

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[BusterBrown]

Hey Rich Parker…

Great reading this! I saw your bus there at the Jerome Jamboree, and meant to say hello, but you weren't there (probably off at the mine or something…). I was only there for the day (Friday), as home was only 45 minutes away in Prescott.

I wanted to share something with you that I learned in regards to that highway driving in the wind horror that we've all experienced at one time or another. My '78 Westy was blown around in the wind so much, that once, while a friend was on a trip with me, he thought it would be the last day of his life. He said, "I'll never ride with you in this bus again, unless you fix this". Couldn't blame him, and yes, at some point it really isn't fun anymore. Downright frightening.

Anyway, the problem is fixed. I drove my bus drove over to Jerome and back, with pretty gusty winds last Friday, and tracked down the road with nary an error. It's a downright joy to drive again! What did the fix was something that really made no logical sense to me. New shocks. New Koni shocks to be specific. I still am unsure why shocks would make this much difference to road tracking in wind, but let me tell you they do. A world of difference.

Maybe you have already discussed this in your past postings on the subject, and I missed it. But just in case, I'm throwing it in here.

Peace, and happy trails.
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[Tcash]

Sounds like a great time.

[airschooled]

Sweet pics and write up! Glad it went well. One day your son is going to be really thankful for all these trips. I remember my childhood camping days more clearly than any other days of my youth. (Of course, if he's anything like me, he'll have some asshole teenage years, so you can look back on these photos positively too… )

[Hikelite]

[richparker]

[richparker]

[borninabus]

i have that bottle of mezcal
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[richparker]

^You know it!!!
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[camit34]

Great trip!

This is one I think of doing from time to time but wasn't sure how family friendly it is. Sounds like it could be a great time for all.
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