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Next Exit

This is the place to tell about all the cool places your Eagle takes you. Hopefully there will be lots of great pictures that will help us all plan future trips.
BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Next Exit

Post by BoxcarOkie »

Image
A slight breeze waifs across the campground this morning, in the distance a lonely UP freight pulls the hill, and her whistle pierces the air. Such a lonely sound. Houston Texas, hot and sticky, two nights at $35 a pop, and then it is hit the boulevard for the back-haul home.

Early morning. 

It is one of those rare occasions when everything seems right with the world, the dogs are not barking, the police helicopter (The Ghetto Bird) is roosted somewhere far away, and the noise of the city isn’t as bad as usual. Quietly I soak it in.

Blew into town last night at three in the morning, and most likely will leave about the same. The best way to deal with places like El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and the like.

Sneak in ... Sneak out ... Run silent and run deep.

Bootlegged a little WI-FI here in Kamperland and got caught up. Reading all of these posts on “true engine temperature” and thinking about the long hills on Arizona #95 and Wickenburg, if you have never been there, don’t go in August. 112* ambient outside temp’s and sticky-goo asphalt, too hot to sit on.
Image


Parked in the hot sun at the top of the hill (if you are lucky enough to make it to the top) waiting for the old girl to cool down and the over-heat lite to go off. Robbing cold water out of the ice chest to splash on the radiator, not a good day. But now, some 1,200 miles later, it is just a well worn faded memory.

Next time I will remember two important things. #1 turn off the desert cooler (radiator splash package) when you are done with it. #2 find a different way to go that doesn’t have the word “Wicken” in it anywhere.

Sitting in the cool of the morning, figuring out the fuel tickets (where did all that money go?) and listening to the quiet hum of the air conditioner. No more desert illegal alien checkpoints or profile checks.

Three and four mile punishing mountain grades, and mile after mile, of nothing but miles to contend with. Tryin to squeeze into the skinny bus parking at the Cracker Barrel for a bowl of soup and a sour dough BLT, when you are actually lucky enough to find a real town.

Houston ... Plugged in and resting. The grandkids are safely deposited back with their parents and it is finally quiet in the old hoopie for a change. I soak it up like a well worn sponge. It is amazing what can happen when you give yourself permission to spend some time alone.  It gives you a chance to think, quietly and without distraction.  Being alone gives you a break, a chance to breathe and to lighten up.
Image

We can become lost in the task of day-to-day living and/or traveling, just getting here and there, can often be a mind numbing experience. Well, I am here, I have been here before and it is much the same. Hot and sticky ... Gawd bless Texas and of course, “under arm deodorants.”

But like I said ... Life and living is good, I don’t care where you live.  Count your blessings. 3,000 miles and our third week on the road.
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So much for Wednesday.  One more day in a long string of days, but I am not complaining. I have this and more to handle down the road of life I am sure.

In a short while I will pony up to the pump one more time at the Flyin’ Hooker (truck-stop) and feed the beast another high-dollar-liquid meal, and then it is home to El Reno, the laundry room and the power washer. Put the old trusty steed in her stall to wait on the next trip.

Reflections on but another long-gone almost lost Hump Day for a Bus Nut in Texas. See you in the fast lane today or maybe not ... Anywho, the rest of you, locked down in your respective haunts, hang in there, you almost have it made.

Elvis has left the building ....

BCO

Image
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
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rusty
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Bus Model: 1972 05 completed 2003
1994 15/45 in progress
Location: Johnstown Co.

Re: Next Exit

Post by rusty »

Thank You for the report on your trip. Now next winter you need to go through Minnesota in December and you will forget about the heat of Texas in July and August :lol: .

Thank You Wayne
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gpzzdrm
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Bus Model: 1978 - 05 / Cummins ISM 450 / Allison HT740
Location: Carson City, NV

Re: Next Exit

Post by gpzzdrm »

I'm glad Wayne said it though very subtlety (maybe sarcastically?). I've been wondering why Don would be traveling through the long, dry and HOT desert during this time of the year. Don, have you never paid attention to the term snowbirds and why they have that name, and why they are not in the desert now?
My son went to Laughlin one time for a bachelor party in August. We lived in Southern Calif at the time. When he got out of the car on arrival, the thermometer on the sign at the Nevada Club said 126 degrees. Way to hot for me, or any other sane person (get it Don?)

Bill

p.s.
Enough of my humor. On a more serious note, when I had the desert cooler on my 8-71, I put a momentary switch on the system (parallel to the main switch) to eliminate the senior forgetfulness syndrome. It taught me too, that an occasional 5 to 10 second pulse of water, spaced about 30 seconds or so apart, worked better than the continuous spray. I think it provided more of the evaporative effect that you want for the best cooling. FWIW
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luvrbus
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Re: Next Exit

Post by luvrbus »

What are you saying Don you don't like our towns of Wickenburg and Wikeup LOL


good luck
Clifford
saddleup
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Posts: 120
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 4:18 pm
FMCA #: F419992
Bus Model: 1974 05 Eagle
Location: Box Elder, S.D Yuma,AZ

Re: Next Exit

Post by saddleup »

Sure glad others brought up the subject of Don's route been wondering my self :lol: , my trip was way more northen,and hit record heat about every place we went.

Sounds like you had a good trip anyway.
Matt
1974 05
Box Elder, SD
Yuma,AZ
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Dreamscape
Posts: 3046
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FMCA #: F391238
Bus Model: 1968 Silver Eagle Model 01
Location: Full Timing - On The Road

Re: Next Exit

Post by Dreamscape »

But, it's a dry heat! What's the matter with you guys! :lol:

Good read as usual Don. I like the pics too!

I just went a priced 6 new tires for ours, now that's something to complain about! The other two will have to wait until next year. OUCH!
Paul Lawry
Dreamscape
1968 Eagle 01 #7443
Silver 8V92 HT 740

Dreamscape Build Blog: https://dreamscapesilvereagle.wordpress.com/
BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Re: Next Exit

Post by BoxcarOkie »

I've been wondering why Don would be traveling through the long, dry and HOT desert during this time of the year.

While in Las Vegas I happened upon a post card that more or less summed it up. It was a cartoon of two skeletons playing golf and one was saying to the other, “I said it is a dry heat, don’t worry about it, just hit the ball.”

Two switches on the coach that are problems.

#1 is the fuel transfer switch (aux. tank) I seem to forget it all of the time.

The other, #2, is the desert package.

When I get back to the shop I am going to wire up two indicator lamps on the dash somewhere to uh, “remind me” that I have them engaged. (And yes, they are going to love me at the home!)

I like your idea, it sounds like a good fix. I am always looking for a good fix. I need a gasket for the aux. fuel tank to stop the sloshing around and leakage, I need a new washer for the poop-shooter so it doesn’t leak water on the floor of the bathroom, I need a way to stop my windows from rattling at 75MPH ... I need five good numbers on the PowerBall ... I need uh ... Oh well, you get the drift, right?

Believe it or not. It was for all intents a good trip and we surely enjoyed every minute of it.

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
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BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Re: Next Exit

Post by BoxcarOkie »

[quote="luvrbus"]What are you saying Don you don't like our towns of Wickenburg and Wikeup LOL

We had in the beginning planned to go to the Black Hills, but got hung up in the paint shop for eleven weeks. This in turn, slowly ate up most of the cool months and got us well into summer. Like a jet on the runway, it was either fly or crash, we opted to go.

Grandma had promised the little dinkers a trip, regardless, so we ended up out west (a bad move, a very bad move) and did this desert southwest excursion. Most of you know the rule that covers this: “If Mama aint happy, no one is happy.” So we loaded up and left.

Southern AZ is a lot different than Flagstaff and the northern areas of the state. I can readily see why so many illegals die in the desert, this was my first trip down this way and seeing first hand the Sonoran Desert it isn’t any big surprise to me why they don’t make it.

Poor, poor Mexico. So far from God and so close to the U.S.

Previous trips to this part of the country had been in October, late winter and early spring, there will be NO MORE at this time of the year, trust me. I really do not see me ever running Houston to Phoenix on I-10 ever again, for love or money.

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
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BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Re: Next Exit

Post by BoxcarOkie »

rusty wrote:Thank You for the report on your trip. Now next winter you need to go through Minnesota in December and you will forget about the heat of Texas in July and August :lol: .

Thank You Wayne


We went to Minnie-no-place a couple of years back. Minnesota has two seasons, winter time and road construction. We are planning the trek to the Black Hills in 2012 and then onto the world’s largest mall in Minn. afterwards right now. We cannot wait, or at least, “so I have been told.”

In all honesty, this fall I sincerely hope to be holed up in front of the fireplace with a good book. I am actually looking forward to this winter. I am sure the rest of you will be in Quartzite having a good time or something akin to it. Gathered around the truck tire rim and telling stories.

Meanwhile back at the homestead, I will be standing by with the trusty old John Deere fueled up and ready to dig us out, if the need should arise.

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
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BoxcarOkie
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 7:42 pm

Re: Next Exit

Post by BoxcarOkie »

saddleup wrote:Sure glad others brought up the subject of Don's route been wondering my self :lol: , my trip was way more northen,and hit record heat about every place we went.

Sounds like you had a good trip anyway.
Matt
Been there ... Done that ... Got the T-shirt! Surprisingly, few problems, and a lot of miles trouble free, I am a fortunate pilgrim indeed.

BCO
No I didn't say that ... Must have been some other guy.
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