Southbound and down - Part 2, the trip home

[paulrobie]

Happycamper - If you watch in the video the owners manual is on the seat and it says 9. I wouldn't know any other way but thought I'd let you know my observation.
Paul - Thats a nice looking bus! Safe Travels!
Mike

GREAT EYES MAN!!! Outstanding! You are correct, MCI MC 9 (and I have a complete original maintenence manual to prove it)

[Dreamscape]

Very straight looking coach!

I know about the pucker factor, white knuckles and sheer madness when driving through LA. I lived in Burbank when I bought our Eagle and driving on I-5 during any time of day is like a slow moving parking lot going nowhere! Not fun unless you have good tunes to listen to. Your coach looked like ours after I gutted it, a bowling alley with windows!

Safe travels and may you have a trouble free trip!

Paul

[boxcarOkie]

People who live in LA are more fortunate than the rest of us ... they can see the air that they are breathing!

This trip thing you are doing is a breath of fresh air, keep it up.  I cannot wait for the report when you "rip out the bathroom" in the old hoopie, that ought to be a real gas (pardon the pun).

Nice post.  It reads well, take two atta-boys out of petty cash for a job well done.

BCO

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Guess that your GPS didn't tell you about the back way around LA.  That is why i prefer maps.

[boxcarOkie]

Guess that your GPS didn't tell you about the back way around LA.  That is why i prefer maps.

At one time or another we have looked at all of them, trucker models, private, but I just cannot seem to wrap my head around them, or rather, "learn to trust them."  They just kind of spook me for some reason.  My kid has one and it shows my house on the other side of the road, and friend of mine says my house doesn't even show up on his ... Guess I am old school, but I am sticking with the Rand McNally.

Now days, we head to four corners, just west of Barstow and turn north.  The rest of it they can have.

BCO

[artvonne]

  My friends brand new Garmin Nuvi was going to send us 25 miles out of our way, taking the long way around on a 30 mile trip. When I turned left instead of right, like his Nuvi wanted, he got excited. When we saved 45 minutes and 30 miles of driving, he didnt have so much to say about his new lil toy.

  Makes ya wonder if the database isnt created by a subsidiary of the oil companies, lol.

[TomC]

I live in L.A. and am a salesman doing around 25,000 miles a year in the city.  RARELY is the time I spend in traffic jams. I also have the luxury of going when the going is good and know the traffic patterns.  If you consult sigalert.com, it will show what is goofed up or not.  L.A. has a great system of freeways and when they are not jammed-work great.  But-most do not have that luxury to go when the traffic is not there.

When coming down from Oregon to Palm Springs, I would have headed east on 58 from Bakersfield to Four Corners taking 395 south to I-15 south to I-215 to highway 30 back to I-10-well past the L.A. traffic scene.  But-you'll learn these tricks over time driving your new toy. Good Luck, TomC

[Busted Knuckle]

Well glad to hear all is going well! And I can second the not trusting GPS's when I drove a truck those goofy toys were not even thought of yet. (for the public anyway)

I too would have shot east out of Bakersfield and gone over to Barstow and stayed east to Needles then gone south to 10 on 95. But that is just "my way" and everybody does things different!

Have fun, be safe & enjoy!
  BK 

[David Anderson]

Paul,

I live outside San Antonio.  I looked at your itinerary.   Why are you going around the Anderson Loop in San Antonio?  It is a longggg way around that loop with lots of stop signs, and lights and lots of traffic.  I don't recommend that.  Your best route is to stay on I10 through downtown San Antonio.  If you are afraid of going through downtown, then take IH410 south (or west) and go around on that loop.  When you get to the east side of SA there are lots of big truck stops just outside Loop IH410 at Akerman Road.  This is inside Loop 1604.  I believe there is a Pilot and TA Truck stop to name a few. 

You will not like Loop 1604

David

[Chopper Scott]

My wife can't read a map to save her a$$ and it has led to some rather spirited conversations between her and I. So she bought me a Garmin. Now I yell at that bitch on the Garmin instead of my wife!! I guess it was worth it!

[Ed Hackenbruch]

My wife can't read a map either, so what i do is sit down with the Rand McNally and see where i want to go and write down any info i need for turns/hiway changes/exits, etc. on a sticky note and put it on the dash so i can read it as needed.

[paulrobie]

Paul,

I live outside San Antonio.  I looked at your itinerary.   Why are you going around the Anderson Loop in San Antonio?  It is a longggg way around that loop with lots of stop signs, and lights and lots of traffic.  I don't recommend that.  Your best route is to stay on I10 through downtown San Antonio.  If you are afraid of going through downtown, then take IH410 south (or west) and go around on that loop.  When you get to the east side of SA there are lots of big truck stops just outside Loop IH410 at Akerman Road.  This is inside Loop 1604.  I believe there is a Pilot and TA Truck stop to name a few. 

You will not like Loop 1604

David

Oh, I know the Anderson loop! I'll be staying on I-10. Been through it pulling my 5er with no problem on our way Garner. Thanks for the heads up though. Funny, Once I hit Texas, it'll be just like being home. I'll probably stop just on the other side of SA to top off before heading home.

[paulrobie]

My wife can't read a map to save her a$$ and it has led to some rather spirited conversations between her and I. So she bought me a Garmin. Now I yell at that bitch on the Garmin instead of my wife!! I guess it was worth it!

WELL worht it I would say! LOL..

[paulrobie]

My wife can't read a map either, so what i do is sit down with the Rand McNally and see where i want to go and write down any info i need for turns/hiway changes/exits, etc. on a sticky note and put it on the dash so i can read it as needed.

Heres a trick I learned from a trucker friend: (should a used to in Cali but thats a nother story, using it now). The trick is to use a Black DRY ERASE marker and out of your direct line of sight but easily seen at a glance, write it on your windshield, (for example, I am tracking my stops/time in the upper right of the drivers side windshield and I have my directions (off ramps, major freeway numbers, etc. written on the upper left side.) I'll post a pick when I get back as my cam is currently out of batteries till I stop again.

[paulrobie]

Ok, gonna try to keep this short and sweet... In Lordsburg NM getting ready to head out for the day, will probably make it to San Antonio and drop anchor for the night rather than push through to Houston. Don't want to make it home at night as I will never get this big bitc* in the driveway at night so will wait for daylight.

The drive is great and unremarkable at the same time. great because it is so cool to be driving our bus home, the scenery is awesome, and the weather is kickin'. Unremarkable as the bus is doing great. No issues as of yet. Went through Quartzsite yesterday and saw a few conversions in the RV areas along the way, (layed on the horn as I went past every one!) Saw a few conversions on the road as well... We WILL be back to Arizone, never been and was unaware of the beauty of that great state.

The only thing that got me was: finally comfortable enough to crank some tunes, jacked the Iphone/Ipod into the radio, (all internal tour speakers still in bus, and was jammin along then, all of sudden I'd hear this funny noise, one of those "what's that, a flat, engine knocking, did I just drop something" kind of noises.... you know what I mean, right? Turns out it was just a backbeat or drum sound or bell or some stuff in the music! Soon as I turn down the tunes, it disappeared.... Felt stupid every time it happened, (more than once I will admit).. Turns out a empty echoy bus carries sound in a much different way than a full one....


Other than that, thats all to report from the road, all systems go for a complete re-entry into Houston on Tuesday morning... Wish me luck. If anybody wants to meet up between say el-paso and Houston, my phone number will be in my profile, just drop me a text message and I'll get back to you...