Non Turbo Travel Times Out West

[Dave5Cs]

Buy a Plastic Fantastic then.. Good Luck with that, LOL

[windtrader]

Well, I'll just need to pull the trigger and get on the road. Will need to sort it out myself as I'm confused as hell. LOL

[Lin]

Windtrader, If the incline were merely the average, you might be close.  But considering that when you scale down a 230 mile trip to a four inch graph you miss a lot of the detail, it will not be that way.  Although there are likely to be places where you can cruise (I have not traveled this route, but it is standard for Clifford), their will also be long steep grades that keep you down to a crawl.  It appears that most experience here would endorse the Google plus 50% estimate.  As the distance for that leg of the trip is really about 350 miles, the 50 mile per hour method and the Google plus a half both come to in the 7 hour range.  We may plan to stop a bit short of Flagstaff at about the 6 hour mark though.

[Lin]

Hey Clifford, it seems to me that I would do a little better ( not much) taking 62 to 95 to Needles as opposed by going via Amboy as I usually do.  Does that make sense?

[Dave5Cs]

Clifford she say I forgot to tell her the part about the hills and altitude. Details LOL....

[Lin]

You know, we live at about 3000 feet.  Most trips are a lot of ups and downs with very little time spent at sea level.  It is possible and if so, wise to tune the engine to a higher altitude? 

[thomasinnv]

I have made that trip many times with the MC8 and 8v71na. As Clifford says it cannot be done in 5 hours. It is all uphill, a lot of it gradual but many areas of 6 to 8 percent grades. Though the steeper grades are usually only a few miles long, they really slow you down. Don't forget about the vicious head winds. That run will cause the best of them to heat up.

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[thomasinnv]

You know, we live at about 3000 feet.  Most trips are a lot of ups and downs with very little time spent at sea level.  It is possible and if so, wise to tune the engine to a higher altitude? 

The only way really to "tune" a diesel to a higher altitude is to turbo it lol.

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[lvmci]

Hi Lin, try to avoid I40 between Kingman and Flagstaff, it is in terrible shape, last month they were starting to repair the worst sections, it's down to one lane, replaced 3 bridges over the last 8 months, I17 has some pretty steep grades, but better pavement,  lvmci...

[Lin]

Lv, Thanks for the heads up.  It does not appear that there is an good parallel road to I-40 between those cities.  For me to take I-17 up would mean going by I-10 to Phoenix.  That route is 80 miles longer.  Do you feel it is worth it to avoid I-40 from Kingman to Flagstaff?

[lvmci]

Hi Lin, I40 is bad, they're finally fixing it, but there are long stretches where 18 wheelers are in the left lane! My Lady whoo frequently goes to the Navajo and Hopi reservations, says the other side of Flagstaff isnt as bad, no rest stops are open, due to the state, just a huge one on I17 is open, that I've seen,  Clifford may know of more that are open. The 3 bridges near Willow ranch road are big improvements. I had some motocycle friends going to Williams and I  recomended they take US66 rather than ride bikes on I 40 before they they reconstructed those bridges, lvmci...

[Lin]

Thanks, I am leaning toward taking I-10 to I-17 now.  A more peaceful drive seems worth the time.

[luvrbus]

Go I40 to 20 miles east of Kingman take 93 (I think) go thru Wickenburg to 78 lol damn I forgot the highway numbers and we do that trip often.
Any ways 8 mile from Wickenburg  turn left that high way will end at I 17 north of Phoenix not far from Black Canyon and you dodge the all the Phoenix traffic it is all good highway. and takes you past Lake Pleasant.
You can also go I 10 to the 101 at Glendale and go to I 17 but you do not want to take I 10 to I 17 traffic is terrible any time of the day at that junction,fwiw there is a nice rest area at Wickenburg to spend the night it has a circle drive with plenty of room for a bus a tow vehicle to maneuver   
 
 

[Lin]

Thanks Cliff, 101 looks okay though I was thinking of taking 303 from 10 to 17 to stay as far from Phoenix as possible.  303 hits 10 about 10 miles west of 101 and joins 17 about 5+ miles north.

[luvrbus]

I don't think the 303 or the 202 are complete to I 17 ,I haven't tried in a couple of years though either with all the construction of the overpasses on 17