TRIP REPORT!

[Mikes91]

Well, we MADE IT! Monterey, CA to Rembert, SC in 3.5 days--pulling the car trailer.

Let me just say... WOW! The truck did not hiccup ONCE!!!

I stopped through Lead Hill (Brian's Truck Shop) to have my issue with heavy smoke/fast backup speed in Reverse when the trans is hot. Makes backing a trailer impossible. Also having idle down/stall issues in 1 and 2.

He thought the problem was the restriction caused by my aux trans filter... so we removed it and thought the problem was fixed. Did fine till I got to the new house and tried to back the car trailer. Problem still not fixed, so I'll have to talk to Brian again.

Aside from that, though, the truck did great! I was passed like I was standing still in the mountains of California by a new Dodge/Cummins that had obviously been "turned up", pulling a small camper trailer. Come to think of it, the only trucks that passed me were new Rams with small travel trailers. Caught many a PSD on the long hills.

Had the truck timed by Brian at BTS... runs much better now.

Anyway, just wanted to post the results. I'm very impressed with how the truck performed with 6200 pounds in tow... although need more power for pulling the horse trailer. Not one hiccup on the trip. Trans temp never above 195, and that was stop-and-go traffic outside of Memphis (construction.) Hills didn't heat us up above 185. NO... ZERO... problems with water temps on ANY hill, regardless of length or percent grade. I guess the thermostat replacement and system flush fixed the heating problem I was having... when we moved to CA 2 years ago I had numerous heating issues.

Probably going to try to keep the truck a few more years--we're leasing (with option to buy) 10 acres here in SC, a house and guest house on site. Might not be ready for a new truck payment since the IDI did so well on the trip. I'll try to post mileage results in several days.


Mike

 

[ericboutin]

Welcome to sunny SC Mike!! Glad you made the trip out here alright! Remember the IDI meet is just up the road in TN this year! You're only about 1 1/2 hours away from me if you ever need help wrenching on something...I'm no Mel or Travis but I can follow directions pretty well!

Welcome again!

 

[OkieGringo]

Congratulations Mikey Sir. Don't ya just love it "When a plan comes together."? Ain't it GREAT to be outta "The Republic of Kalifornia"? With 10 acres, the 2007 IDI Rally can be at your place , and I got dibs on the guest house . OkieG

 

[Mikes91]

Thanks, guys.

I've been digging post holes, putting in new wooden posts to replace rotted posts, putting up fence, cleaning, fixing, and all kinds of work for the past few days. 25 more days of leave. Hahahahahaha. My first real vacation since coming onto active duty 9 years ago. Grrrrrrr.

Lovin' every minute.

Yeah, we could maybe have an IDI get together here someday... my wife would kill me though! I'll try to post pics of the place when I get all the work done and get a new camera (my wife broke ours last month....)

 

[pafixitman]

Mike,
The wife will come around. They all do. Mel invited me to a mini meet in Gettysburg about 2 months after I found you guys. 15 minutes from my house and the wife wanted nothing to do with it! Once she discovered we are not a bunch of red neck, beer drinking, a$$ scratching mass murders - ok, we are not mass murders, she has no problem getting together. 90% of our camping trips are with other members!

Welcome to the right coast.

 

[tuckerd1]

Welcome back to mainstream America Mike!!!

Glad the trip went smoothly for you!

Don

 

[OkieGringo]

Mike,
The wife will come around. They all do. Mel invited me to a mini meet in Gettysburg about 2 months after I found you guys. 15 minutes from my house and the wife wanted nothing to do with it! Once she discovered we are not a bunch of red neck, beer drinking, a$$ scratching mass murders - ok, we are not mass murders, she has no problem getting together. 90% of our camping trips are with other members!

Welcome to the right coast.

You must be registered for see images attach

That IS funny. My "Management" is looking forward to meeting all the other wives of our Mistress(Oilburners.net). I hope they don't get together and start regulating our time on OB . OkieG

 

[flatlander]

Amazing how a true test of your truck will end up solidifying your love for it, eh?

Oh, and your wife will never understand, she'll be like mine, just shake her head and walk away. Amy doesn't even ask why anymore.

 

[Mikes91]

Thanks, y'all. It is funny. There are things about the truck that need attention... but it did so well. NOT buying a new truck will allow us to buy this place and pay it down a bit... maybe get some equity by the time we move on in 3 years. Or we could hang onto it. Nothing like having a farm in the family.

I'll try to set some time aside this month to work on the truck. I don't know why the torque converter seems to be acting up in R, 1, and 2 when the transmission is hot and especially when it is hot with a trailer hooked up. Bad juju--I fear an electrical gremlin.

Locking rear brakes may just be a bad ABS valve and too highly adjusted rear brakes...

I fear that if I don't buy a new truck and keep the IDI... that any thoughts I had about new paint will have to fall to the wayside. Around here, you NEED a truck with bad paint and good, solid metal. A new truck wouldn't last one month here at the farm. We've loaded all kinds of junque on this truck today--previous owners junk--and it didn't miss a beat. A new truck wouldn't hold up. You'd have dents in the bed, bed rails, etc, no doubt.

Heheheheh. IDI. Heheheheheh....

 

[f-two-fiddy]

If you talk to the guys with newer PSD's, they all seem to say, "I had a (fill in any year IDI here), I wish I still had it." Sure they love their new trucks. But they seem to respect these even more.