solo318

We are towing the jeep and thinking of doing the mining roads.  We also grabbed a site at the campground that the train runs through. (I'm a huge steam train nut)

Our summer trip this year is taking us to Durango Co. I would love some suggestions on things to do and see that are not in all of the travel guides.

We are planning on swing up through Arkansas and driving route 66 thru Ok,Tx and NM do any of you guys have a favorite stop or photo op? Is route 66 "Big rig friendly"?

Thanks for all of your ideas. This group has made our last several trips extra special. 

I have a 98 vnl with a cummins N14. recently the caution light comes on and the engine seems to "derate" to 1200 RPMs. it will carry on for a little while when I start it up cold, then run fine for the rest of the trip. My digital display is non functioning, so I have no Idea what the light is on for. The oil pressure and temp show good on the gauges, But the oil pressure is swinging up and down on my scan gauge. (never below 30, but it will go up to 45 and back down and cycle there while the engine is cold. I found a crack in the old sensor and have replaced it. I haven't driven it yet, but hope that fixes it. Any other things that would give me a "caution" light and a Derate?

It's a tad more than 45 minutes, But check out Manatee Hammock in Brevard county. We stay there frequently and I'm a tad over 40 feet. They have full hookups and plenty of over sized sites.

The gen 1 dashes are known for bad solder joints. Send it out and have it all resoldered and then go from there. The dash uses serial data from the engine ECU to give it directions. The connector where this is soldered to the board is a known weak point.

54 minutes ago, Barbaraok said:

Solo, you know that all threads go off on a tangent at times.  I assume that you've already looked at AllStays and RV Park Reviews for private parks on the east side?

Yes Maam, I was hoping someone had a favorite Big Rig friendly spot. It's hard to Judge actual usable size from a campground website.  The parks we stayed in this year in the Black hills both had hit or miss reviews, BUT they were both wonderful parks that were recommended by members.

Can we please get back on topic. I don't care if you don't like the dune buggy. I don't care if you think I'll get eaten by a bear.

I simply asked for some planning assistance for next summer. It was a really simple request. Now will you please stop arguing with each other and move on to something useful?  I posted this in the "travel" section. The off topic section is farther down the page.

We have literally been stuck in the middle of the road in Custer State park, SURROUNDED by bison. We have seen bear, elk, Bison, deer, and long horn sheep up close and personal. Nature is truly humbling. I'm prepared for most contingencies involving aggressive wildlife. But as most people find out. Nature generally wants to be left alone.  I have found over the years that an open car gives you a much greater appreciation of nature. Yes we have been rained on, caught in SD hail storms and even light snow once. It's all part of natures charm.

 
The National Park Rangers are advising hikers in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.
They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear's sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper.

The last bit is just to get a laugh.

Now to get back on track, can anyone else recommend a private campground preferably on the east side?

11 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Do you really need your car if you are traveling with several others that have cars?  That would increase the possibility of finding sites.  

We are traveling a lot further than the rest of the group. Besides, I built this toad for sightseeing

When I had my conversion registered as an MH in Florida, they left the GVWR blank and just listed the actual weight on the title. So unless it specifically says Motorhomes, I cruise by at the posted speed limit.

We just returned from 21 days in the Black Hills. we are planning our summer trip for next year and are interested in going to Yellowstone and the Tetons. To this end, I'm looking for advice. We will be needing a campground that will hold an 80ft long rig with room for our 3 traveling companions and their campers. Cabins for a non camping family would be a plus. I'm also wondering how long we will need to "see" the parks and what else there is to do there.  Most of the group are older folk and not hikers, so we do a lot of sightseeing and scenic drives.  It's a 5k mile round trip and I want to see as much as we can.

Any suggestions for campgrounds and activities are welcome. Our Black Hills adventure was fantastic, and alot of our activities were suggestions from members.

Well I just want to go on record and say that regardless of the new "badge" system. I already knew who was helpful and who was not. During the 3 years it took to build my conversion, I always knew where and from whom I could get some sound advice. 

I did find that you can turn off the notifications in your profile. So that's a start.

Just more random Crap to try and drive the post count up.

I don't have an HDT with emissions, But I have driven my dually all over the country hauling race cars. I used to keep MPG logs that make it very clear the lower MPG with Biodiesel blends.  The 10 percent savings I used to get over real diesel always cost me about 12 percent in fuel mileage. That is in addition to the sickly performance at full load up a hill.

58 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

That looks promising. 75' sites. 

I run a church camping group. we've been there 8 or nine times in 2 years. You do have to watch what site you choose, but the owner and staff have always treated us well. The night sky is fantastic. We've met many long term contract workers camping out there.

Sorry for the late reply. We often stay at the Ft McCoy KOA. It's not too bad. It's under new ownership and he's doing a ton of work. It's a 25 mile drive to Palatka. They always have plenty of sites including plenty in full sun for your solar. There is not much to do near the campground, unless you like fishing.

We were in Custer last year and drove all except the 385 leg. the roads were fantastic. We are actually heading back out there next month. Enjoy the drive.

I fight this fight on a regular basis with my city. Your going to have to wait for a citation and request a court date.  Show the court your title and registration and call it a day. The next time the city cites you it is now "harassment" and you will be in a very good bargaining position. 

13 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

The parking lot at the Arch is all I can think of.  I guess I'd never try for a picnic spot in a big congested city with a RV! 🤪  Good luck!

I want to see the ARCH on our way through (if possible). And St Louis should be right around lunch time.

I'm planning our trip to SD for this July. I'm interested in making a lunch stop somewhere near St Louis MO. Hoping to find a park along the river that I can get my rig in and out of safely. It needs to be pet friendly as well. Thanks as always, Steve

1 hour ago, Jaydrvr said:

I'm sure I saw detour signs, but unfortunately I didn't pay attention to them. I just went through on I70. Easy peasy. Jay

Thanks a ton. It will make my life easier come July.

14 hours ago, Jaydrvr said:

I just went through there two days ago, from I70 westbound to I29 northbound. I didn't think it was any worse than usual. I sailed right through. I'm not sure I'm the best reference, though. I've been through every major city many times and have the lanes generally memorized. I just pay attention to Lola (navigation) and I'm generally never in a rush. Jay

Thanks Jay, I've driven through a bunch of time and it's been smooth. But last year it was crazy. we must have changed roads for 45 minutes all following detour signs. I'll relax a bit more this year. Hopefully they got it figured out.

Is there still a bridge out and a detour in St Louis?

5 hours ago, Mr. Camper said:

Each state has a DOT website on construction and current road conditions.  Accessing that will give you the most up-to-date information and when and where possible you can plan for detours. The link to access the MODOT is below.

traveler.modot.org/report/modottext.aspx

I was looking to see if anyone has driven it lately. The DOT website is no substitute for someone driving through the area.

We are heading back out to South Dakota this summer. Last year the interchange from I70west onto I29 North was a complete maze of exits and freeways. (supposedly due to construction). Has anyone been through there recently? Google maps lays it out like I remember from years ago, But last year we were "winging it" in the dark with crappy directions.

1 minute ago, Darryl&Rita said:

Would it be possible to use the diagrams from Mark's site, and superimpose the wire numbers from your truck? There's only so many ways to wire an air conditioning system.

Yes, but there were 4 or 5 ways they wired the cruise control I've been working with all of the options on Mark's site. (which is fantastic BTW). Without the correct wire numbers I can't trace it through the firewall connector back to the ecu.