| Author | Message | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Rating: N/A |
Heat was the main reason I moved away from Dallas, so I’m not a big fan of it. Unfortunately, we have a mid-August trip scheduled for a conference in gorgeous (and seldom hot) San Diego… but the only way to get there is to cross the freaking desert. The obvious route from Denver to SD is I-70 to Utah, and then take the I-15 all the way in. BUT, I have absolutely no mountain driving experience (which is kinda funny, considering where I live), and don’t want my freshman outing to include the Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass, thankyouverymuch. Soo.. I have two other routes I’m currently looking at: Route A “The High Road" I-25 to Albuquerque (camp at in-laws… sigh), east on I-40, up and over Flagstaff (cool there!), and camp at Lake Havesu, then drop down into the Imperial Valley to hook up with I-8 all the way to the Pacific. 1,325 miles. Possible roadside attractions: the London Bridge, the massive meteorite crater outside of Winslow, an old Harvey House or two… we’ll skip the Grand Canyon this time and go there in a more favorable season. Route B } “The Low Road" I-25 to Albuquerque (still camp at in-laws), stay on I-25, east on I-10 to Tucson, merge onto I-8, stopping somewhere along the way for the night, then all the way in. 1,340 miles. Possible roadside attractions: umm… Saguaro Nat’l. Park? I’m avoiding Phoenix no matter what… with the congestion and the horrible downgrades from Flagstaff on I-17. Speaking of grades, I ordered The Mountain Directory to help me find bad grades out in the Wild West. The two routes are similar in length. Even though “The High Road” has some elevation advantage, it’ll still be hotter than the dickens nearly the whole way. Anyone have any advice? Besides, “don’t go in August!” Thanks, Brian Brown PD4106-1175 Longmont, CO USA Our Bus Site | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
I-25 to I-10 | ||
| Stan Rating: N/A |
You have to cross the mountains to get into California from Utah or Arizona. I 15 takes you through all the LA traffic. I 8 is probably the hottest route but just one bad grade east of SD. Ocotillo pass is just 4300 feet but starts below sea level and goes up and down quickly. | ||
| TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A |
I'd go west on I-10 myself...phoenix is a piece of cake..straight thru shot..NO problem...be sure & stop for fuel at Tucson ,268 mile marker.(Tripple T truckstop)good fuel,good cafe,gift shop,overnight parking.deep dish apple pie. | ||
| Bill MC-8 Rating: N/A |
I-25 to Hatch, NM. Take cutoff to Deming (it's a good road) then on to I-10. You will have a pull at Texas Canyon, just east of Benson, AZ. Not bad, keep the revs up. About 13 miles down to bottom of valley at Benson (really brings down the engine temp). There is a pull west of Benson out of the valley. Not too but again keep the revs. Turn on to I-8 at Casa Grande. Clear shot from there to west of El Centro CA. As mentioned by others, the pass just east of SD is all thats left. Enjoy the ride. | ||
| Doug Wotring
Rating: N/A |
70 is fine......thats the route I would take having done all the ones you mentioned | ||
| R.C.Bishop
Rating: N/A |
BillMC-8 is dead on...I live in Las Cruces and have done that many times..(ditto the Triple T that 2Dogs mentions)...best easiest, and probably fastest way/// The "freaking desert" is a great place to travel....and a bunch more comfortable than Dallas (humidity in the 90's temps in the 90's)....lived there and moved back to Colorado. Denver can also be a miserable place in July/August. Lived there too. A number of places in CO....for 28 years. BTW you will find Saguaro, snack dab in the middle of Tucson, to be hot as well. 107 there a week ago last Sunday when I was passing thru. Phoenix is a piece of cake; nothing like it was for years, but as Bill said, get on I-8 at Casa Grande for San Diego Oh....and enjoy the desert...pretty green this year, and mountains all around.  RCB '64 Crown Supercoach (HWC) | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Rating: N/A |
Ok, RC, maybe I'm a bit too harsh on the "freaking desert". BUT, on our last time through, in July '03, I was in my lousy Winnebago. Between Phoenix and Gila Bend, the genny conked out, so no A/C, no dash air either, and the engine kept trying to overheat... so I had to run the heater to help slough off some heat. Oh, and it was like 119 in the shade. Oh, and I had to stop for gas every 100 miles because my main tank line was plugged. My first RV experience could have been my last. I just don't want a repeat perfomance with my new (old) bus! Thanks for the tips, all. bb | ||
| Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat)
Rating: N/A |
...And if you decide to take the phoenix route, on I-8 about an hour west of Phoenix is a little exit called "Dateland". A big stand of date-palms out in the middle of nowhere on the south side of the road... Stop there and get yourself a date shake. Yeah it sounds a bit weird but trust me, even if you hate dates it's amazing. There's usually a long line at the little window,,,, | ||
| Dan West (Utahclaimjumper)
Rating: N/A |
Brian, your last post says it all, do your maint. at home not along the hi-way. >>>Dan | ||
| Robert Harsell (Stonefly)
Rating: N/A |
I 70 is a good ride in the summer, with no snow and ice. The moutains are not that bad compared to others in the USA. The scenery is hard to beat. The stretch across Utah from Green River to Salina is a part of our country that everyone should see if they have the chance. Just make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition and have plenty of fuel and water. There are no services for 100 miles. Thereafter, it's desert practically all the way to Ontario, CA, but beautiful. (With fairly frequent service areas) Robert | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Rating: N/A |
R.H., I suppose I should be attracted to the I-70 route because of lack of high temps for more of the trip than the southern routes. And, you're right, the scenery can't be beat. I've never really been west of Glenwood going that way. I'm just not sure how the old DD will do at 10,000'. I don't have Jakes, so the downgrades do scare me a bit, also. Hmm... I guess I could try some dry runs "up in the hills" before the big trip. I'll consider it. Thanks, bb | ||
| R.C.Bishop
Rating: N/A |
Brian....send me a private email and I'll run your trip for you on Co-Pilot....see what it has to say about the various routes. Will need a leaving and arriving address...more or less specific. Cross roads would be fine. FWIW RCB '64 Crown Supercoach (HWC aaaprintingbrokers at juno. com | ||
| Doug Wotring
Rating: N/A |
Downgrades on 70 are not that bad.....actually my 04 would not go over 65 down hill due to the wind effect on the front of the bus. very easy to keep the speed controlled and visibility is great as the curves are all big sweepers. | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Rating: N/A |
65mph down hill... wow. Hopefully not on the Tunnel or Vail downgrades. Yikes. How fast can you go up some of those passes? Second gear at redline or so? I'm curious how a normally-aspirated DD does at thos elevs. Here's another route I discovered was shorter than either of the southern ones I posted originally: I-80 thru WY to SLC, then south on I-15. Adds about 100 miles over the more direct, but much more steep I-70 route. Altitude and grades should be a lot less than I-70. And ambient temps. should be less than the NM, AZ routes, I'd imagine, since most of it is well over mile-high. If I can average only 10mph faster on the I-80 to I-15 portion (compared to I-70 to I-15)... like 55mph vs. 45mph, the trip time would actually be less on the northern one. My stess level would prob. be a lot less, too. Decisions, decisions... | ||
| Derek (Derek_l)
Rating: N/A |
I wouldn't try increasing your average speed, it's useless with a bus. The problem is that you can only go so fast up the hills, even if you don't stop for rests or anything. The fastest I've averaged was 110km/h (66mph) over roughly 250 miles of steep mountain terrain... but with speeds approaching 180km/h (110mph). I don't think your 4104 is going to be doing that anytime soon. (I don't advocate breaking the law. Don't break the law. Breaking the law is bad.) ((I didn't break the law. And if I did, I didn't.)) | ||
| Phil Dumpster2 Rating: N/A |
Why are some people so terrified of hills? Just stay in the right lane, follow the trucks, and keep your speed down. | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess)
Rating: N/A |
Probably no Jakes. An Allison 745 will upshift when the RPMS go to high. I love my Jake. |