things to do before an 8,000 mile road trip?

[michaels]

i'm taking this route this summer.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...044438,-97.558594&spn=35.208048,92.988281&z=4

should spend about two months on the road. my rover has about 62,xxx miles on the odo. what all should i do before i leave? first on my list is the 60,000 mile service, which i've been putting off...so new plugs, wires, oil change, tranny, and tcase fluid change, diff fluids, etc... but i don't want to miss anything. any suggestions would be great.

it's a rather spontaneous trip, so if i sound uncertain then it's because i literally decided this morning to go, and this is my preliminary route.

also if you live somewhere along the way and wouldn't mind me and my buddy camping out in your backyard (or in the guest bedroom) then it would be appreciated more than you can imagine. we're both well-behaved college students and this is going to be the trip of a lifetime. thanks for all the help.


i'll be praying to the rover gods the truck makes it. here's my truck for those who don't know:

the focus of the trip isn't off roading, but i will be doing some, of course. we'll probably have our mountain bikes and climbing shoes with us too, so we'll be doing things like that and camping/hiking as much as possible as well.

 

[haven]

The truck will be fine. Just do the 60K service a couple of weeks before the trip start date so you'll have time to find and fix any mistakes the mechanics may make.

I'm sure you have good reasons for choosing the route of the trip. If possible, I'd suggest giving yourself permission to change the route as the trip progresses. You'll meet lots of interesting people, and you will hear suggestions of other places you might want to go on the trip.

Two months in close quarters will test the relationships among your traveling companions. Little things that don't matter on a week-long trip will drive you crazy after 2 months. Make sure people have enough time and space to follow their own interests. Don't be surprised if someone wants to stop out along the way, and then hop on a plane to catch up. Just be flexible, and speak openly about your concerns with your companions.

Chip Haven

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

If you need a place to stop in Nashville, ... give a shout!!

Sounds like a blast!!

Dendy

 

[Wander]

That leg from Lexington-Denver looks like a long slog!

Are you going from Raleigh to Roanoke because of friends/family on your way to DC? If not there is a quicker and possibly more interesting route that will take you to Richmond and then up to DC via 301N.

Prepare to get slowed down in Myrtle Beach-the traffic is think around there without a good alternative unless you head inland towards Florence from Georgetown, SC.

 

[clalor]

You're driving all that way, in a Rover, and skipping Utah? :Wow1: Think about taking I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction, head to Moab along 128, and check out Arches, Canyonlands, and a few trails while you're down there. The Red Rock 4-Wheelers' site has some trail info for the area: http://www.rr4w.com

If you're looking to stay off the highway, there are some options for the Grand Junction to Moab route.

 

[michaels]

That leg from Lexington-Denver looks like a long slog!

well i have been to all the states in between driving to colorado straight from birmingham once when i was younger (27 straight hours on a bus.yikes!) and have no desire to really stop in any cities or places between lexington and denver.

Are you going from Raleigh to Roanoke because of friends/family on your way to DC? If not there is a quicker and possibly more interesting route that will take you to Richmond and then up to DC via 301N.

yep! friends basically. the trip is subject to change and i'm not tied down to one particular route at all, but i just know what cities i want to drive through along the way.

Prepare to get slowed down in Myrtle Beach-the traffic is think around there without a good alternative unless you head inland towards Florence from Georgetown, SC.

thanks for the heads up.

 

[michaels]

You're driving all that way, in a Rover, and skipping Utah? :Wow1: Think about taking I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction, head to Moab along 128, and check out Arches, Canyonlands, and a few trails while you're down there. The Red Rock 4-Wheelers' site has some trail info for the area: http://www.rr4w.com

If you're looking to stay off the highway, there are some options for the Grand Junction to Moab route.

lol. well it did cross my mind. always wanted to do utah, it will just depend. the trip is already so long and gas is going to be almost $2,000 i think, so we will see. i average 15 mpg on the highway... like i said it's not really a wheeling-oriented trip. it's just about being on the road, meeting new people, and most important learning more about myself. there are some deep-routed personal reasons for this trip. i just threw that route together today as a preliminary route to get a guess on costs, miles, etc..

 

[Gore Ranger]

damn, that's a lot of money in fuel!

 

[michaels]

If you need a place to stop in Nashville, ... give a shout!!

Sounds like a blast!!

Dendy

not sure if i'll be driving through nashvegas for any reason, but if i do i will contact you! pm me your number and/or addy so i can start putting together my itenerary.

 

[michaels]

damn, that's a lot of money in fuel!

well, 7,800 miles...15 mpg...and about $3 per gallon (guestimate)...that's $1600 just doing one city to the next, not even counting the driving around in each city, getting lost, detours, trips to the store, random off shoots to check stuff out...etc. gas is going to be the main expense by far.

 

[michaels]

The truck will be fine. Just do the 60K service a couple of weeks before the trip start date so you'll have time to find and fix any mistakes the mechanics may make.

i plan to do it myself, but i will have about a month of prep time where i won't be working or going to school to get the truck up and running how i need it to be.

I'm sure you have good reasons for choosing the route of the trip. If possible, I'd suggest giving yourself permission to change the route as the trip progresses. You'll meet lots of interesting people, and you will hear suggestions of other places you might want to go on the trip.

i'm open to any suggestions. it's not a set route but more so a guideline.

Two months in close quarters will test the relationships among your traveling companions. Little things that don't matter on a week-long trip will drive you crazy after 2 months. Make sure people have enough time and space to follow their own interests. Don't be surprised if someone wants to stop out along the way, and then hop on a plane to catch up. Just be flexible, and speak openly about your concerns with your companions.

we're pretty good friends and are both very calm, relaxed people. i could sit in silence with my buddy for hours and not be bothered, and so could he so i think the trip will test and strengthen our friendship in good ways.

 

[jrose609]

Glad I saw Boise on there........:beer:

 

[timmy!!!!!!!]

I don't see New Orleans on there.

 

[clalor]

lol. well it did cross my mind. always wanted to do utah, it will just depend. the trip is already so long and gas is going to be almost $2,000 i think, so we will see. i average 15 mpg on the highway... like i said it's not really a wheeling-oriented trip. it's just about being on the road, meeting new people, and most important learning more about myself. there are some deep-routed personal reasons for this trip. i just threw that route together today as a preliminary route to get a guess on costs, miles, etc..

There are a lot of mountain bike trails in the Moab area as well, but I realize that there's only so much you can do in one trip. At least consider adding that section of Utah to the trip.

 

[michaels]

Glad I saw Boise on there........:beer:

that one's for you jason! literally that's the only reason i'll be going through there. i want that beer you promised me! haha.

timmy new orleans should be on there...unless i forgot to put it in, i should be there in late july/early august.