Longggggg Road trip tips. What is the farthest you’ve gone?

[i82much]

i say just take a leatherman and see how good you are.

[dave6672]

Originally Posted by dave6672

From to Kentucky to New Mexico and back in a 71 C20, I used to own. A lot of things on your list I took care of before I left as periodic maintenance, and had no troubles on the road at all.

Here's some pics from my trip back in 2000. Hauled my Sportster from KY to Las Vegas NM in my 71 C20. Unloaded the bike and rode through NM, CO, UT, and AZ for a week, loaded it back up and went home to KY.

Followed Route 66 part of the way out and ran into a heatwave - it was 113 degrees when I passed through in Yukon OK, but the truck never overheated.

[dave6672]

More pics

[cdub2010]

Why dont you just replace all the hard parts you plan on bringing? Seems like a lot of extra weight and worry to be hauling around the USA. Riding motorcycles for 20 years made me pack light and enjoy the journey. A credit card, pocket full of cash and a .45 worked for me. Its not like your going thru Siberia, there are plenty of parts stores, repair shops, watering holes and gas stations along the way

[StingRay]

2500 round trip. Carried spare fuel pump, HEI, water pump, alternator, a couple rocker arms, u-joints, a plug wire,Wheel bearings, fuses, coolant and lubricants. Also had a few common gaskets, sealants, cable ties, duct tape, some 14 ga wire , connectors and a good selection of tools. Never used any on that trip but did on a few shorter trips. Most of it besides tools fit in a larger plastic tote. It was a heavy tote. LOL.

[Awann99]

Originally Posted by cdub2010

Why dont you just replace all the hard parts you plan on bringing? Seems like a lot of extra weight and worry to be hauling around the USA. Riding motorcycles for 20 years made me pack light and enjoy the journey. A credit card, pocket full of cash and a .45 worked for me. Its not like your going thru Siberia, there are plenty of parts stores, repair shops, watering holes and gas stations along the way

All of the parts a listed have been replaced already on the truck. I just want to carry spares incase one goes out when I’m in the middle of nowhere. I’d rather have it and not need it then need it and have to walk miles to get one.

[Awann99]

Originally Posted by dave6672

More pics

Super cool photos. I’ll make sure to take a ton on my trip. What temp thermostat would you guys suggest I use? This will take place in mid July.

[davischevy]

The wife and I have driven my 72 on several trips. I have had my share of breakdowns, but people are great. I got a cool memory out of all my bad fortune.

On the way to "Cruisin' The Coast" one year, I stopped in south Arkansas to get gas and had antifreeze dripping. I called ahead to O'Reilly's in Biloxi and ordered a radiator. I changed the radiator in the parking lot.

I headed on over to Pensacola, FL. The engine pulled a rocker stud on the Pensacola Bay bridge. I had a friend down there with an empty trailer. He picked us up and hauled us home.

Another time on the way to the coast, the pinion nut loosened. I went to O'Reilly's and rented a breakover bar and socket and backed the truck up on a curb so I could get under it.

On the way to Nashville the AC compressor locked up just east of Dyersburg. I changed the compressor in the motel parking lot. We left there and drove down to Gatlinburg, back up to Bowling Green, then through Indiana, Illinois to Des Moines, Iowa and back to Arkansas.

We made a trip up to northern Wisconsin and Minnesota in a 70 El Camino we built. I crossed some railroad tracks in Minneapolis and heard the wheel alignment shims ringing on the pavement. It was closing time on Friday so I got some shims from and alignment shop counted the turns I back the nut off and trial and error until it tightened the same number of turns.

I drove the El Camino through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland to Washington DC. On the way back I hit a trailer jack in the road near Roanoke, VA. I had it towed to a Chevy dealer and they had me back on the road the next day. The insurance paid for the whole thing.

I had a coil go bad on my 71 Chevelle halfway between Tallulah, LA and Vicksburg, MS. I had it towed to Vicksburg and changed the coil. Insurance paid for the tow.

I had a fuel sensor go out on my Harley in the Rocky Mountains. I nursed it (no easy feat with all our gear and the wife on the back) to Farmington, NM to the Harley dealer. Great people had me going in no time.

I forgot the big one. In 1973 the wife and I drove a 72 Cheyenne to Washington state and down the coast to San Diego and back to Arkansas.

Go for it. The breakdowns are half the fun.

[CG]

Originally Posted by davischevy

The breakdowns are half the fun.

I guess Im a half empty guy. Because breakdowns ruin it for me. I had a 72 Burb C10 that I hooked up the trailer to and headed down to Salem Or to pick up a 68 SWB C10.

Had several little-ish issues on the way down. Finally the engine just killed itself. We struggled in to a Uhaul place, rented a box truck, hooked the trailer up to it, loaded the burb up and went home.

Used a late model truck a couple weeks later to go get the 68. I still love these trucks, but I dont see myself ever taking one too far from home.

Just dredging up this old memory is sending me off in a negative direction again on my last standing truck ha! (ugh).

[72c20customcamper]

My longest trip was in 17 . 12k miles 7 weeks NY to Cali and back . On motorcycles minimal tools one breakdown nail in rear tire but was able to get to a dealer in Texas.

[custom10nut]

During one of my many moves with the Army (1998), I drove mine from Ft Knox Ky to my parents place in the Thumb of Michigan. The plan was to store her there while I got set up at my next assignment. Well, the plan fell through after a dramatic family disagreement, and I ended up driving her to Ft Bragg NC the next day. I took my time enjoying the drive and all the compliments whenever I stopped for food or fuel (I even had a few offers to buy her), and didn’t have any problems the whole way. It was a total of 1300 miles.
Just because I was moving, I had a lot of spare parts and of course my tools, with me, so breakdowns were never a concern.
While I agree that it’s good to be prepared, do you really want to take up the space to carry your whole list? Many of those items are readily available all along the route of your trip. Do a thorough inspection before you depart and replace anything that you think might break.
Whenever and wherever I go, I always carry a good assortment of tools (no matter what vehicle I’m driving), and have found that most often I use them to help others having problems. The only things I’ve ever taken for helping people have been handshakes, hugs, and promises that they’ll let me know they got home safe (that’s a force of habit from being a leader in the Army.
Good luck and safe travels on your road trip.

[spmtamu11]

My maiden voyage after buying my 72 K1500 was 2000 Miles - Medford, OR to Frisco, TX. Checked a tool bag that weighed 50 lbs and some heat in a second bag, bought most of the same parts you mentioned at the closest auto parts store, snagged essential snacks (don’t see beer or whiskey on your list!) and hit the road.

We stayed pretty warm under the camper (pro-tip- lounge chair cushions with a sleeping pad make things pretty comfortable).

Take it slow, stop any and everywhere that looks interesting and you’ll have a great time. We did the trip in 3 days, but wish I had set aside 2 weeks...

[richards72chevy]

Me and the wife moved from northern California to Tennessee 17 years ago and had no major problems with my 72.Looks like you have everything covered.I would be concerned about theft.Maybe a steering wheel lock or some other device would help with that.

[69Tom]

I'll add 2 things to what other's have said, as I have lived in the areas you'll be traveling for some time now:

1) Get the highest level AAA plan, because you're apt to be in the middle of nowhere for a lot of your driving. A tow with the low plan can cost you $$$ to the next town if you need it.

2) I personally have no issue with you bringing all those parts if you have the space because of 1) above. You'll probably be near not much for a lot of your drive. With that said, most small towns have some kind of auto parts store in them. I'd rather have than have not, personally, however.

[slikside]

Originally Posted by Smitty

Might want to check into getting a membership to the National Park System. Being an old fart I was able to get a life time membership awhile back. Could save some on individual entrance fees and I think there are other perks as well. Happy Motoring and have a safe trip.

For all the military veterans out there, if you didn't already know, ALL National Parks/ Monuments, etc., are now free entry. You just have to prove you're a veteran at the entrance. Shortly after this change (just a few months ago), I got into a National Monument with my Navy Federal Visa Card, Lol! The ranger was nice enough to allow me 'just this once". But I finally went ahead and got a VA Veterans card, so now I'm legit!

San Diego to Southern Alberta, Canada; a lifetime ago! Loooong overdue for a road trip like that!

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by slikside

For all the military veterans out there, if you didn't already know, ALL National Parks/ Monuments, etc., are now free entry. You just have to prove you're a veteran at the entrance. Shortly after this change (just a few months ago), I got into a National Monument with my Navy Federal Visa Card, Lol! The ranger was nice enough to allow me 'just this once". But I finally went ahead and got a VA Veterans card, so now I'm legit!

San Diego to Southern Alberta, Canada; a lifetime ago! Loooong overdue for a road trip like that!

If you take a DD-214 to a Veteran's advocate (county, in my case), you can get a form for the DMV (California) so that when you renew your license, you can have "Veteran" printed on your license. I have it on mine now, so that I don't have to carry a wrinkled up old copy of my DD-214 around. I got 12 copies when I got out of the Navy, but doggonned if I know where they went. Probably started a campfire out in the desert with some of them.

[slikside]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

If you take a DD-214 to a Veteran's advocate (county, in my case), you can get a form for the DMV (California) so that when you renew your license, you can have "Veteran" printed on your license. I have it on mine now, so that I don't have to carry a wrinkled up old copy of my DD-214 around. I got 12 copies when I got out of the Navy, but doggonned if I know where they went. Probably started a campfire out in the desert with some of them.

That is a great way to go, for sure, but I renewed my DL a couple years ago, and wasn't gonna wait any longer. I sure don't need another card to carry around, but it was the quickest way to "get-er-dun"!

Yes, crazy stuff happens out in the desert!

[Already Gone]

Longest for me so far was 900 miles back home when I bought my truck in 2014. Left Saskatoon on Friday October 31St 2014 with a small tool box in the trunk of my friends Mazda and drove the 900 miles to Brooking South Dakota in 16 hours. Just about got strip searched by US Customs entering the USA cause I had 10k cash to pay for the truck. I was lucky in the fact that a board member knew of the truck I was buying and offered to take it the local auto repair shop to have it checked before I picked it up which gave me confidence for the 900 mile journey home. So November 1st up in the morning and did the deal on the truck and headed home. My biggest concern was running into a blizzard on the way home but it was clear all the way home with no issues. My plan if things ever get back to normal and I can enter the USA is to do a Long Haul Power Tour. Pic is 15 mins after I picked up the truck and stopped for gas.

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by davischevy

The wife and I have driven my 72 on several trips. I have had my share of breakdowns, but people are great. I got a cool memory out of all my bad fortune.

On the way to "Cruisin' The Coast" one year, I stopped in south Arkansas to get gas and had antifreeze dripping. I called ahead to O'Reilly's in Biloxi and ordered a radiator. I changed the radiator in the parking lot.

I headed on over to Pensacola, FL. The engine pulled a rocker stud on the Pensacola Bay bridge. I had a friend down there with an empty trailer. He picked us up and hauled us home.

Another time on the way to the coast, the pinion nut loosened. I went to O'Reilly's and rented a breakover bar and socket and backed the truck up on a curb so I could get under it.

On the way to Nashville the AC compressor locked up just east of Dyersburg. I changed the compressor in the motel parking lot. We left there and drove down to Gatlinburg, back up to Bowling Green, then through Indiana, Illinois to Des Moines, Iowa and back to Arkansas.

We made a trip up to northern Wisconsin and Minnesota in a 70 El Camino we built. I crossed some railroad tracks in Minneapolis and heard the wheel alignment shims ringing on the pavement. It was closing time on Friday so I got some shims from and alignment shop counted the turns I back the nut off and trial and error until it tightened the same number of turns.

I drove the El Camino through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland to Washington DC. On the way back I hit a trailer jack in the road near Roanoke, VA. I had it towed to a Chevy dealer and they had me back on the road the next day. The insurance paid for the whole thing.

I had a coil go bad on my 71 Chevelle halfway between Tallulah, LA and Vicksburg, MS. I had it towed to Vicksburg and changed the coil. Insurance paid for the tow.

I had a fuel sensor go out on my Harley in the Rocky Mountains. I nursed it (no easy feat with all our gear and the wife on the back) to Farmington, NM to the Harley dealer. Great people had me going in no time.

I forgot the big one. In 1973 the wife and I drove a 72 Cheyenne to Washington state and down the coast to San Diego and back to Arkansas.

Go for it. The breakdowns are half the fun.

Well Larry, If you hadn’t been hauling that fat chick around on the back of the Harley, you would have never had the Privilege of hanging out in Farmington!


don’t beat me up anyone, he knows what I’m referencing...

I haven’t got the balls up to take mine anywhere more than about 50 miles from the house yet. I think it would do just fine it hasn’t given me too much trouble to this point. I need to quiet the exhaust down some .it’s a might bit loud in the cab presently, my head would break down before the truck did for sure.

[Barnfind46]

Six trips back and fourth from Fort Worth to Mena,Ar. 1800 miles total. Moving to another state is hard. The truck did good but my new part failed and left me stranded in Sulfer Springs,Texas. My Cheap HEI was junk. Put the old one in and all was good.

[MikeB]

Back in the mid-late 90s, I drove my 69 C10 from the Dallas/Ft Worth area to the mountains west of Denver, then back a few years later towing an 8 ft U-Haul trailer. Nearly 800 miles each way.

Then I used it as my daily driver for around 9 months, and took a few 300-500 mile round trips in Texas, and once down to Biloxi, MS and back. Never had a problem except for a dead battery, and thankfully that was only a few miles from home.

Engine was a fairly new GM crate 350 with an Edelbrock carb and real GM HEI distributor. Trans was a TH350 that had been rebuilt just before the above trips.

[SCHRUMGMC]

Absolutely enjoying reading all of these trip stories

Good luck on your trip!!!

Once my 59 gmc is all done and ready to go, I’ll probably take a road trip ... just maybe

[Awann99]

These stories are awesome. It really boosts my confidence in these old rigs. I once questioned taking a long distance while I was at a show and the older guy I was talking to said “What do you think they used back in 72 to drive around?” As long as you upkeep these trucks they make great daily drivers and long distance rigs.

[Chevyland]

Not sure if you like music
But we used this setup
UE roll Bluetooth speaker on the dash
Now that I just pulled up the picture
I didn’t remember, we actually had a solar charger
Anyway
Any Bluetooth speaker through your iPhone
Gives you unlimited listening

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by Chevyland

Not sure if you like music
But we used this setup
UE roll Bluetooth speaker on the dash
Now that I just pulled up the picture
I didn’t remember, we actually had a solar charger
Anyway
Any Bluetooth speaker through your iPhone
Gives you unlimited listening

Yep! I’ve got my original AM radio still in the truck but I use a Bluetooth speaker for all my jams.