Getting ready for a 5,300 mile trip in the Shelby

[TX STIG]

I am located in SE Arizona. If you need any directions or help when going through here let me know.

 

Jeff

 

 

Thanks for the offer Jeff, but it looks like I'll be going more central and NW. :beerchug:

[05mustangman]

If you end up coming through phoenix let me know. maybe we could get together for lunch or something. i would definitely love to see your shelby in person!

[jsarkis]

If noone suggested this yet, I'd have a hide a key somewhere on the car & maybe a window punch since your on a long trip (maybe new areas to you) around water w/ your son. An extra roll of tp also might come in handy, be safe and enjoy! Take us some nice picts.

[2010KonaBlueGT]

Excellent idea. I usually get federal government rate, but I'll compare it to the internet rate.

 

 

If I remember right, the Internet rate is the lowest you can get. Lower than AARP, Military, group, etc.

 

At least at Super8 (Flagstaff AZ) and Best Western (Mequite NV).

 

You can check right now by starting a faux reservation.

 

Oh yeah, and the weekend rates are CRAZY high so try and get there Monday thru Thursday. IIRC, the weekend rates were almost double of weekday rates.

 

 

HTH,

Phill

[shelbykam]

Later next month I'm taking my 9 year old son on a road trip from TX to Seattle. Along the way we're going to see the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park (my son's name is Bryce), Zion National Park, Hoover Dam, Loneliest Highway, drive through the Red Woods in northern CA, and drive up the PCH through Oregon and on into Seattle. At that point I'll fly him home and then I'll attend a few days of meetings for work and then drive home in a more direct route.

 

I've done similiar distance before riding solo on KTM and BMW motorcycles, so the idea of traveling so far w/o a spare tire is nothing new. However, if anyone has any advice on what to bring in addition to the factory supplied tire plug kit, then I'd appreciate the advice.

 

 

 

Make sure you have plenty of gas in the tank before you hit the "Loneliest Highway". I rabbit hunt up that way and gas stations are few and far between.

[TX STIG]

If you end up coming through phoenix let me know. maybe we could get together for lunch or something. i would definitely love to see your shelby in person!

 

 

Lunch would be GREAT, but unfortunately it looks like the closest I'll be to you is Flagstaff. Thanks for the offer, though!

[TX STIG]

If noone suggested this yet, I'd have a hide a key somewhere on the car & maybe a window punch since your on a long trip (maybe new areas to you) around water w/ your son. An extra roll of tp also might come in handy, be safe and enjoy! Take us some nice picts.

 

 

Thanks for the reminder on the key - I need to find a good hiding place when I do the next oil change. I'll also pack the Glock .45 in case we end up having to walk in the middle of nowhere.

 

As far as the extra TP, I only use flushable wet-wipes. Never understood the idea of cleaning sh!t off my ass with dry paper.

[TX STIG]

Make sure you have plenty of gas in the tank before you hit the "Loneliest Highway". I rabbit hunt up that way and gas stations are few and far between.

 

 

Any idea on the longest distance between 2 stations?

[2010KonaBlueGT]

Make sure you have plenty of gas in the tank before you hit the "Loneliest Highway". I rabbit hunt up that way and gas stations are few and far between.

 

 

Yep, they call it "The Loneliest Highway" for a reason. I came back that way from Sturgis on my Harley (to CA) and I damn near hit empty one time just outside of.....Ely?

 

When you start *thinking* about getting gas, it's probably past time to get it!

 

 

Phill

[2010KonaBlueGT]

Any idea on the longest distance between 2 stations?

 

 

I know on my Harley if I was even *close* to 100 miles on the tank and I saw a station, I filled up!

 

Like I said in another post, I only got into trouble one time and I'm pretty sure that was approaching Ely. I'd have to look at my Atlas with my route highlighted to be sure but I think that was the longest stretch.

 

And with a car that's not known for great gas mileage, I'd "think like a biker" if I was in my GT500 on Hwy. 50/NV.

 

Gas up and gas up often! lol

 

 

Phill

(I thought for sure I was gonna be pushing a 740 pound full dressed Harley for the last few miles into town!)

[shelbykam]

Any idea on the longest distance between 2 stations?

 

 

 

To be honest I am not sure. I usually hit portions of the highway from the South coming from Vegas so I never drive fully from East to West.

[BigDan]

If your going through Flagstaff you HAVE to visit Meteor Crater

[TX STIG]

If your going through Flagstaff you HAVE to visit Meteor Crater

 

 

Awesome, didn't know that was there. I'll check it out.

[2010KonaBlueGT]

Awesome, didn't know that was there. I'll check it out.

 

 

About 30 miles East of Flagstaff on I-40.

 

Well, that's where the exit is. Not sure how far it is from the Hwy. but that' where the exit is.

 

 

 

Phill

[KomradAndre]

Thats going to be an awesome drive Stig! You'll love driving through the giant redwoods!! yea not sure bout what extras you should bring... lotsa tunes and a camera is all i can think of hehe. :happy feet:

[Sherri Leicht]

Don't feel like reading the whole post atm but paper towels and window cleaner and a fire extinguisher. Sorry if these were already mentioned.

[Torched10]

may not have the room, but Ive started taking a small floor jack with me on long trips.You can get them at NAPA for $30. It sure beats crwaling around in 100 degree heat,and its alot steadier than a scissor jack--ive got an EXT and it had no problem lifting and holding the truck--

[Cdvision]

I always carry a Swiss army knife, folding utility pliers, large flat blade screwdriver, a hand crank LED flashlight and last but not least a roll of Duct tape.

[rhlgt500]

A pair of old shoes for the shoe tree on Highway 50? http://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/shoetrees.html

 

I took my dad on a tip through Nevada, Colorado, and Utah . At the start of the trip he gave me hard time when I insisted on filling up even with 3/4 of a tank when we hit highway 50 outside of Reno. After seeing how desolate it got in places on highway 50 and then in the four-corners area he seemed to get the message about being a bit conservative in this regard....

 

Can't give you solid Shelby GT500 advice with the gas. Last couple time I drove it, I was in my Sportsmoblie diesel van with 50-60 gallons n the 2 tanks and an emergency 10 gallons in Jerry cans on the rear.

 

'd personally worry to the point of bringing an extra 5 gallons only if was getting less than 200 miles on a full tank. (My Land Rover defender was about 180 miles (edit, thought about it some more, I was probably 130 or less at the time, ~13 gallon gas tank and less than 10 MPG after all the mods) or less per tank and it was problematic getting across Nevada/Utah even on highway 80.) With a 200 mile range you would probably only get in trouble if you bypass a station/town when below 1/3 of a tank (or run 100 mph+ alot). The whole state is on the order of 500 miles across and there are a couple obvious towns to fill up in. Just don't miss the chance as there often isn't anything between them.....

[rhlgt500]

Does your pully mod require a special belt? I've driven across Nevada with free wheeling superchanger after loosing the belt in Utah and finding that the replacement would have to be special ordered and would take 3-4 days minimum. It isn't fun being the slowest vehicle on the road and having trouble getting up some of the grades at all. Regardless, take a look at wear items directly related to mods or, over-stressed due to mods, as you don't want to be down a couple days, waiting to ship something in from a specialty shop... If they are cheap, or not standard, you may want to buy the next service replacement stuff (like fuel filters, belts, spark plugs, etc. ) before the trip and throw them in the trunk just in case.

 

Octane boost of some sort might be a good idea in case you end up having to fill up with less than ideal gas for an over boosted car at some point on the trip.

[Wingrider]

Does your pully mod require a special belt? I've driven across Nevada with free wheeling superchanger after loosing the belt in Utah and finding that the replacement would have to be special ordered and would take 3-4 days minimum. It isn't fun being the slowest vehicle on the road and having trouble getting up some of the grades at all. Regardless, take a look at wear items directly related to mods or, over-stressed due to mods, as you don't want to be down a couple days, waiting to ship something in from a specialty shop... If they are cheap, or not standard, you may want to buy the next service replacement stuff (like fuel filters, belts, spark plugs, etc. ) before the trip and throw them in the trunk just in case.

 

Octane boost of some sort might be a good idea in case you end up having to fill up with less than ideal gas for an over boosted car at some point on the trip.

 

 

Wow these are good ones...

[TX STIG]

Does your pully mod require a special belt? I've driven across Nevada with free wheeling superchanger after loosing the belt in Utah and finding that the replacement would have to be special ordered and would take 3-4 days minimum. It isn't fun being the slowest vehicle on the road and having trouble getting up some of the grades at all. Regardless, take a look at wear items directly related to mods or, over-stressed due to mods, as you don't want to be down a couple days, waiting to ship something in from a specialty shop... If they are cheap, or not standard, you may want to buy the next service replacement stuff (like fuel filters, belts, spark plugs, etc. ) before the trip and throw them in the trunk just in case.

 

Octane boost of some sort might be a good idea in case you end up having to fill up with less than ideal gas for an over boosted car at some point on the trip.

 

 

I did have to go with a different size belt when the lower pulley was done. Wouldn't be a bad idea to stockpile a full set of belts.

 

I also like the idea on the octane boost. I have full access to 93 octane in my area, but I always run the 91 octane tune w/ 93 octane gas. I'll add some octane boost to the 91 gas if that's all that is available in the higher elevations.

 

I think I'm getting close to doubling the weight of my car.

[rhlgt500]

For all practical purposes, the best available gas in California is 91 octane. Best advice I've seen is to stick with Shell or Chevron.

 

To do better than 91 you would need to map your trip around the very few gas stations (or perhaps tracks) that sell racing gas.

 

In all of Silicon Valley for example, after much searching on the internet, I am now aware of a whole 3 stations that offer better than 91 octane. Two have 100 octane racing gas and you do your own mix. I've got a friend (who lives near the rumored station) confirming the 3rd that supposedly carries 93. Apparently, when the CA air resources board changed the legal mix the last time, the oil companies for the most part gave up and standardized on 91 for premium.

[2010KonaBlueGT]

Thats going to be an awesome drive Stig! You'll love driving through the giant redwoods!! yea not sure bout what extras you should bring... lotsa tunes and a camera is all i can think of hehe. :happy feet:

 

 

Yes, make *absolutely* sure you hit the "Avenue of the Giants" in No. California. I know it's spectacular on a motorcycle.

 

Google it to see how you get there but from the sound of it, you'll hit it anyway.

 

 

Phill

[2010KonaBlueGT]

For all practical purposes, the best available gas in California is 91 octane. Best advice I've seen is to stick with Shell or Chevron.

 

 

Not sure if it still applies but Union 76 stations used to carry higher octane (was it 92 or 93?). I know we used to search them out when we were on a road trip on the Harley.

 

 

Phill

[KEYSTONE]

Later next month I'm taking my 9 year old son on a road trip from TX to Seattle. Along the way we're going to see the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park (my son's name is Bryce), Zion National Park, Hoover Dam, Loneliest Highway, drive through the Red Woods in northern CA, and drive up the PCH through Oregon and on into Seattle. At that point I'll fly him home and then I'll attend a few days of meetings for work and then drive home in a more direct route.

 

I've done similiar distance before riding solo on KTM and BMW motorcycles, so the idea of traveling so far w/o a spare tire is nothing new. However, if anyone has any advice on what to bring in addition to the factory supplied tire plug kit, then I'd appreciate the advice.

 

 

First off, what a great idea to do this with your son. He'll remember it for the rest of his life. Hat's off to you for work-life balance.

 

For my basic road kit, I carry:

--3 D-cell MagLite Flashlight (batteries reversed, to prevent inadvertent power-on or power drain)

--Three (3) Road Flares

--One trash bag and duct tape (plastic and duct tape can fix myriad problems, from a leaking hose to a broken window. At worst, you can wear the trash bag as an impromptu poncho if you have to be out in the rain)

--Pair of leather work gloves (in case you have to handle hot/sharp surfaces)

--Mini compressor that runs off 12v.

I don't trust the compressor that come with the car. My compressor is a heavy duty one but fits in a box about the size of a half-gallon milk carton

--Needle nose pliers (with wire cutter at back of jaws) to remove foreign objects from tire

(All the folks telling you to bring a tire repair kit are giving you good, albeit incomplete, advice. How can you put a plug in a holed tire if you can't get the nail/screw/wire out of the tire to start with?? I also have a pair of slip-joint pliers, as they have the radiused head so you can grip a foreign object and use the radius head on the plier as a rolling-block fulcrum)

--Tire repair kit

--Vise-grip pliers- buy the brand name ones, not the crap Craftsman ones that Sears sells

(Full-size Vise-grips (mine are about 9" long and have "10WR" stamped on them) were my standard tool in my junkyard scrounging days. There are few things you cannot disassemble with them and they can be used as a striking tool)

--4-way screw driver (get the orange-handled one from Buck Bros., you can get in any Home Depot checkout line)

--USMC Ka-Bar knife- Get a Mil-Spec one, made in Olean, NY or made by Camillus Cutlery (stamped "US-Camillus"). This thing is indestructible, very useful as a tool, and unlike a Swiss Army knife it's great for self-defense on a lonely road somewhere

--Safety glasses- store them in an old sock , to keep them from getting scratched/dirty. For jump-starting a car, crawling inderneath a car and having to look up, or dealing with a hot radiator-- SAFETY FIRST!!

--A can of sensor-safe "Fix-a-Flat"- I don't trust the factory goop.

 

I store all of this in one canvas tote bag in the tire well, like the eco-friendly tote bags you can get for groceries. In a pinch, you can line the canvas bag with the garbage bag (mentioned above) and use it to carry liquid.

 

Travel through desert areas requires water, sunscreen, etc, which is a supplement to the basic kit I described above.

 

I heartily agree with the other poster above about carrying spare non-standard belts/hoses/etc.

 

For a really long road trip like yours, I'd also consider a formal spare tire, 4-way lug wrench, small scissor jack and a 12" piece of 2x10 for a jack base.

 

I'm thinking of getting a spare to duplicate the diameter of the 20" rear tire of my 2011 w/ SVT PP. If I blow a tire and it's rendered irreparable, I'd like a spare

[TX STIG]

First off, what a great idea to do this with your son. He'll remember it for the rest of his life. Hat's off to you for work-life balance.

 

For my basic road kit, I carry:

--3 D-cell MagLite Flashlight (batteries reversed, to prevent inadvertent power-on or power drain)

--Three (3) Road Flares

--One trash bag and duct tape (plastic and duct tape can fix myriad problems, from a leaking hose to a broken window. At worst, you can wear the trash bag as an impromptu poncho if you have to be out in the rain)

--Pair of leather work gloves (in case you have to handle hot/sharp surfaces)

--Mini compressor that runs off 12v.

I don't trust the compressor that come with the car. My compressor is a heavy duty one but fits in a box about the size of a half-gallon milk carton

--Needle nose pliers (with wire cutter at back of jaws) to remove foreign objects from tire

(All the folks telling you to bring a tire repair kit are giving you good, albeit incomplete, advice. How can you put a plug in a holed tire if you can't get the nail/screw/wire out of the tire to start with?? I also have a pair of slip-joint pliers, as they have the radiused head so you can grip a foreign object and use the radius head on the plier as a rolling-block fulcrum)

--Tire repair kit

--Vise-grip pliers- buy the brand name ones, not the crap Craftsman ones that Sears sells

(Full-size Vise-grips (mine are about 9" long and have "10WR" stamped on them) were my standard tool in my junkyard scrounging days. There are few things you cannot disassemble with them and they can be used as a striking tool)

--4-way screw driver (get the orange-handled one from Buck Bros., you can get in any Home Depot checkout line)

--USMC Ka-Bar knife- Get a Mil-Spec one, made in Olean, NY or made by Camillus Cutlery (stamped "US-Camillus"). This thing is indestructible, very useful as a tool, and unlike a Swiss Army knife it's great for self-defense on a lonely road somewhere

--Safety glasses- store them in an old sock , to keep them from getting scratched/dirty. For jump-starting a car, crawling inderneath a car and having to look up, or dealing with a hot radiator-- SAFETY FIRST!!

--A can of sensor-safe "Fix-a-Flat"- I don't trust the factory goop.

 

I store all of this in one canvas tote bag in the tire well, like the eco-friendly tote bags you can get for groceries. In a pinch, you can line the canvas bag with the garbage bag (mentioned above) and use it to carry liquid.

 

Travel through desert areas requires water, sunscreen, etc, which is a supplement to the basic kit I described above.

 

I heartily agree with the other poster above about carrying spare non-standard belts/hoses/etc.

 

For a really long road trip like yours, I'd also consider a formal spare tire, 4-way lug wrench, small scissor jack and a 12" piece of 2x10 for a jack base.

 

I'm thinking of getting a spare to duplicate the diameter of the 20" rear tire of my 2011 w/ SVT PP. If I blow a tire and it's rendered irreparable, I'd like a spare

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to write all that out - a lot of good info!

 

I felt like an idiot when I read the part in red. I went to Pep Boys and purchased a good tire plug kit, but it never occurred to me that I'd probably have to take something OUT of the tire.

 

It kind of makes me feel silly now for riding my KTM 950 from TX, across Deals Gap and the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Dr, Gettysburg, NYC, Finger Lakes, Niagara Falls, and over the top of the Great Lakes through Canada and back to TX w/o as much as a second thought for all this stuff. It was about 5,000 miles in 8 days. My biggest concern was taking enough clean underwear, as I threw my current pair of underwear away at the end of each day.

[KEYSTONE]

Thanks for taking the time to write all that out - a lot of good info!

 

I felt like an idiot when I read the part in red. I went to Pep Boys and purchased a good tire plug kit, but it never occurred to me that I'd probably have to take something OUT of the tire.

 

It kind of makes me feel silly now for riding my KTM 950 from TX, across Deals Gap and the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Dr, Gettysburg, NYC, Finger Lakes, Niagara Falls, and over the top of the Great Lakes through Canada and back to TX w/o as much as a second thought for all this stuff. It was about 5,000 miles in 8 days. My biggest concern was taking enough clean underwear, as I threw my current pair of underwear away at the end of each day.

 

 

No worries about the typing, I had the body of it in my archives, from an earlier email on the topic. I laughed about your comment on how you rode all those miles on your bike on a wing and a prayer. Today if I drive off to work without my cell phone, I get anxious wondering what I'll do if I break down. Amazing how you can recalibrate to what is considered "essential">

 

And I know the "feel like an idiot" part, courtesy of the school of hard knocks. I've stood by the roadside with my handy tire plug kit in hand, wondering how I was going to get that headless sheetmetal screw out of my tire, so I could employ the nifty tire plug kit I'd so cleverly thought to carry in my trunk.

 

Best picture I ever saw of a road hazard was on a Corvette forum a few years back. The guy had run over a big Craftsman combination wrench at speed and the open-end part of the wrench had stabbed right through the tire. The wrench was embedded about 3/4 of the way into the tire. His only consolation for the loss of the tire was that he got a nice Craftsman wrench for free.......

 

The only other thing I carry in my trunk is a small fire extinguisher. I've had two friends lose their nice muscle cars to underhood fires, when what started out as a minor fire quickly mushroomed into a catastrophe because they had no ability to stop the fire. Hence carrying work gloves too, in case the hood is hot. Granted, the odds of a fire in a newer car are slight, but old habits of mine die hard.

 

I've never had to use the extinguisher on my car, but I have put out two other cars over the years. I've always gotten a warm thank you from the person whose car I've saved, but nobody offered me the $20 to refill the extinguisher I've considered it financial penance for driving sins I've surely committed somewhere out there....

 

Good luck on your road trip! You've inspired me to get out there and drive. My only long road trip was from college days, when my friend and I drove non-stop from Syracuse to South Padre Island in his '79 Z/28, for spring break. The things you'll do for girls in bikinis......

[mullens]

Several years ago we took a trip to Hoover Dam. They were just starting work on the bridge across the canyon just below the dam. I don’t know if it is finished, but if it is it would be a great experience for the 9 year old (and probably for Dad) to take a ride over the canyon.

 

I live in Vegas and yes the dam is well worth the trip. It's just amazing how they built that thing in the 30's with the technology of the day.

 

+2 on Triple A. I've been a premier member for years. It's the best $100 you'll ever spend.

[PistolWhip]

I didn't read through the entire thread, so I apologize if I'm repeating anything. I have taken several "blind" long distance trips over the years and many of them were actually driving my new car home from various states around the Country. I'm sure most of the obvious stuff like water, oil, tire plugs, tools, etc.. have been covered but here are few small things that could prove invaluable:

 

A bottle of tylonal, Pepto, a few roles of toilet paper, a pack of microfibers, a bottle of waterless wash and quick detailer, something to occupy the little one like a PSP or DVD player cause the sites are only gonna last so long , a disposable camera or two, two or three roles of quarters, a no balance credit card with a high limit (just in case), a photo copy of ALL the items in your wallet stored safely somewhere inside the car or under the insole of your sneaks (this is the cop in me coming out, if you lose your wallet on the road, your BONED trying to remember what was in it and what the account numbers and all were), a list of some local PD's addresses and phone #'s along the way in case you need a heads up on where is "safe" to be and where is not, a pack of strike anywhere matches and extra batteries for anything your bringing that's battery operated.