My trip to Mohave, AZ

[Mopar1973Man]

I'm Home!! 

 

This trip back was rough. It was about 108*F out when I left Mohave Valley, AZ. Amazingly the heat shield did really well I ran up to 65 MPH towing. The entire trip from Mohave Valley, AZ to Las Vegas, NV is all uphill climb. Both the engine 200*F and transmission 195*F ran warm did very well. We stopped in Crystal Valley, NV for the night at a rest area.

 

 

Got up and got going and this day was nothing but a struggle. Winds gusty and either bucking head winds ot nasty side wind gust. Just outside Ely, NV got so bad I pulled off and went back in the RV to rest let the storm pass. Lighten up and got back on the pavement rolled out. Made it to Twin Falls, ID and the wind picked up again. Made it barely to Bliss, ID again the winds got bad and shoving me around. Stopped for the night and the RV battery was near dead.

 

 

The plug (RV) or socket (truck) has a weak connection on the BATT+ pin because all the lights on the trailer work but the RV battery was near dead from the previous night. Using a pocket knife to scrap the contacts I got it to start charging. I set the heat for 65*F in the RV and went to bed. I got up this morning to the heater barely running and lightly blowing air (cold). Look at the volt gauge and the battery was down to 8.7 Volts. Fire up the truck which woke @Wet Vette up, I got the furnace running and heated up a cup of coffee. Got up and got hauling again... Another day of fighting winds (ughhhh). Got to Boise, ID and figure I would run Hwy 55 instead of 95. Got to the canyon and the wind stops (good) but I'm looking up canyon I see snow. (really?) By the time I made the 17 mile climb to the top I was in 4WD and now driving in about 1 to 2 inches of snow. Get to McCall, ID and drop back to the valley floor and it looking like massive spring time, meadows are super green, flowers every where, light rain. Now the weather calms down from New Meadows to home was like a nice normal day... Last 20 miles smooth sailing but the other 860 miles mother nature beat my .

 

I'm wore out and I'm home safe and sound... 

Edited June 7, 2020 by Mopar1973Man

[Mopar1973Man]

More photos...

 

Mohave Valley, AZ

 

 

Oatman, AZ in the background...

 

 

Did the math on the trip... 

 

Scale Weight 17,300 GCW

 

Idaho to Arizona - $180 (12.6 MPG)

Arizona to Idaho = $227 (10.8 MPG)

 

Running speeds of 65 MPH for most of the trip. The only time I slowed down was for winds and weather issues. Few times I backed down for transmission temp and knowing my climb was going to be longer than I had temp room for. After the heat shield the trans temp issue is more or less mute. 190*F or lower for the entire trip home. 

 

Oh... I'll be posting up my RV tune I used for this 1,800 mile trip. 

 

 

[01cummins4ever]

Glad you enjoyed your trip to the great Southwest, The desert can be a beautiful and yet harsh place to be if your not prepared, I love it out their in the winter and early spring, once it hits 90 though I’m heading back to the high country

 

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Being this was a long over do vacation for me without limits. I spent nearly 2 weeks out there at @Wet Vette daughter place in Arizona. I did Codie a favor and fixed his A/C on his 2016 Ford Focus which he was ready to give up one and sell now he wants to keep it. Nice and cold. Enjoyed some tourism went out to Oatman, AZ and Kingman, AZ. The COVID-19 lock down had most of the the tourism shut down yet. Then when we thought we can wait a few days and go again then the George Floyd thing started. While in Kingman, AZ I was informed by both the Chamber of Commerce and a Jewelry store owner was packing up for a few weeks and getting out because of the Black Lives Matter was invited by the mayor of Kingman. I bailed out and head back to Mohave Valley. Then there was a surge in temperature and I got stuck waiting for a cooler day to haul out. I go back another time again most likely in December.