Road Trip! - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

pelon · #16 01-15-2010, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djustin973

I don't plan on dividing the driving equally between days. The first few will be long hauls to albuquerque. From there I'll slow down to enjoy.

in my years in the trucking business i never saw anything east of here to draw my attention.
get out west and enjoy the scenery.
drop in at Teofilos in Los Lunas for some real food, then eat breakfast at one of the Wecks in ABQ for a good breakfast.
PM me for my phone number if you need to.
robertoooooo

okyoureabeast · #17 01-15-2010, 10:46 AM

I should mention that I'll be doing this road trip as well from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania in a year or two. Just have a couple of items to square away first.

brownrice78 · #18 01-15-2010, 01:01 PM

Good luck with your trip. Have as much supplies as possible for safety and comfort. No matter how much you plan, things still happen...so don't sweat it.

tammik · #19 01-15-2010, 09:52 PM

. Load an iPod up with some some podcasts

AGREED....look forward to my times alone in the car so i can listen to my podcasts.NPR,bill maher,my history can beat up your politics are some i enjoy.slowing down to 55mph if and watch everyone pass you by while you achieve 30+ mpg..........maybe a taller gear like a 2.8 but i think 3000 rpms at 60 is killing fuel economy.im thinking i might go taller.

#20 01-15-2010, 09:54 PM

LOL. I currently have 24.5 days worth of new podcasts on my iphone, I need to do some serious driving.

bustedbenz · #21 01-15-2010, 11:01 PM

Just be sure you know yourself well enough to decide if the audiobooks are a good idea. Once I hit the 3-4 hour point (two weekends ago I drove to Nashville, spent one night, and came back to NC, so I've got recent experience) -- spoken voices on the radio (except, ironically, for "Car Talk" podcasts) make me drowsy, as do songs I don't know. I have to keep playlists loaded with songs that I know well enough to sing along with; if I'm singing I stay awake but just listening, especially to spoken voices, puts me right out.

My dad and I constructed a trunk-wide wooden "trough" that goes across the back wall of the trunk and keeps fluids and tools organized. I travel with a complete socket and wrench set, plus assorted screwdrivers, pliers, channel-locks, and a properly inflated spare tire and all the paraphernalia required to install it (and my little tool to screw into one of the rear tire mount holes so I can hang the wheel from it while I'm getting a bolt or two in without smashing a finger or not being able to line the wheel up)

I keep all the vital fluids. Spare diesel, several quarts of Rotella, ATF, power steering, a gallon of mixed coolant, SEVERAL quarts of tranny fluid since mine leaks, and brake fluid. Spare fuel filters.

And perhaps the single most often used thing back there -- heavy-duty jumper cables. And some paper towels for cleaning up after all these roadside disasters.

I know how valueable cargo space is, and I'd probably not do this for myself. But if I REALLY was going to drive somewhere like from NC to CA or something and COULD NOT afford to be stuck for long -- I would almost consider an inexpensive garage floor jack with an easily removable handle. The factory jack just isn't that sturdy when it comes right down to it, and if I REALLY thought I was going to get into trouble that might necessitate a roadside repair, I'd almost be willing to give up the room to have a decent jack. I'm just throwing this out there; of my whole post the jack is the least important bit, since I'm essentially giving advice I don't follow myself.

There was one memorable time I was driving the company van -- actually I was the passenger; a co-worker was driving; and we ran over something on the road and a rear tire completely blew out. It shredded itself, tore itself almost in half but not quite, and then proceeded to wedge/wrap into the wheel well. There was no way to get it loose until we got the wheel off, and that van's factory-included jack was designed such that in order to get to the jack point, we'd have to have miraculously been able to put it right where the tire was wedged in such a way that we couldn't budge it.

If we'd been carrying... well... a spare tire -- and a floor jack instead of a crank-type jack - then there's a chance we could have gotten under the rear diff or something and gotten it up at least far enough to insert the factory jack as well. That's my one example for "Why on earth wouldn't a factory jack be safer and good enough"

And some spare fuses.

#22 01-16-2010, 04:42 AM

In my case, audiobooks keep me more focused than music because I have to actually listen if I want to follow the story. On Monday I will be driving my 300D from Denver to Chicago (about 1000 miles in one day), so I can make a dent in my backlog of podcasts and audiobooks. I've changed my oil and replaced one glow plug, otherwise the car is just in it's normal (ready to go anyplace) condition.