380SL Diesel Coast To Coast Road Trip - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mach4 · #1 09-27-2013, 03:49 PM

Well tomorrow we're off for another extended road trip in the 380SL Diesel - this time to Winston-Salem, NC and Wilmington, NC area.

Here's our planned itinerary

And here's the outbound trip profile

We'll be spending nights in Albuquerque, Oklahoma City and Nashville on the outbound leg, with additional fuel stops in Phoenix, Amarillo and Memphis.

Return trip should be overnights in Wilmington, Birmingham, Dallas and El Paso and additional fuel stops in Atlanta, Jackson, Midland and Eloy (AZ). Google says 5226mi and 75 hours of driving... we'll see.

Hoping to meet up with Vstech in NC, schedule permitting, and maybe Squiggle Dog again.

I'll post pictures as I can during the trip and share the adventure.

If you see us along the way, be sure to wave.

H-townbenzoboy · #2 09-27-2013, 04:45 PM

Too bad you're not dipping south through Houston. I'd love to see your car!

tjts1 · #3 09-27-2013, 05:03 PM

Awesome trip plan, take lots of pics. Also bring the cetane booster because diesel fuel in the rest of the country isn't nearly as good as CA fuel.

daw_two · #4 09-27-2013, 05:18 PM

If you are leaving tomorrow and each stop is a letter, that puts you coming through Memphis, TN on Monday. I sent you a PM.

GregMN · #5 09-27-2013, 05:31 PM

From Payson: Take 260 then 60 to Socorro, NM

That is our favorite route across the high plains. Good 2 lane road. Little traffic. Great scenery if you take it in daylight.

We usually continue on 60 to 54 and up to Santa Rosa on I40. The travelodge in Santa Rosa is cheap and high quality.

Have a fun trip.

mach4 · #6 09-27-2013, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregMN

From Payson: Take 260 then 60 to Socorro, NM

Interesting idea - probably do it. We'll make our decision at Payson which way to go.

Thanks

maxru · #7 09-27-2013, 09:48 PM

Have fun! I drove from Bay Area to North Carolina in July in my 1984 300SD, some of the desert temps had me worrying.
Little tough if you drive it alone.
And I finally got to see Grand Canyon.

ROLLGUY · #8 09-27-2013, 10:56 PM

Just remember, "photos or it didn't happen". Seriously, you should post this in events and gatherings as well. We would all like to see each day of the trip in "travelogue" form (would only work if you take a computer, camera, and frequent McDonald's). I once took a trip (6,500 mile round trip) back east, and posted on a forum each day with photos and my progress. Needless to say, it was fun for me and those that followed the thread......Rich

mach4 · #9 09-27-2013, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

Just remember, "photos or it didn't happen". Seriously, you should post this in events and gatherings as well. We would all like to see each day of the trip in "travelogue" form

That's the plan.

GregMN · #10 09-27-2013, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mach4

Interesting idea - probably do it. We'll make our decision at Payson which way to go.

Thanks

Photos 7 - 17 in the photo album below from our last drive on that route in Jan
https://picasaweb.google.com/oldhouselights/2013AZTrainTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCOfmtMSmzJq66AE#

mach4 · #11 09-29-2013, 12:45 AM

Departed at 6am and headed East on I-8. While it was dark when we left, as we approached the summit of the mountains the sun was breaking over the ridge.

I always wanted to get a shot of the car with the monster rocks in the background and this time we got it.

A little further down the road toward Yuma we crossed over the impressive sand dunes.

The road between Phoenix and Payson is spectacular. Huge stands of Saguaro forests for miles. Stopped to grab a quick shot in front of a couple of fine specimens.

Thanks to GregMN for his suggestion to take 60 from Heber to I-25 across the high plains. Truly spectacular scenery, a great road and virtually no traffic and very few settlements, which was wonderful, but I confess that the thought of what would happen if I had some kind of problem out there crossed my mind a few times.

Along this stretch is the VLA (Very Large Array) Radio Telescope. Truly amazing.

The weather was just spectacular, not a single cloud to be seen the entire day.

The car did really well overall. I had one problem that I noticed going through Phoenix, and that was that the vents were blowing 150 degrees. Nothing I did with the climate control would change it. So I stopped and tapped on the monovalve and jiggled the connector. The temps came down for a bit then went right back up. At the next rest stop I kind of twisted the connector so it would keep tension on it, and that worked for the rest of the day. When I get to NC I'll see if I can reseat the connectors and clean them off real good. I've had a low level vacuum problem for awhile that I just can't seem to find. The symptoms are clunking in the tranny coming up to a stop when the engine's been idling for a bit, occasional hard 2-3 shift and slow shutdown unless I rev the engine a bit before hitting the STOP switch.

Tomorrow on to Oklahoma City.

vstech · #12 09-29-2013, 06:23 AM

It'll be awesome if you can visit, I'll gather all the local members I know, and be sure to take plenty of pics while you are here.

if you can't, I'll go over to Thayer's neck of the woods and meet up with the two of you.
He's in the Winston Salem area, so very close to your planned route. (but you'd miss the mess of car's I've got...)

ImBroke · #13 09-29-2013, 09:46 AM

Shame I'm in Mississippi on travel.. I think we could have planned a quick GTG at vstech's house, if he'd be willing of course. Not to mention, I'd love to see the car.

vstech · #14 09-29-2013, 10:24 AM

the main problem with rerouting to visit me is the HORRID roads between me and wilmington... to and from routing gives tons of crap towns you have to navigate through... and LOADS of "officer induced wallet lightening..."
74 has been improved so it's nearly interstate level lately, but it's still got tons of 2 lane 2 stoplight towns that have to be traversed...

JB3 · #15 09-29-2013, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mach4

Thanks to GregMN for his suggestion to take 60 from Heber to I-25 across the high plains. Truly spectacular scenery, a great road and virtually no traffic and very few settlements, which was wonderful, but I confess that the thought of what would happen if I had some kind of problem out there crossed my mind a few times.

This is why on this type of major road trip I always carry a bicycle with me.

Nice to have a second form of transportation just in case you have to go 50 miles to get help.

Love the pics, keep em coming!