First Day’s Run

August 3, 2011

Finally got outa OC!  Made some stops in Fontana then hit the road to pass thru Vegas, AZ, and enter UT with Richfield Quality Inn holding a room for me.  Since this is my first run with a fully loaded trailer I decided to drive 60 mph or less to see how things shake out.  Each stop however showed nothing amiss in the trailer.  The shelving built in front of the 16 footer crisscrossed with heavy duty bungy cords more than adequately retained all the Costco plastic storage container boxes.

I figure all my gear plus shelving is under 800 lbs, bikes are 700 + 950 added to a trailer of 2350 means I’m pulling no more than 5000lbs. 

The Expedition’s 5.4 engine pulled the load nicely and would shift down into 4^th when starting the climb into the mountains. 

It was dark as I left Vegas so I never got to see the land…but I’m sure it was all barren desert.  Outside temps ran up to 104 degrees.  I could see lightning flashes in the distance so I expected and did receive some rain but it was minor.  It was a long ride to reach the I-70 turnoff from I-15 but I was rewarded with only having to go 40+ miles to reach Richfield. 

Got in around 2:30AM….my penalty for leaving so late.  I was worn out…reminded me of the ol Flight School saying, “stalled, crashed, burned"…that’s what I did when I hit the sheets

C ya mañana
Gonzo
twitter:  @GonzoCrossUSA