Interesting Uber ride
 

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80 mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people. Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right", which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

On I-95, between here and Richmond, it's also the speeders. The traffic can be moving
nicely at 70mph until some asshole (not you Wayne) comes zipping and cutting through
lanes. The folks he cuts off hit their brakes, and many rear end collisions happen
just that way.

Of course, following too close has much to do with it. The 'two second rule' should
be law!
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 07:28:12 -0500, John H.
wrote:

On I-95, between here and Richmond, it's also the speeders. The traffic can be moving
nicely at 70mph until some asshole (not you Wayne) comes zipping and cutting through
lanes. The folks he cuts off hit their brakes, and many rear end collisions happen
just that way.

Of course, following too close has much to do with it. The 'two second rule' should
be law!

===

Some of that results from people who aren't used to driving in heavy
traffic. After years of commuting in the NY/NJ area it doesn't faze
me at all to drive 60 or 70 mph with only a few car lengths of
spacing. If you allow more space to develop in rush hour, someone
will cut if front of you to close things up. If that happens to me I
just shrug it off and say to myself that I gave him too much room.
Others however will get bent out of shape and start slowing down in an
attempt to recreate their gap.

The secret to driving safely with minimal gaps is to look down the
road past the car in front of you. Sometimes you can actually see
through the car in front, other times you have to move slightly to one
side. You can prove mathematically using queuing theory that
excessive spacing between cars slows down the amount of traffic that a
road can deliver (throughput). Many people realize this instinctively
without doing the math but others are totally oblivious.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 10:37:18 -0500,
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 07:28:12 -0500, John H.
wrote:

On I-95, between here and Richmond, it's also the speeders. The traffic can be moving
nicely at 70mph until some asshole (not you Wayne) comes zipping and cutting through
lanes. The folks he cuts off hit their brakes, and many rear end collisions happen
just that way.

Of course, following too close has much to do with it. The 'two second rule' should
be law!

===

Some of that results from people who aren't used to driving in heavy
traffic. After years of commuting in the NY/NJ area it doesn't faze
me at all to drive 60 or 70 mph with only a few car lengths of
spacing. If you allow more space to develop in rush hour, someone
will cut if front of you to close things up. If that happens to me I
just shrug it off and say to myself that I gave him too much room.
Others however will get bent out of shape and start slowing down in an
attempt to recreate their gap.

The secret to driving safely with minimal gaps is to look down the
road past the car in front of you. Sometimes you can actually see
through the car in front, other times you have to move slightly to one
side. You can prove mathematically using queuing theory that
excessive spacing between cars slows down the amount of traffic that a
road can deliver (throughput). Many people realize this instinctively
without doing the math but others are totally oblivious.

The beltway has a lot of NASCAR spacing going on too. If you have 6
car lengths between you and the car in front of you, 2 more cars will
squeeze in there.

Worst case is that guy from the midwest who freaks every time a car
infringes on that space and slams on his brakes.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80 mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55 Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/2015 12:38 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

I've driven on the Autobahn in Germany and also on the Autostrata in
Italy. You can't compare Rt I-95 anywhere to either one. This was
back in the 70's though, so maybe things have changed.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

Little old ladies in Kias are telling you that you are #1 if you drive
around here.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/15 1:04 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

Little old ladies in Kias are telling you that you are #1 if you drive
around here.


I do 70 when possible on the interstates, but no more. I-95, the last
time I drove to Florida, was crowded. I take a special delight after
some yahoo blasts past me at more than 80 and see the guy pulled over a
few miles down the road by the police. My wife's new car gets 30+ mpg at
70 mph. I like that.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55 Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/2015 1:12 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:04 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

Little old ladies in Kias are telling you that you are #1 if you drive
around here.


I do 70 when possible on the interstates, but no more. I-95, the last
time I drove to Florida, was crowded. I take a special delight after
some yahoo blasts past me at more than 80 and see the guy pulled over a
few miles down the road by the police. My wife's new car gets 30+ mpg at
70 mph. I like that.


My Ford F-250 gets better gas mileage at 75 mph than it does at 60-65
mph. Weird, but it has to do with the gearing and when the torque
converter locks and unlocks. If I keep the RPM's up high enough
so it can climb steep hills without the TC unlocking (or downshifting
out of overdrive), my gas mileage goes up to a whopping 15 mpg from
about 13. :-) Fortunately, I don't drive much or very far in it.
Last long distance trip was to SC, last December.

The adult day care center that I drive for has a fleet of high top,
handicapped equipped (power lift and strap-downs for wheelchairs) vans.
They are all Ford F-350 SuperDuties. Mileage is horrible ... I have
to fill mine 3 times a week sometimes ... but they are rugged. He used
to have GM and Chevy vans but gave up on them. They just didn't last,
usually having transmission failures and engine problems.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

===

Perhaps you could post some pictures of your petal foot. :-)

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 13:12:10 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:

My wife's new car gets 30+ mpg at
70 mph. I like that.

===

My wife's diesel gets 34 mpg at a steady 90mph on level road. The
engine is only turning a bit over 2,000 RPMs at that speed.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:50:13 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.

It is better than it was in the olden days when you were on the
turnpike and you had that zig and zag on 22 from Harrisburg to
Allentown.
That was so bad, I was on 81 before it had actually opened.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 13:14:34 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.

I had a neighbor who went through several "pushers" and I ended up
working on all of them. I was amazed at the junk they build and sell
for six figure prices.
I guess I grew up around real trucks.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55 Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 14:14:03 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:



Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



We live a little higher up the food chain on the road, First Class air
fare, Rental crossover and $200+ a night suites. When we compared
notes with our RV driving neighbors, we still came out money ahead
based on their 2-3 trips a year.
If you are like John and go somewhere once or twice a month, the gap
narrows considerably.
If you just weekend off to nearby places and go a lot, the RV might
make a lot of sense.
It looked attractive in Alaska because rooms are few and far between.
They were also expensive for mediocre places. I just wouldn't want to
drive an RV all the way to Alaska.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

That's the way I've gotten with the truck. The motorcycle likes about 75mph.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/2015 1:04 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

Little old ladies in Kias are telling you that you are #1 if you drive
around here.

I have driven around there. Little old ladies in Kias are intimidated by
the sheer mass of my rig.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:57:26 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 12/3/2015 12:38 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

I've driven on the Autobahn in Germany and also on the Autostrata in
Italy. You can't compare Rt I-95 anywhere to either one. This was
back in the 70's though, so maybe things have changed.

German drivers are very disciplined. Italian drivers are more like the fools on I-95
- haul ass and bypass. I think maybe we're letting too many Italians into the
country.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 14:42:34 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 14:14:03 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:



Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



We live a little higher up the food chain on the road, First Class air
fare, Rental crossover and $200+ a night suites. When we compared
notes with our RV driving neighbors, we still came out money ahead
based on their 2-3 trips a year.
If you are like John and go somewhere once or twice a month, the gap
narrows considerably.
If you just weekend off to nearby places and go a lot, the RV might
make a lot of sense.
It looked attractive in Alaska because rooms are few and far between.
They were also expensive for mediocre places. I just wouldn't want to
drive an RV all the way to Alaska.

That's on the bucket list. Our buddies did it a couple years ago, took three months.
Drove through Canada on the way up, seeing the sights and then through northern USA
on the way back. My problem is the yard. I'd hate to return to a dead front and back
lawn. Getting a person to mow is no problem, but getting someone to water the lawn
is.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 14:14:03 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:

On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55 Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I really don't get the appeal of sitting in a basement doing nothing but trying to
denigrate everyone else and what they do. If you want to enjoy sitting by yourself
below ground level, a small tornado shelter should be more than adequate. Of course,
you couldn't have six or eight folks over for dinner, but so what? That basement is
expensive to heat and maintain.

Stick with airplanes and other folks' bedbugs.

Oh, and most of the RVs being towed are not in the $100,000 range. Motorhomes are
another story.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/2015 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55 Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Hey, I have one of those. And I have it pretty well squared away now.
Must be time to sell it.

In the olden days they used to cut chassis rails and weld in pieces to
adjust chassis length. Now-adays they buy fronts and backs from mostly
freightliner and bolt them up to bridge sections made by or for the
coach builder. The old Chevy chassis was a POS. The only large gasser
you can get now is on a Ford school bus chassis.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/15 3:18 PM, John H. wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 14:14:03 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:

On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55 Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I really don't get the appeal of sitting in a basement doing nothing but trying to
denigrate everyone else and what they do. If you want to enjoy sitting by yourself
below ground level, a small tornado shelter should be more than adequate. Of course,
you couldn't have six or eight folks over for dinner, but so what? That basement is
expensive to heat and maintain.

Stick with airplanes and other folks' bedbugs.

Oh, and most of the RVs being towed are not in the $100,000 range. Motorhomes are
another story.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!


Johnnymop, my comment was in response to a post of Luddite, and not on
any of your little hobbies.

Our dining table seats 10 adults.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/2015 2:14 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very
solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany.
The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of
the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond
Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from
BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or
trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's
were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55
Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to
get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:10:41 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:

On 12/3/15 3:18 PM, John H. wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 14:14:03 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:

On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55 Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I really don't get the appeal of sitting in a basement doing nothing but trying to
denigrate everyone else and what they do. If you want to enjoy sitting by yourself
below ground level, a small tornado shelter should be more than adequate. Of course,
you couldn't have six or eight folks over for dinner, but so what? That basement is
expensive to heat and maintain.

Stick with airplanes and other folks' bedbugs.

Oh, and most of the RVs being towed are not in the $100,000 range. Motorhomes are
another story.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!


Johnnymop, my comment was in response to a post of Luddite, and not on
any of your little hobbies.

Our dining table seats 10 adults.

And I've fed 10 in my trailer. So what's your point?

Are you suggesting that one should not comment on a response made to someone else?
****, Harry, you'd never say anything.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/2015 3:31 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very
solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany.
The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of
the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond
Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from
BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or
trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's
were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55
Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to
get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Hey, I have one of those. And I have it pretty well squared away now.
Must be time to sell it.

In the olden days they used to cut chassis rails and weld in pieces to
adjust chassis length. Now-adays they buy fronts and backs from mostly
freightliner and bolt them up to bridge sections made by or for the
coach builder. The old Chevy chassis was a POS. The only large gasser
you can get now is on a Ford school bus chassis.


You can't begin to compare the one you have to that POS Pace Arrow.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On 12/3/15 4:56 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:14 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very
solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany.
The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway.
Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for
driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of
the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond
Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far
as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of
75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing
around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State
line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from
BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or
trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's
were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding,
narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55
Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to
get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.




All that driving is not something I'd want to do.

Interesting Uber ride
 

Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 1:12 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:04 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

Little old ladies in Kias are telling you that you are #1 if you drive
around here.


I do 70 when possible on the interstates, but no more. I-95, the last
time I drove to Florida, was crowded. I take a special delight after
some yahoo blasts past me at more than 80 and see the guy pulled over a
few miles down the road by the police. My wife's new car gets 30+ mpg at
70 mph. I like that.


My Ford F-250 gets better gas mileage at 75 mph than it does at 60-65
mph. Weird, but it has to do with the gearing and when the torque
converter locks and unlocks. If I keep the RPM's up high enough
so it can climb steep hills without the TC unlocking (or downshifting
out of overdrive), my gas mileage goes up to a whopping 15 mpg from
about 13. :-) Fortunately, I don't drive much or very far in it.
Last long distance trip was to SC, last December.

The adult day care center that I drive for has a fleet of high top,
handicapped equipped (power lift and strap-downs for wheelchairs) vans.
They are all Ford F-350 SuperDuties. Mileage is horrible ... I have
to fill mine 3 times a week sometimes ... but they are rugged. He used
to have GM and Chevy vans but gave up on them. They just didn't last,
usually having transmission failures and engine problems.




I do like my Chevy diesel. Got 20 mpg going to Williams, Az for
thanksgiving. Normal around town is 14.5

Interesting Uber ride
 

wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 14:14:03 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:



Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



We live a little higher up the food chain on the road, First Class air
fare, Rental crossover and $200+ a night suites. When we compared
notes with our RV driving neighbors, we still came out money ahead
based on their 2-3 trips a year.
If you are like John and go somewhere once or twice a month, the gap
narrows considerably.
If you just weekend off to nearby places and go a lot, the RV might
make a lot of sense.
It looked attractive in Alaska because rooms are few and far between.
They were also expensive for mediocre places. I just wouldn't want to
drive an RV all the way to Alaska.


I drove my truck and truck camper to Alaska 10 years ago. Would not do it
again. Lots of boring scenery on the way through Canada. Camper was
handy, as rooms were scarce. Talked to people driving a car, and they said
they had to drive short days and long days at times to get a room. If I
did it again, I would fly to AK and rent an RV. There were 3 other couples
on the trip, towing trailers. One 5th wheel and one pop up camper. Pop up
was a pain to setup and takedown for a one night stop. Plus crap mileage,
and you had to be careful if trying a side road.

Interesting Uber ride
 

John H. wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

That's the way I've gotten with the truck. The motorcycle likes about 75mph.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!


I love speed. My brother has a Chevy van, diesel. Says he gets 22 mpg,
but never drives over 55. I do not want to spend all day going a short
distance.

Interesting Uber ride
 

John H. wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:57:26 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 12/3/2015 12:38 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

I've driven on the Autobahn in Germany and also on the Autostrata in
Italy. You can't compare Rt I-95 anywhere to either one. This was
back in the 70's though, so maybe things have changed.

German drivers are very disciplined. Italian drivers are more like the fools on I-95
- haul ass and bypass. I think maybe we're letting too many Italians into the
country.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!


I love driving in Europe except for the road signs. They drivers stay in
the right lane, unless passing. Cops will ticket if you don't.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:56:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.


.... But you are not going to the Bahamas or the West Indies in your
motor home ;-)

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 19:28:36 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:


All that driving is not something I'd want to do.

I used to really like driving but doing it for 30 years scrubbed off
some of the charm. I had logged over a million miles by the time I
retired from IBM.
We still end up putting 1500 miles or so on the rental on vacation.
Out west, that is not hard to do because things are pretty far apart.
That is why I like something comfortable.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 20:29:23 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:56:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.


... But you are not going to the Bahamas or the West Indies in your
motor home ;-)

===

Heh.

Of course the vast majority of boats don't do that either, for which
we are eternally grateful.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 21:13:44 -0500,
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 20:29:23 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:56:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.


... But you are not going to the Bahamas or the West Indies in your
motor home ;-)

===

Heh.

Of course the vast majority of boats don't do that either, for which
we are eternally grateful.

I feel the same way about boats that can't run skinny ;-)

We have been pushing it lately poking around in that

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 03 Dec 2015 22:36:56 -0500, wrote:

Sorry I was cleaning my keyboard and it went off.

I feel the same way about boats that can't run skinny ;-)

We have been pushing it lately poking around in that
.... area between Rocky Bay and the Mullock Creek channel. The cable
line went through there and I have been looking at the bottom they
tore up for DEP. That whole area is oysters and pretty shallow. I did
have to get out and push the other day.

It is real "boaty" here now and we are going up in the mangroves a lot
to get away from the crowd. Mud Creek is a nice poke.

http://gfretwell.com/aerials/clean%20map.tif

There are some nice looking fish back there but there are not that
many people who know how to get in or even that it exists.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 16:58:20 -0500,
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 16:27:31 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 13:32:51 -0500,
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 12:28:33 -0500, John H.
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Dec 2015 01:31:05 -0500, wrote:

Our La jolla friend has moved to Naples but she does not drive (health
issue). She is an Uber person.
The other day she called for an Uber ride and a Tesla showed up.
That is not your average Uber I bet.
The guy said he was testing the idea of a upscale Uber.
Only in Naples I guess.

I suppose I'm the only one who had to look up 'Uber ride'.

===

Next time you need a taxi, try Uber. I think you'll be pleasantly
surprised. They've even arrived here in small town Florida.

Lots of places are cracking down on them, mostly places with
"medallion" cabs. I heard the Keys is on them pretty bad and somewhere
over on the east coast.
Some of it is protecting licensed hacks but there is also the
uncollected tax issue.

===

Uber somehow got by the medallion cabs in NYC. If they can do it
there it's just a matter of time before everywhere. It's a great
service and people love it, so popular opinion is on their side. The
Keys are probably just trying to protect their own but they'll lose to
Uber's big legal guns eventually.

There's no more reason for uncollected taxes that there is with any
other independent contractor. It might even be easier with Uber since
there are electronic records of every fare tied back to the driver.

It was in the paper today that Florida is going to call Uber drivers
"contractors". That will remove a few protections that "employees" get
(in this case unemployment insurance) but the tax consequences are in
the driver's favor. Using a schedule C your expenses are "first
dollar". That is far better than what you might be able to get as an
employee. I have done car expenses both ways and it is no comparison.

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 16:56:31 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 12/3/2015 2:14 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very
solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany.
The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of
the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond
Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of 75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from
BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or
trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's
were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding, narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55
Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to
get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.



Many of those with the big rigs, and some with the smallers, are 'full-timers' who
don't even own a house. Or, if they own one, they spend little time there. A good
friend of ours just took off for six-months. They are volunteering in various
campgrounds in the south, stay in them for nothing, and get to see a lot of sights.
They may stay a couple weeks or months in each campground.

Most states have a program similar to this:

http://gastateparks.org/volunteer/hosts

....allowing folks to stay quite a while...for nothing.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 19:28:36 -0500, Keyser Söze wrote:

On 12/3/15 4:56 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:14 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:14 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 12:50 PM, Justan Olphart wrote:
On 12/3/2015 4:46 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 2:24 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 18:43:58 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 8:47:51 PM UTC-5,
wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 17:40:40 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart

wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very
solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in
balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany.
The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more
sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would
get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway.
Nowadays a
lot
of people are running 75+.



Problem is most of the east coast roads aren't designed for
driving
over
60. Too congested, too many curves without adequate banking, etc.
There are a few places in the south and Florida on I-95 that 75-80
mph
is safe but few places north of there.




Most real interstates are designed for 80. That may not apply to
every
Northeastern road that was upgraded and renamed I-95 tho. Most of
the
interstate 95 south of DC is suitable for 80 except the Richmond
Toll
road that was renamed and maybe some parts down the East Coast of
Florida.
I75 is pretty much speedy friendly all the way to Atlanta. (far
as I
have gone north on it) It pretty much stays out of town all the
way to
FTL although it's is being encroached on in Ft Myers/Naples.
The two counties and state are building roads on both sides of
75 to
pull the local traffic off of it

The biggest things that are making our interstates unsafe at speed
are inattentive drivers (cell phones!) and plain old stupid people.
Many don't follow the basic rule of "slower traffic keep right",
which is a law in SC. Driving should be your first job, not
something you do when texting, talking on your phone, screwing
around
with the radio, etc. Our society is not taught that, unfortunately.

I have always scheduled my MdFlorida trips so I do Virginia to the
Georgia line at night. Traffic is always light and it is usually just
me and the truckers. We move right along.
If I left my house in Md (south of DC) at around 2100, I was in North
Carolina shortly after midnight and crossing the Florida State
line at
sunup. Going back I left St Pete around 1500 and had a similar
schedule in reverse, crossing the Potomac River Bridge north of
Dahlgren at sunup.


I did many roundtrips from MA to Jupiter, FL driving everything from
BMW
740's to 36' Class A motorhomes to pickups hauling boats or
trailers. I
once drove the BMW non-stop, other than for gas and grabbing something
to eat. Never again.

The worst part was from MA to just south of Virginia if I took I-95.
Getting through the southern part of CT and then NY, NJ, Delaware and
Maryland was always a nightmare, regardless of what time I left. The
I-84/I-81 route was better but considerably longer. The Carolina's
were
usually ok unless you hit road construction that seemed like it was
going on forever. Navigating a big Class A through the winding,
narrow
Jersey barriers that were set up was always a thrill. Glad I don't
make that trip anymore.

The last long distance trip I took was last December when
I drove to Mt. Pleasant, SC to see my son and his family over the
Christmas holidays.

I think the most pleasurable trip I took was driving out to Denver,
Colorado in the F-350 diesel hauling a car trailer to pick up a '55
Ford
F-100. The roads west of Illinois were straight as an arrow for miles
upon miles with almost no traffic. I took my time, taking 3 days to
get
to Denver. Enjoyed that trip.

I'd much rather do the trip to Florida by boat.


I84, I81, I77 is my preferred way to go although I don't like Scranton
very much.


With your rig I can completely understand why, especially with a toad.

The one trip to and back from Florida in that POS Pace Arrow I had was
via your preferred route. First sign of trouble was picking up a rock
between the rear tires, causing a blowout on the inner one. Spent the
night in a truck repair parking lot while they ordered a new tire.

Then, noticed in the rear mirror that half the side of the RV was
flapping in the wind. A whole section had ripped the screws out of the
wooden blocks that where supposed to hold it in place. I discovered
then that the wooden blocks were simply glued in place and they used
sheetrock screws to hold the side panels to the blocks.

Next, (a problem you probably remember) ... lost the brakes. Brake line
let go on the way to a local KOA. I could smell the fluid.
Monster tow truck showed up to haul it away to that repair place, where
it sat for weeks. Remember helping me clean out the stupid refrigerator
after the propane tank ran out of gas?

Then I discovered the rubber fuel line running from the gas tank to the
genny had been installed so it was chaffing on a section of the frame
that had been cut with a torch but left rough, slag and all.

That was the final nail in the coffin for that POS. Got rid of it fast.

I bought it brand spanking new. Learned my lesson about RV's
manufactured by Fleetwood.


Interesting. I really don't get the appeal of these large camper/RV's.
If you want to enjoy nature and not sleep in a tent, the smaller campers
seem more than adequate. The behemoths you see on the highway are
expensive to buy and expensive to run and maintain, and it would take a
hell of a lot of nights in expensive hotels to justify towing a
$75,000-$100,000 or more RV. And then you have to drive it to where you
are going.

On our recent drive up from Florida, we stayed at a recommended motel in
South Carolina. Brand new, perfectly fine for the night, and...$70.



I am not into the RV thing either but I can appreciate the reasons that
many are. The term "camper" or even "RV" is a misnomer for some of the
rigs people have. The larger, high quality ones are really rolling
homes and those who are into it enjoy traveling all over the country in
them. Certainly no more expensive (probably less) than a similar sized
boat to own, maintain and purchase fuel for and it's not restricted to
waterways only.




All that driving is not something I'd want to do.

Very many 'full-timers' do much less annual driving than you think. I go and return,
every time. Full-timers just go. They may spend several weeks in one campground.

But honestly, Harry, I'd much rather see you remain in your basement.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!

Interesting Uber ride
 

On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 17:10:20 -0800, Califbill billnews wrote:

Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 12/3/2015 1:12 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 12/3/15 1:04 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 3 Dec 2015 12:38:51 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 4:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 08:09:12 -0500, Justan Olphart
wrote:

Did you drive the Honda 90 MPH down US 75?

===

On occasion, more often 80 to 85. The car was always very solid at
that kind of speed - good tires of course, and everything in balance.

Europeans drive that fast all the time even faster in Germany. The
US, particularly the eastern states, has always been more sedate. I
see signs of change however. At one time anything over 70 would get
you a guaranteed ticket on the New York State Thruway. Nowadays a lot
of people are running 75+.


I trained my petal foot to think about safety and fuel economy. That
usually means at or under the speed limit.

Little old ladies in Kias are telling you that you are #1 if you drive
around here.


I do 70 when possible on the interstates, but no more. I-95, the last
time I drove to Florida, was crowded. I take a special delight after
some yahoo blasts past me at more than 80 and see the guy pulled over a
few miles down the road by the police. My wife's new car gets 30+ mpg at
70 mph. I like that.


My Ford F-250 gets better gas mileage at 75 mph than it does at 60-65
mph. Weird, but it has to do with the gearing and when the torque
converter locks and unlocks. If I keep the RPM's up high enough
so it can climb steep hills without the TC unlocking (or downshifting
out of overdrive), my gas mileage goes up to a whopping 15 mpg from
about 13. :-) Fortunately, I don't drive much or very far in it.
Last long distance trip was to SC, last December.

The adult day care center that I drive for has a fleet of high top,
handicapped equipped (power lift and strap-downs for wheelchairs) vans.
They are all Ford F-350 SuperDuties. Mileage is horrible ... I have
to fill mine 3 times a week sometimes ... but they are rugged. He used
to have GM and Chevy vans but gave up on them. They just didn't last,
usually having transmission failures and engine problems.




I do like my Chevy diesel. Got 20 mpg going to Williams, Az for
thanksgiving. Normal around town is 14.5

On pure interstate to and from NC, without the trailer, mine gets a tad over 22.
Around town about 15-17. With the trailer, about 12-13. Can't complain. Most of the
around town stuff is done with the motorcycle, which gets about 40, around town.
--

Ban idiots, not guns!