Another fall has arrived. We had a cold week of rain and then snow. I finished several projects and I couldn't wait to "winterize" the coach... The new front tires are very smooth and the new back shocks help keep the coach from wandering.

We left at about 8:30 this morning, sunny, but 36 degrees. At least the rain/snow had stopped. We had a good run to a park near Dry Ridge, Ky. About 500 miles, some traffic around Cincinnati. A good first day, about 8 1/2 hours. Camper Village park, near I75 exit 159. Sunny here and 65 degrees!

Tomorrow we plan to be just south of Chattanooga. That will get us through Knoxville mid day on Saturday. Sunday we plan to get through Atlanta mid day and stop near Lake Park, Georgia for the night. That will get us to our destination mid day Monday.

Have Barth, will travel

Looks like you missed Autumn down here. It was Thursday and yesterday. Supposed to be back up in the 80s today. With you taking so many stops on the way down maybe you won't be drafting all that cold air down here. Safe travels.

51 here this morning. I am ready for 80's. Our summer was cool this year. Very few days of shorts and sandals. Looking forward to some warmth and sun.

Heading for Chattanooga today. I will try not to drag too much Great White North along with us.

First fuel stop in KY. $5.33 gal but still cheaper than Michigan.

Steve it’s supposed to be 80 here in Minnesnowta today! You know that’s going to be short lived. High wind starting later today, Tomorrow a possible rain with high wind. Then back to cool. Hopefully gets more of the leaves down so I can get them off the grass before snowfalls.

Arrived at Holiday Travel park exit 1 just outside Chattanooga. Following Cagle/Johns guidelines today (300 miles, parked by 3PM) Well it was 320 miles but pretty close.

Pretty smooth run. Knoxville on Saturday is better than Cincinnati on Friday. Some slow traffic but not much. About 30 miles from destination we encountered slow traffic for about 7 miles. Get this: Some #$$hole in a pickup doing 25 mph on I75, 4 way flashers and driving in the right lane.
No, not on the shoulder! We all had to pass on the left....slowly. Lucky for him I didn't have my 45 loaded...

Why does this crap always happen in the last hour of a long drive? Oh well, turd fairy for today. Can't wait for tomorrow in Atlanta!

Sunshine and 75 degrees. Shorts and sandals. Life is good.

No joy Sunday morning... Left the park about 9 AM. Didn't even make it to Atlanta before traffic snarled.

Just north of Marietta the Georgia DOT decided they needed to close 3 of the 5 lanes of I75 (both ways!) for construction. Stop and go for miles... took almost 1/2 hour to go a couple miles. Just got through that and then Atlanta... more stop and go. Don't these folks know it is Sunday morning? Heavy traffic all the way to Macon... We stopped for lunch just outside Macon.

On the bright side, Sunday afternoon was much better. From Macon south, traffic was medium and moving well. We made our 2nd fuel stop at exit 39 and paid $4.79 gal. In spite of hills in KY and Tenn and running 70mph most of the way we got 8.7mpg not bad for a 25,000 lb 25 year old coach! (No toad this winter, VW is gone )

Staying the night at Eagle's Roost park at exit 5. We made 350 miles today. 79 and glorious sunshine here.

With full tanks and about 315 miles left, we should be at our Oakhaven site by tomorrow afternoon.

Have Barth, will travel

Steve, did you go through Atlanta or take the dreaded by-pass? When we came down in August we went straight through at about noon on a Friday and I remember the slowdown on the north side but after that we pretty much cruised right through. The worst was the traffic backed up for miles in the right lanes waiting to get on the by-pass, then the jamb where the by-pass re-enters on the south side.

We always go downtown, fewer trucks and shorter. The loops are longer and just as bad.
It is always a crapshoot. Twice we have sailed through with minimal stop and go where I20 joins in, once at 2PM on Tuesday and once on a weekend. One time they had it closed for a fatality accident and we waited on an entrance ramp for over three hours, only to have a second backup south of town where the loops join in. Took 5 hours to get through that time. It is a great town to visit, but you couldn't pay me enough to live and drive there.

Atlanta is my least favorite place I have ever driven but no good alternate routes nearby.

Anytime there are over 3 lanes and cement walls on the shoulders my anxiety levels go way up. The lanes are more narrow right in town. My coach is 8 1/2 ft wide and barely fits in the lane.

Brings to mind several questions. Why do car drivers like to sit right alongside for miles? Why do they cut in six feet in front of you when they pass? (Nick Cagle had a guy clip his front bumper once!)

With the weight of the coach I try to leave some space between me and the car ahead for braking room. Good luck with that. The minute I get any space some jerk cuts in. Think about it, fool. Do you really want 25,000 lbs right on your tail at 70 mph? In my car I never stay along side or right in front of any big rig. As they say, you can't fix stupid...

Then there is merging... come down the ramp right along side of me, then try to get ahead on the shoulder, never drop back behind. Like they couldn't see me there as they come down the ramp?

One thing we have noticed is fewer trucks on weekends lately. That really helps because the current generation of truck drivers have no qualms about passing and tying up two lanes for miles lugging on hills. Cars can fly by in the left lane but I get stuck lugging with the trucks.

I have driven my two coaches over 75,000 miles since 2011. Traffic and drivers have gotten steadily worse. Avoiding cities is the best plan.

Oh well, we'll see what tricks the Tampa drivers are up to today.

Steve your observation about drivers is true everywhere, to me Chicago is the worse traffic in the Midwest. Nashville is the most dangerous. Even in our small town if pulling a trailer or driving an RV seems they have to get ahead. Pass in double yellow line areas, cut or pull in front of you, gets more frustrating every day. They seem to feel similar about my Mercedes, pass or get in front of me at any cost. I just stopped driving altogether when the high school lets out. Seems the cops are a bit reluctant to pull anyone over for minor infractions in the current environment and folks take advantage of that all the time.

BTW have a safe and trouble-free trip to the campground!

Turd fairy hit hard. With only 70 miles to go, lost air pressure in the system. Pulled over on side of I75.

Haldex air dryer is constant purging. Fired up the generator and hooked up a small compressor to the front service port, got enough pressure to release brakes. We limped a ways down the road, off an exit near Sarasota and called for service.

If I can just get it to Oakhaven I will have until spring to fix it.

to be continued:

Well I’m betting it isn’t frozen hmmmmmm so near and yet so far!

Well we made it to a parking lot at a local Sarasota recreational ballpark. The small compressor couldn't quite keep the pressure up to keep the brakes released fully.

Called one service number, no answer. Second call, nope, don't do air systems. Third time a charm. Got a local guy who was on a call but met us around 5. He was not able to get the 25 yr old part right away but he was able to bypass the dryer and reconnect the engine compressor. Full pressure restored!

Being later in the day, we will just sit here tonight and head to the park tomorrow. I will remove the entire dryer and replace it before I return in the spring.

The joys of older coaches... the things you've worked on, and they the things you will work on...

Nice to see there still mechanics around that will make a quick fix when necessary.

Have a nice evening and an easy trip tomorrow. Do you have your cat with you too?

If it weren't for the cat we would fly back and forth!
to be continued tomorrow:

Were it not for the cat we wouldn't have the trailer and I probably wouldn't have a ton of declining value frequent flyer miles.