We just returned from our trip along the Gulf Coast and down to the tip of Florida. It ended up being a round trip of 5,200 miles in our 1993 Barth Breakaway.

Other than a couple of strange owner caused problems the trip was without events. We averaged about 10-11 mpg since I do not usually drive over 60 mph. The headwinds can make the Barth slow to respond but I learned to change gears at the right time early on and things usually worked out.

I was worried about coming out of Palo Duro Canyon in Texas which has a 2 mile 10% grade. I put the Allison in 1st gear and kept the rpms at 2,200 or so and the Barth walked up that grade at 16 mph. Temp was well below 190 degrees also. I know you seasoned travelers have these skills well in hand but sometimes for me hills and grades can be a threat. I got behind the curve in the tunnel at Mobile AL and once the rpms dropped it was hell to pay to make any speed and climb the grade.

The Cummins 6BTA5.9 did not use a drop of oil and the MD3060 Allison performed very well.

So far we have put 7,000 miles on this rig and continue to enjoy it. We got some comments from fellow travelers about the Barth and its condition. I think most RV folks expect a 1993 vehicle to look bad and have continuous troubles. The Barth did not meet these expectations to the surprise of some people.

BTW, the current price of fuel really helped the budget of this trip. We paid as low as $2.25 and the highest we paid was $3.05 or so. That cut quite a bit off the expected cost of fuel for this journey.

No real long trips are planned for the near future but we are considering a trip to Mexico in 2016. We will probably go to the mainland and stay along the east coast of the Sea of Cortez.

Always good to hear when the trip goes well.

Liz and I enjoyed meeting you. We hope to cross paths again soon.

There are a lot of good reliable old coaches on the road. It is all about good maintenance. I know plenty of people who have much newer coaches and have had lots of problems. At least the old ones you can fix yourself if you are handy.

We left the Keys April 1. Spent 2 days here at Larry and Penny's RV park west of Miami. On the road today for Ortona locks. We are planning a few days there with Carl and Betty Flack. Ed and Jim called and said they would stop by this weekend. Always good to see friends along the way.

We'll be off wifi for a couple days, then we will head to northern Florida a few more days. Then off to Georgia parts beyond. Hope to see a few more Barth friends along the way. Life is good.

Have Barth, will travel

Travelers Campground is off I-75 exit 399 (Alachua-High Springs exit); I'm about 15 miles away. The original Sonny's Barbecue is right around the corner. Don't consider High Springs Campground (exit 404), as it's limited to 30'.

If you stay at Travelers (or others nearby in Lake City), give me a shout. Maybe we can do dinner.

Edit: If you're going straight to Cagles, take I-75 to SR 326 east at exit 358, to US 301 - speed traps at Lawtey - then US 1 at Callahan, US 221 at Wrens, goes right by Nick's.

Also at exit 399 is O'Leno State Park. It's a bit of a drive but you're paralleling 75 so you don't really add miles. We like the history and natural beauty of the river, and always see deer.

If you still plan on stopping by Nick's, take SR 121 out of Williston; after passing under I-75, go through the 1st traffic light (that's SR 331 - SR 121 turns left). SR 331 turns into SR 24 (Waldo Road). Pick up US 301 at Waldo.

US 301 from Baldwin to Callahan is under construction (being four-laned), and for much of the 20 miles is 2-lane divided.

Waldo used to be an infamous speed trap, but it has since disbanded its PD. Speed limits are reasonable. However, north of Waldo in the vicinity of the flea market, limit drops to 45 mph. Lawtey IS a speed trap, but it announces it well in advance.

Thanks Rusty, that is the plan. We're heading for Cagles' tomorrow.