Depending on the weather, we will be crossing the Peace Bridge to Buffalo NY this Sunday or Monday on our way to Arizona for the winter. Keep an eye out for our Barth towing a bright red Chev Tracker!
Likely route will be: ... I90 west to Cleveland; I71 south to Louisville Ky; I65 south to Nashville Tn; I40 west to Memphis; I30 west to Dallas; then the I20/I10 corridor west to Az.
We need to get as far south as possible those first 2 days to get outta the cold, then we take our time.
Other possibilities include a run down the Natchez Trace to I20 or I10. We did that route 2 years ago. We will avoid Dallas and so could take the 62/180 over to Carlsbad.
Any suggestions, alternate routes or campgrounds along the way will be gratefully accepted. Especially looking for campgrounds that are open in winter on our first 2 nights on the road. We should be able to make it past Cincinnati to near Louisville the first night and around Memphis or towards Litte Rock the second night and would like to be able to plug in.
Can't wait to hit the road!
Thanks

Don and Patty

Ahhh....I am SO envious of your plans! Hope to be in that postion in another 385 days.....
(Although 3/4-timing in a 24 footer is gonna be an adventure in its own right )

The Trace is a great ride....great example of what motorhoming is all about. Keep in mind that there are several NPS internal campgrounds...first-come & primitive but free - We really enjoyed them.

Godspeed

Where in AZ? We are currently reassemblying our Barth in Hawthorne, NV but are heading to Sun City West via Laughlin, NV & Wickenburg, AZ and expect to be in SCW by Christmas.

Carl Feren

Hi Carl
No definite rv park yet. Our daughter and s-i-l live in North Phoenix up near the Carefree Hwy. We will be there to spend Christmas and New Years with them. Cave Creek and Lake Pleasant Regional Parks are nearby and rv resorts like Desert's Edge, Pleasant Harbor are nice. After new years we are off to Quartzsite for the big rv show and on to San Diego for a few days then back to visit Yuma before returning to the Phoenix area until mid April.
Are you spending the winter in the area? Have you booked a site in an rv resort? We are going to book a spot for Feb and March when we get there at Christmas. Just don't know which one yet.
We will have to try and meet up if it is possible.
Don

Hi Don, I am not sure of our exact achedule but our goal is to get our bus reassembled by the end of next week, 12/18 (at the latest) and head towards SCW to visit with Betsy's brother for Christmas/New Years. After that we are heading back to Livingston, TX via the most southern route we can take as we want to spend some time in Big Bend, TX on the way. We will let you know about our progress so we can arrange to meet somewhere along the way. We have no particular schedule and no deadline to be back in Texas as we are on the road about 8 - 10 months each year.

Our fuel injuction pump was rebuilt but because there was a huge dust storm late last month we need to do an extensive cleaning of the engine before reassembly. Since we are in the open and there is only about 4 - 5 hours of "working weather" every other day this is a long process. The last thing I want to do is take a shortcut with the cleaning and have to do this all over again ... not to mention the cost $$$$$, which is considerable.

Carl Feren

If you take the Trace, stop at the Council House at French Camp - East of the Trace on Hwy 407 1/4 mile on the left. Great sandwiches and salads.

How time flys when you're having fun.
First nite out at "Oak Creek C.G" in Walton KY. Just because it is open in the winter. No water at the sites this time of year but 50 amp pull thrus are good.
2nd nite in Lakeland Tn. at East Memphis cg. This is an easy on off from I40 with long pull throughs just outside Memphis. De-winterized here.
3rd nite in "Cooper Lake State Park" just north of I30 near Sulpher Springs Tx. Just about the nicest cg, public or private, we have ever stayed in, and we were the only campers there except for the host!! We hope to revisit for a couple of days on the way home in the spring.
4th nite in Big Spring Tx at the "Whip In RV Park". A gravel parking lot with some 50 amp service but we had to take 30 amp. We got the last site at about 6 pm. It's next to I20 but road noise wasn't bad. Long narrow pull thrus and the place was full of snow birds on the road. Very clean restrooms. Not at all a bad spot to spend the nite!
We are now in Las Cruces NM at the Sunny Acres RV Park. Lotta snow birds spend the winter here. Exceptionally clean and well cared for place. Big pull thru sites with trees, lawns and 50 amp service. We are going to stay an extra day and go see historic Mesilla. Gotta have a New Mexico signature dish for supper, ... a burger with green chiles!
Barth has been perfect cruising at 65mph in the right lane for hour after hour. The speed limit on I20 in west Texas is 80! Killed the battery in the Chev Tracker by leaving the rear view mirror light on for 3 days and not unhooking and taking her for a good run. Got a boost and fixed that.
It was 70 and sunny here when I unhooked and set up yesterday afternoon.
We love our Barth!
Don and Patty

It's freezing rain in East Tennessee, snow to come, colder next few days. I'm seriously jealous

Don, we also tow a tracker. If you turn the ignition switch to the off position you will not run the battery down (assuming all light off). The steering wheel does not lock until you pull out the key. Took me years and a number of dead batteries before I discovered this.

I bought a small solar panel that i set on the dash and run the wires out the window to the battery to charge it as we go.

We are in Pioneer RV just off I17 north of Phoenix. That's about a mile north of the Carefree Highway, ... it's a real nice place. Will be here for about a month and then we will be off to Quartzsite about Jan. 18 for the big rv show and the Barth Rangers rally. From there we are heading to San Diego and then back to Yuma, before coming back this way in Feb.
Barth ran trouble free 2703 miles from Niagara Falls to right here! No trouble from the Tracker since I turned off the light in the rear view mirror. Thanks for the advice guys!
We are in site #374 on Jerome Ave. in Pioneer RV if any Barthmobilers are in the area, please drop by for something to drink and a chat.
Don and Patty

quote:

Originally posted by Don in Niagara:
We are in site #374 on Jerome Ave. in Pioneer RV if any Barthmobilers are in the area, please drop by for something to drink and a chat.
Don and Patty

Hi Guys!
We finally got out of Hawthorne, NV and will be staying in Beatty, NV tonight before heading to Laughlin, on Tuesday where we will spend Christmas. Next Thursday we will be arriving in Surprise, AZ and staying for two weeks before heading back to Texas.
When we get settled in Surprise, we will contact you.
Carl & Betsy Feren

Carl
We are over at the kid's house in N. Phoenix thru Christmas day. You can reach us by phone at:
480 399-1858
Don and Patty

quote:

Originally posted by Carl Feren:

quote:

Originally posted by Don in Niagara:
We are in site #374 on Jerome Ave. in Pioneer RV if any Barthmobilers are in the area, please drop by for something to drink and a chat.
Don and Patty

Hi Guys!
We finally got out of Hawthorne, NV and will be staying in Beatty, NV tonight before heading to Laughlin, on Tuesday where we will spend Christmas. Next Thursday we will be arriving in Surprise, AZ and staying for two weeks before heading back to Texas.
When we get settled in Surprise, we will contact you.
Carl & Betsy Feren

I have meetings in LV later in January and thinking about trying to get to Quartzsite. I am under the gun now to get some more equipment finished for the mile shootout that I will work at Mojave Airport March 6. We will be in TX end of March (26th-28th)to work "The Texas Mile" and at the end of April (22nd-25th)to work the "BBORR" at Ft. Stockton TX.

We are planning to go to Florida between the "Mile": and "BBORR". As it gets closer I will confirm our intended travel schedule and route, maybe we can catch up with some of you!

Merry Christmas!!

quote:

Originally posted by Shadow man:
I bought a small solar panel that i set on the dash and run the wires out the window to the battery to charge it as we go.

i think you have taken the right decision if plenty of sunshine is available..