Made It!!
Ok, I've made it home (actually I made it home last week, but then work kept me from really taking the time to update this, but here it is now
So on the 3rd of September, we arrived at Ontario airport in sunny California at just after 0900. It took us just over an hour to get our rental car, and then we were on our way to where the truck was at. After presenting our paperwork to the nice lady (Shannon) at the Fontana yard, we then went out and picked up our truck. Upon close inspection, despite the damage to the tool box, we didn't find any damage underneath (which was my major concern) and the driveline appeared fine. One rear tire appeared a little low, but aired itself up with the CTIS while we were inspecting it. YAY a working CTIS!
While opening every opening we found an active hornet's nest in the passenger side tool box. We carefully closed that back up! There were also two active nests in the air intake on the front grille, but remarkably, we missed those despite opening up the hood to check the fluids and whatnot. The coolant looked a little low, and it was about 2 quarts low on oil, plus the power steering looked like it had a slow leak someplace, we think along the seal. So after finding out a local store, a target about 2 miles away, we headed off in the rental car to pick up some supplies for our trip, along with water, a cheap cooler and some ice. After picking up the supplies we met up with an old friend of mine whom I had grown up with who lived in Riverside, just about 15 minutes south of where we were. We had lunch together, caught up a little bit and then we said our good byes and headed back to the truck. After filling everything up, John headed back to the rental drop off and I was to follow.
Upon hitting the interstate I hit my first problem. It wouldn't go faster than 35! I thought the transfer case was in high, and after trying unsuccessfully to change it while moving, I pulled off and eventually got it to go all the way to the floor, where I then was in high. After that I could move at normal speeds. Whew, I had thought I was going to have to drive all the way to Phoenix in low. I made a wrong turn and it took me a bit to back track and eventually find the rental return and pick up John, and then we were on our way. The military had sold the truck with just over 1/2 tank of fuel if the gauge was correct, but I wasn't trusting it to much until I had a chance to fill the truck up.
After leaving LA basin we stopped and topped off the tank, bought some ice cream (something cold besides our drinks) and continued on our way. It was just before 1600. I took it easy and drove what I thought was about 50-55. But with my driving experience it soon felt like I was going faster than that, so we downloaded a gps tracker and it told us that we were actually going about 6-7 mph faster than indicated.
There was a traffic accident outside of Palm Springs that had traffic crawling along for awhile. We also had a real brief rain shower while near Palm Springs. It was actually the ONLY rain we had the Whole Trip!! (which I was thankful for
As we neared Phoenix, I began to push it up to the governor line because I was trying to get to my buddy's house before he went to bed, to get the keys to the condo he rents out for his parents. I did. We made it from Ontario to Scottsdale in just around 6 hours. Pretty good I think. We picked up the key. He liked the truck
. Then stopped at a store to buy some traveling supplies and stuff for dinner and tomorrows breakfast and then headed to the Condo. I parked laterally in several spots, right next to a sign that said "No Overnight Parking" Funny, I hadn't really paid any attention to that sign before when I had been here. As we unloaded our bags from the truck I noticed a security guard standing in the shadows watching us. After unlocking the door and dropping off the first load I said hi to him and he came out of the shadows. His name is Mike I found out and he also Loved my truck, and we talked for a bit about it and he told me not to worry about the towing sign, that he wouldn't say anything.
We were beat, so it was shower, dinner and bed.
As the focus of this trip other than picking up my truck was to consolidate my stuff from Phoenix, we headed out the next morning to pick up some stuff I had that was being stored by another friend in his apartment. Thanks Rick! There was more of it than I realized, but it all easily fit in the back. Then we headed down to where I was storing the majority of my stuff, in a 24x8' storage box. Unfortunately not all of that fit, and I wasn't able to get my quad either. In hind sight I should have taken the trip that morning to my friends ranch and picked it up first, but next trip I guess. We didn't start loading until around 1300, at which point it was around 110 degrees out!! I hired some help and it took us just under 3 hours to get it all loaded, tarped, and strapped down.
We then headed back home for showers, and then I got to go out to dinner with my daughter, and I enjoyed that very much. The next morning while we had planned on leaving early, but the evening before, one of my headlights had went out. It still worked on high, but the low had burned out and as many of you know, it isn't a standard headlight. So I had to get a replacement (I bought two), actually my friend Guy picked them up for me and saved me the extra trip, I just met him at his work. Thanks Guy! One was NOS, and one someone had cut the wires when removing it. Not sure why since it is just an unplug to get them out, but whatever. I spliced them so we'd have them if we needed them all ready to go. John was a little nervous about other things that might go wrong and he wanted to take a quicker route than the original one we had planned, so instead of going up through Utah and Idaho, we went back through California. It is about a 6 hour difference when mapping it out. We left Phoenix a little after noon on Thursday.
Outside of Phoenix a ways, I pulled into a rest stop and then switched places and let John drive for the first time. He did good. We had planned to drive all the way to Portland, but our bodies had other ideas. After over 14 hours in the truck, we were both to tired to drive and we stopped at a little place called Coalinga. We had to try a few hotels out before we found one that had a room, non smoking with two beds in it. We slept about 7 hours or until about 1000. We checked the truck over, tightened the straps (we had been checking things a several places along the way after we left Phoenix), and performed basic maintenance like greasing the zergs and whatnot. Around 1100 we were off. It was another hot and sweaty day
We stopped around 1800 at a small mountain town in Northern California called Dunsmuir, and ate at Pizza Factory. We were able to park right in front of the store in their "Downtown" district
I've got a picture of it I'll include. We thought the Pizza was good, and the staff was friendly.
After leaving there we got back on I-5 and made it to Portland about 0130. We stayed at John's brother's house after having to find a parking place nearby. We had asked him before hand if there was parking at his complex, knowing that at many apartment complexes there wouldn't be room for this truck. When we told him big truck, he told us later that he was thinking hummer or lifted. But it worked out. He was an excellent host and had prepared us a nice dinner and comfortable places to sleep. The next morning he also prepared us a hearty breakfast. He was a very good host and it was a pleasure to see him again. I think the last time I had seen him was over 20 years prior, when he was but a little boy. We headed out down Cornelius Pass Rd, which before they widened it, used to have deaths every year on it. It is still steep and a great switchback, but I've driven it many times and its a great short cut from Hillsboro/Beaverton area to Hwy 30 north towards St. Helens where my grandmother lives. We visited with her for about an hour and then headed north, additionally armed with her freshly made from scratch blue berry muffins
We made it to the Sumas Canadian Border just after 8pm. There was a small line and it took us close to 1/2 an hour to make it to the check point. There was a sign that said all commercial trucks go right, and while I wasn't commercial, I figured they were also including big trucks like mine, so I did so. The Canadian border guy was a not the nicest guy you could have and fairly suspicious, kept asking us the same questions over and over, with the predominate questions about us having guns, and did we have a trailer. The trailer question I couldnt get because all he had to do was look at the camera and see that our truck wasn't towing one.. but whatever. He went and searched it and didn't want us to watch. I know if the want to they can completely take apart your truck and then leave it for you to put back together, but other than ripping the insulation out from behind the seats, and going thru our bags, he actually left the straps and tarp alone. I think we made it out of there just before 2200. We drove until about 0100, arriving in Cache Creek where we spent the night. The next morning we spoke to the manager and he told us that a group had driven 6 of these types of trucks through about a week before, stopping at his place for the night. They had bought them in Canada some place south of there. We left Cache Creek at 1100. This was Sunday.
While passing through Quesnel on our way to Prince George, we passed several 6x6's for sale on the west side of the highway. Sadly I didn't get any pictures and we didn't turn around or stop, but I did catch the name on them. It was Cariboo 6x6. I found out later that there is a web page under that name. Not sure if he is a member here, but it was nice to see the Green Iron along the way. It was the only green iron we saw along that whole trip not counting what was parked in front of some of the military bases we passed by. We made it into Prince George late that afternoon and after topping off, we ate at Boston Pizza for a sit down meal. After that we headed west towards Prince Rupert turning off at the Stewart-Cassiar Hwy. We topped off at the intersection there because I know from experience there isn't that much service along the 450 miles until you meet up with the Alaska hwy. We drove all night. There was a beautiful Aurora borealis out in the middle of the night, or Northern lights as it is also known.
During the next day while filling up with fuel at Teslin Yukon, a pretty lady wanted a ride in the truck, but I was too focused on driving, but I did offer her to have her picture taken in it, and her pretty daughter took the pictures. I wish I had taken a picture of her daughter
Hey, I'm not bad, her daughter was in her late 20's or early 30's.
We kept pushing on, stopping only for fuel or pit stops. Just outside Haines Junction, while at a pit stop, a car pulled up with a several people in it, and I got road side flirted on by two ladies who wanted their picture taken with me and the truck. They were VERY touchy feel, but the guys who were with them I didn't know their relationship, so I ignored it, just enjoyed the attention and then bid them a fair well. The last hundred miles or so to the border has really bad roads, they haven't improved really any in many years, although there was an attempt it seemed in the last ten miles or so, that part was dirt, and we felt a better condition than the paved part previously. We crossed over into Alaska at about 2230 AK time, and had a good chat with the Border guard there, then we continued on past Tok, and then we took about an hour nap and pushed the remaining miles into Fairbanks, arriving about 0645 at John's place on Tuesday, having driven around 45 hours straight, not counting fueling up or eating in Prince George. Then I slept all day, and after running some errands, slept again until mid morning the next day. I woke up to it raining. Really pouring down rain. And I had to unload in the rain all my boxes, which have filled my small apartment, but it is nice to have most of my stuff here now. I already have local people wanting to buy my truck.
Ok that is the gist of it I think, feel free to ask questions and I'll add anything I can think of later.
