That trip was one of my best memories of Ron as well...... and for another return trip to NE from NJ, he agreed to drive one of my wheel chocks (ahem, cucv's).
I kid you not, he saw a plastic viking helmet sticking out of a box, grabbed it, and wore it on that trip in the cucv. He also messed with some guys by taking a bite out of a milk bone dog biscuit while giving them a dead stare-- that got some interesting reactions as well.
Then there was another time,on one of the convoys, we had an aggressive guy in a modern jeep flip us off as we went by and then try to cut Ron off-- he was driving one of my semis and sent the guy as he put it "on a path of new discovery". I like to think that guy got a lesson in respect that day.........
I really liked Ron and really do miss him.
I will share a prank I pulled on Ron several years before we lost him---- There used to be a website where you could type in a number and send an interactive voice message from Santa-- I chose Ron and he got a call from Santa telling him he would get his two front teeth for Christmas. I got to listen in on the conversation and the interaction was hilarious. I talked to Ron not long after and somehow the Santa thing got brought up. He was convinced he was talking to Wreckerman and thought Wreckerman was messing with him. In all fairness, the person playing Santa did sound alot like Wreckerman-- I eventually told him it was me and we had a good laugh after that one............ (Wreckerman, I do not know if I ever told you this, but if Ron pranked you back, no harm intended)........
Z