Long trips

[retep88]

After taking 8, 10 hour trips a year (about 550 miles) going home and back to school at breaks you begin to learn the tricks of the road. Here are some of my favorites.

1) a good roll of duck tape will get ride of all the annoying rattles and window/door seal leaks that will drive you mad on the long trip

2) you will run into a cop when you least expect it, especially when you are speeding

3) going five over doesn't seem like much, but it will cut your trip down.

4) gas prices will always be higher at typical stopping points (like the mackinac bridge in michigan)

5) you will come up to a slow person in a place where you can't pass

6) the 44 oz drink seems like a good idea, but don't do it. You will waste more time with bathroom breaks.

7) a good radio is your best friend.

This isn't a complete list, so feel free to add to it.

 

[martin]

A decent head unit and a few good cd's will eliminate most of the mentioned problems except the 44 ounce drink thing of course.

 

[adsm08]

sleeping late in bed is preferable to an early start and a nap behind the wheel.

It is dang scary to suddenly wake up in the center turning lane 100 ft from a lane divider that's 1/2 as all as your truck.

 

[bigcountry]

several cans of grizzly wintergreen with atleast two bottles makes long trips better

 

[MrE_Powers]

work nights at your job for a month so you can then drive road trips at night so you can have piece and quiet on the roads when you drive from 9 pm to 8 am

 

[OilPatch197]

3) going five over doesn't seem like much, but it will cut your trip down.

Going five over is when the cops pull you over, go 4mph over instead.

- Beaded "massaging" back support.
-Steering Wheel over
- Mechanix brand gloves (driving gloves)
-When filling up with gas, clean off the headlamp/tail lamp lenses, you will see better and be seen better.

 

[Mudhound]

Use a dry erase pen to write directions on the upper left corner of the windshield. makes it SO much easier to keep track of what you need to do and when ( I used this constantly when I ws trucking. It was really helpful in towns: Detroit, Chi-town, L.A.) Sing along with the radio some times. It helps to get your mind out of the Roadzombie by forcing you to have to listen to figure out what is next. (yeah, I can't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it, either. SO?)

 

[GoodOld85BlueBalls]

Can't do a long trip without Cruise Control and sunflower seeds. Spitz seeds are the best, I prefer the Dill Pickle ones. Davids seeds are crap and have way to much salt.

 

[Hopman]

A decent head unit and a few good cd's will eliminate most of the mentioned problems except the 44 ounce drink thing of course.

Here are a few of my favorite Road Trip CD's (discovered after a 2000 mile and 36 hour round trip from NH to Indy, IN & back.

- ANY CD by Joe Satriani (especailly the song "Crushing Day")
- Rush's Spirit of Radio
- Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet
AND
- Boston's self-titled debut CD

A few more tips:
- Get on the road early. When I start a leg of a trip, I like to be on the road between 3-5 AM. You can run a good 150-200 miles and if planned right, get through major metro areas with minimal traffic, before you stop for breakfast.
- Cliff bars are good snacks on the road.
- When you stop to eat, try to find a good local hole-in-the- wall. They usually have better quality food at a cheaper price.
- Take the back roads once in a while, Many interstates have state routes or US routes that paralell them. (For example, NH 132 and US Route 3 run in the same direction as I-93, and meet up on a regular basis)
- Don't be afraid to ask for directions! Some locals might know a quicker (and more scienic) route.
- Have some fun. If you travel I-8o trough PA in the summertime, take a diversion and visit Knoble's Grove in Elysburg, PA.

 

[daniel3507]

Use a dry erase pen to write directions on the upper left corner of the windshield. makes it SO much easier to keep track of what you need to do and when ( I used this constantly when I ws trucking. It was really helpful in towns: Detroit, Chi-town, L.A.) Sing along with the radio some times. It helps to get your mind out of the Roadzombie by forcing you to have to listen to figure out what is next. (yeah, I can't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it, either. SO?)

The dry erase trick is a really good idea. Never would have thought of that.

 

[Mudhound]

Thanks. I got the idea when I was making a drop at an Overnite freight terminal, and I saw how the dock boss was setting up the floor for what goes where, which trailer/door, and so on. Works REALLY well.

 

[bigcountry]

im impressed i never would of thought if using dry erase markers thats a pretty good idea

 

[88gt]

- Have some fun. If you travel I-8o trough PA in the summertime, take a diversion and visit Knoble's Grove in Elysburg, PA.

Great Place...plenty of summertime eye-candy too!

 

[Hopman]

Oh yeah! You gotta try the fries and hit a couple of coaster too!

 

[pjtoledo]

#6, the 44 oz drink is really a safety feature in disguise: all that jumping around in the seat whilst screaming I GOTTA PEE keeps a person awake for miles!!!