PaHunter's Great Big Gulf Adventure Trip Report

[PaHunter]

So here we are just a few days away from the start of another fun filled adventure. We will be headed to Gulf Shore State Park to meet up with fellow Diser's. This is our first trip down, hope that it is not our last. Gonna need more vacation...too many Meet and Greet's, Rallies, or Disney trips.

So this trip will contain a couple of first's. This will be our first trip towing with our new truck. Our first trip to Gulf Shores, for me it is a return to Alabama State Parks after many years away. First time towing with new to us air ride hitch.

Looking forward to this trip, as we made the reservations last year and have been counting down. I will most likely do an update or two on the trip down. I will then most likely file the rest of my trip report and pictures as I can after.

Our trip down is a relaxing couple day trip, keeping driving to a reasonable level. We will then arrive, enjoy the holiday weekend, make some new friends, have a great time. We will then make a bee line back to the homestead and work.

 

[PaHunter]

So this is our new tow vehicle. It is a 2012 Volvo 730 with an I shift transmission. It is an automated manual transmission. It has a Volvo D13 engine currently rated at 435 HP and 1650 ft lbs of torque. This is the truck as we purchased it, before we made some additions. Since this was taken the truck had the exhaust stack removed, and converted to a grass burner configuration, a grill guard was added to the front, the commercial fifth wheel was removed and hitchcrafter air hitch was installed. We also installed a Directlink brake controller and wired a Jackalopee to allow the truck and trailer lights to talk to one another.
She is a BIG yellow truck and will do a fine job of towing our Sandpiper. We are looking in the future to single it up short, cut the frame an relocate the hitch. We could then consider adding some sort of bed structure. This will make the overall length of the truck the same as a 3500 Crew Cab Dually.
We will have more pictures of our setup to follow. I have a couple of surprises for the Gulf trip and we are not spoiling them. So stay tuned, it is going to be a wild ride.

 

[tiggerdad]

Looking forward to meeting up this coming week. You guys be careful coming down.

 

[FtW Mike]

Chris just remember to change the names to protect the active participants

 

[PaHunter]

Chris just remember to change the names to protect the active participants

Oh we will of course leave out all the non "G" rated Disney character interactions that may occur. After all this is a Dis gathering , not a taping of Live PD.

 

[PaHunter]

Well woke to what appeared to be a really nice day, the sun shining. Sat down had breakfast and someone blew it out. What ?? Come on mother nature, don't you know I have to get my grass cut, bring the sun back !!
Well time to go finish loading up the trailer, and check tire pressures.

And as I finish up typing this, the skies have opened, as mother nature has once again turned on the huge outdoor shower. Time to break out the Frogg Toggs and keep packing.

Update: It is now approaching noon here in the east and the sun has decided to grace us once again.

 

[bama_ed]

When you get to Gulf, Chris, you're going to want to sit in your shade tunnel and enjoy the view of the lake across the road. I remember it when I took pix for you of the site last year; I hope when you get down here you can relax.

I have washing the Suburban, camper, and checking/airing up tires on the agenda this afternoon.

We probably won't get away until 2pm on Thursday. I've driven the most direct route out of Titletown to Gulf Shores a couple times now and am not a fan of it. It ends up coming into the Mobile area on Hwy 43 and I get on I65 to I165 and go over the big bridge ( and pick up the Causeway by the USS Alabama and then hop on I10). It's a lot of 2-lane highways past catfish ponds and 4-lane highways with speed traps and the occasional red light.

My alternatives (according to Google maps) is to either swing out west to Meridian and take Hwy 45 south (the tiggerdad route) or swing out to the east and take the 2-4 lane to Montgomery (no red lights till down around Montgomery and then very few) and pick up I65 and get off at the Bay Minette exit (the route that PaHunter will likely take) and then run down to Gulf. It's 15 minutes longer per G-maps but I like the idea of cruising on the interstate for 2+ hours. Plus that's the route I drove to the beach for the last 25 years from Birmingham so I'm familiar with every gas station, rest stop, bbq joint, and Wal Mart along that route. So I'm going to try that eastern route even though it's a little longer on the way down.

That will put me down there about 630pm and do a light set-up that night. Lisa has been working hard this past week and this week will be full again so if I can keep her off her phone while she's in Gulf I hope she can relax and unwind like PaHunter.

Tick tock.

Bama Ed

 

[PaHunter]

So this afternoon saw a hardware store run, a stop at dollar general, and the ice cream shop. It also found me cutting the soaking wet grass, in the 84 degree afternoon sun. Ahhh, the joy.
The trailer is just about fully loaded for the trip, just need to cool down the fridge and load it on Tuesday evening. Pick the truck up tomorrow evening, and get it ready for the trip.

 

[friendofeeyore]

we plan to leave La Grange, Tx around 7:00 on Wed. Arnold has us stopping in Baton Rouge Wed. night. He said we would have approx. 5 to 6 hours on Thurs. Excited about meeting everyone. Please all coming be safe!!

 

[PaHunter]

Well today after work, we picked up the truck. I got home and wired the power for the air hitch. Then we hooked up the trailer and took it for a short shake down ride. Hitch seems to be ok, trailer seems to be sitting level. Did have a door pop open, but not sure what happened there. It was locked, so will have to keep an eye on that, had never happened before.

 

[PaHunter]

So this morning, got up, primed the metal on the hitch, and got a quick coat of paint on it before the rains came. I climbed up in the cab, fired her up, and off we went to get a new set of tires. There went my birthday, Christmas, for about the next five years. Came home and have been trying to load the camper with the little stuff left, and start loading the cab. Mainly food to load in the fridge, and a few odds and ends, in between downpours. This is so not...fun.

 

[PaHunter]

So today we lost our little girl, our dog. She had lyme disease and suffered kidney failure. Tomorrow we roll out to see everyone, albeit with a heavy heart.


Hickory, RIP

 

[Teamubr]

So today we lost our little girl, our dog.

Hickory, RIP

j

 

[Disneypeach]

so sorry for the loss of your furbaby...

 

[tigger92662]

So sorry for your loss

 

[PaHunter]

So sorry for your loss

Thank you.

 

[FtW Mike]

My deepest condolences

 

[PaHunter]

Thank you all for the kind words.

Ok so our first day travelling, think we overheated ? How does that happen ? Seem to have recovered, pulled in to campground, and well the construction workers stopped to gawk, then when I pulled in to the site, I had half the campground visiting to talk about our setup. As you can see, Mr. Happy is traveling with us.

 

[PaHunter]

So this evening after dinner, the DW and I opened the hood, and searched the engine for the coolant leak. One of the return lines is missing a hose clamp and was nearly off. Guessing as we built pressure in the system, steam was pushing the connection and it sprayed out. So tomorrow, we need to grab a hose clamp and secure the hose end. May this be the last of the hiccups this week, and safe travels to all who are on the move this weekend.

 

[garneska]

I really hope it’s the last bump. We are up in Blairsville now at the rig. I left Mallory’s medication at home.