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We are at exit 233 in Arizona, its the Meteor Crater RV park.  Wish we had time to see it but don't.  I could have driven further but its ok.  Winslow is next and we should make it a long ways into New Mexico tomorrow.

I saw snow on the mountains by the road around Flagstaff and we had spitting rain.  It's to get 34 here tonight, then 26 tomorrow night but hope we are past it and out of the cold.  But that is to be seen.

I saw some snow in Houston last year I think it was but not on the ground like here.  This is pretty country to look at but I really wouldn't want to live here. I just don't see the attraction to all the sand, rock, and no grass.  I mean its beautiful to look at the mountains and everything but I like green.  Of course the way its going in Houston we may not have green either.

Tom and I are talking about the diesel, he said with only 300 hp it might not have all that much power for the mountains, I'm wondering what hp you would need to have enough.
 
Tom and I are talking about the diesel, he said with only 300 hp it might not have all that much power for the mountains, I'm wondering what hp you would need to have enough.

That's hard to answer because it depends on the weight of your full motorhome plus the toad (GCVWR).  Our 34-ft. Monaco DP had a 330 hp engine and it was certainly adequate in the mountinas for that length.  By contrast our current 40-ft. DP has a 500 hp engine and it's even better!  ;D  I agree with the Duchess of Windsor who said you can never be thin enough or have too much money, only with RVers it's you can never carry enough stuff or have enough power!  ::)

Travel safe!
ArdraF
 
It appears my vue weighs about 3100 pounds so not bad.

I have to read the weights for the pusher and see what I am allowed.  I've read that a lot of them are close to capacity with just "stuff" and us loaded in it.
 
I hear some motor running tonight and its going to drive me batty.  I just can't stand stuff like that. I can't determine what it is.  At first I thought a neighbor had his vehicle running but its not that.  Maybe there is a railroad line nearby with a diesel idling, its kind of like that.  I'm pretty sure its not a generator.  I will take my nightly tramadol for arthritus and hope it puts me to sleep.  I had drank coffee yesterday and that was a bad move. Hum I think something turned off or down I'm not noticing it as much, thank goodness.  Maybe someone does have something running. 

I've not been anywhere with a bunch of generators running at night, wondering what that would sound like.
 
Yes, someone is running something out here every so often.  Maybe they are heating their motorhome then turning it off for awhile.  I will just hope that my med will kick in and put me to sleep, once I'm asleep it won't bother me anymore. Well that must me someone is having a problem so I feel for them.
 
Wendy, that's a good guess.  We once had a neighbor in Arizona whose water heater turned on and off periodically and sounded like a diesel idling.  Drove us nuts.

Margi
 
Carolyn,

Here is an quick calculation to go by:  1 horsepower for every 100 lbs the coach weights.  Or another way is 1 horsepower for every foot of motorhome.  We have a 35' diesel motor home with a 330 cat engine, so we don't fit the first calculation.  However we weight 28,000 lbs plus a 3300 lb Hyundai Tucson so we are under with that calculation.

I've read that a lot of them are close to capacity with just "stuff" and us loaded in it.
Most, and I stress most, diesels can carry a lot, gas engine coaches are much more limited.  The way to really make sure you are not overweight is to look at the Gross Vehicle weight rating on the plaque in the coach and then have the coach weighted fully loaded and that will give you the "honest" truth.  ::)  I thought for sure we were overweight with ours, then had it weighted at a FMCA Ralley.  We had a 1,000 more lbs we could have put in the coach. 

As Betty Brewer, staff, on here told me after we had the coach weighted: "a girl always like to come in underweight"..... ;D

Marsha~
 
Marsha/CA said:
Here is an quick calculation to go by:  1 horsepower for every 1,000 lbs the coach weights.  Or another way is 1 horsepower for every foot of motorhome.  We have a 35' diesel motor home with a 330 cat engine, so we don't fit the first calculation.  However we weight 28,000 lbs plus a 3300 lb Hyundai Tucson so we are under with that calculation.

Marsha

Those fingers were sliding on the keyboard again ;D ;D . It's 1 hp/100#s and the 35' motor home fits the second calculation.
 
I will have to look at the plaque in it.  It weighs around 28000 pounds, is 38 foot long, my toad is 3100, so will have to put all fluids in it and load it, then weigh it.  That's down the road a bit.

Today was good, I know I drove to fast 65 to 70 all day, but they are talking 24 to 26 tonight and its been sprinkling off and on today.  The roadway was wet so I wanted to get as far as possible today in case it did rain tonight and froze.  I woke up to rain at 6 this morning and was concerned but it didn't get cold enough to freeze.  I got to albuquerque this afternoon.  We are staying at a park called the American RV Park at exit 149.  There are 3 here but this I think is by far the nicest one.  It has paved sites and very low curbing, asphalt roads and the area where grass usually is has a red gravel.  It is clean and very nice.  It's one of those the guy guides you to your slot and hooks up for you, that's why everything is in such good condition I'm sure.

I have seen so many points of interest of things we would love to see I told Sue Anne we will be back this way again.  Not go to Vegas but just go around to all these sights.

I want to see the meteor crater, also the sights around some of these towns, and Albuquerque sounds like it has a lot to see too.

I need to look up, but I think on the way here I saw a lot of basalt or volcanic rock in one area.  I need to research and see, didn't realize we had had any active volcanoes in this area, so maybe its something else.

 
I was just by there at 1pm. --Camping World is across the street. I'm now down in Q waiting to have an old fuel line replaced; however, my furnace won't come on so I just fired up the genset and turned on an Elct space heater. I've stayed in American before and it has always been a good place or several days.

There's a flying J straight east of you without getting back on 10, down Central Ave...
 
Well you need a furnace tonight for sure and I brought up the electric one from a bay in case I need an auxillary. Also got my rain suit with pants out of the bay in case I need those.  I got one for Sue Anne and one for me, you just never know. We have so many of those, you just never knows packed in here.

These blinds we put over the couch and table from Lowes are wonderful.  they keep the cold air out of the living room.  It would be nice if one could be mounted in the front somewhere and cover that glass would sure make it warmer if someone needed to live in it in cold weather.  As it is just stopping air coming in from those too is great and makes it very comfortable in here and pretty easy to heat. I enjoyed the scenery today, last time we drove west we went on 20.  Now I've seen 10 and 40.  I keep seeing signs for bits of route 66, have to hit that one day too.

I play music on Willies Place most days when driving, I love that old music and I'm not tired at all.  One day I did need coffee but only one.  We also like the blue grass station.

I had my weather band on listening to it, then tried again and could never get it back on.

Say I heard on the news an airman was holding people hostage in a facility that controls all the GPS's, if those go wacky we will know why.  They said he hadn't done anything to them at that time, very strange.
 
Bernie,  I'm so glad you are watching my back!  I think you fixed this for me once before.  You'd think I would learn.

Marsha~  BTW, I'm fixing the message!
 
It got really cold last night.  I had the electric heater sitting on the dash and it and the furnace kicked off and on all night.  We were nice and warm but I'm betting we wouldn't have been without it on also.  The kitty and I shared my electric blanket and Sue Anne has a pretty heavy bedspread she uses.

Amarillo has a severe fog warning till 10AM but that won't effect us.  It will burn off before we get there.

I think we have stayed ahead of the bad weather and turning south today looks like we will manage to miss most everything, I hope.

They are supposed to have a free breakfast at the office till 10. We may just go see what they have to offer.

the sun is shining out and its nice, so need to go put on my makeup and get ready to go.  (I'm like mom was, there is seldom a day I don't put on makeup, I think it protects my skin.)

Later all

 
Adios!

When you hit Abq I'm sitting 1 block south on 2nd St, in the Lot at Cummins with the big red "C" !  New fuel lines will be installed. When you get south of Childress there are county rest areas museums with very nice exhibits, easy parking and clean restrooms.

I had to use both my Sunbeam mattress pad on "4" [Thanks Kim Bertram!"] and an elec heater, it wouldn't run two without tripping the breaker AND the furnace wouldn't click on and make any kind of sound. I drive to Tom's RV just as soon as they get done here.
 
[quote author=Marsha/CA]Or another way is 1 horsepower for every foot of motorhome.[/quote]

Marsha, unless you have a 330 foot coach, you might need to make another correction.
 
Bob, I closed my computer and turned it off right after posting.  I would have stopped and shouted at you otherwise! It was sure cold last night, I hope you were able to stay warm enough.  I do not like being cold at all.

I made it into Littlefield, Texas tonight, its west of Lubbock.  I turned off I 40 onto state 385, its a really good road and skirts the cities and interstates plus has a 70mph speed limit.  Yesterday and today I pushed it 65 to 70 all day,  passing semis along the way.  A bit more wind today but it was ok, I had 2 gusts that got me after coming into an open place I guess but its ok, I expect it.  My fuel mileage has really suffered.  I haven't figured it until the last couple of days 6.4, but I don't expect better driving at those speeds and pulling a toad.

Here's something interesting.  I got into Littlefield and was going to look for an RV park or hit 84 and look for one. I saw a sign that said there was an RV dump in town.  But I was going down I think the main drag of this town and I see a little RV park named the Waylon Jennings RV park and it said FREE parking.  Say what?  I turned around and went back and sure enough says free.  I told Sue Anne, no problem we have water and can use the generator.  They don't have many sites, several are for smaller TT's but at least 2 or 3 are big enough for even some of you 40 footers.  So I get out to unhook the toad as Sue Anne wanted to go out to dinner.  Well what do you know, they include electric and water, WOW!  The one next to me is hooked to the drain, but over toward the side is an RV dump so I will use it in the morning.  There are little covered picnic tables and some other grassy areas, a dumpster and dog walk.  I saw a box for donations but will look and see if it looks secure, if not I will mail a check to them for a donation.  I've never seen anything like this anywhere.  I was telling a waitress we were staying here and she said you can stay 3 days, leave one, and come back.  Of course we aren't doing that, but sure is a pleasant surprise.

I didn't know they raised so many crops up here in the north of Texas.  We went by miles and miles of irrigated fields, lots of hay being raised but lots and lots of cotton of all things.  And there were many many feed lots and other fields full of cattle.  Some huge farm equipment for sure.  What a food basket I must say and you sure had to watch out for the huge grain trucks, poor little school buses practically ran down the side of the roads I think to stay out of their way.  But I wonder how fast they are depleting the ground water, not much recourse I guess.

I'm thinking surely we will make it in tomorrow night, we will be durn close, I just don't drive at night anymore in places I'm not familiar with.  My night vision is ok but distance judgement is not great at night, so no matter what we will stop if it gets to late.

I don't think I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  Luby's usually has it near to where we live and its good.  I think we will just go there and have it.  why cook a ton of food for Sue Anne and I.

I was concerned about finding a place tonight so this worked out great.

On the interstates the best book you can get is from Sam's Club, it's called Exit Now Insterstate Exit Directory.  It gives what is at every exit by exit number.  I used that to plan my stops.  I can see 20, 30, or however many miles ahead for RV parks.  Best book I have for traveling.
 
Well, we didn't make it home, we made it to about 20 miles west of Waco.  Tomorrow we will take 84 to I 45 and drive in home.  It's about 190 per Tom Tom.

I was trying to find an RV park earlier and couldn't.  It got so dark I'm just not good at seeing so I stopped at a Brookshires in Gatesville.  I asked if I could park there and the manager I guess he was, said sure.  I told him I just couldn't see to drive further. I fhe had said no, I would have had to found somewhere.  He said but you might want to go two blocks down to an RV park, but he said you are welcome to stay.  I bought some veggies for dinner and found the RV park, yep it was only 2 blocks behind a hotel.  I asked the young clerk if you can drive through them, guess we miscommunicated because I pulled into the slot and its not a drive through.  Now I have to unhook the toad in the morning and I'm hooked to the wrong side.  but there are so many open if someone parks there I would be surprised.  If they do I will unhook my hookups soon as we get a bath, that's all we need it for anyway.

I would have liked to get home tonight, but its not that important.  I enjoy driving through the little towns.  We stopped at one for breakfast called Slaton outside of Lubbock.  It was like 6600 people, not a whole lot there.  They did have a town square and it was designed so there was room for me to park the motorhome parallel.  We had seen a sign on the interstate that they had a good bakery.  Well, good, was an understatement.  I never saw such a variety of items, they even had a separate room with bags of items, all kinds of breads, rolls, cakes, cookies, pies, candies.  Sue Anne didn't chose to go in and I brought out kolaches, butter cookies, and glazed donuts plus milk for breakfast.  Ok 2 glazed donuts, a dozen of the small butter cookies, and 2 kolaches.  I should have gone wild and frozen the bounty but never thought about it.  If you ever get a chance stop at that wonderful bakery.  They even had rolls make to lay out like a turkey and called them turkey rolls.  That's the kind of stuff I like to see off the beaten path.  We don't even have any good bakeries where we are anymore, just the supermarket kind, yuck.

We saw another little town and it said they had an RV park at their city park but I couldn't find it, one sign doesn't get it.  There court house was beautiful and lots of little shops there.  I love to see the big old houses, someone had to be rich to build those mansions.  There was one being redone in one of the towns.  I told hubby I would like to have one, he said it would bankrupt us redoing one and then heating and air conditioning it.  But I can dream can't I?

The interstates were terrible and I was happy to drive on state road 84 and 385.  I try to stay away from the big cities like Dallas especially near a holiday.  It was much better driving where I went.
 
We got home today about 12:30.  Went to Luby's directly and had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner.  The line was out the door, they used to be open just a few hours, apparently now they are open all Thanksgiving.  When we left I think the line was longer.

So we got home about 1:30.  The traffic on I45 was beyond horrible.  Glad no accidents happened.

Over by Mexia there was a lot of fog and on 45 for aways.  I saw a big herd of buffalo between Waco and there.  Quite a scene.

Started to  unload, but haven't gotten much out, started laundry too.  Sorted through all the mail from the 7th forward, the post office could save a lot if they didn't send all this junk.

Have lots to take care of, dog was thrilled to see us.  But I'm taking a bath, kicking back and looking at Christmas booklets and just the last few days of WSJ's.  Got all that in a trash can.  A few bills, and lots of people wanting donations.Something was declined on an expired credit card for $55.95???? and they are threatening us with turning it over to a collection agency.  Say what?  Have no idea what they are talking about.  We only use one card so wonder if its even legit, doesn't even say what for.

All is well otherwise. 

It is good to be home.
 
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