Road Trip! Just crossing the country on I-80 in December

Not a special road trip, just a quick run almost across the country. 

Yesterday I left our (now sold) home in Carson City NV and set off for the new home in Berkeley Springs WV.

Yes, I’m daft enough to tow my race car across the country in December. With a 23-year-old pick up truck that has over 300,000 miles on it and is stuffed to the rafters with items the movers wouldn’t take or I forgot to ask them to take, plus some items we need before the moving truck  makes it’s way across the country.

 Yes, I’m daft enough to tow my race car across the country in December. With a 23-year-old pick up truck that has over 300,000 miles on it.

Made it to West Wendover, NV last night and picked what must be the only hotel with no WiFi left in the country. Oops.

Truck seems to be most comfortable  cruising at 65 so that’s what I’ll try to do for the majority of the  trip.

Got past Salt Lake City and the weather is finally clearing up. The old warhorse of a truck seems to be enjoying this.

Me, I would probably enjoy a better seat as my back has been complaining a bit from all the lifting around the move. 

If it's anything like my old diesels, it will continue to run better throughout the entire trip. They seem to love being run.

Good luck on your trip! 

I recommend staying off I-80 after Lincoln, Nebraska. 

For one, this will keep you out of the major traffic of Chicago but more importantly, I-80 after Chicago is all toll road..  That is, all of what you'll drive in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania has tolls.  Hauling a trailer, these combined 3 states will cost you more than $100 in tolls. 

I recommend the middle route through Columbus, Ohio on I-70 - - no tolls. If there looks to be weather the The Southern most route might make sense if that avoids the weather. 

If you do take the northern route, I live just 8 miles north of I-80 (as shown by the car symbol on the maps). 

I hope you don't need it but I can offer assistance all across N. Ohio if you need it.  

419-Five41-133Five

If you take the i70 route through columbus I’m about 10 miles north of i70 and i71. I can offer tools, assistance, and a garage bay. Or coffee and a meal.

If you come to Denver I feel I owe you dinner and a place to stay for busting your balls so much about your car decisions.  Let me know!

Thanks guys. I’m following the middle route, currently in Nebraska. 

I second John Welsh's recommend to avoid I80 in Indiana and Ohio. Also do not be tempted by the Pennsylvania Turnpike even if it looks short. Welcome to the east!

In reply to BoxheadTim :

I drove from LA to Chicago in 2 days in a packed out Sentra.   God Bless the people of Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois but it was a long brainless drive.  

dculberson said:

If you take the i70 route through columbus I’m about 10 miles north of i70 and i71. I can offer tools, assistance, and a garage bay. Or coffee and a meal.

same. 

Professor_Brap said:

dculberson said:

If you take the i70 route through columbus I’m about 10 miles north of i70 and i71. I can offer tools, assistance, and a garage bay. Or coffee and a meal.

same. 

I'm about a minute off I70 on the West side of Columbus and can offer the same.

docwyte said:

If you come to Denver I feel I owe you dinner and a place to stay for busting your balls so much about your car decisions.  Let me know!

Definitely would have appreciated the dinner, however I decided just running down 80 was probably a better idea as it allowed me to avoid the higher passes in CO. 

Thanks for all the offers. I made it to Lincoln NE and will stop here for the night. The locals probably think I’m a few months late for the Solo nationals. 

The drive is still pretty uneventful, but boy is it flat around here. I’ve never driven through this area before (my previous and only cross-country trip was along the I-10 corridor about a decade back) so its an interesting experience. 

You should come back through Nebraska in the summer, for the full experience. One time my wife (before we were married) and I drove my old 84 f250 through towing my mgb. Stopped in Lincoln for the night. Was early July I think.

Since we didn't have AC we had both triangle windows fully open.

And from the dead bug pattern on our shirts, not only could you see that we had triangle-shaped windows open, you could tell who was driving and who was passenger side.

Also, sounds like you're coming through south of here, but I'm in Chicago (5 minutes off i80) if you need anything.

we’re 10ish minutes off I-80 at the Cleveland exit.  If you stay on 80, I’d ditch it in Sandusky ohio at the route 250 exit as 250 cuts east southeast across ohio and will dump you at 77 about 100 miles north of WV.  Tolls with a trailer suck.  

Apparently Google decides on a whim as to what that middle route constitutes so they kept me on I-80 longer than expected, but off the toll roads. Nevertheless I made it to Champaign, IL last night. I've got one more stop planned, but that's mainly so I don't have to navigate the unlit and unfamiliar streets around the AirBNB in Berkeley Springs at night with a trailer. Should make it to Berkeley Springs on Friday morning.

Truck has been running surprisingly well, but I think the surface quality of I-80 across Iowa has done a bit of a number on the shocks. Stiffly sprung with vague shocks isn't that much fun.

First hiccup- won’t crank. I suspect either bad batteries or a bad starter. I can hear the solenoid click but no action from the starter. Let’s see what AAA have to say. 

Is there a battery in the race car that you can swap in?

Where are you located with trouble?  

The last portion of your trip has some hills and curves that it would be wise to be "alert" for.  My advice is to go no farther than Washighton, PA area tonight which is 7 hours of driving from Champaign, IL.  From Washington, PA it is then just 2.5 hours of driving until Berkeley but it is some smaller roads of Rt43 and Rt40.  The last part is I-68 over the Appalachian Mountains.    

Tim,

Also, I have the power to move this thread to the Off-Topic Section of the forum if you would like to garner up some local assistance or get some members "on stand-by" as your travel through their area.  

Right now it looks like a bad starter, batteries tested ok. Waiting for the real tow truck to take me to a local shop. 

Give it a good whack with the tire iron. 

Tow truck driver tried that. No dice.

At a local shop now, they’re trying to squeeze it in today as soon as they can free up a lift.

While you are waiting, Im just gonna drop this here  https://www.formularacecarclubofamerica.com/

as well as http://pahillclimb.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RYpYjhgCxs

Hopefully get to meet you sometime next year.