Reserved parking strikes again

It sucks. It would be better to take cash next time! Also, I hear gasoline is more fuel efficient than diesel on light vehicles such as cars. Diesel, however, is more fuel efficient than gas when pulling heavy weight, say, 80k.

 

Either or wouldn't surprise me.
Putting over 75 gallons of gas in something is unusual. So is spending over $200 at the pump. The whole credit/banking world is run by algorithms now, anything deviant and they shut it down until things get square.

I've often considered going on a weekend spending spree then reporting my card stolen. I think there's a certain value they won't even investigate. Problem is, is it $200?-$600? but I've met people who have claimed to have gamed the system. So who knows?

They continue to automate everything but get sloppier and sloppier on the fundamentals.

Well it was an RV so,,,, yeah.
Probably would have been better to be diesel.

Near as I can figure it was a Ford V-8 buried under that floor, and it was TAXED most of the time. Didn't like hills either. I have my misgivings with Ford's AOD 4-speed slushbox too. At least this had the tow/haul function.

 

Nothing personal right back at you, but a 60' long and 9' wide combination can't just "pull up to a hotel" without being told to bugger off just the same as a truck. People who are trying to "stealth camp" at Walmarts are also making it difficult for regular RVers, b/c there are more and more communities that are putting up signs restricting overnight parking. So we have the same problems. With this combination, there aren't that many RV parks that I'd want to try and fit in either - and when they are charging $60/night.... That paid parking sounds like a pretty decent bargain.

I know that you have the ELD, I'm well aware. I'm also not adverse to stopping at a rest stop as needed, but when I'm full size, I'm going to have to go where the full size vehicles go, thanks. I guess we will all just have to muddle along and deal with what we find. I'll likely be in either Loves or Flying J, with the exception of Kenly where I might do their stop. Closer to the Northeast, the stopping points are either Maryland House, the FJ at Elkton exit 109, or push just over the DMB into NJ and take the FJ there.

On the plus side, with Celedon going belly up, there should be a touch more parking available for the rest of us.

 

Depends on what year, but likely was a Triton V-10... Very popular Ford powerplant, and completely GUTLESS when it has over 20k lbs on top of it. MOST if not all gas-powered RVs are at or above the acceptable weight limits for the engine when they are first built, and that is before any of the tanks are filled OR any personal property is put in. The chassis might be rated to haul X weight, but that doesn't factor in ANY engine longevity into that equation at all. Gas RVs usually don't put on more than about 25k in their life anyway so the makers figure if the engine is burned up by about 50k... They are well out of warranty so not their problem.

My family had a 36' with 2 slides on a gas GM Workhorse chassis (8 liter Vortec V8) that blew one of the heads so bad at about 50k miles that it was pumping liquid coolant out the exhaust. Not smoking it - POURING IT. It also struggled to find 7mpg.

My 40' diesel has the ISC cummins 8.3, and with the Allison 6 speed, should be capable of about 10mpg on a good day if everything else is right. But towing what will likely be 7k of trailer... I'm expecting 7mpg.

 

I don't know how far up you're going geordie, but right after the Susquehanna toll there's a casino, so that's an option. If you pivot away from D.C. there's a few places in the vicinity of Gettysburg that would be cool with you. And there's a few places in Southeast PA where you could spend the night.

 

Where is the destination? If its ct or farther north you can avoid all the crap on 95 north of Richmond by cutting over to 81

 

At the moment I don't know the destination - I have family in Brooklyn and work in the film industry, so somewhere within a "reasonable" distance of NYC is likely the answer... But that reasonable distance could be 50-75 miles in almost any direction. Don't think it will be in CT though. We don't have the land yet, so that's part of the process.

I'm not adverse to upstate NY along the thruway or west in NJ... But I think Pa is nutty with their tolls and CT with the taxes. It all depends on where we end up. I'm also working on an idea for a standalone business - a vehicles-only storage yard where I wouldn't have a problem welcoming trucks if they wanted / needed a place to store or park overnight... BUT no jugs of biohazard!

 

Well for future knowledge the route I take to ct and points north is 95 to us 17 in Fredericksburg va. Run that to 66 and go west to pick up 81 north to 84 east. Its only 50 or so miles farther and the only toll is the bridge between ny and ct. I think it's 20 bucks vs a couple hundred in md,de,nj, and ny. Plus it avoids all the traffic with dc, Baltimore, Jersey, and nyc.

 

Are you referring to us 17 in Fredericksburg that takes you over to I 66 ?
I run that route constantly from home in upstate NY to Florida and back again.
It’s a great way to go for sure, I can run back and forth with zero tolls and it’s all good road.

 

Yes. 17. Not 13.