Mesa - Kingston April 2013

Can You Spot What I Forgot to Do?

Five days on the road, and I'm going to get home tonight. Departed Mesa on April 1 (solo), and arrived home around 7 pm, April 5. Here was the route I took, almost 2,400 miles, and just about the shortest way there is to get home from Mesa.

Camped all four nights, weather ranged from hot in Las Cruces (about 85F), to absolutely freezing the next night in Amarillo. Woke up on Tuesday morning to an ice storm.

Spring motor travel is all about dodging weather fronts. The I-10 and I-20 corridors were not an option this time due to weather. Cold fronts merging with warm fronts, tornadoes, hail, heavy rain, the whole bit. Best to avoid it. This time it was take the I-40 route, and for the most part it was pretty good, with the leg between Amarillo and Oklahoma City the most challenging with ice storms and then torrential rains most of the day.

Last gas I purchased before crossing at Detroit on April 5 was $3.81 US gallon. First fueling at Woodstock, ON, was $4.90 US gallon (converted from $1.35 litre). The entire trip at Canadian gas prices would have been about $150 more expensive.

Fuel costs for the trip home came to $700. The Coach averaged about 14.5 mpg US gallon (17.5 Cdn gallon).

Camping fees for four night came to $110, which compares with hotel bills of $426 (five nights) on the way to AZ in the fall.

Ready For The Road - April 1

Bottom line: if you drove a more fuel efficient vehicle, what you spend on gas will easily cover your lodging and meals, but then you miss out on the camping adventure. You don't Roadtrek to save money.

The last leg of this trip (670 miles) was definitely the most challenging for this trip due to the distance, and the major cities you pass through (Detroit and Toronto). Fortunately, the weather was good. Cold, but clear and sunny.

The Roadtrek is a truck, so you do feel the road. Roughest roads were between St. Louis and Indianapolis, and then between Napanee, Ontario and home. City with the most traffic and congestion was definitely Toronto.

Answer to the quiz above: lower the antenna. Fortunately, I noticed it. The 5th Wheel lives in AZ, and after I leave someone else has the pleasure of bringing it to covered storage for the summer.