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Old 09-12-2017, 09:07 PM   #1
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On our way to Cody, WY and Denver, CO

My wife and I left out home today in Palmyra, VA (30 min SE of Charlottesville) on our trip to Cody, WY and Denver, CO. We're driving our new 2017 Quantum RS26, but left a week late due to delays in getting warranty issues addressed. Not the dealer's fault, just delays in getting approvals from Thor for some major issues, such as a roof repair. Regardless, we're on the road now and having great time. The RV has been modified suspension-wise with Helwig HD sway bars F/R, Bilstein shocks F/R, Bilstein steering stabilizer, and Super Steer track bar on the rear. I originally had also installed Timbrin bump stops F/R but found the rear ones were eliminating all compliance in the rear suspension. I just had them replaced with the original bump stops but kept the front ones. The result was as close to perfect as I can describe. The suspension on even the roughest parts of I-64 West was very manageable, and on average to superb roads the ride was superb. A vast improvement over the trip we took last month to Lake Ontario on I-81.

We covered exactly 300 miles today in about 7 hours, ending up in Milton, WV at the Huntington (Fox Fire) KOA just off I-64. The unit got over 9 mpg on the mountains (a lot of very steep grades) and was not bothered a bit by either the 18 wheelers going past at high speed, or the brisk cross winds.

The Huntington KOA is a very nice place to stay. It has a private swimming lake, that it shares with Fox Fire Resort. The rest rooms and shower rooms are clean, well appointed and well designed. There is a lot of space between slots. Hook ups are well maintained with WiFi and cable.

I'm pushing our route as far north tomorrow as I can without driving out of my way. Our goal is to get on I-80 as soon as possible. We're shooting for Crawfordsville, IN tomorrow, about 352 miles away, just the other side of Indianapolis. We'll pick up I-80 at the end of Thursday (day 3) and stay the night in Iowa City, IA.

I'll keep posting our progress and reporting on the KOAs we stay at along the way.

Keith

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Old 09-12-2017, 09:46 PM   #2
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[QUOTE=keith herrington;8798. Not the dealer's fault, just delays in getting approvals from Thor for some major issues

Next time check with Thor directly as "waiting on approval" or "waiting on parts" are typically dealerships most used excuses for "no, we haven't done anything".
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Old 09-12-2017, 09:56 PM   #3
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I-80 in Nebraska will put it to the test ! Enjoy your trip...you have lots to see !
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Old 09-14-2017, 12:03 AM   #4
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Just finished Day 2 of our trip.

We left the Fox Fire KOA in Milton, WV at about 9AM this morning on our way west. We took I-64 West all the way to Lexington, KY and the road conditions were superb. The road was in excellent condition the entire way with only a few patches of rough pavement. At Lexington we picked up I-75 North to Cincinnati, OH where we picked up I-275 West, the beltway around the city. I-75 was not nearly as smooth as I-64, and had a lot of construction where they are widening the road and adding more lanes. Similarly, I-275 is rough as a cob and in a few areas under construction as well. On both roads where the pavement got a little obnoxious, the revised suspension on the RV made the trip pretty comfortable nonetheless. We picked up I-74 West off the beltway and headed for Indianapolis. We found it generally in good condition with only a few exceptions. At Indianapolis we took I-465 (the beltway) around to I-74 and picked up our route West. We ended up in the Crawfordsville KOA, 1.5 miles south of Exit 34. As on Day 1 we gased up at the end of the day logging 390 miles at 9 mpg.

The Crawfordville KOA is several steps below the Fox Fire KOA we left just this morning. While the have 30/50 amp power and water hookup, and have a solid WiFi setup, they don't have cable. No big deal except we didn't get any antenna reception for the TV either. They have a nice pool next to the office, but the store is very limited. Having said that they did have Parmesan cheese for our Bertolli's Italian dinner. Go figure.

The park itself is well laid out with 50 pull throughs and 7 back in sights. All the roadways are gravel and it looks a bit seedy, but the shower rooms are nice enough and kept pretty clean.

My Quantum RS26 continues to impress. We already feel at home in it and for now are very satisfied with our purchase. Tomorrow we head West on I-74 for Iowa City, IA, about a 315 mile journey.

We got a sobering bit of news concerning the weather in Cody, WY. We intend to arrive next Tuesday, but this Thursday - Saturday the first snow storm of the season is coming out of Alaska and will dump 4-8" on the higher elevations. So going over any pass higher than 9000 feet is out. We've had to adjust our route, ditch a few stops such as Mount Rushmore and plan on coming in from the South from Cheyenne, WY. The route from there to Cody is no more than 4000-5000 feet at the highest. I've left messages with the Wyoming Highway Patrol to call me about route conditions but after two days still no call back.

Keith
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Old 09-15-2017, 01:36 AM   #5
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End of day 3 and we're half way to Cody, WY

We left the KOA in Crawfordsville, IN this morning at 1000 and arrived at the Sleepy Hollow RV park just west of Iowa City, IA (Exit 230 on I-80). The route we took was I-74 West to Davenport, IL where we picked up I-80 West. We covered 388 miles, pulling into the park a little before 5PM. The park is right off of I-80, but there are no services. We had to drive 3 miles to Oxford, IA for gas. Sleepy Hollow is a nice, basic RV park, with a combination of 66 full service pull through slots, some with 50 amp service and 43 back in slots with 30 amp service and water, but no dump facility. However, there is a dump station nearby.

Road conditions for today's trip were a mix of fantastic to pretty bad. I-74 in particular between Crawfordsville and the IL state line was very poorly maintained with pavement seams every 15 - 20 feet. They weren't bad enough to rattle the RV but the rhythm of the seams through the suspension was really irritating after a while. As we traveled west things got better with more and more sections of new or well maintained asphalt. There was a lot of construction on I-74, but that ended near Galesburg.

I had been warned that I-80 was pretty rough. We did not find that to be the case, at least on the 76 miles of it we drove today. Very, very smooth for the most part with only a few rough patches. However, I got a whole new level of education in how to drive in heavy traffic, especially heavy truck traffic going a lot faster than I was.

As before we found our pace of 60-65 to be our RV's sweet spot. As a result we averaged better than 9.1mpg today.

Tomorrow's a short day to Des Moines to visit family.

Keith
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Old 09-15-2017, 04:03 PM   #6
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Enjoy your trip...I-80 in Nebraska is like a washboard...each seam in concrete is a bump...ya get used to it after a while.....it is what it is....
in Iowa...it is close to perfect....
Wyoming...a little rough ...
We have family in Denver...they are to get snow in the mountains this weekend....
Too bad you are not doing Mt. Rushmore etc...

safe travels
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Old 09-15-2017, 05:51 PM   #7
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Thanks

Keith,

Love your journal!!!

I look forward to reports of your travels. Also, thanks for the reports on your RV. We are always glad to hear people using/having fun in their RV and not complaining all the time.

I look forward to the next exciting chapter......
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Old 09-16-2017, 02:35 AM   #8
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Keith, we were on I-74 in June. The road has more rough than smooth. while on the way back, I noticed that the tow dolly was all over the place hitting the expansion joints. Some were bad enough to bounce one wheel of the dolly 3 ft off the road. Wasn't too bad when going up, as we had the dolly loaded.
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Old 09-16-2017, 03:20 AM   #9
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Keith,

Love your journal!!!

I look forward to reports of your travels. Also, thanks for the reports on your RV. We are always glad to hear people using/having fun in their RV and not complaining all the time.

I look forward to the next exciting chapter......


Agreed, these journal reports are very helpful for future planning. Thank you much!
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Old 09-17-2017, 12:11 AM   #10
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End of Day 5 and were in the middle of Nebraska

Yesterday morning we started just east of Iowa City, IA, leaving the Sleepy Hollow RV park at about 9AM. It was a short day of only about 150 miles since we had a long visit with my Brother-in-Law, a Des Moines City police sergeant. I-80 to Des Moines was very nice with only a few rough spots, but the road really started to deteriorate around Des Moines. This is a pattern we've seen throughout the trip, interstates near and around cities are in a very sad state of repair. While there is a lot of construction as well, the state of the highways near cities is a real problem.

Today, we left Des Moines at about 9AM again but had to repair a bad bulb in one of our tail lights. Getting the lens off our Quantum was a real pain in the @$$. The factory had over torqued all the screws, and in fact snapped one of them in two. I checked into a local RV store in Bevington, IA, just off of I-35 at exit 56. The parts manager was very helpful and got me squared away with a replacement bulb and several extras. He also gave me some extra screws to replace the ones the factory had abused. Based on my experience with the rear light I'm ordering some replacement lenses with the intent of removing both and making sure each can be easily removed and serviced in the future.

We got out of Bevington at 1030AM and got to our evening destination at the Grand Island KOA at exit 318 at 430PM. Over the two days we traveled a total of 383 miles, averaging 8.4mpg. The lower mpg is due entirely to the very stiff cross and head winds we faced today between Des Moines and Grand Island. It ranged between 15-25 mph with its gusts rivaling anything an 18 wheeler could do to my RV.

As before I-80 was a very nice ride with only a few rough patches, especially around Ohama where the highway deteriorated sharply. Some of these areas required me to slow to 50-55mph to negotiate them safely.

The Grand Island KOA is the best RV park we've stayed at so far. It is superb in its layout, its services (it even has a pizza pub that delivers to your camp site), and full hookups to include WiFi and cable.

Cheyenne, WY is tomorrow's destination with a goal of arriving in Cody, WY by Monday evening.

More to come.

Keith
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Old 09-17-2017, 01:22 AM   #11
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Keith - sounds like you're really enjoying the journey. Nice - we enjoy reading the logs. Thanks
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Old 09-17-2017, 11:36 PM   #12
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Our trip to Cheyenne was white-knuckle thrill ride

Pam and I left the Grand Island KOA this morning at 8AM with the intent of having a really nice drive to Cheyenne, WY. Oh, did we get a lesson on how plans can change. Starting off at 8AM, there was no wind and the pavement was glass smooth. As we progressed across Nebraska, the pavement stayed good with only very few choppy sections of pavement. The worst in Nebraska this morning was a section with breaks every 12-15 feet. At 60 mph it set up a pogo stick action that got real annoying real quick. Fortunately it lasted only a few miles. I-80 continued to impress as we traveled West. Very few rough spot, with the vast majority so smooth it felt we were in a vehicle with air suspension. When rough it was most likely at or near overpasses. For some reason the transitions to the overpass pavement was almost never very smooth.

At the I-76 split (exit 182) all that changed. As we got there the wind began to pick up. At the same time I-80 turned into a two land road with only some reflectors between the two lanes. The wind picked up to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph or so, coming from the Southeast. The oncoming 18 wheelers passing at better than 65-70 mph, with me going 55-60 mph, and the cross wind caused the ride to quickly deteriorate. I was countersteering left to counter the wind, and as the 18 wheelers passed at speed, their bow wave had the tendency to suck me towards them at the same time they blocked the wind. I had to time my steering so that when they passed I didn't steer right into them. My wife was VERY nervous while all this was going on. The two lane road lasted for 5 miles, then 9 miles then 11 miles in three distinct sections were they had torn up one set of lanes and replaced them with new concrete roadway. I've never seen anything like this in all my travels. These sections were spread throughout the trip from the I-76 split and Cheyenne. As we approached Cheyenne at about 3PM, the wind began to ease and since the trucks were not passing within a few feet of us, the ride was much more relaxed.

We arrived at the Cheyenne (Journey) KOA (exit 367) at about 4PM. It's a rather stark place to stay, fully graveled, completely level, with full hookups at each lot. The WiFi has a good quality signal as does the cable. The rules for noise and outside activity are very specific. No noise from 10PM to 7AM.

Our miles traveled today was about 362, and our mileage at fillup was 8.4 mpg. So far the vehicle has burned zero oil and continues to hum right along. The suspension changes I made continue to impress me. The vehicle is a delight to drive. I'm convinced that if I had not put in the HD sway bars and track bar, I would not have been able to drive in today's conditions.

Tomorrow, we head for Cody, WY, about 392 miles away. The first part of the trip, to Casper, WY is all on I-25, about 178 miles away. The rest of the trip is on US 20 to Thermopolis, and WY 120 to Cody.

More later.

Keith
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Old 09-17-2017, 11:47 PM   #13
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Careful out there - that suck and push is brutal. We've hit winds and cross winds so bad that we pulled off early for the day and said there is tomorrow.

Again, be careful. We enjoy the updates.
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Old 09-17-2017, 11:48 PM   #14
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Careful out there - that suck and push is brutal. We've hit winds and cross winds so bad that we pulled off early for the day and said there is tomorrow.

Again, be careful. We enjoy the updates.
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Old 09-18-2017, 12:39 AM   #15
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Keith, Not sure if you tried this. When I had my Class C. I would be cruising down the expressway while watching semi's out my mirror with me in the right lane, as soon as the front bumper of the semi was equal distance as my rear bumper I would let off the gas and let him pass. Stopped a lot of turbulence.
......Great Blog! Safe Travels. Rev.
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Old 09-18-2017, 01:05 AM   #16
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Keith, Not sure if you tried this. When I had my Class C. I would be cruising down the expressway while watching semi's out my mirror with me in the right lane, as soon as the front bumper of the semi was equal distance as my rear bumper I would let off the gas and let him pass. Stopped a lot of turbulence.
......Great Blog! Safe Travels. Rev.
Yes, I do the same. But in this particular case they were going the opposite direction only a few feet away. The highway was down to two lanes only separated by only a few reflectors. Granted, it was for limited periods of time but those minutes seemed like hours to my wife and I.
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Old 09-19-2017, 02:12 AM   #17
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End of Day 7 and we arrived in Cody, WY in one piece

We left the Cheyenne (Journey) KOA before 7AM this morning and were faced with perfect driving conditions. The wind was essentially zero and the pavement on I-25 was for the most part very smooth. There were a few rough spots but nothing the RV didn't handle with great comfort. Cheyenne's altitude is 6062' and we had a steady climb out of town north. All of a sudden I heard a very slight knocking from the engine on any incline where my engine speed was near 2000 rpm. When the engine kicked down to 5th gear and the engine speed increased to 2500 rpm the knock disappeared. I remembered that when I filled up the night before I had used 85 octane Regular rather than the higher performance 88 octane that was available. Up to that time I'd been regularly using 87 octane throughout the trip. Since the higher engine speed seemed to nullify the knock I just increased my vehicle speed to 70mph which kept me at 2500rpm. When I needed to climb a grade (which was often) the trans would kick down to fifth and the rpm would go to 3000rpm, with no knock. I kept this up for the first 178 miles when I reached Casper, WY where I filled up with 91 octane fuel. After that the knock disappeared entirely. Lesson learned. My wife, ever helpful, got the owners manual and read the part on what fuel I should be using. Yup, according to the manual, only 87 and higher. And no octane boosters were allowed.

I-25 was a quality road throughout with one exception - wind. At certain points along the route the cross winds were extremely strong, anywhere between 15 and 25 mph. Later on I checked with locals and was told that is nothing but a strong breeze. Apparently, the Cheyenne area is the windiest in the entire US. Locals don't get concerned until it reaches 50mph.

At Casper we got off I-25 and joined US 20/26 towards Shoshoni, where US 20 splits off from 26. We proceeded on US 20 towards Thermopolis where we joined Wyoming Highway 120 towards Cody. Throughout its length, US 20 was a delight. It was every bit as wide as an interstate and was every bit as smooth. I has been beautifully maintained. The last 15 miles of US 20 before Thermopolis (after Boysen Dam) was one of the most magnificent drives I've ever been on. The canyon where the Big Horn River runs north below the dam is stunning.

Leaving Thermopolis, Hwy 120 was similarly very well maintained, but the wind was picking up and it made the remaining drive a bit more challenging. But the wind was mostly from the SE, and mostly a tailwind.

We got into Cody at 3:30PM, pretty much on schedule and got settled at the Ponderosa Campground. This campground is very nicely laid out, with full hookups and $45 a night with military discount. We're leaving on Thursday, the 21st and the total was $147.15. Can't argue with that.

Keith
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Old 09-22-2017, 01:58 AM   #18
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Our time in Cody is done, and it was great!

We arrived in Cody on Monday and stayed through Thursday morning. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot about living in an RV in windy conditions. The locals laughed at us saying it was only a "stiff breeze", but 25+mph winds at night can get your attention. I won't bore you with a description of the return trip to Cheyenne since we used the same route just in reverse. However, the winds today were from the South and Southeast which provided a stiff headwind for us to contend with. As a result the RV stayed in 5th gear much more than on our trip a few days before. The bottom line was an all time low gas mileage for this leg of the trip of 8.2mpg.

Also of note was the very slight knock I picked up on inclines when the engine speed dropped to between 2000 and 2200rpm. I had filled up with 88 octane Exxon the day we arrived in Cody, but apparently that was not good enough. So half way through the day I filled up with 91 octane. Problem solved. I think talking with my Ford mechanic is the next step. The manual says a slight knock is not a concern, but no knock is always better.

Again we're staying at the Cheyenne (Journey) KOA at Exit 367 of I-80. Tomorrow, we make a short run down I-25 to Denver to visit friends. It's only about 100 miles or so so tomorrow's update will be similarly short.

Keith
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Old 09-22-2017, 02:12 AM   #19
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Keith, Myself being from the midwest never encounteted the type of windy conditions we faced in Wyoming. At one point we had to pullover in a rest area for the night signs over the roads said 60 mph cross winds. The Ford logo on my steering wheel was vertical while driving for 2 days. NM and OK were windy also. Sounds like you're having great adventures. Be safe!
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Old 09-22-2017, 02:18 AM   #20
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Keith - again great update. I offer up to you that maybe the knock comes with the altitude you were at in the mountains. It really can effect diesels or gassers.

Enjoy the updates.
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