Home, with just under 4000 on the ACE and 1100 miles on the toad.
Average mpg for the V10 pulling the 4200 lb Cherokee Trailhawk, 8.3.
As I said fuel prices for 87 octane regular gas all over, from a high of 4.59 a gallon in Island Park Idaho to just under 3.00 in Iowa. Average was around 3.79 with a surprisingly consistent 3.59 at all the stations in West Yellowstone.
The smoke from the fires this season is the worst we have seen in our travels through the Rocky Mountain States over the years. We thought the smoke was bad during our 2018 trip to Glacier & Yellowstone. No comparison, this year tops all previous trips. We got a first hand look at a fire camp along the Pioneer Mountain byway in Montana. Whatever those firefighters are making, it ain't enough! After battling a blaze all day they return to tents, porta-jons and a shower trailer in the middle of a field. Tough peeps, God Bless um!
After this trip I have concluded before we take the F53 out on the Great Plains again it needs a steering stabilizer! Our travels with this RV have been primarily in the midwest or mid south states. The ACE behaved rather well with a just front end alignment and the CHF. You do get some wind in the midwest but nothing like the relentless 20-30 mph that blows all day across the plains. The constant see sawing the wheel wears a body out!
Final observations; the wife likes to pass the time by counting trucks and RV's. The average of RV's on the road at the same time we traveled was 1 per minute!
And where the hell are all those trucks on the road going? The highways were loaded! Every rest area & truck stop all along I80 & I90 were jammed with trucks. The rail lines that follow the interstates were rolling along with monster size trains as well. I find it hard to figure the economy isn't on the way back with all that commerce on the roads and rails!
4 weeks and 4000 miles on the ACE and no major issues. The Cherokee on the other hand has a camera issue the Active Cruise Control and Forward Crash Control went out as well as the head unit on the radio the GPS took a dump. These issues should be a warranty fix as the Jeep is sitting at 25000 miles.
We will get the house back in order after leaving a 24 year old grandson in charge for a month then off to see fall colors in the upper midwest.
Peace out & safe travels!
Mark
Thor Forums
