64c30
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- Spanaway WA
On April 27th, I bought an M814 (same as an M813 but with a 20 ft bed) and M105a2 trailer on an ebay listing from a fella in Ohio near Columbus.
Because of work, I wasn't able to get it, and it had to be picked up by May 26th, as Dan, the seller, was moving to Virginia, and the vehicles needed to be gone a few days before then.
Soooooo, yours truly contacted a member of my Mil Veh Club (Puget Sound Military Vehicle Collectors Club, aka PSMVCC) that lives in Ohio near Columbus, and asked if he could find some place to store it until I could get there.
After a couple days, he called and said he found a place to put it about a mile from his house near Ostrander, and it'd be just fine until my arrival.
Dan drove the truck and trailer from Springfield to near Ostrander around the 30th or so.
Along about April 20th or so, work slowed enough for me to book a flight to Columbus, arriving on the 28th.
A couple days before departing, the boss calls and asked if I could delay the trip as we needed to be on the jobsiteon June 1st. It couldn't be done as the ticket was non refundable or changed without a sizeable payment though I said I'd get back as soon as possible. The race was on !!!
I left Seattle Tacoma International at 0830 for Houston, then caught a connecting flight for Columbus OH, arriving at 2020 the same day.
After a night at Ians, we got to the truck at about 0830 Eastern time.
We put it over the shops grease pit to check it over, and did some light maint, PM and pulled out at around noon after working up to Interstate 90. I never really wanted the trailer, so it was offered to Mike, the owner of the lot where it was stored, and he bought it.
That leg of the trip got us (My better halfs Brother in Law Jim came along) to Portage WI, where we stopped for a few winks.
From Portage we got as far as Rapid City SD, about 830 miles before bagging it for the night.
I lived and worked in the Rapid City area for 7 years, so a little visiting was in order, but just an hour or so coupled with a steer tire rotation at the Windmill truck stop.
From there, we got off I90 and ran SR 34 to Belle Fourche SD, and US 2122 from Belle, 20 mi through the upper NE corner of Wyoming, through Ashland and Lame Deer Montana, and getting back on I 90 at Crow Agency, about a mile from the Custer Battlefield. No, we didn't get to see due to having to get back ASAP.
From there we made it to Bonner MT (just a few miles east of Missoula)for the night. Before Bonner, we hit heavy rain snow mix, and is why I decided Bonner was far enough, as I was tired and didn't waant to deal with possible bad weather and road conditions on Lookout (Montana - Idaho border) and Fourth of July Passes (about mid way in Idaho) as I've seen it snow on both in early spring while running long haul with a Peterbilt and Kenworth pulling flatbeds and step decks.
We stopped at Spokane for fuel, and while there, I turned the phone on (It was turned off to save the battery as there was no way to rcharge it during the trip.) to check messages.
Lo and behold, there was one from the boss saying the job that was so important to be at on Tuesday had been delayed, and I could take my time gatting back. Just dandy, huh?
We got back to the house near Puyallup at about 1700, on Tuesday the 1st.
Other than being intense, and a bit boring, it was rather uneventful.
There were a couple of scares though nothing major. The first was a bad front alignment, hence the tire rotation in Rapid City. Then the massive oil leak that was thought to be a blown transmission or transfer seal (Oh Groan!!) that turned out to be an oil jug with a loose cap that fell over in the tool box leaving a big puddle on the tire shop floor.
I'm here to tell all of you that 2,600 miles plus is not something you want to do in about 3 1/2 days, no matter your age. (I'm almost 55.) It was an adventure to say the least. I got lucky, not ending up broke down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, possibly after dark, on a Labor Day weekend.
Because of work, I wasn't able to get it, and it had to be picked up by May 26th, as Dan, the seller, was moving to Virginia, and the vehicles needed to be gone a few days before then.
Soooooo, yours truly contacted a member of my Mil Veh Club (Puget Sound Military Vehicle Collectors Club, aka PSMVCC) that lives in Ohio near Columbus, and asked if he could find some place to store it until I could get there.
After a couple days, he called and said he found a place to put it about a mile from his house near Ostrander, and it'd be just fine until my arrival.
Dan drove the truck and trailer from Springfield to near Ostrander around the 30th or so.
Along about April 20th or so, work slowed enough for me to book a flight to Columbus, arriving on the 28th.
A couple days before departing, the boss calls and asked if I could delay the trip as we needed to be on the jobsiteon June 1st. It couldn't be done as the ticket was non refundable or changed without a sizeable payment though I said I'd get back as soon as possible. The race was on !!!
I left Seattle Tacoma International at 0830 for Houston, then caught a connecting flight for Columbus OH, arriving at 2020 the same day.
After a night at Ians, we got to the truck at about 0830 Eastern time.
We put it over the shops grease pit to check it over, and did some light maint, PM and pulled out at around noon after working up to Interstate 90. I never really wanted the trailer, so it was offered to Mike, the owner of the lot where it was stored, and he bought it.
That leg of the trip got us (My better halfs Brother in Law Jim came along) to Portage WI, where we stopped for a few winks.
From Portage we got as far as Rapid City SD, about 830 miles before bagging it for the night.
I lived and worked in the Rapid City area for 7 years, so a little visiting was in order, but just an hour or so coupled with a steer tire rotation at the Windmill truck stop.
From there, we got off I90 and ran SR 34 to Belle Fourche SD, and US 2122 from Belle, 20 mi through the upper NE corner of Wyoming, through Ashland and Lame Deer Montana, and getting back on I 90 at Crow Agency, about a mile from the Custer Battlefield. No, we didn't get to see due to having to get back ASAP.
From there we made it to Bonner MT (just a few miles east of Missoula)for the night. Before Bonner, we hit heavy rain snow mix, and is why I decided Bonner was far enough, as I was tired and didn't waant to deal with possible bad weather and road conditions on Lookout (Montana - Idaho border) and Fourth of July Passes (about mid way in Idaho) as I've seen it snow on both in early spring while running long haul with a Peterbilt and Kenworth pulling flatbeds and step decks.
We stopped at Spokane for fuel, and while there, I turned the phone on (It was turned off to save the battery as there was no way to rcharge it during the trip.) to check messages.
Lo and behold, there was one from the boss saying the job that was so important to be at on Tuesday had been delayed, and I could take my time gatting back. Just dandy, huh?
We got back to the house near Puyallup at about 1700, on Tuesday the 1st.
Other than being intense, and a bit boring, it was rather uneventful.
There were a couple of scares though nothing major. The first was a bad front alignment, hence the tire rotation in Rapid City. Then the massive oil leak that was thought to be a blown transmission or transfer seal (Oh Groan!!) that turned out to be an oil jug with a loose cap that fell over in the tool box leaving a big puddle on the tire shop floor.
I'm here to tell all of you that 2,600 miles plus is not something you want to do in about 3 1/2 days, no matter your age. (I'm almost 55.) It was an adventure to say the least. I got lucky, not ending up broke down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, possibly after dark, on a Labor Day weekend.
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