Wire Fox
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- Indianapolis, Indiana
Alright folks, I'm planning out the first major trip for my HMMWV and I thought I'd talk about it some here, also wanting to get some advice.
To start, here's the basic trip plan. I've got a week-long event in late-July, early-August that I'm attending with multiple friends. My HMMWV has been tasked to join the convoy out there in order to haul everyone's ludicrous amount of junk they're packing, while most of the group rides out in a little econobox to save fuel and enjoy comforts like air conditioning and not having to wear hearing protection. Knowing that HMMWVs are not the happiest going 60+ MPH, I'm planning on sticking to the U.S. highways and avoiding the interstate highways, except within the city spurs and beltways. For my trip, this most likely means a combination of U.S. 52 and U.S. 50 to get me out there. This distance is approximately 615 miles, end-to-end, so I'm planning for two fuel stops along the way, plus I'll have at least 20 gallons of additional fuel strapped-in that can get me to skirt around an area that has obnoxious fuel prices.
Vehicle condition: I'm currently overhauling the transmission. It's an M998A1 with a 6.5L GEP NA engine, with the pump professionally calibrated to make full use of the 6.5L (instead of a 6.2L detune), and there's a 4L80E transmission on-board to really keep the RPMs down as much as possible to conserve fuel and keep the engine running more in its ideal parameters. The pitman arm was just ID'd as being out-of-tolerance, so that pitman, idler, and all tie rod endlinks are being replaced prior to going back on the road. I intend to change the engine oil within 500 miles prior to departing for the trip. All hubs will be inspected the month prior to the trip for proper tolerance and installation, as well as a full vehicle LO and filter cleaning. Lastly, all fluids will be re-inspected immediately before trip departure. Because of the few mechanical overhauls currently underway, I do intend to take the vehicle on several test trips prior to main departure: lots of short trips around the city, some mid-distance trips down to Cincinnati where my parents live, and ideally some conservative rides at the Haspin Rally to make sure I really did everything right. Oh, I'll add that the coolant system was just overhauled late last year. I replaced all hoses, flushed the system a few times, and there's now fresh coolant in it. The leaks from improper sealing already have showed up, and I've re-tightened things and made fine adjustments until its now all staying where it belongs.
Equipment carried: I keep the standard vehicle tool-kit on-board, including the tools and jack to change out a wheel. I also supplement this with channel lock pliers, assorted quick wire connectors, a small multimeter, some tape, and zip ties. As well, I do carry additional fuel. I'm wanting to add a spare wheel, but haven't gotten that far yet.
Now that I've spilled all that out there, what might you guys recommend? Any specific maintenance areas you think I'm overlooking? Any tools you really think I should drag along? Any areas from Indy to Baltimore that you find have the best/worst fuel prices? Any low-clearance underpasses I may not realize are along U.S. 50? Anything like that would be a big help. Thanks!
To start, here's the basic trip plan. I've got a week-long event in late-July, early-August that I'm attending with multiple friends. My HMMWV has been tasked to join the convoy out there in order to haul everyone's ludicrous amount of junk they're packing, while most of the group rides out in a little econobox to save fuel and enjoy comforts like air conditioning and not having to wear hearing protection. Knowing that HMMWVs are not the happiest going 60+ MPH, I'm planning on sticking to the U.S. highways and avoiding the interstate highways, except within the city spurs and beltways. For my trip, this most likely means a combination of U.S. 52 and U.S. 50 to get me out there. This distance is approximately 615 miles, end-to-end, so I'm planning for two fuel stops along the way, plus I'll have at least 20 gallons of additional fuel strapped-in that can get me to skirt around an area that has obnoxious fuel prices.
Vehicle condition: I'm currently overhauling the transmission. It's an M998A1 with a 6.5L GEP NA engine, with the pump professionally calibrated to make full use of the 6.5L (instead of a 6.2L detune), and there's a 4L80E transmission on-board to really keep the RPMs down as much as possible to conserve fuel and keep the engine running more in its ideal parameters. The pitman arm was just ID'd as being out-of-tolerance, so that pitman, idler, and all tie rod endlinks are being replaced prior to going back on the road. I intend to change the engine oil within 500 miles prior to departing for the trip. All hubs will be inspected the month prior to the trip for proper tolerance and installation, as well as a full vehicle LO and filter cleaning. Lastly, all fluids will be re-inspected immediately before trip departure. Because of the few mechanical overhauls currently underway, I do intend to take the vehicle on several test trips prior to main departure: lots of short trips around the city, some mid-distance trips down to Cincinnati where my parents live, and ideally some conservative rides at the Haspin Rally to make sure I really did everything right. Oh, I'll add that the coolant system was just overhauled late last year. I replaced all hoses, flushed the system a few times, and there's now fresh coolant in it. The leaks from improper sealing already have showed up, and I've re-tightened things and made fine adjustments until its now all staying where it belongs.
Equipment carried: I keep the standard vehicle tool-kit on-board, including the tools and jack to change out a wheel. I also supplement this with channel lock pliers, assorted quick wire connectors, a small multimeter, some tape, and zip ties. As well, I do carry additional fuel. I'm wanting to add a spare wheel, but haven't gotten that far yet.
Now that I've spilled all that out there, what might you guys recommend? Any specific maintenance areas you think I'm overlooking? Any tools you really think I should drag along? Any areas from Indy to Baltimore that you find have the best/worst fuel prices? Any low-clearance underpasses I may not realize are along U.S. 50? Anything like that would be a big help. Thanks!
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