Road Warriors Live

I am in the final planning stages of the trip now. Since I will be traveling solo on this trip I am over planning a little on this one. Even though I am looking forward to this trip I am a little nervous. I am surprised on how much I have come to rely on my co-pilot (Jen) on these trips. As I sit here planning I guess I never realized how much she takes care of and I never even have to think about it. So in a very public way I just want to say thanks.

I spent the weekend installing some new electronics in the RV.  It has been on my to do list for almost a year so it’s a huge weight off my shoulders getting it done.

Some of the new stuff that went in are a new Pioneer Avic-d3 stereo/GPS/XM Radio.  This thing does everything except bring you a cup of coffee in the morning and should eliminate a bunch of lighter plug ins in the coach.  It was starting to get really bad and getting rid of all the individual pieces was a necessary. 

I was also able to install my HF Radio and CB Radio.  We found out last year that cell phone coverage is pretty good across the country but very spotty in the Rocky mountains and out west.  Being able to call for help in case of an emergency is important to me when traveling with my family.  It also helps keep me awake on the long drives.  I have a Amateur Radio license so it gives me even more people to talk to when the drive gets boring.  After a short test when driving the RV back to storage let me know everything is up and running great.

Last but not least is the Scan Gauge I installed.  This little display hooks directly to your vehicles computer and lets you know what all the gauges are reading.  Another necessity as far as I am concerned.  The big plus for it is that it will tell you what you gas mileage is as you drive down the road.   With the price of gas now over $4.50 a gallon it should pay for itself in one trip.  In just the short trip back to storage I was able to adjust the way I was driving and increase my MPG.  I will show some live shots once we are on the road.  I will also drop in some links to the equipment I installed so you can check it out yourself.

On the way back to storage I went a head and filled up the tank (as much as they would let me).  I figured there will be another price hike just before the weekend so it’s almost like getting it on sale .  My question to everyone is how high do you think the prices will go?  This is really starting to get out of hand.  I heard a news report this morning that the oil companies are making over 2 billion dollars A WEEK in PROFITS.  Now I don’t have a problem with them making money but it really seems like there is some price fixing going on.

Below is a map of the final route I will be taking on this trip.  I you have any suggestions or something I should not miss along the way I am all ears.

View Larger Map

I have also posted an article on the Coca Cola 600.  Feel free to rate it and leave your comments.  

Stay tuned for more updates.  I will be testing the new tech stuff today and tomorrow so keep a eye on the site for a sneak peek.

Steve