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Started by Howdy, October 30, 2017, 01:58:20 PM

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Howdy

The miles continued to roll by, the van and boat looked like I had attended a mud-fest event dragging the boat through the bogs and I was still a-hoping to make it in time for the tour.  The 316 miles between El Paso and Tucson were a barrier to overcome but I had suffered setbacks and overcame them so far and I still had hope.  Getting close I could see the tails of many aircraft in the distance.  Signs directed me to the Pima Air & Space museum and my excitement continued to grow, I found parking easy – walked into the building and found exhibits promising the fulfillment of the dream of years.  The time was 3:20 when I pleaded my case to the front desk.  I was directed to a telephone number of the reservations people.  I called and got a recording.  It was not looking good.  I paid admission to tour the museum so at least it would not be a wasted visit.  After a while I called again and this time got a real person who seemed to have understanding but explained the last tour of the day left at 2 PM.  The next day was Friday but the government was taking the day off due to Veterans Day being on Saturday.  There would not be any chance to visit the boneyard.  My disappointment was so deep I could feel it as if it was a solid object I could not carry.  I knew there would be little chance but at least it was a chance until I heard the facts.  I was too late by about 90 minutes even if there was room for that tour and they would alter my reservation.  There were many airplanes to see at the museum but my heart was not into it.  I left to continue my journey. 

All was not lost however.  My wife called and mentioned when I return she will let me know where she has moved to.

Howdy

Banjo Picker, I picked up the boat just south of Huntsville AL. so not far from you.  I would so love to have the time to visit all the folks that make this forum family such a wonderful place to visit.  Meeting some of you at the Pig Roast's is a treat but it allows so little time to really get to know one another. I support regional gatherings and encourage y'all to find a way to share the blessings.   Thanks for the kind words about my sharing.

Grizzly, Welcome to the wonderful world of trying to make a buck (or at least not lose your shirt) via UShip.  I got involved with traveling thanks to LogRite, makes of Professional Tools built for life, sponsoring my coming across the states on a train to attend my first Pig Roast a couple of years ago.  The next time I attended I found a way to have UShip provide most of the expenses.  While I will never make any money on the road through UShip, I do have adventures and satisfy my craving for road trips.  Sounds like you done real good with your first exposure.  Getting the first few trips and reviews in is the hardest part.  After that you have some "experience" and folks are more trusting of your abilities to move their stuff.  Good luck and please do write us with your own stories. 

Howdy

So let's recap...
The flight to Atlanta was good even though I missed my plane.  Picking up the van was successful even though it needed the addition of a new trailer hitch.  Finding the boat gave me a chance to experience cuisines of the South and see a beautiful part of the country and I only lost a day waiting for the payment to be delivered to drive away with the boat.  I got to visit a friend and attend church where I was pointed out from the pulpit by a friendly church.  I arrived to load the motorcycle and had to stay overnight waiting for the dealership to open and then spent hours building a rack inside the van to keep the bike safe.  I bypassed everything I wanted to see in Dallas to save time.  I took a shortcut that proved to be a real pain and got me lost.  Visiting the Carlsbad Caverns was wonderful.  I drove like a madman (at 60 miles and hour) to get to the Air Museum tour and missed it anyway.  My wife tried to burn down the house when she left something cooking on the stove by mistake and upon returning home she was greeted by several fire trucks in my driveway, a host of firemen wandering throughout the house opening doors and windows to release the smoke.  The fire department was alerted by a neighbor after hearing the smoke alarms going off.  No damage but why does this kind of thing happen after just purchasing the house we have lived in for more than 25 years?  I really don't want a new kitchen anyway. 

So back on the road I just wanted to get home and all the sightseeing planed for the California coast was tossed out in favor of delivering the boat sooner.  I drove all the rest of the day and got to the bay area just after sunset where the boats owner was happy to accept it into his family.  It was a delight to see the folks checking out and playing with the boat sitting in their yard.  Plans for fishing trips were already flowing and I was a happy camper again having completed another delivery.  I had originally planed on visiting San Francisco after the boat delivery but figured home was just up the road about 12 hours so I headed North.  As a special treat I headed to the Jelly Belly Jelly Bean factory where I toured the plant and purchased several packages of candy for my wife.  It's the little things that make a person happy and remembering the wonderful woman who has blessed me for more than 37 years is a small enough task. 

Next stop was the rest stop just North of the California-Oregon state line where I spent the night snug and warm.  An early start allowed me to get home Sunday morning, clean up the van of my stuff, fall on my face exiting the van with an arm load of bedding, and take a welcome nap.  I unloaded the motorcycle into the back of a buddies pickup and delivered the van to it's new owner.  The next day I took the bike to the dealership and met up with my friend there.  The trip was done and while these trips never go as planed I am blessed to have the support of my family and the time to go out on the road.  I don't make any money and sometimes fail to break even but I do get to see the country, meet interesting people, and have some fun in the process.

coxy

Howdy sorry you missed some  things you really  wanted to see  but sounds like you had a good time anyway  and your home safe that's the important thing  8)

Magicman

PatD and I were honored to be a small diversion during your well organized and disorganized trip across this USA.  Yes, you missed a few items on your checklist, but to us your visit with us was the "bestest" part.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Darrel

The jelly belly factory is cool! Who would of thunk it takes two weeks to make a jellybean?
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

samandothers

Howdy

Great story!  I enjoy reading about your trips.  Sorry for your misfortunes but glad you are safely home.  You had some fun and created some great stories.

I look forward to your next adventure!  ;D

starmac

A little tidbit for those of you that like traveling. I do not know how one goes about getting into this, but when I was running the highway back and forth between Alaska and the lower 48, I met several different people that would drive up new motorhomes pulling a travel trailer, deliver them to the dealer and fly back. That was my favorite all time run and I have been over most of the US and a lot of Canada, but it isn't for everybody, many truckers I have met didn't like the distance between towns or the lack of traffic. lol
I do not know, but I would imagine there is other destinations that you can do the same thing to. I met one semi retired couple that would bring 2 at a time up, and claimed even with the plane tickets back, it paid them pretty good.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

muggs

HI Howdy, enjoy your stories. I also share your lust for travel and adventure. Here is what I did. I started a moving business, everyone frowns when I say that. I only did the fun part. I would drop off a fifth wheel enclosed trailer at their house, they loaded it and called when they finished. Then I drove it to the destination. Only long distance. Once there they had 24 hours to unload, I went and looked around the area. I set up a solar kiln on my brothers property in OK. Bought lumber from the nearby mills, dried it. Planed it. Loaded up the trailer. Headed home.Worked out well, I have been all over the country. Seen a lot. You can stop at the truck stops and sleep in the trailer. Any questions, just ask.     Muggs    8)

Grizzly

How did you advertise that service muggs? I've thought of that different times after my brother found a guy like that years ago. Brother wasn't sure how he found the guy so couldn't tell me where to go. I can drive but I can't do any other part.
2011 - Logmaster LM-2 / Chinese wheel loader
Jonsered saws - 2149 - 111S - 90?
2000 Miners 3-31 Board Edger

starmac

Check your insurance as far as moving house hold goods. I know right at the top of my 48 state authority, it states no household goods, and unless it is crated my insurance will not cover it, period.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Grizzly

The household goods is only an issue if I go cross-border. Otherwise I don't need my USA authority and Canadian laws are more friendly for that work and insurance. But if I want to go cross-border i'll have to add it to my authority. mine is like yours.
2011 - Logmaster LM-2 / Chinese wheel loader
Jonsered saws - 2149 - 111S - 90?
2000 Miners 3-31 Board Edger

starmac

Gotcha. Have you ever checked into what it pays to pull the new fifth wheels and even bumper pull trailers out of the Indiana area to various destinations in Canada?  I am asking because I had a friend that pulled them into BC with his semi, and made a living for a while.  I doubt he got rich, but we never do anyway.
I think most times he would go to Prince George.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

muggs

Quote from: Grizzly on November 22, 2017, 03:19:08 PM
How did you advertise that service muggs? I've thought of that different times after my brother found a guy like that years ago. Brother wasn't sure how he found the guy so couldn't tell me where to go. I can drive but I can't do any other part.
I would go around to garage sales, a lot of people having garage sales are moving. I would also watch Craiglist for moving sales, ask where they were moving to and send them a quote. Some business came from word of mouth. I got all the business I wanted, I did not want to do it full time, after all I was in the lumber business, now in the motor business.

Grizzly

I pulled rv's from Indiana to western Canada last winter. It paid expenses and left me a little coffee money but not much more. I'm not of those that can crawl into a backseat bed and sleep without causing this old body issues and I don't sleep in low end hotels so my sleeping bill was a little higher than some guys but still below my fuel bill. Meals were cheap cause I'd pack most of it from home. My rv truck is now for sale and hopefully I get it gone quick. Is the exchange rate good enough? I'll post it in for sale. The mileage rate for a tow/haul or pulling a haul trailer is enough better that it pays to go that route. tow rates are improving simply because more and more of these big units can't be hauled and they don't have enough pickups towing to keep up.

muggs - I never thought of that. I'm going to watch a little and see if there's an opportunity.
2011 - Logmaster LM-2 / Chinese wheel loader
Jonsered saws - 2149 - 111S - 90?
2000 Miners 3-31 Board Edger

starmac

Grizzly, were you pulling direct, or running through a company or a broker. The reason I ask, is the guy I knew that was pulling them used his big rig, he had to outfit it with full fenders and electric brakes, but had the big house to sleep in. He even had a shop build him a colllapsable boom and bought another truck that he had a hired driver on, and would tow that one back empty. I can't say if he was actually making money or doing like lots of truckers do, which is lose money and try to make up for it with volume.

I have thought about looking into it, my international with a Detroit gets 11.25 mpg running Canadian speed limits, bobtailing, would probably get around 9 pulling the larger fifth wheels. I would think if I eliminated one rear and geared for them, I could do a little better. I do not think I would want to do it with a pickup at all.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

muggs

I pulled my trailer with a Ford F-450 flatbed with a 460 CI engine. I averaged 7 MPG. When gas got near $4.00 a gal. that kind of did it for me. My truck had 390 ft.lb of torque. You can get pick-ups today that top 800 ft. lb. of torque. I pulled 30,000 lb. from Ca. to Ar. That was total weight.    Muggs

Grizzly

I averaged 16mpg running miles and the smallest trailer I pulled was 36ft. Largest was 45ft.

I pulled for a broker. My thought was to learn the game and if it looked good enough I'd talk to the manufactures. But it never looked good enough.

My truck.


 

45ft toyhauler for some rich dude!


 
2011 - Logmaster LM-2 / Chinese wheel loader
Jonsered saws - 2149 - 111S - 90?
2000 Miners 3-31 Board Edger

starmac

My thoughts on using a truck over a pickup is the wear and tear is negligible. I could never get to that 16 miles per gallon though. If I set one up just for that, I do think I could get up to around 11 or 12 for all miles.  I actually pulled my own 40 footer with my KW, with the 550 in it and it did as well as bobtailing, but then that is not saying a lot. lol

I do not know what the difference is from running for a broker and what my friend was doing running direct, only know he made it work even with 2 trucks for a while.

My thoughts if I thought it would be worth it to set up the truck for it is to dump the tandem for a single rear, put a motorcycle behind the cab for days sitting. My old woman would want to go too, so it would be possible at least sometimes for her to drive a motor home and tow a bumper pull too.
Just something I thought about looking in to if I wind up needing too.

I do have a truck with an autoshift that she is comfortable driving, but it is a kw and not near as nice to spend all your time in when on the road.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

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