I tried to post this Tuesday, but the site was dead. I made it home Tuesday evening at around 2230 central time. The drive home was uneventful, with the border crossing back to the US being a total breeze. The customs officer only chatted with me for about two minutes before passing me along, not even asking for any I.D. For those who are interested, my total fuel consumption in my car from beginning of the trip, to Oklahoma City, OK (I didn't top off the tank when I got home), was 63.9 gallons. My average fuel bill, including one fillup in Canada equated to approximately 1.60 per gallon. I spent just over $100 in fuel on the driving part of my trip.

I got some "white rain" going through northwestern Ohio, but thankfully, pulled out of the weather before the temps dropped below freezing.

Once again, I'd like to thank LadyK and the others for organizing this meet. It was a sheer pleasure getting to meet everyone, as well as Permafrosts help in getting that rental sled dialed in to where it wasn't beating me up on the trails. Many thanx goes to Sawman, MXZWFO, CrazyB, and Reverend, as well as the others who's names I cannot remember for showing me a good time, and putting up with my slowpoke nature on the trails.

My sole disappointment on this trip was coming up ill on Sunday. I really wanted to be out there with the remainder of the group that day. However, I do get migraine headaches, and the headache that I had that day would have rapidly intensified to one had I attempted to ride in the bright sunshine that was so perfect for a good day on the trails. I simply felt that I would have been unsafe to attempt to ride, and even worse, stood to have forced somebody to bring me back in had I gotten worse on the trails. I did not want to chance messing up another person's ride if I had gotten worse. When I tried to ride later that day, I still found out how much strength had gotten sapped from me from the mornings illness. Carrying a backpack full of photography and video equipmnt had never been a problem for me in the past, yet that day, it just tore me up to try to haul it.

It was a total pleasure to meet everybody, I would not hesitate for a moment to ride with anyone again. I'm eagerly awaiting next year's event.

Hey Wolfie

Glad you had an uneventful trip home.
It certainly was a pleasure meeting you as well as everyone else.
You'll be forever remembered for your water skipping venture on a 380 fan Grand Touring.
Sorry to hear about your headache on Sunday. I get a migraine 1-3 times per year. When I do, they totally render me incapable of doing anything.
Did you get the Equinox Video?

Jeff

Yes I did, thank you. Now I need to figure out how to watch it - I don't have a working VCR. :ohmy: I'll just go bug the neighbour tomorrow night I think. :D

Wolfman it was never borring riding with you.I will never forget you coming under that bridge :)

Glad to hear you made it back safely wolfman. We had a great time meeting you and all the others. Can't wait for next years ride. Gonna start planning it really soon.

Hey Wolfie ... glad you're home safe! SA and I truly enjoyed meeting you, and look forward to next time. :thumbsup:

Hey Wolfie,

Glad you had a good, safe trip home. It was a blast riding with you on the Saturday. I hear ya about the headaches, I'm a cluster migraine sufferer and know how they can render you incapable of doing anything.

We hope to see you again at another ride!

Renee

It was a pleasure meeting everyone. I can't wait for next season!!

Brian, it was also our pleasure to meet you. I'm glad you stepped out and came over to our hut in the midweek before everyone else arrived. Too bad you didn't stick around in the trailer longer while we totally screwed up my recoil....the beer made it not matter much though that night!!! I also get those migraines, about 4 per month, and I just need to hide in total darkness 'til they go away. Like you, the sun is no place for me when one of those things start creeping up on me.

Deb and I drove into town Sunday around noon to pick up a few souviners before we left, and we saw you coming off the lake and heading down the trail towards the lodge (this was after we said good-bye at the lodge). At least you know your limits, and how/where to ride when going solo.

Did you really have to rub in it to most of us with the gas mileage thing???? :cussing: I got 18 mpg in the YukonXL on the way up without trailer, and 10 mpg on the way home with trailer. Two of my fillups basically were more than you spent on the whole trip, YIKES!!!!!

Look forward to meeting up with you again next year!!

What were you driving to get that kind of mileage and what did it figure up in MPG?

Originally posted by SD_Sledhead@Feb 27 2004, 06:00 PM
What were you driving to get that kind of mileage and what did it figure up in MPG?
I drove a 2003 Toyota Prius up to the meet. My lowest mileage tank came in at 42.6 mpg thanks to some stiff headwinds early in the trip. Best tank was 51 on the way home. The end result was 7 fuel stops for the entire round trip with an overall average of 46.9 mpg from trip start to OKC, OK. which was my last fillup before coming home. I have 200 miles of local driving on that tank since getting home, so I cannot include it into the overall average. The fuel economy figures are all calculated, as the car's computer is a tad optimistic. On my 51mpg average, it said I logged 54.8.

The Prius is an awesome car. I would recommend to anyone to check one out. When I filled up in Detroit prior to the border crossing, the engine shut itself down almost immediately after getting on the road. I drove nearly the entire distance from the interstate, where the filling station was located next to, to the border crossing entirely on the electric motor. The computer pegged at it's maximum reading of 99.9mpg on that stretch. It also drew a bit of attention at the Canadian Customs when I silently rolled up to the designated parking area per their request.

On the highway, the gasoline engine pretty much runs constantly. However, the electric motor still provides alot of assist as needed. Even on the highway, the engine will have all fuel shut down on downhill stretches of roadway.

The result is about a 10 to 15 mpg fuel economy improvement over comporably sized vehicles like the Ford Focus, Suzuki Areo, Hyundai Elantra, and other similarly sized vehilces. Only the VW Jetta TDI will beat the Prius. Unfortunately, VW saw fit to use a rubber band to drive the valves, instead of a metal chain. The Jetta is also incrimentally smaller in the wrong places, making it not acceptable to haul 3 or 4 six foot tall plus occupants. Since most of my friends are very aggressive drivers, I prefer to be the one behind the wheel.

See, now you've went and done it. I really like talking up this car!! :D

Brian, good to hear you made it back OK. It's too bad the 380 just didn't cut it. I think they rent those because most people renting them have never ridden a sled.

If you had been riding a 550, you probably would have been more than able to keep up w/ us on the lakes.

Uneventful on the way home is a good thing, buddy. Glad you made it and had such a good time while you were there. That's what it's all about.

Originally posted by revrnd@Feb 27 2004, 10:08 PM
Brian, good to hear you made it back OK. It's too bad the 380 just didn't cut it. I think they rent those because most people renting them have never ridden a sled.

If you had been riding a 550, you probably would have been more than able to keep up w/ us on the lakes.
The 380 wasn't all bad. I only missed the power on the lakes. Otherwise, my own experience level kept me well within what the sled was able to do on the trails, up till Saturday's ride. There I was wanting to push harder in the straights to keep up with Sawman and his wife (blanking on her name).

Hopefully, I'll either have one to bring up to ride, or get a better rental next year.

Riding a sled with a "modern" suspension has me wondering if I should attempt a "Yamamutt" type of upgrading to the JD al'a Toydocs inspiration, or keep it original, and look for a newer one to drag around.

Paradise Texas,,,,,wow,,,bet you travelled the furthest!!!,, glad you had a good time and a safe trip home.

Hey Wolfman, you're starting to sound like my Physics Professor with your love of the Toyota Prius. He's got one too, and I swear, he mentions that car in at least one lecture a week :)

Originally posted by Wolfman@Feb 28 2004, 11:08 AM
Riding a sled with a "modern" suspension has me wondering if I should attempt a "Yamamutt" type of upgrading to the JD al'a Toydocs inspiration, or keep it original, and look for a newer one to drag around.
Brian, I know you don't have easy access to used sleds in your neck of the woods, but I think everyone here would agree with me, with the prices as low as they are on late model used sleds, when I say you'd be better off buying a used sled, instead of modifying that old JD. As you know, there are many more advantages to a late model sled than just the suspension, that would make it worth purchasing. Too bad you can't make it to the sled auction in Michigan in the next month or two...bound to be some great deals there soon.

Originally posted by Snow-Drift@Feb 28 2004, 06:47 PM
Hey Wolfman, you're starting to sound like my Physics Professor with your love of the Toyota Prius.* He's got one too, and I swear, he mentions that car in at least one lecture a week* :)
I swear that these cars literally change your perspective of what a car should be capable of. It still took me two years to acutally buy one after a co-worker here let me drive hers. Now a "regular" car doesn't feel right, especially when idling at a light, or driving slowly through a town or in rush hour traffic. Another one here bought a Honda Insight. We do get the occasional odd look when we complain about mileage that has dropped on the "low 40's" for me, or "under 50" for her. :D The one oddity though is, that I'm usually within a couple of mpg's of her, and I have a substantially larger vehicle.

Toyota isn't going to leave the SUV people out of the crowd. They will be releasing the Lexus RX300H this spring, which will be a hybrid verson of the "regular RX." Later this year the Toyota Highlander hybrid will also be released. They will be capable of towing loads, as well as delivering high for the sector fuel mileage.

I know we're way off topic here but I find this conversation about your hybrid Toyota very interesting, as I am currently comtemplating a new vehicle. Right now my 'ideal' choice is a Jetta TDI, mainly for it's efficiency, but also for VW's inherent reliability. I have just started commuting (again... :cussing: ) and my poor old truck has just about had it (320,000kms and counting), and it's terrible on fuel. I hadn't even considered a hybrid, now you've got the wheels turning....

what year of truck ^^???? We have a 98 Turbo Diesel SLT, and it has 320,000 Km and its been nothing but GREAT!! it gets 27 MPG. :D :D :D :D

Originally posted by XCR440SP@Feb 28 2004, 07:04 PM
what year of truck ^^???? We have a 98 Turbo Diesel SLT, and it has 320,000 Km and its been nothing but GREAT!! it gets 27 MPG. :D :D :D :D
It's a '94 Nissan 4X4 V6. I'm sure that it sucks fuel worse than most full size trucks. I can't complain otherwise though, I've only had it in the shop once... it's been extremely reliable... but with 320 on the odometer, you just know that anyday could be it's last...

As far as mileage... I have know idea what the MPG would be, living in Canada I've never bought a gallon of gas in my life!! :p And litres per 100km sounds like too much math. I get about 400kms (sometimes as low as 300kms in the dead of winter) per tank - which cost me $40 - $50 to fill. That sucks.

if someone could have had a movie camera on the Wolfman during his entire journey that would have produced some footage talked about for a long time.

Hey wolfie, Dodge is supposed to be building a Ram hybrid next year (with a diesel), but they say only a 10-15% increase in mpg due to the weight of the truck. I don't think the engine ever completely shuts down, the electric motor only supplements it, if I'm not mistaken. It's supposed to double as a generator for use on construction sites or whatever. I think they said a 400-500 pound weight increase over the diesel-only ram. Pretty cool, but I'd hate to see the price tag on that thing, lol.

I've heard about the Ram hybrid. I didn't think it was going to be a diesel though, I heard it was a gasser. GM will be doing something similar. IMO, they're shooting themselves in the foot. The additional costs of these systems will not lure buyers with the modesty of the fuel economy gains.

Hossman, the 2004 Prius has a 6 month waiting list, something that should be considered on your buying decision. I was at a car care seminar hosted my my local stealership (they bribed me with a free oil change and free food :)). They are alreay taking pre orders for 2005's.

I had heard on the news yesterday morning as well that fuel prices are supposed to take a huge spike in prices again this summer. I'd be willing to guess that will cause a spike in VW TDI sales. One caveat on VW, don't buy one with alot of power addons. VW has had tremendous problems with their power window regulators repeatedly falling apart.


Paul, which part of my journey? Sledding? Driving?

I am an absoute bore on a road trip. My speedometer gets locked on 65mph at the most, even if the posted limit is higher. Once I crossed into Canada, I hit the button on the dash to switch over to km/h, and locked it on the posted limit for the respective road that I was driving on.

Even when I'm sledding, I am as careful as absolutely possible. Even running that strip of water on Kenesis Lake, I didn't make that choice lightly. That strip of water was no wider than the highway bridge above us. At the time, I did think there was ice under the water, like the puddle that was being played with earlier. I didn't know untill I was told afterwards, that it was completely open water.

Originally posted by JIM FRITCH@Feb 28 2004, 07:39 PM
Brian, I know you don't have easy access to used sleds in your neck of the woods, but I think everyone here would agree with me, with the prices as low as they are on late model used sleds, when I say you'd be better off buying a used sled, instead of modifying that old JD. As you know, there are many more advantages to a late model sled than just the suspension, that would make it worth purchasing. Too bad you can't make it to the sled auction in Michigan in the next month or two...bound to be some great deals there soon.
I'll be watching Ebay. Hopefully, I'll be able to find a steal during the summer, whn most other people are busy with summer sports. :D

Originally posted by Wolfman@Feb 29 2004, 09:37 AM
I'll be watching Ebay. Hopefully, I'll be able to find a steal during the summer, whn most other people are busy with summer sports. :D
Summer is the best time to find a good deal $$$ IMO, at least for me. I've had good luck with 2 good machines so far :wink: People are usually selling in the summer for a couple of reasons:

1) They are moving and there is no snow where they are going, in the winter that is.
2) They need the money, for something, I don't know what, but I've heard that one.

You'll definately find something :wink: