We're Home

**JRTJH** · 09-01-2015, 02:03 PM

54 days, 7811 miles, 650 gallons of diesel, 31 campgrounds, 23 states, 8 gallons of DEF and TONS of photos/memories. The new truck and the Cougar performed as expected with no problems. Average mileage was a tad over 12 with almost 6500 miles of towing and about 1300 solo truck miles. There was an unexpected surprise at about 10,000 miles on the truck in that the solo mileage increased to almost 21 MPG. It had been hovering at around 18 and towing mileage increased from about 10.5 to almost 11.5. That increase happened within the past week, so I'm looking forward to our next extended tow as I expect to see a marked improvement in towing mileage.

Even though we still have the "china bombs" on our trailer, they performed well, no leaks, no bumps or bubbles and temperatures of the tires and hubs remained within 5*F of each other at every stop.

We're looking forward to a couple of short "around home" trips, but with hunting season fast approaching, my focus will be away from the Cougar as winter approaches and the need to get the "summer toys winterized" and the "winter toys ready" takes priority.

It's been a great trip and we're already planning next year's "head east" journey !!!!

Pull Toy · 09-01-2015, 02:28 PM

WELCOME HOME!!!
Now reload and plan the next one!

gearhead · 09-01-2015, 03:28 PM

Sounded like a great trip from your posts.
So...I guess you'll be winterizing in a week or two?? LOL
I should be planting the fall garden in a week or two. ahem

Movin' on · 09-02-2015, 04:33 AM

Welcome home! Good to hear you had a trouble free trip.

BirchyBoy · 09-02-2015, 05:25 AM

Sounds like an awesome trip!

Face Down · 09-02-2015, 05:33 AM

Can't wait to be able to do a trip that length and distance. Glad you had a great time!

PARAPTOR · 09-02-2015, 05:49 AM

Welcome Back

after your Long, Safe, and Enjoyable

Trip

R&KFerguson · 09-02-2015, 06:10 AM

Nice! Very nice.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

byrdr1 · 09-02-2015, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

54 days, 7811 miles, 650 gallons of diesel, 31 campgrounds, 23 states, 8 gallons of DEF and TONS of photos/memories. The new truck and the Cougar performed as expected with no problems. Average mileage was a tad over 12 with almost 6500 miles of towing and about 1300 solo truck miles. There was an unexpected surprise at about 10,000 miles on the truck in that the solo mileage increased to almost 21 MPG. It had been hovering at around 18 and towing mileage increased from about 10.5 to almost 11.5. That increase happened within the past week, so I'm looking forward to our next extended tow as I expect to see a marked improvement in towing mileage.

Trip report?

B-O-B'03 · 09-02-2015, 07:24 AM

Man, I am jealous... we have only been able to make 2, one weeks, trips since we bought the camper at the end of Feb. We did manage to put almost 4000 miles on it though.

The urge to retire is getting stronger every day.

Congratulations on, what sounds like, an awesome adventure!

Looking forward to a more detailed report, with pictures.

-Brian

SAABDOCTOR · 09-02-2015, 07:46 AM

SWEET TRIP JOHN! Sure glad everything went well. post some pics

**JRTJH** · 09-05-2015, 06:32 PM

It's good to be home, almost everything is cleaned up, mowed, baled and ready for the next trip. It's been raining all day, so that delayed putting deer stands in the woods today. Hopefully tomorrow.

All the campgrounds around here are full of campers, makes me glad to be home in a "walkable structure" with a dishwasher.....

Here's a few pictures from our trip: First is standing on the first bridge at the mouth of the Mississippi River, second is the World's "largest" buffalo in North Dakota, third is Devil's Tower, fourth is Mt Rushmore, fifth is One of the tunnels where RV's were restricted LOL

**JRTJH** · 09-05-2015, 06:51 PM

First is a "photo op" at Wall Drug, second: CWtheman, we were there too (on July 20), third is one of the waterfalls in the Big Horn Mountains, fourth is a few of the buffalo we encountered in Yellowstone and fifth is one of the "oxymorons" we found in Yellowstone.....

bsmith0404 · 09-05-2015, 07:03 PM

Sounds like a great trip, the pics bring back a lot of great memories from our trips to the same areas.

Don't be surprised if the mileage drops back down again. I have seen 10.5-12.5 towing and 18-24 empty. Obviously terrain and wind will have an effect, but some of the changes I could not figure out what was impacting the mileage. I was recently surprised with a 1.5 mpg consistent increase over a 4900 mile trip both loaded and empty. Since it was consistent over nearly 5k miles, I'm thinking my truck is finally broke in at 116k miles and that I may be enjoying these number in the future as well.

**JRTJH** · 09-05-2015, 07:08 PM

I'm sure most members are tired of the "travelogue" by now, so these are the last of the trip: first is the lava fields at Craters of the Moon National Park, second is Twin Falls in TF, ID, third is Perrine Bridge in TF, nobody was jumping the day we were there, fourth is the campground at Pearl Lake State Park in Columbine, CO (When we first camped there 40 years ago, all those "stumps" were 60' and 80' fir trees) and lastly, Denver from atop Lookout Mountain. My how it's grown in the past 40 years !!!!!

**sourdough** · 09-14-2015, 05:06 PM

John, I had not seen this!! I've been gone and now trying to catch up. Great pictures! Glad you had a super and safe trip. I'm sure you had a ball and yep, I bet it is time to start getting ready for fall/winter there. It's a while away here (95 today) so think we will head to our house in the mountains in NM (aspens are starting to turn). Thanks for the posts.

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