Kerri On's Walkabout

G

ghone

New member
I'm excited to be heading for the Broughtons next week for a little cruise. Planning my trip south to Lake Powell in September. I will cross to Port Angeles on the Blackball ferry, say hey to Roger and Janet and Harvey in Sequim then start south bypassing Seattle. My question is....I have 2 weeks to get to Reno Nv and would like to visit some Oregon coastal towns. Not to boat this trip but just to see. Any issues come to mind for you folks if I travel hwy 101 and stop to smell the flowers along the way? And still be able to get to I5 to cross over to Reno? Hints as to must sees?

Rig is a Ford F150 Lariat truck and 2011 CD 22.
 
George:

We travel up the oregon coast every year since we were married in 1968. Some of the spots we like are the oregon state parks: fort stevens at Sea side Oregon, South beach at Newport Oregon, honeyman at Florence Oregon, and harris beach at Brooking Oregon. We like the columbia river martine museum at Astora Oregon.
When staying at Tillamook, we like barview jetty county camp ground. Tour the tillamook cheese factory and the blue heron french cheese company. Then try lunch at the blue heron french cheese company deli. When you get to Crescent city,you can cut over to I5 by way of 199. At Medford cut over to Klamath Fall,then off to 39/139 for tule lake and hit hy Hy 395 south to Reno.
 
You will be working the 150 really really hard. I'f I'm not mistaken it is the light duty ford with a V8. There will be a long hard climb over the mountains to Reno. If the truck is in really great shape, and you don't lead foot, and keep it geared down going up and down, you should be okay. I tow my 22 with a three quarter ton diesel and consider it about right for the 22 with the bed of the truck loaded and no fuel or water on the 22.

Call me conservative, but I've never had a break down as I like to keep the towing vehicle at about half its' towing capacity. I also have an inviolable speed limit maximum of 60 mph and that helps a lot in mileage and wear and tear. Specially loaded pretty heavy as you may be with your light duty truck.

Good luck. You will have a great trip.
 
Thanks for the replies , the F150 is a 2007 and rated 9500lbs capacity with the towing package including transmission and oil cooler so should be ok, prefer not to climb lots of mountains if possible. Will be taking 2 weeks to get 900 miles to Reno so should probaly work down the coast to Cresenct City then over to I5 with a stop in Sacramento to see a friend then to Reno.

I appreciate all the info! George
 
The 150 should be fine, but according to my Dodge mechanic, a tow rating means you CAN tow something that weighs that much, but to tow at that maximum will dramatically reduce the life of the vehicle. He uses a rule of thumb for trucks that maximum towing problems will show up at around the 60 thousand mile mark or sooner. Transmissions being the first high risk part of the drive train, regardless of make. You will be towing at about 60% or so of the maximum, so you will do great.

Are you going to pass on putting the boat on Tahoe? What a gorgeous piece of water.
 
With the newer f150's I would not worry at all . We tow a few times a yr and what we do is make sure we use prem synthetic oil and tranny has a cooler. With your F150 you have both a oil cooler an a tranny cooler so you should be good to go towing only 4500lb have fun
 
potter water":3i7uy0g8 said:
The 150 should be fine, but according to my Dodge mechanic, a tow rating means you CAN tow something that weighs that much, but to tow at that maximum will dramatically reduce the life of the vehicle. He uses a rule of thumb for trucks that maximum towing problems will show up at around the 60 thousand mile mark or sooner. Transmissions being the first high risk part of the drive train, regardless of make. You will be towing at about 60% or so of the maximum, so you will do great.

Are you going to pass on putting the boat on Tahoe? What a gorgeous piece of water.
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We constantly get questions about whether a specific vehicle is big enough to tow a certain sized C-Dory. This point, about shortening the life of the vehicle, especially he transmission, is often not mentioned in the responses! It's obviously something to keep in mind and place high in the decision making considerations.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Hi George,

Be sure and stop in Newport Oregon. There is a great marine science center there, free, Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center, that is worth the price and more. Also a good aquarium there and lots of good food places there.

The Maritime museum in Astoria is another "Must See."

Lots of traffic on 101 in the summer, and they are all crazy except you. So you have to stay awake twice, once for you once for them. But that just makes the trip more exciting. Keeps the alert factor on a keen edge. You will do fine.

Enjoy the Broughtons and the rest. Stop and say "Hi" on the way through.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Don't skip the southern oregon coast, brookings, bandon, coos bay, and charleston. And from there it is an easy, and beautiful drive over to I-5. I also really enjoy the florence area. Lincoln City is too touristy for my taste. But when you head south you get out of that environment.
 
Hi folks, we've been on the road since Saturday and have been having a great time coming down the coast. Took the Coho ferry into Port Angeles and did a safeway overnite and then lunch and a nap at John Wayne marina the next day. Roger and Janet Clark held a retirement happy walkabout party at their lovely home with Harvey (sleepy C) Bill (da nag) and Ryan and Rick (Rigby416) in attendance. My traveling company Carolyn and I thouroughly enjoyed our visit and next morning Roger helped jump start the F150. I'd left my 12v cooler on overnight, I remember why I don"t like that cooler now. It's old and draws too much. I got the regular cooler that takes ice out and no more worries. Truck and trailer running like champs. Bearings running cool, boat staying tight. Running down the 101 thru Washington and Oregon taking it slow. In Florence tonight will find a state park. At Fred Myers tight now catching up while Carolyn takes a nap. We were going to stay at Tillimook a couple days back pretty country but wow the smell of cow exhaust! windows up and keep 'er running! Gorgeous sun out on the coast and cool, 58-65 f during the day, 25 knot breeze out right now. One could take a month coming this far with all the little town. I'm pretty immune to "quaint boutiques" but when in Rome...

Enjoying being on the road and learning all about trailer travel or boaterhoming. Having fun, more soon. George
 
ghone":2qaso7t8 said:
Hi folks,
...

We were going to stay at Tillimook a couple days back pretty country but wow the smell of cow exhaust! windows up and keep 'er running!

...
George
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George, the "dairy air" (pun intended) is the smell of money in Tillamook Country.
 
George,

It was great to see you. Glad you are enjoying your trip so far. Oh, that "dairy air".....that's just the ode da of alfalfa, oats and grass after it is processed by a Tillamook money machine :wink ,

Travel safe, and enjoy,

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

Friends_Cal_09_10_Oct.thumb.jpg
 
hi folks, we towed on down the 101 as far as Coos Bay staying in state parks and a couple nights in wally world, wonderful trip down a windy coast. Nice weather and some wild weather weather offshore. Got off the coast as the fog and 52F at 1pm was a a bit cool. Ran inland to Roseburg and got warm in 93 F . Started for Crater Lake and spent a night at Susan Creek dep of Interior camp. Nicest so far, great spot and $14 a night. Got going for Crater Lake and I want to tell you all the rim road is a pucker factor of 6 on a scale of 7. Gorgeous views for an explosive event thousands of years ago that created the lake. With narrow twisty roads and no shoulders and the ability to see from the truck down the thousands of feet should one go off! The F150 hauled the 7300 feet up with no worries. Stayed the night just down off the rim at the camp site. Nice spot. Ran the rest of the way to Klamath Falls where my crew Carolyn will catch the amtrak for Nanaimo on Friday. We're in the KOA at Klamath Falls. Just before sundown the clouds where looking full of rain and t cells. I got the radio on and Klamath Falls was due for rain and t cells and 60 to 70 mph winds . Hatches closed, get set, rain and wind came along. Branches down all over the place. we're fine. I got a line out to a tree to windward and to a midship cleat. Just in case it goes 80 or 90 no blow overs! Carolyn has a nice stir fry going and we have nice music on life is good! From here I'll head for Reno next week early for Air Racing. Then Lake Powell week after. Truck running and pulling like a champ doing 12.5 mpg with all the hills and curves. Better than I thought. I check the trailer bearings and wheels at every stop and running cool all the time. I've put a couple of squirts of grease in the cups of the bearing buddies. All is going well. Fun trip.
 
Hi George,

Nice to be able to keep up with you this way. Good idea to tie to that windward tree, so long as the line was stiff enough to keep the tree from leaning over onto "Kerri-On" :wink

Travel safe my friend, and see you here on the site now and then.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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I dropped my crew Carolyn off in Klamath Falls to Amtrak North (she said it was awesome) and continued south thru to Susanville. A whole lot of empty out there folks, had planned on overniting on the way but looked pretty empty. Stopped in Chester to see if joel (sea3po) was around. I sent a pm from a coffee shop then did groceries and found a shady spot by lake Almanor for a nap. I was just getting set to go back to town when this Ford model A comes flying down the gravel road I was on. It stops in a cloud of dust and this guy says " I saw you earlier in town...I'm Joel" Wow tracked down. He was just on his way to Redding for engine stand parts and said for me to follow him on home and park to dow whatever I was going to do. I had a chance for a short visit and met his wife Sue and the two dogs, and stayed overnight. Nice folks and a nice place. Joel hadn't got back by mid afternoon and my chores were done and I was ready to move on closer to Reno. Got to Quincy as the sky was going black with rain. Got pulled up in the Safeway with about 5 minutes to spare before a torrential rain storm with lightning came thru. Stayed overnight and then early this morning ran the rest of the way to Reno. In Stead at the moment will check out the early race activity then go on downtown. Ran 1265 miles to get in from Nanaimo, the 101 trip down the coast adds some mileage. The rig is performing great and still at 12.2 mpg with all those hills and curves.
 
Hi George,

Looks like your trip is going well. Bet you haven't heard "Cute Boat" once yet have you? Take care and keep up the good work (posting)

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Had the cute boat thing about 6 times so far, and I like it. Had about 4 folks come and say that that is a "real" boat not like those open go fast types. One could almost live on it. Next door fellow in the airstream came and had a chat this morning he's built several boats and sailed the Pacific. He's looking for a retirement boat and he thinks mine is it. He got a brochure for the factory and will be online checking us out.
 
ghone":1vloiwyv said:
I ...continued south thru to Susanville. A whole lot of empty out there folks...
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George... Don't let the secret out!!! That's God's country... Years ago, National Geographic did an article about the area. The best part was a story about a Bermuda shorts clad Southern Cal type trying to engage a local cowboy in conversation at the local watering hole. The old boy looked up from his beer and slowly said... "Why don't you go back to California where you belong."
 
It looks like great country for ranching and wide open spaces, real working country. One of the things that makes America great is the vast open places and the hardy folks who still work the land. I can see that old boy sending the guy on home. My impression on a drive thru was one of amazement at how much open ranch there is, and on my stops, the interest that the gas guy and the coffee server had in what I was up to dragging that boat on down the highway. Small town friendly I suppose where people still have time to be friendly and have a chat. I "ll keep quiet it looks like great country.
 
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