Hi guys...My wife found a contract in Topeka, so here we are. I am still looking for some per diem work. Have a line on a full-time job in Nebraska, just across the border. Otherwise, I will be checking out Topeka, and maybe KC.

Our route was I-17 north from Phoenix to Flagstaff, I-40 east to Albuquerque, I-25 north to Colorado Springs. There we took Hwy 24 northeast to Limon and picked up I-70. We went to Hays, KS, then turned north to Stockton to visit my parents a few days. Then back to Hays and east on I-70 to Topeka.

The day before we left Phoenix, I replaced the Voyager brake controller with the new Prodigy. I am not real mechanical, but Tekonsha told me to cut the wires on the Voyager, and match the blue to blue, red to red, etc. Supposedly a direct replacement. No problem. Even I could handle that. However.......I got everything hooked up and had no power to the Prodigy. I double checked my colors, and had tight connections. Luckily, my cousin is a jet engine mechanic for Honeywell. Ken told me to come on over. He would rather work on a truck than clean carpets anyway. We (he) traced out the wires and got me working. What had happened, was when the "professional installer" put the Voyager in the '03 from the '99, he took it upon himself to change some of the wires. We wound up having to go blue to black, red to white, etc. Now it works like a charm. The Prodigy is a vast improvement over the Voyager. I am still saving pennies for a Brakesmart, but I am very happy with the Prodiigy.

My other new toy was the Garmin Street Pilot 2610. It came in very handy several times.

The CTD pulled like a dream. Some of you may remember my previous post about RPMs while towing. This time I was not afraid to pull in 6th. I spent a lot of time in 6th instead of 5th. Worked great. Even got over some of the bigger hills in 6 if I could get enough run at them. I ran 65-70 MPH unless there was lots of traffic around me, then I dropped it to 55-60. (Even with the Prodigy, it still takes a while to stop 25+K pounds rolling down the road.)

On the hills north of Phoenix, and Raton Pass I was glad I had the pyro. I watched it more than any other gauge. The Jacob's Exhaust Brake also paid for itself several times on this trip. I came down the north side of Raton Pass in 4th gear, e-brake on, 40 MPH and never had to touch the truck or trailer brakes. I felt very in control with the e-brake. If anyone is wavering about getting one, do it. It really kept the trailer in control. (When we moved from Yuma to Phoenix, it scaled out at 16,800 lbs, and the truck weighed around 8,600.)

Weather was not a problem on this trip. We followed the ice storms by about 4 days. Lots of snow on the sides of some of the roads, but the roads themselves were clear and dry.

I have not topped off the last tank of fuel yet, so don't have a hand-calculated mileage figure yet. The overhead computer reads 10 MPG now, so I am guessing I really got 8.5 or 9. Will let you know when I do.

Steve

 

Sorry to hear that. Only good thing about Topeka is that it's the state capital. Well............

 

I am starting to feel the same way. I would much rather had the job in Boise!!

 

rad I didn't know we had another TDR besides Tom and myself in the valley, even if it was temporary... How do you like that nice big hill going up 17 to Flag? What are you pulling, by the way?

 

Hi njoverkill......I didn't mind the hill at all. Neither did the Dodge. I think I may have had to drop to fourth, but never dropped below 45 mph. We were pulling a 38' 1999 Travel Supreme Express fiver. Triple slide, triple axle. When we moved to Phoenix from Yuma I got brave and pulled across some CAT scales. The trailer weighed out at 16,800 and the truck weighed 8,600. The CTD hummed along without missing a beat.
Gotta love it !!

Steve

 

rad,

Thanks for the trip info. Haven't got a 5er yet, looking for one that I can tow and keep the extened warrenty valid. Max I can tow 12,000 about a 29' Jayco or so.