1958 F.W.D.

So a while back my Cousin who lives in Phoenix, Az bought a Tab400 Camper from a guy in Massachusetts. Long story short she didn't do homework before she pulled the trigger on buying it (although it is a super, super nice camper that she got for a good buy....) and didn't realize how expensive it'd be to get it shipped to her. So My Dad and I stepped up to the plate- I had some use or lose vacation time so Dad and I loaded up the green Ram 1500 and went on a road trip. We left Hellertown Pa 18055 on Friday July 28 aroud 7:15pm. We headed west on I-78 and south on I-81 and picked up I-40 in Knoxville. We went hard for 24 hours arriving in El Rey Oklahoma Saturday night around 9pm. We got up early Sunday and hammered down and got to Phoenix on Sunday night around 9pm. Monday during the day we went to the Hall of Flame, the largest firefighting museum in the world and is a must see if you are into that stuff. We dropped off the camper to Cousin's storage place Monday afternoon. It was 117 degrees which sucked. Monday night we went to dinner and when the sun went down it was 102 which was very nice! I can deal with a dry 102. 

So a week before we left, I was looking through the Fazebooks and was in one of the antique firetruck groups and a gentleman from Morristown NJ was looking for a trucker to give a transmission a ride from Estes Park, Colorado back to Morristown NJ. Since we were gonna go to the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley and then head back via I-80 to visit a friend in Hinckley, Illinois (southwest of Chicago) I looked where Estes Park was and we would have gone right by it. I called the gentleman and asked how big of a trans were we talking- it was an old 5-speed Spicer for a 1949 Ahrens Fox pumper. Was currently sitting on a grocery pallet and the pick up point has a forklift and the delivery point has an engine hoist. No brainer it would fit in the pickup bed so I threw a number at the guy to reimburse me for gas and put a few bucks in my pocket and he jumped on it. So for the first time in a LOOOONG time Dad and I would be hauling some revenue-earning freight together.....LOL

We got up early Tuesday and left Phoenix. Had breakfast at a place in Flagstaff and had the biggest, fluffiest and best tasting bistits I ever had. We got to the Grand Canyon about 2-3 pm, hung out there for about an hour. Let me tell you that if you have never seen the Grand Canyon with your own eyes, you can look at all the pictures you want but it just doesn't do it justice. Make a point and go sometime. We then went to Monument Valley, about 2.5hrs from the Grand Canyon. It was cool in it's own way- probably the closest a human can come to stepping onto the surface of Mars. It is all Navajo Indian land. We then went north to I-70 and hung it up for the night at a hotel in Grand Junction. Woke up Weds morning, made our way to Estes Park got there about 1 or 2pm (the sights on 70 between Grand Junction and Estes Park were incredible!)  and loaded up the transmission. Northbound on I-25, hung a right on 80 in Cheyenne and made it to Sidney Nebraska and got a room. Thursday we made it to my buddy's place in Hinckley Illinois around 8pm, visited with him and his lady for 2 hours and then got a room in Aurora. Friday we made it to Toledo and visited with another friend, and left Toledo around 530pm and got home to Hellertown around 0315 Saturday morning.. It was an absolutely fantastic trip!!! 

See pixtures for more lies errrr ahhhh I mean descriptions.

Mileage at departure

This is the camper, a Tab 400. Very nice little unit, very well built. About 3000lbs empty. Got 10mpg the whole way to Phoenix. 

Dad and I hadn't been on a real long road trip in years so I blew the dust off my trusty old Cobra. Wasn't transmitting but was receiving well. 

Someone's turbo puked just outside of Knoxville on the hill. 

We took a side trip and saw the Great Pyramid of Winfall. 

This super friendly little guy met us in the parking lot of the hotel in El Rey, Oklahoma. 

Westbound on 40, in New Mexico

The Hall of Flame Fire Museum

I saw several big Mack trucks at the Hall of Flame 

The Green Machine next to some kinda green plant. 

Every red-blooded American needs to see the Grand Canyon with their own eyes. 

Monument Valley- like the surface of Mars maybe. The grooves in this rock were carved by the wind over thousands of years. 

Somewhere on 70 between Grand Junction and Estes Park, Some of the prettiest country in the United States. 

A Sedan Cab American LaFrance 400 Series (1938) at the place where we picked up the transmission in Estes Park Co. to go to NJ. 

A Classic front-mount piston pump Ahrens Fox at the place in Estes Park. 

The transmission secured. Otherdog told me I should have used chains and binders but I told him to go bleep. 

Triple 28's and double 48's on 80 in Ohio

HOME Saturday August 5, 5347 Miles total. 

Come one, Come All!!!! The Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter of the ATCA has partnered up with the Portland Lodge #311 F & AM and tied onto their annual MASONIC MOTORAMA Car Show on Sunday, August 27 2023 8am to 3pm, rain or shine at the Blue Valley Farm Show Complex at 707 American Bangor Road in Bangor, Pa. just off of Pa Route 33. We hope that you will consider entering a truck or even coming out to check things out. Please see the flyer below for more information. 

On 6/18/2023 at 9:01 AM, other dog said:

Yes, Randy cooked a huge pork loin in that smoker, 9 lbs.

The 9lb pork loin. Rubbed with olive oil and an applewood dry rub. Smoked for 4 or 5 hours until it hit 160 degrees. They say you can safely eat a pork loin at 145 but no thanks I just dont trust pink pork meat. I sliced it thin for sammiches. It was some good eatin. 

On 5/10/2023 at 6:34 PM, other dog said:

Wow Vlad, thanks for sharing these pictures.

Yes but he didn't send us any "Girls in Cars" photos! 

This is a Mack forum. If you want noise, go to the detroitsaredumb.com forums