As most of you know, I spent most of the summer of 2010 stripping the paint off my 1972 15ft Gaucho named “Toaster”.  Now that he is considerably better looking than he used to be, we thought we would wait for cooler weather, and take a trip north to visit family and friends. The following is a journal of our trip.

We left St.Augustine, FL. at 1:30 a.m. My van was already full of fuel, so we didn’t need to stop for gas until many miles were behind us. Beginning mileage was 192,532. We took I-95 north to Jacksonville, then I-295 west to I-10. We traveled the ultra-boring I-10 west to I-75, then headed north to Georgia. We passed by the exit to Ashburn, GA. where Toaster was built, and made our first stop for fuel at a Wal-Mart in Tifton. The gas gauge is somewhat erratic in the van, but we know we can go 250 to 300 miles between fill-ups. Just to be safe, we always stopped somewhere around the 200 to 250 mile range. While we were at Wal-Mart, we also picked up Toaster’s souvenir Georgia bicycle license plate. This is something I started when I picked up my first Scotty in Missouri last year to commemorate every state that we traveled through. We also always stop at state lines for a photo during daylight hours. We missed the Georgia photo since it was nighttime, but we made sure to catch it on the return trip. Sunrise was upon us, and we were back on I-75 northbound.

I ate breakfast and put a little more fuel in the van at Jackson, GA. We cruised into Tennessee, stopping at the state line for a photo, and got fuel and a Tennessee license plate in Chattanooga. The van was running warmer than it usually does, so I spent more time watching the temperature gauge than enjoying the fall colors of the Tennessee trees. Next stop was at the Kentucky border, then a Wal-Mart stop in Williamsburg followed by a fuel and dinner stop in nearby Corbin, Kentucky. The goal of the first day’s travel was to get to the Lexington, Kentucky area. We stopped at a rest stop for the night just north of Lexington.  Toaster and the van looked tiny parked among the big 18-wheelers. We drove 819 miles that first day, and Toaster’s bed was a welcome sight.

Day two was going to be a fairly short trek into the Kettering (Dayton) area of Ohio. My niece Jennifer and her family live there, and we were going by for a visit. I knew her young boys (Jarod & Jude) were really going to like Toaster, and they did. They had tent camped before, but had never been around a travel trailer.

Jarod, Jen & Jude

Jen, Jude & Jarod

Since the Ohio state line sign is on a very busy section of interstate in the middle of a river, I opted to skip the customary photo of us entering the state. More on that later. After our visit, we spent the night at Enon Beach Campground near Springfield. The internet description of this place sounds like paradise, but it is far from it. NOT recommended, but at least it was a place to hang out for a night that had a shower (as disgusting as it was). 

 
Enon Beach Campground

After leaving Enon Beach Campground early AM, we headed north to Tipp City and Sidney Ohio to visit a couple of Menard’s stores. We were looking for some flooring like Nancy bought for her Scotty teardrop “Ted”, but couldn’t find what we needed.

Much to my surprise, the Ohio State Parks are pretty slow this time of year, so we were able to make a reservation at Delaware State Park just north of Columbus. Gail, Jeff, & Maggie Fisk live nearby, and they decided to come camp with us at the park. I had met Jeff back in March when he was in Florida for Bike Week at Daytona, but had never met Gail or Maggie. We had dinner together that evening at Roadhouse 66 Diner in Worthington, not far from the Fisk’s house. The diner is owned by David Wickline, who coincidentally wrote my two favorite books about Route 66. David was at the diner that evening, and we chatted with him and got his autograph on our books. What a cool guy!

Me and David Wickline at the Route 66 Diner

Unfortunately, Jeff had to work, but Gail was able to take time off and we visited the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland. It was a fun day, and a place I thought I’d probably never get to see.

Gail & I at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Me at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Gail at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

We drove up to Marion, Ohio to check out a Menard’s store and a Meijer’s store, both of which we do not have in the southern states. We ate lunch at a Steak ‘N Shake, then returned to the campground. Gail’s friend and neighbor Debbie joined us for the evening. We shared stories and had some laughs around the campfire in the cool Ohio air. The daylight hours had been unseasonably warm, so the night air was really enjoyable.

Gail, Maggie & Debbie at Deleware State Park

This was the most relaxing day of the entire trip up to this point.  We spent all day at the campground. Debbie cooked breakfast and then headed home shortly afterwards. We then hung out and chatted and took Maggie for a long and then Jeff brought back dinner from KFC.  Like the previous night, we stayed close to the fire, had dinner, and shot the bull for most of the night.

Our time together was over, and we packed our trailers for trips elsewhere. After some parting photos, Gail, Jeff, & Maggie cruised home, and Toaster and I and the van headed east towards West Virginia and Pennsylvania on I-70. The overheating problem with the van grew worse. We made it safely out of Ohio, took our West Virginia state line photo, then turned around and headed back towards Ohio for the state line photo that we missed as we first entered the state.

Turned around again and headed back through West Virginia towards Pennsylvania. The van got so hot that the water boiled not far into West Virginia. After a half hour or so, it would cool off enough to drive 15 to 20 miles in hilly terrain, or 50 to 60 miles on more level ground. We limped into Pennsylvania, then back into the larger part of West Virginia. Stops were made along the way for fuel, cool-off periods, food, and Toaster’s souvenir license plates.

Nighttime came, but that didn’t help with overheating. Frequent stops were made, some along the edges of very busy I-79. Slowly but surely, we made it to the North Carolina state line around 5:30 on Monday morning.

A couple of hours sleep at the welcome station/rest stop, and we were ready to roll again. We had missed the Virginia state line photo and souvenir license plate, so we headed off to do that first. At this point, I knew I could take frequent breaks with the van, and still get to where I was going. We took care of what we missed in Virginia, took the North Carolina photo on the way back down, then set our sights on Monroe, NC.

My best friend Marty and his family live there, and I knew I could fix the van and stay there for as long as it took. By late afternoon we arrived. Marty had arranged to take time off work for the remainder of the week, so we could work on the van and have some fun too. Marty’s wife Linda made a great dinner that night, and I slept like a rock knowing that I was safe and sound in a good place where I could get all the help I needed.

Michael, Linda & Marty

I thought for sure that the thermostat was the problem with the van, so Marty and I changed that out. After a test ride, we found that it wasn’t the problem after all. We tested the fan clutch and the flow of the water pump, and found them to be working correctly. All that was left was the radiator. Along with the van problems, I developed a dental issue that was somewhat aggravating as well. Massive quantities of Advil kept the pain under control.

Marty and I had some fun things planned for the day, so we did what we wanted, and left the van to sit.  Late in the day, I got on the phone and checked prices on having the radiator rebuilt or getting a new replacement.

I removed the old radiator and took it to a local repair shop. It was so bad that it couldn’t be repaired. A nearby NAPA store had a new replacement in stock, so off we went to get it. It took about an hour to put it in, and that solved the overheating problem for good.

Another day of goofing off and having fun. What a relief knowing that the van was fixed. We went to Oakboro, NC that evening for a car show.

I had planned on spending two nights at the most in North Carolina, but I had stayed for five instead. It was the best “campground” I ever stayed at. Toaster had a nice grassy area to rest in, and had water and power hookup. I had home cooked meals every night, full use of the house and garage, mechanical help with my van, and had lots of fun with my friends. Who could ask for more?  We packed up and hit the road by 9:30AM. Took 601 south out of Monroe, hit 151 in South Carolina, and I-95 from there. As usual, we stopped all along the way for photos and Toaster’s license plates. Finally, I could enjoy the drive and see some of the countryside instead of having my eyes glued to the van’s temperature gauge.

We took our time and made our way through South Carolina, Georgia, and into our home state of Florida. There were lots of stops made, but this time it was for fun things instead of mechanical issues. We were away from home for 12 days, and traveled 2,622 miles. Ending mileage was 195,154. The van burned 168.431 gallons of fuel, and averaged 15.6 miles per gallon. Fuel costs ranged from a low of $2.55 per gallon in Chattanooga, TN. to a high of $2.89 per gallon in Fairmont, WV. Total fuel cost: $452.75 at a rate of 17.27 cents per mile.

Overall, it was a good trip. Once I got to each destination I had fun, but the traveling was not so thrilling due to the overheating problems. In the 4 years I have owned the van, this is the first mechanical issue I have ever had with it, so no complaints. And after the new radiator was installed, the driving was very enjoyable. Not bad for a van I bought on eBay for $1200. I wouldn’t trade it for a brand new one!

Our next trip will be a fairly short one to my sister’s new farm in Woodbury, GA. That is roughly 350 miles from here. We had planned on going there during this trip, but decided to delay it for another time in the very near future. We will also go to Ashburn, GA. and hunt down the old Serro Scotty factory where Toaster was born.

Until next time,

   HAPPY CAMPING!!!