So I have a friend who just got married a few months ago and lives in Texas, Long story short her husband is cheating on her and choose the other women to be with. She wants to come back to Michigan to move back with family and friends. It's a long time friend of mine, one who I have had a few months since the last time I spoke to her but I know she seriously needs help getting back and it's a long road alone.
Anyways it's about a 1,300mile drive each way. The weather looks decent for driving. Her truck is 4x4 mine is 4x2. I know I cannot expect others to decide for me but I think it would be interesting to see what kind of reactions I get from others on the site. Also gas will be around $130 each way (Guessing $2 gallon). If I drove down with my truck then we followed each other back I would at least need to take 2 days off of work which would be unpaid. I hate too but you gotta do what you gotta do for friends.
If I were to fly down it would cost at least $280 for airfare and I would still need to take a day off of work by the sounds of things.
Or should I say No it's too short notice I cannot help? I hate too because I'm one of those guys who will give you the shirt off his back if you are a friend and it would help you out.
I know what it's like to have a friend in need. I would fly down and drive back. I know the expense is a little higher, but if you drive down there and follow back, it sounds like you guys will still be riding by yourselves in the vehicle on the way back. If you fly down and take turns driving, might make the trip a little less dragging.
Good luck and have a safe trip if you do head out!
Quote from: HeatherLuvsMud on December 11, 2008, 05:11:05 PM
I know what it's like to have a friend in need. I would fly down and drive back. I know the expense is a little higher, but if you drive down there and follow back, it sounds like you guys will still be riding by yourselves in the vehicle on the way back. If you fly down and take turns driving, might make the trip a little less dragging.
Good luck and have a safe trip if you do head out!
x2
i would fly out and drive back with her...
long trip by yourself! plus by the time you drive out there you will be tired as p00 and then have to drive all the way back
1300 miles in 2 days is a good stretch considering stops.. ie.. fuel,food, stretch etc...
(70 mph X 10 hours = 700 miles, add 4-6 hrs for fuel/breaks/food etc..)
you also double your chances of a breakdown..
you will increase your drive time due to.. 1 driver for each vehicle (rest breaks will be needed)
you will drive down.. without much of a break you will need to drive back (see above)
double your cost in fuel (X2 vehicles)
If you are not accustomed to driving long distances... trust me.. it's harder on you than you think..
Minimal days to complete the trip... 5. assuming she is in NE Texas (Dallas/Ft Worth)
if you need to go to Houston/ ElPaso/Laredo/Galvaston etc... add 1 day in each direction.
Fly down..
1 day there (hell, couple of hours)
you can sleep on the way, arrive rested..
inflight breakdowns are a bit of an issue though.. motor quits on the truck is one thing...
2 can drive a single vehicle better than 1
fuel/time savings pay for the flight..
your time off is cut by at least 2 days
Good luck..
i would definately fly down and drive back with her. no sense in both of you driving back alone.
fly down,(one way ticket cant cost to much) rent a uhaul,load stuff up & put the miles on that...
fly down and help her get back up here! thats what I would do to help out a friend!
fly down drive back
FLY GET IT DONE
i would drive down pull a trailer put her truck on that loud both trucks, becase i know mine would make it with out bracking down i just did that last year texas and back drove 19 hours strait down sleep 4 hours went to the bar closed that sleep 4 more hours louded up drove strait back
Quote from: HeatherLuvsMud on December 11, 2008, 05:11:05 PM
I know what it's like to have a friend in need. I would fly down and drive back. I know the expense is a little higher, but if you drive down there and follow back, it sounds like you guys will still be riding by yourselves in the vehicle on the way back. If you fly down and take turns driving, might make the trip a little less dragging.
Good luck and have a safe trip if you do head out!
x3
i say fly down and drive back with her just my 2 cents :+)
I would fly down and drive back.
Fly down, drive back. You're a good guy for helping.
Quote from: mudmomma on December 12, 2008, 02:07:13 AM
Quote from: HeatherLuvsMud on December 11, 2008, 05:11:05 PM
I know what it's like to have a friend in need. I would fly down and drive back. I know the expense is a little higher, but if you drive down there and follow back, it sounds like you guys will still be riding by yourselves in the vehicle on the way back. If you fly down and take turns driving, might make the trip a little less dragging.
Good luck and have a safe trip if you do head out!
x4
x5
id fly down with out a seckent thought, but im a surt off my back guy like you
like hammer lane said cost of fule will off set plane tickit and thats a long ride hope you know how to put 5 lbs of p00 in a 3 lb bag a truck and traler fill pritty quick
Thanks everyone for your responses!
Last night I met with her family and her brother and I decided we are leaving to drive down about 4am on Saturday, I just drove to Florida and back for Thanksgiving so the long distance thing doesn't really bother me. We plan to get there load up my truck and rent a U-Haul trailer if needed and tow it back, I also have 2 way radios to talk between the trucks, she also has 2 dogs and 1 cat coming back in her truck. Anything we need to check out on the trailer? I have heard horror stories about their trailers having wheels lock up and causing the vehicle to roll, etc.
When I asked my boss for the 2 days off of work he had a bit of hesitation but said it's okay, but it's unpaid. I said that's fine it needs to get done and I appreciate it lots and I said I will bring my laptop and I will work from the road.
I did some math 1,300miles / 19mpg = 68 Gallons * $2/gallon = $136+/- Each way in Gas alone so that's roughly $272+/- total, but it still beats airfare by a few bucks for a one way ticket $281(cheapest going to 4 airports and taking about 8 hours).
I've never been to Texas, but I won't call this a vacation but we already said we will make the best of it and hit up a waffle house or some other places we can't get back home on the way.
This is the truck we are driving down 2005 Silverado 4.3L 5speed (Picture is from my last Florida trip)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/tbug94/05Silverado/truckFL.jpg)
becareful & have fun... ==djdj ROAD TRIP! ==djdj
I did this same thing earlier this year to get my mom home from tennessee but i flew down and drove a rental truck back always remember a firend in need is a friend indeed and you are definitely a friend wish i had more friends like that good luck and have a safe trip and as far as break downs go make sure you take a St.Christopher with you (the patron saint of travel) again good luck and godspeed
thanks again everyone for your support, talk to you when I get back.
ok Trailer... make sure the lights work I had to rewire one after I picked it up to get back to michigan from florida also remember depending on trailer and weight you gas milage is cut down
Hey guys,
I'm driving down the highway with my buddy in the passenger seat and towing a Loaded Enclosed 6' x 12' Tandem Trailer behind us, then all of a sudden we hit some black ice on a bridge and the rear end of the truck breaks loose, my buddy yells a few choice words and holds on as we go left and right then start going towards a wall I correct then we are going towards a drop off without a rail, then I correct again and the trailer by this time jack knifes and we spin around in a circle where we are facing the wrong way we managed to stop us about a foot from the drop off. We sit for a minute catch our breath, then get out really quick take a look at everything, luckily it's fine connected so we get back in the truck in case someone else slides at the same part we figured we are better off in the truck. Then we looked up the Arkansas highway patrol number which goes to a voice mail greeting, so we hang up and debate what to do, and call 911, I talk to the operator and she tells me all units are tending to accidents and it may be a while, this is when a unit pulls up, So I get out and go over and talk to him. He says to drive backwards down the shoulder, I said I was afraid you were going to say that, I start backing down the trailer in the dark and I'm taking it slow, so the cop walks up and asks if he can try, I said sure, he hops in the truck and backs it up quickly and then in a gap of traffic he pulls a U-Turn like it's nothing, my buddy was as amazed as I was, I shook his hand and he sent us on our way. We stop at the next exit catch our breath at a gas station and talked about it and figured we would get some sort of counter weight for the truck, so we go buy 320# dirt from a home depot, load it up over the wheels of the truck, things feel much better and figure we are good to go, as we get back on the expressway the ramp is slick so we take it slow, we get on and get to another bridge and start to slide but this time both trucks slide, we figure next exit we are getting off at the next exit and getting a hotel room for the night, after we got to the hotel my buddy said he doesn't think he could of handled it as calmly as I did and His sister said she would for sure have had a bad outcome.
We got to the hotel there was quite a few transfer trucks in the lot, throughout the night more and more transfer trucks appear and by the time we wake up there are transfer trucks lining all the streets and the lots are over flowing. I walked to the nearest truck stop in the morning and everyone there said the police shut down the highways last night. So we waited around until we saw the transfer trucks head back for the road then we hit the road and made it to Kentucky before it started to freeze outside and my friends not wanting a repeat of the night before called it a night, so we didn't get back til about 5pm Wednesday night, it was weird cause it was 25 hours to get there and 3 days to get back. I'm glad to be home, I have gotten better with backing up the trailer and managed to get it up an unplowed/shoved driveway with no problems in a 4x2 truck. There is my adventure story for the week.
woww glad you made it ok ==cl
glad no one was hurt woww ==dj
Quote from: tcb on December 18, 2008, 07:35:28 PM
Hey guys,
I'm driving down the highway with my buddy in the passenger seat and towing a Loaded Enclosed 6' x 12' Tandem Trailer behind us, then all of a sudden we hit some black ice on a bridge and the rear end of the truck breaks loose, my buddy yells a few choice words and holds on as we go left and right then start going towards a wall I correct then we are going towards a drop off without a rail, then I correct again and the trailer by this time jack knifes and we spin around in a circle where we are facing the wrong way we managed to stop us about a foot from the drop off. We sit for a minute catch our breath, then get out really quick take a look at everything, luckily it's fine connected so we get back in the truck in case someone else slides at the same part we figured we are better off in the truck. Then we looked up the Arkansas highway patrol number which goes to a voice mail greeting, so we hang up and debate what to do, and call 911, I talk to the operator and she tells me all units are tending to accidents and it may be a while, this is when a unit pulls up, So I get out and go over and talk to him. He says to drive backwards down the shoulder, I said I was afraid you were going to say that, I start backing down the trailer in the dark and I'm taking it slow, so the cop walks up and asks if he can try, I said sure, he hops in the truck and backs it up quickly and then in a gap of traffic he pulls a U-Turn like it's nothing, my buddy was as amazed as I was, I shook his hand and he sent us on our way. We stop at the next exit catch our breath at a gas station and talked about it and figured we would get some sort of counter weight for the truck, so we go buy 320# dirt from a home depot, load it up over the wheels of the truck, things feel much better and figure we are good to go, as we get back on the expressway the ramp is slick so we take it slow, we get on and get to another bridge and start to slide but this time both trucks slide, we figure next exit we are getting off at the next exit and getting a hotel room for the night, after we got to the hotel my buddy said he doesn't think he could of handled it as calmly as I did and His sister said she would for sure have had a bad outcome.
We got to the hotel there was quite a few transfer trucks in the lot, throughout the night more and more transfer trucks appear and by the time we wake up there are transfer trucks lining all the streets and the lots are over flowing. I walked to the nearest truck stop in the morning and everyone there said the police shut down the highways last night. So we waited around until we saw the transfer trucks head back for the road then we hit the road and made it to Kentucky before it started to freeze outside and my friends not wanting a repeat of the night before called it a night, so we didn't get back til about 5pm Wednesday night, it was weird cause it was 25 hours to get there and 3 days to get back. I'm glad to be home, I have gotten better with backing up the trailer and managed to get it up an unplowed/shoved driveway with no problems in a 4x2 truck. There is my adventure story for the week.
Thanks x2+, we were amazed we were perfectly fine, my buddy would not drive after that so I did the rest of the driving, 2 other weird things happened, we had a power inverter for the laptop and when we plugged it in it exploded and filled the cab with smoke (this was on the way down) then we got a Check Engine light in Texas but it went off we went switched to Premium gas.
See, tried to tell ya.. ;D
but just think of the story ya got to tell now.. woww ==whew ==omg ==djdj ==high5 ==roxx
pretty sure i would have crapped myself
Quote from: Hammerlane on December 23, 2008, 12:24:00 AM
See, tried to tell ya.. ;D
but just think of the story ya got to tell now.. woww ==whew ==omg ==djdj ==high5 ==roxx
funny thing I was telling my buddy I posted about the trip on got mud and they said driving is double the chance for breakdown, etc
Quote from: Squirell on December 23, 2008, 02:15:25 AM
pretty sure i would have crapped myself
when I told my boss the story he asked if the cop gave us fresh underwear
I'd drive nothing like a good ole fashioned road trip
I would fly there then drive back