When is it too hot to travel?

[Headhunter]

We have left the oppressive Texas heat by late June for the past 16 years, always going to the mountains. This year we had planned to leave July 1 for the mountains in NM slowly making our way to Pueblo for the Newmar International Rally and not returning until after the Balloon Festival in mid-October.

Health issues have reared its ugly head. I'm scheduled for a heart cath on Monday and we'll see after that what our travel plans will be.

Getting old isn't for sissies.

To answer your question, Neal, it never gets too hot to travel it only gets too hot to stay home.

TC I hope all goes well wit the Heart cath on Monday. That is the only real way to find out whats going on with your ticker. I am speaking from experience. Had two hear caths, underwent open heart surgery on Feb 26th of this year. If I didn't have the second heart cath I would not be typing this message. Good Luck

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

TC I hope all goes well wit the Heart cath on Monday. That is the only real way to find out whats going on with your ticker. I am speaking from experience. Had two hear caths, underwent open heart surgery on Feb 26th of this year. If I didn't have the second heart cath I would not be typing this message. Good Luck

My heart cath went fine. They were concerned with my calcium score being over 1000 and with some nuclear stress test minor abnormalities with a heart valve. My cath showed only normal blockages for my age of 30-40%. So it's back to the drawing board to identify where my shortness of breath is coming from.

Thanks for your thoughts and continue to take care of your ticker. We only have one!

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Something that I ALWAYS "stress about" in the back of my mind of "contingency planning" is "What will I do if I break down here...where it's 120º?".

Don't get this wrong, but my primary concern is our dog; our beloved 85 pound Golden Retriever. Here's my reasoning; my wife can cope, follow instructions, drive (the TOAD), fend for herself to get water, etc. Our awesome dog...not so much.

So, my first trip that I really had a fear of "what if" was way back in '19 as we landed in Fort Stockton, TX where I swore my temp gauge was broken! It climbed and climbed until...when we stopped...it read 127º!!! Granted, maybe the air temp was "only" 115-120º, but the point that concerned me was how hot it was AROUND the coach and...moreso...THE PAVEMENT!!!

My wife, felt confident because she said, "hey, we have A/C in here so we'll be fine and, I always trust you to fix the problem". After thanking her for her trust, I reminded her that with pavement that's probably 150º, there's not much I'm gonna do out there.

That's when I gave her the worst case scenario to help her understand better. When it's THAT hot, and you LOSE your A/C...you're in trouble...and your pup is in trouble even FASTER! So, I told her...if we DO lose power, I'll have to put you and the dog into our TOAD and you'll just have to drive to wherever you can seek shade. AND...we'd have to carry the dog across the pavement, cuz it wouldn't take but a few steps to severely burn his paw pads.

Here's something ya don't think of...
A couple years ago I pulled into St. George, where it was a toasty 113º; cooled down from 118º across the desert though...ha. I pulled into wally world since it was just myself...generator running full steam...which concerned me as well. Gee, do I open the hood, or leave it closed for more efficient airflow? I decided to take a shower to "cool off"...WRONG!!!! My fresh water tank was full of nice WARM water...so warm that it felt like I was taken a nice hot shower on a cold night. I got the quick lesson that a partial tank heats up pretty quickly and can become almost TOO warm to use for a shower.

So yeah...traveling in the heat; anything over 98º really causes me to have "background clutter" going on that I'd rather not have.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

Traveling in heat makes us think twice. And we have very similar plans to TC above.

Maintaining the generator is high priority for us, more than just a “nice to have”, it is a critical part of contingency planning. We know we have the chassis battery and then the coach battery that can be linked for helping starting. We carry jumper cables in case we need to jump the car or the coach. Carry extra spare parts for generator; oil filters, fuel filters, air filters, oil. Also carry extra fuel-safe tubing and a few hose clamps.
We just replaced one of the 3 A/C units, keeping a close eye on the others.
We are also one of those “early” risers who are the first to leave campgrounds, so we can be on the road when it is cooler - sometimes stopping for a couple-hour mid afternoon break to avoid peak heat hours.

We work hard to avoid road traveling when it is anywhere near 90F.
This also allows us to not have to use the coach/house AC while driving, reducing the potential for extra mechanical stress on A/C from road bumps while running.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

You guys would never survive or at least never travel if you lived in Texas from early June to late September. I had to drive 200 miles today with a temperature of 99℉. My dash air kept the front 15' or more comfortable. I will run the genset and roof a/c if we stop for lunch but otherwise, I use only the dash air. My Newmar basement is well insulated and doesn't get near ambient temps, summer or winter.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

You guys would never survive or at least never travel if you lived in Texas from early June to late September. I had to drive 200 miles today with a temperature of 99℉. My dash air kept the front 15' or more comfortable. I will run the genset and roof a/c if we stop for lunch but otherwise, I use only the dash air. My Newmar basement is well insulated and doesn't get near ambient temps, summer or winter.

You are right - we considered moving to Texas - but we weren’t cool with the heat.

 

[Scooterfan]

Yup, head to the coast or north in the summer. We’re going to the N Cal coast in July then Im making an adventure out of going to Coburg Or for a windshield in the coach, then out to the Oregon coast. Should be able to beat the heat just fine. I’ve traveled throughout the South during the summer many times, and for the reasons you mentioned and a few more, I’m considering that one checked off the list.

Awesome Rich...we did the same thing last summer. Left in 110* temps all the way to Colburg, OR. Had windshield replaced (you will be impressed with the facility) then headed to Newport, OR. The coast was 60-65* for the next 7 days. It was awesome. Have a wonderful trip. Blessings

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

You are right - we considered moving to Texas - but we weren’t cool with the heat.

Don't forget there is a rattlesnake under almost all rocks. Scorpions are a common bedfellows. Alligators have almost completely taken over most freshwater lakes and rivers not to mention that the great white sharks patrol the beaches. The cost of homes is through the roof and taxes are following them. Our road system is non-existent and we will be without drinking water by 2026. We have one charging station for every 2,312 EVs. The gulf is rising at such a rate downtown Houston will have water up to the 4th floor of all buildings. Our electric grid is so out of date we have rolling brownouts daily in the summer with a few blackouts thrown in for kicks.

Hot weather, that's the least of our problems. Welcome to Texas.

I admit, I plagiarised this from the local chamber of commerce.

 

[Scooterfan]

This year (we are headed to Utah) in what is forecasted to be 100* (Some 110*) the entire time We only have one long travel day, so I'm going to have to run the generator with A/C while underway. Not a fan of this practice but this time it's a must. My dash air doesn't cut it in extreme heat.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

“But it’s a dry heat!”