My Travels

I don't know if anyone's noticed, but I haven't been around recently. That's because I'm busy taking the new love of my life, er, RL, through the road trip paces. I couldn't wait to pass the 800-mile break-in period. As soon as I did, I have spent the last two weekends taking my RL first to Yosemite and then to Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park - which I just returned from.

My first trip was a day-trip to Yosemite. This is the first time I've ever done a non-camping trip to Yosemite, and, um, I don't recommend it. The four-plus hour drive back at the end of a long day's hike is rough, to say the least. That said, the RL navigated both the steep incline and many switchbacks and tight turns of the 120 like a champion. I've never felt more comfortable in truck than I did in my RL (with a Suburban and Land Cruiser as my sample data for comparison). I didn't exactly go flying down the mountain, but I wasn't lurching and rolling down either. I felt very confident in the curves and the engine provided more than enough power during the ascent, although I was going to save my final prognosis on the engine power for the next trip since I was only carrying one passenger and almost no gear.

The Kings Canyon trip was a fully-loaded weekend camping trip. I had four people, a trunk full of camping equipment, and a bed half-full of tied-down backpacks and gear. This trip called for an ascent of five or six thousand feet up the 180. Even though this highway did not have nearly the death-defying curves and switchbacks of the 120, it was still a good climb. My RL handled it like a champ! Both the ascent and the curves were absolutely no problem. Many other trucks and cars were using the turn-outs to let me pass (thank you polite drivers of country roads). The ride was very comfortable. Anecdotal testimonials provided by my passengers suggests that the ride for them was more comfortable than most/all SUV's they've been in. As for comparisons to other trucks, absolutely no contest. Needless to say, this brought a wide smile to my face.

Of course, this would not be a complete account of my trips unless I relayed the MANY comments and "reverse sightings" I received along the way. Every time I stopped for gasoline or to see a man about a mule, someone would come up and strike up a conversation about the truck. At one point, I was idling in the parking lot at Crescent Meadows, and was being eyed by a park ranger. I asked him if I needed to move (I was kind of blocking the passage-way while waiting for another car to move), and he just smiled and said, "No, I was just admiring your truck" This, of course, led to a discussion about the versatility and in-bed trunk. When I got back in the truck, my girlfriend just moaned and said, "Again?"

Well, that's about it for this month. Next month I'm actually flying somewhere (boo!). Man, I wish I could drive to Europe in this thing. Hee hee, thanks for reading. Have fun!

Tim