About to make a 2200 mile drive

m9199

VibraJeeper
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2019
Messages
104
Location
Biloxi, MS
I've got orders to move across the country. 2200 miles in 7 days with all of my worldly possessions. Anything I should be aware of, before I set out?

I'm planning on doing an oil change, and bleeding my brakes that I definitely should have bled months ago.

Also, recommendations on how to not die of boredom on the straight Texas highways?
 
The only recommendation I can make is to go around Texas. What's your ultimate destination?
Biloxi, MS. If I'm willing to extend my drive by a day, there's a good rout that misses Texas. Is there a specific reason you say to avoid TX?
 
#1 reason is we don't like driving through TX. We rode through there going home from CO on the motorcycle to Mobile, AL and my wife fell asleep while we were going 70 mph. It is boring as hell. Sorry to all the TX peeps on here, just calling it like I see it. I'd say stay off the interstates but every town you come to the speed limit drops to 35 and takes for ever to get anywhere.

I'd take I 40 through the panhandle and then get through OK and start heading south from there.

We liked living on the Gulf Coast. Not too much wheeling there but there are some good forest service roads just north of there. It is HOT and HUMID!!!
 
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Ok, I see what you're saying. Sadly Google maps mobile doesn't offer too much route customization. I'll have to take a look when I get back to my computer. Right now it's suggesting taking I-40, then cutting through Dallas. Is that area as flat and boring?
 
I10 in TX is 880 miles! I would avoid Dallas and Houston at all costs. You can take 287 across TX from Amarillo. It is 4 lane for a lot of that and avoids all the big cities. You can then start dropping down south once past Dallas. I would avoid I10 in Louisiana until you get to Baton Rouge. Especially if you are pulling a trailer. You will get beat to death! Once past there, it is a breeze on I10 to Biloxi.
 
I10 in TX is 880 miles! I would avoid Dallas and Houston at all costs. You can take 287 across TX from Amarillo. It is 4 lane for a lot of that and avoids all the big cities. You can then start dropping down south once past Dallas. I would avoid I10 in Louisiana until you get to Baton Rouge. Especially if you are pulling a trailer. You will get beat to death! Once past there, it is a breeze on I10 to Biloxi.
Awesome, thanks for the help.
 
Ok, I see what you're saying. Sadly Google maps mobile doesn't offer too much route customization. I'll have to take a look when I get back to my computer. Right now it's suggesting taking I-40, then cutting through Dallas. Is that area as flat and boring?
I live in OKC and worked in Hobbs NM for awhile. The drive from Amarillo to OKC on I40 sucks so bad. Nothing to look at and it takes forever.
 
Back in 1990 I PCS'd from Pensacola FL to San Diego CA in my CJ-5. Interstate 10 from P'Cola to Casa Grande AZ, then I8 to San Diego. The only thing that kept me from going totally off the rails traveling through Texas was cranking up the tunes on my cassette stereo and singing along at the top of my lungs while pounding out the beat on my steering wheel. Arrived in San Diego after three days of driving straight through, with my sanity intact (relatively speaking, I am a Jeeper, after all) but having lost all ability to speak. Made checking in at my new command a bit more interesting than it really needed to be, but it was worth it. These days I try to stay off the interstates when I'm traveling long distance, even if it costs me an extra day or two of travel time. Easier on me, easier on my Jeep.
 
I did a 3k mile trip 6 months ago. Taking the side highways instead of the interstate helped.
Download lots of comedy shows. Comedy helps me stay awake.
Podcasts.

Is it a hard or soft top?
 
I've got a leaky hard top.

Okay! To help with the noise take a towel and stuff it in between the hard top and roll bars. You can put a strip of Velcro near the front and rear of the hardtop room to hold it up. This really helps with the noise. It's a cheap DIY header/deadening. Just make sure it doesn't fall on you while driving!
 
Take plenty of rest stops and try not to go past 1/2 tank on fuel. It gives you a chance to take a break. You can probably go for 5-600 miles on a good day . Watch the weather also. And just enjoy the ride. Main thing.
 
I wouldn't worry about it as long as your TJ is in good shape mechanically.
 
I've got orders to move across the country. 2200 miles in 7 days with all of my worldly possessions. Anything I should be aware of, before I set out?

I'm planning on doing an oil change, and bleeding my brakes that I definitely should have bled months ago.

Also, recommendations on how to not die of boredom on the straight Texas highways?

Ugh, you gotta drive through Tx to get to Biloxi? Thought about just calling it and going AWOL somewhere nicer?

Just kidding man, but for real that drive through TX is the worst. I did it a few times back in the days of AM/FM/cassette only, at least today you have podcasts and whatever music your heart desires. Good luck on that haul, makes me reminisce of the days of getting orders to a place I've never been and diving in.
 
Ok, I see what you're saying. Sadly Google maps mobile doesn't offer too much route customization. I'll have to take a look when I get back to my computer. Right now it's suggesting taking I-40, then cutting through Dallas. Is that area as flat and boring?

The best thing about Google Maps is that you can customize the route yourself.

When I don't like what I see I just start out with a shorter trip to different city then add my destination. I tried Santa Cruz to Tulsa then Biloxi. It uses less Texas but it does add 3 or so extra hours. Maybe there's a different city than Tulsa that would work better, I just grabbed what was I saw first.

Google maps is also way better than any GPS I ever used. It doesn't say "In 500 feet make a U-turn" 39+ times to get you back on the route you decided to leave. Sometimes it tries to take you back a couple times but usually it just reroutes the trip. It might not be a great idea for a trip as long as yours but I've done that on trips up to a couple hundred miles and really liked it. Unfortunately the wife hates when I do stuff like that.