Driving something different

[Wally Arntzen]

I flew from Minneapolis to Apache Junction, AZ this week to drive a truck based coach back to Minnesota for a fiend. Tom McCloud picked me up at the airport and while on the plane I realized that I left the license plate and insurance papers in my car back in Minnesota. I planed to leave be 2:00PM on Thursday and make it home in three days and had to have my wife overnight what I needed and the McClouds were kind enough to have me stay the night at there wonderful home in Mesa.
Everything came in the morning and got out of Arizona about 9:30AM. On Friday due to the late start, two hour time change and a problem with the generator I only got a little over 600 miles of a 1730 mile trip and wanted to get back by Saterday.
Saterday I after four hours of sleep I was on the road at 4:45AM and drove the entire 1130 reamaining miles and got back in Minnesota at 12:10AM Sunday morning.
This coach was a semi tractor (freightliner) with a CAT engine, automatic tranny and ran like a bandit with his pants on fire.
I drove 75 most of the way and it ran great, very comfortable but noisey due the engine being right below you. This unit is called a Toter which are primarly use by horse and racing people for pulling large 5th wheel trailers.
I would not suggest to anybody to drive long distances like I due but when I feel good and the coach is running good I love to drive and I go until I need rest. When my wife was with me I would not have been able to as far as I did.
Driving this rig makes me enjoy my Newell even more and nothing is better that the great rigs that we all have.

Wally

PS. When I had a boat my CB handle was WOW (Wide open Wally)

[encantotom]

Wally, it was fun having you at our place. I am glad you forgot the stuff so you could spend the day and nite with us. Next time i will see if i can talk darlene into letting you win at a game.

you get the ironman driving award and i bow in tribute to your feat. (in other words you are a crazy man, wide open wally),

later

tom

[chockwald]

I remember doing that kind of mileage driving to California from East Texas where we would drive 1300 miles in 24 hours, but my friend and I took 4 hour shifts, and we were 20 years old. Wally, I love the WOW handle! You da' man!!!

[Richard and Rhonda]

Wally,

How did the truck handle compared to the Newell. Specifically, attention required to keep it in the lane, and impact of crosswinds and you passing semi's. I doubt they passed you.

How long was it, and how much did it weigh?

Just curious.

[Wally Arntzen]

I think the length was 35' and I don't have any idea how much it weighed. It was heavy and i drove it about 200 miles on a single lane highway across part of New Mexico and Kansas with heavy truck traffic which did not affect the vechile at all.
It drove very well with comortable seats but was very noisey due to the engine being in the front. The rear wheels were very close to the back of the vehicle so it drove very similar to my Newell.
As far as keeping it in the driving lane, I don't do anything special when I drive a large vehicle and I seem to keep in the lanes as it should be. Just check the lane lines with the mirrors once in a while and pour the coals to it. These vehicles are made to drive and if we maintain them well they will be good to us just like a new puppy.
I am a fulltimer in our Newell but driving it and other large vehicles is what I enjoy the most.

I personally think these toter coaches are very unattractive but they are built on a semi cab and have powerfull engines and are made for hauling large horse and car racing trailers. The one I drove back was painted like a finish line flag with black and white squares and it got a lot of attention. The have the cab, living quarters and a flat deck on the rear so they can haul a 5th wheel or regular hitch type trailer. The one I drove back from New Orleans last month had fold up railings so the deck at the rear could be used as deck when parked at the track.

Both of these trips were interesting and I will do more if they buy any more in the future. It seems like this is a market that has not been inpacted as the regular RV market.

[tuga]

Has anyone ever driven a Chariot? It is a tractor (18 wheeler) cab with a motorhome attached to the rear of the tractor. I have seen a few on the road, and I often wondered if they were noisey. The ride it seems would be rough because of the tractor wheel base being short compared to a motorhome.

I would never buy one; I feel that you would lose too much space compared to a motorhome. Also, I don't think anything can compare with the ride of a Newell.

[Richard and Rhonda]

Thanks Wally