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Madison Motorsports
22.5 hours, 794 miles, 9.5" of snow, 1 Trailer! - Printable Version

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22.5 hours, 794 miles, 9.5" of snow, 1 Trailer! - PDenbigh - 02-13-2006

Long story short:

18' Dual Axle, 4 electric brakes, dovetail, wood deck, and blingin' wheels ;-), and a not-so-blingin' spare.

[Image: IMG_5857%20(Small).JPG]

So three weeks ago, I put a deposit down on a trailer in Mt. Croghan, SC, just south of the SC/NC border. My intension was to go down that weekend to pick it up, but work didn't allow it. I needed to get my car to Fredricksburg to have a couple of things done to it that require a lift, so I just rented a uHaul trailer. I thought that I'd get my trailer the next weekend. Well, that didnt' work out either.

So, I finnaly found a way, I had a meeting in Charlotte, NC on Saturday, so I got the trailer after that and headed back!

Here's the wild story ;-)
I was on I-81 at 5:30am Saturday morning. I arrived in Charlotte, NC around 10:00 and sit down to a three hour meeting. Meeting went great, so I was high on life. Headed on down to Croghan, SC about 1.5 hours south, and picked up the trailer. All went great excecept that my electric brakes didnt' work. I just wired the brake controller and hadn't tested it, so I wasn't suprised really. I figured that I'd be ok, since I towed G's trailer and my car all the way to Watkin's Glen last year w/o brakes. Scary, but doable.

So it's about 3:30 when I decide that "I paid for these brakes, AND my BC, maybe it's just a fuse" so I stop at an Advance Auto and check fuses. No dice. 30 mintues later I hop back on the road, destined for Fredricksburg, VA to pick up the XR and bring it back to Harrisonburg!

The trip is uneventful, that is, until right after Richmond, when the No-easter kicked in. Now driving in the snow is no big deal to me. Good truck, good tires, and 4x4. But I'd never pulled a trailer in the snow. And those that know snow know that 4x4 helps get you going and keep you straight, but stopping is still limited to friction. Now, not only am I stopping myself, I'm stopping a trailer w/o brakes. Ok, slow it down, look ahead, sweet. Make it to Fredricksburg around 11:00pm. By this time there's about 3" of snow on the ground and the roads are completlely covered.

Next challange, driving the XR onto a trailer in 3" of snow.
Well, first, I had to jumpstart the XR. I don't have a jump box, so I had to menuver the F-150+trailer close to the XR. Ok, done, XR is there lobing away.

So I pull out the ramps and smile because they'er mine 8-), and then I clear a short runway to the trailer so that the XR has a hope of traction. By this time, the wood deck on the trailer is icing over.

I get the XR ligned up, get out to make sure it looks good, and gently accellerate and hit the ramps. A little spinning, but remarkably uneventful, the XR makes it to the deck of the trailer and slides to a stop, 2" off center (right-left) and dead on front-back. Luck!

So I get out my new straps, never used, and figure out how to get them on. Strapped down, good to go!

By now there's at least another .5-1 inch of snow all around. I hope back in the truck and give it a few test stops.

By now, I'm in my 5500?lbish F-150 and I'm towing 4700 pounds. 4" of snow and man that thing does NOT like stopping. I thought to myself that this is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the stupidest thing I have ever done.
My logic was that I only have 4 days to get my XR in condition for VIR, that I am NOT going to loose. So, off on 17 I go!

My average speed along Rt 17 to 66 hovered around 35mph. I got a feel for the rig and did fine. I had about a 1/2 tank of gas, but decided to fill up for the 4th time just in case I got stuck, I could let the truck idle all night to keep me warm.

I hit 66 and was the only one on the road except for the salt trucks. By now things were getting bad, even in my definantion. There was one path through the snow, somewhere between the yellow and white lines. I could tell when I wasn't on the right part thanks to the snow-covered rumble strips.

About 12 disabled/wrekced/stuck cars into 66, a poor 2wd car flys off in front of me in spectacular fashion. I was easly 1000 yards behind him, and it was all I could to to slow from 35mph to about 5 so that I could avoid him as he bounced across the road. Now I'm not easy to shake up behind the wheel, but after that my legs were shaking.

Around 1:00am I make it to I-81. Constantly checking the GPS I see my ETA at this speed is around 2:30am. 10:30pm is late for me, 2:30 am is nuts. Grab another Mt. Dew and hunker down!

On I-81 I pass the convoy of salt trucks doing the best they can to make the road passable for the dumbasses out there at 2am. I have a lot of this on video, I'll share it some time. I passes two normal salt trucks, and then slowly passes (at about 25mph) a road grader (the 6 wheeled kind, blade in the middle) that was getting the worse of it. Now, I'm blazing the trail. Dumb move, but if 35mph was going to get me there at 2:30am, 25mph woudl have pushed it to 3:15 or later.

Finally, I roll into exit 247, amazed and thankful that I made it. I give my truck a pat on the dash. I barely make it up the little driveway to my neighborhood. By now there's about 8 inches of snow. I back the trailer into a spot (suprisingly hard in 8 inches of snow) and unhook it. 2:50am, 794 miles, 4 20oz Dew's later, I make it to bed.

Damnit I have a trailer, and the XR was home, and I was alive and better for the experience. But NEVER again. At least, without trailer brakes ;-).

Pics:

Just finished loading the trailer in Fredricksburg:
[Image: IMG_5859%20(Small).JPG]

Natures version of a ricer bumper:
[Image: IMG_5864%20(Small).JPG]

[Image: IMG_5861%20(Small).JPG]


It also hit me as I ended my trip that I did a big loop around VIR, came within spitting distance of VMP, and was about 20 miles from Summit, all in one day :-).

- Andy - 02-13-2006

Pete, you're a damn maniac.

- G.Irish - 02-13-2006

I started laughing as soon as I got to
Quote:And those that know snow know that 4x4 helps get you going and keep you straight, but stopping is still limited to friction.

It'll get you going but it won't help you stop Tongue

I swear every year I wonder how we're gonna top ourselves and every year somehow we do.

- Sijray21 - 02-13-2006

wow...perfect example of dedication. Good job Pete!

- Feersty - 02-13-2006

Good job Petey. I couldn't have done it.

- PDenbigh - 02-13-2006

G.Irish Wrote:I started laughing as soon as I got to
Quote:And those that know snow know that 4x4 helps get you going and keep you straight, but stopping is still limited to friction.

It'll get you going but it won't help you stop Tongue

I swear every year I wonder how we're gonna top ourselves and every year somehow we do.

I will die a happy man if I never top that trip ;-).

- Mike - 02-13-2006

holy shitballs, you're insane.

- .RJ - 02-13-2006

I think Pete is my hero. Completely insane...

- Kaan - 02-13-2006

you shoulda just ventured up to my house 30 min north of Fredricksburg and crashed out. But instead you pulled a "pete" and actually lived to post pictures and a nice little write up. Sure i probably would have tried to keep moving like you did... but i would have had a bent truck, trailer, and car to post up!

- JohnC - 02-13-2006

Nice story Pete.

Did you find that trailer on eBay? I remember when I was looking at trailers, there was a company down in SC that had new trailers for cheap...

- PDenbigh - 02-13-2006

JohnC Wrote:Nice story Pete.

Did you find that trailer on eBay? I remember when I was looking at trailers, there was a company down in SC that had new trailers for cheap...

Yep!

- Evan - 02-13-2006

JohnC Wrote:Nice story Pete.

Did you find that trailer on eBay? I remember when I was looking at trailers, there was a company down in SC that had new trailers for cheap...
link?

- PDenbigh - 02-13-2006

This is the basic trailer. I started adding stuff, like the nice wheels and the extra 2' for $100.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=4607868328&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... AMEWA%3AIT</a><!-- m -->

- BLINGMW - 02-13-2006

Feersty Wrote:Good job Petey. I couldn't have done it.

Don't feel too bad. No-one can do, nor should attempt, what Pete can pull off! :lol:

- ScottyB - 02-13-2006

great story, you're balls-out insan-o

Re: 22.5 hours, 794 miles, 9.5" of snow, 1 Trailer! - white_2kgt - 02-13-2006

PDenbigh Wrote:4 20oz Dew's later, I make it to bed.

Just 4? Gezz, you needed the 'big cup' :lol:

glad you got the trailer finally man. now do yourself a favor and don't mess w/ the brakes, you will be fine at VIR.

- John - 02-13-2006

PDenbigh Wrote:This is the basic trailer. I started adding stuff, like the nice wheels and the extra 2' for $100.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=4607868328&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... AMEWA%3AIT</a><!-- m -->

I guess I did better than I thought...

- PDenbigh - 02-13-2006

So, what exactly was the point of that comment? Seriously? Because personally I'm offended. Sorta like "hey, I see that you're happy about your new purchase, now let me show you how you actually got ripped"

- white_2kgt - 02-13-2006

PDenbigh Wrote:So, what exactly was the point of that comment? Seriously? Because personally I'm offended. Sorta like "hey, I see that you're happy about your new purchase, now let me show you how you actually got ripped"

you know you got a good deal. dual axel, dove tail, allow wheels and 18' open deck or wooden, under 2k is a smokin deal. Trailers really hold their value. You looked at enough of them to know that. Hell my dads 20 yr old 16' sold for 1k.

- Dave - 02-14-2006

PDenbigh Wrote:So, what exactly was the point of that comment? Seriously? Because personally I'm offended. Sorta like "hey, I see that you're happy about your new purchase, now let me show you how you actually got ripped"
I just took it to mean that must have felt that he had gotten ripped off on his and saw that it was actually a fair price afterall (I don't know what either of you paid, that's just my interpretation).