# Gotta Leave In A Hurry



## priviat

We did it!!!! We ordered a 23KRS from Lakeshore in Michigan yesterday and guess what..... it will be ready this coming monday 4/07/07. Just like that!! The thing is, I live in Spokane Washington state. We will leave this Friday night to make the trip on I90 so as to be there on monday. So the question is, when monday comes and we are hooked up in Michigan, What is it that we cannot miss on the drive back?. Gotta be to work on the 15th and we are so busy packing I dont have the time for the research. As a newbee to the group your advice is greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]


----------



## Camping Fan

Congrats on the new 23KRS!







Wow, driving from Washington state to Michigan in just over two days - yep, you've got Outback Fever and the only cure is picking up your new baby.









Michigan State Parks offer lots of camping and hiking options. It would probably be a good idea to spend at least the first night near Muskegon in case you find any problems with the trailer after you leave Lakeshore. You can find more information about the state parks at the Michigan DNR website.

If you enjoy lighthouses, there are several along the Lake Michigan shore that you might want to check out. More information here, or at this site.


----------



## hpapa4

Have a safe trip and welcome to Outbackers. You will find great advise and entertainment.


----------



## skippershe

Hi priviat
















Outbackers! 

AND Congrats on your new Roo! 









What an exciting whirlwind of a trip you have ahead!
Looking forward to hearing from you upon your return home...
Safe travels and Happy Roo'ing,


----------



## mswalt

Hey, priviat, can't help you with your quest for information, but can wish you the best and congratulate you on your wise decision to go Outback!

Enjoy!

Mark


----------



## vdub

We're on I-90 now. We got on at exit 192 (Murdo, SD) and started heading west this morning. We're now at Rapid City.

The trip from Muskegon to Spokane is 2,000 miles, so you're going to be pushing it pretty hard to get back by the 15th. We have found that traveling 350 miles per day is about all we want to do when we are towing. You can go further, but the odds of an accident go up quite a bit when you get tired -- particularly when you are driving day-after-day without any days to really rest.

It's still cold at night here, so you might want to buy a small electric heater. Night temps are in the 40's. You don't have to worry about anything freezing now, so we rarely use the furnance. The heater will keep the inside temp about 20-25 degrees above whatever the outside temp is. Also, make sure you have a good hitch and brake controller -- the crosswinds around here are kind of bad this time of year. I would not recommend driving at the posted speed limit (75). 60 mph is about all we do. During our travels, I have seen several trailers in the ditch and it looked like wind and speed was the problem.

As for things to do and see -- Badlands NP is near Wall, SD. Rapid City has Mt Rushmore and Wind Cave NP, plus a whole bunch of other stuff. The SD Air Museum is near Rapid City at Ellsworth AFB. Devil's Tower NM is just a few miles north of Sundance, WY. Custer Battlefield is about a half mile off the interstate at Crow Agency, MT. What you might do is stop at the different state vistor centers and pick up a handful of pamphlets during your trip over and figure out what you want to see on your way back.

You'll probably pass us somewhere during your trip. We plan to stay at Rapid City until the 6th, then we're heading to Devil's Tower for a day. After that, we will go to Billings for a couple days, then maybe Livingston. We will cut off of I-90 at Missoula and head west on US 12 around the 18th.


----------



## Lady Di

Welcome to Outbackers.com!









Sounds like you have quite a trip planned. Lots of driving! Stay safe and enjoy your new Outback.


----------



## priviat

thanks for all the great advice. I do want to start out slow on the way back cause i don't know when we'll be that far east again...at least without pulling a tt. Just got a call from Lakeshore. Our tt just came out from the factory doors and will be at there door weeks end. My wife and i are so excited, we'll drive till my 8yr. olds starts to resemble an angree caged animal. Did the same thing when we bought the boat...that thrill is gone...anyone want to buy a boat.


----------



## H2oSprayer

Congratulations on your new purchase. We live in northern Illinois, about 1 mile off of I90. I'm not sure how far you would like to travel your first day, but 275 miles from Lakeshore RV, right off of I90, just north of Rockford, is Rock Cut State Park. Considering that you will have to be dealing with Chicago traffic, and depending on how long your PDI takes, that may be a good location to stop for the night. BTW, don't forget that I90, from the point that you enter Illinois until you exit into Indiana or Wisconsin, is all tollway.


----------



## kjuhnke

We just got back from Lakeshore and spent one night on site at the dealer and another at PJ Hoffmaster state park which is just about 20 minutes from LakeshoreRV.

We stayed near Starved Rock State park in Illinois on the way back to Iowa, but its probably not a big enough chunk off your trip home. 
For other options, obviously you have the Black Hills & Badlands in SD, Devils Tower and Yellowstone in Wyoming, Craters of the Moon, Snake River Canyon... the list goes on. We've done the trip a couple of times pre-Outback. Can't wait to do it now that we have a trailer.

By the way what part of Washington state are you from? My wife is from Ridgefield just north of Portland.


----------



## priviat

thanks for the advice H2oSprayer. sounds like Rock Cut State Parkmay be about as far as a guy would want to go day one post purchase. We will have to pull over and reflect on our new tt. My son has his eye on Chicago for some reason. His teacher has given him a project since he is not yet out of school and he has a report do the following week. Camping Fan's lighthouse suggestions is right up my alley so i think we need to google a little more. thank goodness for the computer and the air card. we have 28hrs. to concider our options on the way over but your first hand impute is the best we could ask for. SD has alot to offer. just would hate to miss some big attractions farther east. thanks for the impute


----------



## priviat

and vdub thanks for the advice. Lakeshore is putting on an equalizer hitch w/ sway control so i hope this solves the problem and we dont meet in the ditch somewhere.


----------



## akdream

Welcome, priviat
















Take you time driving home, don't try to push it.







Enjoy your 23krs and have a great trip. If you ever get 'up north', let us know.


----------



## Nathan

Just a tip for going around Chicago. DON'T do it duing rush hour







. That would probably be an unpleasant start to your trailering experiences!!! Been there, done that. It was bad enough with a pop up. With a TT it is downright miserable.

Ok, now enjoy the trip and the new trailer!


----------



## Camping Fan

priviat said:


> Camping Fan's lighthouse suggestions is right up my alley so i think we need to google a little more. thank goodness for the computer and the air card. we have 28hrs. to concider our options on the way over


A lot of people don't realize that Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, so it's a lighthouse lovers' paradise.







Here's a link to another good site with photos, directions and GPS coordinates - LighthouseFriends.com


----------



## priviat

thanks for the light house link. gotter printed and into my to do file. we leave tomorrow after i get off work. my wife gets up to go to work at 2am so she is use to being up early. we share the driving and we may have some time before we get the roo on monday to check things out. thanks so much for the impute and we will be back on line on the 15th.


----------



## tripphammer

Here's my intinerary went I went there to pick up my 28krs: Left Helena, MT on Monday at 0700; ate dinner in Fargo, ND; went through Minneapolis at 0200 on Tuesday; arrived at Manitowoc, WI at 1030 and checked where the Ferry was (see http://www.ssbadger.com/); left Manitow @ 1200 and arrived at Ludington, MI @ 1700 (got to Sleep!!! for 4 hours on ferry since terrible rainstorm was in progress). Traveled south to Muskegon and stayed at the Holiday Inn overnight. Arrived at Lakeshore RV at 0900 on Wednesday. After PDI left and went through south Chicago becoming a first time Walmart camper at Albert Lea, MN at 2200 Wednesday night. Went to Cabela's in Owatonna in the morning (bought Honda Eu3000is after negotiating price lower than in MT (even without a sales tax) ($1850 total including tax). Arrived @ the Walmart Hilton (HUGE parking lot with 70 RV's on the side of the store in Sheridan, WY at 2200. Left Sheridan and arrived in Helena at 1500 on Friday. My friend Ray and I won $100 each from a friend who said it couldn't be done in 5 days! Heck if we hadn't spent 6 hours in Cabela's at not stopped for nourishment, I'm pretty sure we could have made it in 4 days. Anyway, since you have more time, you might want to check out Wall Drug in Wall, SD, Cabela's in Mitchell, SD, and Sturgis. SD.

Anyway, Congrats and Have Fun!
Take Care,
Tripp


----------



## priviat

boy, you earned your name on that trip, and yep can do it too but got a kid and two small dogs that want to be in contact with the ground a little. thanks for the driver over trip planner will take with me and see ya soon. yabba dabba....you know the feeling


----------



## Camping Fan

Hey priviat







, how was your trip and how is your Outback? Inquiring minds need to know.


----------



## Doxie-Doglover-Too

Howdie Neighbor!








Doxie-Kennewick,Wa


----------



## renegade21rs

Yeah, good luck with Chicago. The last time I was through there with a tt,

















and *lots *of






















!

Especially 80/94. Best suggestion I could give would be 80 west and find another way north to 90 *after* you leave Illinois.

Be safe ... our thoughts will be with you!










And enjoy your new Outback!










--> renegade


----------



## priviat

Ok, the steam has all boiled off now and I can reply on our trip. This is one that I could write a novel on but let me give you the highlights. Day 1 we left Spokane at 3pm friday. Clear sailing til some nut in a little Kia in MT decided to pass on the right and then pull into my lane and slam his breaks on. I almost ran him over in my full sized Dodge truck. I did put my two dogs and my wife in the windshield. About 30 min later I was pulled over by MT state PD and mister Kia pulled in behind. Said I ran into him. Of course this was not the case and after 2 other troopers arrived and concluded the same this guy popped a cork. They let me go as they excorted him to a cruiser screaming all the way. Well that did it. I was awake!! Sat in the truck and with the exception of the pit stops for diesel we drove all the way to Mitchel SD by mid afternoon sat. 
Nice place...cheap hotel...problem was the tornado that rolled through east of town and the sirens going off. Freaked us out and we couldnt sleep. Got in the truck and went to the Shell station in town to top her off and grab a redbull. Came out to find the auto shut off on the pump did not. Figure I spent $30 on the ground. Well that was just the thing to wake me back up. drove all the way to my 1st Bp gas station about 40 miles outside Lacrosse Wisconsin. 330am Sunday morning. I filled her up and finally gave the wheel to the wife. Sat back and dozed off for about 20 min before hearing the engine start to backfire. Had the wife pull over so I could assess the situation. Well the situation was....the green handle at a Bp does not mean diesel. I put 30+ gal. of gas in my diesel truck. 12 miles out of lacrosse 330am on the side of I90 there we sat. A feeling that I wish never to visit again. A cell phone call to my insurance company did save the hr and we made it to a tow yard. Lacrosse is a nice place and we did get to walk around alot. People were nice but no one wanted to work on the truck till monday. So we made the best of it and went out for pizza. We stayed at the hotel next door where my son spent the entire night throwing up pizza. There was no sleep to be had. However the dogs did love it and made sure nothing went to waist. 
Monday the truck was all drained and refilled and we were back on the road. We flew straight through to Lakeshore and made it there 1 hr. too late. We sat at the closed fence and had a beer. We were here.
We were Christmas eve in May. Next day came too slow but after a quick totorial from our friends at Lakeshore we were on our way. Gotta say, this is the place to buy. No regrets but sure ended up buying alot of stuff besides the trailer there. Because we had lost 2 days of our vacation to Lacrosse, the 1st night in the Outback was tues and we spent it in a place outside IL. Ok place but one dog got 2 ticks and I got one. Didnt feel good after that and neither did the dog. In fact the dog spent the night in a pet hostpital in Rushmore SD two days later and we drove from there home the following day. so much for our 1st outing. We parked her at the house and there she sits. We have actually spent more time using it in the driveway than on the road. Since my wife had to work on the 4th, we pulled in an hr. down the freeway to a rest stop just to dump the black water tank. Pretty exciting. The next vacation is on the 20th. Wish us luck....Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## vdub

Believe a trip to Blue Crick would have saved you money or at least broken even. Oh well....


----------



## H2oSprayer

WOW!! Now that's a story. Well, you can look at it this way: it can only get better!! Have fun on the 20th.


----------



## priviat

You know, We tried Blue Creek. 24000 flat was all they would do. The big boys out of Portland is a friend of my brothers and 22000 was the bottom line there. I can't say we made the wrong move. There was alot of things to see. In fact, my wife thinks we could simply sell our 2008, make a couple bucks and try it all over again next year. Yes, I did get the right girl.


----------

