Join me (Madmanx) as I do the 2015 Manx Over The Falls

[rzeller]

I've been told the first thing you have to do is make a commitment, so let this serve as my commitment to drive our dune buggy
from Wilmington, NC to Manx Over The Falls in Buffalo, NY. One-way distance 1080 miles (the return trip is slightly shorter). My plan is
outlined below by date, days, distance, and duration. If you would like to join this journey at any point along the route, please let me know.
I'm excited, anxious, and nervous all at the same time since I've never tried something like this before in our buggy. More planning and
details will be added to this thread as the departure date gets closer.


Day 1 (Monday): 22 Jun 2015 - 7 hours 363 miles
Wilmington, NC to Salisbury, MD
Link to the route (click on the link and zoom for greater detail): https://goo.gl/maps/cSLtL




Day 2: (Tuesday): 23 Jun 2015 - 5 hours 30 min 264 miles
Salisbury, MD to Port Jervis, NY
Link to the route (click on the link and zoom for greater detail): https://goo.gl/maps/po4UJ



Day 3: (Wednesday): 24 Jun 2015 - 6 hours 35 min 374 miles
Port Jervis, NY to Buffalo, NY
Link to the route (click on the link and zoom for greater detail): https://goo.gl/maps/Q7eB9




Overall Route: (Monday - Wednesday): 22-24 Jun 2015
Wilmington, NC to Buffalo, NY
Link to the route (click on the link and zoom for greater detail): https://goo.gl/maps/YjsOM
You'll notice I've strategically avoided driving through PA completely due to a "slight" misunderstanding years ago




Are there more direct routes to Buffalo? Yes, but this is about family, friends, and the journey for me. I'm going to spend time
in my old home town (Port Jervis) and see my family. My route also allows me to take a very scenic drive along Rt 97 (hugs the
Delaware River along the NY/PA border). There is a winding section of the road on the outskirts of Port Jervis call The Hawk's Nest.
Not exactly the PCH but the views are spectacular non-the-less. Have a look.

Before:


Today:


A few buggies are planning to meet me in Port Jervis and caravan the last leg to Buffalo. Meeting arrangements will be
posted as the date gets closer.

Here we go!

[abgiles]

Without any experience myself, it looks like a good plan. I am hoping my work schedule allows me to attend. If I can, I'll be joining the caravan.

[73SpeedBuggy]

Looks like a great route Bud, hopefully I can meet up with you en route. I'm dying to hear the Pennsylvania story now.

[rzeller]

Looks like a great route Bud, hopefully I can meet up with you en route. I'm dying to hear the Pennsylvania story now.

Very cool. As the time draws nearer I'll post more details about the route and expected meet times.

Actually there isn't a PA story (or at least one I'm willing to share publicly ). The route through eastern NC, VA, MD, and NJ was selected because Paul (pongok910) was gracious enough to drive with me from northern NC to NJ so I didn't have to travel alone. There is a good chance I'll be driving solo and as excited as I am to do this, solo driving didn't sound like much fun. The hugging of the PA/NY border is because I wanted to drive Rt 97 (Hawk's Nest) out of PJ. It just happens to follow the Delaware River which defines the PA/NY boarder. I'm actually well liked in PA At least that's what the judge said.

[rich.roy.9]

You are so damn lucky Mr Zeller


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[abgiles]

Bud,
Does your time estimate per day account for fuel/food/bathroom stops and traffic, or is that just the driving times? Wanting to join you on this, but still don't have a firm schedule of my licensing class yet. Also going to be pushing the finishing of the build, but should be done and have shakedown done by then.

Brian

[rzeller]

Bud,
Does your time estimate per day account for fuel/food/bathroom stops and traffic, or is that just the driving times? Wanting to join you on this, but still don't have a firm schedule of my licensing class yet. Also going to be pushing the finishing of the build, but should be done and have shakedown done by then.

Brian

Brian,

These are just driving times (based on Google estimates). Since the first and second leg will only be with me and Paul Mabin (Paul will join partially during day 1 and depart part way through day 2), I don't see either of us spending much time chit chatting over food breaks, and we certainly don't need any bathroom breaks The third day, departing Port Jervis, I will be meeting a few others who may be driving in from Long Island, Jersey, and possibly PA. We'll set a departure time and just start driving.

One way to keep track of us will be via Life360. There will be at least two of us on it.

Let me know when you have a good idea of your plan. FYI, departure date is only 63 days away.

Hope you make it.

Bud

[rzeller]

Time for an update since I'm less than five weeks away from the start of my personal journey to drive our dune buggy ~1100 miles from Wilmington, NC to the MOTF 2015 in Buffalo, NY. The return trip will be ~800 miles.

My itinerary has been modified since the start of this post until now. The purpose of providing the detail below is to invite anyone that would like to join me the opportunity to see the route and schedule. I am making the "TO" trip a four day event so that I can visit family along the route and spend a day in my home town.

Just in case it might be useful to others, I've included a checklist that I have compiled for myself which is a consolidation of other lists posted in other threads.

Please feel free to contact me if your interested in meeting up along the route.

Parts
Alternator belt
Clutch cable
Coil
Electronic points
Exhaust gaskets
Front trans mount
Front wheel bearings already packed in greese and in zip lock bags
Fuel hose
Fuel pump
Fuel Pump push rods
Intake gaskets
Little chuck piece for acc cable on carb
Misc Fuses
Oil filter and screen
Plug wires
Rear axle seal kit
Rear wheel bearings
Spark plugs
Throttle cable
Valve cover gaskets

Supplies
2 extra lug nuts
Bailing wire
Bath towels
Bentley Manual
Cut-Proof cable and very good lock to secure buggy over night
Duct Tape
Ear Plugs
Electrical tape
Electrical wire
Electricl wire connectors (misc)
Few hose clamps
First Aid Kit
Flip-flops
Funnel
Motor oil 3 qts
RTV type sealant
Small gas can
Softside cooler
Special light bulbs
Sun Screen
Tire plug kit
Tow rope
Twine to tie stuff
Wire tie wraps
Wire U-Clamps for clutch cable
Zip Lock bags

Tools
Breaker bar
Feelers gauge
Flashlight
Hammer
Metric allen wrenches
Metric sockets
Misc screw drivers
Needle nose pliers
Open-end metric wrenches
Rear axle nut torque tool
Small compressor
Spark plug socket and ratchet
Test meter
Vice grips
Wire crimper

Some day we'll be able to do more traveling in our buggy to visit other locations further away, but until now I plan to put a little visual reminder of the places we've been and hope to use it as motivation to go beyond. I have a storage box that I built in the back of our buggy (http://www.manxclub.com/forum/app.php/gallery/album/45) and I have started putting old fashioned travel stickers on the underside of places we have been. I only have a couple right now. That number will increase by the end of this trip.



Itinerary:

Day 1 (Sunday): 21 Jun 2015 - ~4 hours 215 miles
Wilmington, NC to Manteo, NC - Meeting Paul Mabin (Pongo)
Link to the route (click on the link and zoom for greater detail): https://goo.gl/maps/N7h5U"
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Day 2: (Monday): 22 Jun 2015 - ~10 hours 489 miles
Manteo, NC to Port Jervis, NY - Paul will travel with me to central NJ. This will be an extremely long day.
Link to the route (click on the link and zoom for greater detail): https://goo.gl/maps/dxBB1"




Day 3: (Tuesday): 23 Jun 2015 - Day of rest and visit with family

Day 4: (Wednesday): 24 Jun 2015 - ~7 hours 376 miles
Port Jervis, NY to Buffalo, NY - As of right now Paul will meet me in Port Jervis for caravaning to Buffalo
Link to the route (click on the link and zoom for greater detail): https://goo.gl/maps/iGf0o"



Overall Route: (Sunday - Wednesday): 21-24 Jun 2015
Wilmington, NC to Buffalo, NY - Total miles 1080 miles
Link to the route (click on the link and zoom for greater detail): https://goo.gl/maps/7IF7W"

[Oz-Towdster]

All i can say mate is , know your car , two out of the three items that let me down on C2C in the green Towd , i knew about and thought they'd last ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, they didn't .
So long story short , check , check , check , and recheck , as trust me it's a hole lot easier fixing that problem at home in your workshop than on the side of some unknown road with probabley no cell reception

[rzeller]

All i can say mate is , know your car , two out of the three items that let me down on C2C in the green Towd , i knew about and thought they'd last ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, they didn't .
So long story short , check , check , check , and recheck , as trust me it's a hole lot easier fixing that problem at home in your workshop than on the side of some unknown road with probabley no cell reception

Andrew,
Thanks for the words of wisdom. I'm pretty stressed about this trip since I'll be solo (no other buggies or passenger) for a good chunk of it. I expect that I'll be driving the whole return leg by myself. I've checked and rechecked everything I can think of. Last thing for me to do is replace/repack the front wheel bearings.
Wish me luck

[73SpeedBuggy]

Sign up for AAA platinum

[rzeller]

Sign up for AAA platinum

Got it already. I owned a Corvette before the buggy. Used the hell out of AAA

[pongo]

If you're bringing all the spare parts, all I have to do is pack is shoes. On second thought, I don't need shoes. We can leave now.

[rzeller]

If you're bringing all the spare parts, all I have to do is pack is shoes. On second thought, I don't need shoes. We can leave now.

Nope you don't need shoes. I'm bringing some flip flops - see my list (Joe's suggestion). Hope you wear the same size

[rzeller]

Sue is very disappointed that she won't be able to travel with me to MOTF so she suggested this morning that we do a shorter version. We are going to do a round-trip from Wilmington, NC to Charleston, SC this weekend (~400 miles). Leaving in 30 minutes. This will be a good dry run with the buggy and packing. Away we go.

Finished loading the spare parts and tools. Hmmm, where am I going to put our luggage?

Phew, got the luggage in.


Crossed the boarder into SC. Hope they don't require a passport.


Entering Charleston, SC


After 5.5 hours of driving (one way) here are lessons learned so far:
- although you are traveling with the top on and the sun is NOT hitting you, you will get sunburned My face, arms (mainly my left arm), and legs are a little sore - and I did have sunblock on. Evidently there is a lot of indirect sunlight coming into the buggy.
- don't forget ear plugs. The wind noise is incredible. My ears are plugged now.