Completed 2200 mile Deuce Recovery

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Before I dive into the details, I would like to recognize and share my sincere appreciation to my fellow Steel Soldier’s in Western New York and Western Texas for their wisdom and guidance needed to preview the truck as well as coordinate the logistics of this trip. Also, to the folks that maintain this website for the benefit of all, many thanks!

Here are the details:

• 
  One rust free A3 with 5057 miles and 335 hours (pre trip). Serial number 505490. I will take rotted seat covers any day over rust!!

• 
  Pre-trip prep included: five new tires, all new belts/hoses/filters/fluids. Also brake inspection and front end inspection.

• 
  Texas in-transit plates, Insurance, and verbal/written confirmation with DMV’s in 7 states that they honor the Texas plates.

• 
  Driven from El Paso, Texas to Rochester, New York. Extracted from Ft. Bliss.

• 
  2188 miles driven in 55 hours. Average speed ~40 mph.

• 
  200 gallons of diesel. ~11 mpg

• 
  Best roads, Kentucky. Worst roads, New York. New York was also the only state in which I paid roadway tolls. Cost was $20 to drive ~200 miles.

• 
  Hundreds of State Trooper sightings. No pullovers. Only interactions with law enforcement was parked visiting family and an over zealous neighborhood watch group.

• 
  Only mechanical failures were a flakey gas gauge and fan clutch. My understanding is you can lock the fan in place with a screw. However, given the season and cold temperatures, the clutch was not an issue and the engine temperature was perfect. Surprisingly, original wiper blades worked just as good as my Bosch Icons on my car.

• 
  There may be a slight chance a red light camera has a nice picture of a plateless deuce.

• 
  One month to process first EUC.

• 
  One missing tarp from GL. I am really bummed about this one. Sat on the lot for 2 months.

• 
  One very patient wife who rode shotgun.

I look forward to meeting more folks in our SS community as I participate in future events.

I know, last and most important I did not include any pictures. They will follow this weekend when I have a chance to go out in the sunlight, or more realistically, Rochester winter cloud cover, to get some.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Great to hear! You owe the "boss" big for that one. I don't know many that would go along for such a ride. WOOHOO!

 

[ARYankee]

Congrats!!! You didn't happen to come through Arkansas?

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Absolutely, In through Texarkana, out by Memphis. Looking at your location, it appears I drove right by you.

 

[Heavysteven]

Wow, that's a heck of a recovery

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

That's a long time in a deuce! Congrats on the trip and you're still married.....

 

[ARYankee]

Absolutely, In through Texarkana, out by Memphis. Looking at your location, it appears I drove right by you.

Was it earlier this week? Possibly in the evening? I was just curious because I swear I saw out of the corner of my eye an M35A3 going East bound on I-30. I think it was Monday or Tuesday afternoon. Traffic is so crazy around that time when I go home that I don't get enough time to really gawk at any MVs that I might pass.

 

[jeeplvr247]

200 gallons of diesel! Talk about bending over and taking it from the petroleum companies. Props on the recovery though. That's the way it should be done, none of this trailering stuff.

 

[RodUSMC1962]

Congrats on a great story!My buddy and I drove our first duece home 950 miles and that was a trip.We are both in our 60"s and that was enough for us.

 

[Beerslayer]

• One rust free A3 with 5057 miles and 335 hours (pre trip). Serial number 505490. I will take rotted seat covers any day over rust!!

How about some pictures of that little beauty? Don't be a tease.

-or

 

[doghead]

When you first told me of your plan, I thought you were nutts.

Now I know you are!

Glad it went well.

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

ARYankee – I was on I-30 in the evening, however, that leg of the trip was Dallas to Memphis and I did it on Saturday.

Jeeplvr - $800 in diesel definitely beat the $5K they wanted to lowboy it up to NY. However, the MPT tires are definitely a bit pricey.

RodUSMC – I’m sure the memories are priceless.

Beerslayer – No argument. I was so superstitious that something was going to go wrong I didn’t take any pictures during the recovery. Talking about a tease I think my wife got a shot of an 80 MPH speed limit sign in West Texas. That is the only time I didn’t want to be driving the Deuce.

Doghead – My wife definitely agrees with you. You may hear from me when it comes to NYS registration pointers. I listed what you told me before, but I want to make sure I have my act together before I head to the dreaded NY DMV.

 

[Danger Ranger]

Pics or it didn't happen.


You'll get this after we get pics...

 

[M35A2-AZ]

Now that is a road trip, Nice job!!!

 

[Warthog]

So did you flyout and drive back?

How did you get the truck offbase? Did someone pre-inspect it for you?

You may get the Iron-Butt Award for this one....

 

[wikallen]

You can try to file a claim for the missing tarp with GL. Just be reasonable with the value and submit links to current prices. It might work, it might not. It worked for me in the past with a missing ladder.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Congrats on a successful recovry. Thats alot of miles in an A2. Can't imagine it in an A3. That little space between 49 and 55 really adds up.

 

[OldSchoolAmerica]

Danger Ranger – I know, I know. Saturday…

Warthog – Yes – Fly in drive back. Drove the truck right out of GL lot and off base. Someone did preview for me. However, it was post purchase. But it still gave me the opportunity to pull out if it was a great looking corpse.

Wikallen – good information. I guess I has some more paperwork to complete.