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Old 07-16-2007, 04:45 PM   #1
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Re: Best Route to Burning Man


One thing comes to mind above all else: I suggest to start the climb from Reno/Fernley at the crack of dawn. That will give you daylight so you can see where you are driving, and air as cool as possible to help avoid overheating.

See you on the Playa!

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Old 07-16-2007, 10:41 PM   #2
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Re: Best Route to Burning Man

Suggestions for a great trip... Change the rear gears to a 393 or 410 ratio to slow down the engine speed. I think you have the 7.3 Int or Ford diesel engine.
Flush the cooling system and add new soft water and coolant. Install new temp gage for the trans. When temps go up, choose a lower gear. That engine and trans should be able to climb a tree at 100 degrees and not overheat. Never shut off or stop engine when very hot, always allow engine to cool at high idle or about 1000-1200 RPM. Use the same gear climbing a hill and same coming down that hill. On my recent trip from Ky to ID, my best MPG was about 4.3 and top speed of 58MPH. Used rear gears are about $600-750 labor to adjust ring and pinion, about $350. It is great to cruise at 65MPH with the engine turning about 17-2000RPM. With a slow engine speed, the MPG should be about 12-13 miles per gallon. Top speed will be about 73-76 MPH. Carry lots of water.. Frank
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Old 07-16-2007, 11:58 PM   #3
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Re: Best Route to Burning Man


Let's see... what else...
Right -- don't carry thousands of pounds of water cross country. Water weighs eight pounds per gallon.

Perhaps... leave home many days before you think you need to. If you are delayed -- they burn that guy without you.

Go to the forum on the BM site, called ePlaya, and start reading. Learn lots.
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Old 07-17-2007, 11:15 AM   #4
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Re: Best Route to Burning Man


There are some things in this world that are very difficult for the human brain to... allow itself to do. Like... walking away from a fight. ...Not petting the seeing eye dog.

Slowing down. It downright hurts to slow down when you know you can go faster. Yet, that is what we sometimes must do. Vehicle speed and load generate heat. Engine speed and time remove heat. To climb a long steep hill with a heavy load, when overheating is a danger, you want your engine to rev fairly fast so the water circulates and the fan blows. And you want the engine to not generate very much power, because power is heat. So you climb the hill with only half throttle. That's the difficult part -- lifting your foot off the floor. The lower gear and the lower road speed follow "automatically".

Light load on the engine at (moderately) high revs.
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Old 07-17-2007, 09:49 PM   #5
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Re: Best Route to Burning Man

this is my 4th year going to the burn in teh bus. i travel about 2,500 miles one way....this is also my 2nd bus. My first bus had no power, climbed 8% grades along I 70 at a solid 21 mph....it was painful, but the bus did complete the trip. The new bus climbs most of the hills along I 80 @ 45 mph or faster. I 80 kicks the crap out of I70 if you're in a bus. I 70 would however make a great motorcycle trip!

i plan on 2 solid days of driving (24 hours straight) stopping every few hours or so for fuel/food. three drivers make pretty easy work of driving non-stop. If you plan on 3 days, that gives you time to stop...and also allows for breakdowns. GET GOOD SAM CLUB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE! it's worth the 100 bucks!

i usually bring enough food and a little extra water for the 2 day trip cross country (from michigan to brc). Running out of water in case of a breakdown could potentially be very bad. Carrying an extra 10 gallons of drinking water cross country adds very little the the buses overall weight.

i come across I 80 and like to stop in winnemucca at wal-mart to buy the majority of the food and water i need for the burn.

this year i plan to spend the nite in winnemucca so i can sleep in an actual bed just before we arrive in brc....then i'm taking the much feared jungo road shortcut the 100 miles from reno to gerlach. one huge advantage of that route is that there is not much elevation change. it'll be my first trip across jungo in a bus, but i did drive the road last year in a chevy malibu.
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Old 07-27-2007, 12:02 PM   #6
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Re: Best Route to Burning Man

Mapquest shows a route going up to I-80; this route sends you thru Winnemucca instead of Reno. Head North at the west Fernley exit (at Loves Truck Stop) to Gerlach.
I-70 ends in Utah, then you'll be doing US 50 thru Nevada, more ups and downs and far spaced tiny towns. Austin summit is steep, long and twisty.
I-40 isn't too bad, but will likely be a bit warm (hot?)....you could pass thru Vegas and come up US 95 Might get searched going over Hoover Dam, terrorists, you know), thru either Fallon (good supply stop) and/or Fernley, by-passing Carson City and Reno.
My vote is either I-80 or I-40; If it's windy, I-80 can slow you down, esp thru Wyo.

For the un-initiated, Don't take Jungo road out of Winnemucca!! I did it last year in my Skoolie just fine, but year to year it's a crap shoot as to condition. I got 2 flats goint to BMan in my pick-up in 2000, and we got 2 doing a supply run during the event same year. You need to really watch the road, and resist the temptation to go too fast. In '98 they bladed the road the week of the event; it was a real tire killer. Good luck Lapeer!!
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