Now that a date is announced, just making a thread to keep this all in 1 spot. Feel free to comment on stuff, call me crazy (I am), throw out meet ups or offers for a place to sleep for a few hours, etc...

I have no problem in making this a social trip, and if I end up being able to spend the money, I may even have a broadcasted dashcam over the web for the trip.

Google Map directions:
Providence -> Sevenstock -> PCH -> Portland -> Providence
7,390 miles total
@ 19mpg average (safe estimate) = 393 gallons
@ $3.30 per gallon average (High average for a safety margin) = $1,300 in gas
@ 1qt of oil burn per 1,000 miles + (4 quarts per change * 3 changes) = 19.5 quarts (5 gallons)
@ 8oz of premix per tank = 208oz of premix (1.6 gallons of premix)

5 days 2 hrs of drive time, plus stops
@ 15 gallons per tank (safety margin) = 285 miles per tank
@ 75mph = 3.8 hours of driving between gas stops
26/27 gas stops minimum
@ 10 minutes per stop = 4.3 hours of gas stops
~4 hours from stop to stop, including stopped time = 71mph average
6 hours of sleep per 24hr period = 18 hours of driving per day = 1,282 miles per day
5 days 19hrs minimum drive time
+2 days for Sevenstock and the day after
+ more time based on lower driving speeds through canyons, PCH.

Time Off:
Looks like I will be taking vacation from Sept 15th through the 24th (yes, I have enough), with this tentative schedule, assuming that I drive from 6am to 10pm each day, stopping only for food and gas about every 4 hours (240-280 miles, acceptable tank range)

New Schedule: (As of 8/18/2010)
9/14 - Tues - Leaving RI after work around 6pm, driving to Max's house in northern NJ, about 3.5-4 hours. Pack his stuff in, hand over the keys and he drives through the night as I sleep.
9/15 - Wed - Max driving, reaching Akron around dawn and switching somewhere in there so he can get some sleep. Continue driving through Columbus, Indianapolis, and St. Louis, near end of day around Tulsa OK. Unknown plans yet for overnight stay or driving on. Assuming we stop somewhere for the night to rest.
9/16 - Thu - Leaving Tulsa, passing through Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, and to Phoenix, arriving sometime around 5-6pm. Staying with BHR / CRH.
9/17 - Fri - Leaving Phoenix with the AZ caravan over to LA.
9/18 - Sat - SEVENSTOCK 13!!!!!!!!!!!
9/19 - Sun - Leave LA with my sister (max is flying back) and head up PCH, probably stopping for the night near Sacremento (detour from PCH near SF) at a friend of my sister.
9/20 - Mon - Return to PCH / Goldengate Bridge and continue north. Stopping for the night over the border in OR at another friend of my sister's.
9/21 - Tue - Return to PCH, continue north, staying the night near Mt St. Helens as we turn east after the Astoria brige
9/22 - Wed - I-84 towards Colorado, stop for the night in southwestern Wyoming
9/23 - Thu - Continue to Colorado Springs CO, drop off my sister, I continue to I-80 and east towards home, stopping the night somewhere in mid Iowa
9/24 - Fri - Continue towards home, hopefully making it, otherwise finishing up 9/25

9/25 - I now want to be home this day or before if at all possible, because...
9/26 - NER SCCA Autocross points event #8

Nightly Stays:
14th - My 8 while max drives
15th - Tulsa, hotel likely
16th - BHR
17th - LA, unknown hotel yet
18th - LA, unknown hotel yet
19th - Sister's friend near Sacremento
20th - Sister's friend in OR
21st - Near Portland OR
22nd - Wyoming somewhere
23rd - Iowa somewhere
24th - Friend's or Dad's in MD or home
25th - Home

Food:
If I assume highway robbery for meals at rest stops, probably $20 a meal (maybe less for the actual meal, but more for other snacks), so $60 a day traveling, 5.2 days of it, so lets call it $350 for food, plus the SevenStock and weekend food there, so make that $400-$420 range.

Donations:
Any opportunities, suggestions, or offers to reduce this are certainly welcome. I'd probably even take advertising offers to put on my 8, but only if it is tasteful and either Mazda and/or Rotary related, including dealerships, vendors, products, etc...

Current donors: Updated 6/9/2010
All donors get recognition on my 8 for the entire trip in the form of Vinyl or Magnetic, either screen name or real name, your choice. I expect that I will be the farthest drive to get to Sevenstock, and am likely to draw attention and pictures at the event itself. PM me directly if you would like to donate something to help mitigate the cost of the trip, from a place to stay or cash, food, etc... All is welcome.
- Charles R Hill - A place to stay the night of the 16th in Phoenix

Maintenance:
I will be doing an oil change before I leave, in LA, and somewhere around Chicago. Fortunately it is ridiculously easy on our cars, I will have the filters, and the oil is easily obtained enroute as needed. With Autozone/Advance/PepBoys accepting used oil and a GPS directing me to a close one, disposing of it is not an issue either. The only issue I believe I will run into is potentially with a location of actually doing the change. The parking lot of one of the above mentioned locations is probably going to be allowed by them, especially if I lean on any iota of car passion they may have. It's quick, easy, and not messy, so I don't think I would have a problem. I may get a Pela pump prior to the drive and figure out a way to bring it without causing any leakage problems, which will make the change even easier.
Transmission oil, radiator coolant, and brake fluid will all be replaced prior to the trip.

Ride Alongs:
I have a co-driver for the drive out, maxdamigz, and my sister is joining me for most of the rest.

Road Protection:
For shielding my car from the road: http://www.soloperformance.com/Road-...lm_p_1519.html

Edits:
5/19/2010: Route shift to Phoenix AZ for Thursday night, which will likely change Wednesday night stop. I will have to re-run the map and update the info above. Friday will be riding with the BHR/AZ caravan over to LA. Not much change on the timeline for me, and makes that part of the trip that much more pleasant.
5/27/2010: Removed 89 miles from the trip due to the southern route to meet up with Phoenix caravan.
6/1/2010: Vacation approved and locked in
6/9/2010: Finances lined up and secure
8/18/2010: Too many updates to summarize.

 

Saved for additionals...

 

You forgot the hookahs

 

this is going to be epic

 

$2,000 in mods would be wonderful, but they will only last the life of the car...maybe. But this will be a memory that will last me the rest of my life. And if that happens to be only a few hours or a few day, it's entirely worth it.

 

roadtrips are the best :] i love em

 

Yup...you're crazy



can't wait to have you around again

 

dude im seriously thinking of joining you... I just need to get the vaca time and money haha.

 

Just the trip out? Or the full trip I want to do?

 

adam; i hope you're 21 buddy.

If all goes according to my plan there may be an preparty and afterparty

riwwp might have to drive a couple of us home

 

Would be happy to

 

21 in two weeks.


<--- beer pong champ...

 

RIWWP, you might want to rethink some routes around the big cities instead of going through them since you're likely to get a crap load of traffic in any of them.

 

I will need to work massive overtime to get the vacation needed to go.

But I can do the full trip since your stopping off in Eastern PA. Thats not too far from MD.


Money and time off is only needed.

 

Any bisches over in SoCal wanna fundraise some money for the East Coast caravan?

 

sure, I'm in for $1.

 

i always wanted to do a road trip. im sure the whole socal crew will make you feel welcome when you get here.

 

If Sephy and Rory come along as well to share the gas cost, it would cut it by about $600 per car, which helps, though far more expensive than a plane ticket

There is always sick time.....


Vlaze:
Chicago is the only one that I would probably route around. I'd have to see what times I would be hitting each city though. Denver and Vegas don't have enough traffic to cause me to take major detours.

I don't think Omaha and Des Moines count as cities. I'm not even sure people live there.

 

OMG such a good idea vlaze!!! lol

 

I wouldn't turn down a BHR, Mazmart, Mazda, Speedsource, etc... advertisement for some sponsorship money for the trip....



...just saying

 

RIWWP, that's not a bad idea. I might actually propose the idea of contacting the dealer who's grounds this is taking place on and seeing if they would like to do that for publicity.

 

^^Yeah same here!.....

 

lol Mazda headquarters?

 

And maybe keep a local vendor on emergency calls if you don't get your engine replaced before the trip just in case it dies mid-way there RIWWP

 

I didn't read ALL the details, just blah blah SS13, blah blah largest one in the world, blah.