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Help me plan my trip to Moab and back!

Russell

Russell

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Hey guys!

So, definitely making the trip from Fort McMurray, Alberta all the way down to Moab to come play this year! Only 1550 miles each way :eek1:

Anyways, from Fort McMurray to the border, I am good to go! That said, I was hoping a couple guys from Montana, Idaho and Utah may be able to help me plan my stops along the way. I'll be traveling from the border crossing in Sweet Grass, Montana and following highway 15 all the way to Spanish Fork, Utah, where I'll jump to Highway 6 and follow it down to Highway 70 and ultimately south on Highway 191 to Moab.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Fort+McMurray,+Alberta,+Canada&daddr=49.64033,-112.70824+to:Moab,+UT,+United+States&hl=en&geocode=FVKaYQMdcnZc-SlZRBr_7jqwUzG3dMoNMzOBXA%3BFYpz9QIdcDVI-SlrblAFQIRuUzEhcMe3paMeeg%3BFQSVTAId8WZ4-SmNLbia5eFHhzEtxNXxerEyCw&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=5&via=1&sll=46.920255,-108.852539&sspn=22.191511,39.506836&ie=UTF8&ll=38.764792,-109.684067&spn=0.395654,0.617294&z=11

Here is a link to my route. I don't plan to spend any money on motels along the way, just gonna camp in the back of my K5 at truck stops along the way.

Anyways, I plan to leave Edmonton on Sunday and drive to Lethbridge, the last major Canadian city on my way to the border. Monday morning I hope to cross the border then travel another 300 miles to Butte, MT where I hope to stop for the first night at the Flying J travel plaza. Tuesday I plan to drive approx 450 miles to Salt Lake City, UT and again spend the night at the Flying J. Wednesday I plan to drive the final 230 miles to Moab and check into my spot at Slick Rock Campground (spot number 29) and take some time to setup then relax and enjoy the scenery before getting to business with wheeling :D

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a better route, or better places to spend the night than at the Flying J truck stops along the way. Also, if anyone has any information about towing restrictions or unusual regulations, or info about the border crossing requirements would also be really helpful!

I am going to be towing my K5 down on a 25 foot gooseneck rated for 14 000lbs. My K5 fully loaded weighs around 8500 lbs, trailer is only around 3000 lbs, so I should be below the weight capacity of the trailer. The tires are load rated as well. My truck is rated for 22 000lbs combined truck and trailer weight, and weighs 7500 lbs fully loaded itself, so I am good there too. Again, the truck has weight rated tires on it. At the border crossing, I plan to have my passport, couple pieces of photo ID, registration and insurance cards for both trucks and the trailer, as well as a list of spare parts, fluids and tools I am bringing with me to service my trucks.

I would also be interested in collecting contact info for anyone along the way that would be able to lend a hand if I ran into trouble. Its a long way to haul a heavy truck and trailer all alone!
 
There should definitely be some guys coming to the Bash that live along your route, or at least pretty close to it.
 
Make Idaho Falls a stop and dinner is on me. We will be getting ready to go and have a spare bedroom with a queen sized bed! Plenty of room for truck and trailer in the cul de sac.

Tons of guys in SLC I will pm you my number, anyhoo even if you don't spend the night here drop buy lunch is on me:D
 
We will be caravaning down on Wednesday afternoon/ evening. We'll have at least three truck and trailers maybe even a semi hauling a few rigs.

Feel free to stop in Ogden/ Roy area got a couch and a camper and a floor, and a bathroom :rolleyes: Have a couch and bathroom at the office too.

We usually dont leave untill later that evening, everybody works the day we leave then we just head out after work. I am usually still finishing the truck :whistle:

Might leave earlier this year may not be staying in a hotel but we will see.
 
ssyork and I are close to yours route. Scott is in billings, mt but he heads down on I25 and I take state highways and meet him in Rawlins, Wy then head downs to Rifle, Co then to Moab via I70.
 
I don't know your driving style but your mileages per day are way low. Once you hit I-15 you should be planning on 600 to 700 miles a day.

If you average 60 to 70 MPH this is roughly 10 hours of driving per day. That is the minimum I do in a day. We usually try for more like twelve hours per day on the road.

Get a good map and just find some areas that have decent side roads to stop and sleep. Will probably be much better sleeping than a truck stop.

If I was you I would plan to leave Lethbridge and drive all of the way to Idaho falls, or even farther depending on the time lost at the border. Lethbridge to Idaho Falls is 545 miles/ about 9 hours of driving. Border crossing will play into this day of course.
Next day go all the way to Moab. This is only like 445 miles which will probably be less than 8 hours of driving.

Get there a day earlier and plan on doing some of the site seeing things. Arches, cruise around town, get camp setup etc.

Or leave a day later and plan on teaming up with some of the other guys coming down.

If you don't like to drive for 10 or so hours a day your plan looks good. This appears to be the most efficient route to Moab. There are many other ways but with this route you will have all interstate type roads in the US which is easier driving.
 
We have another guy, who is leaving out of Billings on Wednesday and driving the whole way down through Idaho. He likes the interstate, and it is better driving from here. Just so happens that my mother in law lives in Rawlins, Wy so we normally head down Tuesday night and wait for Mnorby there Wednesday morning. If you do run into trouble somewhere here in Mt we are probably your best bet, so you can give me a shout. I will PM you my #. Just throw in your spare trailer tire, seems like some guys run with out them!
 
Oh, trust me, plenty of spare tires will be on board! One for each truck and one for the trailer at the very least! I haven't totally settled on what trailer I'm gonna be running yet. I sold my original gooseneck today to buy something with a dove tail on it. Options are boiled down between a brand new 20+5 goose with tandem single wheel axles or a used 20+5 goose with tandem dually axles. The single rear wheel is rated for 14k, the dually is rated at 20k. They both cost about the same, but the used one has warn 9000 lb winch on it.

My only concern with the dually trailer is that it is probably going to be at least another 1000 lbs heavier than the SRW trailer. Easily weigh in at 5000 lbs, plus 8500 lbs with the K5 and gear, puts me pretty close to my truck's weight limit.
 
I will use it to haul an 8500 lb skid steer, a 1000 gallon water tank (roughly 8000 lbs as well), and quads / skidoos in the summer. Really don't need the tandem dually, but the price is sure right for what the trailer is!
 
d00d, your route is completely wrong.

First leg: Fort MacDaddy to Surrey to pick me up...then you get to see WA, OR, ID, UT in the correct order. :waytogo:

I have beer (OK, I have empty's...:whistle:)

Rene
 
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