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Stickey: Sprite 50th CARAVAN Thread

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Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Our Midget has a badge bar on the front,complete with badges.
Which are as follows: MG Drivers Club:AA New Zealand:Scotland:
and last,but by no means least, Ecurie Ecosse.
It is also painted " Brooklands Green". I think it will be great to meet everyone. :thumbsup:

Stuart. :cheers:
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Now that the time is near and plans are being finalized, I printed off a set of directions and a map from Mapquest.

I've made the run several times from Georgia to Illinois so the first part of my trip is familiar territory. I'll leave Nashville on I-24 North and then merge into I-57 North for 52 miles. I'll then exit onto I-64 West toward St. Louis.

I seem to remember some discussion about I-64 in the St. Louis area having construction issues. My directions call for me to merge onto I-70 West (toward Kansas City) and proceed to the US-54 exit (exit #148).

I'd appreciate an update from someone familiar with the area.

Ray
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Ray, I will be coming down I40 and heading North on I 24 at Nashville. I did some checking and the trip looks to be a whole lot shorter going through Cape Girardeau, MO. Plus avoiding St louis traffic, I would assume.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

When I was in school at Murray State we always went through Cape Girardeau on our way to St. Louis.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Trevor Jessie said:
When I was in school at Murray State we always went through Cape Girardeau on our way to St. Louis.
Click to expand...
Trevor, my daughter graduated from Murray State!!

I'll be traveling up US72 to Memphis & then after a short run up I-55 will jump off at Sikeston onto US 60 to Mansfield then up MO 5 to Osage Beach....or something like that.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Don't forget to wave as you go by us in Clarksville! :savewave:
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

mccalebr said:
I failed to mention that I'll be pulling an 8x16 trailer...so I'll need to avoid secondary roads.

Ray
Click to expand...
Ray, I hope to be pulling a trailer also & prefer secondary roads....
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

tony barnhill...I hope to be pulling a trailer also & prefer secondary roads.... [/quote said:
Different strokes I suppose, Tony.

With just shy of 800 miles to knock down, gas at $4/gallon, and vacation season just kicking off, I'll be looking for the straightest roads, 65 MPH speeds, and cruise control.

Ray
Click to expand...
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Kick the cruise off when you get into hills. You'll get better mileage if you let your speed fall off a bit when pulling hills.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Agree, Ray - the way I'm going is as straight as interstates & divided 4-lanes until I get to Missouri.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Trevor Jessie said:
Kick the cruise off when you get into hills. You'll get better mileage if you let your speed fall off a bit when pulling hills.
Click to expand...

Actually, I've found that on moderate slopes the cruise does a better job of fuel management than my right foot. I drive a Nissan Titan with a 5.6L V8 and tons of torque; I also have the "Big Tow" package which includes a feature that reprograms the shift pattern of the automatic transmission when the "Tow" button is engaged. On the really steep grades I knock off the cruise control and resort to the "let her rip downhill and bleed off speed uphill" cycle...to an extent. Loaded I'm grossing right at 10,000 lbs, so I keep the downhill run under control.

Ray
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Well, its going to be saving a lot of miles the way I am going, so I aways get better mileage running around 60 when towing with my Ranger. I only have 4 cylinders. Mine is the 2.3L. I manage to tow my camper and it weighs around 2000 lbs and block a lot more wind than my midget on that trailer. Its black and a supercab and will have the A/C on so I can't help but slow down on steep hills, just like the big trucks, but I get there. I have towed the camper a little over 18,000 miles and the worst mileage I ever got was 13 and the best was 19 and the average is 17. With the midget I hope to get closer to 20 without all that wind drag.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Wait, you also have a 4 cyl Ranger with standard tranny and you tow 2K with it. I didn't think that would work so well.

Tell me more please, mine is an extended cab as well. What kind of a hitch are you useing?
 

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Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

jlaird said:
Wait, you also have a 4 cyl Ranger with standard tranny and you tow 2K with it. I didn't think that would work so well.

Tell me more please, mine is an extended cab as well. What kind of a hitch are you useing?
Click to expand...
I got a class 3 receiver hitch. If you look at the book it shows the 2.3L manual as only having 1400 lbs tow capacity, but the auto as having 2200 lbs tow capacity. I found out that Ford derated the towing capacity of the standard to keep people from burning clutches out. It can easily tow what the auto tran can tow, just got to use common sense when starting off. Here is that picture of my rig way out in Socorro NM with the dishes they used in the movie contact. Camper is a small sunline that weighs 1695 lbs dry. Fill the 25 gallon of water and store all our junk inside and it easily goes over a ton. It does get weak on hills or with strong head winds but it gets there. Just drive around 55 or 60 most of the time. I used to pull a popup and could go faster with it because of the wind, but the self contained is much nicer. Difference is that i could sometimes use OD with the popup, but never with the self contained one. Just drive in 4th gear that is 1:1 ratio and it does good.
VLANewMexico.jpg
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

I was happy with the pop up but wife wanted her own toilet, shower, water heater, furnace, etc. This one is small but has all of that. Just right for two people. I should be able to shift into OD pulling the midget and do well. You ain't gonna run much at 70 pulling a spridget but 60-65 should be fine.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

Yes sir, I now have the cruise control working perfectly in the Bugeye for the long haul from NJ to MO.
I'll see if I can't top 40 mpg. Heck, my Jag gets 31 with the cruise and the air on!
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

spritenut said:
Yes sir, I now have the cruise control working perfectly in the Bugeye for the long haul from NJ to MO.
I'll see if I can't top 40 mpg. Heck, my Jag gets 31 with the cruise and the air on!
Click to expand...
I need to check what I get on mine. I used to get 37 on the highway before and it used to smell rich. Now, I got a higher diff gear and 5 speed and down 3 on the main jet on the primary on the weber.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

spritenut said:
Heck, my Jag gets 31 with the cruise and the air on!
Click to expand...

OK, tell me about this - I'd love a jag but am anxious about the mileage AND - what kind of Jag is it? - it doesn't appear on your profile.
 
Re: Caravaning to Spridget 50th?

S-type, I think.
 
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