To give you an idea of David’s and Jason’s situation, I’m the one writing the sitrep this morning. Jason tells us that they got in at 2:30am late last night and they were beyond tired. And now, they’re getting ready to hit the road again. Thankfully, Jason gave me some key data before they steeled themselves for another day on the road.
It’s Cold, So Very Cold
Our adventurers chose perhaps the worst time to move. America has been dealing with the aftermath of a major storm system and deep freeze. And while things are warming up, it’s still pretty cold out there. In fact, here’s how Jason describes the situation: And remember, he’s the one driving the cushy Jeep Wagoneer. Speaking of which, Jason’s had enough time behind the Wagoneer to discover some of its quirks and features. One thing that stood out to him is the lack of Jeep badging. Well, take a look at this thing! There’s a “Wagoneer” on the hood, on the front doors, and on the tailgate. You also get American flags, but no Jeep branding. Ah, but what about the interior? Even the steering wheel just says Wagoneer on it. The Grand Wagoneer has the same thing going on. Jason isn’t the only person to notice this, and Jeep CEO Christian Meunier has an explanation: “The Grand Wagoneer name and design make it obviously Jeep.” Aside from the lack of badging, Jason reports some good statistics about the Wagoneer. This SUV is towing a U-Haul AT Auto Transport trailer, which weighs in at 2,210 pounds. Toss in David’s 4,300-pound Golden Eagle, and the Wagoneer is hauling 6,510 pounds of Americana. Jason describes this setup as “luxury but pulling a fishtaily 5,000-pound boat anchor.” With all that the Wagoneer is averaging about 10 mpg. Other observations from Jason include the fact that he’s not fond of using touch buttons for everything and Apple CarPlay stopped working for some reason, but at least Otto is enjoying his screen in back, which plays YouTube videos. Someone also rolled coal on them last night, but Jason was baffled because it’s not like their convoy was green at all.
From The Mustang
David recorded this video, where he describes his struggle to stay awake in the pony car:
Jason says that, alarmingly, when the Rustman gets tired, the Mustang weaves about. The Mustang also seems to have some sort of issue, as it fires right up but appears to have a misfire. Still, despite everything, Jason, David, and Otto are having quite the adventure. They managed to stop at a Wally’s! Now, if you’re not from Illinois or Missouri, I’ll fill you in. On the surface, Wally’s just looks like a huge gas station with 76 pumps. But there’s way more going on than that. Inside of a Wally’s you’ll find a BBQ pit, a beef jerky bar, a carving station, huge bathrooms, popcorn, and seemingly anything you’d need for a road trip. I’m usually in too much of a rush to stop and stare, but Wally’s has long been fascinating to me. There are just two of them so far, and our road trippers got to go to one of them. David even left with Wally’s merch! Eventually, they did arrive in St. Louis for their last-minute reader meetup. Jason describes a small gathering of two, where reader Toecutter showed up with this awesome streamliner bike. The other reader was a maritime cartographer with an XJ. Today, our dear leaders continue their trip westward. Hopefully, the temps warm up, CarPlay gets its act together, and the misery eases. Good luck, guys! Follow our Twitter page and check here to stay up to date on their trip, as well as for further meetups the trio have along the way. I gave a more in-depth description elsewhere in this article’s comments section. Either way, the long-haul old car struggle is real. Take frequent breaks. Stretch your legs often. Don’t die.
