The Incredible Adventure Continues!
The past week we have been been driving on Hwy 70 from Beaver Utah to Denver Colorado. It's been the greatest and most scenic drive I've ever taken in my entire life! We are so thankful to have the time and resources, and an understanding family, to be able to take this year long amazing adventure across the USA.
The first segment of the drive was to Moab where we stayed for four nights, then to the most amazing Harvest Host overnight stay at the Stoneyard Distillery along the Colorado River and then the last leg to Aurora Colorado just outside Denver.
The 600 mile drive was a never ending visual masterpiece with breathtaking Rocky Mountain landscapes, scenic views and quaint small mountain towns that looked like they belonged in a model railway layout.
During the drive as we crossed over the Rocky Mountains, we climbed several times to 8500 ft but the last day we climbed to the highest Hwy in the USA at over two miles above sea level at 11.200ft.
I was very concerned if our 2021, 26,000lb Ford F53 36 ft. gas motorhome powered by a V8 could make the climb. This was the ultimate test for Coach Addy!
The climb was very easy with a gradual assent up to the summit. I'd say for the several hours of driving uphill during the 600 miles, Coach Addy was in in 6th gear at 70mph for 95% of the way. As we passed Vail Colorado and started to seriously climb towards the 11,200 ft summit, Coach Addy kept up a 60 to 65mph speed for all but two brief sections of steep grade, there Coach Addy dropped to second gear and 38mph (in a long line of semi's and motorhomes) for the 5-10 minute duration of each segment.
As amazing and easy as the climb was, the 40 mile decent was even a more pleasant surprise. The 2021 Ford V8 F53 chassis on which the Tiffin motorcoach is built, has a tow haul feature that when activated is an engine/transmission break that keeps you at a certain rpm and speed. This was really useful we set the speed for 65mph and rarely had to tap the breaks the whole way down.
The condition of Hwy 70 in this summit section was awful! Heavy ruts in both lanes and massive potholes that shook the coach to the point where I was really getting concerned that the jarring would damage or loosen parts in the coach, thankfully no damage just a whole lot of hard shakes.
Hwy 70 from Utah to Colorado is a must drive and you should have no concerns driving the route. Just try to play pothole dodgeball and slow down in the rough sections the best you can.
What a trip!
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