The Road Trip

So here is the deal.

I have this flatbed trailer thing. It used to be a pop up camper. But it rotted away and needed a total rebuild.

So I tore it down to the frame, got some lumber and self tapping screws, and turned it into a fairly large flat bed trailer. Being a frame for a pop up camper trailer it can handle a fair amount of weight.

Anyway I have this trailer.

A friend of mine has bought two diesel engines. OK no big deal. People buy diesel engines. They are for a boat. Some sort of boat that uses inboard engines. Diesel engines are the best for inboards because diesel fuel is less prone to exploding.

But here is the problem. Myself, my friend, and my tailer are in South Florida. The diesel engines are in New Jersey.

New fraking Jersey????

So first I ask "why the crap did you buy engines in New Jersey when you live in South Florida?". This is a good question. Engines are heavy. And you have to transport them from New Jersey to South Florida. Can't use UPS for that! Well maybe you can. UPS freight. Or some other freight company.

But the engines are NOT on a pallet. So now you have to pay to have them put onto a shipping pallet and hire a freight company to pick them up in New Jersey and bring them to South Florida.

The answer was simply "because the engines are a good deal".

Good deal or not, they are still WAY up north and they need to come WAY down south. So far south that you have to go back NORTH to get to "the deep south".

Anyhow this is where the flatbed trailer comes into play. The friend knows someone who has a truck. I have a truck - but I ain't driving it to New freaking Jersey. Not without charging by the mile. And then what if there is a problem with my truck? So anyway, I would rather not take my vehicle. I would rent a vehicle if I needed to drive to New freaking Jersey for any reason.

But the truck in question is a diesel truck. And more importantly, it is not mine.

The trailer however is mine.

So anyway, there is talk of borrowing the trailer to haul it to New freaking Jersey, loading up two marine diesel engines, and then hauling the trailer and engines back to South Florida.

OK no problem there. But my trailer really needs new tires first. Last time I used it one tire went flat. So if that one needs to be replaced might as well replace the other one! And the bearings probably need to be inspected, possibly replaced, and repacked with fresh grease. Ill use marine bearing grease as it lasts longer and I have it laying around for the boat trailer. I would also have to replace the spare tire, as it is old and the sidewalls are cracking. It would be fine for a local haul, but not really something I would trust for a long haul. And while I was at it, I would get a second spare tire.

With some help, I could get the trailer ready to roll in a day. I do not know what it would cost for the tires however. But since the engines are for a client (the friend is a marine mechanic and the people who need them have large boats and therefore money) I can probably get a few bucks for trailer supplies.

And lastly - I may be able to go on the road trip. To New freaking Jersey. I hear that entire State smells funky. I would not know, as I have never been there.

In fact, I have never been that far north. It would be neat. I could take the train into New York! Or maybe Philadelphia? Is there a train that runs from New Jersey to Philly? I have never been to either of those places. There is the Delaware River. Never seen that thing. And so on.

So if the road trip happens, and the trailer is needed, and I can go.......well why the hell not? I can not think of any reason to not go. The drive through Florida will be boring as all hell. It is insufferable really. But once out of Florida I will be in.....Georgia! Not really much better to be honest. but Georgia passes quickly. And then there is South Carolina. It too passes.

Really it would not get exciting till somewhere in Virginia. Because that is when I would see "hills". The trip along I-95 would miss the mountains. I would also just barely miss DC. Too bad.

So this is something to think about. It would be a mission however. Get there, get the stuff, get back. No messing around. Not much (if any) sightseeing. Just get there and get back in the least amount of time possible. Not really my idea of fun.

I would want to stop at places and look at stuff. I would also pick another route - possibly I-75 up to the Lexington Kentucky or Dayton Ohio area, then cut across east on other interstate highways to get to the final destination. A longer drive, but way more scenic.

I doubt that would happen.