12 hr drive

[Vesuvio]

New to the Jeep “world”. Any tips/advice for an upcoming 12 hr 1981 CJ7 road trip; highway drive, (mud tires)?
Thanks

 

[coldair]

Shooby is the one to talk to about this.

 

[shooby]

I have driven my soft top CJ5 with BFG All Terrain tires from Lincoln Nebraska to Moab and back twice, (800+ miles) Lincoln to the San Juan Mountain area of SW Colorado 3 times.(700 miles) I don't find it uncomfortable,it rides pretty good and I don't have steering issues. The noise from the wind and the jeep and the road is annoying but I have a set of Bose Quiet Comfort headphones that block out the outside noise and I use them most of the time sometimes to listen to music on my phone, sometimes with no music. My average speed is 65 mph and I stay off the interstate as much as I can, preferring the two lane highways and numerous small towns that make for a more interesting journey. I have a AMC 304 V-8 which means I average 10 MPG so with a 15 gallon tank, I have to stop every 1 1/2 hours for gas. If it is a windy day, my mpg gets worse. I have a working fuel gauge and it can be alarming watching it go down and down fast! I carry a 3 1/2 gallon spare gas can and I have had to use it a few times when I ran out of gas before I ran into a gas station. I try to make sure it's running good before I take off and so far I haven't had any breakdowns but it is a 40 year old vehicle so that is something to worry about. Right now I am preparing to drive my Jeep to Colorado in August to meet all my Jeep CJ.com friends in Ouray and I am amassing a collection of gas caps to take with me as I have a developed bad habit of leaving them scattered behind me where ever I roam.

 

[Vesuvio]

impressive. I look forward to my trip.
Thanks

 

[Belizean]

i have done a couple of 1000 mile trips each way. Ice cold water helps keep you cool and awake

 

[Vesuvio]

A little worried about getting stuck on the road, mechanical issues

 

[Belizean]

A little worried about getting stuck on the road, mechanical issues

You need to get some seat time driving it around to find out if it is dependable

 

[Vesuvio]

So far, so good.

 

[jzak]

I would avoid the interstate as much as you can. I drove to the beach in a 70 MPH zone for 5 hours, and I was white knuckling it the entire time. Never Again! I would pace it out over a couple days on country roads. Trying to push that engine to 65+ for 12 hours nonstop is only going to cause a break down.

 

[Belizean]

Yea it really is pretty crazy out there on the interstate these days, especially for an old jeep. It's a rare occasion I pass somebody in mine.

 

[Vesuvio]

Well, finally on the road early this morning. Now at the mechanic. The fan blades, broke the radiator. Getting an electric fan installed instead.
Does any one have experience with these electrical fans on their CJ?
Thanks

 

[coldair]

Well, finally on the road early this morning. Now at the mechanic. The fan blades, broke the radiator. Getting an electric fan installed instead.
Does any one have experience with these electrical fans on their CJ?
Thanks

What fan are they installing? What kind of wiring are they doing with this fan?

 

[caveman]

Well, finally on the road early this morning. Now at the mechanic. The fan blades, broke the radiator. Getting an electric fan installed instead.
Does any one have experience with these electrical fans on their CJ?
Thanks

If you're going to install an electric fan, get a good one. The cheap ones just don't last.

 

[Vesuvio]

Here it is. Seems like the engine now has more power

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I sure as hell would NOT mount that fan directly to the radiator core, like in the picture.
LG