FLfinfan FL, DC, RI trip log

[FLfinfan]

On vacation. Trip from FL to DC. Second leg will be DC to RI later this week. Took the Titan. Girlfriend Jean and my dog Shula along for the ride. Getting about 16 to 18 mpg. Truck is a pleasure to drive on the interstate. Did not get tired of driving even after several hours, unlike other cars. Did this trip in Jean's Xterra last year (Pathfinders in years past), got tired of driving after 3 or 4 hours. Not so in the Titan. I drove from FL (central east coast) to NC before letting Jean take over and not because I was tired of driving or sleepy. Jean loves driving the Titan on the highway also. Commented on the power and how it makes her feel like her Xterra is a putt putt. She only drove from southern NC to the VA line before I wanted back behind the wheel.

Flipped up back seats and put dog beds down for Shula. Can also sit back with him on the small 1/2 of the back seat and he still has plenty of room. All his toys and chewys fit in the huge door pockets in the back. He has plenty of room. Have hard tonneau (ARE LS II) so plenty of secure storage.

Can pass anyone, at any speed. Not too many tailgaters, we are too big for most people. Easy to stay inbetween packs of cars with all the power on tap. Differential cover looks exactly like it did when we left, looks fine, so far. Radio in and out of stereo only alittle. No A/C condensation leakage, so far.

Tire pressure warning light has been the only problem so far, Comes on after about 30 minutes of driving with no beep sound warning. Checked tire pressure before leaving and out on the road. It is fine. Must be a faulty sensor. When engine gets shut off for gas refill and then back on.... no light. Then 30 min later going down the highway...light is back on. Double/triple checked the pressure. Right at 40 psi which is right inbetween the 44 psi listed on the tire and the 35 psi listed in the manual.

Picked up some road damage by some sort of debris in VA. Never saw it. Just heard it. 3 scratches/gouges on lower passenger side under the V8 badge near the bottom of the truck. Also a couple of nicks/scratches on same side near tail light. Sounded like we had been shot, expected more damage by how it sounded, must have been good size whatever it was. Couple of nicks up front on the chrome also, tread rocks from other people I guess. Oh well, already been washed and touched up within 8 hours of arrival in DC. Don't show too bad if at all unless you really really look for it or hand wash it. Thank God I brought touch up paint.

Sorry so long. Will update this thread during trip to give our members an idea of trucks status/reliability/driveability etc.

[Doghouse]

If you are still around Norfolk, VA. I can recomend a dealer to go to. Victory Nissan has been fantastic for service! Drop me a b-mail if you are going to be back round here.

[NITEBLITZ]

Hey give us a shout if you take I-77 through Charlotte. We'll do beers or Myoplex shakes!



NITEBLITZ

[FLfinfan]

I'm in Hearndon, VA till Sun. Probably won't bother going to the dealer about the tire pressure light till I get home. Don't wanna spend any of my vacation time at a dealer unless it's absolutely critical. Don't think the warning light will be a big deal. I will just check the tire pressure every other fill up.

Everything is gonna be I-95 for us. Wish I could meet some of you guys for a cold one, but it would have to be either in Hearndon, VA or Providence, RI or somewhere inbetween right off 95. So probably won't happen with everyones busy schedule and our trip route.

[FLfinfan]

Forgot to add.... I only saw about 6 Titans so far on the 1st leg of this trip. 4 white ones and 2 silver ones. Only saw 2 Armadas. Have been getting lots of looks and finger pointing on the highway and around town.

1 other problem I forgot to add. When riding in the back I noticed that the seat belts lock you in place. Kinda sucks and alittle uncomfortable.

[FLfinfan]

DC to RI leg of trip went well. Love driving this truck. Weather is great in RI.

Couple of observations:

1. Hazmat drivers should not talk on the phone with one hand and smoke with the other. Probably not a good idea to drive a semi full of hazardous material with your knees.

2. Seems lots of cars these days come without blinkers.

3. Do all women drivers talk on the cell phone...... all the time?

4. The "No Smoking" and "Shut Off Engine" signs at the gas pumps must be too small because several people can't see them evidentally. It's hard not to be in the blast radius of some idiots.

5. The term "paved" roads is really misunderstood in some states.

6. Cleaning restrooms is a forgotten art.

7. South Carolina has the crappiest section of I-95, but the most troopers out on the roads.

8. The second crappiest section of I-95 and second most troopers on it is
Conn.

9. It's really funny when some L.L. Coolaide (rapper?) puke in a Kia Rio with a fart can muffler and spinner hub caps tries to intimidate/tailgate you out of your lane (when the other lanes have passing room). I am not looking for trouble, I just can't see him behind me, well.... except for his antenna tip, maybe.

10. New Jersey whats up with the gas pump deal? I topped off before entering your state so I don't have to stop and be forced to let some knucklehead cross thread my gas cap, leave it off, scrape the paint with the nossle tip, pour gas down the paint, or not return within 10 minutes with my change. All have happened on previous trips to your area. Thank God for a big gas tank.

11. I love driving my Titan, even on the highway, even around some of the people on it.

[bestatchess]

I had it out with a moron about #4 awhile back. The altercation ended with him handcuffed in the back of a police car. If they want to blow themselves up, its fine with me, as long as they don't try to take me with them.

[skyhammer]

About #10. I don't know about New Jersey, but in Oregon it is against the law for you you to pump your own gas. It's some sort of jobs program. In some places they won't even let you check your oil. I don't trust anybody to do that, so I have to pull out of the station to check the oil. I guess that is what you get when you let Democrats run your state. Calif. will be next.

[talltom]

[SIZE=2]"10. New Jersey whats up with the gas pump deal? I topped off before entering your state so I don't have to stop and be forced to let some knucklehead cross thread my gas cap, leave it off, scrape the paint with the nossle tip, pour gas down the paint, or not return within 10 minutes with my change. All have happened on prvious trips to your area. Thank God for a big gas tank."[/SIZE]

I used to have to drive every other weekend to NJ (from DC) to see my son. First time up there I grabbed the pump and I almost got tackled from the "offical pumper". I heard that NJ passed a "give a convict a job" law awhile back to make it illegal to pump your own gas. So be careful in NJ gas stations, if you get mad at the attendent, he maybe Tony Soprano's cousin.

[Doghouse]

Ok, so I guess you drove under the bridge that almost fell from the burning tanker truck in CT! 95 is the worst road in CT. It is almost better to take 66 to 64 to 264 to 87 over the Tappen Zee to 287 Garden State Parkway to 95. You get back on at exit 11 on 95. It is a few more miles but one He77 of a lot less traffic! I end up saving almost 1 hr driving that way.

[FLfinfan]

Went to a place called "The Christmas Tree Shop" yesterday (not a X-mas decoration place). Good deals on all kinds of stuff from A to Z. Beginning to think I should have got a topper instead of a tonneau. I think the girlfriend could fill up a semi with stuff from this place. Good deals and nice stuff, but always gotta remind her that the back of the truck does not have infinite capacity. LOL!
Went to a sea food boil/bake yesterday also. Yum! The best was lobster rolls. They said McDonald's here makes them too. I didn't believe them till I saw it myself. FL has good seafood, but New England blows it away in that catagory.
Seeing many more Titans on the road between DC and RI, almost all my color, Red.