1 step van to Burlington WI

... spending the night at Rockford IL

Breakfast was a bag lunch. Apple, water, muffins and trail mix. At least their price relates to what we get.

By 7:30 the sun is rising and we are ready to roll. Coolant level has dropped but no big puddle on the ground. All else is good.

There used to be an Indian Motorcycle shop about a block from the hotel. Then it was gone and the building was empty for a year plus. Now, since our last trip here, it has become an Enterprise location. Car and Truck Rental. And they also have paved over a vacant lot for more parking. Close to the hotel but we haven't delivered much or anything to Lincoln.

1st stop is Adair at the rest area. While we are stopped I call the drop and leave a message and then call the dispatcher for this truck. They want to know if I have tried to return the tire chains/socks. I haven't.

Once I am moving, the drop calls back so I pull to the side of the rest area and take the call. They are just concerned that I won't make delivery before 4 PM, but if I don't, they will make arrangements for me to drop it. Not likely, but good to know.

Both the NE and IA scales were closed today. IA was just closed to me/us because the line was long. It would re-open as soon as the line is cleared.

BB has been watching the IA weather since last night. She guessed it was OK to leave on time this AM. Sometime early there was a crash on west bound I-80 that closed the road for a while. But we still look to be staying behind the storm.

We are close enough behind the storm that BB wants to stop early for food ...

2nd stop is the Loves in Newton at McDonald. But first we look at both the food at Chester's and the shelf food. The weather is staying far enough ahead of us that we only take a 30 minute break.

While stopped, I check to see why I don't have washer fluid but BB's side does. I can't figure it out. And I call the closest Loves about my chains/tire socks. They don't carry them ... I guess I should have stopped right away in CO.

It has been raining or snowing since Omaha and will still be raining when we shut down tonight. That means enough water to keep my windshield clear.

Somewhere before Davenport, there was a stretch of 20 miles where there were seven semi's in the ditch that we could see. Plus cars. So, we are glad we missed that part of the storm.

3rd stop was the Flying J in Davenport for fuel and more DEF. Price was the same in Walcott but this was a few more miles down the road. We put in 13 gallons of fuel and one gallon of DEF. The gauge didn't move as much as I thought.

AND, while I was putting my info into the pump to get it started, I had to stand to brace against the wind. I didn't realize it had gotten that windy. It has been behind us most of the day, usually at an angle but behind us.

Enter IL we do have to enter the scale but someone was sitting on the scale with a red light and the driver looked like he'd been there a while. Lucky us, not lucky him.

As soon as we turn onto I-88 we are heading north east and now have either a head wind or a cross wind. Mileage goes from <> 12 mpg to 8 mpg. I had put in enough fuel to get to the drop, 2/3rds of the way and we have used all of the fuel. All of the fuel that I was not supposed to leave in the tank. I think I will have enough to get near the drop where I will fuel again to leave the 1/4th required.

4th and final stop is at the Sleep Inn in Rockford. BB was looking for somewhere else to eat but most didn't have a big enough parking lot for my rig. She didn't want the place near the hotel because how much the food cost last time. Last time ...

Last time she had the best fish on the menu and we topped it off with a nice desert. Once she found the prices of the cheaper items, she was OK with walking across the parking lot instead of finding somewhere else.

Tavern on Clark is the food. Tonight we got to-go and came back to the hotel. We split a burger and fries, plus I had French onion soup which I did not need.

Earlier today there was some nice work. 1 RV to Brainard MN, 2 trucks from IN to Brainard MN. 2 RV's back down to Greer. And one rental truck from IA to ND ... we went within a mile of the IA location today. Would have been a nice trip, if we were not planning on being home on Saturday. Tomorrow we can call for work for the weekend.

Finally had time to call the IA dispatcher about my RV that I dropped at the shop. BB had seen the other RV back on the load board two weeks ago that it was fixed. And the dispatcher did have A answer :) At the dealer, a yard person was moving one RV and backed into mine ... so both had to go to the body shop before they could be worked on. They are still at the repair shop. (And all it takes is 24 hours and the engine light will go off :( )

Load board

US - 99

IA - 18/16

MN - 5

WI - 1

Tomorrow we backtrack two miles to the mall and I'll drop BB off. Then it is about 40 miles to the Loves where I will top off fuel and move our stuff to the rental car. We hope to be out of the drop by 10 AM. That should have us back to our car in IA about 4 PM.

Then we get to decide if we want to push it and get home by 8 PM or get a hotel and go direct to our family thing tomorrow.