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Road Trip

grimtas

Newbie
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
21
Location
Colorado
Making a road trip soon from Colorado to Louisiana via Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas. I've reviewed the information on handgunlaws for each state and believe I'll be good to go with my CHP while traveling, my preference is to open carry but I know Texas is still a no-no. I understand the federal law on travel so for the most part that covers any momentary stops along the way for fuel/food.

I'm mostly concerned about two things:
1) I'll have to make a few several hour layovers for rest along the way, don't know exactly where these stops will be yet it depends on how tired I get pulling my 43' fiver.
2) Any issues carrying condition 1 either on my person, or more comfortably in my center console through Kansas, Oklahoma, or Texas.

I have no concerns in Louisiana their laws are pretty similar to Colorado, it's just been a few decades since I've been back to my home state so I reviewed the laws anyway.

Any other gotchas I should be aware of?
 

HPmatt

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
1,467
Location
Dallas
console s/b no issue in Texas - just keep it less than 5 over the posted speed limit


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ken56

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2010
Messages
368
Location
Dandridge, TN
You have your CHP and all those states have reciprocity I do believe. I have traveled with my trailer through all of the states your going through and aside from conceal only in TX I carried as I normally carry at home with narry a problem. Just be certain of which states honor your states permit. Safe travels.
 

grimtas

Newbie
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
21
Location
Colorado
Thanks for the replies thus far. I figured I was safe from my reviews of the various state laws. Looking closer at my trip planner I won't even be stopping overnight in OK or TX so only in the free state of KS then my destination ;).. I also don't ever exceed 65 max pulling my fiver and get better fuel mileage at 62-63 max. Any other time it's the posted limit or 5 less there abouts. I'm never in any hurry when on vacation...
 

SteveInCO

Regular Member
Joined
May 3, 2013
Messages
297
Location
El Paso County, Colorado
Thanks for the replies thus far. I figured I was safe from my reviews of the various state laws. Looking closer at my trip planner I won't even be stopping overnight in OK or TX so only in the free state of KS then my destination ;).. I also don't ever exceed 65 max pulling my fiver and get better fuel mileage at 62-63 max. Any other time it's the posted limit or 5 less there abouts. I'm never in any hurry when on vacation...

I tend to go quickly, if only because the time at the destination is more valuable to me than the time spent admiring the miles and miles. But if you're pulling a load and going fast kills your fuel economy, that option is limited. Also some people consider the drive an equally valuable part of the experience; perhaps you are one of them. I could just write YMMV (and maybe have to duck for cover as everyone throws stuff at me) but here it's a case where everyone's mileage varies.

I used to have a boss that would wonder why I wanted to drive fast on the way to work. He imagined it as being eager to put up with the ******** for eight hours. He even would say "well then just get up earlier." I looked upon it as not being paid for the time I'd spend driving. The time I saved wasn't paid to me in extra working time, it was paid in extra home time. Hell, I could even hit the snooze button one more time if I were willing to drive faster. (It was a long-ass commute.)

OK the philosophy of driving fast even on vacation or going to work aside, the other thing to look out for is "must inform" laws for those situations where you do take the option to CC for whatever reason (e.g., putting on a jacket at night). I could imagine even a "constitutional carry" state having such a requirement ("you don't need a permit, but do please tell mister ossifer"), so don't make any assumptions. Of course many of us just make it a policy to inform nevertheless which makes that question easy for them.

On a total side note, it's no longer "jacket" weather here, so it's once again OC weather (my mode of CC is my OC OWB rig under a long but open jacket) and I found myself going through all the "first time OCer" nervousness again at Wallyworld; crazy huh? (It has been months since I saw another OCer outside of gun shops/ranges.) I think the only person who noticed was the lady in the scooter, whose eyeballs were at gun level.
 

HPmatt

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
1,467
Location
Dallas
.... ("you don't need a permit, but do please tell mister ossifer"), so don't make any assumptions. Of course many of us just make it a policy to inform nevertheless which makes that question easy for them.
...

It has been so long (high school?) I don't know where I picked up the 'Ossifer' word (Foster Brooks? Geo Carlin?), but by always using it I am always very conscious to say the proper word when in rare instances I speak to LEOs...
 

grimtas

Newbie
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
21
Location
Colorado
Steve,
We are in the same county ;). The must inform states on my route are OK, TX, and LA. CO and KS no need to inform.
I don't disagree with you on travel speeds, I've once made the trek from Colorado Springs to New Orleans in just over 10 hours. But I was a lot younger then and driving solo.

While I'd like maximize my time as much as possible it's just not safe towing 21K lbs over 65. My 3500 dually can more then handle the load and pull much faster, it's the emergency stopping that's the issue, not to mention I don't want to see my nearly $200K setup jack-knifed or rolled on the highway.
 

Wstar425

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
570
Location
Tomahawk and Abbotsford, Wi.
I pull 80,000 pounds at 75-80 mph all the time, safely until I run up on the backside of some dude on vacation........

I'm just giving you some crap, if I ever took a vacation I wouldn't be in a hurry either. By the way, exactly what is this "vacation" thing that you speak of? Enjoy the ride!
 

grimtas

Newbie
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
21
Location
Colorado
I pull 80,000 pounds at 75-80 mph all the time, safely until I run up on the backside of some dude on vacation...


:shocker:.. Commercial vs recreational. Yours is bigger then mine...:lol: Cough cough your Truck that is...

Big difference from "G" rated tires vs "E" rated and Air vs electric brakes. Don't get me wrong, apart from the tires I want to upgrade on the fiver I have no safety concerns.

I also drive in the right hand lane and don't have a company fuel card for the diesel.

For the 1350 mile (one-way) trip I only add 2-3 hours drive time by saving $$$ in fuel cost. That 2-3 hours will not make that much of a difference to me or affect my vacation.
 

grimtas

Newbie
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
21
Location
Colorado
Trip complete

Great times with friends and family some I haven't seen in 15 years. Loaded up on tons of great food and brought a pile back home with me.

I replaced my 5vr tires prior to leaving as I didn't like the looks of them so upgrading to load G tires gave me more piece of mind for the trip.

Not a single negative encounter during the entire trip (I did conceal while stopping for fuel in TX) Other then one nod from a NOPD LEO in the zoo (French Quarter) I don't have anything really much to report as it should be.
 
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