GMC Nor'easters caravan to GMCMI Spring 2025

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Christo

Christo

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Oct 4, 2019
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Weymouth, MA
www.cruzingear.co
  • Caravan organizer: Christo
  • Caravan Dates: Sunday April 20, 2025 - Tuesday April 29, 2025
  • Convention Dates: Tuesday April 22, 2025 - Sunday April 27, 2025
  • Location tracking app (free on iOS and Android): Glympse - GMCMI tag
    • Max location sharing time is 12 hours. Please share daily when traveling!
    • Tip: Use your coach's name as your name and a photo of your coach as your avatar.
    • You'll be able to see all participating convention attendees, not just our caravan!
    • Password is needed for the GMCMI tag in order to share your location (anyone who knows the name of the tag can view). I will include the password in the invitation for the prep call on 3/23.
    • Web viewer: https://glympse.com/!GMCMI (slow, better to use app if on mobile)
    • Step-by-step instructions
  • Caravan communication: Group text (need mobile phone numbers)
  • GMCMI convention info
  • Convention venue: Pride RV Resort, Waynesville, NC
  • Route planning: RV Life Trip Wizard - GMC Nor'easters caravan to GMCMI Spring 2025 (admin: Christo D)
  • Attendees
    • Nor'easters
      • Christo & Barbara
      • Jim & Nancie
      • Kevin & Jodie
      • Joe & Norah
      • Matthew & Carol H (?)
    • Guests
      • Rich B
      • Alain B (maybe for return trip)
      • Todd S (Harrisburg, PA)
      • Marc B (Harrisburg, PA)
  • GMC Nor'easters caravan to GMCMI convention prep call
    • Sunday, March 23 · 7:00 – 8:00pm
    • Send a PM to Christo if you need an invitation - call notes are attached to the meeting invitation.
 

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As far as the trip route, I'm planning for all the overnight stops to be at Cracker Barrels. The daily distance will be 350-400 miles, traveling at a top speed of about 65 mph. Trying to keep daily drive time to 8 hours or less.

RV Trip Wizard recommends route 95 to 287 to 78 to 81 to 26 to 40. However, I've heard that the condition of the roads and the traffic on 287 and 78 are less than ideal. The alternative would be route 90 to 84 to 81 to 26 to 40 (current plan) -- it's 20 miles longer (one way) but probably faster due to less traffic. One of the other things I'm keeping an eye on is the hills and road conditions in NC. Any suggestions?
 
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Here's the current route plan (updated 2/25/2025 to remove the MA muster point; we can all meet in CT):

1740512379145.webp

There's one major grade to deal with on Route 26 in NC (See the elevation map above which covers the entire round trip). Southbound route is 90 to 84 to 81 to 26 to 40; northbound is a mirror of that route but with different Cracker Barrel stops. On the return trip we're hoping to meet up with @Bill Bryant at the Cracker Barrel in Fishkill NY.
 
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UPDATE: I think we can just meet up at a single muster point, the one at Prospect Plaza Shopping Center on Kane St. in West Hartford, CT off Route 84 (previous posts updated).

Also, please note that I have moved this thread from the private Nor'easters subforum to the public Northeast subforum since we may have a few non Nor'easter coaches joining us for the caravan. Please don't post any private info such as phone numbers or email addresses.
 
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I did email you everyones contact info that's coming from that area. Did you get that? What time do you think you'd be leaving from the Harrisburg Cracker Barrel on Sunday? We could time it just right to catch you guys coming down since we're taking the exact same route just a little further south. We're meeting around the Winchester, VA area.

How often do you guys like stopping? I'm an every 200 miles kinda guy. Stretch the legs, get gas, drop off fluid.
 
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werewilfs said:
I did email you everyones contact info that's coming from that area. Did you get that? What time do you think you'd be leaving from the Harrisburg Cracker Barrel on Sunday? We could time it just right to catch you guys coming down since we're taking the exact same route just a little further south. We're meeting around the Winchester, VA area.

How often do you guys like stopping? I'm an every 200 miles kinda guy. Stretch the legs, get gas, drop off fluid.
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Yes, I received the list, thanks! I only reached out to Rich, Alain, and Matthew because they're from the closest locations to our group, and also because I don't want to overwhelm the limited amount of parking at Cracker Barrel or take too much advantage of their goodwill.

Barbara and I typically get going between 8-9AM on travel days. We haven't had our group call yet so I'm not sure how many folks will want to stick closely together versus doing their own thing and meeting up at the end of each day. I don't see any need for everyone to do pit stops at the same time, but yeah I take a break every 3 hours or so. We'll hopefully be able to keep track of everyone via the Glypse app and group text. I'm thinking that as long as we stay loosely together we can help each other out if anyone encounters a problem.
 
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That's a great idea. I think the main thing here is I want to make sure everyone knows where everyone else is just in case anyone runs into an issue. I'd hate for someone to be broken down off the highway and have 6 GMCs fly on by. The Glympse App looks great. I had never used that before. Would it make sense to create a group for everyone coming down so we can keep track of where everyone is while traveling?
 
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werewilfs said:
I did email you everyones contact info that's coming from that area. Did you get that? What time do you think you'd be leaving from the Harrisburg Cracker Barrel on Sunday? We could time it just right to catch you guys coming down since we're taking the exact same route just a little further south. We're meeting around the Winchester, VA area.

How often do you guys like stopping? I'm an every 200 miles kinda guy. Stretch the legs, get gas, drop off fluid.
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I'm trying to figure this out too, looks like they are arriving to Harrisburg Sunday evening, departing Monday morning. Am I reading it wrong? I'd like to try to join your caravan in Harrisburg PA if possible.
 
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werewilfs said:
That's a great idea. I think the main thing here is I want to make sure everyone knows where everyone else is just in case anyone runs into an issue. I'd hate for someone to be broken down off the highway and have 6 GMCs fly on by. The Glympse App looks great. I had never used that before. Would it make sense to create a group for everyone coming down so we can keep track of where everyone is while traveling?
Click to expand...
The thing about glympse is that the permission to track needs to be renewed each day, so it'd be up to individuals or caravan leaders to make sure the renewals happen. I don't know if there are any limitations on group size but the notion of being able to see everyone-ish converging on NC (and getting home safely) sure is enticing. Also, for those traveling independently it might be nice to see if anyone else is nearby regardless of whether they're having difficulties.

Lemme do a bit more research on glympse (this will be my first time using it) and get back to you regarding whether it might be worth doing this for all convention attendees rather than just the Nor'easters.
tmsnyder said:
I'm trying to figure this out too, looks like they are arriving to Harrisburg Sunday evening, departing Monday morning. Am I reading it wrong? I'd like to try to join your caravan in Harrisburg PA if possible.
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You're correct, arriving Harrisburg, PA Sunday evening and departing Monday morning.
 
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Christo said:
The thing about glypse is that the permission to track needs to be renewed each day, so it'd be up to individuals or caravan leaders to make sure the renewals happen. I don't know if there are any limitations on group size but the notion of being able to see everyone-ish converging on NC (and getting home safely) sure is enticing. Also, for those traveling independently it might be nice to see if anyone else is nearby regardless of whether they're having difficulties.

Lemme do a bit more research on glympse (this will be my first time using it) and get back to you regarding whether it might be worth doing this for all convention attendees rather than just the Nor'easters.

You're correct, arriving Harrisburg, PA Sunday evening and departing Monday morning.
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I'd be willing too to have GMCMI pick up the tab on the app if going "premium" would open features for users to take advantage of.
 
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