Pullin' Chocks

On the Road to Halstead, KS

We departed Magnolia (Waller area) Texas on a Saturday.  After looking at the map and planning our route to Kansas we were intimidated by the size of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  Because our comfortable coach is so wide and tall, mainly tall, there are many roads with low clearances that we cannot pass.  We are as careful as we can be when planning our route, especially getting to interstate highways.  There we understand that overpass minimum heights are 14 feet, which is sufficient for our 13' 4" to pass under.  We have Apps that identify low clearances throughout the US.  We also look at Google maps and use the satellite view extensively to identify traffic patterns that could be problematic.  We also conduct "Pathfinder" rides in the truck when we are not hitched to the trailer to look for and identify any low clearances on routes outbound that we did not use coming in.  We found some low wires in Magnolia TX which influenced our choice to drive back into Houston on our departure instead of heading out directly on the smaller back roads of Texas.  Once we make it to interstate and most primary state routes we are fine, but we can get into trouble in a hurry on the smaller roads and streets.  Low wires and tree branches are the most common show stoppers.  Occasionally tight turns or traffic patterns can limit us.  This happens in parking lots frequently.

Our strategy for navigating Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) was to drive to the southern outskirts Saturday, and then rise early Sunday and ride through while the cities were sleeping.  That plan worked well this time.

Very light traffic on Sunday morning coming into Fort Worth, TX.

We are 13 feet 4 inches tall; 14 feet 6 inch clearance you say, No Problem, hammer down!  Yee Haa!

Once we were through DFW it was a short ride to Oklahoma (where the wind blows rolling cross the plains!) My dear old dad lived here as a boy in Ponca City, and as it turned out we stayed overnight at a truck stop on I-35 at Ponca City!  Oklahoma boys like their trucks and livestock here, not to mention oil wells!

I am trying to help out below with a minor trucking problem.  Seems the wind tipped 'er up a bit.

Did I mention to watch out for the low guard rail?

Our home for the Ponca City, Oklahoma night.

 Oklahoma livestock.

And don't forget the oil!