3000 mile shakedown trip

[ME for Maine]

We didn't plan on taking a 3000 mile shakedown trip with the new toad and tow bar, but that's how it turned out. Got the car and MH from the shop at noon on the day we had planned to leave from Denver to Puget Sound area. All went well with just a few lessons learned.

First, not disconnecting the battery on our 2006 Miata will indeed drain the battery in a few hours!

Second, if you turn the key to the off position with a dead battery, you cannot turn it back to the on position (and steering will be locked).

Third, Good Sam roadside assistance has very good response time (10 minutes) for a jump start in Douglas, WY.

Fourth, the standard 64" safety cables that come with a Roadmaster Sterling All Terrain tow bar are 4" too short when using a drop hitch extender. I now have the 68" cables thanks to eTrailer.com.

Finally, a TPMS is well worth the money for the piece of mind knowing what the toad's tire pressures and temperatures are doing.

Because everyone loves pictures, the new toad:

[RVThere]

You lucked out with a 10 minute response time from Good Sam! I'm usually on hold that long!

With a TPMS on the toad and a DP, I realized that the temps are definitely higher on the toad as all the heat comes off the engine right to your sensors. Initially I was concerned because my left front toad temp sensor showed higher readings than the rest of the toad tires - thought a brake caliper was dragging. Then I realized this tire was right behind the engine exhaust...

Safe travels!