ECWA - Vintage Jeeps on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Under the auspices of the East Coast Willys Association, we are planning a road trip, primarily targeting vintage Jeeps, running the full 470-mile length of the Blue Ridge Parkway across Virginia and North Carolina, in the Fall of 2014.

Information as it develops is being posted at the website jeeptour.sanlee.com

We also have a planning forum as a sub-part of the full forum at the ECWA.

If you are interested, and have a vintage "small" Jeep, MV or civilian, we'd like to have you join in.

DP

That's why we are starting early....I got quite a list on my CJ and camping trailer to complete, have broken it down into phases (and costs) over the next 10-11 months.  Not like the Laurel Springs thing a few weeks ago, where I put in about eight straight 12-hour days to get things ready.  (including painting it outside in the dark the night before we left).

Now I have something to work towards. I have a lot to do...

Doubt I can get mine ready for that long of a trip but would be cool if I could get it going good enough to make the 15-20m run out to Meadows of Dan or Fancy Gap where ever you stop at.

UPDATE:   After several hectic weeks with family and work, I finally had some free time tonight and thought I'd work thru some emails and PM's from folks about the trip, and post some updates on the various forums.

We are looking at two nights "on the road".  I had been thinking Fancy Gap and Spruce Pine, but several people have recommended Meadows of Dan, just a few miles North of Fancy Gap, as a better place for the first night.  I am going to do some research on that.  I still need someone in each area to check out the campgrounds and get some more information.  Also, some folks may want to camp near Waynesboro, and again at Cherokee at either end of the trip, so some input on camping in those areas would be great.  I hope to have campsites firmly set in the next few weeks so folks can start making their reservations.  From past experience, most campgrounds allow two vehicles and two tents per site, so I'd recommend that everyone try and buddy up with someone on your "home" forum (ecj5, cj2apages, etc) when making your reservations...both to leave sites for others, and to cut your nightly costs.

I really don't have any idea of of how many participants there will be, and we really won't know until the ride is over...I'm not planning on any fancy registration, etc....just show up and ride, and folks can make their own campsite reservations.  From the survey and emails, it looks like most participants will be camping instead of using motels.  From the responses I have received...maybe 30 people (vehicles) have said that they are "definitely going"...from past experience, it could be a tenth of that, or double.  Many more don't want to commit to the logistics of the full length, and are just talking about riding part of a day.

If someone wants to do something like a t-shirt to commemorate the event, feel free.  Just design, post, and sell.  I got no objections.  Remember is not a site/forum specific ride, other than operating under the auspices of the ECWA (East Coast Willys Association) "Adventure Rides".  Contact the ECWA for permissions first if you are want to consider using their name/logo/etc as part of a design, though.

Each day will be mostly "play it by ear"...the morning start time being the only scheduled item.  With 40-60 year old Jeeps, we could easily be wrenching on the side of the road, towing to the next camp (or a safe place), making a parts run, or whatever.   We will try and "guestimate" waypoint times during the day, for those that want to meet up along the way.  We need someone good with GPS/mapping/websites to create a method for some sort of an interactive reporting of where we are (for those trying to meet us, and to torment those at home).

I know space is limited in the little Jeeps.  We'll be tight with 2 people and a big dog in the CJ-5.  Personally, I am hoping to have my jeep-sized trailer built by September.  If anyone that is Jeepless has an enclosed cargo trailer and would be willing to help by hauling camping gear (maybe limit to something like 1 duffel bag and 1 rubbermaid tote per person?), then maybe we can work out a contribution to your gas bill (on an individual basis).

If you have any ideas, suggestions for must-sees, side trips, a good place for a "family" photo (likely on Saturday), etc, let me know.  There are threads going on several Jeep/4x4 related forums, and, of course, the "home" forum for the trip at the ECWA.  I try and summarize information on the page http://jeeptour.sanlee.com

DP

Can you pull a trailer down the parkway? For some reason I was under the impression you couldn't. If that's allowed, it might help solve one of my biggest problems of how to get my tow rig and trailer from the start to the end. If we could use it as a support vehicle my wife could follow in it, and we'd have a trailer in case anybody has a breakdown, which seems likely. How are other people planning on getting their stuff moved around?

NCtoy wrote: How are other people planning on getting their stuff moved around?

I don't remember if I said this here before or not...I have spoken with a friend (and also another rider friend as a backup plan) that is into motorcycles.  Basic plan is for me to trailer up to Waynesboro, unload the Jeep, they load the motorbikes and drive my truck and trailer to Cherokee.  Find somewhere to park it for the weekend, and they start riding North.  When I get to Cherokee, I find my truck and trailer.

As another backup, a buddy and his wife will ride up there with us (I got a crew cab), and spend the weekend on the parkway, with my truck and trailer, meeting up in Cherokee on Sunday.

Worse comes to worse, I'll just do the distance, including from home and back, in the CJ.  I'd rather not.

yep, mostly....Speed limit is 45...that's too fast for me in a few places....either for the funky curves (what they call "decreasing radius curves") or for being able to enjoy the scenery.  (Of course, I drvie a 3/4 ton solid axle 4wd crew cab.)   30-35 is a great travelling speed.  Most people are nice and don't push...I always pull over or allow passing ASAP....most folks are happy with that speed...they just speed up when others start  pushing them.

We were up there last sept -- traffic wasn't bad at all.  We went back in mid/late oct for the leaves....traffic was really heavy, all the roadside areas were full of cars, etc...folks in a hurry to get anywhere.

I think we'll be just fine, considering it's before the fall color kicks in, and as long as we are considerate of other vehicles...allow passing, don't bunch up, pull over to let traffic by, don't all fill up the overlook parking areas, etc.

Not trying to hijack this thread   but FBill was talking about vintage cars and motorcycles on the BRP when he was a kid. This youtube was taken (I believe) from around Spruce Pine going north. Hope to meet you'ns there in a 2A/3A/M38!  Well, I can't link the youtube to this post, but if you google Hang on St Christopher BRP motorcycle you should find an enjoyable 6 or 7 minute video by GuzziMoto.