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      07-08-2021, 06:50 AM   #1
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Road Trip. Any advice appreciated

I just sold my house in Upstate NY and bought a home in Helena MT. My wife drove her Mercedes GLE43 SUV with two dogs across country last month and did it with three overnight stops.

I'm going to try and do it with two overnight stops as I will not have dogs with me. This trip will cover about 2200 miles. I plan to do 800-900 miles the 1st two days and finish on the 3rd day.

I'll be driving my 2020 F82. Let me know if any of you have any advice, or words of encouragement or discouragement. I'm 47 years old, in good physical condition, and will only be driving from dawn until dusk. This trip will occur the 1st week of August.
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      07-08-2021, 09:07 AM   #2
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If you dont already have some sort of paint protection film on the front end I would at least look into a front end bra. Yes, I know they look cheesy but its better than no protection and having to clean/wash all the bugs off.

Good luck! Enjoy the ride and scenery.
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      07-08-2021, 10:13 AM   #3
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Carry an empty big mouth water bottle that you never plan to drink from ever again. 😁
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      07-08-2021, 10:18 AM   #4
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Bring a spare tire.
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      07-08-2021, 10:29 AM   #5
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See my post from a similar thread elsewhere, check this stuff out:

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...7&postcount=14
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      07-08-2021, 02:18 PM   #6
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Definitely doable and fun. I've done several back to back to back 12h highway drives in mine with no issues. My stock seats start to feel a bit uncomfortable around hour 10 but I just play with the positioning a bit and then it's fine. I keep a USB well stocked with podcasts (99% Invisible is my favourite) and I find it passes the time better than music. A big bag of Gorp and some grapes are handy too.
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      07-08-2021, 04:16 PM   #7
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Sounds fun I'd just get a jack/tire pump/tire plug kit in case you get a flat.
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      07-08-2021, 05:48 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kwikshift View Post
If you dont already have some sort of paint protection film on the front end I would at least look into a front end bra. Yes, I know they look cheesy but its better than no protection and having to clean/wash all the bugs off.

Good luck! Enjoy the ride and scenery.
I second this. Drove my F80 about 1,800 miles in May from FL up to New England over the course of three days. The drive itself wasn't bad, giving it a pull every once in a while to keep it fun.

My only regret was not doing anything to protect the paint. Ended the trip with a number of new paint chips on my bumper/lower hood and was quite disheartening. Have even seen people use painters tape to cover as a cheap alternative - definitely worth the effort to save your paint IMO
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      07-08-2021, 06:14 PM   #9
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Agree with paint protection for front end and consider changing wiper blades before leaving unless very recently changed. Above all, if you get sleepy, stop especially when traveling alone.
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      07-08-2021, 07:41 PM   #10
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My grandparents had a place near Clancy. Beautiful country but not M friendly, you'll want something you don't care about having a smashed windshield.
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      07-08-2021, 08:26 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmf8x View Post
Sounds fun I'd just get a jack/tire pump/tire plug kit in case you get a flat.
I wouldn't worry about it if you have good tires

You got tpms so you'll get notice of there is a nail

OP

It's gonna be fun

Get a radar detector

You got a new car have fun!!!!!!
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      07-08-2021, 10:28 PM   #12
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A bag of your favorite jerky = very underrated way to help you stay awake on the road
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      07-08-2021, 10:42 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2011ninja View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmf8x View Post
Sounds fun I'd just get a jack/tire pump/tire plug kit in case you get a flat.
I wouldn't worry about it if you have good tires

You got tpms so you'll get notice of there is a nail

OP

It's gonna be fun

Get a radar detector

You got a new car have fun!!!!!!
A tire plug kit isn't to check the tire pressure, it's because if you're in the middle of nowhere you don't want to have to drive to the nearest tire shop you'd rather just pull over and plug it yourself.

You can easily go flat while driving with a nail in your tire and be stranded. Tire plug kit and air pump etc takes care of that problem in a few minutes.
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      07-08-2021, 11:24 PM   #14
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Totally agree about a good tire plug + tire inflation kit! I’ve done several long road trips Texas - California in my F82 and the kit saved me in New Mexico once! Takes up very little space and very easy to use. A good sturdy portable jack is also a good idea.

No tailgating also. Easiest / quickest way to get paint chips is to drive behind an 18 wheeler at 80 mph!

PPF as much of the front as possible....you won’t be disappointed! I’m at 38,000 miles and it looks almost pristine!

Emergency work gloves and duct tape!

Enjoy!
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      07-09-2021, 06:30 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmf8x View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2011ninja View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmf8x View Post
Sounds fun I'd just get a jack/tire pump/tire plug kit in case you get a flat.
I wouldn't worry about it if you have good tires

You got tpms so you'll get notice of there is a nail

OP

It's gonna be fun

Get a radar detector

You got a new car have fun!!!!!!
A tire plug kit isn't to check the tire pressure, it's because if you're in the middle of nowhere you don't want to have to drive to the nearest tire shop you'd rather just pull over and plug it yourself.

You can easily go flat while driving with a nail in your tire and be stranded. Tire plug kit and air pump etc takes care of that problem in a few minutes.
Yes great idea

You're assuming OP knows how to plug a tire and done it before.I'm going with he never has changed a tire.

I'd bet a million dollars most owners have never plugged a tire or changed a tire.

There are no tools or patch kit
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      07-09-2021, 01:47 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ntg44 View Post
Bring a spare tire.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsmf8x View Post
Sounds fun I'd just get a jack/tire pump/tire plug kit in case you get a flat.
I'd suggest carrying a tire plug kit and a decent 12V compressor like the VIAIR 85P, these take up way less room than a spare. The spare will only be good for a short distance and that's not likely as you make your way through North/South Dakota and Montana. Also, take a good analog tire pressure gauge. Just in case, if you're an AAA member, consider upgrading to their Premium level. Chances are that you will not get a flat tire, so this is all just insurance. But better to have something useful because you just might need it.

Take out the M Mobility Kit and leave it for the movers because if you have to use it it's just extra weight and space after that since it can't be used again unless you take extra goo canisters. This is not a recommended method anyway. The VIAIR will take up less space than the Mobility Kit. I ditched the Mobility kit in my M4 and my wife's M3 shortly after we got the cars.

To make the driving less punishing over the long haul, put everything on soft (Efficient/Comfort/Comfort) with DriveLogic set to 1. This will make the ride as soft and smooth as possible for the Interstates. But if you encounter some twisties, change those settings to suit the road.

And get a good radar detector. It could pay for itself. Get a good phone mount and use Waze to warn of hazards/police/etc.
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      07-12-2021, 07:06 AM   #17
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Thanks for all the advice. Ninja is correct. I am a middle age yuppie M owner driving a bone stock M4 because it's well, cool. My wife just made this drive in her MB GLE43 SUV and the front end had many bug carcasses.

As far as the tire situation, if I get a flat it's going to cost some money and lots of time as I will not attempt to change a tire or repair one on the side of a highway where the traffic will be going 80+ MPH. Going with the hope it doesn't happen plan.

If it does happen, I will attempt to get off the next exit and use the SOS thingy in the car. I do have the 12V compressor which I use mostly to inflate my soccer ball but bought it for the car for the nail in the tire reason. If I get a nail, I can inflate it every so often until I can get it to a tire shop. If I get a sidewall blowout my rim will likely be toast so it will just suck.

I'm shipping the X2 I have and want to drive the M across country. Maybe I'll regret that, but I don't think I'll have trouble seeing as my wife did it while hauling two dogs. Can't have the wife thinking I'm a wimp, right?
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      07-12-2021, 08:46 AM   #18
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god the story i can tell
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      07-12-2021, 10:43 AM   #19
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Put your stuff in the trunk, your snacks in the passenger seat, set the navigation to your stopping points, and hit the open road with the breeze in your hair my friend! Traction control off/s3/sport+/sport+!! May as well enjoy the drive if you gotta make it!

I will say I have both seat positions saved to a spot i like, so if I start to get uncomfortable on long journey's I can flip flop between them.
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      07-12-2021, 12:35 PM   #20
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It's as road trip practical as a vanilla 3/4-series. The only things of concern v say an SUV is the lack of under-body clearance as you may encounter road debris which super sucks given the oil cooler risk right at the lower front bumper. This and overall wear/tear are reasons why I don't like the idea of prolonged interstate drives in my F82 especially at night.

Back when I signed up, AAA has some type of clearance period before you're able to take adv of the extra towing mileage benefit.

Enjoy the drive whatever you end up piloting.
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      07-12-2021, 07:34 PM   #21
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Traction control off/s3/sport+/sport+!! May as well enjoy the drive if you gotta make it!
How exactly is this going to help him "enjoy the drive" when 95+% of the trip will be on interstates? Do you really need these settings when driving your car straight at 70-80 MPH? A harsh ride for three days over 2,000 miles is not my idea of "enjoying the ride". YMMV...
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      07-12-2021, 08:04 PM   #22
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Quote:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F82spaceship View Post
Traction control off/s3/sport+/sport+!! May as well enjoy the drive if you gotta make it!
How exactly is this going to help him "enjoy the drive" when 95+% of the trip will be on interstates? Do you really need these settings when driving your car straight at 70-80 MPH? A harsh ride for three days over 2,000 miles is not my idea of "enjoying the ride". YMMV...
Lol Bummerpost strikes again

My m4 doesnt have adaptive suspension. Or I would've added 1 more sport+
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