Random trivia to ponder

[sleepydogtravels]

In 1845, a conestoga wagon cost about $225 and a team of four oxen $40. This translates into a total of about $9000 today.
Average speed was 2 mph, and you could make it from St Louis to California in about 5 months if the weather was good.
Any other vandwelling trivia you think is interesting?

 

[bullfrog]

Wonder how much maintenance and fuel cost?

 

[Qxxx]

The California Trail was littered with broke down wagons and the bones of dead cattle and oxen. There seems to be a rough parallel in terms of broke down old vans today.

 

[sleepydogtravels]

Wonder how much maintenance and fuel cost?

You'd have to carry a jack (nicknamed "finger crushers"), linseed oil, and pine tar. It was ideal to work on one wheel each night to keep ahead of breakdowns.
Oxen would just eat grasses along the way.

 

[MeiraNomadRN]

Ooh, what did one do to a wheel each night, and for what purpose?

Also Bob would ask where they used the bathroom and how they showered. Lol

 

[sleepydogtravels]

Pine tar to lubricate. Meat grease was a budget option, but not as good.
You'd have to jack the wheel up and soak it in a tub of linseed oil to preserve the wood. Also brush it over areas not fully immersed. It soaked in more easily if it was heated.
I love watching his videos! So many good ideas from different people!

 

[MeiraNomadRN]

And the lubrication reduced friction which reduced wear & tear?

 

[sleepydogtravels]

Imagine having to carry all the maintenance supplies you needed for that, on top of hundreds of pounds of food that took forever to cook, etc. Then driving over only rutted tracks. Makes me so grateful for truck stops and maintained roads!

 

[sleepydogtravels]

And the lubrication reduced friction which reduced wear & tear?

I think so? I'm not a mechanic so I'm not sure. Just remembering my history projects from school.

 

[rvwandering]

Actually consetoga wagons were too big and heavy for the trail west. The wagons used were nicknamed prairie schooners and were similar to farm
wagons.

More trivia: Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs were early RVers and caravan leaders. Between 1915 and 1924, they embarked on a series of summer camping trips. https://www.thehenryford.org/collec...gital-resources/popular-topics/the-vagabonds/
"The 1919 trip involved fifty vehicles, including two designed by Ford: a kitchen camping car with a gasoline stove and built-in icebox presided over by a cook and a heavy touring car mounted on a truck chassis with compartments for tents, cots, chairs, electric lights, etc"

 

[1shemp]

A lot of Mormons couldn't afford wagons.They built and used hand carts.

 

[sleepydogtravels]

Tony and Karen:
Good catch! Thank you!
I'm itching now to look up photos and info on the early car caravans!

 

[bullfrog]

The hand carts are making a come back. I almost hit one on the reservation the other day. They are using the old 4' or so tall bicycle wheels and are about 4' square with very light tube frames but with no warning lights or signs are not very visible on 65 MPH roads with little or no margin, a pretty dangerous idea.

 

[Qxxx]

Tony and Karen:
Good catch! Thank you!
I'm itching now to look up photos and info on the early car caravans!

This may be of interest. Kind of looks like HDR's rig.
https://www.google.com/search?q=1907+thomas+flyer