[T3] Invasion On the road

[John Jaranson]

> On May 30, 2025, at 5:31 PM, Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:
> 
> On 30 May 2025 at 9:51, Max Welton wrote:
> 
>> Here's a random traveling question. What do you all use for car-to-car
>> comm on the road? I still have my little family-band radios. They have
>> enough range to cover a travelling group unless you really get strung out.
> 
> John Jaranson brought a few of those little Walkie Talkie things to the 
> caravan to the Arizona Invasion. Thanks to one of those, after an hour or so 
> of driving directly into the late afternoon sun, we got to hear, as our burned 
> eyeballs arrived at the final destination, Jill shouted, "PRAISE JESUS!"
> 
> They were comforting to have, especially if something unexpected 
> happened.  
> 
> 

We remember that run up the mountains into the setting sun before dropping down into Prescott Valley well.  Definitely some of the worst sun glare I have ever driven in.  

We have used walkie talkies on many of the Invasion runs.  Jill and I also use them when we are caravanning together to local VW Shows.  We have even used them on birding adventures when we are traveling with fellow birders.

When we did the first Invasion caravan out to Idaho, we didn’t have walkie talkies or even reliable cellphones.  We just got really good at paying attention to our fellow Invaders both in front and behind.  If anyone needed to stop, they would either speed up and pass to the front of the caravan or just flash their headlights and put on their turn signal before the next exit.  Everyone just relayed the signal to the lead vehicle.

You also tend to end up synchronizing fuel stops because everyone is getting pretty similar mileage.  200-250 miles between fuel stops tends to make for good and frequent times to check-in with each other.

In the end, it all works out…

John