[Kafkaesque328]

I am driving out to Death Valley next week to hang with my old man for a few days. He's a desert guy and he used to take me to the desert when I was a kid and we have been talking for over a decade about making it happen again and it always gets put off, mostly by me. Cats in the cradle, right? (People over 40 might get that reference..) Driving out on Tuesday and back on Thursday morning.

So I am looking at 115+ degree temps during the day. The drive out isnt a big deal - its 150 miles, under 3 hours easy. We will be driving around the park on thursday which is the only thing I'm thinking as there are some stretches of middle of nowhere driving for sure. Anything I should keep in mind? Here is what I'm rolling with:

The car has 9k miles on it and the tires, conti sport contact run flats with about 6-7/32 tread depth remaining. Car was just serviced for the 1 year service, oil change etc. so all that is fine. I have a portable air compressor I keep in the trunk. Will be rolling with water and a small 2.5 gallon can of gas in the trunk.

Yes, yes I know, I should have gotten the BMW little mini spare tire kit but I haven't yet. So I am putting my faith in the run craps, a tire patch kit and a portable air compressor.

In terms of PSI, I keep my tires at 32 cold all around, just like the door panel says. I don't do more pressure in the rears. My only concern is over inflation due to the heat of the asphalt but, I did just drive back from San Francisco a few days back and it was well over 100 degrees on the 5 and the PSI hovered around 38 all around which is fine.

Anything I'm forgetting? Other than that, I can't think of a better car for the drive. I just did an up and back over a 2 day period to San Fran and back to LA and the car is just a dream. Great ride, fun great seat comfort, the AC is more than enough for me and plenty of satellite radio, podcasts etc. to keep me occupied.

I'll post some pics of the epic landscapes when I return. Thanks bros

[jeffc83]

First, have a safe trip and the only thing I can think of (extra) is a flint/fire starter and one of those "UFO" thermal blankets JUST IN CASE.

Second, change that reference age please....lower it to 35 and I will let the whole thing go That's just not right man

Can't wait to see pics....sub'd

[2000Z3M]

water, water and more water

[dougt.ah3]

Love Death Valley been there many times. Just make sure to keep your gas tank filled as gas stations are scarce. Other than that, enjoy.

[BMW11]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque328

I am driving out to Death Valley next week to hang with my old man for a few days. He's a desert guy and he used to take me to the desert when I was a kid and we have been talking for over a decade about making it happen again and it always gets put off, mostly by me. Cats in the cradle, right? (People over 40 might get that reference..) Driving out on Tuesday and back on Thursday morning.

So I am looking at 115+ degree temps during the day. The drive out isnt a big deal - its 150 miles, under 3 hours easy. We will be driving around the park on thursday which is the only thing I'm thinking as there are some stretches of middle of nowhere driving for sure. Anything I should keep in mind? Here is what I'm rolling with:

The car has 9k miles on it and the tires, conti sport contact run flats with about 6-7/32 tread depth remaining. Car was just serviced for the 1 year service, oil change etc. so all that is fine. I have a portable air compressor I keep in the trunk. Will be rolling with water and a small 2.5 gallon can of gas in the trunk.

Yes, yes I know, I should have gotten the BMW little mini spare tire kit but I haven't yet. So I am putting my faith in the run craps, a tire patch kit and a portable air compressor.

In terms of PSI, I keep my tires at 32 cold all around, just like the door panel says. I don't do more pressure in the rears. My only concern is over inflation due to the heat of the asphalt but, I did just drive back from San Francisco a few days back and it was well over 100 degrees on the 5 and the PSI hovered around 38 all around which is fine.

Anything I'm forgetting? Other than that, I can't think of a better car for the drive. I just did an up and back over a 2 day period to San Fran and back to LA and the car is just a dream. Great ride, fun great seat comfort, the AC is more than enough for me and plenty of satellite radio, podcasts etc. to keep me occupied.

I'll post some pics of the epic landscapes when I return. Thanks bros

have a good time and be safe. saw this article on preparation

https://www.justahead.com/prepare-trip-death-valley/

looking forward to the pictures. have a safe healthy trip and good time.

[Wires]

Originally Posted by 2000Z3M

water, water and more water

+1. Hot Costco and buy a case or two for the trunk.

[Eternal]

I think you are WAY over thinking this. Its a car, in the desert. People live in the desert and are fine (think Vegas, Arizona, etc).

Have fun with your pops.

(now if you were in a pinto, I would have different advice)

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by Eternal

I think you are WAY over thinking this. Its a car, in the desert. People live in the desert and are fine (think Vegas, Arizona, etc).

Have fun with your pops.

(now if you were in a pinto, I would have different advice)

Haha, I know I know... My dad is 80 and its going to be 115 degrees but yeah, it'll be fine. He's the youngest 80 you'll ever see though. True story, he is riding down on his Harley dyna low rider from Northern CA and if you met him you'd think he was in his late 60's. How he pulled that off after a lifetime of hard work, 45 years of smoking a pack of filterless lucky strikes per day, firearms, motorcycles and chainsaws but he's fine. They don't make men like that anymore. Well I got my tire patch kit yesterday to go with my air compressor so I think I'm all set.

My death valley box in the trunk is all set: Binoculars, map (the kind made of paper that you hold in your hand), Glock 17 Gen 4 9mm with 600 rounds of ammo (because when I go to the desert, I shoot guns), 2.5gal of extra gas, water, beer, cooler, flashlight, etc.

Originally Posted by jeffc83

First, have a safe trip and the only thing I can think of (extra) is a flint/fire starter and one of those "UFO" thermal blankets JUST IN CASE.

Second, change that reference age please....lower it to 35 and I will let the whole thing go That's just not right man

Can't wait to see pics....sub'd

Haha. Ok, 35. I reference that song on the regular. If you have a friend or someone that keeps flaking or you can't seem to get together with you just say "its alright man, we'll get together then. You know we'll have a good time then."

Yeah pics for sure - will post next week

Originally Posted by dougt.ah3

Love Death Valley been there many times. Just make sure to keep your gas tank filled as gas stations are scarce. Other than that, enjoy.

Yes for sure, this. Its been ages since I went and last time it was my wife and I but yes. I have a 2.5 gal 'can' in the trunk just in case which would get us 50 miles or so

[Kafkaesque328]

Solid road trip, Death Valley was great. Like being on Mars or something. I hadn't been in years. Was about 115 the whole time, the trip was a breeze. 3 hr drive out there from L.A. and we spent the next day driving around the park checking out all the little sights including Badwater which is my favorite spot which is like 300' below sea level. The car was as usual flawless and is just an excellent road trip car.

Interesting thing going on with my paint. Quick backstory - we live literally a few ridges over from where the massive La Tuna Canyon fires started that spread all through Shadow Hills and Burbank and the fire got insanely close to our house. That's another story though. SO, there was a ton of ash and dirt on my car and I didn't wash it since the fire. Then I went to Death Valley. Finally got around to taking it to the car wash yesterday and the paint is just fucked. Deep water spots or particle spots or stains or who knows.. Not to mention the overall gloss and sheen is gone. Maybe all that stuff literally got baked on. Needs serious paint correction.

Oddly, I don't really care I guess. Magic of leasing I suppose, I just don't really care - very little emotional investment, or financial investment. I wish they made 1 year leases. That would be perfect.

If you have never been to DV, these random phone pictures do zero justice to just how VAST it all feels. If you like vast desolation, DV is the place. And Jesus, German tourists die for that place. They love it. Absolutely love it. Germans everywhere.

Side note is that my old man is a long time car guy going all the way back to when he used to race stock cars many many years ago, he taught me to work on cars etc. and his comments were "this car is amazing" and "I feel like I could do a cross country trip in this thing without stopping and still be comfortable". He is quick to point out that the Germans made "junk" in WWII as far as tanks, the Panzer, etc. but that it is a fine fine machine. I got 32mpg overall. Drove 400 miles round trip + another 300 around the park. Add that to the recent bay area mission I did and I have put about 1700 on the car in the past month. Im about a thousand miles over where I should be in terms of mileage allotment but it will likely even out

[mike@x-ph.com]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you for the pictures

[dougt.ah3]

See you made it to Rhyolite. There is an offroad trail beginning in Rhyolite that goes through titus canyon into death Valley. Not a difficult drive at all but would not take my bmw on it.

[Kafkaesque328]

Yeah, Rhyolite, while technically Nevada is fantastic. Love the cemetery there

[jeffc83]

Glad you enjoyed (and survived) the trip! Some awesome pics there and am glad you bought the CAR to enjoy it!!!

[TBN54]

Glad the trip turned out great. I couldn't imagine being there stuck with a flat and no water lol.

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by TBN54

Glad the trip turned out great. I couldn't imagine being there stuck with a flat and no water lol.

Yeah I know. The thing though is that it is a national park and there are cars and tourists so you wouldn't literally be stranded unless you went off some beaten path that you wouldn't take a car like the 328i on anyway. But yes I made sure to get a little tire patch kit with the pads and adhesives and I always roll with a portable air compressor in my car anyway so I would have likely been able to get to the nearest place. And we had water in the car,, haha

Originally Posted by jeffc83

Glad you enjoyed (and survived) the trip! Some awesome pics there and am glad you bought the CAR to enjoy it!!!

Yeah trips like that remind me why I have a car like this. I would say 90% of the cars out there are probably rental cars and I saw a lot of crappy Ford Fusions and Malibus and Nissan Rogues etc, so we were definitely riding in style. On big wide open isolated trips like that with all highway and no traffic and varying dramatic changes in elevation you really see what the car is capable of and this car is just a brilliant machine. Makes me want to take back my comments about the F30 not being special and being a dime a dozen car. It feels that way because they are SO common down here and they are a mass produced, overpriced automobile with at times questionable quality control but still, they are just special to drive.

What always comes to mind is how driver focused the cockpit is laid out, how comfortable the seats are and how everything works so seamlessly together, especially the combo of the turbo 4 n20 and the 8 speed automatic. Just seamless. MPG is definitely not fantastic though by today's standards. I mean, 32mpg overall is ok but not spectacular. I guess if you really granny it and take it really easy and lower your average speed, you could hit mid or even high 30's but how I drive, low 30's on the highway is about the best I can hope for

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque328

Yeah trips like that remind me why I have a car like this. I would say 90% of the cars out there are probably rental cars and I saw a lot of crappy Ford Fusions and Malibus and Nissan Rogues etc, so we were definitely riding in style. On big wide open isolated trips like that with all highway and no traffic and varying dramatic changes in elevation you really see what the car is capable of and this car is just a brilliant machine. Makes me want to take back my comments about the F30 not being special and being a dime a dozen car. It feels that way because they are SO common down here and they are a mass produced, overpriced automobile with at times questionable quality control but still, they are just special to drive.

What always comes to mind is how driver focused the cockpit is laid out, how comfortable the seats are and how everything works so seamlessly together, especially the combo of the turbo 4 n20 and the 8 speed automatic. Just seamless. MPG is definitely not fantastic though by today's standards. I mean, 32mpg overall is ok but not spectacular. I guess if you really granny it and take it really easy and lower your average speed, you could hit mid or even high 30's but how I drive, low 30's on the highway is about the best I can hope for

BMW is meant to be driven on autobahns. It is good that most do not realize that, or else all these great deals in the past few years would not have happened. The invoice/MSRPs are inflated, but as long as one gets 15-20% off MSRP, F30 is a great value for what it is.

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

BMW is meant to be driven on autobahns. It is good that most do not realize that, or else all these great deals in the past few years would not have happened. The invoice/MSRPs are inflated, but as long as one gets 15-20% off MSRP, F30 is a great value for what it is.

If anywhere in the US resembles the autobahn its Death valley. The highways are in near pristine condition and you can drive 20 min without seeing another car in some areas so you can comfortably cruise at 100+ MPH and feel like you are doing 50 and yes, thats where the car really shines. Wide open freeway drives.