@HammerheadFistpunch meh. if Porsche makes the best race cars, wouldn't that translate into the best road cars? you don't go and buy a Sentra because you don't want all the good engineering quality that goes into a Porsche.

@CarsOfFortLangley I too find that I don't cook over an open fire much anymore. Too much hassle.

@drVanTraveler only if the circumstances are exactly right....

@ClassicDatsunDebate Standard gopro 6 stuff. It really does do a fantastic job. Not as good as my pixel, but really. good.

@carsofwalnutgrove

Great photos!

And... now I'm really hungry.

@CarsOfFortLangley As a tourist, flying to Vegas and driving to Southern Utah is a piece of cake, plus you get to go through the Virgin River Gorge, which is easily one of the best interstate highway sections in the country.

Just pick up all your party favors before you leave NV, which is advice I didn't have. Mesquite is sort of the last stop unless you want to search far and wide 🙂

@atfsgeoff makes sense from a ground pressure perspective, I hadn’t thought about it that way. I was only surprised because in @HammerheadFistpunch’s own example his pressure went up with upsized/heavier tires. I have lots of experience changing tire sizes on cars (usually wider resulting in a change in aspect ratio, plus trying to get the right offset for my ideal fitment) but truck tires and especially changing to a larger rolling diameter are new for me.

I’ll confirm my load ratings and probably try a lower pressure (maybe 28psi to start, rather than going straight to 26). Any extra ride comfort would be very welcome anyway, because Ford truck.

@HammerheadFistpunch not like a real metal one, but it had a plastic one basically to act as padding over the front subframe so it wouldn’t get banged up and rust on weird driveway ramps or tall speed bumps

ETA: it was basically a slightly thicker undertray but it was shaped more like a skid plate

@HammerheadFistpunch yeesh. Gotta read ALL the instructions. Glad the kid was ok in the end though. Bet that was traumatizing AF.

@carsofwalnutgrove Thanks for the detailed reply! And I'll have to check out the other post, I did miss it. I don't check Oppo as often as most, and lately stuff gets flushed off the front pretty fast.

That is super rad, in any case, and a great purchase. I can't wait to see it in use, as I'm sure you feel the same.

@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas I think 100% of the appeal of RVing is going to random spots (just look at their marketing).

But the effort required to actually boondock -- finding land, especially in the Eastern US, generator fuel, carefully timing the use of A/C or microwaves, managing fresh and wastewater levels, and doing it all with 3+ people, was the main reason we gave up on the idea.

Economically, we'd have to use it at least one long weekend a month to even make sense. And RVs depreciate like a rock -- the current bump in the market won't last forever.

@sn4cktimes Nice workmanship!

@HammerheadFistpunch Highway 12 is a great drive.

@AestheticsInMotion

Yea back when we went all the time it was still not very well known and was first come first served. I imagine it's not the greatest during peak season nowadays. Camping there at low king tide is amazing as the tide pools are accessible quite a ways out. You can also access a lot of the coves that you normally can't get to (without a kayak).

Striped peak trailhead is immediately to the right when you get into the gate. It was important for the siting and communications for the Camp Hayden gun batteries (that hopefully you drove through!). There's more bunkers along the trail and the views are pretty amazing. You can see quite a ways to the West and all the way to Pt. Angeles to the East.

alt text
Vancouver island in the upper right, agate beach/crescent bay in the center, salt creek recreation area in the lower right with tongue point (underwater atm).

@SSfancy The last generation of Toyota's were generally underwhelming. We are starting to see the fruits of Akio's "no more boring cars" mandate.

@Bloody-the-resident-LandRover-apologist well done!

@CarsOfFortLangley it's most likely due to extreme drought conditions. I've never seen the state not under a drought condition in the 5 years I've lived here though.

@Urambo-Tauro I found many pictures, I just couldn't find any that were labeled as fair use.

@HammerheadFistpunch thanks for the insight! i was leaning anker (or similar sized jackery - ive had good luck with mine) and id probably hang a solar panel from my roof rack like youve rigged up to the cruiser for some extra juice. realistically, id be able to charge the battery and get the fridge cooled to temp before even putting it in the car, so my power draw should be pretty low and consistent. maybe ill give it a try with the tiny guy first to see what happens, but im gonna keep an eye out for sales/coupons. iirc, i bought my current one in may and there were solid sales happening.

@bloody-the-resident-landrover-apologist said in Progress on the storage system.:

I did give it a good tug

He meant you should pull on the straps to make sure there's no slack

@davesaddiction ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@hammerheadfistpunch yeah, this one:
https://www.redtailoverland.com/

The trailer is still a trailer, and 2.5x the price though. Personally, I think I'd rather take a chance on the next crypto pump and dump than either, if I had that kind of money to frivolously squander.

@beefchips

Some great recommendations here; beyond the recovery gear, I’d reiterate water, water and water. I travel with a Geigerrig backpack when I ride and an in-line water filter (Sawyer), as well as a LifeStraw. Remember something to carry/hold the water is important too.

Other things that are nice to have are a SPOT Messenger/Tracker (I always ride with one), a CB Radio with weather band, and a GPS. Reasonable first aid supplies and a few thermal blankets can be very handy too.

@jminer Much better!

@dipodomysdeserti bicycles are for people too scared to train a horse

@davesaddiction Yep, nowhere to camp in northern Arizona. Move along now 😉

@vincentmalamute
tapatalk_1615115063.jpeg

@adamftw Problem with drawers (aside from $$) is that they're a pain in the ass to take out. This dawned on me the one day I was at my FIL's house when he gave me a bunch of fire wood. If I had an expensive draw system in the back, there is no way I'm throwing wood back there. A simple platform that I can strap stuff too and that I can just take out when I don't need it is much better for what I'm looking for.

@forsweden I always assumed that was the first thing to buy with a Jeep so you can drown out the sounds of rattles and squeaks and having the aerodynamics of a brick.

@carsoffortlangley said in 2021 Wrangler: One Year Retrospective (Rambling & Lots of Pics):

it gives you a good mix of useful options

oh, you mean like air conditioning? 😉

@hammerheadfistpunch Definitely. But sadly only one of my three laptops is new enough to use USB-PD for charging, so I'm stuck carrying far more chargers than I'd like for the foreseeable future.

@carsoffortlangley A great way to celebrate a birthday! There really do seem to be some fantastic places to go offroading around here and you certainly can find them.

@hammerheadfistpunch Great write-up! That photography though....gorgeous part of the world, and great shots...kudos!

This was a good read. I have a Baofeng GMRS but have only used it a couple times. I don’t have a license (eek) but my buddy in the FD set it up for me. We use them on convoys and wheeling trips. I haven’t turned it on in 3 years, but it’s definitely a nice radio.

You didn’t add anything about tuning your CB, which makes a huge difference. I had a CB on my first Jeep, it was more of a novelty than anything else.

@wasgtithengtothennovathengtinowa4 said in Follow up to the story of the stranded overland family in Australia:

@silentbutnotreallydeadly So, quicksand?
Nope from me!

No...not true quicksand. Though there are places it exists. This stuff is harder...more cake like. We actually have a patch of it near our front gate when it gets really wet and it's the weirdest thing to walk on!

@wrong-wheel-drive I've gotten to the point that unless i have to carry it, I'm going full fat on my camping gear

@nowhere This was probably pushing it, especially in a vehicle that I rely on every day and when I needed to pick up my baby the next morning. Don't want to have to call the ex to explain I crashed out on a mountain.

I've still not done Jones! I hear it's pretty. Have you looked at trading in the Ridgeline for a Ranger, Gladiator or Colorado?

@sovande A good clue is how much the hood is moving around or the water spots/potmarks on the glass.

@hammerheadfistpunch Always an interesting experiment. I weighed our Cruiser on a weigh bridge empty, in full ‘van mode’ and on minimal fuel, before going round Australia. Then loaded it with the full trip load, and fuelled everything up and weighed it again on the same weigh bridge. I’ve got it written down somewhere but from memory it was about 1000kg difference, or 2200lbs. That was still under GVM, but without passengers, so add 150kg of humans and we would have been just over. I kept the weigh bridge printout in the glovebox in case the authorities questioned our loaded weight. About 400kg of that was fuel and water, but the rest was gear. As you say, it adds up.
Apart from chewing through tyres and suspension the old girl shouldered the weight well. I have never changed the wheel bearings, just serviced them every 40k km.
Anyway, hope you are well mate and life is good!

@rufant

Very good points!

@hammerheadfistpunch next time I'll be in the area ill let you know. Its looking to be around April.

@hammerheadfistpunch

I only watched the intro, but wow, that looks amazing…

@jminer If I need to carry something very big, it lifts out easily.

@gibbsemphasis Just a heads up, solar ratings are theoretical maximums in lab conditions. Even with a 2 axis tracking mount you will probably never see more than 75% of what the panels are rated for.

@functionoverfashion I have watched some of the episodes. It's great. It amazes me what people can do. It's also funny to hear him say "I have never been this tired" every single episode.

@hammerheadfistpunch excellent point! I was wearing several socks at the time so that wasn’t really necessary.

@carsoffortlangley had no idea one of these (the truck) were roaming around here!

@carsoffortlangley blows horn

@highlander There was a much deeper one. I had the water up to the bumpers. One also wonders about the current, as this was a series of switchbacks along a river.

@carsoffortlangley said in COFL Offroad: Bear Creek:

@wrong-wheel-drive I did recently get a great winter sleeping bag, no complaints with that. It was mostly just cold while around the fire (you know, back/head cold while your legs/arms burn from being close to the fire).

I've got a parka coming in soon too

Ahh you meant while sitting outside it was cold lol. Yeah that is a somewhat unavoidable problem.

@exage03040 said in COFL Offroad: Hale Creek:

@carsoffortlangley

I’d chalk it up to a work expense!

#6ofonehalfdozenoftheother

Yes. I would argue it is a work expense as well. And probably cheaper for the employer than hiring 4 jeeps (and paying for the same damage on one of them) would have been.

But if it means that next time you're not invited, then maybe not.

@akioohtori
For what it's worth...I use the plastic click-fit 1/4" air fittings . You push the air line into the fitting and pull the cam back. It's not coming out. Makes plumbing a vehicle for air very very easy. Compresser in the engine bay and ports in or near each wheel well and the spare.

@hammerheadfistpunch Great Job!!

@hammerheadfistpunch you win! how are they coping back in the real world?

@ibrad I didn't even have room for that burger. Im still feeling it. Oh man it was good though.

@sovande Literature is one thing, but experience is another! The weight of the Ram can only help traction, for instance. The fact is the tires exceeded expectations, and not just on the trail.

Speaking of, this trail is normally much easier; the expectation was that the step rails wouldn’t be too low, which is why I left them on. For the record, my step rails are 13” off the ground:

824B58BB-AFC7-408C-9E2F-9D1AA457B312.jpeg

The front bumper, namely the part that got damaged, is even higher:

102E95C0-C5C7-467F-A738-FFEF8790395A.jpeg

We’ll see what the damage situation is underneath when I crawl under the truck, but so far, I only see two or three scrapes under the left step rail. It bashed a skid plate maybe once or twice, and I haven’t noticed any change in driving thus far, so I’m not expecting much…

As for general trail performance, a full-size truck will do better than an AWD crossover ten times out of ten, because (a) it has mechanical four wheel drive with low range, (b) it has better clearance, step rails or no step rails, and (c) the articulation is better.

There was a reason why I was far from the only full-sizer on that trail that day (with all being at least the same length/wheelbase as mine). Hell, even the Gladiators and crew cab Tacomas we encountered are very comparable in wheelbase, and nothing’s stopping them from hitting the trails on the regular.

@houstonrunner I’m still pretty shocked too, like who does that? The car isn’t designed for such things.

I’ve been rocking my sleep setup all shoved into a Rubbermaid bin and a thick, 4” foam mattress. It’s not compact, but man it’s comfortable. Eventually I’ll need to revisit it.

@shop-teacher said in COFL Offroad: Norrish Illegal Dumping Cleanup:

@ranwhenparked said in COFL Offroad: Norrish Illegal Dumping Cleanup:

I probably have more empty Newport packs and grape Game wrappers in my trash every week than anyone else who doesn't smoke menthols or roll blunts.

I am forever picking up junk food wrappers, and plastic half pint bottles of cinnamon fireball whiskey from my front/side yard (corner lot).

Fireball and McDonalds, breakfast of champions.