Return from Truckhaven first run fall '08

Sorry didn't get to watch KOH! Just knew it was a Hammer something!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stic-o's new avatar!! lol

tbars4 said:

...How did Dblake like it out there???...Was Cybergasm and Ritsui there too???

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Yes sadly i did not make it home in time cause i had two loads cancel at the last minute on me in the last week. so as i type this i have been stuck for the entire weekend in Denver Co.:thumbdwn: it sucks up here oh well i will try to make the next run hopefully.

I'm home, okay, another eventful trip. I took very few pics but have plenty of stories to tell. First, I sheared lug studs on the way out there on one of my trailer wheels. The wheel went for quite a ride and I figured it was a lost cause and marked that position of the freeway on my GPS and kept on since it was pitch black. I had a spare tire and all the tools but who carries lug studs? My trailer was really weighed down with Colin's axles, 4 tires and my truck fully loaded and it did overtime moving a few pallets of pavers earlier in the week so I might have damaged it or just been under torq. So I got ballsy and decided to run the rest of the trip slower than usual and showed up with 3 wheels. This afternoon I got new studs and changed them out in the NAPA parking lot in Indio. I'll tell you guys my "Ball Joint/U-joint press" tool I got at Harbor Freight for $30 is my new favorite tool after pressing those studs in and out of the hub.

So my spare was in pretty rough shape but I put it on double checked tire pressure and got back on the open road. Sure enough I had a blow out near Blythe and decided enough is enough. I am heading to Glamis next weekend so I thought instead of really getting screwed running 3 wheels with no spare I left the truck there for the week and will come back with everything I need to procede fully equipped. My other option was to pull the Explorer off and drive that seperate but I'd be heading in that same direction in 5 days so I rolled the dice.

So, That might be the last run with my truck, the thing could end up in Mexico before the weeks end. I did park it to not stick out though, I pulled the Explorer off the trailer, unloaded all my gear and any valuables, attached the trailer to the back of the Explorer and locked the hitch and pin so it shouldn't look to odd, just a beat up old ford truck pulling a trailer. I shoved my sun shade in front of the cage so it really shouldn't draw too much attention. Since my hood can get opened by an outsider I pulled my intake, disconnected my starter solenoid and pulled my optima so there's really no chance it should get stolen. I also parked it on the road right next to the Ford dealer so it shouldn't be too bad of a spot but boy is Blythe pretty rough around the edges. Really I don't care, I pay great insurance and anything that could get stolen would be covered under comprehensive.

So in other exciting news I let Matt (RockRanger) drive my truck on the night run, we plowed over a bank and nosed it down a ditch about 7 feet deep and 4 feet wide and mangled the front bumper and my new junkyard grill that was on it's first run. I also think my radius arm got bent but I am certain that didn't happened on the crash. I also did a truck swap with R.J. in the wash and was really impressed with how his runs, quite enough to want to swap some smooth body shocks in the rear to quiet down my ride and widen my front end. I had his truck running 75 in the wash and my poor weak motor only hit 65 when I took Dustin's lady out for a run before I packed up and headed out.

So Ali and I managed to find my trailer wheel and tire undamaged on the 10 just before the point I put on the GPS. Technology is really amazing. Every problem I encountered on this trip I was prepared for but wow, there was plenty.

Glamis next weekend for me! Will I still have an Explorer to take or is my luck going to change?

......You guys went crazy...:biggthump...

...Cyber, I posted a local Meet and Greet...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227214

...Dannyboy, fingers crossed for ya......and I see Diva looking for Harley...

...R.J....Glad you guys are alright...

hey, just made it home. got to a late start today, the morning run went a bit long, because we got lost!!! BKennedy started dumping trans fluid under his car and had to be towed back to camp. we'll get some pics n' vids up tomorrow.

now R.J. stands for Roll and Jump, because thats what im known for

Glad you made it back RJ and that the roll was not as bad as i was thinking when i first read it on here.


Looks like a great time for everyone else. Ready for more PIC lol

Getting on ze plane -- talk to you newbs from the right coast in a few hours.

Another Truckhaven trip, the usual great time. It was great to meet new peeps and see, the regulars, IZ and his bro again. I imagine when IZ gets home he'll have a ton of pics. His bro took a bunch all weekend.

No stories from me, as pretty much everything has been covered by everyone else.

On with some pics.

First is Dan unloading the trailer... :







dblake


My co-pilots for the weekend.
Teddy:


and Peanut (aka my sleep deterrent):


There was some sweet ass FJ40, by CJ Hill, with some tires that must have been custom, because I haven't heard that they started making 44" BFG Krawlers.




R.J. (actaully Dustin) playing around at camp.




Dan didn't want to be left out.




Thanks to Dan for storing and bringing my parts this weekend. I'll get the Rub and Tug gift certificate in the mail.


Great trip, and after and shower and some sleep, I'll be ready for the next one.

Very cool pics Colin!!!!


I see you found the tunnel Was the rest of that area cool? or did it just look like it from the wash?

FROADER said:

R.J. (actaully Justin) playing around at camp.

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Fixed it. close enough

it was cool to see the EF truckhaven usuals and it was awesome that IZwack made it back out again. it was cool to see him and his brother with the samuri since i kept an eye the build thread of that.

Daniel hope to see you on some more trips. it was real nice meeting you in person

Stic-o said:

Very cool pics Colin!!!!


I see you found the tunnel Was the rest of that area cool? or did it just look like it from the wash?

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that wash was so fun! i wanted to run it 20 times if i could. really really narraw, huge steep cliffs, tunnels. the sammy had no clearance problems with the tunnel haha

http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/500/little_rear.JPG

That's AWESOME. Love it!

Looks like fun - I'm sorry we couldn't make it.

Ahh, Dustin was Dan's buddy... Sorry Justin..

Steve. We've been to that tunnel before. It was a cool area, but it would be good to go through it during the day.

FROADER said:

Steve. We've been to that tunnel before. It was a cool area, but it would be good to go through it during the day.

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but the fun is watching people drive into bad ditches *cough*DB1*cough*Matt*cough

Looks like it was a lot of fun .

RJ.... glad to see your oops wasn't a 'complete' rollover (close enough when you're driving, I'm sure).

Sorry I couldn't be there. Definitely whets my appetite for the next run

Sorry guys I'm calling RJ's a "roll" here..

Let's analyze, shell we?


How many tires are on the ground still?





I see None:

Justin, next time i'll try to flex on your 35s. Correction, i will flex on the 35s. I like the camo, wish i coulda seen it in person, much better than the flat black...sorry Colin. I love that picture of RJ's navajo jumping in the background at camp.

Stic-o said:

How many tires are on the ground still?

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What is on the back of that kids shirt?

section525 said:

What is on the back of that kids shirt?

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some lame fab or t-shirt company. sexshawn666 or somethin

Stic-o said:

How many tires are on the ground still?


I see None:

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PFFFFF yeah! i would've driven out of it if i had a tire on the ground!