Back To Truckhaven! - TDS Desert Safari March 3&4

[RangerX]

Yes, I'm going back to T-haven, my favorite place! The 39th Annual Desert Safari is The first weekend in March. I've gone many times. It is the 'Woodstock' of 4x4 events. Upwards of 1100 registered vehicles. $20-30,000 in raffle prizes, including winches, custom axles, tire sets, etc. Many vendor booths, like Currie and BFG. BFG has a full tire shop where you can have a set mounted on your truck to test out. Most major 4WD mags are there. An RTI ramp. FUN FUN FUN!!! $40 advance registration, $50 at the "door". Sorry if this sounds like a free ad, I just want some Fords to hang with!

Registration information: http://www.tds4x4.com/tds_safari/saf..._announce.html

[Edited by Rick on 01-28-2001 at 01:28 PM]

[FROADER]

I'll be glad to hang with you. Sounds like a great time and I'll see if I can get some more body damage!

[HIX]

If I can get it all put back together I might make it out there(w/ a Stop in Vegas!). What is it? 17hrs to T-Haven? We'll see.

[RockRanger]

i might make the trip down there depending on how school is going at that point have at least one test that monday after so it might be pushing it. I will try though.

Matt

[Jefe]

sounds good. I'm up for it

[RangerX]

Glad to see the interest.

Colin, aren't you moving that weekend?

Matt, the main day is Saturday, and the raffle is Saturday night, so if you left Sunday, you wouldn't miss all that much.

[azleahy]

Hey guys, where is T-Haven ? I live just north of Phoenix.

[RockRanger]

it not so much the drive down and back it is mainly the time that i will miss from studying. i have a non makeup test that monday so if something goes wrong on the way back i am screwed. I am going to do everything i can to make it there. As far as where TDS is it is in the truckhaven area just west of the salton sea by salton city. I am guessing from pheonix it is about 6-7 hours each way. If i come down i will be there probably 10:00 sat night and leave early sunday morning.

Matt

[BlueDogBandit]

Bill, the new gears and diff's should be ready to go...sounds like a great time. Keep us posted.

[FROADER]

I was going to be moving that weekend, but now I found a place already and I am moving this weekend. So I should be able to go. Like I said though, all depends on the funds. I'll keep my fingers crossed though.

[Joe Dietz]

Awe man I'm jealous. Well its only a 20 hour drive.
Please write up a trip report.

Truckhaven was loads of fun.

Jose, where are my vice grips...:-)

[Ray Hutchinson]

Hey Bill... I'm interested too. Do you have any info about where to preregister, website, e-mail, phone etc? Sound like a kick!

[Diff Whack Daddy]

Unfortunately, I will be on an 18 hour flight to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf part of both those days. Bill, I will be there in sprit though and there are probably a few pieces of me left in the Palm Wash. Take care and have fun.

[leebo]

Hix...If you do head to Truckhaven through Vegas...give me a yell. I'm not sure if I'm going or not but I can help you out if you need it. If I think right it took me about 6 hours to get there and about 13 to get back. Darn trany. If I'm guessing if you know what you're doing you can make it from Vegas to Truckhaven in about 4-5 hours.

Where is everybody going to be staying at this time?? I'm debating if I want to use some time off for this, or wait for another full Explorer run.

[HIX]

I will come if everything comes together. I am still waiting for the new dropbracket to come back from Superlift. If I can't make TDS I will try for Attica.

[RockRanger]

here is the website of the club that is putting it on http://www.tds4x4.com should be lots of fun out there. Still hopping classes work out so i can go

Matt

[Rick]

I just printed out the registration form and will send it out tomorrow. Hopefully we will be able to find each other in a sea of 1100 offroad vehicles!!

[BKennedy]

We just posted the sign up lists for days off at the office. I'll see what I can do. Thanks Bill for pointing this out to me. It sounds like fun, but where are we going to meet up? We might need Ray H's flag for a locater beacon. Maybe we can put a big flashing light on top?? I will have to do some minor stuff to my truck to get ready, but should be able to swing it.

This sounds more like a truck show than an off road event. Isn't 1100 trucks going to get a little crowded?

[Rick]

I have a 12 volt powered white strobe which I could easily set up on a mast. I don't know how easy it would be to spot during the day though.

[RangerX]

Yes, it will be crowded, but mainly only in the camp area and on the main marked routes. And yes, it is part 'truck show', a place to see and be seen. That's why I call it Woodstock, it's a happening!

The way the trail route works is, they have everyone line up single file, no lining up before midnite. The people who want to be up front and avoid trail congestion stay up till then, or get up real early, parkin line, and go back to their campsite till 8am. When the run starts at 8am, they split the line into two(a fork in the road) and head off into two directions. Both trails are labelled with green, red and blue markers. The main trail is green, easier. there are many side loops marked red for harder, or blue for hardcore. they all meet back up with the main green trail.

What I and my friends have done on past runs is when the traffic becomes stopped for more than a few minutes, we turn off the trail and bypass the gridlock, rejoining the marked trail when we feel like it. If you've been to Truckhaven, you know how this is possible. Otherwise, you can spend half the day idling. I get enough of that at home on the freeway, and can't see doing it in the middle of an open desert.

In case you didn't see the club's website in RockRanger's post, it's http://www.tds.com. Click on events. You don't need to preregister, there is no benefit except saving ten bucks.

It is a very well run event, probably since they've been doing it since 1962! They have a midway area, where all the vendors set up booths, there's a burger stand, tee shirt stand, the RTI ramp($1.00), first aid, etc.