Trip report:
After meeting up at the campground our group of three rigs went out to hit the trails. There were several groups at the trails but I wouldn't call it crowded. we started off by running railbed then fishfossil before heading to lower profanity where Kevin and I hammered on our rigs trying to get over the first rock ledge while Robert squeezed by and made it look easy. Next we went to grapevine, which was a sloppy mess, so we did our best Tim Cameron impressions sliding around in the mud trying to bounce over the rocks. Then we got our first Carnage of the day, my pants, which blew out climbing into the now taller jeep. I need a step ladder or something! Next we headed over Roberts Hatch and rear window were claimed when he backed into a tree. A few minutes later a bolt in my steering shaft found my lower radiator hose and split it wide open. On the way back from camp a steering line worked loose and sprayed PS fluid everywhere. And our friday of wheel was done.
Saturday we started off playing on the slab wall near where the main trail. We proceeded to run lower damnation and trouble. While inspecting our rigs after lunch we found a crack in Kevin's DS knuckle. So we did some trail riding and ran Tombstone on our way to see if there was any action in Lion Den. A few first timers thought the squeeze didn't look that narrow. Then they saw a toyota go though and changed their minds :) the next rig through broke so we headed back to camp to fix Kevin's knuckle.
After the fix we headed up lower rock garden and through killing time. That trail has changed quite a bit, it much harder than it was last year. We then went to valvestem where Kevin and I both were denied. This is where it got interesting. Leaving valvestem, I ran out of gas and come to a stop nose down in a big dip in the road. As its getting dark Robert ran back to camp to pick up some gas. We pour about 3 gallons in and still nothing, the 3 gallons was not enough to fill the cell up to the pickup tube. We pulled my rig forwards and backwards a few times to get it onto more level ground and start to pull apart my fuel system. It seems that the pump also died. Kevin has a spare inline pump in his rig so we stick it in my rig but jeep wont even hold an idle and I can't steer without the engine running. So we start to pull it down the mountain while I bump the starter to steer, until my battery goes dead. I have a spare pump in my tow rig, so Kevin and I go down the mountain to get some more gas and my spare pump. On the way back to the trailhead, we smell something burning just before entering the park we find out what it was, the serpentine belt breaks in half. One of his Idler pulley has locked up. So we change the belt loosen the bolt in the pulley to let it spin a little bit and limp it back to camp. All the while my rig and Roberts rig are up on the mountain. So we get get the parts and wheel my tow rig up the mountain to go fix my rig. The pump is changed in a few minutes and we go to hook up jumper cables and get my rig back to camp just before midnight.
It certainly was an adventure.
For a shakedown run in my rig I would call it a success. I had a few issues that need to be addressed, Mainly fix my crappy steering. And build some storage to carry some spare parts. Hope all you web wheelers can come along next time.
A few pics I took during the trip:
Me on Grapevine
Kevin on Trouble:
And the the friend we made at camp:
There were 4 of these puppies running around the camp.
Jim