1949 International/Jeep Wrangler Off-Road & Camping Build
- Thread starter Goldies
- Start date
This bed mount redo is taking me way longer than I thought. I was like 3 days at most. 1 day to build, add the square tubing, another to make the bottom tube mounts and the last day to create the frame brackets. This has taken me over 5 days to complete. I don't know if I am just getting old or just getting distracted. I guess it takes longer when I have to move around a 200+ pound bed floor. But now the bed is sitting on its mounts and I have complete confidence that it will flex like I planned and hold the weight it needs to. I will shoot it with some paint and remove the last two pieces of the original truck frame. Next up is, I plan on adding a Ford 3" tow hitch, I know it is overkill but it was only $40 and will give me the ability to two a 21,000 pound trailer. While I'm adding stuff to the rear frame rails I will add a rear winch plate. Just to play more on the safe side.
Moving the bed floor took up a lot of time since it was so heavy and needed to go in after the bed. Moving it with a engine hoist seemed like the easiest solution
Moving the bed floor took up a lot of time since it was so heavy and needed to go in after the bed. Moving it with a engine hoist seemed like the easiest solution
Explorer I
- 4,285
- First Name
- Michael
- Last Name
- Denniston
- Member #
-
3030
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- KJ7LYZ
Thank you, I like to be different. Makes finding my truck in the mall parking lot easier.
Explorer I
- 4,285
- First Name
- Michael
- Last Name
- Denniston
- Member #
-
3030
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- KJ7LYZ
So time is ticking, I have till January 21st to get it back on the road for my trail run at Winter 4x4 Jamboree. I added a class 5 tow hitch (3 inch receiver) and now can tow 21,000 Lb. I know it is overkill but it was only $40. Downside is I know I will drag more now it is back there. I still want to add a rear winch but I spent all my pennies on a new project so..... I want to redo the rear wiring and add the rear split bumper. I took some time off from work but there is rain in the forecast, hopefully I can get it all done.
Was able to get all the wiring done. It took me about 7 hours. made it to Winter 4x4 Jamboree friday and looked around. It was a very nice venue. There was free camping in the parking lot of the venue, so I pitched a tent. It was fantastic, nice views behind me and a horse track, also heated restrooms. Friday was just checking out the vendor area (Note* Vendor area doesn't open till 3pm) and then meandered into Sand Hollow State Park. It rained & snowed the day before, so the sand was hard. I went to test the rear frame and bed modifications on Plan B. Once on Plan B, everything went wrong. I got to the first wall and couldn't get five feet on it without slipping back down. Looking at the video, the rear wheels didn't engage. Frustrated, I tried to get out and I couldn't. It took me about 30 minutes stacking rocks and bumping it to get off the trail about 100 feet. Hindsight, I should have double checked 4wd was engaged. Any who went back to the venue to check it out and then went to sleep.
Saturday, Trail of the day was Bzzackward. It's about 10 miles and rated 5. It is a very scenic trail and takes you from the outskirts of Sand Hollow to the center near Top of the world to the other side. All of us chose to drive down competition hill, I found it accelerating. What I liked about this trail was, it was relatively easy but if you so choose, you can try some fun obstacles.
Sunday, I went to Toquerville Falls again. It was lightly snowing, traction was not a problem. The falls had ice in place and looked spectacular. We followed the loop and did the 3 or 4 water crossings. We were told there is a 5 ft deep spot in the crossing but we never found it. All in all, not a bad way to spend a weekend.
The new modifications did hold up. I hit the left and right frame extension numerous times. Also, as I figured, the added tow hitch said hello to the rocks a lot. But it all stayed where it belonged, so I am happy with it.
Saturday, Trail of the day was Bzzackward. It's about 10 miles and rated 5. It is a very scenic trail and takes you from the outskirts of Sand Hollow to the center near Top of the world to the other side. All of us chose to drive down competition hill, I found it accelerating. What I liked about this trail was, it was relatively easy but if you so choose, you can try some fun obstacles.
Sunday, I went to Toquerville Falls again. It was lightly snowing, traction was not a problem. The falls had ice in place and looked spectacular. We followed the loop and did the 3 or 4 water crossings. We were told there is a 5 ft deep spot in the crossing but we never found it. All in all, not a bad way to spend a weekend.
The new modifications did hold up. I hit the left and right frame extension numerous times. Also, as I figured, the added tow hitch said hello to the rocks a lot. But it all stayed where it belonged, so I am happy with it.
Just completed the Mojave Road. This is my third time but first time in the International. We planned to run it in four days, taking our time to see all the stuff we wanted to see. I was joined with Tim & Benita in a 2018 JK and Evie in a 1994 Ford F-150. We met up at a Gas Station in Fort Mojave around noon. Gas was only $3.34 compared to Las Vegas prices of $4.20ish. We drove to the Colorado River, where we always start. So, we started a tradition, which is, you have to swim or go in the river to grab your rock for Travelers Monument. The water is always ICE cold, but we managed to find the strength and take the polar plunge. With the rocks acquired, we loaded up and set off on our little adventure.
Once we left the last bit of pavement, we started to air down. I went to 10 psi and the others went to 17 +/-. Our next stop will be Fort Piute. This is an out and back trail, the beginning of the trail is rather chill and at times you can go at a nice pace. At times there are more technical sections but nothing crazy to cause damage or the need of a spotter. Once you get on the section for Fort Piute everything changes. There are tons of fist size boulders scattered throughout the section. It becomes a very slow drive. And for myself the amount of noise my truck makes going through sections like this is just miserable. Fort Piute is pretty interesting. If I recall correctly it was used for mail routes and to keep the Natives off the water that was there. There is always water there if you find yourself in trouble.
Moving on, once off the Fort Piute trail, we found ourselves on a well maintained 2 vehicle road. You can go pretty fast here 60+ if you want, a modest 40ish is where I kept it. We started climbing up the mountain and getting up the pass. Everything is relatively easy, some loose gravel here and there but one part is a slight off camber wash out. It looks tight and will get you thinking but there is plenty of room. The full-size F-150 had PLENTY of space. After making our way through the pass, our next point of interest is the petroglyphs. It is a very short detour off the main trail. Another cool thing is you can drive right up to them. There are TONS of artwork on the rocks. Still amazes me how it has lasted all these years. Watch out, there is a very large hole at the base of the mountain. There is room to camp but Tim wanted to camp in the New York Mountains. With that being the plan, we still had two more places to see, The Penny Tree and the Homestead.
On the way to the penny tree the road sinks down and the vegetation rises. It feels like you are in a slot car just following the track as it winds through the desert. Obviously the faster you go the more fun it is but watch out for Joshua trees, they like your mirrors. This is one of my favorite sections.
Slowing down for the penny Tree, it is easy to fly on by. I found a quarter in my truck and went to put it in the bucket, but the bucket wasn't there anymore. So, we decorated the tree the best we could with the stuff that was around. Note to self: Bring a new bucket.
Hopping back in the trucks, we set our sight on the Homestead. It is only about 100 yards off the main road, but you can miss it if you don't make the turn. We checked out the Homestead, still mind boggling to me that people lived in the middle of nowhere. The sun is starting to set so we made the decision to move on and find camp. We headed north, to the New York Mountains. As we drove the looking for place to call home, the temperatures were steadily dropping. With that an increasing amount of snow on the ground. The vegetation started to take back the track. For the F-150 it was getting tight. Near the base of one of the mountains, next to a large rock formation, we found home. We all set up our tents, started a fire, cooked some food and just hung out for the rest of the night. Day 1, successful.
Once we left the last bit of pavement, we started to air down. I went to 10 psi and the others went to 17 +/-. Our next stop will be Fort Piute. This is an out and back trail, the beginning of the trail is rather chill and at times you can go at a nice pace. At times there are more technical sections but nothing crazy to cause damage or the need of a spotter. Once you get on the section for Fort Piute everything changes. There are tons of fist size boulders scattered throughout the section. It becomes a very slow drive. And for myself the amount of noise my truck makes going through sections like this is just miserable. Fort Piute is pretty interesting. If I recall correctly it was used for mail routes and to keep the Natives off the water that was there. There is always water there if you find yourself in trouble.
Moving on, once off the Fort Piute trail, we found ourselves on a well maintained 2 vehicle road. You can go pretty fast here 60+ if you want, a modest 40ish is where I kept it. We started climbing up the mountain and getting up the pass. Everything is relatively easy, some loose gravel here and there but one part is a slight off camber wash out. It looks tight and will get you thinking but there is plenty of room. The full-size F-150 had PLENTY of space. After making our way through the pass, our next point of interest is the petroglyphs. It is a very short detour off the main trail. Another cool thing is you can drive right up to them. There are TONS of artwork on the rocks. Still amazes me how it has lasted all these years. Watch out, there is a very large hole at the base of the mountain. There is room to camp but Tim wanted to camp in the New York Mountains. With that being the plan, we still had two more places to see, The Penny Tree and the Homestead.
On the way to the penny tree the road sinks down and the vegetation rises. It feels like you are in a slot car just following the track as it winds through the desert. Obviously the faster you go the more fun it is but watch out for Joshua trees, they like your mirrors. This is one of my favorite sections.
Slowing down for the penny Tree, it is easy to fly on by. I found a quarter in my truck and went to put it in the bucket, but the bucket wasn't there anymore. So, we decorated the tree the best we could with the stuff that was around. Note to self: Bring a new bucket.
Hopping back in the trucks, we set our sight on the Homestead. It is only about 100 yards off the main road, but you can miss it if you don't make the turn. We checked out the Homestead, still mind boggling to me that people lived in the middle of nowhere. The sun is starting to set so we made the decision to move on and find camp. We headed north, to the New York Mountains. As we drove the looking for place to call home, the temperatures were steadily dropping. With that an increasing amount of snow on the ground. The vegetation started to take back the track. For the F-150 it was getting tight. Near the base of one of the mountains, next to a large rock formation, we found home. We all set up our tents, started a fire, cooked some food and just hung out for the rest of the night. Day 1, successful.
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Day 2 our first full day.
We started off strong waking u to the beautiful snow-covered mountains with nobody in sight. We headed back down the track and jumped back on the Mojave Road. First on the list today is the Rock House. Perfectly place in my opinion. it has 360 views. People are taking care of it. It looks like you can stay in there has battery power and some chairs. One large problem the rodents have called it home and decided to lay turds everywhere. Random note: there is a vault toilet in the parking area.
A very short distance down the road is the Windmill. It has changed a lot since the last time I've been, here 2 years ago. The main large tree has died and fallen over. With the snow still on the ground it still had wonderful views.
Moving on, we seen signs to Hole in the Wall but we missed our turn but didn't really care since nobody really wanted to check it out. Once you cross over the Kelso Road, it is time to mob through the desert. he is where you make the miles. The road turns full wash board and whoops. At times it can be very grueling but once it clears up you can fly. At one point I hit 60+ mph. during the desert mobbing you will come up to the mailbox. We signed the logged book and checked out the frogs and went to see the toy trucks. All the toy trucks where gone. I know the people who "care" for the land removes things. So, I'll just blame them for things being gone. Here is where we seen the most amount of people. There were about 3 or 4 groups when we left.
Moving along the next destination we wanted to check out was the Lava Tubes. I love coming here, I think it is so neat and with the sun light coming through just makes it look fantastic. There was a group Jeepers from Boulder City in the parking area. They were taking a break for lunch, and they were super nice. They offered us some soup which was really good.
From the Lava Tubes, it is another long desert stretch. Which brought more desert mobbing and lots of fun. Bring us to the dry lakebed. It was dry-ish. This is where everyone caked on the mud. We have had some wet weather recently, but I guess not much rain hit the lakebed. There where small mud sections but nothing threatening or very deep. I drove all of it in 2-wheel drive. I tried my hand at doing some donuts but after that we continued to the Traveler Monument. We added our rocks with the travelers that came before us.
Now, finally up next is the Megaphone. Tim reminded me that I have wanted to see it for over 6 years. The first time I ran the Mojave Road was in 2015. The Megaphone is not that far away from the monument, but you have to drive through small off-road area which normally is full of SxS but when we went, we only seen 4 vehicles. After the SxS area you are greeted with a set of railroad tracks. Now there are 3 options, Drive to the east 6 mile to the crossing or Drive to the west 8 miles to the crossing or drive over the tracks (which I think is illegal, but I don't know). Any who, we went east and took the 12-mile detour. After we got back on track it took us about 45 minutes to get to the Megaphone. The wind is picking up and we made our way to the top. Finally, I get to touch and yell in the megaphone. This was super exciting for me.
The sun is getting low and we need to find camp. We are in a small little mountain range but with the wind it is hard to find any place of refuse. We spent over an hour looking but we started heading back near the megaphone and Evie spotted a break in the old railroad tracks. Figured with the time left it was the best place. We got all situated and set up camp. the wind died down and we started the fire. Made some food and hung out. Once we called it a night, the wind came back with a vengeance. You could hear the wind moving around the tents and when it felt like it, it would just rip through camp.
We started off strong waking u to the beautiful snow-covered mountains with nobody in sight. We headed back down the track and jumped back on the Mojave Road. First on the list today is the Rock House. Perfectly place in my opinion. it has 360 views. People are taking care of it. It looks like you can stay in there has battery power and some chairs. One large problem the rodents have called it home and decided to lay turds everywhere. Random note: there is a vault toilet in the parking area.
A very short distance down the road is the Windmill. It has changed a lot since the last time I've been, here 2 years ago. The main large tree has died and fallen over. With the snow still on the ground it still had wonderful views.
Moving on, we seen signs to Hole in the Wall but we missed our turn but didn't really care since nobody really wanted to check it out. Once you cross over the Kelso Road, it is time to mob through the desert. he is where you make the miles. The road turns full wash board and whoops. At times it can be very grueling but once it clears up you can fly. At one point I hit 60+ mph. during the desert mobbing you will come up to the mailbox. We signed the logged book and checked out the frogs and went to see the toy trucks. All the toy trucks where gone. I know the people who "care" for the land removes things. So, I'll just blame them for things being gone. Here is where we seen the most amount of people. There were about 3 or 4 groups when we left.
Moving along the next destination we wanted to check out was the Lava Tubes. I love coming here, I think it is so neat and with the sun light coming through just makes it look fantastic. There was a group Jeepers from Boulder City in the parking area. They were taking a break for lunch, and they were super nice. They offered us some soup which was really good.
From the Lava Tubes, it is another long desert stretch. Which brought more desert mobbing and lots of fun. Bring us to the dry lakebed. It was dry-ish. This is where everyone caked on the mud. We have had some wet weather recently, but I guess not much rain hit the lakebed. There where small mud sections but nothing threatening or very deep. I drove all of it in 2-wheel drive. I tried my hand at doing some donuts but after that we continued to the Traveler Monument. We added our rocks with the travelers that came before us.
Now, finally up next is the Megaphone. Tim reminded me that I have wanted to see it for over 6 years. The first time I ran the Mojave Road was in 2015. The Megaphone is not that far away from the monument, but you have to drive through small off-road area which normally is full of SxS but when we went, we only seen 4 vehicles. After the SxS area you are greeted with a set of railroad tracks. Now there are 3 options, Drive to the east 6 mile to the crossing or Drive to the west 8 miles to the crossing or drive over the tracks (which I think is illegal, but I don't know). Any who, we went east and took the 12-mile detour. After we got back on track it took us about 45 minutes to get to the Megaphone. The wind is picking up and we made our way to the top. Finally, I get to touch and yell in the megaphone. This was super exciting for me.
The sun is getting low and we need to find camp. We are in a small little mountain range but with the wind it is hard to find any place of refuse. We spent over an hour looking but we started heading back near the megaphone and Evie spotted a break in the old railroad tracks. Figured with the time left it was the best place. We got all situated and set up camp. the wind died down and we started the fire. Made some food and hung out. Once we called it a night, the wind came back with a vengeance. You could hear the wind moving around the tents and when it felt like it, it would just rip through camp.
Day 3
Waking up near the megaphone wasn't ideal and definitely wasn't like waking up to the New York Mountains and snow. On the positive side, it was way warmer. We packed up and made our way through the desert to the west railroad crossing. This route dropped us into the beginning of Afton Canyon. The train bridge was the first thing we came across. There was small amount of water flowing, so we decided to play around by driving through splashing around. It was fun, we took some pictures and continued our way.
The two time I have been here it was dry. There being water made it even better. Crisscrossing the water flow was very entertaining. We stopped by the "Heart Canyon" and took some pictures. Being in this canyon is a part I look forward to when I run the Mojave Road but I got to say I like it more when water is there.
Speaking of water, we arrived at the main attraction the two main water crossings. So even with all the rain, the water at the lower than 2 years prior. Which made it relatively short. The 2nd water crossing seemed like nothing changed. Everyone crossed with no issues. We made our way to Interstate 15 and called the trip done.
Overall, we did it in three days instead of four. I don't think we rushed anything. Having done this before, I felt rushed and didn't see all the sites, we did on this trip. In total we did about 170 miles of dirt. Even with all the mobbing through the desert, we still had zero break downs or mechanical issues. My truck loves fuel and between Evie and I we had 10 5-gallon fuel jugs, but we didn't use them all, almost though. Smiles Per Mile BABY!!!
Waking up near the megaphone wasn't ideal and definitely wasn't like waking up to the New York Mountains and snow. On the positive side, it was way warmer. We packed up and made our way through the desert to the west railroad crossing. This route dropped us into the beginning of Afton Canyon. The train bridge was the first thing we came across. There was small amount of water flowing, so we decided to play around by driving through splashing around. It was fun, we took some pictures and continued our way.
The two time I have been here it was dry. There being water made it even better. Crisscrossing the water flow was very entertaining. We stopped by the "Heart Canyon" and took some pictures. Being in this canyon is a part I look forward to when I run the Mojave Road but I got to say I like it more when water is there.
Speaking of water, we arrived at the main attraction the two main water crossings. So even with all the rain, the water at the lower than 2 years prior. Which made it relatively short. The 2nd water crossing seemed like nothing changed. Everyone crossed with no issues. We made our way to Interstate 15 and called the trip done.
Overall, we did it in three days instead of four. I don't think we rushed anything. Having done this before, I felt rushed and didn't see all the sites, we did on this trip. In total we did about 170 miles of dirt. Even with all the mobbing through the desert, we still had zero break downs or mechanical issues. My truck loves fuel and between Evie and I we had 10 5-gallon fuel jugs, but we didn't use them all, almost though. Smiles Per Mile BABY!!!
It's been awhile, so lets get current.
April 2023
I went to LS Fest West and entered it in the car show portion. It was my 1st time there and nothing super fun. What I should of done was enter into autocross. Maybe next time. There was an portable Dyno that was free to get on. My 280,000+ mile engine made 282 HP to the wheels. Not bad for a base tune. Sadly no torque numbers. That sums up LS Fest West.
August 2023
I've been super busy with another project and it is taking just about all of my time but I was able to go do a short run up to Wheelers Pass, Since my buddy just bought a Sidekick. He is super new to off-roading.
April 2023
I went to LS Fest West and entered it in the car show portion. It was my 1st time there and nothing super fun. What I should of done was enter into autocross. Maybe next time. There was an portable Dyno that was free to get on. My 280,000+ mile engine made 282 HP to the wheels. Not bad for a base tune. Sadly no torque numbers. That sums up LS Fest West.
August 2023
I've been super busy with another project and it is taking just about all of my time but I was able to go do a short run up to Wheelers Pass, Since my buddy just bought a Sidekick. He is super new to off-roading.
Contributor II
Awesome build Eli, well done. The next time you want to do a brisket first cook it at home in a soup vide cooker, then in the field all you need to do is throw it on a grill to char the outside. Here is a link: There are many ways to season it but it will be the best brisket you ever make. I use 3 wet and 12 dry spices to season mine, cook for 48 hours at 133 degrees. I am terrible at turning a wrench and I am always impress at people who are capable of doing something this well. Is paint in your builds future?Went camping at Goffs California because of an Olaf Event. The main reason for this event was to raise money for Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association (@TheMojaveRoad on Instagram) they manage the property and monitor most the Mojave Desert.
Shaine joined me on this trip we had a blast. So much cool history to check out. Mining equipment, functioning rock crushers, blacksmithing hands on demos, vintage vehicles and a museum with WWII artifacts and other vintage items.
Camping wise we tried some new gear we thought could make life a little easier. We also tried our hand at cooking a brisket in a dutch oven on a propane fire pit. it did not turn out well. The brisket was burnt and the fat didn't melt like we thought it would, lesson learned. We tried to eat as much as we could, It wasn't really edible.
The Event offered two Trail Runs on Saturday. Run 1 was to Fort Piute and Run 2 was a section of the Eastern Mojave Heritage Trail. I chose the EMHT. 70ish miles, chill-worry-free mile just driving through some scenic desert.
1st trail run ever
Saturday evening, Tacos and a raffle was held in the main area, Superwinch donated a lot of stuff. Sadly, I did not win anything but the taco were good and better than our brisket from the night before.
I was given this patch from the gentlemen who scouted out the Mojave Heritage Trail. First patch for this truck, Thank you.
