2wd rigs in action. Photos encouraged!

  • HTML tutorial
U

UgotWheelz

Guest
I'll need to dig through the old photo albums and try to find pics from our Epic Eastern Oregon Rock hounding trip with our PopTop 69 Ford Econoline camper van. I have two pics now one scanned and one I need to. Meet Harvey :) Two pics one from around 1976 and the other from 1985. This is a Travel Equipment Company build, I was told that this was part of a fleet built for the US Airforce and NASA. Never confirmed that, never seen another wit the RV windows and full hookups (fresh water, waste, propane, A/C in) on driver side like ours did.
 

Attachments

Last edited by a moderator:

Sparksalot

Rank VI
Launch Member

Influencer III

4,312
Bastrop County, TX, USA
First Name
Rex
Last Name
Drake
Member #

19540

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KI5GH
Service Branch
Air Force
Try cutting down the front like Border Patrol trucks to get a more approach angle.
Hmmmm. I removed the air dam a while back which helped. The rear is a bigger concern. Ultimately I think I’ll end up with a hitch swing tire mount.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mep1811

rho

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,031
SF bae area
First Name
Juliette
Last Name
Penning
Member #

18700

Ham/GMRS Callsign
AG6YB
Very cool to see some more shots in here, especially of some older rigs!! I've been laid up from surgery recovery for a while so we haven't done anything with our truck lately (and my jeep is in the shop getting a front axle truss and new brackets....) but I'm hoping to get ours out soon. We have a small list of "must do" before our next major desert trip due to some of the limitations of the factory front end in ours, namely addressing the alignment cams on the front control arms. But we're hoping to bring it out to the white rim trail in April.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sparksalot

Sparksalot

Rank VI
Launch Member

Influencer III

4,312
Bastrop County, TX, USA
First Name
Rex
Last Name
Drake
Member #

19540

Ham/GMRS Callsign
KI5GH
Service Branch
Air Force
Very cool to see some more shots in here, especially of some older rigs!! I've been laid up from surgery recovery for a while so we haven't done anything with our truck lately (and my jeep is in the shop getting a front axle truss and new brackets....) but I'm hoping to get ours out soon. We have a small list of "must do" before our next major desert trip due to some of the limitations of the factory front end in ours, namely addressing the alignment cams on the front control arms. But we're hoping to bring it out to the white rim trail in April.
I hope your recovery is going well.
 

Jesse53

Rank 0

Contributor I

60
Washington, USA
First Name
Jesse
Last Name
Francis
I'm new to the whole Overlanding and was a little concerned that I would need a different vehicle if I wanted to do this. After seeing these posts, I feel a lot better about my two wheel drive f350. If a fwd rental can get out and play, I'm good. lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sparksalot and rho

rho

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,031
SF bae area
First Name
Juliette
Last Name
Penning
Member #

18700

Ham/GMRS Callsign
AG6YB
I'm new to the whole Overlanding and was a little concerned that I would need a different vehicle if I wanted to do this. After seeing these posts, I feel a lot better about my two wheel drive f350. If a fwd rental can get out and play, I'm good. lol
Totally, with good tires you can really get to some cool places. The biggest thing is having your recovery points, good tires (airing up and down helps) annnnddddd the driver! :D
 

Alanymarce

Rank IV

Trail Mechanic III

1,392
Colombia
My 404 in the Kalahari - not a good photo however it was a long time ago... added a potable water tank and welded up the cracks around the tailgate opening... nothing else.Peugeot 404 in Botswana.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Road

rho

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,031
SF bae area
First Name
Juliette
Last Name
Penning
Member #

18700

Ham/GMRS Callsign
AG6YB
Out in Big Sur area with my Tacoma Prerunner View attachment 197163
Good stuff! Our GMC has seen a lot of time down in that area, there is a TON to explore down there.
Two questions, lol....
First... How do you like the soft top on your bed? We're looking at getting one for our truck so but we don't know many folks with them locally. So we have questions. How much of a pain are they setup/tear down? Do you have any issues with dust intrusion into the zippers or into the softtop? How has sealing been inside it for say, dust and dirt and stuff?

Second q.... do those 2wd TRD tacos have a rear locker or just a LSD?
 
Last edited:

rho

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,031
SF bae area
First Name
Juliette
Last Name
Penning
Member #

18700

Ham/GMRS Callsign
AG6YB
@Road I was wondering when your van was gonna show up here! I have a love/hate relationship with those vans, I drove a 1/2 ton Express Van for a few years in college at a job working a not for profit art thing and well. They have a lot to be desired in how they drive and behave but they don't die, LOL.

How many miles do you have on it these days?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Road

dirtnsmores

Rank II

Enthusiast III

473
southern california
First Name
Mike
Last Name
M
Good stuff! Our GMC has seen a lot of time down in that area, there is a TON to explore down there.
Two questions, lol....
First... How do you like the soft top on your bed? We're looking at getting one for our truck so but we don't know many folks with them locally. So we have questions. How much of a pain are they setup/tear down? Do you have any issues with dust intrusion into the zippers or into the softtop? How has sealing been inside it for say, dust and dirt and stuff?

Second q.... do those 2wd TRD tacos have a rear locker or just a LSD?


Mine is the Sport so it's mechanical limited slip. Works good, but not as good as a locker. I've flirted with the idea of going with an ARB but so far this has been just fine. The softopper is great. It's five years old now and treats me well. Super easy to fold down so you can haul something tall. Takes like a minute or less. But mine is up most of the time. Keeps things dry and most of the dust out. But it's not 100%. Good enough for my needs. As you would with a hard top, you should seal up any bed cubbies. That's where most of the off-road dirt comes in. I sleep back there on trips where it's just my son and I. Take naps on my lunch breaks at work since we don't have break rooms. Love that you can run them in safari mode with the sides up.

I wrote a big review about it a few years ago:

 
  • Like
Reactions: rho

Road

Not into ranks, titles or points.
Launch Member

Advocate III

3,379
On the road in North America
First Name
Road
Last Name
Dude
Member #

6589

@Road I was wondering when your van was gonna show up here! I have a love/hate relationship with those vans, I drove a 1/2 ton Express Van for a few years in college at a job working a not for profit art thing and well. They have a lot to be desired in how they drive and behave but they don't die, LOL.

How many miles do you have on it these days?
.
I've had a 1/2 ton Ford lwb Ford van, but only 3/4 ton Chevy and GMC vans, both long wheelbase, too. This one upgraded to some 1 ton parts by Penske in suspension or drive-train. I wasn't a fan of the Ford's handling, but this GMC Savana, and the Chevy Express before it, both big diesels, have handled just fine for me, whether slow and steady back country, tooling down two-lane blacktop, or cruising the interstates. They're certainly not nimble little pickups, though. This ol' gal absolutely loves the long haul of highway driving, solid and steady, as much as she relishes gravel travel and rocky roads back country.

Mileage as of 04/28, a week ago:

mileage-210428_6201.JPG
.

She's running great right now, too, after not even using a tank of fuel in a year. Was throwing codes, would go into "Engine power reduced" after 10 mins, and had an exhaust joint separate and old gasket disintegrate, so was clanging like a drunk steel drum player. Got that fixed, loaded her up with fresh fuel, some Red Line, a clean new air filter, aired the tires up, patted her on the hood and said "let's get out of here!"

She's raring to go.

Good to see you getting good traction with this thread!
.
 
Last edited: