Defeated? Or just part of the journey?

[Tacodrew22]

Hello everyone!



I just returned safely from a highly anticipated overland trip from Michigan to the Canaan Valley area of West Virginia. We drove out early Thursday morning but had to cut the trip short due to vehicle issues.

Thursday night when we arrived we had a house rented so that way we weren't pressed for time to find a suitable camp spot. We had enough time to explore and hit the trails. We decided to hit the trail that I was most looking forward to in the area the Canaan Loop. The trail was amazing and everything I could have asked for. It was a whole different experience than the lower peninsula of Michigan. The Tacoma did great we had no issues up to this point. We enjoyed a good night'ssleep and woke up Friday ready to hit the trails. We started by hitting up Canyon Rim Rd and then explored the nearby trail system and taking in the breathtaking views. Around 4 P.M. we started looking for camp. This is when things took a turn. The weather shifted so we decided to head back north to the Canaan Loop where we had marked out some camp spots. As soon as we turned back onto the gravel section of Canaan Loop the Tacoma started making a terrible whirring sound. I found a spot to pull off and started looking for where it could be coming from. I checked the brake rotors to see if something was lodged against them. To my disbelief I saw CV joint grease all over the passenger LCA. I had a hole in the boot and lost lubrication. With hopes to still salvage the trip I flipped on the weboost and made an appointment on Saturday morning at the nearest Toyota Dealer which was an hour away. I was hoping to get a new boot and grease or at worst a replacement CV axle. We stayed at a hotel for the night close to the dealership to make it easier in the morning. To get off the Traill I wrapped the boot with electrical tape to hopefully keep whatever grease is still there inside the joint. They got us in early on Saturday but said the outer CV joint had been compromised and I needed a new axle. Unfortunately, this was something they had to order which would not help us save the trip. They helped me grease the joint and reapply the tape so we could make the 700 mile trip home.

I left with a pit in my stomach as we trekked. I feel defeated but also like I have learned so much from this trip and experience. To me it seems like this could have been avoided. I believe the tear happened a few weekends ago while trail riding back home in Michigan. I remember getting a small branch lodged in my front suspension components and I think that may have been the cause. On the plus side here are some things I have learned from this.

1) Do a thorough check-over of the vehicle before trips.

2) Pack lubricant

3) Electrical tape is necessary

4) Some Seal Savers for the CV boot seem like a worthwhile investment

Luckily we still had a good time seeing the amazing views and I had an excellent time driving some more technical trails. It seems obvious that vehicle issues will arise when doing any sort of vehicle dependent travel like Overlanding but what are some other helpful tips to avoid them? And I'd love to hear some of your guys' Overlanding mishaps so hopefully I can feel less like I failed on my first big trip.

Thanks,

Tacodrew22

 

[MOAK]

Not a failure at all. You had a great time exploring a great state nestled in the Appalachian mountains. You had a learning experience. Lessons? You know what those are, you’ve outlined them. We take really long trips two & three times a year, before each trip not only do I thoroughly inspect and replace anything that looks borderline, I’ve a mechanic/friend and we put it up on his racks for a second look. Here’s a photo of something that happened to us a few years ago, way off grid on the San Rafael Swell. When these kind of break downs occur, we are at the mercy of the local mechanic. Being gregarious and self effacing go a long way toward how much a rescue mission and mechanical work will cost. In your case the mechanic did the right thing, got you home. In my case here, the same happened, the weld job got me home. Today, I look back and can laugh about it.

 

[Tundracamper]

Sounds like a memorable trip. Sometimes, you gotta just role with the punches. It’s certainly not feasible to prepare for every possible issue. What are you gonna do - take a full set of hoses, belts, pulleys, wire harnesses, and sensors?

 

[krzyaz]

Failure? Not even close. The lessons learned are more valuable than what you would have learned if the trip had gone smoothly.

Sometimes living the adventure requires challenges like this. Weather (too hot or cold), injury, equipment failure, forgotten equipment, or road closures - I've even been with people that forgot food. A lot of things can happen on any trip. Your attitude toward the situation will determine if something is a failure or not. The more unexpected challenges you have over time, the more resilient you will be come when things pop up. These hurdles will often waste a ton of time and hopefully bring everyone on the trip together to solve the problem. There are some lessons that cannot be taught in a forum, book, or YouTube Video.

I could talk about periodic equipment checks before, during, and after a trip. However, this lesson is yours to learn from and you gained the most experience from it. The best part is that by sharing it, you may be saving someone else the heartache of experiencing it themselves. Better yet you may be explaining how to deal with it should someone else run into this.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I love West "By God" Virginia.

 

[AggieOE]

Considering you got home safe and without catastrophic damage, I think it was a success! Definitely a good lesson learned that I need to apply.

 

[smritte]

Welcome to the world of off road. Most things now have as much as 50% less life span. You had a cool adventure and something else to talk about.

FYI, I've seen people drive forever with a torn CV on the street. Not as much dirt as off road though. Normally the first clue is a mess with no noise, second clue is noise on hard turn, normally clicking. If it clicks, the grease has been gone for a long time.

What make CV's wear out faster is changing the angle due to a lift kit. Its not a bad thing, just less lifespan. If it becomes a problem, you need to step up to diffrent axles.

 

[smritte]

Today, I look back and can laugh about it.

Heh
I'm not even going to give you crap about that. If I did I would so be a hypocrite. I just wish I had pictures of all my trail repairs. I could probably write a book. They do make for good stories though.

 

[MMc]

"The worse it gets the better the story." Stuff happens to the best planned trips, a big part of life is adjusting and fixing it as it comes along. When you give up is when you fail.

 

[KonzaLander]

It happens to all of us!

My wife and I left a day before our planned trip departure to visit her grandfather who was in a big city hospital that was between us and our destination. At a fuel stop on the way to the hospital my Land Cruiser decided to give the dreaded starter clunk. I pulled out my socket extension, wedged it between the intake runners and gave the starter a firm love tap. It started right up, but I knew this meant the starter had to be replaced. If you are not familiar with this process on the 100 series, it involves removing the intake manifold since the starter is tucked into the valley. I called a few shops/dealers in the town where the hospital is, but nobody had openings. We continued on to the hospital. Instead of continuing on our planned trip, we made the tough decision to turn around for home to R&R the starter.

 

[Tacodrew22]

Thanks to all you guys who have shared. Just makes me more excited to get back out and adventure.

I put together a little video of some of the clips I got.