Influencer II
US Northwest June 2020 WABDR - Washington Backcountry Discovery Route
- Thread starter Bilbo
- Start date
Advocate III
- 5,584
- First Name
- Michael
- Last Name
- Rose
- Member #
-
20990
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- W7FSB
- Service Branch
- US ARMY Retired
Influencer II
It took a Village to get this Idiot and his trailer "Big Butt" to Nighthawk. To those that made the trip, I want to sincerely thank all of you for your help. You know this was a daily/hourly practice in teamwork, knowledge and shooting from the hip solutions to get me and the group going again. Just one example of many. Share if you have more
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Influencer II
Here is Scott "OldMopars" volunteering to be the first person launched into space setting a bead.
Enthusiast III
Scott saved my trip and as an endorsement to les schwab but they cleaned and balanced that wheel for free. Will definitely be using them in the future.
Influencer II
Influencer II
Did the kids like the popcorn?
[/QUOTE
Josh's Chocolate Sprinkled Doughnut
Influencer II
Any war wounds/issues post trip? I
BTW Josh's kids were amazing
Explorer I
Explorer I
@Joshua Buss, Julie and I commented often how awesome Harper and Noah are, must be some great parenting!
Explorer I
Fantastic trip, awesome group! EPIC! That said it was brutal at points and the going was slow overall. We made 4 miles one day (Top of Bethel Ridge) winching and cutting our way through the worst mud I have ever been through. My family decided to bail at Wenatchee; we were exhausted, overloaded and had some stuff going on back home. It was VERY sad to leave but right for us at the time. My Achilles heel was packing/organization in the JKU. At the last minute our son decided to attend and that meant less room and more gear, the Jeep was a packed puzzle. It was not awesome unpacking/re-packing to get at anything.
What a fantastic trip and group! Everybody was really great! @mtn, @armyRN, @SCS, @Hogman, @Joshua Buss, @oldmopars - you all are the best and it was great riding with you!
What a fantastic trip and group! Everybody was really great! @mtn, @armyRN, @SCS, @Hogman, @Joshua Buss, @oldmopars - you all are the best and it was great riding with you!
Member III
Thanks to everyone that participated; you each added something to the trip.
Trail carnage (at least for me):
1. On the second day one of my tires decided it didn't want to hold air anymore (at least for an extended period of time). So I ran my spare for the rest of the trip. I'll bring it to Les Schwab in the next day-or-so to see where the slow leak is coming from
2. On the last day near the end of the off-pavement portion, one of my trailer's springs decided it had had enough and broke in half. Once it broke the tire was rubbing against the fender and helped trim a little of the fender off. So after removing the shock., we took a piece of fence post Ole was carrying and put it between the spring and frame and ratchet strapped them together (so now the axle was basically attached to the frame; no flexing at all on that side). Fortunately it broke on the back half of the spring. The other spring had flattened out and probably didn't have much life left in it either. So we put both trailer tires down to 10psi and carefully drove the rest of the route. Once on pavement, I aired the trailer tires up to 20psi, and drove it that way all the way home. I need to order springs, and will see about fabricating some bump stops so the springs don't overflex themselves.
Trail carnage (at least for me):
1. On the second day one of my tires decided it didn't want to hold air anymore (at least for an extended period of time). So I ran my spare for the rest of the trip. I'll bring it to Les Schwab in the next day-or-so to see where the slow leak is coming from
2. On the last day near the end of the off-pavement portion, one of my trailer's springs decided it had had enough and broke in half. Once it broke the tire was rubbing against the fender and helped trim a little of the fender off. So after removing the shock., we took a piece of fence post Ole was carrying and put it between the spring and frame and ratchet strapped them together (so now the axle was basically attached to the frame; no flexing at all on that side). Fortunately it broke on the back half of the spring. The other spring had flattened out and probably didn't have much life left in it either. So we put both trailer tires down to 10psi and carefully drove the rest of the route. Once on pavement, I aired the trailer tires up to 20psi, and drove it that way all the way home. I need to order springs, and will see about fabricating some bump stops so the springs don't overflex themselves.
Advocate III
- 5,584
- First Name
- Michael
- Last Name
- Rose
- Member #
-
20990
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- W7FSB
- Service Branch
- US ARMY Retired
Member III
Yup; there was a lot of bouncing on this trip. It will give your suspension a work-out. If you or your passenger has a bad back, this trip isn't going to help you any.
Advocate III
- 5,584
- First Name
- Michael
- Last Name
- Rose
- Member #
-
20990
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- W7FSB
- Service Branch
- US ARMY Retired
Influencer II
Influencer II
Influencer II
Advocate III
- 5,584
- First Name
- Michael
- Last Name
- Rose
- Member #
-
20990
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- W7FSB
- Service Branch
- US ARMY Retired
Member III
Thanks for the kind words. It seemed like everyone played very nicely together on this trip. Yeah; somehow I did curse myself on this trip. I got a slow leak in a tire the second day (so I was running on my spare the rest of the trip), and the broken trailer leaf spring on the last day. Fortunately neither one kept me/us from finishing the WABDR, or from driving all the way back home. And it was a group effort fixing the trailer - it wasn't just me.
Les Schwab fixed the tire today. I guess it was a combination of dirt between the tire and rim (have no idea how that could have happened!), and a leaky valve stem. And new leaf springs, U-bolts, and spring shackle side-plates are on order (slightly heavier-duty springs in a four-leaf pack this time) for the trailer. Gotta get it all back together to lead the Old-School run up the WABDR in September (6-11 [maybe 12] Sep; check out the Rally Point for the Old-School run).
Cancelled - Old-School Vehicle Overlanding Trip - Running the WA Backcountry Discovery Route
EDIT: Unfortunately, this trip is being cancelled due to lack of participants (this COVID-19 thing is totally screwing things up). Thank-you to those who initially were contemplating going. We'll try and Old-School Vehicle Overlanding Trip next year sometime when things have settled down. I...
Was on the phone yesterday for well over an hour with FourWheeler Magazine. The were interviewing me because they want to do a five-page spread of my TJ and trailer in their November issue (that's what they told me anyways). I was part of their Overland Adventure East 2019 last year, and was pictured in a couple issues of FourWheeler afterwards. And you never know - I might even make the cover this time. The issue should be out the very end of September/October. Be on the lookout for it at your local newsstand (if you don't already subscribe).
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