Hi Everybody!
My name is Christian from Altadena CA.
I'm always looking to make new friends amongst a group of like minded people and found out about this forum through the YouTube channel.
Now for my fellow gear heads in the group (with pics!)...
The primary vehicle of choice for my wife and I to have our off-highway adventures in is a 1985 Jeep Scrambler with a 2000 4.0L 6-cylinder engine, a 2006 6-speed manual transmission, 1994 wiring, 1994 clutch cylinders and the original Dana 300 transfer case. I have a 33-gallon tank for more range. When I did the engine and transmission swap from stock I went from 7 mpg to over 15, which did more for my range and driving enjoyment than I could have hoped for. It's riding on 35" BF Goodrich KM3 tires with enough lift to stuff those under the Jeep. The axels are running 4.88 gears with lockers front and rear. The front axel is a Dana 44 and the rear is a trussed AMC 20. The springs are getting a little tired, so the next step will be to put new custom leaf packs on the Jeep all around. I'm reevaluating the old "usual stuff" I haul around, so that I can have the vehicle loaded with whatever becomes the new "usual stuff" when making decisions about the right springs when loaded or empty. Mostly, I'm looking for lighter versions of some things I use now.
There will be a small off-road trailer in my future.
My overlanding and outdoor experience has been gathered over a long period of time through off-roading, hiking, backpacking, scuba diving, kayaking and abandoned mine exploration. That said, I think I have a lot to learn from all of you and think of myself as someone with "intermediate" experience. I believe that the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.
We're gonna have fun!
Christian