[dmc]

Romer Edit: Here is the link to his Blog for this trip On The Road To Ushuaia



It's 1am and I just got Romer's PM about accepting my offer to do the ROTW this week. The irony of course being I'm only about 40% confident I even know where my truck is right now. I know it is in a container. I'm fairly certain it is on a cargo ship and on it's way to Cartagena, Colombia but after that I am just hopeful it will show up here on monday or tuesday. I'm pretty tired so i'll just post a few pics then i'll do the write up in the morning. you can find first ROTW in my sig below.

by moonlight in baja...



on the beach in Costa Rica...



and in the hotel parking lot in Panama City just hours before putting her in a container. At the demands of the shipping compnay I paid $7 to have nine countries worth of mud washed off by hand. she sure looks pretty...




expect the write up around 11am EST monday morning.

dmc

[tacomafj-80]

sweet ride. love the pics and how the rig is being used.

[dmc]

1997 FZJ80 Ruby Claire, 40th Anniversary #1892 Antique Pearl Sage Metallic

Working from the ground up…

6- Toyo 285/16/75 Open Country MT

OME 804 4inch Competition Springs front and rear
OME N73L and N74L shocks

Adjustable Panhards and rear upper control arms
Rear lower control arms from Rock Logic

Caster correction plates

Sierra Gear 4:88s

Tundra Double Cardon front driveline

Slee sliders

ARB Bullbar with Ramsey Patriot 9500 winch and Hella 4000s

National Luna Dual Battery Set up with dual Yellow Top Optimas

Safari Snorkel with filthy pre-cleaner (just 2 months of use has made me a convert)

Blue Hub fan clutch

Alpine W205 double din DVD with ipod control

Both rows of rear seat removed for storage
ARB 60liter freezer/fridge oh and a book shelf

CO2 tank with custom bracket and mount

Home brew/wildyoats rear bumper and tire swing out

Mule Expedition Equipment prototype aluminum roof rack

Eezi Awn 1400 Rooftop tent
Scepter Fuel/Water cans

Wildyoats limb risers for total poseur effect

That is the basic run down. I’ve linked some individual threads to the appropriate items and will be adding more detail/opinions and pics for the various upgrades in a few minutes. crap and for some reason I can't my ftp client to open. i'll get that fixed and upload pics for the other items.
dmc

[Tennessee80]

Looks great, good luck on the baby getting shipped! No worries.

[trevdawg]

Your rig is looking killer! good job!

[dmc]

I'm going to go through each item one at a time and try and elaborate in some decent detail.

6- Toyo 285/16/75 Open Country MT



So I am well aware of the weight concerns regarding the Toyo Open Country MT. I'm not going to enter into that debate here because I am not smart enough to understand the sprung vs. unsprung debate and more importantly I really don't care.

the reality is this. In the last year I have run 3 sets of tires on my 80. Maxxis Bighorn 315s, The Bridgestone Revo 285s and now the Toyo Open Country MTs. I bought the Maxxis for Moab and other rock crawling trips. I ran the Revo's as my daily drivers and for exploration through the deserts of Utah. I love the Maxxis but I only had 4 and didn't want to run a 35 for the trip. The Revo is a great road tire and I have been pleasantly surprised with the off road performance, including a trip to Baja in March. So much so I was ready to purchase a 6th until I came across the Toyos. I'll be honest up front. They were a sponsorship but I will be very candid about their performance. Like most owners I like them. They have handled the weight just fine, the slick wet roads, the mountainous mud and soft beach sand. Have they performed better than any other Mud terrain. i'm not sure. Over the course of my off road experience I have run Dunlop, Goodyear MT's (back in the mid 90s) MTRs, the Maxxis, BFG Mud and All Terrain, Swampers (bias and radial) Revos and now the Toyos.The most surprising thing about the Toyos is how quiet they are on road. Second only to the Revo in my experience. They have 15k miles on them most of which have been winding 2 lane mountain and costal roads and a couple thousand miles of dirt and gravel. They are holding up very well. Like I said, I can't say,since i've never even aired down, that they are a far better Mud tire than others i've owned. however, the road manners are excellent and i've been extremely happy with them so far.


OME 804 4inch Competition Springs front and rear
OME N73L and N74L shocks

I love them. not too much more to say than that. okay maybe a few more words. I ran the J's front and rear with spacers up front. I liked the set up and it rode nice but after bouncing off a huge (hidden under a tumbleweed) rock I bent a front spring and had to replace them. I had ridden in Racerdave's 97 80 with comp springs and decided to go that route. I was a bit concerned about having them in the rear in a fairly light weight truck. the stiff ride and tendency to unload on desecents was a concern. the truck had a tricky ride to it at high speed on dirt roads. Road manners were great with this set up but off road rallying the rear had a tendency to drift too much and occasionally roll more than the stiff front end. I made the descision to swap out the rear Js and keep my truck heavy most of the time for around town. It was the right one. They handle my current load well, with just a bit of sag but the ride is nice and plush. i want to say perfect. I will add a caveat however.

Racerdave and I have very similar trucks except he has 5 in verus my 4 but i think they have the same load rating. last spring we did Behind the Rocks in Moab. On white knuckle hill we each had a different experience. I had my rear bumper, spare and drawers in my truck. he was running a stock rear bumper. it is a major drop and my truck didn't not want to unload nearly as much as his. The difference may be minimal but his vulnerablity on that obstacle was far greater than man. So if you think about running comps make sure you plan to carry weight all the time. Compared to J's and spacers however the ride and travel is far more consistent and predictable. i tend to drive fairly fast on dirt roads and the current setup is made to rally. It is the best solid front axle set up i have driven at speed.

oh and i need to include a pic or two with the 35s...



Adjustable Panhards and rear upper control arms
Rear lower control arms from Rock Logic (you can see the arms in this post)
Caster correction plates
Tundra Double Cardon front driveline

yes they are inevitable when you start getting taller. I managed to blow out an OME caster bushing so plates were and easy progression from there. control arms were done locally in Utah by a buggy builder known as Rock Logic. with all the links adjusted to the proper lengths and angles the handling is very neutral and all drivetrain vibration is gone.

[96Cruiser13]

your rig is my favorite..

Amazing moonlight pic
The secont pic ismy desktop background

[dmc]

Originally Posted by 96Cruiser13

your rig is my favorite..

Amazing moonlight pic

thanks and thanks.

[lt1fire]

are u moving down there or just on a trip?

[dmc]

Originally Posted by lt1fire

are u moving down there or just on a trip?

just a trip unless I find a place good enough to call home.. but no plans to stay long term as of now.

[dmc]

Sierra Gear 4:88s
The debate on gears has been on going for a few years. As with a lot of 80 owners the cost of gears is a hard pill to swallow. however it was necessary for me with all the weight and some of the elevations I would see. Even then the debate was between 4.56s and 4.88s. After a long talk with Kurt (all talks with kurt are long) at Cruiser Outfitters I went with the 4.88s. figured if I didn't like them once i got home they would have better resell value than 4.56s. i have a great set of friends who helped me complete the project over a weekend. it wasn't just gears however, it was also tcase seals, oil pan and timing cover leaks and the blue hub fan clutch. it was truly amazing how much work 5 guys can accomplish on a cold October weekend.

The 4.88s have been great. even with the weight and drag of my setup i still have power to pass all the chicken buses on steep mtn roads yet i can still manage 80mph on some of the autopistas. in addition the engine braking increase has allowed me to avoid any warpage or excessive wear of my brakes. i swapped out all my rotors and pads prior to the trip as well. i've often complained that the auto tranny needed a 1.5 gear living at 4500feet. essentially the gears gave me that gear. it has been one of the best upgrades i have made without question.







Blue Hub fan clutch-

this upgrade has been well documented but here are my numbers according to my scangauge...

in utah, before rack and tent and blue hub my freeway temps were always around 205-208 and around 200 around town. occasionally they would climb near 220 on some of the steeper roads around town after a nice long pull at a slow 35mph.

in utah after fan clutch and radiator flush/clean and rack tent added i only once broke 200 degrees. freeway driving was a consistent 192-194, around town it hovered at 187. So far on my trip I have only ran in 200-210 a few times on long slow climbs into the mountains, the majority of the time i'm around 192 at sea level. only once did i break 210 and i reached 214 on the long steep climb to 11k feet just west of Mexico city. with the 4.88s i was able to pull the grade at 70mph and i think the truck was working a bit too hard in that heat. i'm a huge believer in the blue hub fan clutch and with the gears the motor isn't working nearly as hard to turn the tires. i really have no idea who stumbled across this mod (idahodoug? or landtank maybe?) but thanks. you've eased my mind considerably about the stress on my cooling system.
dmc

[Tapage]

Dude .. nice Cruiser ..

When you where here in Panamá and we didn't meet . !

[dmc]

Originally Posted by Tapage

Dude .. nice Cruiser ..

When you where here in Panamá and we didn't meet . !

I know I suck. once I got to Panama City I pretty much never got back in my truck. I was so fixated on trying to get the shipping figured out I pretty much forgot I was still on vacation. I never even managed to see any of the locks on the canal. Aside from New Years Eve atop Volcan Baru didn't see anything but the inside of Hotel Montreal.
dmc

[dmc]

Slee sliders

tough as nails and used far too often. I need to learn how to drive.

ARB Bullbar with Ramsey Patriot 9500 winch and Hella 4000s

I left Utah with 3 Hella 4000s on the bullbar. I now only have two. The whoops outside El Arco and my too hot welding broke my center mount and I now have my 4000 pencil beam in the back of my truck. I have used the winch once so far this trip. you'll need to subscribe to Overland Journal to get the full story.

National Luna Dual Battery Set up with dual Yellow Top Optimas.

Expensive for sure but for someone like me it's ideal. constant monitoring of my batteries. My fridge is the only thing attached to my second battery. There have been a few stretches during my trip where I have not driven for a few days and the yellow top has held up just fine powering the fridge. Only in Panama City did the battery finally fully drain. I had to ditch all my perishable food before shipping anyway so I turned the fridge off and after the two hour drive to Colon the battery was fully charged again.


Safari Snorkel with filthy pre-cleaner (just 2 months of use has made me a convert)

I have always liked the look of the pre-cleaner and used my trip as the excuse to buy one for aesthetic purposes. However after only 2 months there is about 3/4 of inch of dirt in the cleaner already. I plan to clean it once I pick up the truck here in Colombia. It's amazing how much crap is in there. Vehicle reliability is at the top of my priorities for the trip and all that dirt not hitting my main filter is just one more step toward reaching Ushuaia. oh and yep i still think it looks cool.

[Tapage]

Originally Posted by dmc

I know I suck. once I got to Panama City I pretty much never got back in my truck. I was so fixated on trying to get the shipping figured out I pretty much forgot I was still on vacation. I never even managed to see any of the locks on the canal. Aside from New Years Eve atop Volcan Baru didn't see anything but the inside of Hotel Montreal.
dmc

Dave .. that really sucks .. !

At least one beer and a little ride in a 80 series Turbo Diesel ! un forgetable !

I hope you can get back and see more of my Panamá ..

[alaskacruiser]

dmc- amazing rig but I have a slightly off-topic question: what kind of camera did you use for that moonlight shot? It looks surprisingly free of noise and I would guess that's either film, DSLR, or some kind of Fuji Finepix with the SuperCCD?

[josharre2000]

I am from AK. Are you? I noticed your name ALASKACRUISER...

[Blue Phoenix]

DMC- I cant wait to read about your trip in the upcoming issues of Overland. Your photos are breath taking. Fantastic job on the build up and thanks for the inspiration!

[dmc]

Originally Posted by josharre2000

I am from AK. Are you? I noticed your name ALASKACRUISER...

actually I lived in Juneau for about 4.5 years. oh wait, this wasn't meant for me. probably better done by a PM instead of in a ROTW thread. however since i am a former alaskan, where are you in the state?
dmc

[dmc]

Originally Posted by alaskacruiser

dmc- amazing rig but I have a slightly off-topic question: what kind of camera did you use for that moonlight shot? It looks surprisingly free of noise and I would guess that's either film, DSLR, or some kind of Fuji Finepix with the SuperCCD?

the camera is a Canon 20d. lens is a tamron 18 - 200 dII. Here are a few more pics from the same night. it wasn't even a full moon that night. just very clear.










dmc

[dmc]

Originally Posted by Blue Phoenix

DMC- I cant wait to read about your trip in the upcoming issues of Overland. Your photos are breath taking. Fantastic job on the build up and thanks for the inspiration!

you're going to need to be patient. probably won't see anything until after I get home. i'll need all that time to get the writing chops up to the likes of tom sheppard and tom collins. and thanks,
dmc

[Romer]

Dave, looks like a blast of a trip. Can you describe the overal strategy for your trip with the different countries, shipping and what modifications you had to make to your truck.

[dmc]

Alpine W205 double din DVD with ipod control


unfortunately i don't have too many pics of this upgrade with me. I'll take some more pics when I pic up the truck. you can see the pic of the stereo in this post. i love the deck. video quality is better than my old pioneer and the double din is far better for off-road. it has some control options i don't like (for example to switch from continuous to random play only takes the touch of a button but to go back to continuous requires 3 buttons) but for the most part the ipod control is exceptional. with 9k + songs it is nice to have a large screen display to scroll through them. one of the last things i did before leaving was to create a faux face for the deck using the factory face plate. it looks like i'm trying to hide something if you look close but it hides the tv screen from any one just glancing in. i'll take a pic tomorrow (or weds) when i get the truck to add to it.

a pic of the Hertz component speakers I installed prior to the trip. good sound quality. good price. okay they were free as a gift from my friend for the trip but yeah good price for him too. they 'barely' fit. as in after one or two hard slams the grills now don't rub against the side of the dash.



something I forgot to mention in my second post is the

HIR high and low beam upgrade with accompanying slee harness

again this is nothing new in the 80 world but something I would recommend all newbies take advantage of. the stock lights suck, to be frank, and this upgrade is not only realitively inexpensive but also makes the truck safter. when you add a lot of weight to the truck you can anger the locals in 9 different countries by blinding them. i tried to lower the lights but my DS lens is stripped out and won't point any lower. good thing my motto is to not drive at night.

[dmc]

Originally Posted by Romer

Dave, looks like a blast of a trip. Can you describe the overal strategy for your trip with the different countries, shipping and what modifications you had to make to your truck.

yes sir. i was going to post up my 'build strategy' after my brief (or sometimes longwinded) blurb about each mod.
dmc

[dmc]

Both rows of rear seat removed for storage
ARB 60liter freezer/fridge oh and a book shelf

So to make a long story short to pay for my trip I capitalized on the home market in utah and am spending the equity I made by selling my house. Essentially Ruby Claire is now my home. That mindset has permeated most of the last six months of building the truck as well as during my trip so far. part of that consideration was security. when it came to building my boxes for my truck I basically just thought a lot, for a few weeks of the 'best' approach for my needs. i ditched a perfectly good set of drawers in lieu of starting over. My design concept was to essentially build a secure shell for all of my stuff, then utilize lighter weight materials (than wood and screws) to organized it inside the shell.

you can pretty much see the whole build in this thread. you can even catch a glimpse of Althea, my FJ40, I sold to also help pay for the trip.

So my feedback on the setup so far? very positive. i think i took the right approach to the storage. there have been one or two issues. you can read about a very painful one on my blog. the other is the 'door' for the spare parts and tools action packers. i used a piece of laminate instead of plywood and it cracked in half somewhere along the bumpy stretch of Costa Rican washboard. I've worked my way around that by wedging my sleeping back between it and the tailgate so the items still say secure. the benefits comes down to flexibility. there have been far more nights in $10 hotels than on the beach and with the Mountainsmith bags I am able to load up one bag with all i need for the night including hauling in my laptop and cameras then lock everything else back inside the boxes.

When i built the bookshelf I figured it was a great idea but sort of an afterthought that would be disintegrated before I left Baja. however that damn thing is a rock. it's held my 35 or so books securely the entire trip without even a squeak. the convenience factor of it is far greater than I thought it would be. I was just trying to fill what I deemed empty unused space. the quick access to my guide books alone was worth the few hours spent building it. as mentioned in the other thread I saved a ton of weight and so far they have held up to the stress and humidity. Sometimes you just get lucky.
dmc

[Fiveo]

DMC sounds like you are on a dream trip. Do you have a blog or do I ned to join Overland to read al about it?

[ginericLC]

Welcome to Expedition Americas

Dave,

How is the rear swingout doing?

I'm insanely jealous of your trip.

[alaskacruiser]

Originally Posted by dmc

one of the last things i did before leaving was to create a faux face for the deck using the factory face plate. it looks like i'm trying to hide something if you look close but it hides the tv screen from any one just glancing in.

dmc- awesome buildup, expedition, and great website, too! I have a similar Alpine display, and would be very interested in seeing the faceplate you refer to here. Great idea!

Your photography on the website is unreal- I take it you are a professional?

BTW I lived in Fairbanks for 23 years (born and raised) but am now in LA. PM to discuss further.

[dmc]

Originally Posted by ginericLC

Welcome to Expedition Americas

Dave,

How is the rear swingout doing?

I'm insanely jealous of your trip.

That is a perfect segue mr. vogt. perhaps I shall talk about my bumper.

Home brew/wildyoats rear bumper and tire swing out

As my main bumper section I bought a kit from Johnny simlar to his here

The bumper required lots of welding and grinding but still was very inexpesive and is pretty damn strong. I've beat on the bumper pretty hard and it has held up just fine. I've even used it for some very hard pulls getting a truck out of the snow 2 winters ago. It was weld designed. my welds have managed to hold up okay so far. you can see a good shot of it in the very first post.

the swing out was my own concoction and i've been happy with it so far. here are a few pics...



the struts is off the hood of a rolled 80. or lift gate. i forget which one. but they are 80 OEM

I managed to use the stock light off the tailgate for the license plate...



a profile shot...



and one with a little mud on it...



For the trip I added my 'pullpal' minus the shovel portion. with the Toyo, hi-lift, and pullpal it is very heavy and as such Eric asks the question. 'how is the swing out holding up?' I think the bearings in the spindle are getting worn and that is where the slop is coming from. I stopped by a trailer shop in El Cajon, CA and the owner donated some bearings and welding rod to my trip. Really cool guy and I just stumbled across him randomly. worked out very well for me. The bearing are sitting nicely packed with grease in a zip-lock bag waiting for the time and second set of hands to swap the bearing outs. in the mean time I have been running with a ratchet strap from the top of the hi-lift to a loop on the roof rack to stablize the swingout on the rough roads.
dmc

[dmc]

Originally Posted by alaskacruiser

dmc- awesome buildup, expedition, and great website, too! I have a similar Alpine display, and would be very interested in seeing the faceplate you refer to here. Great idea!

Your photography on the website is unreal- I take it you are a professional?

BTW I lived in Fairbanks for 23 years (born and raised) but am now in LA. PM to discuss further.

AK,

i'll be sure to take a pic of my face plate. essentially i pried off the face of the factory deck and hot glued it to the trim piece included in the Apline deck. after a bit of cutting of the trim piece it just slides right over the screen.

thanks for the compliments on the photos. if professional means i've taken a boat load of pics over the years than yes, otherwise nope. i've never even read a book or taken a class on photography. but I also think landscape is fairly easy to do with enough practice. oh and it helps to have plenty of time for photos.
dmc