Another Boring Trip to Southern Utah

[rubicondon53]

Ok guys, yet again we are headed west to satisfy an addiction that started over 12 years ago when we spent 3 weeks exploring around Moab. This time out we are finally going down into the Maze for 5 nights. From there down to Mexican Hat, via Mogi Dugway. We’ve been wanting to do the Maze for a lot of years and finally able to fit it in! Odd thing is, there’s still another 12 years or more of areas we want to explore out here. I’ll post up photos later. The amazing part? Our 80 has 346,000 miles on it. The trans, the t case, the diffs and the bottom end have never been opened up. Not in a million years would that Rubicon of mine ever had done this. One thing I’m doing to save fuel, I’ve kept the cruise set at 65. I’m actually getting 13.5 mpg instead of my normal 75mph & 10 mpg, so I’ll keep my foot out of it this trip. 3.60 for gas in Kansas. Hey Brian, great weld work on the trailer, pulls straight as an arrow!

 

[Red Beard]

Love it to hear it. Sometimes I think up north we can't keep cruisers past 20 years with all the rust. Great to see you're still Cruisin'! Looking forward to the photos.

 

[shmukster]

Don please keep us posted!!!!!!

 

[rubicondon53]

Ok then, only one night in the Maze, sorry Chevy guys, your trucks just don’t get it, had to turn back down in the Teapot section. Giant steps, down-up-down-up. My decision to turn back was tough, but a lot less tougher than a ruined driveshaft, or other damage and putting my brother in law into a $10,000 rescue mission. ( Dammit, I wished he would have followed my advice, gotten a Taco, lifted it 2” and been done with it. ) so, we headed south, camped on BLM lands in 40-50 mph winds. Found some cover on our way to the Mogollon Rim, came across FR300, to the Gila NF, and am now in the Lincoln NF in NM. Good lord, 9,000ft up and cell service. We’ll be here another night, then Sunday night our first hotel & laundry. BTW, Gila was 2 nights traveling, then 2 nights at a basecamp. I can’t say enough about Gila, the Mogollon Rim? Way too many people. And the fire damage was a bit depressing through the central part of fr300. It’s nice here at Lincoln, however it’s an organized camp sight, which is both refressing to be around people, but a pita for privacy. The Chevy guy is headed home Monday morn, Ging & I are gonna go up to the Rio Grande del Norte National monument, then on up into Colorado. BTW, only breakage we have so far were broken shackles on the trailer, it listed for a few days till we found a spring shop in AZ after the Mogollon rim

 

[shmukster]

Damn Don you're hard on trailers!!!!!

 

[brian]

Damn Don you're hard on trailers!!!!!

ill say

 

[rubicondon53]

Damn Don you're hard on trailers!!!!!

Thankfully an easy trail fix. Thankfully my wife informs me that I shouldn’t be such a cheapskate and that I should have installed the dexter upgraded 1/2” thick shackles with bushings and wet bolts.. hmmm , hindsight, slow learner? All of the above?

 

[shmukster]

I remember when you had trailer trouble in Kansas years ago was it in the Salina area?
Ad you sent the Chevy guy home early........................ when he bought his truck and told me what he bought I asked him why he didn't buy a Tacoma! I must admit I was less than enthusiastic about his choice.

 

[rubicondon53]

I remember when you had trailer trouble in Kansas years ago was it in the Salina area?
Ad you sent the Chevy guy home early........................ when he bought his truck and told me what he bought I asked him why he didn't buy a Tacoma! I must admit I was less than enthusiastic about his choice.

The trailer has been a huge learning curve for me.. being from the east I’d no idea how easily washboard roads can and do destroy everything that isn’t way over built.. The trailer frame & tonge are way beefed up thanks to Brian, 5,000lb springs, 3500 axle, and soon to come, 7,000lb shackles.. yes, central Kansas we spun the bearings out on the puny 1700lb axles..

 

[rubicondon53]

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument was out last stop before heading home. We had a small flock of Bighorns visit our campsite every morning. Cool place.

 

[rubicondon53]

This is where I had to turn us around down in the Teapot section. That low slung Chevy was not going to make these steps and there was not enough room on the right side. The second set of steps was even a bit higher. Then one in Glenn Canyon near Orange Cliffs district. There a many many more but for some reason, even compressed, my j-peg files are too big for MUD. bummer !

 

[fireball]

Looks like fun Don, thanks for sharing pics!

 

[rubicondon53]

Looks like fun Don, thanks for sharing pics!

Did you go already? Maps?