Durhamtown Shakedown 07/28 or 07/29

[Sam Stewart]

looks like you had a good time and the engine sounds great, thanks for saring.

But...Are you telling us that big arse red Bronco at the 1:20 mark of your last video couldn't make it up Slippery Nipple? Seriously?

No he made it. He was just struggling. He might just be a bad driver. When we came up he was on the last ledge and had to take about 4 or 5 runs at it. We also ran into them in park 1 (Matt wanted to go over there even though I told him you guys said to avoid it). He tried to go through a really nasty spot and got stuck there too. Ended up having to winch out. I think I got a pic. I'll see if I can find it.

Side note: The group had about 6-7 pretty built Broncos. That was the biggest one. Two of the others had apparently just gone up it without too much problem. That's kinda why I think maybe the guy just couldn't drive. He certainly had the equipment. The truck had a built 460 and you can see the rest.

 

[Sam Stewart]

I caught the very last bit when he actually made it up on video:



Looks like I actually got him winching out too. My battery was dying on my camera so it kept shutting off.

 

[TeddyBoy]

I caught the very last bit when he actually made it up on video:



Looks like I actually got him winching out too. My battery was dying on my camera so it kept shutting off.

you used to be able to make the entire mud hole in the 2nd video but now pretty much everybody has to winch out of the last little section. Now I see why ...44" boggers.

From the top of that trail you have 2 options: the left where that video was shot or to the right which used to be pretty tame. It's now so rutted out and muddy it's not much fun anymore unless you just like getting caged 80s muddy! Right Nick

How much of section 1 did you guys check out?

 

[Sam Stewart]

Yeah if that trail was passable before it surely wasn't after that guy went through. We didn't go through much of 1. Matt wanted to check it out so I just rode with him in his 80. There are 2 bypasses on that trail in the vid which are both pretty easy. We only made it about halfway around trail 1 (that same one) and there was a place with a really deep rut which we attempted but ended up backing out bc we didn't want to get stuck. (His 80 is unlocked and he has some pretty mild tires and a 3" lift, certainly no Franken80.) So we went back the way we came on trail 1. We tried to go around another one (3 maybe?) but there were a bunch of big hills which were no problem but the other side was often a huge hole full of mud. After almost getting stuck a couple of times we decided to call it a day. We spent a good 3+ hours in area 2 before I broke the mount on one of the hill climbs. We were in the area where the big hill is and the are like 5 or 6 hill climbs. I had gone up and down all of them except for one so I lined up and rolled up it. Near the top were a couple rocks and some exposed roots. I stayed in it even though it was bouncing pretty bad and *pop* goes the mount. I just limped it back and loaded it back on the trailer. Guess I need to go ahead and put in the tooth rattling bomb proof mounts.

 

[Sam Stewart]

I still made it up the hill too.

 

[MoodyBlue]

Hey Ya'll. I was with the Bronco group this past Saturday.

I found this thread because it was our first trip to Durhamtown and I was doing some Googling about the place and some of the deaths that had occurred over the last several years.

Then I saw ya'll talking about Paul and his struggles - the red and black Bronco. He mostly built it after a "vision" of someone else's Bronco - it has a warmed over 460, C6 automatic, leaf sprung one tons and its on 44" boggers. Paul has been with our group for the last several years and for some reason we've yet to determine - haha - has been wheelin in 4Hi this whole time. In that first hole a couple guys asked if he was in 4Lo. Apparently he wasn't, he thought 4Lo was bad...we can't figure out where he got this either. When he put it in 4Lo it was like a different truck. Der. Another problem is his stiff leaf springs...he's really not getting the flex out of the front like he should. The other three built trucks - two Broncos and the F150 are coil sprung and didn't have the issues Paul did. So I dunno.

For the two guys that were there and came up the hill....I was in the brown camo F150 - the blonde girl, haha. I was riding with my friend Dale. This was the first time he's had the chance to try out the F150. He got a decent sized dent in the passenger door and if it wasn't for the bed being dove tailed Cougar Canyon would have taken out both sides of the bed, haha.

I'm usually the chick that bails out. [Tellico scared me something fierce and I walked what little bit we did out there.] I stayed in the truck for what we did at Durhamtown....except Slippery Nipple...not for being scared, but because of the bouncing around of the rocks. Dale is still running an old bench seat and stock seat belts - yes, seats and 5 points are next...actually in his garage, just out of time before the ride.

Another reason I joined is because when I showed Dale this thread, we were talking about how active ya'll are with a monthly ride and that ya'll seemed really familiar with Durhamtown. We're planning to go back in the fall. I wanna take my Bronco...I didn't get to bring it this time because it has no brakes...minor detail, heh.

ALSO saw your thread about the Tellico hearing. As a 4WD community we definitely need to stick together. We're a good group that is concious of this and we wheel responsibly, clean and sober...except for Boggers tearing up mud holes.

 

[Sam Stewart]

Hey Ya'll. I was with the Bronco group this past Saturday.

I found this thread because it was our first trip to Durhamtown and I was doing some Googling about the place and some of the deaths that had occurred over the last several years.

Then I saw ya'll talking about Paul and his struggles - the red and black Bronco. He mostly built it after a "vision" of someone else's Bronco - it has a warmed over 460, C6 automatic, leaf sprung one tons and its on 44" boggers. Paul has been with our group for the last several years and for some reason we've yet to determine - haha - has been wheelin in 4Hi this whole time. In that first hole a couple guys asked if he was in 4Lo. Apparently he wasn't, he thought 4Lo was bad...we can't figure out where he got this either. When he put it in 4Lo it was like a different truck. Der. Another problem is his stiff leaf springs...he's really not getting the flex out of the front like he should. The other three built trucks - two Broncos and the F150 are coil sprung and didn't have the issues Paul did. So I dunno.

For the two guys that were there and came up the hill....I was in the brown camo F150 - the blonde girl, haha. I was riding with my friend Dale. This was the first time he's had the chance to try out the F150. He got a decent sized dent in the passenger door and if it wasn't for the bed being dove tailed Cougar Canyon would have taken out both sides of the bed, haha.

I'm usually the chick that bails out. [Tellico scared me something fierce and I walked what little bit we did out there.] I stayed in the truck for what we did at Durhamtown....except Slippery Nipple...not for being scared, but because of the bouncing around of the rocks. Dale is still running an old bench seat and stock seat belts - yes, seats and 5 points are next...actually in his garage, just out of time before the ride.

Another reason I joined is because when I showed Dale this thread, we were talking about how active ya'll are with a monthly ride and that ya'll seemed really familiar with Durhamtown. We're planning to go back in the fall. I wanna take my Bronco...I didn't get to bring it this time because it has no brakes...minor detail, heh.

ALSO saw your thread about the Tellico hearing. As a 4WD community we definitely need to stick together. We're a good group that is concious of this and we wheel responsibly, clean and sober...except for Boggers tearing up mud holes.

Hey welcome! I don't think we actually met but I am the guy with the little tan truck. My friend Matt was driving the Lexus. He's on the boards here but not very active. It was nice to run into another group up there. We kinda followed you all around a bit. We ended up bailing because I broke another motor mount. I limped the truck back to the parking area and loaded it back up. As for your friend tearing up the mud hole, I'm sure he's not the first one. It was already pretty destroyed before he got there. That whole area of the park was pretty bad. We had actually turned around by the time we ran into you guys over there.

So I can't speak for the group (Georgia Cruisers) but I wouldn't mind running into you guys again. It was nice to meet the ones I did meet and everyone seemed really cool. Maybe you guys could plan a run around one of the Ga Cruisers runs later this year. There's a sticky up top that shows the schedule. I am going to try to make at least one more myself this year. It's tough for me with my work schedule though. Or, if you guys are planning another Durhamtown run, post it up in here and maybe some of us will join you. (Maybe you'll have some brakes on your Bronco by then.)

 

[rockabilly cruiser]

I am up for a joint event.

 

[TeddyBoy]

That's a cool post!! Yeah I guess you could sat 4H and 4L are just a little bit different. Slippery Nipple is a cool little creek bed, can't image trying to navigate the tight turn at the rock ledge in a full sized rig.

 

[MoodyBlue]

Hey ya'll, thanks for being so cool. Its always kinda iffy testing waters with other brands. Never know...especially between different tastes and builds and stuff. Thanks for the welcome.

Yeah, totally down with getting together for a joint event. I started a thread in our Dixie chapter to get a feel for dates on when we'll go back to Durhamtown. I'm thinking October 13. Dale has been wanting to get back to Windrock so maybe we can join ya'll in November for that?

I'm the "unofficial" organizer for our stuff...we have a lot of meet and greets and sometimes we get together for wrenching. We helped a guy with his lift a couple months ago, so this was his first time wheeling his Bronco with the lift.

So when I decide the date for the Durhamtown trip, either October 13, or October 20, I'll let ya'll know and post it up here if that's ok. The more the merrier, right?

Lowe Toyota, I know we didn't meet... I saw ya'll and the Lexus...but I didn't get out of the truck. I tried to avoid jumping out of it and climbing back in as much as I could.

Dale definitely had a time navigating some places. He has hydro steering and the front end is welded, so turning was tight. He also converted his truck to propane...it worked flawlessly...the only trouble he had was the starter got hot after getting covered in mud and then climbing Slippery Nipple.

Look forward to meeting ya'll on the trails.

Here is the thread where our pics are posted:
RITS trip pics - FSB Forums