This year for KOH2016, Axial returns to the floor of HAMMERTOWN. I have a lot of hats to wear at
King of the Hammers, but this time I was not there as a photographer but as a videographer. But
photos are just natural and armed with a iPhone, its snap snap snap...
This year, I took a different approach on getting to the event. I hate going to these events to see
and watch the racers doing all their cool stuff through this tiny "peep-hole." I needed to get my own
dirt on! ON my tires!!! With the Cajon Pass having tremendous construction and ultra-bad
traffic congestion, DETOUR! For all those of us in southern California, we have the Cleghorn Road.
But aside from my own personal passion, I'm doing a little experimental filming as well.
The ADV80 again will be transporting crew, equipment and providing much fun on the late
night fun runs after the work is done.
I've been trying for a few years to get out to see the start of the motorcycles on Saturday! Yes,
way down there is the start line for the motorcycles! And I am not even at the half-way mark up the hill!
Right about where I am standing, more rocks litter the course making for a very dicey line choice!
Its all his fault!
The guy on the left is the KOH moto-course extraordinaire Jimmy Lewis! Sorry, I do not know his sidekick...
SPOTTED! Who's 80-Series is this? I like his wheel choice! Dig the color! We really need to
organize an 80-Series meet for KOH 2017!!!
It was a two-wheel log jam as the bikes stacked up as there where only
two chutes that the riders where able to make it up.
I know these guys had to be sweating up a storm in their gear!
Heck, I was sweating up a storm in my gear jumping around on the rocks hauling camera gear!!!
And then the rain came! This was an interesting section of the course as it criss-crosses here and
got to see bike attacking another big tricky hill climb.
We finish our race duties and head out to see what there is to see on the desert floor.
I SPY A PIRATESHIP LANDYACHT! One day I'm going to go over and interview
this guy!
Gotta'love this!
I could see the ADV80 color-code kitted out like this!
Couch patrol!
Scooby-Roo what?!
Now this is Scoobyfied!
GraveCrew ScoobyRoo side project - SubiWorks - PiddleWerks
TOYOTA Powered with a "hair dryer!"
We head out to find my race-course post location so that I know where I am to be first thing bright and early.
We also do a little tiny truck action.
Its tuff working at King of the Hammers. It is the offload carnival in the desert for a WHOLE WEEK!
Yes, you hear people calling it the Woodstock of 4X4 or the Offload BurningMan, lets most of these
people have been to neither of those events, but King of the Hammers is epitome of the wild west
mixed with motorsports! You are around all these cool rigs and you in one of the coolest locations
as far as gnarly terrain and filming the competitors simply makes me want to go out
and have some fun! Ad that fun is the same sentiment of the 35,000+ other people in attendance!
So after the long days, we typically head out for our own fun. THAT IS NOT FOG!!! That is the dust!
The one thing about KOH, is dust and the wind and potential for cold and even snow, but wait, there
is heat too and more dust and sand and even some mud if the rain falls, which it does... Its an
awesome time if you mastered the art of patience and no not have issue with dust and sand.
LOVE THIS PLACE!
This particular evening was fun filled playing with this Subaru Forester from Subiworks.
My co-worker owns this car and while we've played with Subaru's in the past, its been through rally. Now we are
looking at these Subaru's as mini-SUV's and bringing them to the ruff condition beyond the gravel road.
The Subaru's have been deemed FUN!
Next morning and I am up early and out solo to the far side of the race course.
I worked this whole area filming along the rock edges. I'm inside the most upper portion of the central loop
of the course and had never been back here before. a lot of cool features vast spaces!
This particular section has some deep sand much like a sand dune and going
up just like a sand dune, just with big rocks in the mix and hidden!
Positions please - CHECK!
The center area of the back loop littered with rocks! one side drops into the newly claimed military area
and makes it difficult to skirt around the east side. But the top has plenty of option lines.
So much varied terrain out here, it never gets boring as long as you are not in the same spot every year.
The area was is supercool! Rocks littered all around and paths cutting through everything starts to
look the same and navigation can be a bit challenging. As long as I was on the tops I could see the
general direction I need to be headed in. So I would take that path.
The mountain in the background lies Hammertown and I'm heading back. From up top, I could see this path that I am on
will get me down. I get to this spot and something told me that I could get the ADV80 through this tight squeeze with a
rock on the right that will require a little getting up on. My first mis-judgement was about to happen. If I can make this area
little obstacle I can make the two other ones below.
I was really feeling confident with the rig this week....
until right about now:
What looked like a small rock and looked so easy, was not! What looks like proper sliders, they are NOT.
I did try to push forward, only to have the rear slide to the right as this is a side-sloping hill. With
the rear sliding downward, that was only going to make things worse! I tried reversing and that made
it slide down a little more.
Time to get this l'trusty dawg out! I bought this around 1990'ish when I
built my first 2WD Toyota Pre-Runner and kept it every since, even when I
didn't own a offload rig, i kept it.
Jacked up the front tire and got some rocks stacked underneath.
All that work netted about 2-inches. OK, lets pop this sucker off this rock!
But the p-gravel under the rear tires does not care.
I need to get the front tire hight up so it came roll back easier.
I exceeded the reach of the old 48" HighLift Jack. I guess that is why they
make the 60" version now. I think I have gotten un-stuck more times with
the factory bottle jack... well, maybe a come-a-long, but you get the point.
USE ALL YOUR TOOLS!
I got the second layer of rocks under the tire. Now I build up the mound for the bottle jack. Yes, that
little flat piece of wood is usually in the rig just for this purpose! Looks like I will have to upgrade it
as I put a crack in it with this loose surface jacking.
I dealing with inches at a time.
Whats the deal with the straps hanging from the face of the wheel?
You know what I tried to do....
Yea, I tried to lift the wheel with straps and the Hi-Lift. Another item to add
to the list as Hi-Lift make the proper apparatus for this situation.
Check this out: http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/lift-mate.html
I'm making progress! Just taking my time and being very patent. This is why you bring extra water
any time you are in the desert. It can be freezing at night and mid-80's during the day.
You hate when you put all the effort in only to have the mound go south. No progress on this
attempt. Pull it down, build more mound, go again.
Now we are getting somewhere now that I've built "Jack Mountain!"
Back at Hammertown, our booth has some nightly R/C Rock Racing action going on.
After our booth closed for the evening, Casey Currie and friends set out on a little night run.
I tagged along and got the stretch the ADV80's ICON Equipped legs!
A bunch of Jeep guys were impressed with the "sedate sedan" better known as the ADV80 and its
whoop-ability.
Love these trick-photography moments! Looking at the LeadNav system in one vehicle and the window
was reflecting the vehicle sitting next to it. LeadNav is an interesting system that a lot of Baja racers
are starting to work with. Casey Currie is running the system now as well.
My photos from KOH2016 are minimal as my capture priority was video.
The daily driven ADV80 has and continues to served me well.
I'm sure you expected one of the "big dawg" systems from either Lowrance or Magellan, but I guess I've yet to have a good user experience with either of those systems. The fact that I've had this rig since 2008, have been exploring in it since 2008 and its just 2016... some 8-years later and the ADV80 is just now finally getting some type of digital Navigation system... has not been a major priority.
But here we are and here we go! And I am going with an Apple iPad mini. SAY WHAT?!
Sorry, I've been an Apple fan since my first computer, the Quadra 650. Not that it was know for navigation... hehehe just saying... But yea, this is how I am going to start. Who knows what system will come later.
Luckily, Apple fans have a neat app option for navigation called GPSkit. I learned about this app from my Yotamasters / B&B Crew as they use it for plotting upcoming trips. They plot and share, I download and know where we will meet up and tag along. I also use GPSkit app when I am out exploring, if I find something cool and want to mark it and know how to get back to the location.
The Ram Mount company has been around for quite some time as evident by this old catalog i've
had for a few years from my car audio days.
With my recent introduction to GPSkit navigation (for iPhone only) I wanted to use an iPad mini
for in vehicle navigation.
I purchased the RAM® Universal Tab-Tite™ Backplate for the iPad mini (part Number RAM-HOL-ACU). With RAM, you
purchase your backplate then choose your end caps according to what device you have, so please
make sure you thoroughly read through all their info and make sure you get what you need!
I works great and does everything I wanted it to do.
However, it does move or vibrate in rough terrain. But at the same time, you should not
be looking at your screen during that time. If you have a co-pilot trying to navigate for
you it might be better to hand-hold it or opt for the RAM POD HD, but I did not want to
invest that much on something that I was not sure would be my total solution.
Knowing what I know now, I do not have any plans to upgrade it as it works fine for my needs.
I could work on my mounting location and making a secondary mounting point from the post
to the dash somewhere. I'm very satisfied with this solution.
When you are about to visit your mechanic for some service:
Its best to give the crusty ol'ADV80 a little cleaning. Even though YOTAMASTERS is an offroad shop,
they don't mind working on a clean vehicle.
And we will be getting after these items as well.
So off to the wash:
Why or what am I working on now? Just one of the million items! This one is a of those "FINALLY
items that Yotamasters will be tackling!!!"
FINALLY got an on-board air compressor. And not only did Yotamasters just install the ARB Standard Air Compressor CKMA12, I now have working air lockers!!!!
The ADV80 also received some stabilization with the OLD MAN EMU STEERING STABILIZER as well! Magnetic drain plug is from Yotamasters, but that has been in when the gears and lockers went in. The ADV80 feels like a WHOLE NEW vehicle! Like the first day I bought it!
Out of sync: December 2015 Family RoadTrip Vacation in the ADV80:
Sorry, going through all the photos and I missed this batch in my upload. Never the less, the ADV80
has been super busy both work and play on top of the daily commute!
Going over the Cajon Pass, these guys pass us by. Can't help it
as I'm a two-wheel enthusiast as well!
Leaving southern California:
Hello Arizona!
There's snow on that-there-mountain!!!
There's a lot of snow on that mountain! And that cloud looks like it is carrying
some extra snow payload too!
The southern California sunset is far behind us.
Hello Grand Canyon National Park - DECEMBER 2015!
Next morning - snow everywhere except for the roads. But that is ok...
The snow is in all the right places of the Grand Canyon!
We visit all the main village attractions at the Grand Canyon during the day.
We shoot out to Hermit's Rest on the West end of the park. I'm secretly in hopes of finding a dirt road to explore (always!). Apparently I have a backseat photographer!
But for the moment we are chasing the sun to see what we can see with the least
amount of other people (as in zero) and got our moment out here.
The sun is dropping and so is the temperature!
As we head out, I see some tracks on the side of the road and hop off only to find them dead end
to a forestry service gate. I tried...
We head back to town:
last shot of the evening next to this cool rock textured wall!
next morning we are up and out, but we will stop by one more place before we officially leave the
Grand Canyon.
We pulled off at one of the indian reservation merchandise locations and
happenstanced upon this view of the Little Grand Canyon! It was quiet
enough to hear the rushing water down below, but was very deep canyon!
At this Gap Express 525 gas station in Cameron, Arizona has to be the slowest pumps on the planet,
but it is what it is and when your way out here, you just deal with it. Bathroom break, oil check,
window clean, soda-restock, carpet and floor mat cleaning, you name it, you will have plenty of time to do it!
Google Map Location:Gap Express 525
From the gas station, instead of heading onward on HWY89, we opted to turn right.
But the wacky thing is this is where we hung a right towards Lechee, AZ and took the scenic backroad,
Google maps doesn't do a good job of showing you the name of the highway while showing some
of the names of lesser side roads... Always up for a good adventure.
Next stop - another big ditch with a big curve!
This was my youngest daughter's pick of where to stop - Horseshoe Bend! And a good one!
HWY-89 from Arizona to Utah and trying somewhat to stay on "vacation schedule!"
Big fields, big "cows" big houses on big range views... we knew we were not in southern California!
Light is falling fast, and about 8 or 9 of these guys go flying by!
We navigate the last few miles under the dark of night, but at least they left the porch lights on
for us as we arrive at the Zion Lodge within the Zion National Park. Reservations? Yes sir!
December 2015 Family RoadTrip Vacation in the ADV80:
The ADV80 in the parking lot of the Zion Lodge, Zion National Park.
My family and I go for some exuberant hiking and the snow makes simple
trails interesting.
Yep, that's the ADV80 WAY DOWN THERE!!! I think this is at the top of the
Watchman Trail (?).
Zion is rather spectacular!
Back down at the information center:
This very cool 3-D map on display showcases the mass of Zion National Park!
From the Visitor's Center we load up in the ADV80 and head out to go sight seeing up Kolob Terrace Rd.
The road itself is a very nice:
And very steep road!
Kolob Terrace Road = picturesque!
We make it all the way up to the "Winters End" for vehicles and the start of snowmobiles-only section.
I wanted to keep going but I didn't want to meet a snowmobiler head on and be in the wrong, so
we turn around and head back down Kolob Terrace Road. I spotted something a little ways back down
anyhow...
I saw this little side road go check it out.
The falling light is warming up the red rock and is staggeringly stunning!
Kolob Terrace Road was quiet, peaceful and stunning!
The following day, its the road transit back home:
Round Trip: 1,441-miles of good family fun trip time!!!
With the trip coming up its time to re-arrange the rear of the ADV80! The
spare tire was previously strapped inside and took up so much valuable
interior space. Now I have so much interior space back, I have to re-configure
my whole layout.
Remember the gas cans mounted inside? They get to come out too!
The Front Runner Outfitters metal gas cans work perfectly along with the LC Industries water can.
I will want to work out a lockable-security measure for the gas cans, but that will come later.
Lets go put 500-offoroad miles on this new bumper and lets see how it works in the field!
YOTAMASTERS BB500 2016. The trip we all look forward to that seems to be secretly getting out
among the small group of friends between Dan & Monica of B&B Tank Co. and Eric of Yotamasters. It's
technically Dan & Monica's family trip, so "invites" are "sent out" through them. Many have asked
me, but I'm an invitee not an inviter. I respect the groups wishes and am very thankful for the invite!
The ADV80 underwent some YOTAMASTERS prep as well as the new SLEE rear bumper, so its ready
with 269,259-miles on the odometer. It's March 17, 2016, a Thursday night and my daughter Lexi
and I are headed out to Cougar Buttes as we will camp and meet up with everyone in the morning.
Cougar Buttes is located Lucern Valley, California, east "desert" side of Big Bear Mountain range.
It's always the big question of go the night before or get up super early the morning of as Cougar Buttes
is 112-miles from my doorstep and what Google maps say's is 2-hours. It's never 2-hours... not in
the 3FE UNDERpowered ADV80! hehehe We opt to go out on the Thursday night as we know right
where we will be going even though we will land in the dark.
Cougar Buttes:
Next morning I wake up early in anticipation! So i get some early morning snaps.
Breaking camp is SO EASY!
When my 16-year old daughter is totally stoked on sleeping out under the stars!
The JetBoil stove system works great at boiling water for COFFEE!!!
And soon we are heading East from Cougar Buttes for 3-days and 500-miles of desert fun!
This year, the crew grew a little and the vehicle choice's and levels are questionable. I already sense
this is going to be an interesting trip.
This is one of the two first get Toyota's on this trip. This one has been bobbed,
well prepped and ran great all weekend. It was a cool conversation to listen
in on the two owners as they discussed who had the oldest of the two, beating
the other 1979 Toyota by only a few months.
Inside the Toyota is all business office!
Carrying on:
We get into the black lava fields in route towards Hector, CA / Needles FWY (40).
So how is the ADV80 riding with the new bumper?
The ADV80 does have a different feel. You can tell it has some weight out back, but that is all for the better as the suspension
needed some weight. The big concern was rattle-noise with all the "stuff" hanging out back, but that was quickly put to rest!
The massive tire out back is not flopping around as I have seen on so many rigs with tires mounted on swing-out!
I'm very impressed and VERY HAPPY with the SLEE bumper!
The sun is warm and its only March. We have a couple of issues on a couple of rigs to sort out so
this shade area makes for a great pit stop.
BATTERIES ARE HEAVY! Factory straps are WEAK!
Field repairs prove function but will not collect car show points!
Maybe MacGyver points though!!!
This Toyota belongs to Dan of B&B Tank, he lays out our course and this
rig see's a LOT OF DESERT! His wife has her own rig so they can travel together
and have a backup rig. You've heard the old saying, never go along... Dan
and Monica take heed in those words and have the perfect two-rig travel system!
Monica is no safety behind the wheel either!
This trip would make for an epic trip for my daughter and myself! She has been hitting the trails with us regularly
and also taking a keen interest in photography! While she has some camera mechanics to learn, she has an eye
for it, so I can not deny her taking a ton of images as FILM IS FREE!!!
Plus, it's like having my own personal photographer!!!
I love all these shots she got!
Also, I found some ADV80 images from JOL Photography too!
When your the guy behind the lens, its rare to get shot of your own rig! With some additional
folks on camera's the ADV80 is a lens hound! hehehe
The ADV80 on Soda Lake / Mojave Desert. I remember this part of the trip as we where spread out
for miles. Lex and I are mid-pack.
Night is falling upon us:
We are following our GPS and we just keep on trucking trying to catch the lead group but never get
within radio range and it just felt a little strange so we decide to let up on the pace a bit. We know
some of the guys are ahead of us and we know some of them are behind us. Usually I can
see their lights way behind me, but I don't see any movement on the horizon. I did feel a little strange,
so we stop for a little while... then we hear a little radio crackle... then we see some lights coming
from the rear! We wait until the crew arrives and we make our way to camp. It's late, so we eat and
hit the sleeping bags as its been a long day and I know the following will be just as long!
But is not without whoops. Good thing I have this ICON Vehicle Dynamics suspension designed and
tested in these type of conditions! Perfect for the heavy beast of the ADV80!
in-between all the rough and rugged stuff, you come across some cool, interesting and "homesteadish"
environments.
The Falken Wild Peaks have been ever-performing!
Two full desert days and the Slee rear bumper with dual swing-outs have performed
flawless!!! What does a bumper have to do? Swing-out as usually supporting
a lot of weight and can flop around and vibrate itself apart especially with the
added weight of a big heavy tire and three 5-gallon jerrycans.
Yes, old guy on-board hence the orange and yellow "koreisha mark" denoting elderly drivers. While I am not "elderly" yet (70+) according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreisha_mark I like this symbol as the ADV80 is liable to turn at whim on site of any dirt road.
Random, I know...
We made camp in our trusty hide-out canyon just outside of Death Valley.
The following morning a more overhead peak into the canyon:
These two photos courtesy of my buddy Jon Larson / JOL Photography
Early morning pack and back on the trail.
Into the epic.
EPIC epic.... epic! The desert is just such an awesome place.
Pitstop time at Warm Springs Camp and doing the quick visual check. yellow - yellow. We are two
days into our trip with a couple of hundred miles miles in and a couple of hundred miles to go.
More miles and another stop:
Barker Ranch - yep, the spot Charles Manson holed up in. Its was kinda'spooky!
Jiggler hose in action. This just makes it so easy! No more holding gas cans up over the fuel inlet!
The Falken Wild Peaks are doing an awesome job! These tires are collecting
miles and taking names!
Especially after I'm having a little Rally-Spec fun:
Look at the big land yacht lean! The ADV80 does have its mean side!
