I don't know about that... and or how you figured that... I'm no champion... OH BUT WAIT!
You must be talking about my rig! YES - THE ADV80 IS CHAMPION!!! hehehe
310,000 miles, original head gasket and still daily driven! Just replaced the thermostat, but
that's just preventative maintenance stuff in preparation for "DESERT SEASON" coming up
in a few weeks!
Sorry I have been so laggin' on my thread! New job (April-2018) has me BUSY! But I will
get back on it here soon!
DITCH HOOK MIRROR MOUNTS... ??? As soon as I heard the word "DITCH" my mind
immediately wondered back to RALLY and the infamous driving technique - the "DITCH HOOK!"
Ditch hooking, when entering a turn at a high rate of speed, is the process of purposfully
dropping your inside front tire in the "ditch" for additional traction. Examples: see google images
linkDitch Hooking. Sorry for the side note distraction! If you've made it this deep into this
thread, you know that I am known to take a quick ditch hook off into left field on a moments
wonder!
Oh... It's DITCH LIGHT MIRROR MOUNTS! I'm finally getting around to mounting up my Rigid
dually's as it's coming up on KOH TIME and that means work-all-day-PLAY-ALL-NIGHT and
I WANT LIGHT!!! Light on the sides for creep-mode!!!
Ordered these bad boys up and will start the process.. I wrote on each one the appropriate side.
Some times I need a little extra help sorting the jigsaw puzzle pieces.
We sure do have some fragile simi-complicated mirrors on these 80-Series.
Visual note for later-later! What position was those wires?
This whole process is rather complicated and tedious!
I kept going back and forth trying to test-fit everything and though I was going to have to cut
my factory trim to fit these. I think I was just not giving it enough attitude!
I was not getting the bolt holes to line up with the addition of the mount
under the mirror. I honestly don't remember what I did, but I do remember
wishing I had time to order longer mirror bolts with the addition of the
metal mount adding more material and additional weight.
"Attituded" it into place!
I'm suppose to get this plug down there where?!?!?!
Now to get into the door and run wires...
Anyone know where to get new window trims? Has anyone replace theirs?
You can see where my priorities have been placed on this rig...
I'm getting the swing of this attitude thing! Plug-be-gone!
Need more working space:
One day these will get upgraded... But it will all have to start at the
headunit! Factory double-din died a year or so ago...
I had a lot of self-debate on which way to mount the lights onto the brackets; top or bottom.
Somehow I wound up with them on the bottom.
OK, there is where patience comes in! TECHNICALLY... technically my lights are not hooked up
yet! I have priorities and no more time... I will be wiring my lights up on the desert floor of KOH!
I will be driving my rig to work to park it and hop into the Axial RV and driving it to KOH. My buddy
Jason of Pedals Bike Shop (Riverside) will come up to KOH and retrieve me and take me back down
to the office to pick up my rig and drive back out to KOH. Simple enough right... ? HEHEHE
Like I previously stated, I will be driving my rig to work to park it, hop into the Axial RV
and drive it to KOH. My buddy Jason of Pedals Bike Shop (Riverside) will come up to
KOH and retrieve me and take me back down to the office. Hop into the ADV80 and
drive back out to KOH. Simple enough right... I wont bore you with all the work stuff,
but if you want to see ALL MY KOH IMAGES, feel free to poke around in my Flickr
KOH2018 Album - link located at the bottom of this post. But, my mission was to get the
ADV80 back to KOH and do our nightly sand play! We love playing in the sand when
we have all our friends with us! You get stuck, strap-it and out to play some more!
Funny, we go to KOH and we play in the sand! All these rocks and we go hunting
for all the sand!
The past few years, after KOH (King of the Hammers), we've done our "last day exit trip"
whereas we have tried to find dirt ways home and or would do a nearby trail like
Rattlesnake Canyon. With us previously running media crews out to the far end of the
race course we had noticed we were somewhat close to HWY40. My buddy Randall
had made the trip from Hammertown straight out the back to the HWY40, but that
was before the military annexed more land for their base. Last year, since we had
Yeti&Yolo rolling with us, we wanted to show them the scenic Rattlesnake Canyon. The year prior, Rivas and I attempted to make it to Pisgah the dirt way from Hammertown.
The original idea was to go as straight as possible, but that year we knew we would
have to skirt around the newly annexed land for the military base. We ended up
corning ourselves into a dead-end and we chalked that trip up to complete another
day.
This year, we had a couple of other rigs with us and we were itching to put down miles
vs making another attempt at Pisgah. Rivas lives in Las Vegas and I was willing to go as far
as Baker before heading back to Orange County. So that was our plan...
ALL DIRT FROM HAMMERTOWN TO BAKER! My buddy Dylan of ICON Vehicle Dynamics had
previously shown me a cool landmark out there so I sorted a path there as I knew these guys
had not been there and they would be stoked to throw in a landmark! Off we go!
Early in the morning and we are heading across Soggy Dry Lake!
The ADV80 in action!
We make our way off the flats and into the hills:
It's funny how the desert changes so quickly and can keep you on your toes if your not
careful. Today, we are just out for a scenic stroll, taking our time and taking it all in...
'cause we don't want it to end!
hey guys.. I've done this way and that way, but never this down the middle and I don't have
a track for it... guess we will make a new track for my collection! I'm using a mini-iPad with
the navigation app called GPSKIT.
Rivas in his Trail Edition 4Runner on Icon suspension is so in love with his rig!
Across the desert we go!
My Falken Wild Peak AT3W's are just awesome and with the newly added
FNWheels, I've made a big rotational weight savings that I can actually
feel!
We run through a couple of cool canyon slots. I don't know why we are always intrigued and have
to stop and scout around.
Running across another little slot!
We can see it opens up ahead and off we go to see what we see next! This is it - this is what
its all about! You and your buddies just out exploring and putting down the miles!
We are obviously making our way around, now on the other side of Pisgah, known for it's
black lava rocks all throughout the area.
continued:: KOH TO BAKER 2018 - Cross Desert Trip To A Hole In The Ground
We visit a hole in the ground... out in the middle of what seems like nowhere - but it's there!
I figured the guys would get a kick out of doing a little sight seeing trip! Not everything can be
seen from our rigs and its nice to get out and and actually see some stuff!
Just for you!
Mojave Desert Lava Tube - Google Map link so you can add your star! https://goo.gl/maps/t4v1kSUcZCs You do add stars right?!?!?!?!
Actually, there are a few holes in the ground here. On a previous trip, Dylan showed me this
spot and this is what you are looking for. You will pass the smaller holes and then you will see
the stair-structure going down into a large hole in the ground.
Once down the stairs it descends further down. You have to duck down to not bump your head.
Just beyond this point you have to squat down to pass through, so be careful.
Having a flash light would be a good idea.
Once inside, you will have natural light from the holes in the ground. That is if you go in the day
time, of which provides the best view.
The ceiling hole furthest back, makes for an interesting sun beam coming through!
Making our way back out.
Lets make our way out and get some food! Mad Greek in Baker anyone?!
Rivas leaves from Baker back to Vegas and we leave back to the OC.
Food'ed fueled and heading home! What a great day and way to end our KOH2018 week-long event!
February 18, 2018 - Wifey and I go to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
After a couple of campfire conversations with Yeti & Yolo about Anza Borrego, I need to get down
there and try it out more. I think up to this point, I've only had two-three other Anza-trips.
For Yeti&Yolo, it was easier-closer to them. For me, not so much... But it's
close enough. I've just spent more time exploring Johnson Valley and outlying areas as that is
easier and closer to where I live.
When I take my wife, I like to add in some type of "tourist attraction" to make the trip a bit more
interesting. Bathtub full of marbles in Death Valley to giant metal insects in Anza Borrego! I hope
I can keep up this type of cool things to visit! Any other suggestions are especially welcome!
Most of our day was spent traveling from Costa Mesa to Anza-Borrego, lunch in town and finding
more of the metal art sculptures that we didn't see last time. After we do the "most of the day"
stuff, we head out into Anza-Borrego, for what it's know for... it's canyons. We air down and have
a little bit of day-light left to get out far enough and find us a spot to call camp.
Looking for the perfect slot to call camp is a matter of just finding your way - into a dead end.
Was OK but maybe another time. We are carrying on! So it's back out and onward.
We find something that suits us. The weather is right, no clouds with nothing in the forecast,
nothing but stars!
CAMP-ADV80!
We get the camp fire going and then it's camera-tripod time!
Painting with light with one flash, long exposure, running around poppin' like its hot!
Instead of paparazzi it's papalotzzi!
After the photo session, it's time to get our grub on! DAY-1 has been good!
continued: February 19, 2018 - Wifey and I go to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Next morning, we awake to see what our site looks like in the day time!
The view out from camp - our way in. We like the one-way-in's.
The thing I've noticed about the desert, no matter how large and vast it is, I think every inch of
it has been touched in one way or another by mankind. It's interesting how I do like seeing the
older dates such as the "CAQ 2-9-50" but anything after is just after... I'm sure the Indian's while
leaving no trace here, had been through here.
We take the time to scout the surroundings and head up the notch we camped from.
Almost skateable size bowl with extra soft wheels!
Time to load and and scout out!
Up and into the next slot canyon.
We head up into another canyon and push in and onward. It gets tighter and more "obstacleier!"
We head unto the canyon as far as we can by vehicle and then we set out on foot.
continued::: February 19, 2018 - Wifey and I go to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
We load up and drive back out the way we came in.
We are having fun re-navigating the little tricky section.
Back out into the flats.
Time for another hike:
The Wind Caves of Anza-Borrego - Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/oyjA5GUMe5u I will leave some sights for you to go see yourself, but it's worth the little hike up!
A view from up top back out onto the the network of washes.
continued:::: February 19, 2018 - Wifey and I go to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
In the photo above, we were driving along the wash and it opened up into a great wide area.
I saw a Subaru sitting out towards the other side of the wash and from the corner of my eye
I saw what looked like a two-track going into another area. ERRRRRRRP! HOLD ON, hanging
a left!
The anticipation of knowing this is going to be good was creeping over me! I was not showing up
on my map, it was not showing up on Google Maps maybe because my cell reception was not so
great, but I saw tracks and wanted to see where it was going to go!
Every corner, every bend of this canyon was spectacular!
And every chute... spectacular!
Are we going to fit? Am I going to have to back out?
continued::::: February 19, 2018 - Wifey and I go to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
We are proceeding forward! Tight-one-way-forward.. but forward...
Hey! That's big rock that fell off from up there...
Yea, like that one up there!
One more photo and we will move from underneath the rock!
OK, one more! Maybe two...
Then we come to what looks like the DEAD END for the ADV80:
At least the turn-around area is large enough! But too, under a little investigation...
It's technically not the end:
Rigs have been going through here...
There is a lot of paint on this rock, along with all those scrape marks. I'm not looking to add
my tribe of Gold to the Rock of Sacrifice. Maybe next time, with the crew and knowing (now)
once we pass through this gate, we must return back through it... maybe another day...
Even though this little side-trip ends in a dead end, I was very happy about accidentally
discovering it, especially with my wife by my side! We enjoyed it immensely!
continued:::::: February 19, 2018 - Wifey and I go to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Our day was gaining near end, but we had time to make one last trail that would take
us out the other side side of the park. The whole idea is to make a big loop in the park
on one side and out the other side of the park.
From the bottom of the Azna Borrego washes we start to gain elevation and notice the change
in the desert vegetation.
Over the fields and through the thickets...
The terrain once again changes and drops down into a wash and quickly gets tricky.
It becomes quite apparent that we are in a low-travel area. It's been a couple of hours since we've
seen another vehicle and not on this trail. This is the edge of what we seek while straddling our
fears and harnessing our passion for that very unknown. But it is known, there are tracks here.
They are just unknown to us. What lies ahead is the unknown, what is just behind is now know,
yet forward ahead is the unknown. We are never lost, just temporarily displaced. But, it's the unknown potential difficulty of what is ahead us that makes us afraid. But that is just ego, yes
EGO! Think about that for a minute...
We are more than halfway through the park and feeling confident...
and then... OK, we got this!
And then, it got real!
We are traveling solo and this hill is a no go. I have nothing to prove and ESPN doesn't have the
camera's or rescue crew on stand-by! Nothing to prove! See those gas can's? There is a reason
I carry fuel! I'm going to back up and head back out. This might be something I do when we have
the whole crew out to assist. Yea, I have a Pull-Pal land anchor and maybe enough rope & strap
to pull the length of the hill. But, why risk it? My job is to keep us safe and get us back home
without injury to both our persons and the rig as it is my daily driver! Nice excuse right!? hehehe
This is STEEEP! No EGO here. Nothing to prove... and E.G.O. stands for "Extract & GO O'round!"
The earth is round, there is always another way...
Turn around and backtrack out...
Time to re-fuel. Jiggler hose in action! The real made in USA Siphoning Hose!
Light is falling fast and our couple of days have been good! Great actually!
We still have some wonderment terrain to travel through...
Back into civilization a little later than expected, refuel and return home...
As we travel out of Anza-Borrego State Park and head west back over Montazuma Valley Road
we encounter SNOW!
February 25, 2018 - ADV80 to Red Canyon Jeep Trail Orocopia Mountains Wilderness Area - Chiriaco Summit 2018
BE WARNED - JEEP IMAGES AHEAD!
Today, I am tagging along with my buddy Jason of Pedals Bike Shop Riverside. He has
this super-clean XJ and today, I will be the one lone Toyota on today's trip, but who cares!
I'm hanging with my buddy who I rarely get to wheel with and we are going to an area
that I have yet to explore! The nickname for these trails or this area is "Patton's Trails" as
this is the area that General Patton used for training his troops. There is even a museum at
the exit off the freeway of which we started our mission. Google Map point for you: General Patton Memorial Museum.
We stop, we hang for a bit, I get restless...
I start exploring a little side wash, just to put a "little limb" on the map of today's run in my
GPSkit. Just in case I ever come back and want to explore further up this section.
Back on trail again!
Stop again...
I love my silly rig!
Oh and there is a nice overlook too! Our crew is rolling out and I am letting us spread out due
to the dust. And I like seeing all the rigs running down the spine. Looks like we will be dropping
down into a wash down there! Lets go!
Yep! Big wash!
We came to the merger with another wash and I think they called this Ship Rock Point.
Maybe it was Ship Wreck as there is no rock to it! There are a lot of little rocks in it! hehehe
continued: February 25, 2018 - ADV80 to Red Canyon Jeep Trail Orocopia Mountains Wilderness Area - Chiriaco Summit 2018
Up the wash we go and we cut off into a side cut. I think things are about to get more interesting!
OH YEA! THIS IS ABOUT TO GET GOOOOOD! OK, here comes a massive "side - bar - distraction!"
Does anyone know the video "CLIMB DANCE?" Whenever I see dust swirling in motion, I like to try and capture it as it reminds me every time of director Jean Louis Mourney’s 1990 release “Climb Dance” is a famous cinéma vérité short film,
which features Finnish rally driver Ari Vatanen setting a record time in a highly modified
four-wheel drive, all-wheel steering Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 GR at the 1988 Pikes Peak
International Hillclimb in Colorado. If you like rally, then you also have to get your hands on the The Vatanen Touch!!! Ari Vatanen is my TOP FAV' of rally drivers! He comes from the old school and makes his way into the AWD movement through Subaru. Hopefully this link will stay live for a long time!: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2zar0e If you are a true rally fan, set aside 35-minutes for this one! Real Rally HISTORY!!!
All because of a little dust... carrying on now.
I can here the turbo anti-lag bouncing off the walls... in my head! hehehe
Closing in, no place to pass... What would Ari do?! OK, simmer down... new adventures lie ahead.
In fact, rally is what introduced me to adventure, I discovered I no longer needed the "checkered
flag" I just desire the time out in the environments. The checkered flag just means I've gone too
fast though it all. Now, the getting out here is the "checkered flag!"
A little lunch stop and Jason and I look for the shade.
With lunch over..
We are moving forward to our surprise!
We are going up through there?!
Up, over and onwards.
It's a whole new landscape!
Where did this Moab-like red rock come from?!
And dropping off into the slots again!
Once we are into the wash, it has a little "gate keeper" to cross over to proceed forward.
All I got was this photo of my new Countersteer Type-X FN Wheel - scratched up. IT's OFFICIAL NOW!!
continued:: February 25, 2018 - ADV80 to Red Canyon Jeep Trail Orocopia Mountains Wilderness Area - Chiriaco Summit 2018
We continue our way through the canyon, walls start to get a little closer and taller again.
We also notice the color change that has the red-rust hue of that of Arizona or Moab.
We just came up from out of all that... We continue on a little further up..
Here comes the rest of our troop as Jason and I leapfrogged them at the last stop as we wanted
to creep on forward.
As soon as we reached the top:
We instantly started going back down!
Could you imagine running into a big tank out on these trails?! Had to have been an awesome
site. Will have to see if there is a documentary on General Patton training video's...
Just ahead is an interesting little "straddle" as tires are over the edges as the trail is super
narrow in a section on the spine.
We start making yet another series of climbs!
Out that way is South West and a lot of dirt that way!
And out this way, we can see a small slice of the Salton Sea! So this is were it downs on me
that MAYBE I can run from Coachella I-10FWY south of the Salton Sea to Ocotillo Wells - all dirt.
That will be for another days exploring and trying to link the most all-dirt-way possible!
And...
Back down we go!
And down some more.
And down again into another wash.
And we start yet another climb, but this one is the tallest-longest-sketchiest of all the climbs!
I will openly admit this was one of the more sketchy climbs I've done. Once I did it I was OK,
but when you are looking at it from the bottom and can't see the whole trail or path until your
already committed into it is a little daunting.
continued::: February 25, 2018 - ADV80 to Red Canyon Jeep Trail Orocopia Mountains Wilderness Area - Chiriaco Summit 2018
Off we go again!
I got Jeeps out in front of me and out behind me... Felling like a "yotamayo" sandwich!
It's all about the timing to capture the moment! hehehe
Jeep or Yota's, they are all 4X4's and its cool to seem'em stretched out across the landscape!
Look at "dem'der" 4Byers gettin' after it!
We get the flats and it's the familiar trail we came in on... the realization that our trail is about
to finish.
One last "Climb Dance" reference... Our rally today was good!
We all OK-Corral it around a large powerline girder and start our air-up procedures.
The sun is falling fast and I relish in the additional desert pin-striping collected today. I know
I have the worlds most expensive and unique paint job! How do you ask? Do you know how
many tanks of gas it's taken to get out here and have these bushes custom pinstripe my rig?!?!?!
I will usually take this time too to go around and make a quick assessment of the rig. These bad boys have been hanging tough for oh so long!
The power of sunlight looking down on the power of the grid.
On the road and rolling west. Hello Coachello and Indio and the mountain tip just right of center
is Mt San Jacinto. I have at least a two hour drive home.
The note went out, PREP YOUR RIG - THIS TRIP WILL REQUIRE EXTRA GAS! MUST BRING
MINIMUM ADDITIONAL 10-GALLONS OF GAS! FIRST GAS STOP NOT UNTIL 280-MILES.
So the prep begins!!! But first...
Mail call! This is important BB500 prep!! Got the Trail Toy's10mm Socket and TEQ Rising Sun
Moral Patches!
I make a stop by Yotamasters to grab a couple of items and see this extra-clean 80-Series!
Chris is working on his '79 SR5 green machine for the BB500!
Some times the fortune cookie is on point! Why yes! Yes, we will be crossing desert sands soon!
I so much LOVE LOVE LOVE the Slee rear bumper tire carrier with additional gas can hauler!
During this time running up to the BB500 I have been acquiring fuel cans...
Yea, you like that green one... !!!
Scored this bad boy on FleaBay!
Kona approves my FleaBay score!
But...
But why all the gas can's when I have three already? Well, I have "two good ones" and a
borrowed one that is good... but.... More in this in a bit. But i was searching, searching and
more searching the history of the Jerry Can! Once I used the all metal cans I wanted more!
I previously purchased the two black ones from FrontRunner Outfitters (they no longer had them
at the time I was looking) so I kept hunting and found a lot of history on the metal gas can design better known as a Jerry Can. With all that, I came across WAVIAN!!! From there site: Many Jerry Cans sold in the US do not meet government requirements, always ensure you are purchasing a can and spout system that has been officially approved by the appropriate regulatory bodies. Our cans and spouts are EPA, CARB and DOT approved and OSHA Compliant.
The .9mm walls and are the strongest on the market today.
So while those are on order... Yea, I ordered some more...
If you have spent time in my thread, you know when I first went down to Mexico for the Baja500
and Baja1000, I carried my gas inside the rig. Yes, inside and that is where/how I fell in love
with these Wavian Jerry Cans as I had ZERO smell inside for the whole trip!!!
The holes were still there... Just peel back the duct tape and re-install the FrontRunner Jerry
Can Trays.
MAIL CALL!!!
OH! A couple of more patches!!! I needed a boost gauge for the 3FE!!! hehehe
How bad of me! Can't remember where these two came from! SORRY!
Prior to each offroad trip and or monthly, I like to give the a couple of the moving parts of the
on the Slee rear bumper swing-outs a little Boeshield T9 treatment.