Build JEFFKISTHENAME Build and Journey Thread aka djthegeepx on IG

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Christmas Day in 2021, I wanted to take the family sledding, but didn’t realize we’d be getting caught in a white out and stuck in Lake Tahoe…heed those Weather Warnings friends .

 

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Second day, we tried to get out, but all of the paths home were closed. Ended up spending the night in Reno.

 

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Third day was an adventure. We found our way out, but it required going through a city that was burned down from past wild fires, through Lassen National Forest, to Chico and down to the 209 valley.

 

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Even after a crazy Christmas weekend, I spent New Years Eve camping in the snow . First time “snow camping” and it was great. We weren’t high enough in elevation to get fresh snow fall, but cool nonetheless.

 

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Used the GX as a prop for my daughter’s first birthday.

 

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Purchased a lightly used Thule Tepui Ruggedized Autana Rooftop Tent from my buddy. This was an awesome tent besides the setup and take down . Loved the materials, the room and even the mattress comfort. You definitely need the cold weather liner in colder temps. I say the biggest cons though is the setup/break down times and the fact that you can’t keep sleeping gear in there.

 

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First camp trip using the RTT was Cherry Lake. Was cold and I was grateful to have the cold weather liner. My buddy in the Tepui Kukenam didn’t fare as well. He needed the buddy heater all night.

 

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Was thinking to myself, one day I think I will trim this…this happens at some point

 

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Took some photos at the Alameda Naval Base.

 

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Hit up Harbor Freight for some goodies. When I installed sliders, I had to remove the OEM courtesy lights. I really liked that feature where you walked up to the GX and the courtesy lights would illuminate. So, here’s where the Harbor Freight rock lights come into play. Let’s make these work .

 

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Identified where I wanted to put them, made the wiring to connect the rock lights to the OEM courtesy lights harness and wa la! Courtesy lights!

 

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Took the family to the Valley of Fire State Park in NV.

 

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First time to a hot spring and it was an amazing time!

 

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Found a leak in my power steering hard line. It’s a common issue for folks with aftermarket bumpers. But in my case, the line was rubbing against my recovery point. Purchased a new line.

 

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This was a PITA to remove the old line and install the new. I smoothed out the sharp edge of the recovery point and wrapped the power steering hard line with rubber hose to protect it. Not a problem since.

 

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Lower ball joints on my LCA were bad, so I replaced the LCA entirely with a Freedom LCA purchased from Brennan at Apache OffRoad.

 

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My first major trip was Mojave. And the beginning to the trip was a night in the Barstow Area and then down to camp riverside near the NV/AR border.

 

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First stop on Mojave Rd took a good bit to get to, but it was well worth it!

 

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After that night we headed towards the lava tubes, which did not disappoint!

 

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The abandoned mine was a site to see.