Moab FIRST mentality!!! Tell you wife hands off the goods starting in Jan 2018 till at least GSMTR, that should take care of the kid thing.Second, get the cage tied into the frame and you'll be good to go, that should be reasonably easy. Third, I also thought this trip would be a "once in a lifetime" but I've been working on getting back since 2015 and have every expectation I'll do it several more times.
Flying out is the way to do it but you'll find getting into Moab can be expensive or tricky. From my research you have 3 options, fly into Grand Junction, ABQ or Salk Lake. Grand Junction is my preference as it's closest to Moab and a 1 day car rental from GJ to Moab is less than $100 assuming you/we won't need it for the entire time out there.
All that said, there is a lot that needs to fall into place but there is plenty of time to make that happen. I know Spanky was talking the game but I also heard some things that concerned me regarding transport costs and logistics so that will have to be worked out still.
I'd love to get the STLCA guys on board too, we had a great group last time and maybe given enough arm twisting we can get them involved.
Ok - yeah, agree tying in cage, building seat cradle and adding additional cross bracing would be far easier - so lets say 93%....Still going to be a long list of maintenance items, strip down and go through drivetrain/clutch assembly, taking my 6 pin Aisin upgrade to the next level with 7/16 bolts, adding easier to remove mounts for my tranny cross member and belly pan, etc. etc. Lot of other reliability and safety issues I'd like to plan for - so truck survives two weeks of my driving "style".
As to once in a lifetime, shhhhh - that's like when I nodded my head that this will be my last new Duramax.
Logistics - yeah, we'll need to talk more on transpo - this 40 is like a baby to me, had her for something like 22 years, and don't let her out of my sight or stay overnight with strangers. I'm just trying to listen to your "you need the full 14 days!, 10 isn't enough!, just scratches the surface!, yada yada yada....." Hope it'll be several of us from Florida but flying has to make up the time difference. Worst case I will drive out (especially if that's the route Dennis and Steve go).
