ROTM: The Iron Mule (T.I.M.) (1 Viewer)

[ylexot]

I'd love to take a run up the mountain with you this weekend, but my wife is working and I don't think my little boy has the stamina for a day of slow rolling over bumps.

Your Alaska trip sounds awesome. I can't wait to hear how it goes.

 

[boots4]

Gosh, my rig is down but I bet you could talk to boots and dirtgypsy to show you around Tillamook State Forest/Brown's Camp (although they work a weird work schedule). Creeper Sleeper (80 guy) knows the trails pretty up there and is always down for some wheelin too.

I know that Creepersleeper and another from our club is doing a night run tomorrow night (6/11) up at Brown's. They both run 80s but PM him if interested. With my recent move to Milwaukie I'm a little tied up but need to hit the trails soon! We'll have to play at Brown's and make some diesel racket.

I'm just across the river from you, up in Vancouver, WA. I know there are plenty of places in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Most of the trails you could run pretty fast, but if you keep an eye out you could find some tricky stuff that your Cruiser do. Some of it was a bit too much for my stock with 33x10.50s.

That's where St Helen's is right? That'd be fun to explore over there sometime.



BTW, like the cruiser and the hope to see the gorgeous photo's from your Alaska trip. I worked there for a summer season and the wilderness is beautiful!

 

[Ducks]

I know that Creepersleeper and another from our club is doing a night run tomorrow night (6/11) up at Brown's. They are both run 80s but PM him if interested. With my recent move to Milwaukie I'm a little tied up but need to hit the trails soon! We'll have to play at Brown's and make some diesel racket.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll send him a pm. Love to check out your rig too.

 

[oleblue62]

That's where St Helen's is right? That'd be fun to explore over there sometime.

Indeed it is. I havn't expored over there at all yet, but would love to check it out sometime.

 

[Ducks]

Well the 12HT is a blast to drive. It does take a little getting used to. I've driven diesels with automatic transmissions before but I haven't driven a diesel with a manual before. It takes a little getting used to for learning where to shift. But even with the 3" straight exhaust, the 12HT is nice and quiet. It pulls very nicely even with only 4.11 diffs and 35" tires.

David drove it up for me this last week. He also figured out how to put on Jim's rear bumper. So now I have a nice rear bumper and sliders. My dad is wiring up the ARB fridge/freezer to put in the rear and rewiring my 2m ham radio. There is something wrong with my 2m but I think my dad and I have figured out the problem.

I'll post pictures of the rear bumper and sliders later today. I also installed a snorkel. Cutting holes in my fender wasn't fun but it all worked out well.

Chad

 

[Lost]

nice rig, good build up

 

[Ducks]

Here are just a couple quick pics of the snorkel, sliders, and rear bumper. Just in the driveway. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Alaska. I'll get better pics up there.

Chad

 

[iron_giant]

looks good Chad. Best of luck on your adventure.

 

[mainlander]

That is one sweet rig Chad! All you need now is a roof rack and you're expo ready (not that going up to Alaska for a month isn't expo, indeed!)

Looking forward to seeing some pictures of your trip. I can't wait till my boy is 8 and we can do extended trips like yours.

Cheers

 

[Ducks]

Well, I am finally back in Oregon. Was on the road for about five weeks. I haven't gone through my pictures yet but my dad has started to. Here is a link to his Picasa web album that he has started.

Picasa Web Albums - Doug

 

[Ducks]

A couple of highlights -

1. Water coming over the hood. We stayed dry inside.
2. Pushing a nice bow wave.
3. Finding our way through the beaver pond.

 

[Ducks]

1. Mowing down 8 foot tall shrubbery to avoid the nasty muddy soul-sucking ruts.

 

[espdtrd08]

Awesome that's all I can say!

 

[Ducks]

Here are some pictures that I took while on the Alaska Cruiser Trek 2010. If you want hi-res images of these photos just go to my web album -

SignatureImagery's Photos- powered by SmugMug

and go to the "Alaska Cruiser Trek 2010" album.



Dan and his FJ40.5 with the Cummins 4BT looking down glacier.

Looking up glacier.

Lined up on the glacier. Ratpuke is in the yellowish-orange BJ42 with the 13BT. My blue land cruiser is parked just in front of her's.

Looking down glacier.

Dirty Glacier Ice.

Chad

 

[GLTHFJ60]

WOW. I wish I would have been able go.

 

[TLC Norway]

WOW, amazing! Are those HDR photos?

 

[Ducks]

WOW, amazing! Are those HDR photos?

Yes, it is HDR. 5 exposures at -2eV to +2eV. Photomatix software for the HDR and then tweaked in Photoshop and Topaz Adjust.

 

[Ducks]

Here are some pics that Jon B from Tahoe took of my land cruiser.

Tibetan pray flags for a safe journey up Glacier 13.

Mowing down the shrubbery.

Checking out all the grizzly bear tracks at our last camping site.

Chad

 

[Ducks]

Post trip report:

Well everything preformed great on the trip. Nothing broke except for my front anti-sway bar. Both bolts that held it on broke. Didn't really need it anyway. But my tires held up on the uber-sharp rocks that were on the approach to Glacier 13. The new engine swap 12HT preformed amazingly well. It's awesome having such a nice diesel to drive. Love the low end torque and that you can lug it so well.

After the Trek, I did have an oil leak around the turbo that I still can't seem to fix. I'm working on that right now. Also, the oil pressure gauge says that when I am idling, the oil pressure is too low. David thinks that the gauge isn't working. I ordered a new gauge but it hasn't showed up yet. Also the throw-out bearing in the clutch started making a lot of noise. Mark W replaced it in Alaska before I left for Oregon but by the time I got back to Oregon it was making a lot of noise again. I just got a replacement bearing that I am going to install this weekend. Hopefully, the third time is the charm and nothing more in-depth is wrong with my clutch.

But that is everything. Nothing broke while on the trail and I am very thankful for that.

Chad

 

[Ducks]

My son had a blast fishing. He caught three Arctic Char that we fried up and had for dinner. Here is my son and my dad fishing in the beaver pond. The second picture is of Darrell fishing at the beaver dam and the rigs in the shrubs in the background. HDR photos but it was handheld instead of on a tripod so that made them a little fuzzy.

Chad