A few weeks ago I extended my trip to pick up my son from college and we were able to fit in 4 days at Moab. Over the last year I have built up my rig and wanted to take it on some more difficult trails. We ended up running Fins and Things, Dome Plateau, Seven Mile Rim, and the first part of Rose Garden Hill.
All in all, the Cruiser did great! She really is heavy and I felt that on every trail. I recently swapped out 2723 for stiffer 2724 springs and that made a noticeable difference. This was also the first trip since I added a 24 gallon aux fuel tank and that really eliminated my fuel anxiety on more remote trails as well as just making the longer drives more comfortable. I am also planning what I want to do for a drawer/sleeping system. Years past we used a Tepui RTT but it's so big and heavy, this time I decided to remove the 60% of the 2nd row and try out a new fridge location and a sleeping platform. It worked great!
I have been going back and forth on the best set of drawers/systems. I might borrow ideas from those I admire and build a set using 80/20 aluminum. This "quick and dirty" shelving system worked and helped me thinking of dozens of "duh" improvements that I don't think I would have noticed if I didn't test run this for a large trip like this. One of the biggest ah-ha moments was moving the fridge up front. I always had envisioned it on sliders in the back, but it's tall! and is tough to see inside. (Especially as I originally planned for a drawer under it in the rear.) Putting it where the second row seat really worked well! We stopped for food and snacks/drinks and it too seconds to grab it and go.
For spotting we used the onboard ham radio and a mobile. It worked very well and much better than just hand signals and yelling. Plus we used it to coordinate pictures, videos, and to scope out trails when my son ran ahead. Navigation wise I continue to love Gaia with downloaded maps on an old iPad mounted up front.
Visiting the offroad trails at Moab offers some amazing views, up close and personal without the crowds.
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Slickrock trails everywhere!
The ARB fridge accessible from behind the drivers seat. Coats/easy access infront of it. Ventilation is clear around the fridge rear due to the frame that it's anchored to (which you can't see here).
I grew fond of the cargo netting that we secured our backpacks when traveling. Our tools/airhose/regulators were easily accessible from the black box secured to the top of the shelf. More handy than I thought it would be. Everything is "right there".
Lots of steps
All in all, the Cruiser did great! She really is heavy and I felt that on every trail. I recently swapped out 2723 for stiffer 2724 springs and that made a noticeable difference. This was also the first trip since I added a 24 gallon aux fuel tank and that really eliminated my fuel anxiety on more remote trails as well as just making the longer drives more comfortable. I am also planning what I want to do for a drawer/sleeping system. Years past we used a Tepui RTT but it's so big and heavy, this time I decided to remove the 60% of the 2nd row and try out a new fridge location and a sleeping platform. It worked great!
I have been going back and forth on the best set of drawers/systems. I might borrow ideas from those I admire and build a set using 80/20 aluminum. This "quick and dirty" shelving system worked and helped me thinking of dozens of "duh" improvements that I don't think I would have noticed if I didn't test run this for a large trip like this. One of the biggest ah-ha moments was moving the fridge up front. I always had envisioned it on sliders in the back, but it's tall! and is tough to see inside. (Especially as I originally planned for a drawer under it in the rear.) Putting it where the second row seat really worked well! We stopped for food and snacks/drinks and it too seconds to grab it and go.
For spotting we used the onboard ham radio and a mobile. It worked very well and much better than just hand signals and yelling. Plus we used it to coordinate pictures, videos, and to scope out trails when my son ran ahead. Navigation wise I continue to love Gaia with downloaded maps on an old iPad mounted up front.
Visiting the offroad trails at Moab offers some amazing views, up close and personal without the crowds.
Slickrock trails everywhere!
The ARB fridge accessible from behind the drivers seat. Coats/easy access infront of it. Ventilation is clear around the fridge rear due to the frame that it's anchored to (which you can't see here).
I grew fond of the cargo netting that we secured our backpacks when traveling. Our tools/airhose/regulators were easily accessible from the black box secured to the top of the shelf. More handy than I thought it would be. Everything is "right there".
Lots of steps
