And a couple more!
Sixth Annual 100s in the Hills Trip Report
- Thread starter paflytyer
- Start date
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lstamatis
Overland Traveler
I was one of the more "stock" vehicles on the trails I saw and I've got 33s (285/75/16 BFG AT KO), Slee sliders and no lift, no bumpers, etc...
I rubbed the sliders on a couple points during HIH6. I probably could have avoided them, but having the protection of the sliders made me less careful (and allowed me to enjoy it more than I would have otherwise). I think you'd have to remove the running boards for most these trails. I think my setup is about as stock as you'd want to be. Get some 33's and replace those rubbing boards with some slider steps.
For a ~$2k investment you can take these things nearly anywhere!
tucker74
Moderator
I have the same setup + 1.5" OME lift, touched one slider on Black Bear and drug the hitch a few times on different trails. You don't need to do much ...
Tucker
Amazing coverage. Thanks to all. Peeses me off even more that I had to back out of the most cool event ever, but worth the torture.
Question from future attendee: I heard at least one reference to vapor lock. How did you all fair in this regard? Any new solutions other than <3/4tank/cooler temps/lower altitude?
Just trying to minimize my risk for next years (hopefully) run
Just trying to minimize my risk for next years (hopefully) run
Don't know if this is a real solution, but I have an 06 w/vvti which are allegedly more susceptible to vapor lock. I just left my engine running at all stops at altitude >11k Ft. I never had any issues. YMMV.Question from future attendee: I heard at least one reference to vapor lock. How did you all fair in this regard? Any new solutions other than <3/4tank/cooler temps/lower altitude?
Just trying to minimize my risk for next years (hopefully) run
We loosened our gas caps at stops and let out a ton of pressure.
aaronrules
Coolest person you know!
May I propose adding in a little something for Stan and Chris for making this event such a premier and awesome experience for everyone? Could HIH become an official organization if it isn't already? Just spit balling. I feel like Stan and Chris need more than the satisfaction of pulling off the greatest events successfully.
Posting more in HIH6 box.com folder as well.
@paflytyer feel free to sort through them for anything you want to use for the magazine.
@paflytyer feel free to sort through them for anything you want to use for the magazine.
- Thread starter
- #51
It's not true vapor-lock that we are seeing, but there was a much higher rate of fuel pressure building up and causing issues this year. Our fuel systems are pressurized and the EVAP system is designed to use the excessive fuel vapor and recycle it to be burned. It's rare to see vapor-lock on a fuel injected system.
Maybe we are seeing a lesser quality fuel this year? Maybe the high pressure (sunny and warm) contributed to our systems being overwhelmed? Maybe someone else can chime in with a better explanation?
When the temps are up, fuel expands. When you ascend a mountain pass, pressure increases. (You may have noticed your bag of potato chips blows up like a balloon at altitude). When you stop at the top and shut your truck off, the fuel system does not keep burning the excess fuel vapor. Everything heats up, builds pressure and tries to escape. A fuel-soaked charcoal canister is very hard to dry out. I've been told that once it's wet, it will not dry. I never fill up all the way in the mountains and I hardly ever have vapor issues anymore. It used to be so bad that I could hear the fuel gurgling in the tank. I never top off at the pump, even around my house at 6,000 feet.
For the folks who had the issues, did you travel long distances to get here? Did you totally top off at every fill-up?
Maybe we are seeing a lesser quality fuel this year? Maybe the high pressure (sunny and warm) contributed to our systems being overwhelmed? Maybe someone else can chime in with a better explanation?
When the temps are up, fuel expands. When you ascend a mountain pass, pressure increases. (You may have noticed your bag of potato chips blows up like a balloon at altitude). When you stop at the top and shut your truck off, the fuel system does not keep burning the excess fuel vapor. Everything heats up, builds pressure and tries to escape. A fuel-soaked charcoal canister is very hard to dry out. I've been told that once it's wet, it will not dry. I never fill up all the way in the mountains and I hardly ever have vapor issues anymore. It used to be so bad that I could hear the fuel gurgling in the tank. I never top off at the pump, even around my house at 6,000 feet.
For the folks who had the issues, did you travel long distances to get here? Did you totally top off at every fill-up?
Question from future attendee: I heard at least one reference to vapor lock. How did you all fair in this regard? Any new solutions other than <3/4tank/cooler temps/lower altitude?
Just trying to minimize my risk for next years (hopefully) run
In my 2000 LX with 215k miles I had zero issues. I filled to 3/4 tank every morning. I turned my truck off at many of the stops we made for photos. I turned my truck off at lunch.
I fill up all the way at my house ~5500 and did so each day in Silverton. I had 0 issues with my '06. I'm sure there is an explanation as to why people were having trouble restarting, but I'm not certain what it is.
- Thread starter
- #54
100s in the Hills is a registered non-profit 501(c)(7) in the State of Colorado. That allows us to carry insurance and host annual events as a club. Your registration fee each year is considered club dues, even though we keep the cost low enough to just cover event expenses. This year was slightly different because the location cost was way more than we anticipated. We felt it was an investment into the future of the event.
Chris and I will never make a living off of this event, and we never expected to. We would like to cover our own expenses going forward. We try to stay very transparent in what we do. We never take a raffle ticket for ourselves (although we'd sure like a shot at some of those fantastic raffle prizes!) and we try to keep the costs low so folks can afford to buy an extra shirt. We were able to cover our expenses this year by selling the extra shirts and stickers. We didn't have a large amount of extra shirts because we were that close on margins. We literally couldn't afford to order so many extras for fear of having a bunch of leftovers.
Most other events are charging $300 for registration and selling shirts for $25+. We will always offer more, for less. We already have an idea of what we need to charge going forward. It will be more than this year, but still way less than any other similar event. Having volunteers will help take some of the burden off of Chris and I. The number of hours involved in getting permits, insurance, locations, stickers, shirts, lanyards, nametags, trail assignments, trail leaders, raffle prizes, bags, registration, logistics and just generally answering questions is overwhelming. Once we have all of that, we need to build the bags, sort out the shirts, sort the stickers, create the nametags, etc. We literally had our kids helping with the work this year. Chris' daughter, Lauren, a fantastic driver in her own right will handle registration next year. She has 3 years of experience helping us with registration and will take over those duties along with my wife and a few other volunteers. That will allow Chris and I to help folks get situated as they arrive.
The downside of all of this growth is that we lose the laid-back, loose feel a little bit. But, without a structured process, we simply cannot host 300+ people. Trail assignments will be in your registration packet and switching trails at the last minute may be a little more difficult. There will be designated staging areas for each trail and Chris and I will not be able to be at each one to make changes. From the second that we arrive, we are inundated with questions and requests. We're also trying to meet new friends and reacquaint with old ones. We do our best to accommodate everyone, but that can get overwhelming very quickly. We will have additional help next year to alleviate some of that. Guys like @B-RAD, @DanInDenver and @ENGINE er have over 3 years of experience with us and will have more prominent roles going forward. They have been dedicated and loyal to HIH since year 3 and can answer questions, lead and describe trails and conditions or take on other HIH roles as needed.
This is still the HIH6 trip report, but talking about HIH7 is part of the process. We learned a lot this year. Chris and I already spoke this morning about securing shower facilities for next year. That cost is incredibly expensive. More than double what we paid to have the land this year. HIH7 will be much more of a destination than an event. We will have many other activities other than, and along with, driving your 100. More of an adventure lifestyle event. Hiking, climbing, rafting, mountain biking, fishing, mine tours, kids activities, family day, wine tasting, beer tasting, catered meal, etc. It will also run an extra day to allow folks more time to enjoy all that we can offer. Wednesday through Sunday will be jam packed with trails and activities. Seriously..... get ready for a life-changing event.
Stan, I'd like to volunteer for future events if needed. I don't have much experience in that area of CO (I plan to run all the trails this summer though) but I have about 13 years of off roading experience and can help in other ways too if needed.
Let me know. I commend all the work you guys put in to make it all work and would love to help take some of the load.
Let me know. I commend all the work you guys put in to make it all work and would love to help take some of the load.
Not sure if this asked before, anyone experienced any mechanical issues?
bluecruiser
SILVER Star
Great year, pretty much one flat tire was the worst of it.
There was this too, but it wasnt a 100 so it doesn't count 
We just made home last night (Aug/3) around 830. Had the engine light, vsc-trac, vsc-off come on for the last hour of driving! Heading out in a bit to add a reader to the tool box.
Photos and stories will come later but for now let's just say the trip was awesome, although by the last driving day we were all about to strangle each other
! 5 people riding together in a vehicle for 20 days can be too much interaction!
Photos and stories will come later but for now let's just say the trip was awesome, although by the last driving day we were all about to strangle each other
! 5 people riding together in a vehicle for 20 days can be too much interaction!
