The Heinous Truck in the Magnificent Desert - Big Bend 2017

Is fireman's BBT an insult to the cruiser community?

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Hell Yes

    Votes: 16 100.0%

  • Total voters
    16

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So, getting back on topic and going back in time a little.

In the weeks leading up to the trip, we all clear our schedules and make sure our vehicles (and trailers) are operating at full #eaf capacity. Lou, in particular, is fighting some demons with his rig. Literally, his dash is lighting up like a Christmas tree with sensors, codes, etc...

He starts to waffle on whether he can come. Again, we huddle and inform him that we will burn down his restaurant and sell his wife into a Jarkatan prostitution ring if he doesn't come. He heeds the threat, steadily works out the gremlins and sends us the green light that he is coming (the text was green, literally, due to Fireman's Android participation in our group text).

Then, 3 days before the trip; his front-end starts rattling like Nolen and Julie's headboard on tooth-fairy night. He troubleshoots and then takes it into 49 Cruiser. Its the lower control arms. This can't be happening... We hold a prayer vigil. We start a caring bridge site for Lou's truck.

Like a family pacing the emergency room, we get good news/bad news: We learn that 49 cruiser has the LCAs in stock, but the bushings needs to be ordered.

At this point, We offer Lou spare vehicles or shotgun in other rides. He politely tells us to F off; he's been carefully prepping and packing his truck and trailer for weeks; he's driving his rig or he's not coming. So, we hold our breath. It's Monday. Departure is in 48 hours....
 
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Louis needs a Toyota! Damn Lexus! ;-)
 
With the EXTRA wheelbase and coil overs it really did do better than I expected. I was running over 60 mph on some of the roads. I did eat both running board and and scraped the trailer connection off of the rear bumper. I was in 2wd until we left Guale 2 parking area.
 
The rest of this thread will be more pic heavy, than text heavy, so just bear with me for the back-story/lead-up.

Fast forward....

Everyone starts scattering for the departure. We have 7 trucks (8 people) all coming from different routes. Ron/Bomar had each left early from different starting points to go spend a day/night in the National Park (more on that later with pics). Nolen gassed it to joined up with them when Lou got delayed. Andy and I were driving to Fort Davis on Thursday to stage there. Fireman was criss-crossing Texas for a hunting trip with Bailey, then back home; then down to the park to meet up with us. It was a complicated and ambitious plan; no way the logistics would work without cell service or anyone licensed to (or capable of) using the long-distance radio repeaters down there. It would be a small miracle if we met up in an organized fashion.

Then, there's Lou. He literally starts staging his departure from Chris's shop. Risking total embarrassment in the greater #EAF community (which is like 5 people and 4 of them are in texas already), he hauled his trailer down to 49Tire behind his wife's Honda Pilot. He's got his cooler and Fridge stored in Chris's shop truck. His truck is packed, and his plan is to bolt as soon as his truck is done.

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Andy and I are almost to Abilene, TX when we receive word (another green light text) that his truck is off the rack; he's settling up and then headed west. The air is thick with anticipation. The group text chatter went from gleeful to full gaylord when Andy even dropped a Walt Whitman poetry dime in our group text about hitting the open road (for reals)...
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We tell him it's nice, if you're in to poetry....and men.

Then, Lou realizes @wct49 has run off in the shop truck for errands with his fridge and cooler.

It's 2:15 when he finally gets on the road; He's about 15 minutes into his journey before he hits a wreck on the interstate. Dead stop. He perseveres.

After nearly running out of gas, Andy and I roll into into Fort Davis about 10:00 and settle into our Hotel after a 15 hour drive. The drive had been brutal:

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We go to bed with the understanding that Lou will try to make it Midland-Odessa at some point in the middle of the night if he's feeling bold and lucky.....

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Hahahaha...you saved it. a****** :)

The east and the west are mine, mofos!

True story, that poem is narrated in a currently airing VOLVO commercial. Heard it the night before while watching TV, googled it, and read the whole thing. I rather enjoyed it...I'm not embarrassed to say. Everybody needs a little culture every now and then. But I do concede that the #nohomo at the end is a required disclaimer.

Good stuff PMC. Continue.

PS...13% battery at 8:15am? Clean that sh*t up.
 
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This is a safe place, bother.... sing your song...

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So, Andy and I pick up our keys to our rooms at the Harvard Hotel in Fort Davis (separate of course, after the poetry incident of 2017).

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There was a very odd couple there roaming the streets of Ft. Davis (older dude, younger woman), both hippies; both stoned and/or crazy and both beating on the window of the shop next door (at 11:00 pm at night), desperately wanting in. We quietly holstered up, slipped past them and headed to our rooms.

Meanwhile, Nolen/Ron/Bomar and New Guy with Drone are camped out in Pine Canyon a mere 100 miles (but another world) away from us in the National Park. We start to see some images trickle in from their campsite; It looked primo:

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The plan was to get a decent night's sleep; roll down to the state park; check in at the ranger station, hit a few trails and maybe set up camp and wait for Lou (and then the others, including Fireman) to meet up with us.

Andy rolls out of bed nice and early to let our mascot (Trudy the Blue Healer) out of the car for a walk and a piss. About that time, Nolen catches a faint cell signal and asks for a report on Lou:

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Yep, Lou had driven all night.... He had grabbed about an hour of shut eye at an Odessa truck stop where some creepy, older trucker saw Lou's expo gear and asked him if he was a "boy scout." Lou politely declined the role play, got moving again and was rolling into Fort Davis right as we woke up. RESPEK!

He got cleaned up, used the facilities and joined us for a killer breakfast at the shop next door. We picked up some last minute supplies at the local market; said our good byes to the crazy couple still roaming the streets; and hit the road.....

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Holy crap this is awesome.

Reading this in the Newks in south Shreveport laughing my ass off and getting strange looks.

Keep it up PMC!
 
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