Post by redroxx44 on Oct 18, 2017 5:16:27 GMT -8
Hi, my name is Letty and I used to live in San Diego Ca years ago, but now in Arizona. Read about some great trips of your group on Expedition Portal.
I currently have a 2007 Toyota FJ cruiser with 170K + miles which has seen a lot of dirt action. Only mods a 3 inch lift, aluminum skids, 10K winch. The inside modified with back seats removed and a deck installed to make a level sleeping area. Unfortunately in the Argus Range near Death Valley had an almost catastrophic failure when one of the points of the motor mount on the frame failed. we thought it was a CV joint. Back in Az the Toyota dealer sent me to a body shop to get the mounts welded. A whole nother story on that one. But it is back in action, and I have the welds inspected at every oil change.
I just got my dream vehicle about 5 months ago, a slightly used Jeep Rubicon, 2016. I have had Jeeps over the years, wranglers, cherokees. So far the only mods are poison spyder diff covers, all the plastic is off, ebay front bumper I used bedliner on, a warn winch, back bumper, gas can carrier deal, and fender flares. Once I get some miles on the tires and can justify changing out I will save my pennies and go with a Terra Flex lift, and possibly look at changing out drive shafts, then go to 35's for the tire size. As a woman I think that's the max size I can handle if I have to change the tire. I have a friend who has 37's on his, just too big for me. Taken the back seat out, and working on the back area for storage and I might can sleep in it diagonally as I'm not that big. I've found if it's really bad weather outside it's great to sleep inside the vehicle.
The only complaint I have about the Rubi is way too much electronics for my taste, and at times it's a bear to get in 4 lo with no synchro on the tcase. Love those lockers and electronic sway disconnect so far. It only has 13K miles on it so still plenty of warranty.
Favorite places, trips--- Arizona strip which I have been to many times, any old mining road in Arizona, last fav's off the Ruby road here down south near the border, and a spectacular road to the San Francisco river in far east AZ. Of course the El Camino, which is not technical unless it rains, then it is super fun. Utah, any place up there, my fav the Smokey mtn road out of Big Water Az to Escalante Ut. Still have a section to do in the Burning Hills there. Left hand of Collet canyon-- love that short section thru the sandy wet canyon bottom.
Death Valley, love the Pleasant Canyon loop, and of course Saline Valley coming in on the Steel Pass route. Lippincott I have driven more than a few times, only one time it was a bit of a pucker factor when it was sort of washed out from storms, had to pull the mirror in and take some punishment on my side on the body to get thru years ago.
Damage-- nothing significant that I couldn't drive home from. Los coyotes Indian reservation at Warner Springs ( when it was open) broke a motor mount on my 92 wrangler. We used a log chain to tie it down and I drove home. FJ broke a front shock, luckily stayed in place in a very suspect area in the Barry Goldwater bombing range, Az, drove it home although it was lopsided. Patched a sidewall in Parashant near the schoolhouse ( thanks to Desert Ratz 4wd club in the area at the time) drove it 800+ miles home; which is why now I almost always run 10 ply or E rated tires on my vehicles. Broke numerous leaf springs in the 92 wrangler over time mostly in Death Valley, pull out the broken part and keep on driving.
So that is part of my story, I am headed back to Az strip in a few days for driving, hiking and maybe back packing depending on how far I can get the vehicle and what's open ( park service trying to close a lot of the spur roads out there.)
I currently have a 2007 Toyota FJ cruiser with 170K + miles which has seen a lot of dirt action. Only mods a 3 inch lift, aluminum skids, 10K winch. The inside modified with back seats removed and a deck installed to make a level sleeping area. Unfortunately in the Argus Range near Death Valley had an almost catastrophic failure when one of the points of the motor mount on the frame failed. we thought it was a CV joint. Back in Az the Toyota dealer sent me to a body shop to get the mounts welded. A whole nother story on that one. But it is back in action, and I have the welds inspected at every oil change.
I just got my dream vehicle about 5 months ago, a slightly used Jeep Rubicon, 2016. I have had Jeeps over the years, wranglers, cherokees. So far the only mods are poison spyder diff covers, all the plastic is off, ebay front bumper I used bedliner on, a warn winch, back bumper, gas can carrier deal, and fender flares. Once I get some miles on the tires and can justify changing out I will save my pennies and go with a Terra Flex lift, and possibly look at changing out drive shafts, then go to 35's for the tire size. As a woman I think that's the max size I can handle if I have to change the tire. I have a friend who has 37's on his, just too big for me. Taken the back seat out, and working on the back area for storage and I might can sleep in it diagonally as I'm not that big. I've found if it's really bad weather outside it's great to sleep inside the vehicle.
The only complaint I have about the Rubi is way too much electronics for my taste, and at times it's a bear to get in 4 lo with no synchro on the tcase. Love those lockers and electronic sway disconnect so far. It only has 13K miles on it so still plenty of warranty.
Favorite places, trips--- Arizona strip which I have been to many times, any old mining road in Arizona, last fav's off the Ruby road here down south near the border, and a spectacular road to the San Francisco river in far east AZ. Of course the El Camino, which is not technical unless it rains, then it is super fun. Utah, any place up there, my fav the Smokey mtn road out of Big Water Az to Escalante Ut. Still have a section to do in the Burning Hills there. Left hand of Collet canyon-- love that short section thru the sandy wet canyon bottom.
Death Valley, love the Pleasant Canyon loop, and of course Saline Valley coming in on the Steel Pass route. Lippincott I have driven more than a few times, only one time it was a bit of a pucker factor when it was sort of washed out from storms, had to pull the mirror in and take some punishment on my side on the body to get thru years ago.
Damage-- nothing significant that I couldn't drive home from. Los coyotes Indian reservation at Warner Springs ( when it was open) broke a motor mount on my 92 wrangler. We used a log chain to tie it down and I drove home. FJ broke a front shock, luckily stayed in place in a very suspect area in the Barry Goldwater bombing range, Az, drove it home although it was lopsided. Patched a sidewall in Parashant near the schoolhouse ( thanks to Desert Ratz 4wd club in the area at the time) drove it 800+ miles home; which is why now I almost always run 10 ply or E rated tires on my vehicles. Broke numerous leaf springs in the 92 wrangler over time mostly in Death Valley, pull out the broken part and keep on driving.
So that is part of my story, I am headed back to Az strip in a few days for driving, hiking and maybe back packing depending on how far I can get the vehicle and what's open ( park service trying to close a lot of the spur roads out there.)
