Outdooraholic's Montero Sport Adventure/Build thread

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
Is this the rack you got and simply didn't bolt the upper on? I have the raised side rails and it looks like I could just mount this directly to them and skip my round yakima bars.
https://www.amazon.com/Summates-Uni...rd_wg=A7wA4&psc=1&refRID=EWKYFEWY3PB8HGR2K5JX
That one is very similar to mine, but the one I got was a little larger, 62" x 45" (This is the one I ordered: https://www.amazon.com/Apex-RBC-624...=1491096976&sr=1-16&keywords=roof+rack+basket). Correct, I removed the upper bars and modified the deflector to mount under, making it into a platform rack as opposed to a cargo basket. I love how it turned out!

Here is a great side by side comparison picture. These are both the exact same rack, his as a cargo basket like designed and mine modified into a platform rack:
attachment.php
 
Last edited:

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
Day 3 - Reserve, NM to Grants, NM.

After taking two days to complete Section 3 (Truth or Consequence to Reserve) due to trees across the trail, deep snow drifts, stuck vehicles, and a tire off the rim, we decided to hit the trail early and put down some serious miles. But first, we cooked blueberry pancakes on the trusty Coleman stove! Our route looped us back south through the Gila and Apache National Forests and around to the Arizona border (we made a couple hundred foot detour to cross into Arizona, just because) before heading back north towards the community of Luna (population 158 as of last count). Luna has a gas station that is occasionally open, although it was not when we arrived. As we left the green forests for the barren high deserts, the roads straightened out and we were able to pick up our speeds. We continued north until we reached the Zuni Salt Lake where we stopped to make sandwiches for lunch. After lunch we again headed north and soon passed the small community of Fence Lake (population 42 as of last count), the end of Section 4 and the start of Section 5. We started angling north/east and entered the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation and continued up to the El Morro National Monument. El Morro was an important stop to Natives, Spaniards, and Americans headed west as it was home to a water hole that held 200,000 gallon of fresh water in an otherwise rugged, sparse landscape. For hundreds and hundreds of years travelers have been chiseling their names into the rocks and have left an amazing and diverse history in the rock. From petroglyphs of animals, to Spanish lords with their exquisite titles, to common railroad workers and soldiers. See their names and learn their stories; It is worth the visit! From there we soon left the arid desert behind us entered the densely wooded and muddy Cibola National Forest where we added a fresh layer of mud onto our trucks as we made our way though the narrow trail until we eventually reached our destination of Grants, NM. Grants was originally established as a railroad camp in the 1880's and soon grew into a city with various booms and declines over the years as industries and transportation routes came and went. It is situated right on Historic Route 66, just north of Interstate 40. We ate dinner at the Wow Diner and celebrated the completion of the first 5 sections of the NMBDR.

attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php


Conclusion.
We went through water, snow, mud, sand, dirt, rock, forests, and deserts. Along the route from Truth or Consequences to Grants we saw a heard of elk, a pair of mule deer, a lone coyote, turkey, fox, prairie dogs, and of course lots of rabbits. Now that we have completed section 1-5 we only have sections 6 and 7 left for us to finish the NMBDR and arrive at our eventual destination of Antonito, Colorado. We plan on returning to finish it off later in the summer, once it warms up so any northern snow will hopefully have melted to more manageable levels!

Once returning home we took the trucks to the car wash for a deep cleaning inside and out. My Dad's Avalanche had developed a slow leak in another tire so he decided to upgrade to heavier duty LT tires with an all-terrain tread pattern. He went with Cooper Discoverer ATP's. After that his truck went into the shop and hopefully his 4WD system will be fixed before our next adventure together.

My truck did exceptionally well on this trip and only impressed me. We appreciated having CB communications with each other during the trip and feel that was worth the money. My ARB air compressor has again proven to be extremely useful, one of my favorite modifications to date. This was the first trip I have carried a full size axe and shovel, as I just recently added the roof rack, and they were both lifesavers. A larger saw would have come in handy too. Some other items I would like to add in the near future are a siphon (I had a 5 gallon MFC can on the roof and while I didn't have to use it, it did get very close on 2 occasions and I think a siphon would make transferring the fluid to the tank a breeze without having to take the jug down), a kinetic snatch strap (the static tow strap worked and got some use in the snow but a snatch strap would have been ideal), recovery boards (they would have helped in this situation and I do a lot of solo trails in desert areas so in my situation I feel they would work better for self recovery than a winch).
 
Last edited:

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
We are tentatively planning on returning to Grants, NM in June to knock out Sections 6 and 7 and complete the NMBDR. I can't wait to finally arrive in Antonito, Colorado but after the snow we ran into in the Gila NF, I know its best to wait until a little later in the season.

Also I just received word yesterday that I was drawn for a deer hunt in New Mexico so there will be some upcoming scouting/camping trips in the near future. The hunt will be basically between Ruidoso and Roswell, in southern, NM.

Until then the MS will just be accomplishing the mundane task of getting me to and from work and awaiting the next adventure!
 

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
It's been a while since my last update. The MS still lives and is currently being daily driven. Life has been keeping me off the trails for a bit though. I did just order a set of TRED 800's, so I'll be making a mount to attach them to the roof rack here soon. Also we are just a couple of weeks away from heading out to complete the NMBDR and cross the finish line in Antonito, CO.

We recently purchased a 2006 Toyota Sequoia 4WD for my wife, which will be a mild adventure build, and will take the MS's role for most family trips. I got a chance to drive the Sequoia across a large part of the country already, through West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, and really enjoyed it.
 

alia176

Explorer
It's been a while since my last update. The MS still lives and is currently being daily driven. Life has been keeping me off the trails for a bit though. I did just order a set of TRED 800's, so I'll be making a mount to attach them to the roof rack here soon. Also we are just a couple of weeks away from heading out to complete the NMBDR and cross the finish line in Antonito, CO.

We recently purchased a 2006 Toyota Sequoia 4WD for my wife, which will be a mild adventure build, and will take the MS's role for most family trips. I got a chance to drive the Sequoia across a large part of the country already, through West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, and really enjoyed it.

Very cool report so far. If you don't mind another rig tagging along, I'd like to join you from Grant to Antonito.
 

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
It's been a crazy busy week! Last weekend we went to Elephant Butte Lake in southern New Mexico and Yesterday I was hiking in the Guadalupe Mountainn. However today I finally got a chance to finish up my DIY lockable mount to attach my TRED 800's to my roof rack. It's a very simple and inexpensive solution but it's also rock solid and relatively secure with a heavy duty padlock.

image.jpg
Salt flats west of the Guadalupe mountains

image.jpg
TRED 800's mounted on the rack

image.jpg
All locked up and ready for adventure!
 

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
Overview
The final chapter of our journey along the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route! In October we started in Dell City, TX and completed sections 1-2 (Sections 1 and 2 of the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (NMBDR)). In March we picked up where we left off in Truth or Consequences and did sections 3-5 (Sections 3, 4, & 5 of the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (NMBDR)). Now, we have concluded our trip by finishing sections 6-7 from Grants to then end point in Antonito, CO!

attachment.php


Trip Report
On Thursday we loaded up the Montero Sport and headed north to Grants, NM, where we had left off back in March. We fueled up and went just a little ways into the Cibola National Forest where we set up camp at the Coal Mine Campground. We cooked pepperoni pizza and called it an early night.

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php


Day 1, Grants to El Rito
Friday morning we made blueberry pancakes, broke camp, and headed north through barren ranch lands with monoliths and unique rock formations, which eventually gave way to the green woods of the Santa Fe National Forest. We reached the end of section 6 in the town of Cuba and kept pushing on. Our plan was to stop and camp at the Abiquiu Reservior but we got there early in the afternoon and decided to make it to the town of El Rito instead. We followed the Rio Chama down to the town of Abiquiu where we stopped for a delicious cookies and cream milkshake.

From there we had two choices. The "expert" route which went up steep, rocky terrain or the "normal" route which bypassed the technical section and took a paved road to El Rito. Now, we didn't decide to do the NMBDR to take direct routes on paved roads, so we aired down our tires, dropped it into 4hi and headed for the trail! This was the only portion of the entire NMBDR that required 4wd (aside from environmental conditions, ie snow between Snow Lake and Reserve). However, it wasn't that difficult and any 4wd vehicle should be able to make it. There was one section where you are bouncing along large boulders but even with my 2" lift and open differentials I was able to make it up without any trouble. We found a dispursed campsite in the Carson National Forest along the bank of a creek, set up camp, made tortellini on the Coleman stove, and relaxed by the fire while counting the stars until it was time to retire to the tent for the night.

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php
 
Last edited:

PacS14

Adventurer
Man you are so lucky to have a significant other that likes to do all this with you and brings the kids, my wife is barely getting used to the camping at a real camping park with all the amenities. Slowly, but I hope to get there at some point.
 

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
Man you are so lucky to have a significant other that likes to do all this with you and brings the kids, my wife is barely getting used to the camping at a real camping park with all the amenities. Slowly, but I hope to get there at some point.
Yes, I am! But it wasn't always that way. When we first got together she had never been camping in her life and she wasn't a fan after our first few attempts. However over the years she has gotten more and more comfortable with it and is starting to actually enjoy it now, vs going just to support me like in the past. So keep with it and try to find ways to make it easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable for her and hopefully she will start to like it more as well.
 

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
Day 2 - El Rito, NM to Antonito, CO
On Saturday we headed north through the Carson National Forest. This was another highlight of the trip! The forest was beautiful and ever changing with gorgeous views as we climbed up and down the mountains. We reached a maximum elevation of 10,100+ feet above sea level and could see snow on the mountains ahead of us in Colorado. We saw several deer along the trail as we made our way north and eventually crossed the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad before crossing the state line and entering both Colorado and the Rio Grande National Forest. From there it was a short drive to the ending point of the NMBDR in Antonito, CO. We stopped at the G6 hamburger stand for burgers and a celebratory chocolate dipped ice cream cone!

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php


Conclusion
Now that we have finished the NMBDR, it only seems fitting to reflect on our adventure. We split the route up into 3 weekend trips. We camped in cold mountains, caught rainbow trout in a beautiful mountain lake, and saw elk, deer, pronghorn, coyotes, fox, skunks, and rabbits along the way. We visited 2 National Monuments and 6 National Forests. We drove across deserts, snow drifts, and creeks. We chopped trees blocking the trail, shoveled snow, and made roadside repairs. We saw spectacular sunrises, sunsets, and breathtaking views of this beautiful creation. We enjoyed relaxing by campfires, eating s'mores, and the occasional stop at an ice cream shop. But most of all, we enjoyed the quality family time away from all of the distractions of day to day life. It brought us closer together as a family and it's a trip that I will never forget. I hope that this is the start of a life full of adventure for my two little girls (and the third one that is on the way)! May we never stop exploring and enjoying all that this wonderful and diverse country has to offer!

attachment.php
 
Last edited:

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
The Finale, Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, CO
We made it all the way to Colorado... You didn't expect us just to turn around and go home, did you?? Saturday evening we drove up to Colorado Springs and splurged on a nice hotel room at the MCM Elegante. On Sunday morning we headed for the Pikes Peak Highway and the 19 mile drive up to the summit of America's Mountain! Pikes Peak is the most visited mountain in North America and the second most visited mountain in the whole world, behind only Mt. Fuji in Japan. If you go, which I recommend you do, go early! We got in quickly but by the time we left the line to get in was bumper to bumper down the mountain and all the way out onto the highway. (This was 4th of July weekend, but still, something to keep in mind).

We made our way up the mountain, stopping along the way to take in the views, play in some snow along the road, and visit the Crystal Lake Reservoir. The drive itself is worth the visit, but the views from the top are icing on the cake! I highly recommend a visit if you haven't already been. We spent some time on the summit and then slowly made our way back down and headed for the Garden of the Gods Park.

Garden of the Gods is a city park in Colorado Springs with unique rock formations, several hiking trails, and lots of rock climbing opportunities. We first grabbed lunch at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post and then hiked a 1.5 mile loop trail to stretch out our legs and let the girls feel like they were rock climbers. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon before heading back south. We had planned on staying at Trinidad Lake State Park in southern Colorado, but due to the holiday weekend, all of the campgrounds we looked up in Colorado were completely booked. So we headed further south and stayed at the Storrie Lake State Park outside of Las Vegas, NM. We set up camp, built a fire, and watched fireworks in the distance over the lake. It was a great end to our adventure before heading back home.

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php
 

Outdooraholic

Adventurer
Not much of an update but I installed new brake pads, PowerStop Evolution ceramic pads, in the rear. The old ones were mostly worn down and making periodic noise. I also installed PIAA Super Silicone wipers all the way around. 20" drivers side, 19" passenger, and 17" rear. I first started using these wipers on my Evo several years ago and was blown away at how smooth the silicone is going across the windshield. I also like that you can just replace the actual blade when it wears out for a fraction of the price. I now have PIAA wipers on my Montero Sport, Evo and the wife's Sequoia.

image.jpg
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,527
Messages
2,875,533
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top