Hello All,
With as much as I enjoy reading others trip reports and using them for both inspiration and daydreaming I thought I’d throw one of my own out there. Who knows, maybe someone will find it useful, or at least good for a few minutes of daydreaming, if nothing else, it’ll serve as a great diary.
My adventure started when my wife made plans for some month long school rotations down in the states. These were at places she would be applying to after graduating in the spring, so it made sense for her to check them out before we made the move. By the same token, it made sense that I should see them too, so I began looking at my options for getting to know the different areas.
She would be doing a month in southern Colorado, and a month in Minnesota. Looking at my calendar it looked like I would be able to get a few weeks off. To really get to know the areas I intended to fully camp and explore while I was visiting, something that would be hard in a rental car, more so because I was planning on traveling with our dog.
I had a few options besides renting a car. I looked at both driving my own truck (a 1st gen Toyota Tacoma) down and then back up. I could fly down, buy a rig, drive it for a few weeks, then hope to sell it immediately before I boarded a plane home, or I could fly down, by a vehicle, and drive it home. I wasn’t thrilled about driving my truck down, not because I wouldn’t drive it anywhere, but because it would mean driving the ALCAN twice and loosing a few days exploring something new (Before this trip started, and not counting when I was a child riding with my parents, I’d done the drive eight times). Hoping to sell a vehicle in a time crunch is never fun, so that made the fly in/fly out approach less appealing. So, when my wife briefly mentioned my buying something and then driving it home, I knew the hardest part (convincing her) of what I thought was the best idea was done, so I started looking for the perfect fly and drive vehicle.
I found it in the classifieds section of this site of all places! 2005 Toyota Tacoma, with a FWC Eagle camper, located in Flagstaff Arizona. Perfect! This would actually solve another life dilemma I was having, whether to keep my Tacoma or upgrade to a newer one. I figured that after driving it for 3 weeks I would have a pretty good idea of if it was for me, then I would sell whatever Tacoma came in second when I got home. And either way I end up with a sweet camper. Win, win!
Several emails, phone calls, and a pre-buy inspection later it was secured. The seller was a stand-up dude, and buying a truck from several thousand miles away was actually very easy.
So in the middle of September the dog and I boarded a plane for Phoenix. The seller was awesome enough to meet me at the airport and drive me to his house in Flagstaff, and didn’t seem to mind a Jack Russell Terrier riding shotgun on his center console.
After that long introduction, here’s some photos:
Here’s the truck and camper, newly mine and ready for the adventure to start!
I’ll be the first to admit that my very first night in the camper was not in a place worthy of a photo shoot, but it immediately proved to me that having a camper is awesome. I got a much later start then I had planned out of Flagstaff (seems like I am always running late for the start of a big trip). North of Santa Fe but still far south of my destination of Pueblo, CO and exhausted from a full day of flying and then driving, I pulled into a rest stop at about 2 am. It was my first time setting up the camper by myself, but within a few easy minutes I was tucked into bed and asleep. WAY beats trying to find a covert spot for a tent, or contorting oneself inside the vehicle.
Our first spot “real” camping. Just before Tin Cup Pass in Colorado
Crossing the pass.
Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs.
Got to love the long strait roads out west.
Cactus! Not something the pup gets to see very often living in Alaska. Irritated at one point when he wasn’t coming when I called I went looking. I found him slowly making his way to me. Out came the first aid kit and after a few minutes (and about 10 nasty needles removed from his pads, legs, and chest) he was back to terrorizing the world. Not fun, but at least they come out easier then porcupine quills.
Colorado snow!
I can’t recall the name of this pass, but I was racing daylight to get across. Ended up not mattering, as I got turned back by snow at the top.
After a slightly nerve-wracking descent in the dark it felt like heaven to pop the top, crank the heater, and open a beer.
Met up with an old buddy in the Maroon Bells area.
When my wife’s rotation in Colorado ended we loaded up and headed towards Minnesota.
Were able to catch the lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore.
Spent the evening in the Badlands. Amazing place, wish we had some more time to explore the area.
Blue Earth Minnesota has a huge Jolly Green Giant statue. And I was there.
After just a few days in Minnesota I had to head back home.
Ran into snow in Montana in route to see some friends in Missoula.
Montana got the Jack Russell stamp of approval. Like Alaska, but not as cold and easier to get places.
The road home.
7481.2 miles later I made it back to Fairbanks, AK.
As far as what Tacoma to keep, that was a decision that was not easy. At one point, I couldn’t decide so listed them both for sale, hoping someone would make the decision for me. I loved the newer truck. Toyota got a lot of things (note: not ALL things) right when they did the redesign. It cruised all day long at highway speeds with out issue. Felt fairly sure-footed going over moderate trails with a loaded camper. Having swing out rear doors was like a dream come true. And there was just enough interior cab space I didn’t feel like a sardine when loaded with a wife, dog, and camping gear. And of course, that ARB bumper I have always dreamed of having on my truck.
At the end of the day though, I kept my 1st generation. If I’m going to be perfectly honest, it was largely because of sentimental value. I drove it new off the lot in 2004 and have had too many adventures to count in it. I liked the crispness of my 5speed manual versus the newer 6 speed. I liked that it has the TRD Off Road package. It has never left me stranded, and I’ve done all the upgrades and most of the maintenance myself. We’ll see if the sentiment was worth it when I load the camper into it this coming spring, but hey, there is always the option to add a super charger right?
With as much as I enjoy reading others trip reports and using them for both inspiration and daydreaming I thought I’d throw one of my own out there. Who knows, maybe someone will find it useful, or at least good for a few minutes of daydreaming, if nothing else, it’ll serve as a great diary.
My adventure started when my wife made plans for some month long school rotations down in the states. These were at places she would be applying to after graduating in the spring, so it made sense for her to check them out before we made the move. By the same token, it made sense that I should see them too, so I began looking at my options for getting to know the different areas.
She would be doing a month in southern Colorado, and a month in Minnesota. Looking at my calendar it looked like I would be able to get a few weeks off. To really get to know the areas I intended to fully camp and explore while I was visiting, something that would be hard in a rental car, more so because I was planning on traveling with our dog.
I had a few options besides renting a car. I looked at both driving my own truck (a 1st gen Toyota Tacoma) down and then back up. I could fly down, buy a rig, drive it for a few weeks, then hope to sell it immediately before I boarded a plane home, or I could fly down, by a vehicle, and drive it home. I wasn’t thrilled about driving my truck down, not because I wouldn’t drive it anywhere, but because it would mean driving the ALCAN twice and loosing a few days exploring something new (Before this trip started, and not counting when I was a child riding with my parents, I’d done the drive eight times). Hoping to sell a vehicle in a time crunch is never fun, so that made the fly in/fly out approach less appealing. So, when my wife briefly mentioned my buying something and then driving it home, I knew the hardest part (convincing her) of what I thought was the best idea was done, so I started looking for the perfect fly and drive vehicle.
I found it in the classifieds section of this site of all places! 2005 Toyota Tacoma, with a FWC Eagle camper, located in Flagstaff Arizona. Perfect! This would actually solve another life dilemma I was having, whether to keep my Tacoma or upgrade to a newer one. I figured that after driving it for 3 weeks I would have a pretty good idea of if it was for me, then I would sell whatever Tacoma came in second when I got home. And either way I end up with a sweet camper. Win, win!
Several emails, phone calls, and a pre-buy inspection later it was secured. The seller was a stand-up dude, and buying a truck from several thousand miles away was actually very easy.
So in the middle of September the dog and I boarded a plane for Phoenix. The seller was awesome enough to meet me at the airport and drive me to his house in Flagstaff, and didn’t seem to mind a Jack Russell Terrier riding shotgun on his center console.
After that long introduction, here’s some photos:
Here’s the truck and camper, newly mine and ready for the adventure to start!
I’ll be the first to admit that my very first night in the camper was not in a place worthy of a photo shoot, but it immediately proved to me that having a camper is awesome. I got a much later start then I had planned out of Flagstaff (seems like I am always running late for the start of a big trip). North of Santa Fe but still far south of my destination of Pueblo, CO and exhausted from a full day of flying and then driving, I pulled into a rest stop at about 2 am. It was my first time setting up the camper by myself, but within a few easy minutes I was tucked into bed and asleep. WAY beats trying to find a covert spot for a tent, or contorting oneself inside the vehicle.
Our first spot “real” camping. Just before Tin Cup Pass in Colorado
Crossing the pass.
Garden of the Gods outside of Colorado Springs.
Got to love the long strait roads out west.
Cactus! Not something the pup gets to see very often living in Alaska. Irritated at one point when he wasn’t coming when I called I went looking. I found him slowly making his way to me. Out came the first aid kit and after a few minutes (and about 10 nasty needles removed from his pads, legs, and chest) he was back to terrorizing the world. Not fun, but at least they come out easier then porcupine quills.
Colorado snow!
I can’t recall the name of this pass, but I was racing daylight to get across. Ended up not mattering, as I got turned back by snow at the top.
After a slightly nerve-wracking descent in the dark it felt like heaven to pop the top, crank the heater, and open a beer.
Met up with an old buddy in the Maroon Bells area.
When my wife’s rotation in Colorado ended we loaded up and headed towards Minnesota.
Were able to catch the lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore.
Spent the evening in the Badlands. Amazing place, wish we had some more time to explore the area.
Blue Earth Minnesota has a huge Jolly Green Giant statue. And I was there.
After just a few days in Minnesota I had to head back home.
Ran into snow in Montana in route to see some friends in Missoula.
Montana got the Jack Russell stamp of approval. Like Alaska, but not as cold and easier to get places.
The road home.
7481.2 miles later I made it back to Fairbanks, AK.
As far as what Tacoma to keep, that was a decision that was not easy. At one point, I couldn’t decide so listed them both for sale, hoping someone would make the decision for me. I loved the newer truck. Toyota got a lot of things (note: not ALL things) right when they did the redesign. It cruised all day long at highway speeds with out issue. Felt fairly sure-footed going over moderate trails with a loaded camper. Having swing out rear doors was like a dream come true. And there was just enough interior cab space I didn’t feel like a sardine when loaded with a wife, dog, and camping gear. And of course, that ARB bumper I have always dreamed of having on my truck.
At the end of the day though, I kept my 1st generation. If I’m going to be perfectly honest, it was largely because of sentimental value. I drove it new off the lot in 2004 and have had too many adventures to count in it. I liked the crispness of my 5speed manual versus the newer 6 speed. I liked that it has the TRD Off Road package. It has never left me stranded, and I’ve done all the upgrades and most of the maintenance myself. We’ll see if the sentiment was worth it when I load the camper into it this coming spring, but hey, there is always the option to add a super charger right?
