2000 Suburban K1500 budget low lift with 37"s
- Thread starter CrazyDrei
- Start date
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
VIDEO: Uranium Ridge bottom up then top down
I ended up making time lapse videos of three more trails in Gold Butte, however these two videos of me going up Uranium Ridge trail to the top and the second one of my friend's 3rd gen 4Runner heading back down to meet up with the 17 Jeep who did not feel comfortable after the switchabacks and hung out at a mid mountain turn around area until we returned from our journey to the top.
My trip up where I actually had to put the truck into 4wd low on a Jeep trail.
4Runner bouncing down Uranium Ridge Trail.
4Runner approaching the mid mountain turn around area.
Gorgeous truck with tonns of custom work, bumpers alone cost as much as my truck.
Waiting for the Jeep to catch.
There is something magical about crawling up 2% uranium enriched limestone.
Jeep needed a breather after making it up the most technical section.
4Runner catching up to the top where is plenty of parking for one truck.
Still working on more videos from other trails we did that day and they will be uploaded in the next few days.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
I ended up making time lapse videos of three more trails in Gold Butte, however these two videos of me going up Uranium Ridge trail to the top and the second one of my friend's 3rd gen 4Runner heading back down to meet up with the 17 Jeep who did not feel comfortable after the switchabacks and hung out at a mid mountain turn around area until we returned from our journey to the top.
My trip up where I actually had to put the truck into 4wd low on a Jeep trail.
4Runner bouncing down Uranium Ridge Trail.
4Runner approaching the mid mountain turn around area.
Gorgeous truck with tonns of custom work, bumpers alone cost as much as my truck.
Waiting for the Jeep to catch.
There is something magical about crawling up 2% uranium enriched limestone.
Jeep needed a breather after making it up the most technical section.
4Runner catching up to the top where is plenty of parking for one truck.
Still working on more videos from other trails we did that day and they will be uploaded in the next few days.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
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CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
VIDEO: Catclaw Wash Rd
This trail takes you from Gould Butte town site west to Lake Mead in Catclaw Wash Cove. There are two trails that make a figure "8" pattern as they interlace each other all the way to the waters edge. Very enjoyable trail however with great views of the lake that doesn't feel like it ever gets any closer.
Timelapse of the drive out to the Lake.
This is also the cove I visited six years ago and spearfished Carp, I did not bring any of my dive gear this time, but it sure brought back some fun memories. I caught more fish with a spear gun in 30 minutes than I have with a rod and reel my entire life.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
This trail takes you from Gould Butte town site west to Lake Mead in Catclaw Wash Cove. There are two trails that make a figure "8" pattern as they interlace each other all the way to the waters edge. Very enjoyable trail however with great views of the lake that doesn't feel like it ever gets any closer.
Timelapse of the drive out to the Lake.
This is also the cove I visited six years ago and spearfished Carp, I did not bring any of my dive gear this time, but it sure brought back some fun memories. I caught more fish with a spear gun in 30 minutes than I have with a rod and reel my entire life.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
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chilliwak
Expedition Leader
Cool Video Crazy! Lots of desert run time there. Looks like the truck is running good. Cheers, Chilli...
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
VIDEO: Horse Spring Rd
This is the last video of the Horse Spring Rd going south to north end of the trail starting from Gold Butter Rd heading north to the historic Horse Spring Coral and continuing back to Gold Butte Rd. Not a technical trail however high ground clearance is very helpful.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
This is the last video of the Horse Spring Rd going south to north end of the trail starting from Gold Butter Rd heading north to the historic Horse Spring Coral and continuing back to Gold Butte Rd. Not a technical trail however high ground clearance is very helpful.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
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CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
DAY TRIP: Central Death Valley part 1
Another Death Valley trip of the touristy places and exploring more remote areas. Every trip I am amazed that such a world class destination is in my back yard less than a 2 hr drive from my house. The weather was perfect, 36 degrees in Las Vegas when we left and warmed up to 70 degrees in Furnace Creek. My goal was to explore another 4wd trail however one of my friends that came has never been to Death Valley before so we had to do a couple touristy stops. We ended up visiting: welcome to Death Valley sign, 20 mule team canyon, Badwater, Natural Bridge, Artist Drive, Furnace Creek, Harmony Borax works, Mustard Canyon, Inyo Mine, Echo Canyon and finally came out in Armagossa.
The mandatory picture with the sign.
First stop was 20 Mule Team Canyon where I planned on shooting a timelapse, however due to the amazing temperatures the place was packed with visitors who were entering the one way canyon every 5 minutes and drove slowly to take in all the areas beauty.
Instead I let the kids run wild and after an hour of exploring the desert I rounded them up and we headed for the next stop.
On the way to Badwater there was a mandatory sea level sign picture stop.
Boys did not want to cooperate with the photographer.
Lowest point in North America, 282 feet below seal level.
Badwater once was a stop for the 20 Mule Teams for the mules to drink water however due to the high salt levels from the Borax none of the animals drank the water because it was bad, thus the name. Only animals that survive in this water are brine shrimp.
We walked on the salt flats and the boys could not pass up the opportunity to splash around in the puddles, luckily this will help clean the dirt off better.
Look closer at the top of the picture, there is a horizontal white sign.
It's weird looking up to see sea level.
We visited the Natural Bridge, one year old had enough and ran the entire 3/4 mile back to the truck by himself.
Lunch break after the exhausting hike.
Artist drive colors looked just like stepping in to a Baskin Robins however this alien looking rock was way more interesting than the multicolored pallet.
This is the first time I have ever seen this thermometer display anything below 100 degrees.
Never realized that there is such a thing as the International Dark-Sky Association.
Just a mile north of Furnace Creek Visitor Center are the remains of the Harmony Borax Camp.
This is where the Borax was processed prior to its grueling haul to the nearest railway.
Well preserved Borax tank.
As usual, the boys did not want to pose for a picture and bolted to explore the open desert.
Rear wheels are a whopping 7ft tall to increase rolling efficiency, people have figured out that bigger wheels roll better and smoother yet there are still people out there that keep telling me that 31" or 33" tires are superior to the 37" tires I'm running on the Sub for the exactly the same reason.
Two borax carts pulled by 20 mules carried approximately 31 tons of Borax and 5 tons or 1,200 gallons of water.
Boys had so much fun running around Harmony Borax Works that I literally had to drag them back to the Sub to continue our adventure.
Adventure continues in part 2 with Echo Canyon and Inyo Mine.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
Another Death Valley trip of the touristy places and exploring more remote areas. Every trip I am amazed that such a world class destination is in my back yard less than a 2 hr drive from my house. The weather was perfect, 36 degrees in Las Vegas when we left and warmed up to 70 degrees in Furnace Creek. My goal was to explore another 4wd trail however one of my friends that came has never been to Death Valley before so we had to do a couple touristy stops. We ended up visiting: welcome to Death Valley sign, 20 mule team canyon, Badwater, Natural Bridge, Artist Drive, Furnace Creek, Harmony Borax works, Mustard Canyon, Inyo Mine, Echo Canyon and finally came out in Armagossa.
The mandatory picture with the sign.
First stop was 20 Mule Team Canyon where I planned on shooting a timelapse, however due to the amazing temperatures the place was packed with visitors who were entering the one way canyon every 5 minutes and drove slowly to take in all the areas beauty.
Instead I let the kids run wild and after an hour of exploring the desert I rounded them up and we headed for the next stop.
On the way to Badwater there was a mandatory sea level sign picture stop.
Boys did not want to cooperate with the photographer.
Lowest point in North America, 282 feet below seal level.
Badwater once was a stop for the 20 Mule Teams for the mules to drink water however due to the high salt levels from the Borax none of the animals drank the water because it was bad, thus the name. Only animals that survive in this water are brine shrimp.
We walked on the salt flats and the boys could not pass up the opportunity to splash around in the puddles, luckily this will help clean the dirt off better.
Look closer at the top of the picture, there is a horizontal white sign.
It's weird looking up to see sea level.
We visited the Natural Bridge, one year old had enough and ran the entire 3/4 mile back to the truck by himself.
Lunch break after the exhausting hike.
Artist drive colors looked just like stepping in to a Baskin Robins however this alien looking rock was way more interesting than the multicolored pallet.
This is the first time I have ever seen this thermometer display anything below 100 degrees.
Never realized that there is such a thing as the International Dark-Sky Association.
Just a mile north of Furnace Creek Visitor Center are the remains of the Harmony Borax Camp.
This is where the Borax was processed prior to its grueling haul to the nearest railway.
Well preserved Borax tank.
As usual, the boys did not want to pose for a picture and bolted to explore the open desert.
Rear wheels are a whopping 7ft tall to increase rolling efficiency, people have figured out that bigger wheels roll better and smoother yet there are still people out there that keep telling me that 31" or 33" tires are superior to the 37" tires I'm running on the Sub for the exactly the same reason.
Two borax carts pulled by 20 mules carried approximately 31 tons of Borax and 5 tons or 1,200 gallons of water.
Boys had so much fun running around Harmony Borax Works that I literally had to drag them back to the Sub to continue our adventure.
Adventure continues in part 2 with Echo Canyon and Inyo Mine.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
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CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
DAY TRIP: Central Death Valley part 2
Continuation from part 1 posted earlier.
After talking to the rangers at the visitor center, Death Valley discontinued printing the glossy tri-fold of the backcountry roads but now have a two page paper version. Apparently there are big 4 roads to do in Death Valley that get you serious bragging rights: Steel Pass/Dedeckera canyon, Lippincott Pass, Mengel Pass and Echo Canyon. I didn't realize that Echo Canyon shared the same status symbol as the other three.
First 6-8 miles were really fun twisty trail through a canyon full of sights and surprises at every turn. Then the trail opened up and we found numerous mine openings, some closed off but most were not. Less than 1/2 mile from Inyo Mine we ran into a lifter Rubicon on 35s that said that he explored the mine, went up the trail to a dead end that was impassible and turned around.
Inyo Mine parking area.
Ore hopper.
Dug in hut and a table that displays pieces of glass and other items that visitors have found int he area.
Buildings one is still standing the one in the background collapsed.
Some sort of mixing tank that re-purposes a rear diff to turn the mixing screw.
Engine powered generator.
Collapsed and dilapidated structures.
Possibly a residential building.
Well preserved structure.
Inside of the house.
Other side of the house as well as bed frames.
View down narrow gauge rails down a mine.
View of one of the earlier structures from the other side.
Another hopper to a higher mine, much better preserved than the lower one because it's a 1/2 mile hike up a steep hill to it.
Narrow gauge tracks leading into the hopper.
Glimpse into the hopper.
Escape ladder which I did not want to test.
Tracks leading into the mine.
Look into the mine.
View out of the mine.
Square bolt on the generator shows the age.
We continued up Echo Canyon and finally found the impassible dead end that the Rubicon we ran into earlier and found a 6ft and 3-4 ft dry waterfalls with a couple really sharp turns between them. Made it up effortlessly, it was getting dark and I did not have time to take pictures however I did shoot a video of the entire Echo Canyon trail. We continued to Armagossa Valley then back home.
Have a couple videos that I will be working on this week.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
Continuation from part 1 posted earlier.
After talking to the rangers at the visitor center, Death Valley discontinued printing the glossy tri-fold of the backcountry roads but now have a two page paper version. Apparently there are big 4 roads to do in Death Valley that get you serious bragging rights: Steel Pass/Dedeckera canyon, Lippincott Pass, Mengel Pass and Echo Canyon. I didn't realize that Echo Canyon shared the same status symbol as the other three.
First 6-8 miles were really fun twisty trail through a canyon full of sights and surprises at every turn. Then the trail opened up and we found numerous mine openings, some closed off but most were not. Less than 1/2 mile from Inyo Mine we ran into a lifter Rubicon on 35s that said that he explored the mine, went up the trail to a dead end that was impassible and turned around.
Inyo Mine parking area.
Ore hopper.
Dug in hut and a table that displays pieces of glass and other items that visitors have found int he area.
Buildings one is still standing the one in the background collapsed.
Some sort of mixing tank that re-purposes a rear diff to turn the mixing screw.
Engine powered generator.
Collapsed and dilapidated structures.
Possibly a residential building.
Well preserved structure.
Inside of the house.
Other side of the house as well as bed frames.
View down narrow gauge rails down a mine.
View of one of the earlier structures from the other side.
Another hopper to a higher mine, much better preserved than the lower one because it's a 1/2 mile hike up a steep hill to it.
Narrow gauge tracks leading into the hopper.
Glimpse into the hopper.
Escape ladder which I did not want to test.
Tracks leading into the mine.
Look into the mine.
View out of the mine.
Square bolt on the generator shows the age.
We continued up Echo Canyon and finally found the impassible dead end that the Rubicon we ran into earlier and found a 6ft and 3-4 ft dry waterfalls with a couple really sharp turns between them. Made it up effortlessly, it was getting dark and I did not have time to take pictures however I did shoot a video of the entire Echo Canyon trail. We continued to Armagossa Valley then back home.
Have a couple videos that I will be working on this week.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
AlexCold
Observer
You may have posted this already but how do you pack for your trips? And how do you camp out? I'm just trying to get an idea of how to do it in the a suburban and get some information from someone who actually goes out with their family.
Thanks for all the sharing of your trips. It's really something I'm trying to integrate more in my life as well.
Thanks for all the sharing of your trips. It's really something I'm trying to integrate more in my life as well.
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
AlexCold,
That's a great question and I don't think I have ever mentioned anything about packing for trips. Packing for trips is the same whether we do a day trip, overnight or a week long adventure. Ultimately the Sub is set up to hop in and go on a trip at seconds notice only bringing diapers for the kids. I will break down what I have into three lists: vehicle recovery, safety/fun and daily needs.
Vehicle recovery equipment: this is tools, fluids and other parts that will be required to either get the vehicle unstuck, fixed in case of a break down or general maintenance that I forgot to do in town. Powerbuilt Unijack 6,000lbs, 120 ft of recovery straps, 35" spare tire, full set of wrenches, 12" and 18" crescent wrenches, screw drivers, 3lb hammer, tire patch and plug kits, 4ft of garden hose, hose clamps, gaff tape, electric tape, zip ties, 5quart jug of oil, 1 quart jug of diff fluid, fuses, 3 gallon jug of water, fuel transfer hose, extra tie rod, ratchet straps, bow saw, 18" breaker bar, set of short sockets, deep sockets of the common sizes in the truck, snow chains, air compressor, manual bike pump and 2 Colby emergency valve stems, shovel, volt meter.
Safety and fun equipment: that is for two reasons, I have a 1 and a 2 year old and I always have a way to get back from the farthest point away from civilization back to civilization. I also have a lot of toys that I keep in the truck year round to enjoy activities that i find along our adventures. Skis, boots, climbing skins, tracking poles, micro spike crampons, gaiters, waders, wet suit, snorkel, mask, fins, 180ft climbing rope, 2 harnesses, ascenders, caribinners, belay devices, 50ft of tubular webbing, quick links, zip line trolley, jogging stroller, kids hiking backpack, 2 adult sleeping bags, 2 kids sleeping bags, 2 ensolite pads, 2 sets of clothes for the kids, two adult sets of clothes including hardshell pants and jacket, lots of diapers and wipes, road atlas, national parks guide, compass, binoculars, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, MSR whisperlite international camping stove, fire log, white gas, mess kit, 4 nalgines, many plastic bags for trash, small roll of contractor grade trash bags, 6x8 tarp, paracord, 2 blankets, 4 pillows, 10-20 toys for the kids.
Daily needs: this includes perishable and non perishable items which should be enough to survive comfortably for up three days in case of an emergency. Cooler that fits a case of water and 1/2 case of gatorade, Dometic CF-018 car fridge, 6-8 MREs, box of Ritz crackers, 3lb bag of gummy bears, 1lb roll of summer sausage, 1 package of pita bread, 6 cans of chilli, 5 boxes of mac and cheese, box of fruit snacks for the kids, 2 kids cups, deodorant, bar soap, 2 dentist sample kits with toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, 2 camping chairs.
Holly cow, I just looked over this list and realized that it's a lot. I am sure there are other items that I forgot because they are tucked away in the truck until I need them and will remember when the need arises. Ski box on the roof houses all the light weight and bulky items. There is a lot of storage under the middle seats. Dometic fridge is usually behind the front passenger seat because the 1 year old does not need leg room. Left middle seat is folded and a cooler with drinks is immediately behind the center console. All kids clothes are behind the front passenger seat next to the fridge. All adult clothes are under the 3rd row, it's pretty amazing how much fits under there even though it looks like the 3rd row is touching the floor. Blankets and pillows are on the 3rd row, 2nd car seat is 3rd row drivers side. All toys and kids snacks fit into the pockets above wheel wells. All food, mess kit, camping stove are in the wheel well compartment wrapped in clothes so they don't rattle. Kid carrier backpack is in the ski box. Everything else is tucker away in all the secret spots all around the truck leaving the space behind 3rd row virtually empty.
This setup is great for both day trips as well as 2+ week long trips. For trips up to one week we change the setup a little bit. I remove the 3rd row and replace it with a twin or full futon mattress so we can sleep in the truck at our destination instead of of setting up a tent.
Hope this helps and I will get some camp pictures on the next overnight trip we do.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
Wow that's a lot of stuff. Right now I have a everything I need for recovery and survival (~72 hrs worth).
2 questions which you may or may not have already answered:
Is this also your daily driver?
Do you mind sharing some of these "nooks and crannies" around the burb to store stuff. Currently I am storing equipment a couple places but it seems like I am routinely finding new places to store stuff inside the truck. TIA
AlexCold
Observer
Thank you for explaining that. It's nice to get some info from someone who actually gets out there constantly and with children. There's a lot of cool info and builds but they all seem more geared to two people and not suitable for my case.
I would love to see photos of it too.
I would love to see photos of it too.
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
VIDEO: Mustard Canyon timelapse
This is a super enjoyable canyon in Death Valley Furnace Creek area that starts at the Harmony Borax Works and runs a couple miles to the paved road. This road is gravel and is the best maintained unpaved road in the park where it's passable in any vehicle.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
This is a super enjoyable canyon in Death Valley Furnace Creek area that starts at the Harmony Borax Works and runs a couple miles to the paved road. This road is gravel and is the best maintained unpaved road in the park where it's passable in any vehicle.
Stay tuned for more shenanigans!
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CrazyDrei,
I love your build and 37's work great on full size SUV's and trucks.
I have a question about your Patagonia MT's.....have they started to get any louder on the highway as they wear down a bit? I'm going to be needing a replacement set of 37" for my Excursion and want to get more feedback from somebody that has them on a similar sized truck as mine. I do a lot of highway driving so noise is a concern as it tends to cause fatigue after a 5-8 hour drive.
Did they balance out ok when you first had them mounted?
Thanks and I look forward to more of your adventures.
I love your build and 37's work great on full size SUV's and trucks.
I have a question about your Patagonia MT's.....have they started to get any louder on the highway as they wear down a bit? I'm going to be needing a replacement set of 37" for my Excursion and want to get more feedback from somebody that has them on a similar sized truck as mine. I do a lot of highway driving so noise is a concern as it tends to cause fatigue after a 5-8 hour drive.
Did they balance out ok when you first had them mounted?
Thanks and I look forward to more of your adventures.