Well am back in Vancouver... several days sooner than I wanted to be. Went to Seattle on Wednesday (camped just outside of Seattle), then up to Bellingham on Friday. Spent Saturday wheeling with friends out by Harrison Hot Springs then had a BBQ and watched the end of the hockey game. I left the trailer at a friends place. Only damage was a crushed valve stem on the rear drivers side tire. No worries... run the spare. Oh and discovered that my overheating issue isn't my engine, but my transmission. I can play all day in 4lo with zero issues (up to about 35km - then it heats up again), but some hills or time spent in 4hi and it gets real hot very fast. Temp doesn't move more than a degree or so at idle.
I left that evening around 8pm for Sloquet... 80km down a FSR... with no signs and tons of off shoots... and no map or directions or a clue where the **** I was going (yeah I'm smart that way). However with some lucky *** guesses (theres several off shoots that are just as well worn as the 'main' road) I made it. Only turned around once (after I made the turn for the hot springs). Arrived at 130am. The place was packed, but a couple guys invited me to park/camp with them. Tent went up in minutes, and slept all night.
Brent and his buddy (can't remember his name) were on motor bikes... so I offered cold beer that night, and hot coffee in the morning. They were very happy. Hot springs were great. Sunday was gorgeous. Did little other than sit in the sun and read my book, chop wood for that evening and sit in the hot springs with my book and a beer. Now that's what I was looking forward to.
Unfortunately that nice weather wouldn't last... started raining Sunday evening. I quickly put up some tarps and continued to enjoy my spiked hot chocolate by the fire with my book. A side note... I need new lums (I think thats what they're called - the bulb for a propane lantern). The normal ones only seem to last one time before they get too brittle and break - I'm sure the very very bumpy road doesn't help. Anyone have suggestions?
Decided that I wasn't sticking around in the rain - I would have needed a bigger tarp and more rope. So decided to head to Lillooet. Another 80km of FSR - all of which was very bumpy. Made it to the highway... however decided that with how my tranny was acting up that I was going to have to spend 1 maybe 2 days in the shop as I wasn't comfortable going up into the hills around Lillooet, so I booked an apt in Vancouver with the dealer, and headed for Vancouver. 3km down the road (highway, however a 60km zone) I'm feeling vibrations from the drivers side rear tire... So I stop and check things out... everything looks okay (not flat or anything). So I head down the road again... however after a minute or so the vibrations are worse (I only noticed them at about 40km +). So I stop again to see what the heck is going on... well it turns out that all the lug nuts came loose and I had sheered one off. I tightened the remaining 4 and trucked on. Good news is I'm running a wheel spacer, so I can yank the spacer until I get a new one. I don't need a spacer on the rear other than for looks. But am pissed with myself. I had tightened them around 55-60km (after swapping the spare), but didn't check them again. And was going faster, and over a bumpier road than I was previously.
So am now back in Vancouver, and have a couple days to kill. Jeep goes into the shop on Wednesday (dealer says they need 1 maybe 1.5/2 days with it) and then on Friday I head north to Quesnel for my cousins wedding. But in general am frustrated - somewhat with myself for not checking the lug nuts again, and with the jeep in general. There were several places I wanted to check out that it doesn't look like I'll have time to now. Depending on when I get the jeep back (and assuming what they're planning on doing to the tranny will solve the issue) then I might have time, but it would be a very quick look see.
Now that said... trailer preformed great. I can't wait to get it home to get the extra wheels and whatnot out of it (there's currently 2 full size brand new spare stock m101 wheels and tires - not sure what I'll do with those - if anyone is in Van and wants them, make me an offer and they're yours), and my 3 16" Moab wheels plus all my camping crap. I thought there was tons of space now... I won't know what to do with it all next time I go out!! But am very very happy with the purchase. I took a couple pics (not many) but they're on the camera so I'll try to upload them later.
