AdventureTaco - turbodb's build and adventures

[turbodb]

I've had good luck putting a large diameter section of heat shrink over the coils and shrinking it down. It won't shrink down enough to seal water out, but it will help keep things from getting stuck in the coils.

Thanks! I've had that suggested by a couple folks now. The problem for me is that the coil area would still get hung up on the low branches. I've recently found a 1/4 wave whip that I think I'm going to give a try. Wont have quite the range, but I'll carry both for those times when I need as much range as possible.

 

[turbodb]

...It was as though someone had taken the brightest yellow paint available, mixed it with sunlight, and spread it throughout the landscape. We were truly lucky to be here - a week before or after and we'd have missed this spectacular display!

Read all about it in F.U.Rain Day 5 - Amazing Aspen and Electrical Storms

 

[turbodb]

I'd slept well through the rain, earplugs doing their job to mute the noise of the drops on the tent. But they did little to soften that first clap of thunder. It wasn't until the next flash of lightning that I could count the delay - about 8 seconds - not too bad.

But then more lightning. And more. It was constant, as the wind continued to whip at the tent. And it was getting closer. 7 seconds. Then 5. Eventually, I could barely...

Read all about it in F.U.Rain Day 6 - Less Than Two Seconds

 

[turbodb]

The view here was even better than the last. I suppose I'd have known what it looked like if I'd checked it out online before the trip, but it was such a nice surprise to see it for the first time when I arrived in person.

read the whole story and see many more photos at
F.U.Rain Day 7 - We Arrive at Alstrom Point

 

[turbodb]

...We'd spent a good amount of time on this canyon crossing and we had a way to go before we reached the Grand Bench. Our discussion now - given the clearly impending rain and weather warnings on the ham radio - was about whether we wanted to camp at Grand Bench or try to make it out and back through this section of trail before the ground was saturated.

Ultimately, we decided that either way we were going to Grand Bench, and that we better get on it. So we did.

read the whole story, and see 50+ photos in
F.U.Rain Day 8 - The Grand Bench is a Grand Mess

 

[turbodb]

...Finally, we spotted the main wash through the canyon. Still a half mile or more away, it was clear to us at this point that we were likely to have a problem - the wash, which had been completely dry the day before, was a rushing river, all the washes we'd passed so far feeding into it...

F.U.Rain Day 9 - "Seriously?"

 

[turbodb]

The slot canyons were amazing!

As we wrapped up our exploration and pulled back onto the road toward camp we stumbled across The Devil's Garden - a "garden" of hoodoo's (and one arch), brilliant orange against the late afternoon sky and clouds...

Read the story and see all the photos at F.U.Rain Day 10 - The Slot Canyon's of Grand Staircase-Escalante

 

[turbodb]

...And then, a change of scenery. The Burr Trail continued south at this point to Bullfrog, a town we'd visit later on the trip - but we were headed east, towards the Henry Mountains - now seemingly so close we could touch them.

We stopped, to admire.

Read the full story at F.U.Rain Day 11 - We Follow the Burr Trail to the Henry Mountains

 

[turbodb]

A leisurely lunch behind us, we headed back up the boat ramp ... we had an important place to be - Bears Ears National Monument - a location we wanted to visit in its current form, before any reductions have time to affect the land (Wikipedia).

Along our route, Monte had noticed a horseshoe bend in the Colorado River and marked it on our maps. We had no idea if there'd be an access road or not, so we were excited when one presented itself, even if there was a half-mile hike at the end in order to see the large meander...

Read the whole story and see the photos in F.U.Rain Day 12 - Walloped by Wind, We Head to Bears Ears

 

[1leglance]

Such a great write up and pics...
Normally I don't go directly to someone's blog but yours is fantastic, keep up the strong work.

 

[turbodb]

...And then it was my turn. Having watched the two guys in front of me, I picked my line and watched my speed. Halfway across, I could feel the water rushing down the wash, the truck slipping ever-so-slightly downstream as it fought for traction. And then, I was out!

Read the whole story and see what all the fuss was about in
F.U.Rain Day 13 - Our Dangerous Move Into Capitol Reef National Park

 

[turbodb]

...Our campfire that night was one of our best of the trip. With two bundles of wood, we kept it burning hot - the heat helping to cut the chill of what was clearly going to be a clear, cold night. As we had the night before, talk was of our favorite parts of the trip and places to which we wanted to return - either to re-explore or see in more depth - the list long enough for several more trips!

Read all about it in F.U.Rain Day 14, 15 - Impassable Roads and Unforgettable Memories

 

[turbodb]

Rig Review: F.U.Rain Trip - What worked and what didn't?

Rig Review is a new type of post that I'm going to try to write up after most trips, where I'll note any things that worked really well, or could have been better. The idea has always been to optimize the Tacoma build and setup over time, so there's nothing really new from that perspective.

I won't talk about everything I've got going on - just new equipment to the trip and/or any outliers that deserve a mention. At the very least, I figure that long-term, real-world reviews of the products I use are good for everyone!

October 16, 2018.

F.U.Rain 2018 was two more weeks in the wild, hot on the heels of The Re-Tour. The truck once again performed well, getting me everywhere I needed to be with relative ease. The difference with this trip was the wet and muddy weather. Certain pieces of kit worked well in those situations, while others ...didn't.

Coleman Camp Stove/Grill (new this trip)

I like this new Coleman Camp Stove/Grill. Seems to have the benefits of a smaller camp stove from a packing and propane usage perspective, while retaining the ability to grill (for a family of 3-4). Definitely better than the previous setup. Two non-ideal things that I'll need to fix over time: the dials for the burners seem overly sensitive - they seem to have "off" and "high." More importantly though, the latches to keep the wind screens attached to the top are very easily dislodged, causing the whole thing to "fall apart." It's loud, and inconvenient, though doesn't affect the cook performance.

​

Military Medical Storage Containers (new this trip)

These are some new containers that I got on a recommendation from Monte @Blackdawg, because they fit well in the bed of a first gen Tacoma. I've got to say, so far I'm impressed. They are relatively light (for their size), waterproof, and durable. Oh, and they fit really well in the bed (as expected).

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Stealth Custom Series (SCS) Stealth6 Wheels (long term)
TL;DR - I love the look of these Stealth6's, but I'm on the hunt for new wheels; or at least some solution to the amount of mud that gets thrown into/onto the truck when I run around in wet weather.

I've really loved the look of the SCS Stealth6 wheels since I installed them. They are 16"x8" with 3.5" backspacing, which means they sit about an inch further outboard than stock wheels. That means that in muddy terrain, the mud gets everywhere, since they protrude an inch or so past the fender flares.

Apparently I haven't been on a really muddy trip since I installed them, until the F.U.Rain 2018 trip. Actually, it's probably more correct to say that the type of mud was different on this trip - it was clay-based, and so clumps up in the tires, gets flung up into the air, and then sticks to whatever it lands on - in my case, the sides of the truck, the roof, the windshield, and the bed (the parts that aren't fully covered by the tent).

When I returned from the last trip, I had over 13 gallons of dry mud I removed from the truck before I even started washing it, and another 10+ gallons that were removed by the pressure washer. It was a colossal mess - especially in the bed, where it gets on everything - and an issue I want to solve moving forward.

I don't as yet know how. New wheels? Bigger fender flares? A combination?

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CVT Roof Top Tent - Rubber Cover Zipper (long term)
The zipper for the rubber cover got dirty (muddy, not dusty) and that made it really hard to get closed. I'm going to clean it well, and then keep an eye on it over time, since I've never had an issue with it before.

Seemingly solved from previous Rig Reviews

1. The Coleman Classic Camp Stove and Lodge Cast Iron Grill/Griddle - details above.

Unchanged from previous Rig Reviews
There are some things that have been featured in Rig Reviews that are - as yet - unchanged from when I originally reviewed them. Rather than highlight those things again, I'll simply link to them here.

1. The Swing-Out Table - as expected, it was unusable on this trip.
2. The Electrical System - continues to have the limitations of a single battery system.
3. The Ham Radio Antenna - continues to have the shortcoming mentioned.
4. The CVT Roof Top Tent - stargazer windows in the rain fly continued to be a significant issue.

 

[Todd780]

I have that same Coleman stove and agree on the 'Off' and 'High' setting for the dials. Also, I find the valve stem attachment that connects the propane to the stove can be finicky when trying to screw it into the stove.

 

[turbodb]

I have that same Coleman stove and agree on the 'Off' and 'High' setting for the dials. Also, I find the valve stem attachment that connects the propane to the stove can be finicky when trying to screw it into the stove.

Yeah, the valve stem is finicky as well. I don't have as much trouble, but @mrs.turbodb does for sure! I've considered taking it apart to inspect the burner valves. I wonder if they are at all tweakable...