BoldAdventures 2015 Power Wagon Build

[mikekey]

Well, still have some things to do. Like I don't have lights for this bumper. And a full write up and my thoughts on this bumper ... Which will be coming. For now, it works for Moab. Good enough and solid enough. We're heading out this late afternoon for the 10th Annaul Power Wagons in Moab event.

 

[mikekey]

Heading out to Moab to test all the latest modifications. Spending 14 days in town. Should arrive in about 45 mins.

 

[Kingsize24]

Looks great! Have fun.

 

[mikekey]

So got to Moab, and the first thing I did was put the truck through it's paces. Went up Strike Ravine.

 

[87GMCJimmy]

Absolutely great looking truck!!! LOVE the new front bumper!!!

 

[mikekey]

Absolutely great looking truck!!! LOVE the new front bumper!!!

Thanks man. I am really happy with the bumper and how it turned out. Just gotta get some new lights for her.

We ran Steel Bender Loop today and had a great time. Our track: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/hBpyQgMNl9tmjvtxYPt1TGTQ/?layer=CalTopo

 

[Tiki]

Great thread and while I love the PW, be awesome to hear the "rat life bug out" backstory! Something I think a lot of us could relate to!

 

[mikekey]

I've been so proud of how the truck has performed. Including doing things that were suppose to be IMPOSSIBLE in a full size. Including comments like, no F*ing way and you'll die and crush all your body panels. And yet, we have done them

The Moab Trifectia has finally been completed. Along with a host of other trails. Those completed this year

Poison Spider
Wedgy (obstacle)
Golden Spike
Launch Pad (obstacle)
Golden Crack (obstacle)
Gold Bar Rim
Waterfall (obstacle)
Hells Revenge
Hells Gate (obstacle)
Tip Over Challenge (obstacle)
Seven Mile Rim
Wipe Out Hill
Fins and Things
Top of the World
Steel Bender
Elphant Hill
The Squeeze (obstacle)

And because I know some wont' believe it, photos and videos.

Gold Bar Rim
The Waterfall

Golden Spike
Skyline Drive

Golden Crack

Seven Mile
Silver Crack

Wipe Out Hill

Hells Revenge
Hells Gate

Don't want to turn this totally into a bragging post, so I'll save more photos for my bumper comments, which I'll write up shortly.

 

[mikekey]

Love that we got the truck with the upgrades on Top of the World again.

 

[mikekey]

Driving across Golden Crack the first time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w0FZ3oGqoQ

Driving across Golden Crack second time. (Bad line in this video, my poor back bumper. Oh well)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znl06TlfZhQ

Launch Pad
https://www.facebook.com/pwinmoab/videos/1806622709652100/

 

[rgregg08]

How are Fins and Things and Top of the World? Going take our PW to Moab in Oct and have been diving into the trail list to find the PW friendly ones to mix in between hiking and what not.

 

[mikekey]

How are Fins and Things and Top of the World? Going take our PW to Moab in Oct and have been diving into the trail list to find the PW friendly ones to mix in between hiking and what not.

Fins and Things is a lot of fun. Very easy to do with the PW. Even Hells Revenge. I did both trails last year as well, stock.

My total list of trails I did stock.

Poison Spider
Wedgy (obstacle)
Hells Revenge
Hells Gate (obstacle)
Tip Over Challenge (obstacle)
Top of the World
Elphant Hill
The Squeeze (obstacle)

I wouldn't recommend doing Poison Spider without sliders now. Top of the world was easier last year stock than this year modified. I was surprised this year by how much the trail has changed. It's a dirt/rock trail, so I guess the amount of traffic at the EJS really took it's toll. It was tore up. We did the whole loop this year, and went up the "hard" side first and down the "easy" side. And it was the "easy" side that suprised me. It wasn't that tore up last year.

If you take your time, it's still easily doable. Just will require more spotting and thinking about lines. Or if you have sliders, you'll tap them a lot more. Really was surprised by that.

Overall though, Top of the World is worth it.

If you do Fins, you might as well do Hells Revenge. Hells is a cake walk with the long wheelbase. We watched Jeepers almost flip for 20 mins on Tip Over Challenge and then drove right over it in under a minute like it was nothing. LWB advantage kicks in a lot in Moab.

If you want to take in some sights, I highly recommend you go drive the Shafer Switchbacks out to the White Rim. While White Rim takes longer than a day, you can always drive down and out and turn around after some exploring. The views in Canyonlands are worth it. Spectacular.

I need to update my build thread here. But have been busy posting all our media on the Power Wagons in Moab FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pwinmoab/

 

[mikekey]

Just slapped together a little highlight reel from our 15 days in Moab.

 

[rgregg08]

Great info thanks! Adding them to our trip list as those were high on our to do list! We have been trying to pick a few trails that aren't to high on the probability for real damage or true rock crawler style but still fun (if that makes since), it has been difficult to distinguish between truck friendly ones vs strictly Jeep/Taco trails.

Sliders are next, been going back and forth on which ones but thinking its going to be Aluminess.

Fins and Things is a lot of fun. Very easy to do with the PW. Even Hells Revenge. I did both trails last year as well, stock.

My total list of trails I did stock.

Poison Spider
Wedgy (obstacle)
Hells Revenge
Hells Gate (obstacle)
Tip Over Challenge (obstacle)
Top of the World
Elphant Hill
The Squeeze (obstacle)

I wouldn't recommend doing Poison Spider without sliders now. Top of the world was easier last year stock than this year modified. I was surprised this year by how much the trail has changed. It's a dirt/rock trail, so I guess the amount of traffic at the EJS really took it's toll. It was tore up. We did the whole loop this year, and went up the "hard" side first and down the "easy" side. And it was the "easy" side that suprised me. It wasn't that tore up last year.

If you take your time, it's still easily doable. Just will require more spotting and thinking about lines. Or if you have sliders, you'll tap them a lot more. Really was surprised by that.

Overall though, Top of the World is worth it.

If you do Fins, you might as well do Hells Revenge. Hells is a cake walk with the long wheelbase. We watched Jeepers almost flip for 20 mins on Tip Over Challenge and then drove right over it in under a minute like it was nothing. LWB advantage kicks in a lot in Moab.

If you want to take in some sights, I highly recommend you go drive the Shafer Switchbacks out to the White Rim. While White Rim takes longer than a day, you can always drive down and out and turn around after some exploring. The views in Canyonlands are worth it. Spectacular.

I need to update my build thread here. But have been busy posting all our media on the Power Wagons in Moab FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pwinmoab/

 

[mikekey]

So we outfitted the truck and did our first camping trip in years! Wife and I haven't been camping since 2013. We don't really count living in or traveling in the Airstream as camping.

We had a really great time, but came to a few conclusions moving forward. We want to build a custom rack and add a RTT to the truck. Ground camping just isn't for us anymore.

Over Memorial day weekend we attempted to do the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route, however most of it was all closed and we got turned around on the sections what were suppose to be open. And we helped one person recover their vehicle.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUpvgp-DfXD/?taken-by=boldadventure