Dreadlocks outfitting of InTech Discover

[dreadlocks]

Just got back from our first expedition w/this rig, and everything was awesome.. This was more of a scouting expedition, normally we have much more time.. but with the 2yro and my Pyrenees getting at the end of his life this was more of a driving tour w/less hiking/backpacking than we normally do.

First Stop: Mesa Verde National Park
Hit a deer on the way out there ? luckily just a dent in the hood, deer walked off and everything in the trailer was at the front.. was doing 60mph, hit him at <20mph.. did my best, came out allright.
Did a few hikes, and spent a day relaxing.




Second Stop: Four Corners Monument
Wife got some art, Son got some arrowheads, I got high in 4 different states



Third Stop: North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park
Spent a few days here, dispersed camping.. awesome weather. Did some hikes, and wheeled the Audi out to Sublime Point.. got a bunch of pinstripes and had a grand ole time.
Was quite overwhelmed, I suffer from Vertigo.. and I had kids and a mostly blind dog w/me.. so anxiety was always high.. I was underprepared for how overwhelming this place is.. decided never going back again w/kids or dogs, and gonna spent more time in the canyon and not on the rim.



Fourth Stop: Zion National Park
This place was packed and full of people, we just drove through on a scouting mission and decided it was worth coming back during off season.. Lots of blond haired, blue eyed mormon milfs... Figured out we can cook a crockpot meal while driving!

 

[dreadlocks]

Fifth Stop: Bryce Canyon National Park
Spent two nights here, did some hiking, driving and relaxing among the hoodoos.. note to self, stock up on beer before Utah.



Sixth Stop: Capitol Reef National Park
Just drove through, checking it out and taking scenic route home.



Seventh Stop: North Fruita Desert
Needed a place to crash for the night, desert storms most of the night made it quite exciting.. Decided we need to come back to this place with a load of dirt bikes for more time.



Finally made it back home, but not before driving through white out conditions in Summit County and covering the trailer in dirt/mud.

 

[shade]

decided never going back again w/kids or dogs, and gonna spent more time in the canyon and not on the rim.

Glad you're back after a happy trip!

In the canyon is where you want to be. If you've never hiked down, I highly suggest you start with the main corridor routes for a Rim-Rim-Rim, and read Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon.

 

[shade]

Sixth Stop: Capitol Reef National Park

You could have a great day running the Cathedral Valley loop on your bikes. I love that park.

 

[dreadlocks]

Glad you're back after a happy trip!

In the canyon is where you want to be. If you've never hiked down, I highly suggest you start with the main corridor routes for a Rim-Rim-Rim, and read Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon.

Yeah thats what we figured out, but I'm not carrying the baby on my back up and down that kinda elevation change.. and my oldest isint even old enough for a Donkey ride either.. so we'll come back on an Anniversary trip and enjoy the park w/out all the anxiety kids.

And that happens to be the exact book my wife is reading in the photo of her sitting next to the fire pit.. made damn sure I always set my parking brake lol.

You could have a great day running the Cathedral Valley loop on your bikes. I love that park.

I didnt even know it existed until we were route planning back, but yeah.. we'll be back to all these parks, dedicating much more time to enjoy em than blasting through many of em.. Southern Utah is just amazing.

 

[dreadlocks]

Trip Stats:
- Days: 8
- Miles: ~1600
- Average Fuel Economy: 16.4 MPG
- Max Temp: 72F
- Min Temp: 18F
- Water Consumed: ~45 Gallons (includes fire douse)
- Total Solar Generation: 5kWh
- Cumulative AH Drawn: -475AH
- Discharged Energy: 6.2kWh
- Deepest Discharge: -57AH
- Average Discharge: -51AH
- LP Consumed: ~8 gallons (refilled 30# once)

Spottings:
- 4 Diesel 4x4 Vans w/Euro Registrations (Sprinters, Eurovans)
- 1 EarthCruiser
- 1 MOG w/Euro Registration
- 5 Westfallias
- 1 Audi Q7 w/Camper just a few sites away, weird.
- 1 Unidentified Spacecraft in tow

Creatures:
- 2x Bald Eagles
- 1x Golden Eagle
- 8x Grouse
- 30+ Deer
- 30+ Buffalo
- 50+ Wild Horses


Here is an APRS track for last 7 days, the leg out to Mesa Verda was aged out and not captured.


And here is a good illustration of how hard solar is on the road, every day was good sun conditions.. yet this is how much it varied throughout the trip w/both panels deployed:

 

[mep1811]

Nice trip report Thanks

 

[TantoTrailers]

Not sure why it took me so long to sub to your thread! Good stuff! I hiked Zion and Bryce a few years ago and it was amazing.

 

[RickLB]

I’m definitely following this cause I have a intechrv Flyer pursue. Guess I need to get off my lazy butt and get some solar on the roof. Very interesting thread and thanks for taking us along on your trip.

 

[alia176]

Great trip, report, didn't read every page but loved the pics on the couple of pages I did look at. I can't reconcile a dreadlock guy and an Audi! What an interesting vibe, to say the least.

 

[dreadlocks]

if it helps, I just think of the audi as a really nice volkswagen..

 

[alia176]

if it helps, I just think of the audi as a really nice volkswagen..

Ok, that does help.

 

[dreadlocks]

Original plan was to get a Diesel Touareg when I gave em back my Golf, but they stopped putting air suspension on the later models, and I really needed more an avant length for my doggos.. so the Q7 was the natural choice, the fact that nobody's seen a battle ready Q7 was just icing on the cake.

It tows this trailer exceptionally well, super comfortable and mountain climbing torque all day long w/out ever feeling like I'm beating on it.. The Air Suspension gives me a bit more clearance than most stock Jeeps when cranked up, and the 8spd paired with the diesel crawls around nicely for not having a low speed transfer case.. its far more capable than even I suspected, right now its limits are my old lady.. she wont let me toss her around all day long like the old days w/our Wrangler so best I get anymore is a few interesting obstacles before she starts giving me the stink eye.

 

[dreadlocks]

ayup, here's the design for the next phase I'm working on.. decided to rebuild some cabinetry over the off season, mount my repeater/vhf in it properly and put a 7in touchscreen display.. so got alot of work to get done before next spring heh.

 

[shade]

Keep it up, and those Dutch chaps are going to start subbing schematics out to you.