GCRAD1's ADV80

[GCRad1]

ADV80 does work at King Of The Hammers 2013

Sorry this is several months old, but to keep everything on chronological order, I will proceed forward attempting to make it an interesting read and visually stimulating.

In preparation for KOH, Axial R/C Inc., would be having its first ever booth at the event. The booth would include a demo area and I needed to get some tools together and sorted. I wanted to make sure my tools made it back home with me so I went with TRD red to mark them.

I found an old metal gas can at a yard sale for FIVE BUCKS!!!

It was missing the gasket, but I've made a few before in the past and had the leftover material to doctor it right up. As we would practically be out in the dessert for a whole week, we will need fuel for the generator.

I'm going to be feeding the crew for the week as well, so I'm off to one of my favorite stores! I found that I can feed a crew with Mountain House food as we drove the 1/10th scale Axial SCX10 over a 3-Day Trek across the Rubicon Trail. If you are into R/C vehicles and big adventure you can read about this little trek and feeding four hungry men Mountain House for the first time on the Axial website blog: http://www.axialracing.com/blog_posts?cat=814

Plain and simple, the food is good and easy to prepare! So I stock up for the crew.

Next stop is Woodhill Firewood in Irvine off Bake Parkway. This is the cheapest wood I have found in Orange County so check them out at:
Woodhill Firewood
Address: 16321 Bake Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: 949.837-9663
Hours: Sunday hours 9:00 am–4:00 pm
And they even have an active FaceBook page!
https://www.facebook.com/WoodhillFirewood

So, why does the ADV80 not have pull-out drawer system and fancy frig?

Because my rig has to do WORK!

Load up a few more items and its off from Orange County toward Johnson Valley via the 10FWY and see my landmarks and hang a left up the step hill Twentynine Palms Highway (62) to Yucca Valley. Hang a left on HWY247 and onward to Johnson Valley. Everyone is going to the same place.

HAMMERTOWN!!! And I did say grab a few more things... ADV80 is loaded top to bottom!

 

[GCRad1]

ADV80 does work at King Of The Hammers 2013 - Part: 2

This is where I will be working for the week! Look at all that FLAT GROUND! We can't have that!

Everything is removed from ADV80 so we can move stuff around and collect stuff to add to our stuff moved around... Know what I mean?!

The flat ground in the above image is converted to the not-so-flat ground in the below image:

Playground!!

Once the playground is setup for R/C action, I get to play media and also get to cart around some media personal in the ADV80 for close access to the full-size race action. Did you notice the big rock in the above image under the Toyota? I was watching it get move around with each passing rig and the black Toyota just buckaroo bounced right over it, but it shifted more into the left trench and the drivers could not see the boulder over the drop ledge...

But here it is!

Now we know why our little sport has grown to large diameter tires as they just bounce right off making the rock a seemingly small obstacle.

Night falls and we head over to Backdoor for the non-KOH / non-competition free-for-all activity.

And it does not dissapoint as we had first time guest with us and they witness their first rollover. For those of you who have never been, just look at that last image and notice the rock wall lit by the blue light and notice the tire size, this is big stuff!
You won't find me putting the ADV80 up in here!

But my Falken Wild Peak tires could handle it!

Here is the Falken Team from Japan running basically the same tire just custom cut for for a more aggressive bite.

Sorry this post was not chock with more ADV80 images but I thought you would like to see that my rig gets used in action. Its not just a daily parking lot show commuter.

 

[GCRad1]

Johnson Valley & Joshua Tree Family Trip - February 2013

It was not a week later from going to King of the Hammers and the family and I load up and head back out to the desert to enjoy the warm weather. I guess that is what happens when you get to see and taste all this stuff while working and its just a taste. While Johnson Valley can be a bit on the rough and wild side I thought I would also get the family over into Joshua Tree as we had never been over there. Well, I haven't as I did not grow up here but my wife had growing up with her family, so it was a good time for us to go and with our kids!

We left Orange County late and we decided to just grab a bite to eat in town before dropping off the grid into Johnson Valley. We are on HWY247 just into the town of Joshua Tree and stop at Crossroad Cafe for what we discover as a great little restaurant and bar. Their address: 61715 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree, CA 92252

Great atmosphere and I am intrigued with their wood framed screen door.

Dinner is done...

ADV80 is loaded and ready to head to the desert!

Earlier in the week at KOH - HAMMERTOWN, I picked up this cool TJM LED light and tossed it into the rig so we could test it out on this trip. With all girls in tow, you can never have enough lights!

Once in the desert and to make the rig ride with more comfort...

I air down the Falken Wild Peaks. I have been very happy with these tires.While shuttling media during KOH and navigating some tricky passes, my confidence is at new highs as the added 4:88 Nitro Gears worked great. More float from the larger tires and more grunt from the gears compared to last year this time when I was on 32" tires and stripped the otter flange.

When shuttle media the week before I spotted this little valley and a spot with a couple of large rocks that I thought would make for a great location for a quick stay and be isolated from the surround area's popular in Johnson Valley, yet relatively close and I knew how to get there in the dark.

As soon as we get to the location I get a fire going and start setting up the tents.
The girls drag into bed and the wife and I hang out by the fire and check out the stars.

 

[GCRad1]

Johnson Valley & Joshua Tree Family Trip - February 2013 - Part: 2

Next morning:

We get up make breakfast and scout around camp before we break it down. From here we are going to go back over the Johsua Tree and check into the info center and see what JT has to offer. We know it will not be off-roading, but it should be a good time for the family. So before we do that I have a couple of spots to show the family.

Chocolate Thunder is a big attraction for King of the Hammers competition arena and dedicated weekend worriers alike. This is looking out over the valley east of Hammertown. For me, my rig has not place in those nasty rocks that lay behind us. But, all along the left side is what seems to be a massive sand hill. Earlier in the week I notice another media crew getting up higher using a back route and thought I would attempt to get up there. I did... scared myself a little as it was up higher than I had previously made it up with my mate during KOH. But I did not realize how far I had made it up until we got up there! The fun part is coming down the long sand hill as the decent is pretty step and the kids equated it to a roller coster size drop.

Next stop is across the valley to Backdoor.

We climb up to give the girls a glimpse of what the monster rigs are climbing up.

On the way out of Johnson Valley I like to try and take a new way out and we cut towards Joshua Tree from the Hammertown Drylake. I see trails and know the general direction will get us there and we do come out into the Johnson Valley dirt road neighborhood. We had to stop and take pictures of this yardscape!

Over to the Joshua Tree Visitors Center and we get the 411 on first time visits. We make our way down to Jumbo Rocks Campground to set up before nightfall. We all love the rock scrambling that seems to be endless all throughout Joshua Tree. Its easy to see why this is the number one free climbing spot that everyone comes here for and is also evident when walking about looking at everyones camp setups - they are here to climb!!!

February is still chilly at night in the Southern California desert but my troop is good with it!

Camping at Jumbo Rocks would set us up to visit Skull Rock nearby the following day.We see the Skull Rock and decide to do some more exploring around the area. We find some cool trails and start cutting our own paths.

We came to this one area were it was we either turn back or I get to show my family how to decend the v-crack. Nothing major, but the girls had a blast learning some basic skills.

Back at the ADV80 and as we are loading up, I spot it!

Look closely over the top of my rig, you can make part of it out but look at how well it blends in color wise!

OH MY!!! Look at this cool rig!

One more stop:

I spend a few minutes setting the little pocket camera up making use of small rocks to hold the camera in place so we can get the group family shot. Mission accomplished.

Poor ADV80 is not getting enough dirt road action at all on this Joshua Tree trip. I did however locate a dirt road for later use and exploration but I will do that when I have some buddies along.

We on our way back home from a nice couple of days in the desert and we vowed to explore more of Joshua Tree as it was just a nice relaxing place to go wit the family.

Back out on the 10FWY and into the wind!

And back to the overcrowded civilization of Southern California!

 

[GCRad1]

ADV80 Quick Trip again to Johnson Valley - DO WORK!

In April we had a quick one day trip to what would seem like our favorite place and is for many. FOr myself, I've been to this one place too many times already as the desert is large and I hate going to the same place over and over when there is so much more to see. But it is what it is and we just have to get our work done!

Can anyone name this section of rock?


How about this, does this give you a clue?

We are at Backdoor again in Johnson Valley. Does the scale of the rig seem a little off compared to the rocks?

It should...

Here is my co-working shooting what would become the master images for the box and press release of the Axial Jeep® Wrangler Wraith-Poison Spyder Rock Racer 1/10th Scale Electric 4WD - RTR. We went out for an overnight meeting with Larry, owner of Poison Spyder and to shoot all of the collateral plus shoot the product video as seen here:

We finish our vid/pho-shooting and get over to Chocolate Thunder as we hear something going on over there mid-week.

It's mid-week and this dude is down from Santa Cruz just getting his crawl on!

So funny how this stretch of sand is right next to the rough and rugged rocks of Chocolate Thunder. This image looks more like a Dakar shot and I am quite happy with that!

Our job is done and we are headed home:

We are on HWY62 going west. Palm Springs is just minutes away on the left. The mountain ahead is Mt San Jacinto. To the right is Beaumount, California.

Sorry to be showing you all this Jeep stuff, but it takes my Land Cruiser to put all this into action! Long Live the ADV80!!!

 

[Driver-Navigator]

Nice reports! Thanks for taking the time to share, I enjoyed reading through it all.

 

[NM-Frontier]

Thanks for the reply. Looks like you have a very fun job! Still can't decide 285s and stock gears (my current set up) or 315s and 488s (seems popular), thanks for the insight on your set up.
Also still waiting for a R/C 80!:sombrero:

 

[mattafact]

Thanks for the reply. Looks like you have a very fun job! Still can't decide 285s and stock gears (my current set up) or 315s and 488s (seems popular), thanks for the insight on your set up.
Also still waiting for a R/C 80!:sombrero:

I have 255/85/16s on Tundra steelies with stock gearing and it's a great combo. On my first cruiser I had 35x12.5x15s (barely fit over the calipers) and it was fine with stock gearing. Once I went to 37s I really felt the need to regear though it was still driveable stock. That was on a 93 with 275k miles, FWIW.

 

[GCRad1]

ADV80 does no frills - no fuss vacation!

Again, getting the ADV80 thread up to speed...
It's April and my ADV80 does a quick family vacation beach camp not too far down the road in Dana Point. We wanted to camp, be close to home as it would just be an overnighter. We also wanted the "perfect" weather and just relax with no frills or fuss.

Its my birthday weekend! I would like to take off on some expansive ground covering exploratory weekend, but my dead president printer ran out of ink and the decimals are moving to the left in my global digital monitory holdings system. So improvise it is! A camping trip calls for firewood and Dana Point campgrounds have fire rings so a stop to my spot is in order! Woodhill Firewood! 16321 Bake Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92618 • (949) 837-9663

Dana Point has this campground that is pretty nice considering the fact this is prime Southern Location property. It is located within the Doheny State Beach located to probably the best place to learn to long board surf spots as well. Doheny is the original spot where Cars & Coffee use to be until it outgrew the space there. Doheny State Beach is two parks in one with camping in the southern area (with some campsites only steps away from the beach) and day use in the northern area, where there is a five-acre lawn with picnic facilities and volleyball courts. Surfing is popular, but is restricted to the north end of the beach. Surf fishing is also popular.

If you sort your reservations early and pay attention to the map, you can score yourself some prime beach front real-estate and promptly propped up my REI passage 2 2-man tent on the sands of the left coast for the evening! I think we paid $65 dollars for our spot and most of these spots are RV accessible too. Yes, this is not free Yellow Posting camping... this s prime southern California real-estate. And we only have a handful of quick easily accessible beach camping spots in southern California.

RELAX - CHILL and soak up my $65 dollars worth! Mission accomplished!

 

[nuclearlemon]

looks like awesome adventures. this summer has been very lacking for us. we did rubithon and last weekend did a short day trip in our 1962 and that's it

btw, don't spend too much money at your favorite store...rei is one of the biggest contributors to anti ohv groups and causes.

 

[GCRad1]

Noted - REI = "biggest contributors to anti ohv groups and causes."

I need find another source for Mountain House then! And my Forestry Service passes each year. $35 at the Forestry Service and $27 at REI as I am a member... I just need to annie up! Thanks for the insight!

 

[lt1fire]

Yeah I won't shop there anymore due to that. Also why I gave up one of my most favorite beers, sierra nevada.


Great pics Rodney

 

[nuclearlemon]

i gave up new belgium brewing (fat tire, sunshine wheat, etc)

 

[Driver-Navigator]

I need find another source for Mountain House then!

You can buy direct from Mountain House on their website... And they periodically offer some good deals there too.

 

[Social Casualty]

I've been purchasing from Freeze Dry Guy for the past couple years and have been quite pleased. http://m.freezedryguy.com/