Joinin' the Montero Club with a Gen 2.5

[mapper]

Awesome trip and reports. We need more like this! :26_7_2:

That group driving the Suburban may have been rushing things a bit too. Hitting a rock at speed will cause some damage quick. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if my Volvo wagon has more sidewall than a stock, new Burb.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

So the biggest question I have is, did you guys bring a fishing rod and use it?

 

[jlocster]

El Norte, Part V

Sorry for the delay in posting the rest of the trip...once I got back to civilization, life got in the way.

Anyway, when I last left off, we had made the journey back down from Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks. The plan was next to travel towards Anchorage, en-route to Denali, and then head down to Seward to see some glaciers.

Before leaving Fairbanks, as Southern California natives, we realized we had gone too long between tacos and margaritas. Our waitress at the El Dorado Bar and Grill was a self-proclaimed "Meximo"...half Mexican, half Eskimo.

After margaritas came Reflections and that's all I'll say about that. If you have to know, Google it.

And then we were off to Anchorage, where I had my oil changed at Dean's Automotive. Dean was a great guy and didn't bat an eye when I told him I'd like to provide the oil and filter (Mobil 1, Napa Gold). I'm picky like that.

Denali Bound

My cursory visit to Denali NP, left me unimpressed, sad to say. If you want to see the park by car, you're confined to a tour bus which creates a very "curated" visitor experience, with every tourist fumbling over their cameras and trying to crowd out their neighbors over the same photo op. I guess with the sheer volume of people the park attracts, it's a necessary evil. That said, no one was there to stop me from getting off the bus to walk around, had I chosen to do so.

Dall sheep

Caribou clan

Grizzly with cubs (or why I stayed on the bus)

Somewhere amidst the clouds, Mt McKinley rises

After Denali we were off to Seward, AK.

 

[jlocster]

El Norte, Part VI

Once in Seward, we hopped aboard a boat to see Kenai Fjords National Park. Utterly breathtaking. My amateur-hour photography could never do the incredible sights justice. It was truly a highlight of the trip.

Fox Island

Falling water

Lonely isle

Floater

Fliers

More floaters

Glaciers were abundant

We caught this glacier calving. The sound was deafening. Although exhilarating to see, global warming was in the back of my mind.

The next day we ate breakfast, watched Germany win the World Cup, and left Seward.

 

[jlocster]

El Norte, Part VII

Leaving Seward was difficult. Partly because of the beauty, and partly because it meant one of our crew members was departing. Hank had to catch a flight back to San Francisco, so we returned to Anchorage to send him off. From there Tim and I decided to hit the Denali Highway and do an overnighter in Valdez. Since we saw the northern end of the Alaskan Pipeline, we figured we might as well see the southern end.

Denali Highway

Flashbacks to the Dalton. The Montero took some good hits at speed here, too.

The stunning peaks of Wrangell National Park, America's largest national park at 13.2 million acres.

I was caught off guard by how scenic Valdez is. Dropping into Valdez from Thompson Pass was a jaw dropper.

This beast was parked on the pass.

From there we headed down the Richardson Highway surrounded by the Chugach Mountains. Notice the markers. Winter must be a completely different ball game.

Valdez proper

Valdez harbor

The end of the line..for oil, that is.

The water was not as cold as Prudhoe Bay, nonetheless this time we weren't jumping in.

This fella was fishing nearby.

From Valdez it was back up to the Canadian border to begin the long ride home.

Yet another bear sighting. In Alaska and the Yukon, they are outnumbered only by mosquitoes.

 

[bikerjosh]

Wow, stunning pictures. Thanks for sharing. Always wanted to go to AK to see the sights but alas only been to Anchorage for 4 days and that was for work.

 

[eurosonic]

amazing. Trip of a lifetime.

 

[drfreema]

Wow, stunning pictures. Thanks for sharing. Always wanted to go to AK to see the sights but alas only been to Anchorage for 4 days and that was for work.

I took my 95 year old grandfather (AK was on his bucket list), three daughters, and wife a few years ago and it was amazing. We took the train from Anchorage to Seward (glaciers) to Denali, did the Denali thing, then came back. Absolutely worth every penny. Everyone should go once.

 

[hove102]

Just read your entire thread...SUBSCRIBED!!! That Alaska trip was amazing and inspiring; now I've got the itch to go! Also, your Monty is awesome and I think you may have just sold me on Monteros. I had no idea how capable they are, talk about an underrated and under-appreciated rig! Definitely looking forward to seeing what the future holds for you and your Monty. I think I may have to follow your lead with a few of those mods.

 

[nckwltn]

...I think you may have just sold me on Monteros. I had no idea how capable they are, talk about an underrated and under-appreciated rig!

After 2 trips out to Death Valley, I've convinced 2 people myself to go on the Montero bandwagon. Pretty simple to unbolt the running boards, put on larger tires and you're good to go on a great adventure!

 

[bikerjosh]

After 2 trips out to Death Valley, I've convinced 2 people myself to go on the Montero bandwagon. Pretty simple to unbolt the running boards, put on larger tires and you're good to go on a great adventure!

Yeah, thanks for that (from one of nckwltn's converts) :sombrero:

 

[All-Terrain]

Great work, great thread!!

 

[jlocster]

Horn Update

Haven't updated this thread in a long time...

My horn hasn't worked since I bought the Montero going on three years ago. Driving in LA traffic, that has led to some frustrating and even dangerous experiences. Decided to finally get on it.

These Monteros have a membrane switch that to fix requires removal of the airbag module which I didn't want to do. Instead I tapped into the horn circuit and wired up a separate dash switch (more about that here ---> link).

Hella Super Tones

Dash switch is not as convenient as being on the steering wheel but it'll work.

Lights up via switched power.

Horns mounted onto bent aluminum stock. These Hellas are larger than the stock horns and don't fit the stock mounting bracket.

The Hellas are definitely louder than the stockers, too.

 

[jlocster]

Homebrew Sleeping Platform v.2

This mod is from a year ago but I never documented it.

I had been using offroader's great sleeping platform design for over a year.

But, because I wanted something a little longer, with more headroom, and ultimately space for a fridge, I switched things up and went with a new design. In doing so, I sacrificed a second row seat in the process.

The platform is 1/2" plywood covered in outdoor carpet from Home Depot. It's mounted via a Rube Goldbergian assortment of carriage bolts, angle brackets and aluminum square tubing. However, it's very sturdy and doesn't flex. The uprights are attactched to the jumpseat and tiedown anchors in the rear, and the 2nd row seat mounts in the front.

Front seat in driving position.

Front seat forward.

I've spent quite a few nights on it and it's very comfortable for my 5'10" self. My 6'3" buddy slept on it as well no problem.

 

[jlocster]

Homebrew Roof Rack v. 2

Another overdue update...

After purchasing a rooftop tent, my homebrew electrical conduit rack...

...needed to be replaced with something a little more robust.

Enter Homebrew Roof Rack v.2.

The project demanded strength, light weight and cost effectiveness. In researching the options I came across the "J-Moose" rack ---> link This was the perfect solution.

I bought a folding aluminum ATV ramp on Amazon ---> link
Then, a bunch of stainless hardware. Made some mounts and voila: strong, light, affordable.

Because I dont have the ability to weld aluminum, the ATV ramp sections bolt together using stainless hardware.

The rack mounts are made out of steel flat stock, c-channel, square tube and socket cap screws. The mounts support crossbars and attach to the rack itself.

ATV ramps come with tailgate tabs that are perfect for mounting a fairing. The fairing is aluminum sheet attached via screws.

The rear of the rack is disguised by a piece of aluminum L-stock.

With awning and tent mounted.

May not be the prettiest rack out there, but it does the trick!