out with the old in with the new

[VanIsle_Greg]

Wow, great photos, love the dogs! I am even more stoked to hit the WABDR and Eastern Washington now that ever. I have been thinking about the WA peninsula and the Olympic mountains as well since I see them every day from work, but honestly I almost prefer to go East now. Maybe hit up Eastern BC and drop down into WA and poke around.

So many plans, so little time.

 

[westyss]

Onwards......

Packing up after lunch we continued up the trail.


Mike's room with a view!




We did luck out with a perfect campsite, had a fire and started the detailed inspection and explanation of all the machinery around, next morning were happy to see that our travel companions were not early risers so we leisurely got things going.




Side trip to the Ice caves, cool (pun)





Cap cloud over Mount Adams.




I stopped at most view points for a picture, and seeing as everyone else was behind me they stopped too.





Ho-Hum, another big mountain with a beautiful lake, we had lunch here for the last time as three vehicles, from here we bushwacked our way to a larger road, the notorious "short cut"





This is the view from the right seat, my view was similar to this one. this trail gave us all a good rub down, anything not attached real well was ripped off!




The trees opened up half way down the trail and the going was better.





The crew at Mike's departure point, said our good byes to Mike and the two remaining trucks did a quick run to a remote lake in hopes of finding a spot in the busy Washington state forest.

 

[westyss]

We will call this "Tequila Camp" Nuff said!








For unsure reasons we got going even slower than usual in the morning but we did get going and finished the first leg of the WABDR, through Packwood for re-supply and on to the next leg into a completely different landscape.





Caught up to the Bullet for a switchback picture.






And we liked this one.





After a while on the second leg of the WABDR we started discussing where to camp, the decision was made to get off the WABDR and find somewhere early and chill out, we found "Rain Forest Camp" arriving in the rain we quickly deployed the awning and had another great last night.






We said our goodbyes to Steve and Bethany, they were continuing on their trip and we had a great time with them!






As for us, well Rain Forest Camp had us a bit glum so we made tracks for a hot spot, back to Quincy lakes!

 

[westyss]

Had a lazy two days at Quincy, bike rides and swims mostly.






Deciding late in the afternoon to hit the road and get some miles under way, We hit the peninsula camp on banks lake just before dark and stayed the night, woke up early (for us) and continued north, another windshield shot of Steamboat rock.




Getting to our last camp before the border.










We had a wedding to get to in Osoyoos but had a good long morning to hang around, chatted to these three FJ's just finishing up the whole WABDR





Then down the grade to the border



and our lake side campsite for a few days in Osoyoos.
Too many people!!





Last night somewhere on the Similkameen river then home.......great time!

 

[sarconcepts]

Well Yves
I think I found the perfect platform for the next Westy SS.. ...

it's about getting back to your roots!

 

[westyss]

Well Yves
I think I found the perfect platform for the next Westy SS.. ...

it's about getting back to your roots!
View attachment 185474

HA! I am pretty sure my camper will fit on that.

 

[Ford Prefect]

Thanks Yves,

That was really nice to be able to tag along vicariously through your trip. It looks like a beautiful place to be!

Regards,

 

[westyss]

Thanks Yves,

That was really nice to be able to tag along vicariously through your trip. It looks like a beautiful place to be!

Regards,

No problem, it was a pleasure to be on the trip.

 

[westyss]

Installed a performance chip in my truck a few weeks back (2007 FG) and thought I would post up about it, I will also post in the Mitsubishi Heavy Truck thread.

After installing the chip I went on two trips with it operational, the first was a fully loaded trip towing the boat with all its stuff(motor, tanks, oars etc) along with bikes and all the usual stuff which makes me around 11,000 pounds. The other trip was different in that I was pretty light, not much stuff at all and even solo.

The route was heading up the Coquihalla Highway, a road that leaves the Vancouver lower mainland and progressively climbs to around 4,500 feet with a particularly steep 8% grade, then down into Merritt BC and back up to an alpine lake around 5,000 feet elevation.

The chip is a Steinbauer unit, it does not raise the the fuel common rail pressure, it simply optimizes the duration that the injector stays open to increase power.


I would start by saying that it works, and it works well! It has reduced the amount of down shifting and has made that trip much more enjoyable to drive, the low end torque seems to be the most noticeable improvement but an all around improvement in power is there too.
It was very easy to install except for the length of the plug on the loom they supply, it is a long plug and there is not much extra room to play with, the wires as a result need to make some tight bends which is not ideal. I did a quickie install and still need to tidy things up, I will be putting some extra protection onto the loom to protect from chaffing and some split loom onto the power and sensor wires from the cab.



Trip One I took it easy on the way up but tested the system on the big snow shed grade, it's one of those climbs where there is evidence of vehicles spewing their coolant out to all out burnt out shells of rigs with many burnt patches of asphalt along the way....... I would normally be in third gear at the steepest spot and that trip I stayed in fourth. I had heard that you may have to watch for engine temps using a chip and it did get up there but not near the red.
On the way back on the first trip I kept my speed up and made it home in really good time and really started to notice the improvement.



Trip two I wanted to just give 'er ( if one can do that in a FG?) keep the pedal to the metal, and also have a short term MPG figure while given'er.
I made it up to the lake in record time and sure noticed the difference in performance, with only one fill up after the continuous climb I calculated 16.6MPG imperial, so once I fill up next I will have the downhill portion of drive to get a more accurate MPG figure.

Thanks to Owen(Canter 4x4) for figuring out a chip that would work from Oz( It is not available in NA) and Alan(supplied it and sent it)

I will take some images after I tidy the install up.

 

[BeratE]

Read the entire thread from beginning to end over the last two days, and I have to say thanks for sharing such an awesome rig with us. Not since Soenke's rig have I seen one that made me all out lust for one of my own just like it. Such nice work.

 

[westyss]

Read the entire thread from beginning to end over the last two days, and I have to say thanks for sharing such an awesome rig with us. Not since Soenke's rig have I seen one that made me all out lust for one of my own just like it. Such nice work.

Thanks BeratE, I really like the Soenke rig too!

 

[Jr_Explorer]

I had heard that you may have to watch for engine temps using a chip and it did get up there but not near the red.

Do you have a pyrometer (Measuring exhaust gas / turbine inlet temp) on your truck? If so stop reading here.

Exhaust gas temp into the turbo is THE temp to monitor on a chip'ed diesel. The exhaust temp will shoot up in seconds and it would take a minute or more for water or oil temp to track that change. You may want to install one sooner rather than later. It's just good data.

 

[Ford Prefect]

So now that you have had the truck for a couple of years, and used it more than a few times in the winter... WHat do you think of it's insulative capabilities? Does it require a great deal of effort to keep it warm, does it stay fairly warm on its own, or do you just use thick sleep systems?

Anything you would change in this regard, like the thickness of the walls, etc?

Thanks

 

[westyss]

So now that you have had the truck for a couple of years, and used it more than a few times in the winter... WHat do you think of it's insulative capabilities? Does it require a great deal of effort to keep it warm, does it stay fairly warm on its own, or do you just use thick sleep systems?

Anything you would change in this regard, like the thickness of the walls, etc?

Thanks

The camper is insulated enough for any cold, from the information that was given to me by the wall panel manufacturer was a rating of R-7 per inch, I have 2" so R-14 ish. With that I dont need much heat, my cat heater is the one we use most often and it is a 3000BTU unit, we use it on low for continuous heat but will put it on high to get the camper warmed up when cold, I believe on low its 1600BTU. So with that said heating isnt an issue as much as ventilation is, in the winter condensation can form on the windows and walls if there is no air flow and with airflow comes cooling and the need for continuous heat, (vicious circle). If its real cold we will keep the cat on low overnight but if it is above freezing will just turn all heat off and turn it on in the morning, keeping in mind we have the Espar too. The only thing that I might change would be to not worry too much about really thick walls, if using a similar wall construction 1 1/2" would be fine.

 

[graynomad]

we will keep the cat on low overnight

Are you guys allowed to use heaters in a camper, not legal in Oz unless it's properly flued to the outside like the diesel heaters are.

We used a gas heater in Wothahellizat Mk1 but it was such a large vehicle and not well sealed so I wasn't worried about it (but still never left it on overnight), but a small vehicle would be a problem unless you leave windows open and as you say "vicious circle".