jeep-N-montero
Expedition Leader
The Montero has never been a "Landcruiser Wannabe", but we appreciate the sentiment.
SONICMASD's 98 Montero LS Build & Adventure Thread: Black Betty
- Thread starter SONICMASD
- Start date
The Montero has never been a "Landcruiser Wannabe", but we appreciate the sentiment.
'round n' back again
Explorer
wanna beee
i wannabee all kinds of things
met a man from finland. he nods to my montee, says" i like the pajero" gave me a synopsis of monteros " that the best off road car in finland".
true or not it was his opinion.
i wannabee all kinds of things
met a man from finland. he nods to my montee, says" i like the pajero" gave me a synopsis of monteros " that the best off road car in finland".
true or not it was his opinion.
SONICMASD
Adventurer
7/10/17: We hit the road that morning with the goal of getting to southern Utah for the night. Everything was going fine around town but then, not long after getting out of the Phoenix area heading north on the I-17 the camper starts swaying a lot. For the next 3 hours we experienced the most white-knuckled drive of our lives, I don't know if 10 words were spoken. The weather was kind of bad and the wind and rain weren't helping. Around Camp Verde I was going 45mph just to try and calm the sway down.
Somehow we survived and arrived in Flagstaff. I stopped to get gas and a stranger at the pump next to me starts complimenting our camper. I tell him about how it just tried to kill us and he crawls under it to take a look and points out that I have a broken leaf spring! He also tells me about a great trailer repair shop in town (P&M Trailers).
So I head on over to my buddy's house and tell him about the sway. I show him the leaf spring and then I also show him the Harbor Freight hitch extender that I put on so that I can run the spare tire on the back of the Montero with the camper attached. There is a ton of play at the extension and he's blown away by how I let that slide but the thing is I had been towing the camper all over town and on the freeways for over a month without any sway so I figured I was good to go. Anyways, I removed the spare tire, put in the camper, and haven't tried running the extension since.
Now before you focus on the fact that it was a Harbor Freight hitch extender, I have subsequently checked out hitch extensions by tons of brand and they are all the same. It makes no sense. The extension piece fits into the receiver but not tightly, there's like 2mm of extra space. 2mm or so doesn't seem like a lot by multiple that by an 18" arm and then add the play on the 2nd hitch piece (the one with the ball) and its length and you've got sway city. I seriously have no idea why companies make these hitch extensions because they are all death traps and it makes even less sense when the receiver is a known size so I don't know why they can't make it a tight fit. I've since spoken to several folks about it and most people seem to weld washers or varying sizes on the side of the extensions to take up the slack. I haven't tried this yet as I'm too terrified to even use the extensions now.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWa0HNFnoal/?taken-by=trmpodcast
My buddy and I tow the camper over to the recommended trailer store and they tell me that we could probably continue on with our trip with the broken leaf spring and probably be all right since the leaf was trapped by a piece of the frame and wasn't in danger of shooting through the floor of the camper or taking out a section of the wheel well. But they said it was probably not helping the sway since one side of the camper had different suspension dynamics than the other. They determined that I needed 28" leaf springs but they were sold out of that size, and they only had 1 27" spring, so we had to go with 26" springs.
It took the rest of that afternoon and then a good part of the next day to finish the job since neither of us had ever done leaf springs before, we were working in the street, and I didn't have access to all of my tools.
Inspecting the situation:
Working on the situation:
Here's a pic that shows the old spring pack with the broken leaf and the replacement unit:
Bonus result - the shorter springs acted as a lift, raising the body significantly which really came in handy many times on our trip. Here's a pic that shows the new ride height. As you can see, the camper is perfectly level with the Montero even though the Montero is on 33" tires. The camper's wheels should be tucked into the wheel wells but they are almost totally exposed now.
After losing 2 days of travel we decided that Olympic Natl Park would have to wait. It was already going to be a tight trip with long days of driving and now I just felt like resting for a bit and not driving so much. So we decided to scrap the 4,000+ journey and stay in Flagstaff for a few more days and come up with a shorter route.
To celebrate our successful fix, we spent that afternoon picking/eating wild blackberries and swimming in the Oak Creek.
Somehow we survived and arrived in Flagstaff. I stopped to get gas and a stranger at the pump next to me starts complimenting our camper. I tell him about how it just tried to kill us and he crawls under it to take a look and points out that I have a broken leaf spring! He also tells me about a great trailer repair shop in town (P&M Trailers).
So I head on over to my buddy's house and tell him about the sway. I show him the leaf spring and then I also show him the Harbor Freight hitch extender that I put on so that I can run the spare tire on the back of the Montero with the camper attached. There is a ton of play at the extension and he's blown away by how I let that slide but the thing is I had been towing the camper all over town and on the freeways for over a month without any sway so I figured I was good to go. Anyways, I removed the spare tire, put in the camper, and haven't tried running the extension since.
Now before you focus on the fact that it was a Harbor Freight hitch extender, I have subsequently checked out hitch extensions by tons of brand and they are all the same. It makes no sense. The extension piece fits into the receiver but not tightly, there's like 2mm of extra space. 2mm or so doesn't seem like a lot by multiple that by an 18" arm and then add the play on the 2nd hitch piece (the one with the ball) and its length and you've got sway city. I seriously have no idea why companies make these hitch extensions because they are all death traps and it makes even less sense when the receiver is a known size so I don't know why they can't make it a tight fit. I've since spoken to several folks about it and most people seem to weld washers or varying sizes on the side of the extensions to take up the slack. I haven't tried this yet as I'm too terrified to even use the extensions now.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWa0HNFnoal/?taken-by=trmpodcast
My buddy and I tow the camper over to the recommended trailer store and they tell me that we could probably continue on with our trip with the broken leaf spring and probably be all right since the leaf was trapped by a piece of the frame and wasn't in danger of shooting through the floor of the camper or taking out a section of the wheel well. But they said it was probably not helping the sway since one side of the camper had different suspension dynamics than the other. They determined that I needed 28" leaf springs but they were sold out of that size, and they only had 1 27" spring, so we had to go with 26" springs.
It took the rest of that afternoon and then a good part of the next day to finish the job since neither of us had ever done leaf springs before, we were working in the street, and I didn't have access to all of my tools.
Inspecting the situation:
Working on the situation:
Here's a pic that shows the old spring pack with the broken leaf and the replacement unit:
Bonus result - the shorter springs acted as a lift, raising the body significantly which really came in handy many times on our trip. Here's a pic that shows the new ride height. As you can see, the camper is perfectly level with the Montero even though the Montero is on 33" tires. The camper's wheels should be tucked into the wheel wells but they are almost totally exposed now.
After losing 2 days of travel we decided that Olympic Natl Park would have to wait. It was already going to be a tight trip with long days of driving and now I just felt like resting for a bit and not driving so much. So we decided to scrap the 4,000+ journey and stay in Flagstaff for a few more days and come up with a shorter route.
To celebrate our successful fix, we spent that afternoon picking/eating wild blackberries and swimming in the Oak Creek.
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huachuca
Adventurer
Looks like you have some pretty good help from the young fellow in a couple of the pictures. Enjoy him while you can; they grow up quickly. But then grand kids come along and they're even more fun.
Good looking camper. If you're still getting sway after removing the extender and fixing the springs, check your weight distribution. Tongue weight should be around 12-15% of your total trailer weight. My 16' Scamp would be rock solid but, if I added the bikes (75 lbs +/-) to the rear hitch without moving a good bit of weight forward of the axle, it got wiggly. Another relatively inexpensive aid for additional stability in crosswinds and curves is a friction style anti-sway bar https://www.walmart.com/ip/CURT-Sway-Control-Kit-17200/17385938 but make sure the hitch weight is within spec first.
Beautiful area of the country you're in and we sure appreciate y'all letting us visit with you from time to time.
Good looking camper. If you're still getting sway after removing the extender and fixing the springs, check your weight distribution. Tongue weight should be around 12-15% of your total trailer weight. My 16' Scamp would be rock solid but, if I added the bikes (75 lbs +/-) to the rear hitch without moving a good bit of weight forward of the axle, it got wiggly. Another relatively inexpensive aid for additional stability in crosswinds and curves is a friction style anti-sway bar https://www.walmart.com/ip/CURT-Sway-Control-Kit-17200/17385938 but make sure the hitch weight is within spec first.
Beautiful area of the country you're in and we sure appreciate y'all letting us visit with you from time to time.
coffeegoat
Adventurer
I think most people figure hitch extenders are for things like bike racks. I considered one the other day to get a rack to clear the tire, but wouldn't think about towing with one.
jeep-N-montero
Expedition Leader
By installing the shorter springs you have actually reduced the spring's ability to compress properly, creating a pogo effect. If you look at the angle of the rear shackles you will see that they have nowhere to go when compressed, with the proper length springs they would load toward the rear when compressed and allow the spring to do its job properly. Run it by a trailer shop and they will explain it better, just hope you can get the proper springs under it before it bounces and vibrates itself to death.
SONICMASD
Adventurer
I think I'm going to hold on to it and try welding some washers to take up the slack and do some tests with the camper. But the good news is the extension was only like $16 at Harbor Freight whereas the major brands want multiple times that!
SONICMASD
Adventurer
7/9/17: I forgot to mention this in one of the previous posts but just before heading out on the road trip I got an OBDII monitor.
Using the existing cheap tablet and mounts that I've already covered in a previous post, I bought OBDLink off Amazon.
It's a simple OBDII dongle that communicates with Android tablets via bluetooth. The reason why I went with it, over any other generic and cheaper unit is because it also functions as a capable scan tool, allowing you to check and clear CEL codes. And another big plus - it has an automatic shut off so you can leave it plugged in all the time and it won't drain your battery unlike most units.
The main instruments I use on it: Engine Coolant Temp, MPGs, and Voltmeter.
The only downside that I've found with it is that it does not like connecting to my tablet unless I unplug it and the plug it back in, then it connects right up.
Using the existing cheap tablet and mounts that I've already covered in a previous post, I bought OBDLink off Amazon.
It's a simple OBDII dongle that communicates with Android tablets via bluetooth. The reason why I went with it, over any other generic and cheaper unit is because it also functions as a capable scan tool, allowing you to check and clear CEL codes. And another big plus - it has an automatic shut off so you can leave it plugged in all the time and it won't drain your battery unlike most units.
The main instruments I use on it: Engine Coolant Temp, MPGs, and Voltmeter.
The only downside that I've found with it is that it does not like connecting to my tablet unless I unplug it and the plug it back in, then it connects right up.
SONICMASD
Adventurer
7/13/17: We finally hit the road after spending 3 or 4 days in Flagstaff. Our friends in Flagstaff convinced us to head to Colorado because they were heading to Telluride in a week in their own Japanese SUV towing a vintage camper and we all thought it would be cool to meet up.
First stop: Canyon Diablo. I've always wanted to go here and check this bridge out. We didn't have to wait long until we were rewarded with a train crossing. I even got the conductor to give us several honks of the horn that echoed down the canyon with the gesture all American boys learn at a young age on road trips.
Second stop of the day: Meteor Crater. Another place I've always wanted to go but never felt like taking the detour off the I-40. It's exactly like you would expect it to be, and it's super expensive (around $36 with a AAA discount), but I still wanted to check it off my list. It was actually pretty cool to learn about the history of meteorite impacts and the history of this crater.
Third stop of the day: Petrified Forest NP / Painted Desert - Haven't been here since I was a little kid and it turned out to be totally different than I remembered. As far as National Parks are concerned this one probably ranks near the very bottom but it only takes about an hour or two to drive through the whole thing, allowing for a few stops to get out and explore.
An already very productive day and then we jammed for several hours towards Mancos, CO. We found a camp spot in the San Juan National Forest just northeast of town that night and it was so nice to just roll up in the dark, not have to set anything up, and just enjoy dinner and a comfy bed. The camper is a PITA on travel days but so nice when you're inside.
First stop: Canyon Diablo. I've always wanted to go here and check this bridge out. We didn't have to wait long until we were rewarded with a train crossing. I even got the conductor to give us several honks of the horn that echoed down the canyon with the gesture all American boys learn at a young age on road trips.
Second stop of the day: Meteor Crater. Another place I've always wanted to go but never felt like taking the detour off the I-40. It's exactly like you would expect it to be, and it's super expensive (around $36 with a AAA discount), but I still wanted to check it off my list. It was actually pretty cool to learn about the history of meteorite impacts and the history of this crater.
Third stop of the day: Petrified Forest NP / Painted Desert - Haven't been here since I was a little kid and it turned out to be totally different than I remembered. As far as National Parks are concerned this one probably ranks near the very bottom but it only takes about an hour or two to drive through the whole thing, allowing for a few stops to get out and explore.
An already very productive day and then we jammed for several hours towards Mancos, CO. We found a camp spot in the San Juan National Forest just northeast of town that night and it was so nice to just roll up in the dark, not have to set anything up, and just enjoy dinner and a comfy bed. The camper is a PITA on travel days but so nice when you're inside.
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SONICMASD
Adventurer
Tired of this forum's glitchy image uploader so from here on out I'm switching to Flickr - so the pics will work for non-EXPOforum members from this point on.
7/14/17: Woke up and headed to Mesa Verde NP. We didn't get up that early and only got to the tour ticket desk at around 10:30 but we still managed to get 2:30 tickets for the Balcony House tour. Out of the main 3 buildings, this one seemed the coolest to us since it is has the most climbing and tightest passageways. It was awesome!! We explored Mesa Verde all day and had a fantastic time. It's a beautiful place and having already been to a lot smaller ancient sites in the area like Hovenweep and Edge of Cedars, it was awesome to see the mothership.
There is a lot of on/off/on/off on the engine at this NP because you drive 100 yards down the road and there is something to see, then you drive another 100 yards and there's another ancient house, or view, etc. Everything was going fine and then we hop back in for like 10th time in 1 hour, and the engine won't turn over at all, nothing. I figure the battery cable must have come loose or something so I pop the hood and start investigating and instantly two good guys from Georgia start helping. Not the best moment for Mitsubishi to be under repair as dozens of cars packed with tourists staring out the windows drive by but the 3 of us had a good time talking shop. As suspected, it was just the battery. A lot of corrosion had developed so we just scraped the terminals with pocket knives, cleaned them up, tightened them down, and she started right up and haven't had any issues since.
Next time we'll be sure to do the Cliff Palace tour:
After a full day of exploring Mesa Verde NP, we hit the road early evening and headed east towards Pagosa Springs. It was getting dark and was raining a lot so I played it safe and rather than drive around the forest looking for a camp spot, we opted for a campground. Ute Campground is only like 15 miles shy of Pagosa Spings and was a good spot. It even had a water spigot for RV tanks so we filled up the little 8 gallon tank in our camper.
Not being able to carry the spare tire on the back of the Montero after eliminating the hitch extender, I put it in the camper when in transit. When we roll up to a camp spot I remove it and quickly found that it makes the perfect front porch step:
7/15/17:
The next morning we headed into Pagosa Spings, had a nice soak at the hot springs resort for a few hours, and then jammed all the way to Denver in time for a fancy dinner downtown. The passes going over the Rockies were insane. 10,800+ feet, pouring rain, pedal to the metal, overdrive off, drop it into 2nd gear and she's maxed out at like 25mph. A long line of cars behind us was one of the common themes for this trip.
7/14/17: Woke up and headed to Mesa Verde NP. We didn't get up that early and only got to the tour ticket desk at around 10:30 but we still managed to get 2:30 tickets for the Balcony House tour. Out of the main 3 buildings, this one seemed the coolest to us since it is has the most climbing and tightest passageways. It was awesome!! We explored Mesa Verde all day and had a fantastic time. It's a beautiful place and having already been to a lot smaller ancient sites in the area like Hovenweep and Edge of Cedars, it was awesome to see the mothership.
There is a lot of on/off/on/off on the engine at this NP because you drive 100 yards down the road and there is something to see, then you drive another 100 yards and there's another ancient house, or view, etc. Everything was going fine and then we hop back in for like 10th time in 1 hour, and the engine won't turn over at all, nothing. I figure the battery cable must have come loose or something so I pop the hood and start investigating and instantly two good guys from Georgia start helping. Not the best moment for Mitsubishi to be under repair as dozens of cars packed with tourists staring out the windows drive by but the 3 of us had a good time talking shop. As suspected, it was just the battery. A lot of corrosion had developed so we just scraped the terminals with pocket knives, cleaned them up, tightened them down, and she started right up and haven't had any issues since.
Next time we'll be sure to do the Cliff Palace tour:
After a full day of exploring Mesa Verde NP, we hit the road early evening and headed east towards Pagosa Springs. It was getting dark and was raining a lot so I played it safe and rather than drive around the forest looking for a camp spot, we opted for a campground. Ute Campground is only like 15 miles shy of Pagosa Spings and was a good spot. It even had a water spigot for RV tanks so we filled up the little 8 gallon tank in our camper.
Not being able to carry the spare tire on the back of the Montero after eliminating the hitch extender, I put it in the camper when in transit. When we roll up to a camp spot I remove it and quickly found that it makes the perfect front porch step:
7/15/17:
The next morning we headed into Pagosa Spings, had a nice soak at the hot springs resort for a few hours, and then jammed all the way to Denver in time for a fancy dinner downtown. The passes going over the Rockies were insane. 10,800+ feet, pouring rain, pedal to the metal, overdrive off, drop it into 2nd gear and she's maxed out at like 25mph. A long line of cars behind us was one of the common themes for this trip.
SONICMASD
Adventurer
7/16/17: We left Denver and set up camp at Olive Ridge Campground just south of Estes Park. Cool spot, highly recommend.
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Then we spent the rest of that day exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. I drove the Montero up Trail Ridge Road and at over 12,000 feet it is one of the highest paved roads in the USA. We had a good time exploring and visiting the tundra. We previously had done this road in 2009 in a rented Chevy Cobalt and it was cool to be back and do it with Betty.
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IMG_7679 Then we spent the rest of that day exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. I drove the Montero up Trail Ridge Road and at over 12,000 feet it is one of the highest paved roads in the USA. We had a good time exploring and visiting the tundra. We previously had done this road in 2009 in a rented Chevy Cobalt and it was cool to be back and do it with Betty.
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SONICMASD
Adventurer
7/17/17: Went on a hike in Rocky Mountain NP to Gem Lake. A pretty fun hike in the light rain with good views.
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Then on the way back to camp I convinced my wife to let me explore a dirt road I found on the map in between Estes Park and Olive Ridge Campground. It turned out to be a really pretty and extensive trail network with tight roads amongst the tall and packed forest. Unfortunately, the road came to a dead end rather than continue on and come out closer to our camp site as the map showed because a landslide in 2013 shut down the trail. But it was a lot of fun and I came across a cool Land Rover Defender on the trail. Also, if you're ever looking to camp near Estes Park / Rocky Mtn NP without a camper/trailer then this is where I would go from now on. The camp ground was nice but I'll always opt for wild camping whenever possible and the views from up on the mountains where amazing.
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IMG_7691 Then on the way back to camp I convinced my wife to let me explore a dirt road I found on the map in between Estes Park and Olive Ridge Campground. It turned out to be a really pretty and extensive trail network with tight roads amongst the tall and packed forest. Unfortunately, the road came to a dead end rather than continue on and come out closer to our camp site as the map showed because a landslide in 2013 shut down the trail. But it was a lot of fun and I came across a cool Land Rover Defender on the trail. Also, if you're ever looking to camp near Estes Park / Rocky Mtn NP without a camper/trailer then this is where I would go from now on. The camp ground was nice but I'll always opt for wild camping whenever possible and the views from up on the mountains where amazing.
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SONICMASD
Adventurer
7/18/17: Travel Day - We left the Rocky Mtn NP area and our spot at Olive Ridge Campground and headed south to I-70 and the took it west all the way to Glenwood Springs and then south for another 45 miles to Bogan Flats Campground so we could explore the Marble and Crested Butte area. Upon arrival at Bogan Flats we found the campground to be totally full except for one spot that had zero shade. This is the closest campground the Marble and it has water and bathrooms but it wasn't very pretty and too crowded and $ for our liking. So we decided to continue down the highway, up over the mountain, and on top you'll get to McClure Campground which by contrast is one of the best I've ever stayed in.
It was only about 1/2 full and the spots are very large and very far apart from one another. There are bathrooms but no water, but it's much prettier, higher in elevation and tons of trees, and even better: No Fee.
We snagged a primo spot.
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When trying to set up the camper, I discovered that the original 1965 jack had finally bit the bullet. It would no longer work so we had to jack up the camper using the original screw type jack stands it came with. Then I set about removing the jack from the tongue and had to use just about every tool I brought with me to finally get the final, stubborn, and inaccessible bolt out.
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Great sunset that night:
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We had a family of deer living in the campground and when we woke up we got to share our spot with them:
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It was only about 1/2 full and the spots are very large and very far apart from one another. There are bathrooms but no water, but it's much prettier, higher in elevation and tons of trees, and even better: No Fee.
We snagged a primo spot.
IMG_3037When trying to set up the camper, I discovered that the original 1965 jack had finally bit the bullet. It would no longer work so we had to jack up the camper using the original screw type jack stands it came with. Then I set about removing the jack from the tongue and had to use just about every tool I brought with me to finally get the final, stubborn, and inaccessible bolt out.
IMG_7710 Great sunset that night:
IMG_3044We had a family of deer living in the campground and when we woke up we got to share our spot with them:
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SONICMASD
Adventurer
7/19/17: Woke up and drove into the town of Marble, CO. Nice little town that has a massive marble deposit and quarry that is still active. There is marble everywhere, huge chunks in the river, all over everyone's front yards, and even used as parking curbs.
The residents kind of have a stick up their *** though and there are signs everywhere about driving slow, not making noise, etc. I guess they get a lot of 4x4 expedition traffic so they're tired of inconsiderate jeepers.
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We drove from Marble to Lead King Basin which was a pretty tame road (3/10 when dry I'd say) and the most beautiful drive I'd ever been on. Columbines everywhere, snow-capped peaks, crystal clear creeks, and amazing weather and solitude.
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The drive from lead king basin to the town of Crystal is a little bit more challenging (5/10). Crystal is super small and the main reason people go there is to see this really cool old mill:
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Now, you can take the road from Crystal to Crested Butte and I hear that it is a harder road. We decided to take a graded dirt road to Crested Butte instead but on the next trip we'll definitely take the 4x4 trail.
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The drive to Crested Butte from Marble took about 2 hours on a highway 12 which is a dirt road that goes over Kebler pass. It goes through some really pretty forest just outside of Crested Butte with thick stands of aspens. Crested Butte itself was a really cool town. We only had a few hours there before it got dark so we walked around, had dinner (pizza and beer), went grocery shopping, got gas, and headed back to camp. But we'll definitely be back.
The residents kind of have a stick up their *** though and there are signs everywhere about driving slow, not making noise, etc. I guess they get a lot of 4x4 expedition traffic so they're tired of inconsiderate jeepers.
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IMG_7715 We drove from Marble to Lead King Basin which was a pretty tame road (3/10 when dry I'd say) and the most beautiful drive I'd ever been on. Columbines everywhere, snow-capped peaks, crystal clear creeks, and amazing weather and solitude.
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IMG_7740 The drive from lead king basin to the town of Crystal is a little bit more challenging (5/10). Crystal is super small and the main reason people go there is to see this really cool old mill:
IMG_3180 Now, you can take the road from Crystal to Crested Butte and I hear that it is a harder road. We decided to take a graded dirt road to Crested Butte instead but on the next trip we'll definitely take the 4x4 trail.
IMG_7745 The drive to Crested Butte from Marble took about 2 hours on a highway 12 which is a dirt road that goes over Kebler pass. It goes through some really pretty forest just outside of Crested Butte with thick stands of aspens. Crested Butte itself was a really cool town. We only had a few hours there before it got dark so we walked around, had dinner (pizza and beer), went grocery shopping, got gas, and headed back to camp. But we'll definitely be back.