Overlander at large

Texas

I lived in Coppell, TX for a few years. This was before I rode a Harley or drove a Jeep. Looking back, I think about all the fun I missed. Fast forward a dozen years. I sold the Jeep and upgraded to a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, and built it for Moab and overlanding. I’ve been spending my vacation time going off roading with friends in Moab, the Colorado Rockies, Sedona, etc. Not to mention Big Bend National Park, where I did the Black Gap 4×4 Trail a couple years ago. I moved to Texas to inch myself towards the four corners area, where I plan to eventually retire. Texas is the first step in my long journey.

Here’s a great video review of the Black Gap Trail.

I originally planned to blog about each day’s trip. But I realized nothing of interest happened. Other than a tree falling in front of me when I was parked on the side of the road checking in with my colleagues. Well, my gas mileage surprised me a bit, will cover that in a bit.

Navigation

I decided to use my Garmin Overlander for navigation. I made sure the lifetime map and firmware were updated before I left. iOS Maps requires cell tower reception to download maps while you drive. Good luck with that if you’re driving in areas without decent cell reception. Second, while Apple boasts improved GPS capability, location services is still reliant on cell towers, WiFi, and Bluetooth (or a mix of those).

You’ll know when Apple gets serious about your iPhone’s GPS capabilities when they provide a native app that shows how many satellites the iPhone is locked on to, and the signal strength of each one. Currently your iPhone locks in to three satellites, compared to a dozen or more for a true GPS. I carry a Bad Elf GPS bluetooth device for those times when I need to rely on my iPhone. It provides true GPS functionality and capability for any application that uses Apple’s Core Location service. However it doesn’t magically cache the entire US map on your iPhone.

I wanted to use my Jeep’s Uconnect 8.4 navigation device, but it came with a 2019 map, and FCA (Jeep’s parent company) wants $150 to update it. Despite their partner company falsely advertising free updates for three years. I’m not going to pay for a map update. Maybe if I didn’t have the Garmin Overlander, since I hate iOS Maps (outside of urban areas where A-GPS, even with it’s dependancies and shortcomings beats GPS).

The farther I traveled West, the more folks I was able to communicate with on 2M (146.520 MHz). Never made contact on 70cm (446.000 MHz). As expected, CB (27.185 MHz) was noisy with a bunch of truckers screaming over each other. Tip for truckers: move over to 10M and dump CB. 🙂

AirBnB

Uhaul has a 55 mph speed limit for their trailers, so I knew the 1,500 mile trip would take longer than it would if I kept to the speed limit. This meant 5 days of traveling at 300 miles per day average. I decided to reserve an AirBnB at or near each stop. Price is lower than decent hotels, and I wouldn’t have to worry about vandalism or theft. I made sure I brought a king size waterproof dog blanket to protect the AirBnB linens, and it’s the respectful thing to do.

Day 1: Staunton, VA A truly dog friendly place, Koda and the owner’s dog got along great. The owner helped me navigate my Jeep and trailer so I could par in her driveway. In the early morning I was surprised she even arranged it so I had plenty of space to get out. Loved the neighborhood, great host, highly recommended!

Day 2: Newport, TN Got there early, was able to log on to check in with friends and family. Koda fell asleep right away. Loved the smell of the air, so clean, so fresh. The host was incredibly nice, great AirBnB, definitely would recommend.

Day 3: Dickson, TN Beautiful farm area, the cottage was old but in beautiful shape (renovated). There’s a hay barn a few yards from the entrance. I love falling asleep to the sound of birds and crickets. Another top notch AirBnB.

Day 4: Benton, AR I had high hopes based on the photos in the AirBnB listing. I was not disappointed. The owner is a retired Lieutenant Colonel (US Army), he recognized my US Army sticker, so we had a great chat. The neighborhood is beautiful and the house was incredible. Definitely a place to stay if you’re passing through the area.

Day 5: Carrollton, TX the last stop was 35 miles from my new home, but necessary since I knew I’d get to Texas late. A cozy AirBnB, quiet and secure. I definitely would recommend this AirBnB to anyone coming to the area.

Fuel

I use Fuelly to keep track of my mileage, which isn’t great for a Jeep. Surprisingly my average went up during the trip, despite schlepping a 2,500 pound trailer. The 55 mph speed definitely helped.

Unpacking

I’ll spend the next week or two getting a bed, desk, and chair. Since Koda and I live in a studio apartment, I’ll be buying a twin bed, and a 48″ desk, and an ergo chair. That ought to be all I need, other than a wall mount for my TV. For now. 🙂

I’m so lucky. The trailer just fits into my garage with 1/4″ to spare. The clearance should increase as I get the trailer loaded up. It’ll be interesting to see how low the trailer gets once it is fully packed. I’m going to guess it’ll drop an inch or so.

The trailer has a maximum cargo capacity of 1,800 pounds. It weighs 900 pounds, so the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) for the trailer is 2,700 pounds. My 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon has a 3,500 pound towing capacity, so I’m well within the limit. I’ll need to pay attention to the tongue weight, which should be no more than 10% of the packed trailer weight (350 pound max based on 3,500 pound towing capacity). I guess I’ll be paying a visit to a Cat Scale before I head out.

U-Haul recommends your cargo be distributed as 60/40, so I put my three heaviest items at the front of the trailer, protected them with moving pads, and secured them with ratchet straps. My iKamper Mini 2.0 (125 pounds), my IronMan4x4 drawers (138 pounds), and my Stanley FatMax toolbox (120 pounds packed). I put the iKamper all the way in on the left wall, draped a moving pad over it, then ratcheted it to the left wall. Did the same for the IronMan4x4 drawers on the right wall. That left enough space for the toolbox in the center against the front wall. I then put a couple heavy items in the gap. Looks like there’s more than enough space for all my other stuff.

That’s enough work for today. Time to order dinner, and prepare some Naproxen (Aleve) and some hard lemonade. Tomorrow we pack some more.

So I get to U-Haul. One of the guys waves me back up to the trailer. I get out to ask what the coupler height is, so I can set the adjustable hitch to match. The guy didn’t know, yet he already started connecting the trailer. I pointed out that the trailer is not level. He disagreed and asked his buddy who also disagreed. He told me to call 1-800-UHAUL (pretty sure he meant 1-800-GO-UHAUL). Incredible.

I asked for the manager. He didn’t know the correct coupler height either, but at least he was happy to help. Once the adjustable hitch height matched the coupler height, the manager tightened down the coupler. He then began to twist the hitch chains (to shorten them) and hook them onto the hitch receiver holes. I tried to stop him but he insisted he knew what he is doing, since he does it every day.

I explained that the chains needed to be looped through the hitch receiver holes and back to the tongue holes, so they could be padlocked for security. I’m going on a 1,500 mile trip, so I don’t want the trailer to grow legs in the middle of the night. He said he didnt know that. Tis is proof that U-Haul staff, managers included, don’t bother to watch their own videos. He apologized and accommodated me. He undid the chains, looped them through the hitch receiver holes, and padlocked them.

I thanked him and drove off to Home Depot. Along the way I heard terrible sounds coming from the trailer. It sounded like Joe Pesci in that Goodfellas scene. BAM! POP! BOOM!

I slowed down and finally got to the Home Depot parking lot. I got out to check things. I saw the coupler was not tightened down securely. It seemed to be tight, but the threads on the coupler bolt were a little rusty and there was a lot of slack when I lifted the tongue. So the coupler was bouncing at the hitch. That’s not good.

Luckily I keep a small can of WD40 in the Jeep. I sprayed the coupler bolt to loosen up the rust. I put on my protective gloves and was able to tighten the coupler down two full turns. I drove around the lot and confirmed that took care of the noise. #wipesbrow

So I go into Home Depot to buy a couple heavy duty moving pads. U-Haul charged me for some but didn’t give them to me. I hope they remove the charge once I call them, but so far I’m not very confident in them. So for $5 I’ll probably just let it slide. Not worth the headache.

As I get into the Jeep to drive home from Home Depot, I get a TXT message asking me to confirm the condition of the trailer. I click the link, and found it is expired. Despite getting it 5 minutes before trying it. Maybe the staff thought I would complain and expired the link? Nah, they wouldn’t know how to do that. I don’t plan to complain, so far I’ve been able to work around the blunders. I do plan to send their corporate office a link to this blog post. 🙂

Tires are exactly 35 as required, didn’t see any cracks or wire issues. I noticed the right side door holder is missing from the right side fender, but overall the trailer is in excellent shape.

As I drove away from Home Depot, I confirmed the noises are gone. I also confirmed the Jeep tailgate opens fine with the trailer attached.

I’m done for the day. Tomorrow I’ll start loading the trailer.

The closer I get to retirement, the more I want to live closer to prime overlanding and offroading terrain. Moab, the Colorado mountain passes, Grand Canyon, etc. The trip from Philadelphia, PA to Moab, UT is +/- 2000 miles. That’s five days each way. What a waste of vacation time. Since we have offices in Scottsdale, AZ and Plano, TX, I started to look into relocating.

The trip from Scottsdale, AZ to Moab UT is +/- 500 miles. A little more than one day each way. Great, exept that the cost of living is ridiculous. I can’t believe how much more expensive, compared to when I looked into it a few years ago. So it’s not going to happen. #sigh

The next choice is Plano, TX. The drive from Plano, TX to Moab, UT is +/- 1000 miles. That’s two days each way. Much better than five days each way. So Plano, TX it is. I lived there for a few years around 2010. The cost of living is very reasonable. I just hope my ex doesn’t run into me. Really. She’s a horrible driver.

It took me a few weeks to find a place that checks all the boxes on my list. I wanted an apartment that has “lifted Jeep friendly” secure indoor parking, washer, drier, dish washer, and fast internet. I got lucky and found a place that has all that plus a 2,100 square foot gym and a huge fenced in dog park. It’s 4 minute walk to the office, so I’ll be able to take my dog out for a walk during lunch. I signed the lease and I can move in on March 6th.

I looked into shipping companies and container companies. Too expensive. I went through all my stuff and realized there’s a lot of stuff I don’t really need. So I decided to donate clothes that don’t fit me anymore (Goodwill), and a ton of stuff that takes up space but I won’t ever use. Boxes of old computer equipment, bike stuff from the 1990s, etc. Now I’m sure all my stuff will fit into a U-Haul 5×8′ cargo trailer. My Jeep has the factory tow package, and is rated at 3500 pounds. More than enough for this trailer, even if fully packed.

I spent a couple weeks getting up to speed on towing, trailers, and hitches. I was surprised to find out that U-Haul will only rent you a trailer if your Jeep has a hard top. Their speed limit is 55 mph, the cargo needs to be strapped down and distributed properly (60/40 for front/rear), the tongue weight needs to be between 10-15% of the full trailer’s weight.

I needed to do some math to figure out what I’d need to attach the trailer to the Jeep. The distance from the ground to the top of the receiver hitch opening (Receiver Height) is 22.25″. The distance from the ground to the bottom of the trailer coupler (Coupler Height) is 18.5-18.75″. Subtract 18.5 from 22.25 and the necessary hitch drop (Drop/Rise Needed) is about 3.75″. I decided to get an adjustable receiver so I can use it when I get my offroad camping trailer.

Once I knew what I needed, I called eTrailer and as expected I got a very smart customer service person. She asked all the right questions. I gave her the all the numbers I came up with, and my Jeep’s vehicle tow capacity information. I wanted an alluminum hitch with stainless steel balls, and a stainless locking pin. I didn’t want to go with steel, because they’re more than double the weight and not really any stronger than aluminum (which is thicker of course). She proposed these two items, and I ordered them.

I weighed the parts once they came in and was happy to find that the weight was spot on. Well under the claimed 20 pound weight, compared to 40 pounds and up for steel parts. Very high reviews, more than strong enough for this trip. I’m confident this is the last hitch I’ll ever need.

I swapped out the 75w90 rear diff oil for 75w140, recommended for towing. From what I hear I might leave it this way, with the higher temperatures in TX.

Back to packing boxes.

Shout out to Ron and his team at Ridgeback Guide Service. I joined them for an overlanding trip a couple months ago. I made a couple critical mistakes, and learned that I needed to step up my game when it comes to eating on those kinds of trips. Being hypoglicemic, eating right is critical for folks like me. During the trip, we were told that we get a 10% discount on our next purchase at Main Line Overland (my favorite overlanding shop). So guess what I bought. 🙂

My Goose Gear Camp Kitchen and Double Drawer module arrived today! With a wait time of 14 weeks, I tried not to think about it, then I realized I needed to make sure I didn’t miss delivery. So I called Main Line Overland, and they told me it just came in! I empted the Jeep and headed there to pick it up. It came in a huge crate, but luckily the two modules fit easily in my Jeep, with plenty of packing material to avoid any damage.

I ordered some Pelican TrekPak dividers for the drawers. The dividers come in pairs and can be trimmed. Bought a pair of 23×4.25″ divider for the top drawer, a pair of 23×7″ for the bottom drawer, and some quick release clips to hold it all together. Once it’s all trimmed and installed, I’ll update this blog.

It took me a couple hours to get it installed, and it’ll take me a couple Aleves to survive the expected muscle ache in the morning. Installation went smoothly. I’m very happy with the result. I did have a few observations that I thought might make good filler on this blog post. Keep in mind the tailgate table was already installed, and I already had a stove and fridge.

First, the mounting brackets for both modules had holes that were the exact size as the 1/4″x20 threaded holes on my Goose Gear platform. I expected that, since the cool kids on YouTubers suggested we drill out the mounting bracket holes by 1/16″ or so. I’m so glad I did my homework first, that made all the difference in the world.

Second, I have to find another place to mount my 5LB propane tank. I’ve been mounting it on the spare tire. But now that the stove is on the left side, I need to find a good quick release so I can put the propane tank on the ground near the stove when I’m cooking. I definitely don’t want to run a long propane hose across from the spare to the Camp Kitchen.

Third, the stove drawer can hold a Partners Steel 22″ stove. There’s maybe 3/4″ space around the stove, so I need to get some flat straps to secure the stove when I’m on the road. The stove slider has holes, I guess to permanently mount the stove. But after my last outing, where half my food fell into the stove, I can’t take the risk of not being able to clean the stove.

Fourth, the drawers are extremely well made. They’re 28″ deep, and the bottom and sides are made of 3/8″ A-grade finished plywood. Experienced overlanders use Pelican TrekPak dividers to secure whatever they store in the drawers, so I ordered a kit. I plan to put my plates, utencils, cups, etc., in the top (smaller) drawer, and I plan to put bigger kitchen stuff like pots and pans, coffee maker, etc., in the bottom drawer, along with some dry foods.

Fifth, I was both happy and sad when I realized my Dometic CFX3 35 fridge fit perfectly on the fridge slider, without the insulating cover. I mean the fit is perfect! I plan to trim the insulating cover, since it’ll fit around the fridge, except for the bottom 2″ or so. I love the insulating cover, even if it’s a moot issue since I moved up to a 100ah LiFePO4 off grid power kit. But I still want to have the fridge insulated.

Winter is coming in a couple weeks, not sure yet if I’ll have a chance to give the kitchen a dry run. But since I’m moving to Arizona in the end of March, I’ll put it to good use out there for sure!

Update 20221221: I trimmed the pairs of TrekPak dividers to fit the drawers. I ended up ordering another pair of dividers per drawer. This way I can line the sides of the drawers. For the base of the drawer I took a tip from an overlanding buddy who suggested going to Hobby Lobby to get a 13″x36″x3mm roll of dense foam padding. It was more than enough to cover the base of the drawers. I’m not worried that I did a hatchet job on the edges, since they’ll be hidden under the dividers when all the work is done.

Update 20230102: I went to Home Depo and picked up some 1/4×20 stainless steel bolts, wing-nuts, and 1 1/4 washers. I also found the right plumbing washers to seal things. I used a pencil to mark the spots for the four holes, then I used a 1/8″ drill bit to start each hole, then moved up to 1/4″, and used a dremel bit to smooth the edges (which made the holes a tiny bit bigger than 1/4″ which was perfect).

I originally planned to put the wing-nuts on the top, but that looked a little cheezy. So I re-arranged the bits, and put the wing-nuts underneath (plenty of room). Once the stove was secured, I poured a cup of boiling hot water to make sure the stove is sealed properly. Boy I’m glad I took my time on this. 🙂 Shout out to Expedition Portal forum for the feedback from all the long time overlanders.

Blue Mountain Jeep Alliance had a Fall Foliage Ride on Sunday, October 16th. It was close by and the weather was beautiful, so I joined them. The ride started about a mile away. I packed lunch and drinks in the fridge and headed out a little earlier than I needed to, since I didn’t know if we needed time to air down.

10 Jeeps showed up at the Thunderbolt Lodge starting point. I asked the ride leader about communications, and it turned out there was no recommendation, and some folks had no radio. I came prepared as always with CB, GMRS, and HAM. This had me a little concerned, since it’s easy for a ride to break apart if there’s no communication.

I was able to take a picture of 9 of the 10 Jeeps that showed up for the ride. Different models, colors, and setups.

The first part of the ride was awesome. We spent most of it on the road and some of it on gravel roads. Lots of colorful foliage, guessing in a couple weeks it’ll all be gone.

The lunch spot was in a hiking trail parking lot. Most everyone took a hike to an observation post. I stayed in the lot to keep an eye on the Jeeps, and to have a sammish and drink.

As the group prepared to head out on the second part of the ride, I asked where we were heading, and nobody seemed to know. So we took off. After a number of bogies disrupted the ride, it got fragmented. I decided to peel off myself, not comfortable trying to hang with a group that hasn’t coordinated communications. Oh well, it was a fun ride none the less.

From the day I bought this 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, I knew some day I’d get rock sliders that can be used as steps. So many third party solutions, but they all look so, well, third party. I wasn’t aware Mopar made rock rails that stuck out just enough to provide a step. That is, until I joined Ridge Back Guide Service LLC on last month’s MLO New England 2022 Trail Ride Series in Vermont.

One of the Jeeps was a two door Rubicon that had really nice looking rock rails. Not too far out, but enough to step on to get into the Jeep. I spoke to the Jeep’s owner and he told me they’re made by Mopar. I was surprised, since I never knew Mopar made them. When I got home I found the Mopar Performance Parts Rock Rails on the Mopar parts site.

They came in a few days ago. I was a little concerned that they mount to the body and pinch welds, and not the frame like most third party rock sliders do. When I installed them, I saw they mounted exactly like the stock Rubicon rock rails. Three bolts attach to the body, and six bolts slide through the pinch weld holes. So my concerns were off base, since the stock Rubicon rock rails took a real beating at EJS2022 in Moab, and didn’t cause any pinch weld or body damage.

It took under 40 minutes to remove the stock Rubicon rock rails, and install the new Mopar Performance Parts Rock Rails. I reused the nuts and bolts, so I have a new set of nuts and bolts if I ever need them. As always I made sure I torqued the nuts and bolts down as recommended.

Easy enough for a cave man to install, and they look good, and function well.

My next blog post will take a couple/few weeks, since I’m waiting for my Goose Gear Camp Kitchen to come in. I hope it gets here soon, it’s getting cold outside!

Following up from my last blog post, I’ve got to add some armor to my Jeep. First up, my front diff cover (M210) got banged up, and the bolts got shaved by the Barney Rubble (AOAA) rocks. The Tie Rod also got scraped up but I can scrape/paint it to prevent any rust from spreading, not a priority for me right now. The rear diff cover (M220) didn’t get damaged, but I decided to get both to be safe and so they match.

It took a while to decide on which covers to get. I knew I wanted nodular iron, recessed bolts, and I wanted them to be able to take abeating. I decided to get the ARB diff covers. They’ve got a solid reputation and are reasonably priced. None of the local shops had them in stock, so I had to get them on Amazon. I believe in supporting our brick and mortar stores, but stock is going to be a problem for another year or two.

I’ve never swapped diff covers before, so I did a lot of reading and watched a bunch of videos. As it turned out, it’s not difficult at all. But details matter, like the viscosity of the gear oil and additives, and the torque values for the bolts, and even how to deal with the old oil. I figured I was ready this weekend so I got to it.

There are tons of videos and reading material on how to do this, so I’ll spare you. I’m glad I paid attention to the folks who do this a lot. The toothpaste style 1qt bottles are worth their weight in gold. In fact, I was told to hold on to them once they’re empty, in case I can’t find them the next time I decide to change the gear oil.

I was happy to find the gaskets are reusable, that made the job easier. Once I replaced both diff covers, I wiped both diffs down and went for a 10 mile drive over rough roads. When I got back I checked, and nothing leaked, so I feel like I did a good job. I wouldn’t want to do this for a living, but it was a good experience.

Before this last trip to AOAA, I planned to get diff skid plates. I thought diff covers were bling. Boy was I wrong. The front diff cover hit a rock, and if the impact was just a little harder, my gears would have been damaged. Luck, and a lesson. These two images of the outside and inside of my front diff was an eye opener.

I was happy to find nothing more than slight metalic peach fuzz on the diff cover magnets. I kind of expected that in the front, but was surprised that the rear was nearly perfect too. Good to know Jeep nailed it when they assembled my vehicle.

I’m glad the diffs are protected now, and to be honest, yea, they kind of look cool. If you’re a Mall Crawler, none of this matters for you. If you off road, might want to upgrade your diff covers. Lesson learned.

Next up, if I can summon up the strength, is to replace my stock Mopar Rock Rails with Mopar Performance Parts Rock Rails. The stock rock rails are not beat up too bad, but the new ones stick out far enough to help getting in and out of the vehicle. They’ll also help when folks swing their doors open without paying attention, and when folks leave their empty carts in the mall parking lot.

I’m at Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) with Evolution Jeep Alliance (EJA). It’s a beautiful day and I’m guessing there are at least 200 Jeeps here for the event. The groups are about a dozen each, and I’m in one of the blue trail groups. Be right back, gotta air down.

Off we go! Welp we lost a 1985 CJ at the start. As it turned out his U-joints failed when he was trying to shift into 4L. He turned around and hopefully got back home safely, hope we see him again.

Many ways to deal with deep muddy ruts like this one. I prefer to climb up one side to avoid having the side of my Jeep drag against the muddy wall and potentially losing a fender flare or two (ask me how I know). The pitch and roll meter never went over 15 degrees, so the video looks extreme due to the angle of the camera.

Ok it’s getting gnarly now. Hello Barney Rubble. How can this be a blue trail?!

Urban legend has it there’s a hairy Sasquatch in the bushes. If you take a selfie with it you can get a sticker at the front office (see below).

All good things must come to an end. I had a blast, can’t wait to join y’all again!

UPDATE: I discovered on the way home that my steering stabilizer lost a fight with a Barney Rubble trail boulder. I drove home at 20mph and got home late in the evening. It’s Monday morning and I’m heading to the dealer to get a new one. Luckily I have a Clayton relocation kit waiting to be installed. Here’s a picture of my previous Jeep, where the shock was mounted low and it died on Crawl Daddy (Rausch) last year. It was mounted low on my current Rubicon and was in much worse condition. I’ll be installing the new up higher up to protect it.

What a weekend! When Main Line Overland shop told me about the upcoming MLO New England 2022 Trail Ride Series (in partnership wtih Ridge Back Guide Service LLC), I signed up right away. I have so much to learn about overlanding.

I’ve done a number of cross country solo trips to Moab, UT, to the Colorado Rockies, Texas, Sturgis, Sedona, AZ, and more. They were all awesome experiences, but it was all about the destination. When it comes to overlanding, it’s all about the journey.

“Overlanding is self-reliant overland travel to remote destinations where the journey is the principal goal.” – Wikipedia

When I was in the US Army (79-85), I drove my M151 (aka Mutt) through anything our commanders sent us through. I got pretty good with the 4-speed, even with the horrible suspension (pucker moments), with or without the 1/4 ton trailer. So I think I got an early start off road.

On Friday I had to re-mount my front bumper skid plate the night before. I removed it when I relocated my steering stabilizer. I snapped two bolts when I tried to remove them using an impact wrench. I was able to get the broken pieces removed (images). I attached the skid plate using the six bolts around the front edge. I figured it’s safe to go on this weekend trip without the rearmost bolts. I was right, it held together fine.

I packed the Jeep that night. I figured with my iKamper out of commission (needs repair – don’t ask), I packed my ground tent stuff and enough supplies to last three days. Well as it turned out I forgot to bring my 2.5 gallon water container, my stove lighter, my coffee mug, and all my utencils. I really should have followed the list I use for all my other trips.

When I got to the camp, I pitched my tent by the water. It was getting dark, so I set up the kitchen. I realized I forgot to bring water and the stove lighter. So I packed things up and went to the local store. Came back and set up the kitchen again.

Then I realized I didn’t bring utencils or a coffee mug. You guessed it. I packed things up again, back to the local store I went. I was lucky, they were closing in 20 minutes. Came back and finally started cooking dinner.

The folks on the trip started their campfire, while I was starting to get low on blood sugar. I remember being asked if I planned to join them. I responded “I have to eat”, but it came out a little louder than I wanted. I sounded a little like Chris Farley at the end of this infamous SNL sketch. #hypoglicemia

Saturday’s blue trail was downright awesome. Beautiful scenery. Challenging terrain. Ok, for the Toyotas. Not so much for the Jeeps. Sunday’s green trail was even more beautiful, with easier terrain. I can’t remember seeing so much beauty in only a couple days. Overlanding is indeed about the journey.

I had a blast. I learned a lot. I understand why overlanding is a thing. I can’t wait to do it again!

My GMRS antenna snapped. It was a 5/8 wave that worked great. Luckily I carry spares, so I replaced it with a 1/2 wave. Works well on a trip with a dozen or so vehicles, but isn’t great for long(er) distances. I posted to the Expedition Portal to see what folks there think.

https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/thoughts-on-the-new-melowave-overlander-anm-123g.234944/

Stopped at a no touch pressure wash on the way back. That Virginia mud came off on the first try!

Now that I’ve got my HAM and GMRS faceplates mounted securely to a seat rail bracket bolted onto the front left passenger seat bolt, the next task on my list was to put both radio bodies in a secure and hidden location. At first I thought about mounting them in one of the Goose Gear platform cubby holes, but I decided against it since I want my recovery gear and tools to be put there.

I decided to route power for both radios to my LiFePO4 off grid battery, instead of through the firewall to the Jeep battery. This makes things so much easier. I decided there is plenty of room under the driver’s seat, back where the rear driver’s side passenger would sit if I had back seats. I didn’t realize there was so much room there. I decided to mount both radios on a piece of wood, and secure it with a 2″ piece of aluminum attached to the two rear driver seat rail bolts.

There’s plenty of room to mount the radio bodies side by side, and plenty of room on all sides of the radio, to enable cable management (power, mic, programming, and controller). There’s even enough room to insert/eject the microSD card used to back up and program the HAM radio.

Luckily I had a jigsaw with blades for all types of metals and wood. So cutting the plywood and aluminum bar was easy peasy. I used a Dremel to finish the cut sides to prevent sharp edges on the aluminum bar, and splinters on the plywood. I had plenty of stainless steel bolts of all sizes, and nylock bolts, and washers.

Once I had the 1/2″ holes drilled on the ends of the aluminum bar, and the two 3/8″ holes in the center of the wood piece, it was easy to put it all together. Mounting the radio brackets and the radios onto the brackets was a bit of a challenge (think race condition).

Once it was all assembled, I took it to the Jeep. I removed the four driver seat rail bolts, and set them to the side, since I bought M10-1.50 hardened steel bolts that were slightly longer. I placed the kit with the aluminum holes over the seat rail holes, and I put the seat rails over the aluminum bar holes. They aligned perfectly, so I put the bolts in but kept them loose.

I put the two front driver seat rail bolts in and tightened them down, then circled back to tighten down the rear bolts. I was expecting a wrestling match with some contortionism, but I was happy that things just fell into place. I slid the driver seat back and forth, plenty of room over the radios.

After finishing the wiring, I was very surprised how easy it was to do. It’s true that Goose Gear platform is the overlander’s dream come true.

I promised myself when I was in the US Army (79-85) that I’d get my Ham license. I kept putting it off. I finally took and passed my Technician’s license test. Nailed it on the first try, only missed 2 of 35 questions. I was asked if I wanted to take the General test while was there, for free, but I didn’t feel right doing it, since I hadn’t studied for it yet. I plan to take and pass the General before the Fall.

Until then, I spent some time sorting out how I want to mount the new Yaesu FTM-400XDR (Ham) faceplate and the Wouxun KG-1000G (GMRS) faceplate. I don’t want my field of view blocked in any way, so I started looking for a seat rail bracket solution.

The first place I looked was at the RAM Mounts site. I’m a huge fan of their products, long lasting and durable. They make a really strong seat rail bracket (RAM-VB-196-SW2). I only saw pictures of it, but to be honest I’m not very impressed at the design. It attaches to the passenger seat rail bolts. I guess that makes sense, but the bar in between the bolts seems ready to tear into your passenger’s achilles heels. The top part of the bracket swings in different directions. Cool, but I want to move the whole thing out of the way when needed. The hunt continues. #sorryrammounts

Searching through some Ham forums, a lot of people recommended the Lido Radio Products’s L-Max-Deluxe. Ham Radio Outlet has them in stock, so I headed out to their New Castle, DE location. The design is so much better than RAM Mount’s product. It’s an arm with bicycle wheel style quick releases at the mid point and at the base. The top and bottom ends also had very hefty tension dials. The pivoting points had teeth, so there is no chance anything would slip. The base design is brilliant, giving you the ability to move the arm between vehicles.

I bought the L-Max-Deluxe and headed home. Once home I started to come up with the design for mounting the two radios (stacked on one plate) and the two microphones mounted side by side. I figured an upside down “T” design would work. So I ordered an extra plate designed for the Wouxun KG-1000G (has a 5/8″ hole for the faceplate to body cable). That plate would be oriented vertically, with the 5/8” hole at the top to accommodate the Wouxun face plate. The Yaesu face plate would be positioned beneath it. The bottom plate would be oriented horizontally, and would hold the two microphones side by side.

Once the parts came in, I confirmed it came with enough nuts and bolts to put it all together. But I knew i didnt have the right size bolts, since the two plates were probably not designed to be mounted to each other. I also noticed the four center holes on each plate were designed for counter sunk bolts, which the kit didn’t come with. I figured I’d take the whole kit to Home Depot and find the right length bolts and nylock nuts.

The folks at Home Depot were very helpful. I love that place! The staff helped me find the right size philips counter sunk screws and matching nylock nuts. We found sets of different length flat head bolts, and the countersunk bolts for attaching the two plates together. I spent roughly $12, and it was fun going through the exercise.

When I got home I put it all together. I planned well, since I had all that I needed, and a few left over nuts and bolts. The kit looks great, even with the four shiny bolts holding the two plates together. Maybe I’ll look for black counter sunk bolts later, or I’ll take a Sharpie to them.

The back of the kit has the quick mount/unmount plate that came with the bracket. It went onto the bracket smoothly, was secure, and came off without much effort. I drove around some rough roads, and was surprised how little the arm wiggled. I’m very happy with the setup. I plan to send a link to this blog post to Lido, so they can share with anyone else who wants to mount two faceplates on a heavy duty bracket.

Next I had t create a couple wire harnesses, so I could run the cables back to my LiFePO4 off grid power kit. I originally had one of the radios wired to the Jeep battery, but this makes so much more sense. Plenty of power, plenty of connections, and lots of power management for protection.

I ordered the 1/2″ PVC flame retardant sheathing from McMaster-Carr, thanks to a tip from the folks on JLWranglerForums. Removed the inline fuses, since the Blue Sea fuse block provides ATO/ATC fuse slots. Both radio bodies are in the passenger foot well area (for now – I plan to mount them both under the driver’s seat once I build a kit). It was easy to run the new wiring harnesses through my Goose Gear stealth full platform.

Once I connected the wires, I stuck a 15A fuse in both spots, and bingo, we’re powered up and super protected. It took some work, but was well worth it!

Next post will cover relocating my HAM and GMRS radios to under the driver’s seat.

I joined Evolution Jeep Alliance (EJA) this weekend for a planned long weekend trip to Mount Washington (Fri) and Jericho Mountain (Sat).

A few of us met in Allentown at 1300 on Thursday. We drove about four hours to Brattleboro, NH. We got there just as it was getting dark. We split up and went to our respective hotels or BnBs, had dinner, and rested up for Friday.

Friday was a little anticlimactic, since it turned out Mount Washington was closed. We knew before we left, so everyone found a way to keep busy that day. I chilled and went to see Top Gun, and found a nice dinner spot.

On Saturday all met at the Moat Mountain Brewery parking lot and planned to hit the road at 0900. It took about an hour to get to Jericho Mountain. I was about 2/3 of the way back in the Jeep convoy, so I got to see folks watching the us drive by. Not sure if they were liking it or just annoyed.

Once we got to Jericho Mountain, we split into two groups. Most of the Jeeps were highly modified and capable, so they went to the black trail. Jeep Badge Of Honor rates the black trail up to 9 of 10. They decided to use GMRS channel 6.

Those of us in more modestly built Jeeps took the green trail. Two of the Jeeps had broken front driveshafts, and one older Jeep had overheating problems. Never saw coolant boiling before. They took the shorter green trail and I was happy to keep them company.

If it didn’t rain I probably would have done the entire green trail, even if it includes a portion of the black trail. But I’m not willing to take unnecessary risks on slippery rocks, not interested in unplanned body or drivetrain damage. Besides I haven’t gotten around to relocating my steering stabilizer, so it’s in it’s stock position (too low). So three of us waited in the parking lot for the black group to return.

My GMRS lets me monitor two channels, so I was able to hear the few green group folks making their way back to the lot. The black group had excellent spotting, but had to winch a few times, as expected. I heard one Jeep slipped off a rock and is pinned to a tree.

We eventually all got out safely and met in the parking lot. I latched on to a small group heading to North Conway. A small blue car decided to squeeze into the convoy, almost hitting one of us. He eventually peeled off. Boy it’s folks like that who shouldn’t be licensed to drive.

I stayed at the 1880s School House Inn on Saturday night for $8 (had a free night at Hotels.com). They have an old restored gas pump in the lobby. The price hasn’t changed in a couple years.

I had breakfast at Banner’s, a little earlier than the group that’s convoying back home. Best omelettes ever! I had some time to kill so I topped off gas and air, and tidied up the cargo area. Including blowing out all the annoying flying cottonwood things. Did I have too much coffee?

I made use of the extra Strachits and used them to secure everything. There wasn’t much to secure since it’s a short trip, but that just meant there were more tie down loops available on the Goose Gear platform.

The EJA club seems very friendly and welcoming. They’re experienced, capable Jeepers. I’m impressed, and I hope to join them again.