SOLVED! Post 2853 Leaking Injectors, Dealer Techs Rock! Extended Cranking after Engine Swap 3.4L 5vz

that's actually koditten wearing a wig

 

Camping was so much fun!! Beautiful hot sunny weather the whole time, didn't forget to pack anything critical, and the best part?

We got the place all to ourselves at first!!! Couldn't believe it!! Didn't get outta here til way later than planned Fri evening, between all that packing and neighbors chatting. Drove up that old beat up gravel/dirt road in total darkness, with the cliff I remembered still right there out my window what felt like a only millimeter or so. LOVE 1ST GENS on those skinny ass roads!!!! Anyway - we were in total shock when we arrived and there was NO ONE!!!!! Hurray!! Some people showed up the next afternoon, then some more people a few hours later. So there were 3 groups of us up there. But at least we got to experience that old familiar thrill of working your ass off to pack/prep/plan, drive up that shit road in the dark, then that moment when you discover the payoff you just earned and realize you've got that sweet ass spot all to yourselves. Pretty awesome.

Got myself nice and sunburned cruising around in our little boat, Dolly got herself exhausted and covered in pine tar and sunburned too, Eric caught a trout that we ate Sat night (YUM!) and got an excuse to use his chainsaw (we forgot the ski mask!!) to saw up a bunch of downed trees for firewood. And we all ate like kings - Brats, Baked Potatoes with all the fixins (I mean ALL), buttery fresh trout, and Baked Beans with onions and cheese. Washed down with J & B and beer. Topped off with the mandatory camping smores. MMMMMMMMMMMM.

 

I've missed you guys!! Tried exploring around TW and chatting with some other people, but I missed my "5 guys" the whole time!

Thanks for the laugh Keakar

 

But we did realize we gotta improve our topper set up. It was really nice having the board across the tops of the wheel wells as far as the extra space width wise (we used to try sleeping BETWEEN the wheel wells - yikes!). But then your face is so close to the ceiling of the topper that it's kinda claustrophobic. I think we need one of those tall toppers. Anything more significant than that and I'd be nervous driving it on some of those roads, plus we don't have that kind of cash to spend on something major like that right now. But a taller topper - that would fix the claustrophobic feeling and if we could find a used one for a decent price we might be able to swing it now.........

 

there are these: http://www.realtruck.com/truck-tents/toyota/tacoma/1998/

otherwise the only other option is to move from the truck to a regular tent on the ground.

if you have skills and are creative you can install a flat hard fiberglass bed cover in the top of your topper with tent sides to it and create a popup top tent feature for the topper. thing is it wouldn't be easy and im not sure how it could be waterproofed

 

Ooh, I like those tent topper things you linked at first glance, taking a closer look with Eric later, thank you!

Yeah, I don't think we're skilled enough for the second idea though : )

 

He was a small but beautiful fish. Yummy too!

 

Somebody was seriously tuckered out.

 

My little boat. I love it so much.



PS - the jar is an icy cold vodka strawberry lemonade. MMMMMMMM

 

Dolly was not into swimming. She did, however, voluntarily jump in the boat several times. I think she likes it!

 

While out in the boat, saw this little family skirting the edges of the lake and playing in the water. Unfortunately I didn't get a video of it, but right after this, they found a downed tree laying in the lake and took turns jumping off it like it was a high dive or something. So freaking cute.

 

Dolly took a ride in the boat with me.........

 

MMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, dinner fit for a Taco owner!

 

Had some nice views of Hood on the way home

 

And now. Now there's 5 trillion bins of crap everywhere to clean/sort through/put away/make shopping lists of supplies to replenish. You know, all that WORK part of camping. I gotta say, it was fun, but hotels can be fun too Camping is SO MUCH WORK. Good grief. You are constantly shuffling a bunch of crap around trying to pack, load up, unpack, set up, tidy up, pack up, load up, unload, unpack. I'm starting to understand more why people get giant things like RVs and campers - you can just leave all that crap in there and be semi ready to go if the mood strikes you. For us, it's lugging 5 million things from our shed, going through it all, then lugging it out to the Taco to load. Just to get going. Lots of lugging crap around.

Might have to build a garage this summer. Then we could keep our shed as a wood working shop, but use the garage to keep all the car crap and camping crap and stuff. And maybe even give Eric a place to do vehicle maintenance that doesn't totally suck!!

 

One more. That's our spot.

It does seem like more people have discovered it over the years, considering 2 more groups of people showed up while we were there. But still, it amazes me that it's not mobbed with people on nice weekends. Not that hard to get there, only ~2 hrs from PDX, and at best you'll have that whole lake to yourself. At worst, a few others might show up, and odds are they will be cool people. Free fish, firewood, use of the lake, awesome views. Not too shabby for nearby free entertainment.

Mt Hood Nat Forest has it's own beauty, but it certainly ain't no eastern Oregon. Can't wait to head east again soon!!

 

yep, I think that would be a job for a skilled bodywork person if you want it to look very pretty but if being beautiful when its done isn't that important then its probably best to just add a 2 level to the topper shell with some hacking and fiberglassing the same way you see them chop cars on TV then fiberglass it all back together to be waterproof. it would be bad on MPG with the extra wind resistance but it gives you headroom not to bang your head on the roof and to be able to kneel in there without bending your neck.

it wouldn't be all that big of a job really as long as the cuts were straight and you were planning to paint it anyway. you could just build a 1x12 frame to sit on the roof angled in slightly and then cut the hole out and the cut out part sits on top of the box you built (that's why its angled in slightly) then you just fiberglass it when its finished so its all waterproof then repaint. I think you guys could definitely handle it if Eric can cut a few boards at an angle and mix a little fiberglass and paint the cloth over it to wet it. it really is easier then it sounds, the hard part is cutting straight lines lol.

 

He's not always the best at the straight line thing.

Although to his credit, I'm sure he does a much better job than I would.

 

Shhhh we don't want everyone to show up at the cool places we found, divert them to the mall.

 

Oops, you are totally right. Have I said too much? Is some editing/photo deleting in order here? Seriously man, help me out. Gotta try to keep a few of these places semi secret.......