The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

this is going to be good...

 

@HBMurphy 's 2009 DCSB Off-Road. It does not have a build thread, and maybe it shouldn’t, it could easily be infinitely long with fascinating details. But what I can tell you is that the transfer case, transmission, and engine are forged from case hardened adamantium. The transmission, and transfer case gears were cut with industrial diamond coated mill ends by Toyota’s President Tohoku himself, on the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan. The rest of the truck was built with 50% Legend, 50% Adventure, and 50% Win. That’s 150%!!!

 

@SjTacoSharks this is one of my favorite builds. This guy travels and his write ups are spot on. Great read when ur on the bowl

 

lol - Thanks. Although I don't have a build thread, anyone that has PM'd me has usually had a phone call and I have shared what I know. I've enjoyed the adventure and participating in this social experiment called TW. This truck has brought me almost as much happiness as my beautiful better half and certainly has introduced me to many friends that I know I will have for a good long time in the future. Once again, thanks for reaching out and I hope I can help you sometime in the future.

 

Cool to finally see @HBMurphy 's truck.

 

Nothing special. One thing is certain - I've gotten far more out than I've put in.

 

Don't sell yourself short! Your truck definitely gets used, Murph! And it's built to handle the abuse you put it through. Made me feel like an old man with my blinker on in the fast lane when I was behind you.

 

Lol Was my blinker on?

 

Haha! No. I'm just saying you drive fast, mister. I was just putting along trying to keep up.

 

very cool. Can't wait for this to unfold.
This thread gets better and better, where will it end, nobody knows.

 

we were pacing ourselves, he was clearing the path.

And his reversing skills are spot on

 

Man I'm glad I read your thread. I was about to jump on full OME group buy, but I think I will get billys with dakar leaf instead. Love your truck BTW.

 

To be fair (we all have to be fair ), I was tail gunning most of the time.

 

Man I am drooling over @Drainbung's rig.

That is one badass DCLB.

 

Crom & Friends travel the Historic Mojave Road. Part 1

At least once a year, and at most twice, I get to leave my family behind and go out and explore. The other remaining 360 days a year I'm committed to family obligations.

This year I had a scheduled trip planned in January, that fell through, so I saved my favors and cashed them in with the wife for a wheeling / camping / exploring trip with some really great folks from this forum. Some of which I have known for over 5 years but never had a chance to meet in person. That chance came, and I made it happen, and I am very grateful for it.

The genesis for the trip was when @nfs257 asked to come out on an outing with me. This was about six months ago... Others saw that and asked to join in. So I said yes. As momentum built for the trip I reached out to a few like-minded members that I have always wanted to meet but have never had the chance to do so until now. The chosen route to explore was the Historic Mojave Road, which originates at the Colorado River and goes West, to about Barstow.

I agreed to organize and lead the group. I asked Bruce @Bman4X5 to serve as alternate lead, and we began organizing. Bruce had recently traveled the Mojave Road and his up-to-date knowledge and experience with the terrain was extremely helpful. Prior to this trip I had only traveled the route from Kelso-Cima road, to the west. Many in our group bought Dennis Casebier's most excellent Mojave Road Guide book. It is rich in history, very descriptive and concise.

As leader I assumed legal responsibility for the group, interacted with NPS official, planned the route, built electronic route GPX file, selected precise camping locations, developed trail communication plan, radio/antenna/peripheral recommendations for group for those that needed them, and finally filed the plan with the NPS special permit office, and obtained special use permit.

As luck would have it, twelve days prior to this trip I got a very bad cold which robbed me of my strength and wits. Despite plenty of rest, I was beat down, but I felt I had to make this trip. And so it began.

On April 1, our group had a quick meet and greet just before the high desert on I-15. We ate breakfast, refueled our rigs, performed a communications check. Our six rig convoy departed and we began a caravan to the north. @Bman4X5 @GHOST SHIP @Drainbung @ETAV8R @HBMurphy . We took I-15 to I-40 East. @CVYota intercepted us on I-40 and we were a party of seven. Final refuel before dirt took place in Needles, CA. Our route turned North on Needles Highway for about 17 miles until we crossed the CA/Nevada state line border. For us the trail began 3 miles west of the Colorado river.

We all performed the time honored tradition of airing down our tires. I've settled on 19 PSI for comfortable all-terrain wheeling in my rig.

A final comms check and we hit the trail. I led the group navigating with software Back Country Navigator, my app of choice for my device. After a slight route deviation at a “Y” in the road and some confusion, it was suggested to me to call out the route changes over the radio so everyone knows which way to go. This was @HBMurphy 's suggestion. His veteran trail leadership experience on this trip was invaluable to me. And on this trip he graciously offered to serve as tail gunner, a very important role in convoy operations. As it turned out, we were the only two with mobile class VHF radios.

Our group navigated the Mojave Road past the Dead Mountain Wilderness area, eventually turning west and cresting the Dead Mountains high point at about 2,200'. We reentered California, taking in the grand views of the Piute Mountain Range and dropping into Piute Valley.

We intersected US-95, and carefully proceeded across.

I met a lone vehicle on trail who was traveling the route eastward. I learned from this traveler that there were two large groups at Fort Piute, which is where we were headed for lunch. I really wanted to see this place and decided we should. However the terrain became quite rocky and I knew it would eat up a lot of time. I reversed my decision, and halted forward progress. Our group would bypass this feature and continue on trail to the south. I asked nicely for Ghost Ship, in the #2 position to reverse back to intersection. This decision saved us valuable time and ultimately we were able to stay ahead of the other groups.

We pulled over for lunch just after the trail turned West after following a powerline road going south.

This is a view to the East and from the general direction from which we came from. The Colorado river is 19 miles away.


Very impressive to me was the flora. The flowers were blooming and lots of color was visible in the desert. Little did I know it was only going to get better.







We ate lunch and talked amongst ourselves before saddling up and continuing the route west. We navigated up through the pass in the Piute mountain range. We had to contend with a giant trail washout which left only a narrow patch of trail, so very slim margin of safety.

CVYota navigating the giant washout.


And @Drainbung on the same obstacle pictured above. It's a little off camber. and it tilts your rig towards the crevasse!


@GHOST SHIP clearing the washout.


Eventually a land cruiser group caught up to us. We maintained speed, and they disappeared behind us.



Then a few minutes before a critical turn in the trail, my navigation froze on me and I didn’t know it until it was too late. So Ghost Ship and I drove in reverse for 100 yards or so to course correct turning north, then west again back on track. Driving in reverse on trail is an excellent skill to develop. You never know how far you might have to go that way.

We stopped at the famous abandoned Mojave Road bus.





As we pressed on, the terrain of the trail changed and became rougher and whoops were encountered.



At one trail junction, it offered me two routes to the same place, one rougher than the other. I took the rough route, cause I like that. Ghost Ship floated over this rough patch and we continued on. Then I heard over that radio that Dranbung’s diff got hung up on a dirt mound in the rough patch. When I heard this, I immediately halted forward progress until I heard he got unstuck. @Drainbung @ETAV8R @CVYota may have better details on exactly what happened, but that’s how I heard it.

Unfortunately shortly thereafter there was some carnage. One of the turnbuckles on @Drainbungs camper let go.

Post-trip pic



But there was a silver lining in that we had just passed the Lanfiar-Valley dirt road where I noted this plaque.



And this armored HC rear end. lol


At this intersection, the Lanfair-Valley dirt road bears N-S and has exits to pavement in the North about 20 miles, or to the south 24 miles.

Unable to make repairs on the trail, @Drainbung called it, and said goodbyes to everyone in the group and headed on south on the graded dirt road.

His rig was impressive and I wished I could seen more of it, and asked him dozens of questions like I do. But that’s how it goes sometimes.



Later that night, somehow my phone got a faint signal and I received a txt msg that he made it out okay. Thank you for that!

The group now six, we pressed on, and proceeded west.



We passed some amazingly green patches.


And here you can see our destination from the Mojave Road. The New York Mountains.


Eventually we came to our turnoff to the North, our destination was Carruthers Canyon nestled into the New York Mountains, for first night’s camp.

About about seven miles later, I realized my navigation device malfunctioned yet again, and the map was seized. Fawk! When it recovered, I realized we had passed the turn off for my desired group camp site. Now deep in the canyon, there was notable traffic from other groups being a Friday and fair weather.

We quickly discussed a strategy. Divide and conquer. Ghost Ship immediately occupied a cleared space deep in the canyon that would work for our group. The rest of the group proceeded back south. I ventured up a promising spur, which turned into private property, I flipped the rig around and rejoined the group. @CVYota seized another workable spot as I met up with the group. I decided that I wanted to investigate the original planned campsite to the south.

I departed to the south about 1.5 miles away. Paying close attention to my navigation, I arrived.

I was so pleased to find it open an unoccupied. I radioed back to the group to come down canyon and navigated them through to camp.

We parked our rigs and made camp.



Even though everyone in our group comes from a different walk of life, we all had much in common. A love of building Toyota Trucks, passion for outdoor adventure / exploring, history of the west, Death Valley, stewardship of the land, and respect for others.

I thoroughly enjoyed everyone's company. We ate, told stories, and laughed into the night by the campfire.
​

 

Great trip. Hope to follow your lead again. You do a great job of organizing and memorializing.

 

@dcsbtaco this could not be more true

 

I believe that was me that got hung up on my diff. @CVYota pulled me out pretty quick though. Driver error and a rookie mistake. Was in a nasty part of the trail and there was a smooth looking bypass over to the right that was begging for skinny pedal. I was part way into the rough patch and decided to climb small mound to get to the smooth section. Got a little stuck and eased off the throttle (that's where I messed up). Had I pushed through, I would've climbed right over. Instead, without momentum, I started to sink. Wheelspin was digging me deeper into the soft dirt/sand. Quick strap pull from CVYota and we were back to it, but I had already learned my lesson.

 

My own build? Many and more than yours haha

 

What permit was required for the Mohave road?


Never mind....I found the permit page on the NPS site...Groups 7 vehicles or larger require a permit.