Vancouver -> Death Valley -> Grand Canyon -> Moab [110 photos inside]

Last night I came back from a 16 day trip through south-western US. I'll let the photos (and a few videos at the end) tell the story.

Damage report:
- torn sidewall on one KO2 Load Range C
- nice dent in another wheel
- torn-off mud flap (driver's side front)
- driver's side slider got ground about 2-3 feet
- both sliders massively chipped from going over washboard/gravel much, much too fast
- a few scratches on lower control arms
- a few scratches on the diff
- a few more scratches on the already scratched and rusting hitch (soon to be replaced as part of a steel rear bumper)
- dog brush snapped in half
- collapsed interior rack (an aluminum rack I had made to sit inside my canopy, above my main gear); I had it way overloaded
- white paint on my front, passenger-side door handle courtesy of a crackhead that parked her 2003, white F150 next to my truck in the parking lot of a Motel 6 in Boise, ID, on the very last night of my trip; got the local police involved, found her, got her insurance - will see how far that goes... of all the damage sustained, this one hurt the most

All in all, had a great time.





























































































































































































































From Saline Valley in Death Valley, over to Eureka Dunes, I had to pass through a tight canyon with four ledges. This is the video of the first one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMWMYXZNnsQ

Going over the hardest obstacles on Top of the World in Moab:

External cam (battery died just as I had set the camera up to film the upper part of the obstacle) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR3vCXy8lFA
Dash cam - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Pr2n3q7KCeg

I cut out all of my self-spotting, so that's why the timestamp will jump around here and there. Don't mind my exhausted, overheated panting. The "hit" you'll hear is my rear wheel (and not the tire on that wheel) hitting a rock, as well as my sliders doing what they're meant for. They took a beating going over the upper part, but that's money well spent in my books. Was lucky enough to find some excellent spotters to help me come down on the other side.

Shortly after this obstacle I somehow managed to get turned around and head back down. Realized my mistake much too late to turn back. Will revisit this next time.

 

Phone crashed loading those pics.

 

Was your phone made by Toyota?

 

Wonderful photos and trip. Guess that puts the KO2 sidewall vs Duratrac sidewall debate to rest

 

Funny enough, it didn't tear during any actual crawling. It tore on the soft, sandy, beautiful road past the canyon to Eureka Dunes. I got a little too excited and must have pinched it against a rock. In fact, I clearly remember taking a hit, which I'm sure was the one that tore it.

I'm loving the KO2s. They're an animal.

 

Way cool trip! I want this one day. Thanks for documenting it for us to experience.

 

That's a lot of miles, how many times did you have to replace your diff on that trip?

 

looks like an awesome trip! great pictures, what kind of camera were those taken on?!

 

Who had more fun? You or your traveling companion!? Very cool trip and great pictures thanks for sharing

 

Thank you for sharing! Beautiful pictures.

 

Awesome pix, looks like fun was had!

 

Nice photos! Looks like a fun trip.

Salute from a fellow Vancouverite.

 

Sony RX100 M3. 99% of those photos were taken in the automatic ("superior") mode. All photos received light post-processing.

 

Good question! Both had fun, both were tired, both are happy to be home. But only one chased mice in death valley.

Having spent that much time on the road, I've figured out what works and what doesn't, what's important and what's not. The truck will be undergoing a total renovation soon. Pretty much everything on/in the bed is about to be listed for sale, and a new vision will soon start taking shape

 

Care to share more about what was useful and what was more of a waste of space??

 

Pressurized water:
- fantastic; can no longer live without it;
- using separate (20L) water containers was a bit of a pain;
- single, dedicated, semi-permanent water tank is the way to go;

Propane-powered water heater (for showering):
- didn't test it before leaving, and one of the fittings leaks like mad, rendering the whole thing useless;
- didn't use it a single time;

Pop-up shower/poop tent ($30 new):
- didn't use it a single time;

Rubber mat to stand on when washing yourself off:
- priceless;

Fold-flat chair:
- pain to store/carry;
- the ones that fold together into a tube-like shape are the way to go;

Cheap, folding aluminum table:
- works fine, but as with the fold-flat chair, a pain to carry;

My chuck box:
- generally awesome, but working area is too small;
- didn't use half the stuff that was in it;

Partner Steel propane stove:
- fantastic
- bee's knees
- best thing since sliced bread
- I like it, okay?

Sleeping arrangements:
- ground tent, no matter how awesome (and my OZ Tent RV4 is as awesome as they get) is a no go; too much effort to setup and take down day after day; would make for an amazing base camp, but that's not the kind of camping I personally do
- hard-shell RTT is a non-negotiable must
- no sleeping inside the bed; I'm 6' and the 6' bed is too small/uncomfortable for me

Awnings:
- awesome, but like the ground tent, too much work to setup/pack away
- one of those swing-out 270-degree awnings would be amazing, if it can work with your setup

Proper shade:
- a must
- top and walls are both required
- preferably with inner bug nets
- will look into pop-up canopies with the above features to use on an as-needed basis
- from my 16 days on the road, I outright needed solid side walls (for shade) on two occasions; base-camping, that would be needed daily

Truck armour:
- the more, the better; I've got front, transmission, and transfer case skids in the mail, but will also be looking at lower control arm skids, gas tank skid, and rear diff skid;
- my sliders are invaluable; fill-plates do an awesome job of preventing rocks from being flung up at your truck body - get them;
- you will always do something harder or stupider than you intended to, so ensure the truck is ready for it

Weight:
- the less, the better
- drove the unloaded truck today and after driving it very loaded for two weeks, it now feels like a sports car
- wish I had ordered aluminum skid plates instead of steel (arriving this Saturday)

Tools:
- all are a waste of space until you need them, then they become priceless

Communication:
- had a DeLorne inReach SE with an unlimited plan with me; fantastic for keeping in touch with family and friends (two way texting), getting guidance/help from said people, being able to check the weather forecasts, and having that SOS button handy; the plan I bought includes vehicle recovery, which is something worth thinking about when you're visiting places that specifically say "no tow service" at the entrance

Travel Insurance:
- a must, obviously

// edit // more:

Staun Tire Deflators:
- very handy; a bit of a pain to set precisely, but after that, I love them;

Viair 400P air compressor:
- love it; mine is hardwired and if left turned on will randomly turn itself on to a second or two several times during the day - not something you want to be waken up by; shut it off

Zeon 1000W inverter:
- great for charging the laptop, Milwaukee batteries, camera batteries, etc.

Portable battery pack:
- a must have; will recharge most small electronics (your phone, camera, whatever else) 5-7 times, and you can then recharge the battery pack in a single overnighter at a motel or wherever else you have easy access to power
- I have an older version of this: https://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-Por...0163613&sr=8-5&keywords=portable+battery+pack

 

Looks like an awesome trip man and amazing photos!

 

This is exactly the kind of trip I want to do next year! I just have to save up some vacation. Love the pictures especially the ones of the GSD.

 

Awesome pics! thanks for sharing.

 

Looks like an amazing trip!!

Thanks for sharing