AdventureTaco - turbodb's build and adventures

I love the cliff hanger haha. Your trip reports are always so great. Honestly, they feel like an article in Overland Journal! With less Land Rovers. Haha

 

Thanks guys. Won't be too long, but I only have the first paragraph and pic of the next one written since the weather has finally gotten nice here and I want to be outside! Stay tuned.

F-ing snow. Seriously, why so much snow?

Hahahaha! I swear, I can still feel that road in my back and it's 10 days later; to be your age again.

Right on! Go . Love those PB&J's, brings back the childhood memories. I'm getting @mini.turbodb hooked on them now; the cycle continues, hahahahaha!

Nice tips, thanks. I like the cool nights, and up at Mahogany Flats, it looked like every site had a fire ring - so that'd be nice (but I bet super windy, it was even in the middle of the day when I was there).

 

I am familiar with the feel, and it hurts me too. That's why I am constantly working on suspension haha, I'm working toward the trail Cadillac feel. But for those situations where your suspension just cannot keep up speed helps a lot.

 

I really am surprised it ran as well as it did with the occasional welding experiment that was taking place under the hood through the remainder of that road. The post ignition pops through the header were glorious every time it would come back to life after shorting out though haha

 

snowing all day here...why?...winter will never end..

You mean like having a sway bar on still and pimped up 5100s with air shocks in the back on heavy duty leaf springs?

Nah..couldn't be it.

 

Ugh, it's 96 here today. I'm hanging out at work because the temp is nice in the office and what the hell am I gonna do in a 90 something garage haha

 

Now just hear me out here... what if it is though

 

Turn pink?

 

Thankfully my garage is well shaded, but yeah. I can't take the lack of exercise, too hot to work on the truck or go for a walk so I got a gym membership. What have I become

 

Am i ever not? haha

Yeah definitely first step. And yeah, snowing. Was 70º on saturday.

haha yeah. You like it during the winter. About to get shitty for you now!

 

I have so many trips planned that take me out of this hell hole of a state

 

well that's good!

 

Awesome write up and photos.
Do you have a book on Death Valley/Mojave? Can you recommend?
Thanks.

 

Nice trip report but I agree that there is something wrong with your suspension if you thought the washboard on Saline Valle Rd was bad. I was just down there and hardly noticed the washboard (20PSI in the tires and Fox/Dakar suspension).

 

I just got back from doing The Racetrack and SVR North Pass. I've done SVR many many times and the North Pass is very washboarded. Possibly the worst I've experienced in almost ten years of driving SVR. I would like to attribute this to 2WD vehicles of all sorts that seek out the special place along Bat Rock Road. But that opens the argument of what causes washboarding.

 

you do a good job documenting and taking pictures to describe it all. Im too busy taking it in to be able to share it visually and without pictures the trip description is kinda boring. Keep it up. I need continued inspiration for future trips

 

This is why I need a trip south to work on stuff that requires bed removal.

Sway bars. Thirty-fives. Can't you all just leave well enough alone? You know, so I can. I know, it'll never happen.

I think the washboard there varies relatively regularly due to grading, traffic, and wind conditions. My guess is that @ETAV8R and I hit it at a relatively bad time.

That's not to say that there aren't things I can do to the truck - sway bar removal is definitely one, but the other might be some "getting used to" or "breaking in" these E-load tires. I'm so used to the C-load and the cushion they supply, that some of it could just be what I'm used to.

Thanks both! It's a ton of fun doing and writing up, so glad you're enjoying. As far as books go - I'm not one for doing research in books, but @mrs.turbodb definitely is. One of her favorites is Death Valley Ghost Towns. @DVexile is the resident expert IMO, and I think his recommendations are two books by Diggonet. In his words:

• Hiking Death Valley - This is *the* book for Death Valley.
• Hiking Western Death Valley - This is *the* book for things just outside Death Valley.

 

..zip ties keep your D rings together

 

You reminded me of the time I was out trail running with my buddy Mark and on this one particular trail we had to do some back tracking for some reason. Probably took a wrong turn or something. So I'm cruising along and catch a glimpse of something small and red up ahead. The closer I get, the more I realize its the color of the redhead. By then I can tell it's a shackle. What I coincidence. It's the same color as one of my painted ones. So I pull and stop to check it out. Sure enough, that was exactly what it was. It was only then that I realized it was one of my shackles. Or at least a portion of it. It must have fallen off when we were going the other direction on the trail. Never did find that painted pin.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time a shackle had fallen off. I'll bet I have 4 or 5 incomplete shackles in my bag. All of them are missing a pin.

 

Also, tightening them down really hard with a screw driver handle will work too. Either method is a bit of a pain when you need to get if off quickly tho.