Keystone State Thread

How's the clutch engage lever on your smittybilt? I've had problems with several brands where they either stop engaging properly or corrode fast. My brother's broke off.

 

It engages pretty smoothly. I'll take a look at the internals sometime soon to see if there's any signs of corrosion. Last year's inspection it all looked good.

 

Yeah. I have two girls. And yes they've been girly from the get go, even with a lot of exposure to the outdoor life when they were younger.

A few years ago, out of the blue, she said "Dad, I wanna go fishing"

We were out at Lake Welch in Harriman NY in a flash... before she changed her mind. LOL.

Here's what she caught.


But it wasn't the fish that was the highlight of the day. It was the amazing time we had together that day.

Take advantage of your time with your kids Eric. They grow up fast!

 

Last time I took them fishing. I ended up chasing after them in the water and they wouldn't fish.

 

Lots of gold nuggets in the jacking thread. Thanks for sharing.

 

I need to make up my mind on a winch and bumper too damnit.

 

Anyone using the ARB drawer systems? Im tired of milk crates etc...they aren't cheap but its a good name, I have other ARB stuff...just curious b4 I plunk down A bunch of $$$

 

Expensive AF. I'm going to try my hand in making my own this spring. Probably won't post the results though.

 

I was thinking about a drawer system as well come springtime.

 

yupper VERY $$$$ but over the years I have liked the quality of thier stuff....just want to ensure its still there...good luck on ur project...in that stuff Im not so handy..

 

I'm just down the road from you in New Holland.

 

I'm thinking the same thing basically. I am building the truck to go most places I venture. I have always camped/overlanded in my bed with a cot. I basically want to avoid buying twice, and also have no idea when it comes to self recovery. I had an old heavy duty come along. The cable snapped, so I have no actual self recovery yet aside from shovels. I plan on the rest of my armor this year, and possibly a winch. Other than that I think maybe I'll just stick with the consensus. Go out and figure out what I need. Maybe i'll start with a sleeping platform and go from there, I use my bed a lot though.

 

Why hello there neighbor! I’m three houses up from Helens Bar (entrapment, really)

 

I camped for years with an $80 dollar pop up coleman from costco. Didn't have a fly so I just used a tarp. I used a crappy cooler for a long time until a pelican with wheels became available for next to nothing. I've always been budget conscious lol. majority of my camping gear is from Amazon because it's cheap and it works.

For most PA forest roads i've been on so far, you're ahead of the game. you have a 4wd truck. That being said, if you plan to winter camp or venture further recovery gear becomes priceless.

 

I have always taken the opposite approach and just impulsively bought what I thought I needed. I have become a lot more frugal in my last 10 years though. That's why I camp in my bed with a broken ass cot. I have a couple 2 person tents for when I kayak more than a day.

I think for PA Forest roads I'm well ahead of the game. I watched a video of Morrison Jeep trail and it just hit me that I would love to do something like that. I don't have the wheeling experience or set up for anything like that, but I'm thinking there should be plenty of similar but less technical trips. That is how I would like to spend my next few vacations. Or at least if I have to go to the beach for the wife and kids, I'll take the rest of my vacation exploring. I'm interested in PA's natural beauty because it is close and something I want to pass to my kids.

I've always been into hunting, and a Midwest or Colorado hunting trip has been on the list for about 5 years. I have interests in hunting and fishing in Ohio, Michigan, and some other closer states. I'm thinking it would be nice to be able to just use my truck in public land situations, especially if I can drive way back in. So much want, much less time and money!

 

Honestly the key is time. Slowly accumulate stuff you need or you wish you had on a trip as you travel. That's why I have so much stuff, everytime I go the setup gets that much more dialed.

Here is a link to my camping gear LINK

 

@Nimble9 I also need to get a decent cooler. I have a few old Coleman's, but they end up melting after a day or 36 hours max. My dad passed a little over a week ago so I wasn't too active on the forum during that time. I did find an enameled steel camp set. 4 cups, 4 plates, and a skillet. I prefer cast iron for a skillet, but I think I'll use the enameled stuff out of principle. Now I've got the itch to go camping. I was supposed to head out last weekend to my trout/hunting camp to get away from it all for a weekend. I just had too much to do. My buddy limited out on really big perch as well, so that was a bummer.

 

My condolences regarding your father.

That's another way to get gear, look for sales or used items. Most of my camp kitchen Items were from when Sports Authority was going out of business, so I scooped up a ton of stuff for cheap

 

Thank you! Yeah I figure camping gear is a dime a dozen, I'm not too concerned about that. I have a lot of stuff from when I was in the military that gets me through. I have basically all of my gear. I'll keep my eyes peeled for some of the stuff I don't have though at sales. I got almost all of my cast iron and aluminum at estate sales. Things like an awning and more of the creature comforts are foreign to me. I guess that should have been my question.

I noticed you have a rear bumper. Do you have a swingout? If so, what set up for the swingout do you have, and what would you change with camping/overland in mind? Jerry cans, table, single vs. dual?

 

I've had a number of different setups, because I built the truck for offroading first. At first I had a high clearance rear with a swingout tailgate. This kept the spare up and out of the way more than a typical swingout. I've gotten rid of that and now I have a @Mobtown Offroad High Clarence Rear with a swingout and dual jerry can holder. Fuel and water. I like having a swingout, because otherwise it's dead space not being used. I have no table on it, but that'll change soon enough. I'm also adding a hitch to it so I can mount my bike rack on the swingout when I go on MTB adventures.

I bought the awning right before winter and haven't even used it yet, but I know it'll come in handy soon enough. I'm thinking about buying the awning room, since it'll be right next to my annex room on my RTT.