Car Camping / Trip Reports / Photos / Buildouts / “Overland” / Expedition Rigs Area (homeless?)

Yeah, I know there's a tradeoff there. A while back, I asked in various threads if folks wanted me to keep posting (b/c I felt a little bad about the cross-posting) and the general feedback then from a lot of folks was "Keep doing it, I'm not in all the threads."

But I'm totally open to changing things up, if folks feel like things have changed.

 

Honestly my biggest complaint abut your posts in that I'm not in them.

 

This is Phoenix and her tag along. Family of 5 and a pooch going all over.

 

@turbodb I agree with Rock and Roll! My take is that I'm old and have memory issues; so, instead of having to remember a single thread I have multiple options to hit the jack pot. Also, don't have to reread the great verbiage - just enjoy the great photos (the truth).

 

Heck, keep it up. Your photography and write up are first class. Makes some envious I’m sure. But likely motivates many more to get out and have fun.

 

...We wouldn't see much pavement on this trip, and a gravel road would have been a much more pleasant drive than the few paved miles of Ivanpah Rd. that would deliver us to the New York Mountains. With disintegrating pavement that made us thankful for our aired down tires, we were glad to see the pavement ends sign as we crossed the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad....

Convergence of Canyons in the New York Mountains - Mojave #2​

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Keep reading the rest here
Convergence of Canyons in the New York Mountains - Mojave #2​

 

Your posts are so great. Man, you can really tell a story: both with photos and the text. Post in as many threads as you want. I "like" every post of yours that I see. Thank you !

 

For the homeless sort like me with all the toys, a quick solar panel tip:

The Renogy Suitcase Solar Panels are equipped with adjustable kickstand legs that fold down to hold the panels up at the best angle to absorb sunlight. During winter months the sun is at too low of an angle for the legs to be effective; they simply don't have the range to hold the panels upright enough. To remedy this I simply drilled new bolt holes through the bottom half of the aluminum frame and flipped the legs. Now the panels are able to stand much more upright to capture that weak winter sun. I hope this tip helps others in the future.



Factory leg position





Flipped leg

 

Granite Mountains of the Mojave Preserve.

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More pics, story:
The Thrill of the Hunt - Mojave #5​

 

So when's your book coming out. Great writing

 

subbing to the thread for many reasons!!!

but mostly to follow turbodb's pics and to soak in ideas from everyone for my rig...which is still in the planning stages.

I know we will be doing some tear drop trailer pulling for vacay with the wife, and I am still waffling between roof top tent, or cap and bed sleeping spot for "the guys" mountain biking trips

 

Perched atop a pile of granite, the "Mojave Megaphone" as it has come to be called, has been a mystery to many over the years. Theories abound as to its origin - perhaps related to the Tidewater and Tonopah Rail, or to military exercises conducted in the nearby valley; perhaps a test funnel for early rocket research or part of a siren to warn workers of impending danger.

It is, for certain, a strange shape to see out here in the middle of nowhere; but, it is none of those things. Here is the real story....

What is the Mojave Megaphone? - Mojave #6​

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Keep reading the rest here
What is the Mojave Megaphone? - Mojave #6​

 

Thanks so much. I've considered doing an e-book type thing just so folks could read a whole story on their kindle or something, but who knows? I mean, that'd take time to put together, and I could be out adventuring instead!

I mean, not to hijack or anything, but a shamless plug for email notifications when I post new stories seems reasonably appropriate here: https://adventuretaco.com/subscribe/

 

subbed the website and bookmarked!!

 

I'm torn between the excitement of seeing everywhere you go and the pictures/story to help me be there versus the fear of your posts making me rage-quit my job so I have the time to do the same thing. Because... well, I can't take responsibility for my own actions and it's all your fault. lol

 

...I'd been home less than a week after Tragedies in the Tablelands, and I still had the itch to get out and see everything I'd planned before things went all wonky. And so, just after 3:00am on a Thursday morning, I pulled out of the garage, a now-familiar drive ahead of me.

My drive ended in the dark, and as I climbed into bed and fell asleep, I was full of anticipation of what I'd see in the morning, since I'd heard how amazing Alabama Hills can be....

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Full story and many more photos
It's True What They Say About Alabama Hills - Owens Valley #1




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You ever do group rides/invite people...you seem to know where all the cool stuff is!!! know of anywhere in Texas?

 

In normal times, some of the trips are publicly planned, and usually have an offer for other folks to join. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with that right now with Covid (in fact, I just got back from a trip with a couple buddies that I wasn't even entirely comfortable with), but keep an eye out in the 1st gen forums and you will likely see trips getting planned as things get back to normal.

...and I don't know all the cool stuff. I keep my eyes peeled as I see others post about cool stuff, and then I do a lot of research to try and sleuth those places out. For me, it's a big part of the fun, and I cover my process in my route planning series.

Edit: Texas. I've only been once - in November 2016, and that was for business, and to Austin (which as I understand, isn't really "Texas," but I thought was quite nice).

While there, we visited Pedernales Falls State Park and Bastrop State Park, but just for hikes during the day.

Austin was great too for some walks around town.

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Way cool! I'm heading out from Providence > LA > Jacksonville FL (driving across the country west to east) and then up the coast back home to PVD in March. Stopping in Austin, need my Brown's! If I ever end up in PNW I'll try to remember to drop you a message.

 

Day 2 brought me to Manzanar and the Reward Mine. Both worthy visits if you haven't been before.

Keep reading, more pics:
Plunging into Darkness - Owens Valley #2​

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Keep reading the rest here
Plunging into Darkness - Owens Valley #2​