4WD monthly exercise

I am suppose to pay a fee?

 

Here in Southern Cal, shiiiiit, Hungry Valley, Los Padres, Carizzo Plain, ANF, Desert, 395, Big Bear…too many places to name it would be a SHAME not to exercise the system where it should be exercised!

 

I first hit Imperial late August, no Ranger Rick to enforce a fee and I had the place to myself. A couple months later it was "sand-buggy usage" season ($50 for a week) until April 15 (or April 15 in the first "free" day).

EDIT: Just checked ... October 1 through April 15 $35/week (in advance), $50 a week (onsite). Free in between.

 

Yeah, I we are out here in Blythe/Urinburg area. The CRIT put up some signs a while back saying a permit tag was needed to cross their land. Once the heat starts, they are no where to be seen. Just watch out where you step when getting out to pee...

 

Sonoran "Desert" of PHX does not prepare you for the oven-baked sand surface and how even a light wind blows a constant stinging sand stream.

For those who do not know that Southern California has tall seemingly-Saharan sand dunes ...

 

Yep I am about 45 minutes to an hour to Glamis. Never actually been out in the "pay to play" area, however.

 

All is "pay" Oct 1 - Apr 15 according to Ranger Rick, Glamis down to I-8 section ... all 30 miles. Otherwise it is free ... when it is "a bit warm".

 

So many places to go see, new places to go find. I love this area! I really do, and some out of this world off road bike trails too.

 

Hey, speak for yourself on this comment - “A truck with 200,000 miles on it probably doesn't have 5000 miles on the 4X4 components.”

My 2016 Taco has close to 20K offroad miles on it and I have owned it for only 5.5 years now. A used truck. The other 55K miles are the highways to get me to and from my offroad spots.

I have 2 excuses though. I am retired, and I travel over the southern half of BC on weekly trips.

I have no life other than exploring and fishing. Been doing this 4x4 and fishing thing for 40 years now.

Plus my wife likes it when I am out of the house.

Oh, that’s 3 reasons now.

The truck accessory shops around here tell me they don’t know of anyone locally that is offroad as much as I am. I am not trying to set any records, I just can’t stay away from nature.

I also never go where any of the 4WD clubs go. I have to go remote and solo, or I just don’t enjoy it. I see one other truck and the beauty of nature is shattered.

Same with fishing, I have to fish alone and constantly search for remote lakes that are difficult to access. If there is one other person on a lake, I find another lake to fish. Rowing my 10 foot boat on a small lake, and drifting a fly behind it and nothing but peace and quiet with no one around for miles. Can’t beat it. Mosquitoes and horseflies give me plenty of company.

Getting far away from other people? Priceless.

Oh, that’s 4 reasons now.

Yes, find a spot somewhere where you can use the 4H. As god intended, or else he would not have given us the brains to invent it. Use the 4WD, or else it will it get lonely and you will miss out on the primary purpose of these vehicles.

Yes, many will never use their 4WD, but thats ok too. It means for each one of those, there are fewer trucks on the trails to contend with.

The snow trails are keeping me busy, but I cannot wait for the lakes to thaw to find that next lake that others don’t want to drive to.

Hey, get out and have some fun. Just don’t show up at the same spots I fish.

If you need inspiration or motivation, look no further than Andy and Dawn on their “Tacoma Around the World.” https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/driving-a-tacoma-around-the-world.585792/

They are on some serious world offroad adventures! Just great stuff, I can’t get enough of reading their posts and seeing their photos.

This stuff like my photo below keeps me busy while waiting for the thaw.

 

I think they’re speaking in generalities, but it led me to do the math and just my 17 mile commute to and from work, during the 3 months my truck never leaves 4hi, is 1000 miles.
You lead an amazing life! Great pic

 

Yeah the 4wd miles can add up hey?

My life is good. Three years of work disability for neck and back injuries, daily chronic pain for 30 years now and often very severe, with emergency room visits for spiralling pain and such. Several hundred therapies and tnose continue every week. I push myself to keep going.

Hah, my 26th surgical procedure on my leg just 3 days ago. Doc said get out and walk daily after the procedure. Nice weather today, so F’k it, I went up into the mountains to walk. A great day.

I never take anything for granted. Learned that when I started working on commercial fishing boats when I was 13 years old. Doing 18 hour work days for my 2 month summer “holidays”, and kept at it until age 28 when my injuries said no more.

Out on the BC coast, no showers for 2 week stretches, same slimy stinking clothes, 20 foot seas and a coffin sized bunk to try and sleep in. Useless as the waves kept me awake.

That taught me to appreciate things like hot water running from a tap, a bed that does not toss you onto the floor, and a fridge that won’t chuck the food all around your kitchen when you open the door. Small 36 foot salmon troller.

Sure opened my eyes to all the things we take for granted. Most of us never think of those small things, but we are really lucky to live in a part of the world where we have so many benefits that billions around the world never experience even once in their life.

End of my sermon…

Get out and enjoy folks, don’t waste that truck!

 

I grew in the wild town of Yuma, my dad and grandpa built sand buggies and we used to go out there when i was young. I remember it being alot of fun, no fee in those days, I always wanted to go out to Buttercup valley back then and try to find Jabbas barge wrecked in the sand.
Is Competition Hill still a thing out there?

 

Cannot say right now. I first learned of its existence driving PHX-to-SanDiego for a family wedding, stopped at Buttercup on the way back. Hot as Hades and no fee late August. Went back November or December (fee!) and decided to try my luck north ... first time I had been to Glamis. Now I have no idea of specifics like Competition Hill, but was going to learn more before I go back.

If my researching yields anything on that I will pass it on.

By the way ... envious as hell that you had all the fun back in the day and I need to rent or buy a sand-buggy myself!

 

Amen!

 

From a website ... seems it is still identifiable as a hill ...

The bigger the dune, the bigger the slipface. Two of the largest and best known are Competition Hill and the Brawley Slide (Oldsmobile Hill). The slipface will be steepest just after a big windstorm. Many dune vehicle accidents result from failing to anticipate the slipface. The vehicle races up the windward side, and before the driver knows what's happening the rig jumps off the slipface and is airborne. On large dunes, a vehicle may drop 50 feet or more before landing in the sand below, sometimes with fatal results. Study the dunes carefully to learn to expect a slipface on the other side!

 

We don’t have many wide open places like that in NH, so a little jealous of those dunes.

People really tend to over stress this. There is some benefit to the lubrication, but the primary reason is to avoid having the electric actuators getting stuck. 4lo should be briefly done as well, to move it in all positions. If not you will likely lose 4lo after some time, and it won’t engage if that’s a thing you want. If no straight or dirt opportunities are close by just moving the actuators in a large parking lot and driving straight for a bit helps.

 

I also use this line of thinking for the rear locker engagement too. For those that don't off road or find other uses for it, it's probably the least "actuated" actuator and electrical connection... well, outside the Qi charger button lol.

 

Does it not rain there?

 

there not much in south florida that’s close to me (5-10 minute drive). I have managed to find a small mud hole on city land i go and lightly wheel the truck around to get that fluid and parts goin. I’m honestly more concerned about the ADD electronic actuator failing. On boats it’s common practice to exercise seacock ball valves to keep them from seizing. So yea these things need to move around regularly.

This pic was taken yesterday, and i usually go at least once a month.

 

I know many say it’s okay to drive 4H on straights and i have a few times, but i wouldn’t risk driving 4LO on any kind of terrain that has no slippage. Last thing i want to do is ruin that planetary gear. Lots of torque in 4LO as well.