AdventureTaco - turbodb's build and adventures

Yeah. Getting rid of the swaybar will make a huge difference and e rated tires are going to do a great job transferring the bumps to your spine...or you could go faster since that seems to work for some.

As for D rings, I leave them in my recovery bag since that's where I'm going to be for straps or the winch remote if I need them.

Looking forward to the rest of the trip report

 

Got both of those on the same recommendation of DVexile. Good books, bought them used off Amazon and saved $$.

Check out the Death Valley Offroad Adventures thread:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/death-valley-off-road-adventures.60777/

 

Oh if you thought SVR was bad just wait til you run the road from Ubehebe to The Racetrack.

 

It was graded just this past summer I think. It has gotten awful so fast simply because there is way more traffic on it than in the past. Thank FB, IG and all the rest of the social media crap. Washboard forms by driving over the road with essentially any vehicle at essentially any speed. The more vehicles drive over the road the faster it will form.

Somewhere in a file cabinet I've got a paper from the 50's or 60's where the problem was studied in depth and experiments run. It was determined it was practically impossible to drive slowly enough on a dry dirt road to not form washboard (you have to go like 5 or 10 mph to prevent formation). Gravel washboards less than dirt and careful selection of grading material can greatly reduce it. The Wikipedia article on washboarding has a good overview and links to some more modern studies.

Traffic on SVR is way, way, way up compared to the past. Insanely so. I talked to the road grading crew this past winter, guys that have been grading that road for twenty years, and they said they couldn't believe the amount of traffic they now see.

Same story with Racetrack. When visitation shot up the road became essentially permanently, horribly washboarded. They grade it and with in a few months it is nearly undriveable again. I haven't done the Ubehebe to Teakettle section in over a decade. I go in via Hunter and Hidden Valley and thus avoid that awful section.

 

Those pics in the beginning were awesome!

 

We ran Ubehebe to Racetrack in January. Washboarded a bit, but at the time it wasn't all that bad - definitely not as bad as we'd expected, but I think that was due to recent grading and then lack of traffic due to it being winter.

Man, that sucks. Sorry that happened to your rig.

Thanks!

 

When I was in DV the last weekend of March all the dirt roads I encountered were in what I would call pretty darn good shape. I took the road from Ubehebe to the playa and although a little washboarded with just a bit of speed it was quite a smooth and enjoyable trip.

 

Definitely this. My compressor was one of my best purchases ever, simply because it allowed me to air down when I hit the trail.

 

Back to Death Valley - Day 4, 5 - Steel Pass & Eureka Dunes
April 14, 15, 2018.

A couple hours after falling asleep just north of Saline Valley Warm Springs, I was awoken by what I initially thought was a gunshot in my dream. But, with the valley still echoing, I soon realized it was no dream.

Unsure what was going on, I looked back towards the springs, to see how others were reacting. I saw no real reaction, but then a few minutes later, I heard a "thump-thump-thump" and saw streaks of light heading into the moonless sky. And then, light and explosions.

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Fireworks continued intermittently for the next 10-15 minutes. Ultimately, I chalked it up to more craziness at the springs - just another reason to seek out the more remote areas of the park. There was no further disturbance during the night, and the next morning brought that special light that spills into a valley.

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I realized that this could be the perfect time to try out the springs - everyone else having been up late - I might catch a few minutes of solitude to enjoy the warmth. As it turned out, I wasn't alone (but it was much less croweded) and the springs were only luke-warm - around 99°F. So I only spent a few minutes in the water before deciding that my real calling for the day was ahead of me - Steel Pass and Eureka Dunes.

With that, I dried off and headed out, still soaking up the morning and surroundings, but glad to be on my way.

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Shortly, I found myself at another set of springs - and realized that the evening before, I'd never made it to the upper warm springs! As I explored these much less developed springs, I realized that this was much more my speed - perhaps a place to visit in the future.

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But today I continued on, the road much rougher and narrower now that the over-run springs were behind me. As I traversed the northern end of the valley, the road wound its way through various washes, past volcanic flows, and through literal fields of cactus as Steel Pass rose in the distance.

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Eventually I reached the end of Saline Valley and the southern edge of the pass, where I hopped out to do a quick inspection of the truck - sensitive to the shaking and rattling that vibrated loose my d-ring earlier in the trip. I didn't expect tons of rattling in the pass, but I'd heard that it was relatively narrow and flexy in spots, and I wanted to be ready before I got to those spots.

I was glad I did, because there was one bolt in particular that I wanted to check - and it was loose. This was the rear passenger bolt on my mid-skid, and I'd noticed before starting out that it had slightly stripped it's hole - that looseness allowed it to work it's way out - something I'll need to take care of on my return. For the time being, I tightened it up and continued on my way.

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As it turns out, the narrows at the southern end of the pass are short and the road is well graded. As they opened up a few hundred feet after they started, and as the terrain started down, I found myself wondering if I'd be traversing the narrows down-hill when travelling south-to-north (because from the research I'd done, I'd thought I'd be climbing them).

For the time being though, I enjoyed the mountain meadow - full of solitude, as well as interesting rock formations and roads that changed abruptly from white to orange.

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As I continued, Steel Pass gave way to Dedeckera Canyon and the canyon walls narrowed - and at this point it was clear that I was definitely headed down through the narrow sections. "Easier or harder?" I wondered. The first of three narrow sections presented itself shortly, and I spent some time looking it over. With no spotter, I wanted to make sure that I took things slowly - both for safety, but also so I could get some pictures! hahahaha

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The obstacle, though tall, was easy enough, and I continued to the second. This was by far the narrowest of the three (though the pictures don't show it so well) and the rocks to the side of the trail meant that I couldn't hop in and out of the truck for photos as I headed down. In the end, the tires ended up straddling the rocks on each side as the truck was funneled down the obstacle. This was one I'd have much rather climbed than descended.

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The last obstacle was the widest and most well-groomed. In fact, the stacked rocks were, in places, even supported by chain-link fencing! Clearly this is where people have spent the most time (perhaps because it's the first as you ascend from Eureka Valley) and so with little fanfare I was through the narrows.

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And then, the view.

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I knew that the Eureka Dunes would be incredible, but even so I wasn't ready for their enormity or for their contrast to the surrounding landscape. Bright in the distance, they towered above the valley floor. I stopped. This is where I was going to eat breakfast. Or perhaps I'd have called it brunch, if I were keeping track of time.

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I spent a good half an hour just admiring the dunes in the distance before wrapping up my meal and heading down into the valley. Eureka Dunes are the largest sand dunes in the United States, and the descent to the base was a lesson in just how small we really are. And it was fun - soft, sandy roads allowing for higher speeds and trails of dust!

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Continuing around the east side of the dunes, I couldn't help but stop several times for more photos. The light sand, dark mountains and blue sky were as striking as ever. No winds meant that the booming one can sometimes experience wasn't there, but it also made for a nicer (if hotter) hike up the dunes. In the distance, I could see four brave souls - two of them already at the summit.

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In planning for the trip, I hadn't even considered climbing the dunes - a mistake I won't repeat on my next visit; so after a short chat with a few who'd remained behind at the hiker's base camp, I headed northeast again - enjoying my last few hours of dirt and mountain passes before I'd be back on pavement.

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And then it happened. At the end of North Eureka Valley Road, and the edge of Mono County, I hit highway 168 near the aptly named town of Oasis, CA. As I aired up, I grabbed a bite and fended off the handfull of good folks who checked in to make sure I didn't need any help - I love that about rural America!

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From there, it was a long drive through Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington. Past wild horses and sunrises. It had been another epic adventure!

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read more of Back to Death Valley [day 1,2] [day 3] [day 4,5]

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Great storytelling and awesome photography...as always!

 

Thanks for the update!

When's the next trip?

 

Thanks guys! I'm up to go back whenever either of ya are interested.

No imminent next trip right now, though several for this summer in the works. Two things taking priority: 1) my back is killing me from all that driving; I swear it has nothing to do with getting old - . 2) Truck maintenance - I'm dealing with the P0171 code I got, as well as a bunch of other bits that seem to wear out faster when you're going on trips all the time!

 

I'm waiting for the next blog post, you know the one titled "Wheeling in Comfort - The Story of how I became a King dealer"

 

Is that a dream seat mod

 

Yes please. I think my solution might be simplier though, since I think the real problem is the 20 hours of continuous driving down and back. I might just start stopping at every rest stop and get out to stretch a bit.

It's amazing how much more comfortable newer seats are than ours. I wish I could pull the seat out of @mrs.turbodb's A4 and put it in the Taco.

 

I've been wanting to check out DV for several years but have yet to make it. For me, this is a winter time trip only so it is too late to do this year but next winter is a definite maybe.

Typically, winter is reserved for truck therapy and maintenance. For the last several years the focus has been on big (expensive and time consuming) maintenance projects, not leaving much room for anything else. Winters also provide time for my vacation stash to recover a bit too.

 

you can. And should. I really don't like the stock seats.

 

I don't see many seat mods. Have I just not been looking for them, or are they relatively rare?

What are the "holy crap these are comfortable, and they fit relatively well" seats for a Tacoma? And do you fab up a bracket to fit in the mounting locations, or do you cut the bracket off of a stock seat and weld it to the new one?

 

I’ve heard of many people using WRX seats.

 

I've done two seat swaps, they're common. Both times I had to weld mounts on