Operation: Take the TRD Sport Off-Road. At least once.

Added the Leer 100 XL cap. I do wish they made the taller cap 180XL with the locking mechanism on the back of the XL and XQ in the right size for the short bed truck. It's really nice having it tied into the keyless entry. Just a few more inches in height on the cap would allow things like sofas to be carried in the back without removing the cap. However, since these use the tie down rails in the bed, it shouldn't be too difficult to remove the cap when needed.

 

As long as I've lived in SoCal, I've wondered where Cleghorn Road went. Today I found out.

I'm not entirely sure how the Forest Service defines "easiest." That portion of the road seemed to be frequently graded and was pretty easy.

The portion of the trail designated "You Are F____D" didn't seem to be graded. But it seemed like that sign was just meant as a challenge to Tacoma owners.

Nevertheless, it was an opportunity to use H4 and try out the 2L gear on the automatic. I found this to be about perfect for both uphill and downhill without needing to ride the brakes.

By and large the Jeeps on the trail seemed friendly enough.

I only made it to the fork in the road. I wasn't entirely sure I was on the right road to get to the 138. I did watch a few dune buggies head up the fork on the right, but noticed the lack of either Jeeps or trucks on this portion of the trail.

Closer inspection of the sign suggests it was the right road. I want to look at my GPS track to see how close I actually got to Lake Arrowhead. I might try approaching from the other side next.

It was really pretty easy though. Taking it slow for the first trip away from the mall.

 

Lookin' good.

TRD sports hold their own off road just fine There are plenty of trails out there that a locking diff isn't needed for.

 

Looking at the cloud cover on the top of the mountains today, it didn't seem like visibility would be good enough to attempt anything and too high an altitude. (Cleghorn Ridge in the fog for example.) Looking at the Forest Service map, there is a road off the end of Palm Avenue off the 215.

I ended up following a couple of Jeeps up to Monument Peak. It's not a difficult road, if you like your roads carved into a steep mountain face. Great views until the fog at the summit.

The Jeep guys said they had 4x4 with OPEN differentials...

We did discuss our approaches. We all switched into 4x4 (H4 for me) and then low gear. It made it pretty easy. I suppose there are those who would try to get as far as they could in 2wd first. I suppose that's fine. We need to lubricate the 4wd every month anyway, might as well do it off pavement. I wonder if it puts more stress on the transmission in 2L instead of D. Definitely less need for brakes in 2L. Only going about 5mph on a trail like this.

 

Made it all the way through Cleghorn Ridge "road," (2N47) from the 15 to the 138.

The dirt whirlpool was an interesting terrain feature.

Followed some Jeeps down. Those things are everywhere.

 

So, based on my research, no one with a Tacoma ever needs to chain up in the snow. Or maybe that's just Southern California.

Anyhow, one of those research rabbit trails let me to this Big Bear review:

http://www.4x4tirereview.com/RudTireChainTresArticles.html

In any case, for regulatory purposes one needs to have chains in the vehicle sometimes. I now have two sets of Rud Grip 4x4 chains.

And, conveniently, they fit in the compartment behind the left back seat.

 

Got a call this afternoon from someone needing to move one of those generator light masts from a charity fireworks booth. We needed to get it moved before dark to a location that had some security. It seems that our regular towing folks were off on a 3-day weekend.

It was a great excuse to get a tow hitch and see if the so-called towing package on the truck worked. Had to go to three places to actually get the tow hitch. The RV place was closed for the holiday. Bass pro shop had a few options, but they suggested Harbor Freight had a better selection. And Harbor Freight had everything on sale this weekend.

Unfortunately, no one knew what size the hitch was. I know that these generator set ups can't be that big, so I guessed 2". However, given our limited time, I didn't want to get caught with the wrong size hitch. So I bought three: 1 7/8", 2", 2 5/16".

One thing I discovered was some of these things don't fit a Tacoma. The first three-ball (and a hook) setup wouldn't go in far enough, it was a half-inch from fitting the hole in where I put in the pin. That explains why all the boxes on the shelf looked like they had been opened and taped back shut.

The other problem was the locking pin. The first model wouldn't lock - it was for some reason just a couple of millimeters too short. The other model available did fit. But this took a while to go back and forth, waiting in line at the one open clerk.

But in the end, it worked. I'd say that it's a much easier process with a spotter. Lining up the hitch took several tries. These rental generators thankfully are plastered with safety stickers making it easy to understand the steps to lower the mast and stow everything for towing.

One other note: with a 5100 kit the hitch was at the perfect height to tow. No adjustment necessary. Just raise the tongue, back under it, and lower onto the ball.

I do need to figure out how to connect a flat 4-pin to the round 7-pin connector with the tow package. But these are small and it was daytime, and I was only towing a few miles over surface streets. They are small enough for other drivers to see the truck lights around them, so I just got the move done without trailer lights.

They are also so small that I didn't feel the trailer at all while driving. I was expecting something, but the weight had no noticeable affect on the truck's handling.

So, it was a good day.

And if anyone is interested, recovery straps are on sale at Harbor Freight too.