Destination Unknown - 2022 JTR journal

[Alpine Warthog]

Still amazes me that there is enough electricities produced when transmitting that it self powers this light. Yes you read that right, there is NO power or power wire going to the antenna for this. It is lit up entirely from the RF electricities generated during transmission.

You watch "NotARubicon's youtube channel too? He's a funny bastard LOL. Snarky.sarcastic as all get out but funny

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[chorky]

It's been a little while since I've been able to hop on here. That darn fire and other projects at work took a lot of time and energy.

However, I was able to get a couple trips in. A few weeks ago I took dad camping for a few nights and it was a good wrap up for the summer (although one more planned for next weekend). We but certainly saw some awesome stuff.

It started off with a little cruise down the state line trail - which I failed (again) to record for trails off road. With a little exploration of some old mine sites and an interesting point with a whole lot of grave sites. Not sure what that was all about but it offered some nice views.

The side trail getting there was pretty unique for this particular area, not hard at all, but a little fun teaser. Sadly I didn't take the time to get out and do a tripod setup to provide for a better perspective.

Despite this particular area being more hilly than mountainous, it does offer some pretty awesome views at times. Although here the good viewing spot was occupied. I might return for some bear and elk hunting before it snows.

A few days later a long weekend kicked in, so we headed out for a camp trip. This would be the first field test of the canopy, and it worked excellent for offering shade at a lake that burned in 2017, not offering much shade at all.

The single 100w solar panel and charge controller from Zamp solar continues to work extremely well even in shaded conditions - I highly recommend. And significantly cheaper than other options.

After set-up, it was time to throw some flies. Dad landed several small brookies. I am frustrated to say I didnt catch any fish this entire summer.....

The next day our camp plans didn't work out, so we headed north toward the Yaak and found a 'ok'ish camp site, but had wonderful access to the river!

Again....no fish for me.

While we were here, I took some time to explore a road not on any map. It turned out to be access for a mining claim, but offered some cool camp spots that I'm sure people could use if remaining respectful.
I guess the video is too large to upload. Bummer

So the next day we headed south on the west side of the Cabinets. They are stunning mountains but don't offer the best access unless you are backpacking. Anyway, theres a few spots to stop for a rest that offer great views from the road. Here there was a bridge (used to be a driving one) that lets you cross the Bull River. A stunning view. This area holds a historical site where you can only see some can dumps, an old 40's era engine, and the foundation of an old house. It was a camp for the Forest Service if I remember correctly, later turned into a private residence. Could you imagine waking up to this every day??

We counted out the next camp spot which turned to a bust - thanks to 'ologists and their forever desire to ultimately prevent anyone from accessing anything. After hearing their lies over the last 3 years, I will never again respect a 'ologist who constantly removes access. Someone tell me how this is worse than a flattened grassy spot? More than half a dozen tank traps 3+ feet deep - within 50' of a bull trout stream.

This ^ is what is preventing access to this (below), and was 1 of more than a half dozen 3+ foot deep tank traps. I guarantee those tank traps will cause more erosion than just letting people camp in a grassy spot. Not to mention the permanent soil damage that, if a logger did the same by mistake, would be heavily fined. Such a double standard as always.

Anyway, so we decided to just make a few pit stops and go home - thanks to the continued frustration of more and more restricted lands. On the way out of the area we stopped into a historic Ranger building - when the FS actually did good things. The story behind it is pretty cool. Built by hand by the first ranger for the bull river area. I couldn't resist but poking my head inside and and it was surprisingly at least 20 degrees cooler than outside - with no modern codes or building requirements.

It's pretty cool to think this is what my house will look like once I finish the restoration. So we continued on and took another detour. I was determined to get a better view of the Cabinets, so we took a little side road on the way home, that was actually out of the way. But it did not disappoint.

Something about the Cabinets are intriguing. They just look different than other ranges and seem to hold some hidden secrets not yet found.

 

[Brandon Glads]

Nice photos !

192.168.100.1 192.168.1.1​

 

[chorky]

One more for the year camp trip with a good friend. It started with a nice campsite with few others around on possibly the last nice weekend of the year.

As the sun set, dinner had just finished cooking. Then the stars began to show themselves.

The next morning was misty and cool. So we gained some elevation!

And on the back side of Baldy Mtn, the Missions were just visible

Winding our way down the other southern side, after stopping to admire a nice cow and bull moose, we landed at another lake this time on the reservation.

Just as the sun was setting

And decided this would be a nice place to camp for the night.

The stars were nothing sort of spectacular.

The next morning was even cooler with dew covering the ground and everything else.

After breakfast my friend and I parted ways with a wrap on a great camping season. Now its time to revamp the build where things fell short, and revisit these awesome photos to be inspired for the next year!

 

[chorky]

Well with the last camp trip for winter done I washed and triple waxed er today. In the process I pulled on the plastic hinge covers to see how stuck they were and if heat and floss would be necessary. To my surprise, they came off quick and easy without much force at all. I am actually pretty happy about this.

What spurred this desire was hearing other people experiencing galvanic corrosion and bubbling paint on hinges. I covered mine with cheap plastic amazon covers when purchased as rocks were badly chipping the paint. But with mud flaps on now, and wider rock guards hopefully on the way soon, I didnt feel the need for plastic covers.

And its a good thing I removed them as it is clear part of my paint was already compromised. Fortunately I took off the covers before winter road salts.

So I sanded it, applied a base, 4 coats of paint, and 2 coats of clear. For a non painter it is ok. Next I need to remove the rest of the 3m gunk. And just hope I will not require replacement of door hinges like others have.

 

[chorky]

For the last several months I have been racking my brain on a few aspects of the Gladiator build that I don't like. For the most part, it is excellent. But, there are some things that need redoing and tweaking.

And I finally have some direction that I have decided on. As always, nothing is perfect, but these changes, though costly due to redoing and undoing and redoing things a few times, should make the camping experience for me more enjoyable, and most importantly, easier and quicker.

So it starts with storage. That red box I have, the Camp Chef, is great - but the combination of that and the fridge slide was not. I thought I could resolve this buy getting a different fridge slide, unfortunately that resulted in several hundred wasted dollars realizing it just isn't right for me. So I will be modifying the existing one after putting it back in. Unfortunately I drilled a handful more holes in the tub :-( oh well.....

So to replace the Camp Chef, I built a box that is more or less permanent. Now, it's really not, and very easy to remove, but it will not need to be removed every time I get to camp. And my storage plan of items in it will soon be revealed, as well as a secret behind the box.

I really didnt want to bother working about making it super nice for now because like other previous plans, this might change as well. But I did want it protected, and being associated with 'kitchen' things I didn't want it to be a standard black paint like the rear seat delete is. So I lathered on a nice thick coating of medium dark stain. Unfortunately portions of the birch delaminated while putting the door in. And being glued and screwed it does have some inconsistencies. But it will get all scratched and banged up soon enough anyway.
Side note - I have a trail kitchen (designed by Jeff Sherb) available if anyone is interested.

The size, 28" deep, about 12.5" tall, and 17" wide - exterior. The dimensions are perfect for what I have to fit inside it.

 

[Turnswrench]

 

[chorky]

Now for the fridge slide. From day one I wanted a double slide-out. But I opted for the Tembo Tusk because it fit and was cheaper, and more importantly - lighter. But I realized after the second camp trip that I really needed something different for a cook surface. If you recall that portable table with sink I got - I only used it once. With my bad back, it was just too much of a pain to get it in and out of the bed. So, exploring some options is where I made a big $ mistake by buying something, a trail kitchen, that just isn't for me. It is way too heavy and way too tall. But that's how it goes when you can't see most of these items in person.

So searching for another option I finally landed on the idea to just modify the Tembo Tusk. So back in it will go. Thanks to the community forum here I sourced some 28" lock in/out slides that are a quarter of the cost of the accuslide ones on the Tembo Tusk (400 bucks for just the slides). The keystone of this project is a sink. Second is a place to cook. Since not using the table, I resorted to cooking on the tailgate. That's ok but it makes a real pain in the rear to get items out of the camp chef box in the back when I forgot to fully remove it. On top of this, cooking on the tailgate allows a higher chance of smells and spray to get into the bed. I live in griz country, so thats pretty risky. Having an additional slide out to keep smells and spray from getting in the bed is optimum.

So, taking some measurements, I made a cut-out that will fit in the secondary slide. Having received the collapsable sink, and installing the low profile drain, I played around with some layout options.

Clearly space is a premium. And I have to think about where/how to mount the faucet and under sink filter. I did consider a hard mounted rv style stove, but none were small enough for the space I have available. But that's ok because this darn Jetboil is stupid expensive so it will continue to be used. If it was just a little smaller I might consider bolting it to the counter top here but theres not enough room for that unfortunately.

Here is another option I considered. But it seems to be a bit more wasted space.

So, using tools I have on hand, and not using tools that I should have spent money on instead of other toys, I made a rough cut opening, sanded it down, and - well it's surprisingly a perfect fit!

Standing back for a few minutes, I think this will work great! It is thicker than what I want. And I probably should get some router bits for the router still sitting in the box I purchased 2 years ago, and maybe inset the sink a little bit. This way I could have a removable cutting block to put prepared food on prior to cooking. But, then again, an open section of tailgate, now that the cook top will be on this counter, is immediately to my left - so maybe that isn't needed. The birch did take a hit from using the wrong tools for the job - so I need to decide what to do there. Seeing as how it may change again in the future I am tempted to use the same medium dark stain, and then put a clear poly coat over top of it to make it waterproof and easy cleanup. I really dont want to do a verier because this will be permanently in the bed including winter months. I doubt contact cement will survive 50 degree temp fluctuations in the winter.

 

[chorky]

 

[chorky]

Took a few minutes today to test fit the box, platform, and new dry food box - so far all my measurements are spot on.

 

[chorky]

Well today I did something probably not many expected. I removed the Genesis dual battery tray. There are several reasons for this, but primarily it is to clean up a little more under the hood. With all the wires and things going on it was getting kinda cramped, and I have been meaning to sort out the aux battery wire system for a while anyway.

If you recall, before it looked something like this, although this is without some additional connections.

One of the biggest concerns I had with this is the sheer footprint and size. By changing things up I dropped almost 50 pounds, and gained a lot of space. If I did ever have to have the dealer do some major engine work, I dont know that I could trust them to remove and reinstall this system properly - especially considering the recent situation with the transfer case. So, out it came.

The most difficult part here was getting the auxiliary wires tucked away. I didn't want to remove them entirely because doing so would have required I totally tear apart the wire harness. Some additional changes must have been made in late 2021 or early 2022. Some others here have removed the whole set of aux wires. But leaving them in place also allows for an easier re-install in case I do ever decide to sell some day. Hopefully not for a minimum of 10 years. So down the hole they went.

Instead of only tucking the batt + and - wires below, I also folded the N1 and N3 connections below after taping and zip tying them well. Doing this really made for a lot of extra space. And that was one of my main gripe with two batteries under the hood.

Prior with the Genesis I had the aux + flipped and bolted to the main battery +, as per their instructions. This is due to the removal of the aux battery of course, but without removing (or disconnecting) the aux wires from the N1 and N3 terminals or removing fuse 42. The system functioned just fine. No warning lights ever, with fuse 42 still installed. So there was never a concern with the operation of the system. But it did add to the clutter of course, on top of the factory N1 and N3 harnesses being present.

Of course this required a jumper since the aux batt + was now also removed. With the jumper made and installed, the area felt much more roomy and made routing and tucking in the remaining harness leads easy. Thanks @Hootbro for the pictures.

With everything tightened down, there was plenty of room to route the last wire from the alternator.

With everything all buttoned up, the battery went in. I stuck with Fullriver batteries to stay consistent with the DC115 in the bed. Plus they are about the same cost as other options, and they can be delivered by UPS rather than taking 3 hours off of work to go pick one up in town.

In the above photo on the left side you can see the bracket I previously had the two winch solenoid's attached to. Clearly it wont' work now that the factory battery tray is back in. it's interesting to note how much higher the factory tray has the PDC sit compared to the Genesis tray. But I have already made measurements and ordered parts to relocate the solenoids. My only concern is if the wires will be long enough. Meanwhile I definitely need to shorten the winch negative cables if I can find a large enough crimper.

Now let me also discuss the overall reasoning for this - aside from space. First, My initial plans for camping and outings for the next several years were restricted to 2 night trips. Basically weekends. Well, this past summer that changed fast with having become part of a veterans and first responder PTSD group. There have also been some family changes as well with 1-2 week long outings per summer now a realization. I also realized how much into the shoulder season camping can be extended if a heater is available. But to run a heater all night long, more power is needed. So the reality is the small batteries, group 24, of the standard Genesis system are just too small to provide much more than an overnight trip with a fridge and some lights. This past summer I already installed a second battery in the bed - still an AGM to account for cold sub 0 winter temps. And, with this return to stock under the hood, I will install a second battery in the bed. This will allow for 230 total ah of power with a usable capacity of 161 ah. With previous calculations, this should allow for 2 full days, 48 hours, of full use, without recharging - which brings me right down to the 30% SOC / 70% DOD threshold. This includes use of a heater in winter, or a roof vent fan in summer. With the addition of the solar panel I have (and a second one both of which to mount) I will be well situated for a full weekend of kicking back at a nice lake, or endless 'overland' routes.

I already have a plan in place, mostly, for relocation of the smart solenoid used in the Genesis system, and will continue to utilize the G-screen since it does provide some great functionality. So it is not a total loss of the initial plan. I still do not want to move to lithium because it performs poorly in cold temperatures and typically will not charge below 40 degrees - which is 9 months of the year here. Most importantly is the ability to, from in the cab, disconnect the main and aux batteries for high amp loads such as a heavy winch pull, which will eliminate the potential of drawing 400+ amps through the 4ga wire going to the bed. Additionally, the wiring and system in the bed already will account for the additional battery and potential recharge rate as the maximum bulk current for one of the batteries is 40a. Which, if accounting for 3% variation means a potential bulk current of 105a. Which is just over the 100a 'capacity' of the 24' run of 4ga wire. But in reality the chance of reaching a full 80a draw + 3% for both batteries I think is pretty slim.

Hopefully before the week is over I will have the solenoid reinstalled and functioning.

 

[Turnswrench]

Some lithium batteries have self heaters installed in them these days. This keeps the battery at temp and always allows for charging. Maybe something to consider for your accessories?

Battleborn heated 100ah has been working well in Alaska.

 

[chorky]

Some lithium batteries have self heaters installed in them these days. This keeps the battery at temp and always allows for charging. Maybe something to consider for your accessories?

Battleborn heated 100ah has been working well in Alaska.

I have considered it. But in taking with a few 'van' outfitters here, they have not performed well. In fact one of the outfitters in town told me over the summer they never recommend lithium despite always installing them by request. I am a little surprised to hear yours have worked good so far, which is pretty awesome and a little surprising to me. The self heaters are great but, from what I understand they kinda require the battery to be in an insulated box since the heaters only work so well. But my worry with that is the heaters, in heating, draw down the battery so you effectively loose capacity. The other concern I have is in the dead of winter the jeep just sits outside usually for 5-12 days at a time unless I have a dr appointment in town. I keep it plugged in via a battery tender, and since everything is AGM, all the batteries receive a trickle charge to stay in good shape. But I dont see the lithium batteries with their heater lasting that long and I really dont want to be loading and unloading all the time or adding another dedicated charger. They are much lighter though, about 90 pounds in savings of two lithiums compared to two AGM's. I have one of the DC115 batteries already in the bed from this past summer, a second one is less than half the cost of one lithium option. So since the infrastructure is in place, I'll stick with AGM for now. Maybe in the future if this current setup works well I might invest - as it would be probably close to $3,500 to swap to lithium including a quality DC/DC charger. I will be curious to hear how your experience is after a couple seasons of use though and if any issues arise and what the resolution is. Lithium does have a longer life expectancy than AGM as well which helps to offset the cost.

 

[Turnswrench]

I have considered it. But in taking with a few 'van' outfitters here, they have not performed well. In fact one of the outfitters in town told me over the summer they never recommend lithium despite always installing them by request. I am a little surprised to hear yours have worked good so far, which is pretty awesome and a little surprising to me. The self heaters are great but, from what I understand they kinda require the battery to be in an insulated box since the heaters only work so well. But my worry with that is the heaters, in heating, draw down the battery so you effectively loose capacity. The other concern I have is in the dead of winter the jeep just sits outside usually for 5-12 days at a time unless I have a dr appointment in town. I keep it plugged in via a battery tender, and since everything is AGM, all the batteries receive a trickle charge to stay in good shape. But I dont see the lithium batteries with their heater lasting that long and I really dont want to be loading and unloading all the time or adding another dedicated charger. They are much lighter though, about 90 pounds in savings of two lithiums compared to two AGM's. I have one of the DC115 batteries already in the bed from this past summer, a second one is less than half the cost of one lithium option. So since the infrastructure is in place, I'll stick with AGM for now. Maybe in the future if this current setup works well I might invest - as it would be probably close to $3,500 to swap to lithium including a quality DC/DC charger. I will be curious to hear how your experience is after a couple seasons of use though and if any issues arise and what the resolution is. Lithium does have a longer life expectancy than AGM as well which helps to offset the cost.

I'm hoping my luck continues! I do run a Noco for shore power when parked.

 

[chorky]

my luck continues! I do run a Noco for shore po

Is your Norco just for charging the lithium batteries or do you also charge the vehicle battery?

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