Moab Bound -- with the wife in tow.......

[Silverator]

Got a few pics thru the slow connections.... I'll try to upload a few. These are mostly at Onion Creek and Dome Plateau. Better to come later...

Sponsored

 

[WILDHOBO]

Got a few pics thru the slow connections.... I'll try to upload a few. These are mostly at Onion Creek and Dome Plateau. Better to come later...

That place is more beautiful every time.

 

[Silverator]

That place is more beautiful every time.

Indeed. Every day is jaw dropping.

Encountering some clunks and suspension / steering noise that I never had before after yesterday's ride. Almost ended the trip early, but figured maybe I'm just not used to "jeep sounds". LOL

The life has 5k+ miles on it and a couple dozen trips, but after the last oil change and suspension "tune up", torquing, etc., it's definitely clunking and creaking after 2-3 days here.

So....I'm going to stick it out another day, and it will be back in the shop next week. Don't know, but it might have something to do with 60+ water crossings - many at speed..... Maybe the bushings have given up their will to live....

Haha. Anyway, some more pics in a bit....

 

[WILDHOBO]

Indeed. Every day is jaw dropping.

Encountering some clunks and suspension / steering noise that I never had before after yesterday's ride. Almost ended the trip early, but figured maybe I'm just not used to "jeep sounds". LOL

The life has 5k+ miles on it and a couple dozen trips, but after the last oil change and suspension "tune up", torquing, etc., it's definitely clunking and creaking after 2-3 days here.

So....I'm going to stick it out another day, and it will be back in the shop next week. Don't know, but it might have something to do with 60+ water crossings - many at speed..... Maybe the bushings have given up their will to live....

Haha. Anyway, some more pics in a bit....

Sounds fantastic. Don’t worry about it. Finish your trip. Suspension parts loosen up enough to clunk when wheeling, but almost never to the point of hurting anything. When you get home, just get under there with a torque wrench and check things. If it clunks when steering, check drag link, tie rod, and track bar. If when braking, check control arms. If neither, swaybar links are a possibility. It’s normal stuff when wheeling hard.

 

[Silverator]

Sounds fantastic. Don’t worry about it. Finish your trip. Suspension parts loosen up enough to clunk when wheeling, but almost never to the point of hurting anything. When you get home, just get under there with a torque wrench and check things. If it clunks when steering, check drag link, tie rod, and track bar. If when braking, check control arms. If neither, swaybar links are a possibility. It’s normal stuff when wheeling hard.

Thanks for the advice. Will do!!!

 

[professorkx]

Missing Elephant Hill is almost a Sin…one of the best trails in Moab…IMHO. It’s a long way out there, so a lot of folks avoid it, and the daily permit is easy to just walk in a get the morning of the trip. Might also need to grab fuel in Montecello before you turn off the highway if MPG is a problem. No furry friends allowed on the trail.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Missing Elephant Hill is almost a Sin…one of the best trails in Moab…IMHO. It’s a long way out there, so a lot of folks avoid it, and the daily permit is easy to just walk in a get the morning of the trip. Might also need to grab fuel in Montecello before you turn off the highway if MPG is a problem. No furry friends allowed on the trail.

It’s an amazing one. One of my favorites as well. Also important to know that groups are limited to three vehicles to keep the trail peaceful. And it’s very peaceful.

 

[Silverator]

Hey Guys - made it back home. Averaged 20.1 mpg on the highway with the lift and 35's. Happy with that! Going to work on the mechanicals next week after I recover.

But what I'm REALLY happy with is that my wife is in LOOOOOOVE with Moab. She might be mad at me for not taking her sooner though.... LOL. Looks like we will try to make twice a year from now on. Woohoooo....

As promised I'll post up some pics and clips for you. Full form videos later... Websites acting a little wonky, but here goes.

First trail up on Day 1 was Onion Creek. 62 stream crossings (out and back) and free form storming some of the crossings. Too much fun. And the beauty is off the charts. Here are some Onion Creek pics and clips.

 

[Silverator]

Kind of a surprise for me was the trails in Arches that we did. Had a lot of fun on these.

Tower Arch is a 4. My wife ended up driving all of it except for one tricky technical obstacle. She spotted the guy behind us though. LOL. I should have made her do it.....

Here's some pics. This trail, and the hike it entails definitely makes it worthwhile.

The trail in was super fun.....

Hike to the Arch....

Beware of Mountain Lions...

Oh....and beware of taking friends who aren't jeeping savvy....LOLOL

 

[Silverator]

Came in the back way to Gemini Bridges as the wife still wasn't sure about the shelf road. LOL. I've done Gemini many times, but never Bull Canyon. Not much out there about Bull Canyon, so we did a good portion of that before the day ran short. A few picsof those trails :


Down in Bull Canyon

Great vistas on the way in

Bull eventually turns pretty much into a rocky creek bed

Plenty of rocky slabs of slick rock all the way up/down.

We watched a stock 4Runner stare this down for 5 minutes before attempting. LOL. Easy peasy - we rolled right up it.

Good day wheeling in Moab!!

 

[Solar Sparky]

Heading out first thing in the morning for a week of wheeling in Moab with the Rubicon.

I've been there many times on two motorized wheels with the guys, and have ridden most all of the notable trails on dirt bikes, but this is the first time on 4 wheels.....AND....the first time with the wife - and she's definitely got the excitement vs anxiety/fear thing going on. LOL I've been trying to prep her with videos and such, but she knows me just a little too well and the videos may have backfired on me. I'm telling her that we'll take it easy, but I think she knows better. Haha....

Last night it was all Ledges & Shelf Roads, Shelf Roads & Ledges, Ledges & Shelf Roads, Obstacles, Cliffs, "what if we meet someone head-on", etc. discussions. I think she is good, but y'all know how Moab is.....and I'd really like to come home in one piece with no divorce. Hoping for a fun and peaceful trip.

Honestly, I've got way too much wrapped up in this rig to renegade thrash it like I've done with the bikes. Just added some lower control arm and rear shock skids to go along with the Diff skids and asfir engine, transmission and transfer case skids. Oh, got the required hitch skid too. I think I'm good to go with the Clayton 2.5+ " Overland lift and 35" Toyo's. (Wish I had 37/38's for this trip). But we'll see....

I'll drop in some pics here if I get a chance, and maybe my wife will finish up some videos and upload them on our youtube channel - and I'll link em. Right now I'm shooting for "moderate" trails, but we'll she how she responds to that. I remember the first time I went to ride - Poison Spider to Golden Spike to Gold Bar Rim to Gemini Bridges to Sovereign Singletrack - in one day!!! I was a little shellshocked by the seemingly non-stop obstacles - BUT - the magic of Moab has never left me since that day.

Right now, I think her mind is in dirt bike mode (she rode for years) and thinking we're going to have to be hitting everything with significant momentum. heh heh. She has yet to gain as much trust as I have in the Gladiator.

So anyway....wish me luck. I know we'll have a blast. I just gotta break her in easy. Maybe Onion Creek for starters. . Any other suggestions?



My baby, geared up, ready and waiting to be set loose in Moab..........

Should be a blast! I converted my wife to a Moab lover, by not taking her on extreme trails. Onion creek is a great trip. We came down from Polar Mesa and down Onion creek, awesome views and not really difficult. Schafer canyon down to Thelma and Louise point is epic views, and not too difficult. The White Rim, Hurrah Pass down to Chicken Corner, all excellent options. Damn! I’m jealous just writing this down. Spending this Memorial Day weekend locally on the Gulf of America paddling and chilling

Sponsored