We've been going to the Owyhee for ages. Or at least, "ages" when taken in context of the time that we've been adventuring around the western United States (and Canada). In fact, our very first trip was to Owyhee, a trip that @mrs.turbodb planned on the same weekend in May, nine years ago. In that time - as we've traversed many thousands of miles of road - we've learned much about this wonderland in southeast Oregon, including the fact that it's not limited to Oregon! The Owyhee extend into southwest Idaho and even into northern Nevada. For the first time,…
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TL;DR - I replaced my greaseable SPC upper ball joints with the "lifetime" variant that SPC now offers. I'm not sure I believe that it's a lifetime part, but time will tell.
How can a ball joint never go bad?
In the first part of this series, I outlined the components necessary for adding a 12v house electrical system to a Tacoma (or any other vehicle). This time, we'll walk through the specifics on how to do the actual installation of those components in a way that will stand up to the abuse of truck used for adventure. Just a Bit of Background This is my second take at a house electrical battery system installation in the Tacoma. My first system was based around a 12v AGM battery and worked well for more than 6 years. In fact, it worked…
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Six years ago, when I initially installed my house battery, it allowed me an entirely new sense of calm when I was in camp at night. No longer did I need to worry about my fridge - or the other small electronics I might turn on or charge - draining my starting battery overnight, thus leaving me stranded. Plus, the whole system of linking the two Northstar AGM 24F using a Blue Sea Systems ML-ACR (automatic charging relay) meant that I could easily - either manually or automatically - link my two batteries for charging or more power, and unlink…
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It's hard to believe that another several months have passed since the last rig review! Since then, there've been several more trips, including a couple that were more hiking than driving and one that was our first time backpacking, for 5 days, through Upper Grand Gulch. That trip spawned a whole new kind of "rig" (equipment) review, so if you haven't had a chance to check those out and are curious, please do: The remainder of the trips were of the more traditional type, exercising the Tacoma in addition to our legs, and putting the gear we use to the…
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TL;DR - I continue to get better gas mileage with the new 5th gear. Still collecting data.
Every tank lasts longer than it used to. Barely.
Racing east at speeds that'd rival those we'd hit on the highway, Monte @Blackdawg and I left Capitol Reef in our rear-view mirrors as we set our sights on the San Rafael Swell. We were pretty sure that by now - nearly an hour after we'd heard that Ben @m3bassman had a flat on the van - there wouldn't be any need for our help, but we kept our eyes peeled for the big silver beast as we covered the wide-open ground. Cedar Mountain filled our view as we wound our way through the badlands. Climbing out of a wash,…
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Even with a big breakfast to make, no one was up early to get started on their contribution to the group breakfast. I'm not complaining at all - I hadn't brought anything to contribute except my growling stomach - simply noting the anomaly. Perhaps on this trip - one where we spent more time in camp than ever before - it was to be expected that we would get a slow start on our last morning together. Whatever the reason, I took a few minutes to backup the photos I'd take so far onto my laptop, and snap a few…
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TL;DR - A loose alignment cam led me to discover that my SPC Upper Ball Joints (UBJs) are toast. Luckily, the alignment cam was an easy on-the-trail fix, and the UBJs could wait until I got home.
Someone's front end looks a little off.
The pitter patter of rain continued on and off throughout the night as we slept along the edge of a mesa overlooking Capitol Reef and the Henry Mountains. We'd found this spot - a wide area that was once an old mining road clinging to the rocky slopes - the previous afternoon, but after a long day of driving, we hadn't investigated the road at all. Perched on the eastern edge of the site - as opposed to being nestled into the trees - sun hit my tent as soon as it crested the horizon. Knowing that I'd still have…
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We awoke amongst the Pinyon Pine to the barking of pups, ready for breakfast. Given that we were nearly outnumbered by the furry beasts, this wasn't surprising; in fact, they would be our alarm clock every day. Monte @Blackdawg quickly climbed down from his tent - letting them out for a bathroom break and a quick meal - before loading them back up and heading back to bed for another hour. Apparently this is their routine at home, as well! It was closer to 8:15am when the smell of coffee permeated camp, an indicator that Mike @Digiratus was up and…
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I was two days late - at least according to Ben @m3bassman - when I rolled into the camp site they'd found just outside Capitol Reef National Park. As usual, the first order of business was a round of hellos with Mike @Digiratus and Zane @Speedytech7, followed by some good-natured ribbing. It was Zane, as I recall, that predicted my arrival time most correctly - at least according to The Price is Right rules that we all seemed to disagree on - and it was Mike who grinned a big I told you so, when I moved my truck into…
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There are always places that get missed or left behind. Sometimes it's due to a lack of time; sometimes because of a lack of knowledge. Whatever the reason, and despite the fact that it's both normal and unavoidable, I almost always feel like I've failed in some way. Of course, it's not a failure at all; there is so much more than we can ever see. Sometimes - the best times - there's so much in a given area that it's easy to plan an entire trip. Other times, there's not quite enough. In those cases, it's always nice when…
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TL;DR - Almost all of the electrical wiring I've done in the last 7 years has used shitty wire that needs to be replaced.
Copper Clad Aluminum. Over time, turns to wire powder. Wish someone had told me that earlier.
![I've Worn Out My TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) [P0120 Check Engine Light]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54550578694_197ca25c09_c.jpg "I've Worn Out My TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) [P0120 Check Engine Light]")
TL;DR - I'm not doing anything yet, but having gotten a few P0120 check engine lights, I think I've worn out my Throttle Position Sensor.
This little bugger is starting to cause trouble.
![My Cats are Empty [P0420 Check Engine Light]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54550567999_6bda364eed_c.jpg "My Cats are Empty [P0420 Check Engine Light]")
TL;DR - I've been getting P0420 check engine lights for a while now. I'm not planning to do anything about it for the time being.
This is annoying, but I can live with it to not put a new catalytic converter in.
Our first backpack - a somewhat crazy introduction to physically carrying all of our gear - through the Grand Gulch from Government Trail to Kane Gulch could have gone horribly wrong, but it didn't! I generally recommend getting started with whatever you already own and then buying what you discover you need when you're out on trips. But boy, if we don't look like a walking REI ad the first time out. In fact, I'd say that overall, it was a smashing success. At the very least, it was a success, and there was some smashing. Luckily, that smashing was…
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TL;DR - We loved this water filter. It made some pretty nasty looking water look and taste like home!
Magic water filter.
TL;DR - We got the wrong tent. It has been returned.
This tent didn't work out.
TL;DR - Quest protein bars were a "fine" breakfast, but the Crispy Cookies and Cream were the only ones I'd buy again.
More satisfying than we expected; still a bit like sawdust.