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.
Category: The Long Way
Inspired by the Long Way series, featuring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, this path through the history of a Toyota Tacoma and its insignificant driver starts at the very beginning and includes every post I've ever made.
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…
Leave a Comment
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…
Leave a CommentSix 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…
Leave a Comment
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…
2 Comments
TL;DR - I continue to get better gas mileage with the new 5th gear. Still collecting data.
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,…
10 Comments
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…
8 Comments
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.
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…
8 Comments
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…
1 Comment
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…
8 Comments
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…
15 Comments
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.
![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.
![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.
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…
12 Comments
TL;DR - We loved this water filter. It made some pretty nasty looking water look and taste like home!
TL;DR - We got the wrong tent. It has been returned.
TL;DR - Quest protein bars were a "fine" breakfast, but the Crispy Cookies and Cream were the only ones I'd buy again.
