Van-Tramp
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Hi all. I am starting a new thread for a whole new year of adventures. Enjoy!
Van-Tramp adventures 2017
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Van-Tramp
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Changing our 2017 beginnings
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/changing-our-2017-beginnings/
Our original plan to start our 2017 year has been to jump over the Sierras and bring Kerri down into Death Valley for her first time. Unfortunately, the recent cold snap steered us to lower elevations and a safer driving route. It also gave us the opportunity to see a National Park that neither of us have seen; Pinnacles National Park (my 78th National Park)
Pulling into the park campground just before sunset didn’t give us any time to see the attractions on the first day. Instead we sat back and enjoyed our first night back on the road and the beginning of our 2017 travels.
The next morning began slowly, with Kerri getting the opportunity to lay in bed with a mug of coffee and read (no cell coverage) a bit. I played on the computer, cooked a quick breakfast, and eventually we all – dogs included – set out for a short 1 mile walk down a dirt road to the historic homestead in the park. Afterwards, Kerri and I set out on our own to tackle the 2 mile trail up too and through the cave.
In the end it was a very short visit, seeing only a small portion of the park’s trail system. We hope to return in 2018 to see more.
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/changing-our-2017-beginnings/
Our original plan to start our 2017 year has been to jump over the Sierras and bring Kerri down into Death Valley for her first time. Unfortunately, the recent cold snap steered us to lower elevations and a safer driving route. It also gave us the opportunity to see a National Park that neither of us have seen; Pinnacles National Park (my 78th National Park)
Pulling into the park campground just before sunset didn’t give us any time to see the attractions on the first day. Instead we sat back and enjoyed our first night back on the road and the beginning of our 2017 travels.
The next morning began slowly, with Kerri getting the opportunity to lay in bed with a mug of coffee and read (no cell coverage) a bit. I played on the computer, cooked a quick breakfast, and eventually we all – dogs included – set out for a short 1 mile walk down a dirt road to the historic homestead in the park. Afterwards, Kerri and I set out on our own to tackle the 2 mile trail up too and through the cave.
In the end it was a very short visit, seeing only a small portion of the park’s trail system. We hope to return in 2018 to see more.
highdesertranger
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hey are you two going to make RTR? highdesertranger
Van-Tramp
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highdesertranger said:
It does not appear so. We are going to blast through AZ (right through Quartsite, but this weekend) and NM so we can get to Bid Bend National Park then New Orleans. We will be missing RTR by a few weeks it seems, but I will be watching you all via forum posts.
highdesertranger
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that's it, you are on double secret probation. highdesertranger
Van-Tramp
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Between a beach and a train
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/between-a-beach-and-a-train/
Over the past two years, Kerri has always spoke so highly of camping at Rincon Parkway in Ventura. I’ve driven past the place a few times and always wondered why anyone would pay to camp there. Not only is it barely out of town, it has a major highway and a busy railway running within feet of the camping. Only an idiot would chose this place to camp, even with the crashing waves of the Pacific right out your front door.
Hey now, I can admit when I am wrong you know. As it turns out, Rincon Parkway is a great place to camp if you do not mind the $28 per night price tag for no hookups and more rules then you could possibly violate in a single week. The ocean is the star of the show, only feet away and thundering 24 hours a day, it can be hard to hear the traffic over it. The trains that pass by only 25 feet away turn out to be near-whisper-quiet (mostly).
With the trailer parallel parked just off the roadway, the door opens to the West. This means our awning also opens to the West, away from all the distractions. Under the awning and with a folding chair, a cocktail, and my sweetheart the evening sunsets could hardly get any better (with the exception of Baja sunsets). Through out the day pelicans fly by in pairs, only millimeters off the water, and dolphins are seen multiple times each day as they pass by the campground. Considering we are only a few miles away from one of the nations largest metro areas, there is a lot of nature to be had here.
The biggest down side is that the beach is down a large rock embankment which requires a bit of rock climbing to get too, or a fair walk to get around. Once there, the dogs do seem to be allowed off leash (no signs saying otherwise) which proved to be just what Moose needed after many weeks of being trapped inside. Kerri did bring up how beneficial the embankment is; while running around the beach, and with the street so close, Moose would run up into the roadway if it were not for the barrier blocking him from it. So, there is that if you have a crazy dog like mine.
This is it through. This weekend we finally get to leave California and start our way to the South East. For those that still want to convert me back to the ways of California, do not worry as we are back in the area in only 10 months to rebuild Big Blue’s interior and set out for an entire year touring just the western states. Spoiler alert – I will never be converted
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/between-a-beach-and-a-train/
Over the past two years, Kerri has always spoke so highly of camping at Rincon Parkway in Ventura. I’ve driven past the place a few times and always wondered why anyone would pay to camp there. Not only is it barely out of town, it has a major highway and a busy railway running within feet of the camping. Only an idiot would chose this place to camp, even with the crashing waves of the Pacific right out your front door.
Hey now, I can admit when I am wrong you know. As it turns out, Rincon Parkway is a great place to camp if you do not mind the $28 per night price tag for no hookups and more rules then you could possibly violate in a single week. The ocean is the star of the show, only feet away and thundering 24 hours a day, it can be hard to hear the traffic over it. The trains that pass by only 25 feet away turn out to be near-whisper-quiet (mostly).
With the trailer parallel parked just off the roadway, the door opens to the West. This means our awning also opens to the West, away from all the distractions. Under the awning and with a folding chair, a cocktail, and my sweetheart the evening sunsets could hardly get any better (with the exception of Baja sunsets). Through out the day pelicans fly by in pairs, only millimeters off the water, and dolphins are seen multiple times each day as they pass by the campground. Considering we are only a few miles away from one of the nations largest metro areas, there is a lot of nature to be had here.
The biggest down side is that the beach is down a large rock embankment which requires a bit of rock climbing to get too, or a fair walk to get around. Once there, the dogs do seem to be allowed off leash (no signs saying otherwise) which proved to be just what Moose needed after many weeks of being trapped inside. Kerri did bring up how beneficial the embankment is; while running around the beach, and with the street so close, Moose would run up into the roadway if it were not for the barrier blocking him from it. So, there is that if you have a crazy dog like mine.
This is it through. This weekend we finally get to leave California and start our way to the South East. For those that still want to convert me back to the ways of California, do not worry as we are back in the area in only 10 months to rebuild Big Blue’s interior and set out for an entire year touring just the western states. Spoiler alert – I will never be converted
Optimistic Paranoid
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Van-Tramp said:
Saw your travel map for 2017 on your blog, but it didn't have any semi-planned dates on it Planning on catching the big eclipse come August?
http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/path_through_the_US.htm
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Ya, I have that date marked just in case we are in the proper place to see it [properly]. It may just line up for us
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
A New Year in the desert
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-new-year-in-the-desert/
After leaving Southern California, we made our way all the way to the Phoenix area where we originally planned to stay the work week at Buckeye Regional Park. Instead, we continued on, turning south. Ajo, Arizona was our new destination and we made it just before sunset after a full day of driving. We setup camp and took a few minutes to enjoy the sunset, a meal, and were quickly snoozing the night away.
Unfortunately, Byron (Kerri’s dog, just in case you didn’t know) had been going through something that, even now, we do not understand. The poor old guy was in pain and would not eat or play ball – very unlike Byron. So, Kerri made the decision to relocate closer to a major metro area – Phoenix – so he can go to a vet. By the end of the next work day, we had packed up and moved back up to Buckeye Regional Park (only a few short minutes outside the metro area). Bryon had appointments scheduled for the following days, but in the end the vet did not find anything wrong with Byron who had no lasting effects from the unknown issue.
During our half-week there, Kerri stumbled on a group of friends gathered near the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge not far outside of Quartszite. Well heck, that is only a few hours away, even if it is yet another major backtrack. Let’s go! By the end of the week we relocated to Kofa to spend the new year weekend with friends – some we have not seen since last new years. The size of the gathering was just perfect at only a dozen families or so.
With my back feeling better, Kerri and I drove up the road to take the short 1 mile hike up Palm Canyon. Moose and Byron were able to join us for the adventure. And as we did at Borrego in 2015, New Years eve turned into a potluck dinner where we all gathered together to eat and drink. Stories were shared, drone group-shots were taken, and a lot of laughing took place. Yes, this was definitely the type of meetings that I look forward too on the road.
Kerri and I spent most of the first day of the year indoors. Kerri getting over a bug, and my re-injured back (thanks to a water run the day before) kept us in bed watching Netflix from under the blankets. Feeling good enough after the day of rest, on Jan 2nd, we made our way back through Phoenix with a quick stop at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (Kerri had never been), then through Tucson, and to the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area which we will call home for the work week.
More embedded images at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-new-year-in-the-desert/
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-new-year-in-the-desert/
After leaving Southern California, we made our way all the way to the Phoenix area where we originally planned to stay the work week at Buckeye Regional Park. Instead, we continued on, turning south. Ajo, Arizona was our new destination and we made it just before sunset after a full day of driving. We setup camp and took a few minutes to enjoy the sunset, a meal, and were quickly snoozing the night away.
Unfortunately, Byron (Kerri’s dog, just in case you didn’t know) had been going through something that, even now, we do not understand. The poor old guy was in pain and would not eat or play ball – very unlike Byron. So, Kerri made the decision to relocate closer to a major metro area – Phoenix – so he can go to a vet. By the end of the next work day, we had packed up and moved back up to Buckeye Regional Park (only a few short minutes outside the metro area). Bryon had appointments scheduled for the following days, but in the end the vet did not find anything wrong with Byron who had no lasting effects from the unknown issue.
During our half-week there, Kerri stumbled on a group of friends gathered near the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge not far outside of Quartszite. Well heck, that is only a few hours away, even if it is yet another major backtrack. Let’s go! By the end of the week we relocated to Kofa to spend the new year weekend with friends – some we have not seen since last new years. The size of the gathering was just perfect at only a dozen families or so.
With my back feeling better, Kerri and I drove up the road to take the short 1 mile hike up Palm Canyon. Moose and Byron were able to join us for the adventure. And as we did at Borrego in 2015, New Years eve turned into a potluck dinner where we all gathered together to eat and drink. Stories were shared, drone group-shots were taken, and a lot of laughing took place. Yes, this was definitely the type of meetings that I look forward too on the road.
Kerri and I spent most of the first day of the year indoors. Kerri getting over a bug, and my re-injured back (thanks to a water run the day before) kept us in bed watching Netflix from under the blankets. Feeling good enough after the day of rest, on Jan 2nd, we made our way back through Phoenix with a quick stop at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (Kerri had never been), then through Tucson, and to the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area which we will call home for the work week.
More embedded images at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/a-new-year-in-the-desert/
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/las-cienegas-national-conservation-area/
After leaving our New Years get together we moved onward, towards our ultimate winter destination of New Orleans. There are a large number of places in Arizona to stay for the work week, but we went for a location that neither of us have been too in the past (greatly shortening the list). Las Cienegas National Conservation Area has been spoken highly of for many years, and this year we both finally got to drop in for a stay. But first, the challenge of getting there…
The GPS in the tuck, affectionately known as “Barbara”, who has a history of intentionally misleading us down roads in her repeated attempts to kill us, made yet another attempt. Normally she would route us along the shortest route, even if only shorter by a few inches and by saving those few inches it would cause us to cross a moat full of flame-breathing-alligators… or extremely rutted dirt road, I guess. In this instance, not only did she *intentionally* route us *past* the shortest route, she then tried to convince us that the old wagon trail from the mid 1800’s leading off the main highway was a valid option for the 50+ foot combined length of our truck and trailer. Seriously, the cattle stopped using this trail decades ago, and Barbara was like, “this will get you there, just trust me… suckers!” I quickly vetoed the turn off, to Kerri’s initial angst, followed by many miles of continuing down this small highway road before we could find a place to turn around.
On our return trip to the area, Barbara insisted we keep to her plan to kill us, but I once again vetoed the assassination attempt and we simply followed the signage provided by the Historic Empire Ranch Foundation. We quickly and easily found our boondocking destination at that point and setup camp for the work week. The camping area was peaceful and pleasant enough, with cows dropping in from time to time and tons of acreage for Moose to haul some serious ass through the tall grasses. In the end it was less eventful then the final few miles of the drive with just the boring errands and work being completed during out stay before rolling our first thing Saturday morning.
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/las-cienegas-national-conservation-area/
After leaving our New Years get together we moved onward, towards our ultimate winter destination of New Orleans. There are a large number of places in Arizona to stay for the work week, but we went for a location that neither of us have been too in the past (greatly shortening the list). Las Cienegas National Conservation Area has been spoken highly of for many years, and this year we both finally got to drop in for a stay. But first, the challenge of getting there…
The GPS in the tuck, affectionately known as “Barbara”, who has a history of intentionally misleading us down roads in her repeated attempts to kill us, made yet another attempt. Normally she would route us along the shortest route, even if only shorter by a few inches and by saving those few inches it would cause us to cross a moat full of flame-breathing-alligators… or extremely rutted dirt road, I guess. In this instance, not only did she *intentionally* route us *past* the shortest route, she then tried to convince us that the old wagon trail from the mid 1800’s leading off the main highway was a valid option for the 50+ foot combined length of our truck and trailer. Seriously, the cattle stopped using this trail decades ago, and Barbara was like, “this will get you there, just trust me… suckers!” I quickly vetoed the turn off, to Kerri’s initial angst, followed by many miles of continuing down this small highway road before we could find a place to turn around.
On our return trip to the area, Barbara insisted we keep to her plan to kill us, but I once again vetoed the assassination attempt and we simply followed the signage provided by the Historic Empire Ranch Foundation. We quickly and easily found our boondocking destination at that point and setup camp for the work week. The camping area was peaceful and pleasant enough, with cows dropping in from time to time and tons of acreage for Moose to haul some serious ass through the tall grasses. In the end it was less eventful then the final few miles of the drive with just the boring errands and work being completed during out stay before rolling our first thing Saturday morning.
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Returning to Chiricahua
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/returning-to-chiricahua/
We had only three days to do it in. Not only to make the 500 mile drive from Las Cienegas National Conservation Area to Carlsbad, New Mexico, but to see four National Parks in the process. If we could knock them all out in one weekend, then we could high-tail it out of New Mexico following the work week and get to Big Bend National Park sooner.
So, we prepared to leave Las Cienegas early on Saturday morning. Not that I believed Kerri could crawl herself out of bed that early, but I was up before the sunrise hitching up the truck to the trailer. She… somehow… was up and finalizing the tie-down process for the interior of the trailer. Next thing we both knew, we were on the road just as the sun was beginning to spy us. I bet we surprised the sun that day!
We arrived well before noon. Just a few hours down the Interstate, at Bowie Arizona; Indian Bread Rocks to be exact. Kerri and I spent a week here just after we first met, but we were here not to reminisce, but to make a day-trip into Chiricahua National Monument right beside us. Kerri had never been, and we missed it last time. We dropped the trailer at the Bread Rocks, and made the jump into the park for a hike of only a few miles down through the Grotto to Echo Canyon. This is where I came to experience the park way back when (wow, 2011). Chiricahua has always held a special place in my memory.
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/returning-to-chiricahua/
We had only three days to do it in. Not only to make the 500 mile drive from Las Cienegas National Conservation Area to Carlsbad, New Mexico, but to see four National Parks in the process. If we could knock them all out in one weekend, then we could high-tail it out of New Mexico following the work week and get to Big Bend National Park sooner.
So, we prepared to leave Las Cienegas early on Saturday morning. Not that I believed Kerri could crawl herself out of bed that early, but I was up before the sunrise hitching up the truck to the trailer. She… somehow… was up and finalizing the tie-down process for the interior of the trailer. Next thing we both knew, we were on the road just as the sun was beginning to spy us. I bet we surprised the sun that day!
We arrived well before noon. Just a few hours down the Interstate, at Bowie Arizona; Indian Bread Rocks to be exact. Kerri and I spent a week here just after we first met, but we were here not to reminisce, but to make a day-trip into Chiricahua National Monument right beside us. Kerri had never been, and we missed it last time. We dropped the trailer at the Bread Rocks, and made the jump into the park for a hike of only a few miles down through the Grotto to Echo Canyon. This is where I came to experience the park way back when (wow, 2011). Chiricahua has always held a special place in my memory.
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Returning to White Sands
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/returning-to-white-sands/
The previous night we were in bed early expecting another early start in the morning. Once again we were packed up, coffee in hands, dogs in the truck, and actually driving before sunrise. It was truly a miracle to see Kerri out from under the blankets so early… twice in a row! That morning we had to make a 4 hour drive into New Mexico, through Las Cruces (the home of all two of my mechanical breakdowns), and to White Sands National Monument. Once again, I have been here before but Kerri had never been.
Our visit was short, with just a quick hike out onto the “sand” (actually gypsum) which the dogs seriously enjoyed. Byron, the true beach bum, kept pulling Kerri along towards the waves that must be just over the next dune. Eventually we turned around to head back to the truck. Grumpy Byron was well ticked off that we never let him get to the water. There was no talking sense into him. Moose… Moose really needed to be off leash to burn off his energy, but being in a National Park and all I just kept poking at him to dig-dig-dig!
After an hour or so, we piled back into the truck (now with two layers of very different colored mud on the fenders) and continued our Eastward migration out of Alamagordo, up the hill towards Cloudcroft. I chose this route specifically because I had never driven this stretch of road before (something that is becoming increasingly more rare in my travels), yet half way to Artesia we passed by a road side fruit stand slash petting zoo and all the memories of me driving this road in 2012 came back to me, just from the opposite direction. Argh!
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/returning-to-white-sands/
The previous night we were in bed early expecting another early start in the morning. Once again we were packed up, coffee in hands, dogs in the truck, and actually driving before sunrise. It was truly a miracle to see Kerri out from under the blankets so early… twice in a row! That morning we had to make a 4 hour drive into New Mexico, through Las Cruces (the home of all two of my mechanical breakdowns), and to White Sands National Monument. Once again, I have been here before but Kerri had never been.
Our visit was short, with just a quick hike out onto the “sand” (actually gypsum) which the dogs seriously enjoyed. Byron, the true beach bum, kept pulling Kerri along towards the waves that must be just over the next dune. Eventually we turned around to head back to the truck. Grumpy Byron was well ticked off that we never let him get to the water. There was no talking sense into him. Moose… Moose really needed to be off leash to burn off his energy, but being in a National Park and all I just kept poking at him to dig-dig-dig!
After an hour or so, we piled back into the truck (now with two layers of very different colored mud on the fenders) and continued our Eastward migration out of Alamagordo, up the hill towards Cloudcroft. I chose this route specifically because I had never driven this stretch of road before (something that is becoming increasingly more rare in my travels), yet half way to Artesia we passed by a road side fruit stand slash petting zoo and all the memories of me driving this road in 2012 came back to me, just from the opposite direction. Argh!
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Returning to Carlsbad
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/returning-to-carlsbad/
The final day of our travel weekend brought us to Carlsbad, New Mexico. Here we would visit the Carlsbad Caverns National Park and even a quick trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Again, I have been to both in my past, but Kerri had been to neither in her adulthood. We went with the full-monty visit, hiking 700+ feet down the natural entrance 1-mile trail into the cavern. There we followed the 1.5 mile big room trail which showcases not only the enormous scale of this cavern, but also many of the spectacles of nature. If you are counting, that is four National Parks in three days for us, including a fair share of driving to get from the first to the last.
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/returning-to-carlsbad/
The final day of our travel weekend brought us to Carlsbad, New Mexico. Here we would visit the Carlsbad Caverns National Park and even a quick trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Again, I have been to both in my past, but Kerri had been to neither in her adulthood. We went with the full-monty visit, hiking 700+ feet down the natural entrance 1-mile trail into the cavern. There we followed the 1.5 mile big room trail which showcases not only the enormous scale of this cavern, but also many of the spectacles of nature. If you are counting, that is four National Parks in three days for us, including a fair share of driving to get from the first to the last.
We stayed the week just outside of Carlsbad. Here I would get the truck’s transmission serviced as it had been well over 2 years and the truck does more than it’s fair share of towing. Beyond the Chevrolet dealership in town, only one other business would do the work, but they botched the job and within 24 hours of their work the truck was nearly un-driveable. Remember in my last blog post I mentioned Las Cruces, New Mexico being the location of both of my mechanical break downs in my years of travel. Well, we had just passed through Las Cruces a few days prior, and now we were broken down. I think it is confirmed that Las Cruces breaks vehicles!
We were to leave for Big Bend National Park on the Saturday, but Friday ended with the truck still not working. In a hail-Mary attempt, I went out Saturday morning and purchased all the parts to redo the work that the shop botched. It was only after I get back to our camping spot that I crawl under the truck and find out none of me 200 pieces of tools will fit the nuts. So, a run back into town for more tools… seriously, an American truck that has metric nuts? What is this world coming too?
It was not the end of the day’s frustrations though. After removing the transmission oil pan, and all it’s fluid and oil filter, it was only then that I noticed that the local auto parts store provided me the wrong parts!!! One may think this is a rare instance, but nearly every single time I have gotten parts from a chain-store in my life, the wrong parts were provided the first attempt. Thankfully, the parts store admitted their mistake and delivered the correct parts to our GPS coordinates. Within an hour, the truck was back together and we were ready, although weary, to roll into Texas and our of Carlsbad, which we did right away the following morning, only a single day behind schedule.
During this time of crisis I remembered that this was what stress feels like. It has been so long that I have had a stressful day that even a minor issue (and this was only minor compared to other people’s problems) really took it’s toll. We both were relieved when the truck got us out of Carlsbad, and were even happier when it got us to Texas (that sounds weird to say). Our adventure gets to continue, on schedule, stress free, thanks to having the right tools, and the know-how to get the job done even in the middle of a desert.
jimindenver
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Glad you got the truck up and running. I dislike taking mine in for work.
ArtW
Well-known member
Good you got back on the road, and yes, sir, American cars and trucks have been going metric for a long time
Tip: all your metric tools will fit SAE bolts / nuts, though sometimes tighter than they would a metric (14mm tends to have to be 'wriggled off' a 9/16) so you really only need metric
Tip: all your metric tools will fit SAE bolts / nuts, though sometimes tighter than they would a metric (14mm tends to have to be 'wriggled off' a 9/16) so you really only need metric
masterplumber
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Glad you got it going again. I'm baffled that a shop could screw up a normal transmission service so badly as to have to completely redo it. I noticed the slow change to metric with an 1984 Ranger. It was really annoying as it was about 50/50. The worst was standard nuts on 1 end of the shocks and metric on the other end.
Raven+Squid
Well-known member
Yeah I think the mix SAE/metric mix thing Is not all that uncommon anymore.
What was the issue with the transmission?
The tests in life keep the neurons flowing!
What was the issue with the transmission?
The tests in life keep the neurons flowing!
Raven+Squid
Well-known member
This picture is rather surrealistic. Awesome!!
Van-Tramp
Well-known member
Raven+Squid said:
Either they used the wrong fluid, or their flush ended up clogging up the filter to a point that fluid could not move freely through the internals of the transmission. Either way, they do not agree how either of those possibilities were their fault.
