Category: family

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Auxiliary Lights for the Range Rover Classic Overland Rig (Post #723) 2/8/2026

In this post I put the lights on the roof rack. The weather played along and it was the only day this week I could get out there. Last weekend was spent getting Erica and Brian’s house moved. Erica remembered I drove M54 5 ton trucks in the Marine Corps Reserve.

So I got to drive the Uhaul home. The first two hours was driving with the wind on the front right corner with a wicked wind blowing me all over the road with the incredibly vague steering. I also enjoyed a cross with that vibrated the left mirror and creating the a loud noise. It was brutal.

We got them all load and unloaded in two days. That took a toll on this old man but I was happy we got it all done.

So on to the lights…

I started with a template so I could get the holes drilled correctly that needed a slight adjustment for the power wire. Once I got them on the roof rack I realized the power wires were going to need to be secured and out of the way.

I found some metal clips that were designed to hold a table cloth on to a picnic table. After I broke 4 drill bits trying to drill hole in them, I gave up and went to the hardware store to buy some. On the way I realized the steel was probably spring steel. So drilling a hole was probably a folly in itself.

The bracket got installed and then I went on to wiring. Nothing special here. I watched a Simon Fordman YouTube video where he soldered his wiring. I decided that would be how I did it. What I learned is I need a wider variety of heat shrink. I had several of the right diameters but not in the length I needed.

What’s next? I’m glad you asked. I need to wire in the switches and relays. This means I need to determine what the box is going to look like. I also need to decide what I’m going to make the inside out of, MDF? plywood? paper mache? the choices are endless!!!

Like and subscribe. Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

https://youtu.be/0Lqgz8RKHMA
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Diagnosing an Alternator on a Range Rover Classic (Post #675) 10/13/2024

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There’s a lot in this video. I get the handle on the lift gate installed. And I diagnose the alternator issues. It becomes pretty clear early in the video that I haven’t wrenched in a long, long time.

I get the lift gate handle installed first. The spring failed, if you remember, and I sourced a selection from Amazon and got lucky there was one in there that, with a little adjustment, fit perfectly. I got it all put back together and reassembled all the bits using stainless steel hardware.

It feels good to have something finally done. It was a little task but it was necessary.

Then I began to investigate the alternator. The Range Rover just died in the driveway the last time I ran her. The battery was D-E-D, dead.

I removed the alternator, let’s call it the NEW alternator because it is. This took way too long. I struggled greatly. It was my conclusion that the NEW alternator had a failed diode pack. I’ve seen it before.

Once I got it removed I took it to NAPA to get it tested. Turns out Moore NAPA where the last two alternators were replaced would not look at it. They pointed me to Norman NAPA which is not a corporate store. At some point there’s going to be a pissing contest about who owes me for a core.

The Norman store pointed me to C&P Auto Electric. It just so happens they are one of the last establishments still fixing alternators and starters in the Oklahoma City metro area. Christian tested both alternators and under load. He reported both were working as expected. He said the diode pack would make a loud noise if it were failing. I asked him what he charged and he said nothing. I was very thankful and insisted I pay him something for the trouble. I thanked him for the help, gave him $5.00(US) and told him to buy a milk shake on the way home.

I brought both of them back to the house. Something Christian said, “You probably have another broken wire somewhere telling the alternator not to charge the battery.” Well it turns out that was good advise. I looked at the wiring for the back of the alternator and noticed there was a wire that was just a shadow of it’s former self.

I fixed it, got everything hooked back up and got her started up and as you will see in the next video she is charging the battery again. I’m still pretty sure I have parasitic drain somewhere. I’m testing that overnight and I’ll have to sort it out if its still there.

The last bit of the video I show you what my wife’s brother-in-law John cooked up for me on the engraving laser at his college. I had a crazy idea to make a logo for Tumbleweed Garage. I’ve mentioned his Youtube channel before. Any way, I drew up this logo from one the Willys Overland company had for their automobiles and John burned it on some anodized aluminum.

I had him burn some of my logo too! It was fun to do and now I’m wondering if I really need one of those in my shoppe. (probably not, too expensive).

I’m off all week for “vacation”. Mrs. Okierover has started calling the shoppe a “resort” because that’s where you go when you are on vacation.

Like and subscribe. Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

https://youtu.be/rvntDd87GBI
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Honey Springs 150th Anniversary, Going Home – Part 4 (Post #413) 11/14/2013

After I finished checking out the 1960’s Series 88 inch, I got the Range Rover back on the road and sorted out my route home.

I wanted to head for Dripping Springs State Park. It is a heavily wooded park with a small but idyllic lake. I knew the trees had recently begun the change and thought I could get a couple of nice pictures. I started out of Rentiesville and headed north on a two lane blacktop N1040 aka North Broadway street. I took it up to what is called County Line Road  aka E1010 road. This road is the border between McIntosh (Wikipedia:History) and Muskogee (Wikipedia:History) counties.

It was a rutted dirt road and I thought it perfect for a “shakedown” of the Range Rover. This is a representative picture of what I drove for a dozen miles or so. Continue reading “Honey Springs 150th Anniversary, Going Home – Part 4 (Post #413) 11/14/2013”

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Where is everyone? (Post #407) 11/6/2013

This is the 42nd block of North Western in Oklahoma City. If you are a familiar with this block you have Beck’s Garage on one side of the street on the other you have VZD’s. I eat lunch at VZD’s every Monday. FYI: If you want to talk Land Rovers look for me on a bar stool between 11am and Noon.

I have never pulled up there before and seen it so empty. Not a single car in the parking lot or on the street in front. Very odd. So I snapped a picture.

Next door to VZD’s is a “salon/day spa”. So normally there is at least one or two cars parked there for the women who “do” salons/day spas. And normally Teresa Wall is parked out front as well. Teresa owns 42nd Street Candy Company. This is where I stop and pick up those fancy chocolates and candies that gets me nominated for Husband of the Year by Mrs. Okierover. I highly recommend you stop in and say hi to Teresa and get some bon-bons. You won’t regret it.

This neighborhood is known as Crown Heights. My biological mother lived at the corner of N.W. 39th and Western before I was born. How do you know that? Good question! I looked her up on the old Criss-Cross directory at the Oklahoma City Public Library. I was probably conceived in the apartment there above the house. (You probably didn’t need to know that.)

I’ve always loved this neighborhood and the great old homes found between Shartel and Western. One house on N.W. 41st street has a terracotta dragon sitting on top of the chimney.

Back to the Range Rover. I’ve got a very noisy left front spring. I think I’ll need to get it up on a lift and look at what’s going on. It’s annoying and since I just got those springs under there I should find out why it’s making those noises. Every thing else is going well so far.

I am going to the Battle of Honey Springs this weekend. So the Range Rover is going on a long drive Friday after work. I’m going to take the “Blue Highways” instead of the interstate. I’ve been listening to William Least Heap-Moon’s Blue Highways from audible.com. I’m enjoying it very much and thinking of a similar trip for some day in the future.

I used the roof rack as a platform to take a picture of our Halloween Block Party. Paradigm Church has had a trunk-or-treat set up each of the last two years. We set up games for the kids and hand out candy. We are getting quite the reputation for our “carnival”. We even have a competition between the bible study groups who theme their trunks each year.

My team has won both years. Last year we had a panel of judges, this year we let the kids/parents decide. We decorated as pirates the first year complete with a cardboard pirate ship and this year we had a Despicable Me (2013) themed trunk. We built a Gru-mobile and the shrink ray from the movies.

Everyone had a great time and the weather was perfect.

Good grief that post was all over the place! I could have made it two, perhaps three different posts.
Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

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Family and Finally a Garage Day! (Post #328) 4/13/2013

Finally I have a Garage Day! The weather is cooperating and my schedule is clear. I am asking no sympathy for my schedule I do it to myself.

I took the Range Rover to Dibble, Oklahoma to watch my grand daughter play T-ball. I love the two lane highways in Oklahoma and this was an opportunity to drive on them. Specifically highways 39, 76, 74b, and 24. 74b between Goldsby and the intersection with 76 just past Cole, Oklahoma has those great “lose-your-stomach” peaks on the hills.

I rolled into Dibble and they had blocked the parking lot at one end forcing me to either drive a few blocks around to the other lot or just go off the road and turn around. Of course, I picked option two. When I turned in to the lot it was a steep ditch, the approach angle was fine, no worries there, but when I tested the departure angle I contacted the ground. No damage that I can tell, but it was enough to make a furrow in the ground as evidenced by the dirt on my hitch.

I got a picture of our number 9 on third. The weather had just turned with a cold front passing through. Amazing how many Okies attending the game were totally unprepared for a serious change in temperature. Think 81 F to 61 F in three minutes with a 15-20 mph north wind. Making windchill something like 55 F.

We had family pictures this week. We went over to the University of Oklahoma campus and took pictures of my wife’s family. We spotted this Mediterranean House Gecko on one of the columns in front of Evan’s Hall.

Unfortunately for the gecko a Mockingbird had also spotted him and as soon as we were done, the Mockingbird swooped in and had a snack. Much to the chagrin of the grand kids. As we reminded them of the circle of life. They then told us of watching a hawk destroy a squirrel. They thought it was cool.

After this year, I may attempt to see how many different species of reptiles I can see in the wild, instead of birds. I’ve also thought of a quest of mammals.

Mrs. OkieRover with RovErica. That’s her dad Grady on her right. Although he was a Navy man he’s alright with me. His sense of humor is top-notch. He served on the USS Essex back in the day. He started out with a stint with the Oklahoma National Guard at age 15. He told them he was 18. Funny how times have changed.

This is my son-in-law Justin and my oldest Lecia whom you’ve heard referred to on this site as Fireball for her propensity to throw softballs hard enough to register on the Richter scale when you catch them.

Justin you have seen in my historical pictures. Although his people are Pottawatomie and mostly “uncivilized”, he has not totally shunned me teaching Cherokee words to the grandchildren.

Here we have the grand children and my son Diet Mountain Drew. Just out of frame is the princess Prestyn in her baby bucket.

I am greatly blessed by these people and proud of each and every one of them. I couldn’t ask for better people if I made them myself…

The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.
Charles Kuralt

I couldn’t agree more Chuck. If you need me I’ll be in the garage.

Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.

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Christmas Snow, No Pudding For You (Post #309) 12/27/2012

Merry Christmas everyone.

I had thoughts of posting another series of posts on the 12 days of OkieRover Christmas and the Festivus holiday tradition of the Airing of Grievances but was just not motivated to do so this year. School was hard on me this semester and my writing energy was hammered by the class.

Also, one of our four-legged children has been down all week and her injuries have me mostly depressed. We are treating her with drugs and hope she can heal. I hate it when we have an injured pet.

After a lovely Christmas dinner at the children’s aunt and uncles house. We took my Father-in-law home (that’s him in the A-Driver position). The roads were no where near as bad as previous years. The most trouble we had was getting the doors on the Range Rover to open with the handles. UGGGH! That is not going to be a fun job to fix. I also heard some suspension noise from the left front. I’m guessing springs will be coming sooner rather than later. And that shock mount I found that was busted will need some welding.

My wife’s sister Aunt SuSu (Susan) and brother-in-law John cook a mean turkey and SuSu’s dressing rivals only that of my wife. SuSu’s banana pudding was pretty good too. My oldest daughter Fireball still has the market cornered on banana pudding. But with the weather such as it was and her with a bun in the oven with only 5 minutes left on the timer, J-man with a wonky back and single digit wind chills they wisely stayed home with my favorite holiday banana pudding. Insert unhappy face here.

The Ford Exploder they drive is 4×4 but has the wrong tires on it for any prayer of staying un-stuck. If you remember the infamous Snowpocalypse of 2009 I had to extracted them from a snow drift in our neighborhood with the then front-wheel drive Range Rover. If you recall, I had a then unknown broken rear axle shaft. The Best 4x4xfar even when limping on a single axle.

It has been a long time since the four of us were in the Range Rover together. I asked RovErica to take some action pictures. The three of them then began mocking me with every turn, exaggerating the effect of the minimal G-forces being exerted on us at 15-20 mph. Good times, good times.

RovErica then got everyone in the back to ham it up for some snaps. It seems like we see the kids only when they need something these days. I guess I was the same way when I was their age. Now I understand the looks on my father’s face and the tone of his voice when I called home “just to say hi” and to let them know “I was still alive”. His tone to me when I hadn’t called home in three weeks pushed all the Catholic guilt buttons on the console. I’d be a basket case if we didn’t have cell phones.

Thanks for reading, Merry Christmas, and Happy Rovering to you all.

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