Category: Mr. Fisher

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Sometimes Things Don’t Go Your Way (Post #473) 3/23/2014

I once blogged that every time I touch the Range Rover something goes wrong. Well yesterday was no exception. Mr. Fisher and I were sorting out our two camping kits. We were trying to determine how much gear we were going to be hauling to S.C.A.R.R. We determined that we had a fairly large amount of kit. Mostly lots of pieces that don’t necessarily fit efficiently in the back of the Range Rover. Let’s be honest, it takes a lot of gear to make two 50-year-old guys comfortable for two days of camping.

I decided it was necessary to remove the 70% seat out of the back. I know Bill Burke removes his 30% seat to house his ARB refrigerator. So with that idea in mind I went to remove the seat. Basically it is four 10mm bolts and the seat comes out. I flipped the seat up and started to work on the bolts. It took some figuring to sort out they were 10mm. I took 10mm sockets to use but my 12 point socket in 3/8ths didn’t turn the nut. I wondered what size the nut was if 10mm didn’t work. Turned out my 12 point socket was stripped. That’s disappointing but not a show stopper. I had a 10mm in 1/2 that was 12 point and narrow walled. That narrow wall was very necessary because the nuts are very close to the seat bracket.

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I got the socket set and made one turn and bingo, the bolt breaks. Continue reading “Sometimes Things Don’t Go Your Way (Post #473) 3/23/2014”

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Working On It Yourself (Post #472) 3/20/2014

I was reading the Roadtrippers blog and saw a post on “The Greasy Hands Preachers”. The Greasy Hands Preachers is a feature film documentary shot in 16mm in June August and October 2013. To be completed early 2014. The film explores the values and the benefits of manual work amongst motorcycle enthusiasts. They have a nice teaser video.

http://vimeo.com/88659057

I totally get what he’s saying at 2:05 in the video.

“There is a great satisfaction when you know how to work on your motorcycle even a little bit….I find some paper clip and some gum and I’ll get home.”

Continue reading “Working On It Yourself (Post #472) 3/20/2014”

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Gearing Up for SCARR, Part Three, Maintenance (Post #463) 3/13/2014

A big part of not breaking down on the trail or on the highway for that matter is maintenance. Most Americans neglect maintenance. It’s easy to forget about maintenance. You go out to the driveway you jump in you turn the key and you drive. Our Land Rovers become “magic boxes that take us places”. If you don’t see a light blinking nothing is wrong, right?

Well partly, nothing is wrong most of the time, but that doesn’t mean something isn’t GOING WRONG. Let us take tonight’s maintenance. Grease zerks needing grease. If you let these go dry you lose your drive train. Universal joints can fail and then you have large heavy objects spinning very quickly. JagGuy lost his Range Rover Classic due to a failed u-joint. The drive shaft went through the side of the transmission. You don’t want that. Thankfully I have a storm shelter drive bay in my garage now and that should make greasing an easier task and it did.
There’s more after the jump…

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Gearing Up for SCARR, Part One (Post #459) 3/10/2014

I’ve been getting my kit together for S.C.A.R.R. the past few weeks. I am going to be putting up a few posts about new, new-old, and old kit for the trip.

Coleman Cooking Stove

colemanstoveI’ve been reading posts from Land Cruising Adventure. Karin-Marijke, Coen, and their Toyota Land Cruiser BJ45 have been overlanding since 2003. An amazing fete’ if you ask me. So amazing, Expedition Portal named them Overlander’s of the Year for 2013. I subscribe to Overland Journal and love to read and see the adventures. Their reviews of gear each issue and in their yearly Gear Issue are most of the reason I am a subscriber.

They have a great site and I highly encourage you to go over and visit. In a recent post they were featured in Overland Journal’s gear issue. Overland Journal asked Overlander’s what was their  “Most Valued” gear. Karin and Coen picked their Coleman Camp Stove.

After reading their post about their Coleman stove I had to go find the one my dad left to me. It had been in the attic of the Newcastle house since we moved back home from Guam in 1971. I think my dad used it once on a hunting trip with my Uncle Ben in the early 1970s, but I need to confirm that. I have my dad’s Coleman Lantern too. I know we used it a few times in the early 1970s when our power got knocked out from some blizzards and a thunderstorm or two. It’s safe to say it hasn’t been lit since 1975. Continue reading “Gearing Up for SCARR, Part One (Post #459) 3/10/2014”

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S.C.A.R.R! (Post #455) 2/26/2014

I registered this morning for the yearly South Central Area Rover Rally, aka SCARR. I’ve been meaning to attend this event for the last three years. But as things are, something always comes up, vehicle problems, family problems, failing to plan. What’s that old saying?

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Well that stings a bit, but it’s accurate. So this year I sorted out the weekend, announced I was going, got funding to go, invited a friend to go with me, in short, I made plans to go.  Continue reading “S.C.A.R.R! (Post #455) 2/26/2014”

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Trans-America, Oh How I Wish I Could Do That (Post #440) 1/30/2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdNJeDdaJOc

I am itching to get out and do this. How freaking awesome would this trip be? Sadly I don’t have a month to make a Trans-American Trip happen. But if I did, I’d start tomorrow.

What IS in our sights is the Circumnavigation of the State of Oklahoma. The Range Rover has never been as ready as she is now. I still have to replace the oxygen sensors and sort out a recent throttle position sensor problem that popped up over the weekend. I also have an annoying problem with dust getting in the cab when I drive down dirt roads. Windows up or down, a lot of dust gets in the cab. I need to investigate that as well, but she is about as ready as one could hope.

I feel the need to have a good shake down run with her and crossing the state on dirt roads sounds like the perfect trip. I blogged last year about buying the maps for the Oklahoma portion of the Trans-America Trip. It is a route entirely on dirt across the state. I have a co-pilot lined up in the ever adventurous Mr. Fisher. All I need now is the fuel money and off we go.

This would be a great trip for our new Red Dirt Rovers club. I think it should be run before it is attempted with people one barely know. A major concern I have at this moment is my own personal lack of trail experience (in my Land Rover) and a complete lack of confidence in my ability to lead a group off-road. I have driven off-road, but I have never had the responsibility of other people’s rigs on my head.

 

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