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Ultimate Adventure 2006 Part 1
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On-road days are a true test... On-road days are a true test of your 4x4 building skills. Can you assemble a truck that not only makes its way up gnarly trails, but can then run at 60 to 70 miles per hour for hours on end? In addition, does it run cool, steer straight, stop quickly, and keep you comfortable enough that you're not begging for a fuel stop every 20 minutes? Day 3, Monday: Road Day-Boise, Idaho, to Elko, NevadaThe on-road days of Ultimate Adventure could be pretty boring, but usually aren't. Imagine 20 very capable trail rigs that now must convoy more than 200 miles to their next destination, and they have to do it under their own power to prove the Ultimate 4x4 can get you to the trails and home again. On top of that they just spent a very long day prior hammering through an abusive rock trail, and you can see where trouble could arise. Plus every fuel stop is easily an hour-long "chitchat, snack food, check that funny noise" session, not to mention the ongoing practical jokes that get passed around every few hundred miles. Then throw in both a photo and video crew asking the group to stop and line up along with various mechanical issues and what should be a four-hour trip quickly takes all darn day. Oh, and let's not forget the infestation of Mormon crickets that covered the highway for a mile or so and were squashed by the millions as our troop rolled through, leaving gobs of bug guts in everyone's wheelwells. But hey, it's a thousand times better than being in the office. In addition to the task of leading this group, which is on par with herding cats, Editor Pewe also enjoys taking everyone along the back roads to better experience what the locales we are passing through have to offer. And, of course, to better hunt the elusive old flatfender Jeeps he already has too many of but still wants more. Nope, road days of UA are never boring. Long, but not boring.  Road days were often hot and...  Road days were often hot and long expeditions across miles of back hills asphalt, interrupted by hour-long refueling stops where the local pumps were overrun by our pack of trail machines. The residents viewed us with a mixture of awe and humor, while we taxed their supply of premium fuel, energy drinks, and corn dogs.  Another distraction you'll...  Another distraction you'll find on the road days is noise. Invited reader John Hughbanks told us how he hadn't been able to finish the exhaust as much as he had wanted to which resulted in very few conversations with his copilot due to the loud engine and wind noise.  Our first day of blacktop...  Our first day of blacktop wheeling had a few overheating issues...a couple of folks finding that their fuel range wasn't as great as they had assumed, and a 40-minute stop to make sure a certain Hemi-powered Suzuki's wheel bearings were tight.  However, the worst-case scenario...  However, the worst-case scenario happened to invited reader Carl St.Clair when what sounded like a driveshaft CV going out was found to actually be another broken ring-and-pinion. We were just 20 miles from our destination so a member of the video crew found us a trailer to drag the St.Clair Toyota on in, since locking up your rear axle at speed is not a good time.  Luckily the crew at D&D Tire...  Luckily the crew at D&D Tire in Elko stayed open late and offered a rack to make pulling the third member way too easy. And finally, the miracle of all miracles, a local wheeler happened to have a spare 5.29 Detroit-locked Toyota third member that he loaned to Carl for the remainder of the trip. By midnight he was back up and running.  A great aspect of driving...  A great aspect of driving your trail rig on-road is the sense of security you have knowing that at any moment you could just drop it into low range and head off into the dirt. What's better than always being ready to wheel?
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