The portable Trek 180 MIG welder from Hobart has a long history with the Ultimate Adventur
Day 2: Sunday, July 4
007 Wheeling
Anticipation over the first trail day can keep even the most veteran of wheelers awake at night. While our group was filled with top-tier drivers and machines, it's often difficult to shake that fear of the unknown. The dawn of the new day gifted us with clear blue skies and a parking lot that was now noticeably fuller than the evening before.
In the midst of the sea of of-road rigs was the other half of our UA crew, including the freshly built CJ-17. This set of new faces and rigs quickly kicked off our early-morning drivers meeting, and after many handshakes and hellos the group was as eager as ever to head out to the first wheeling destination.
If you're familiar with the Northeast then you know that public wheeling land is extremely limited and almost all of the off-road areas are private. And while private property may mean limited access for some, it also means guaranteed access for others.
The first major obstacle of the first trail day was a tough downhill rock squeeze that qui
In southern New Hampshire are 100 acres of fully marked and maintained OHV trails. This manmade network of trails and obstacles snakes through the heavily wooded and bright-green hillside and offers an array of scenic and challenging paths for four-wheeling enthusiast. Filled with huge rocks, tight squeezes, and steep hillclimbs, the private park's trail system has something for all wheelbases and experience levels.
Leading our trail day was Bob Siwinski and Liza Snow of the Summit Crawlers. Both are active members of the Northeast Association of 4WD Clubs (nea4wd.org), which is who you will need to contact if you are interested in wheeling the private OHV area.
With the record heat came incredible dryness that allowed the majority of the participants to crawl easily over the initial dirt and rocks. As the day progressed the trails became tougher and tighter, and the rocks substantially larger. The increased difficulty level quickly took its toll on the group. With a couple of crumpled doors, a broken rear driveshaft, and one or two damaged oil pans, the park challenged even the most sophisticated rigs. But in true UA form we put our recovery tools to work (thanks to Warn, Hi-Lift, and Bubba Rope) and everyone pitched in to keep everyone moving.
Tom Boyd and his Bass Boat Green Bronco has been a staple on the UA since before the begin
At the end of the day we were able to get all the rigs out on their own power, even though some were a little worse for wear. As we slowly made our way from the woods back to the staging area our noses were greeted with that wonderful smell of slow-roasted barbeque. To our surprise the Summit Crawlers had fixed us an amazing feast from Tim Turner's "Pig Man" mobile catering, which was a fitting way to end after a long day of hardcore wheeling. Special thanks go out to the Summit Crawlers, who helped us navigate the rocks and left our gas tanks on empty, our bellies full of food, and our faces with big smiles.
Carnage Report, Day 1
- Cracked front truss: Lance's S-10 Blazer
- Broken rear locker: Hi-Lift TJ
- Fuel leak: Andrew's Ranger
- Buster rear U-joint: BDS TJ
- Oil pan damage: Clifton's LJ, Daystar TJ buggy
- Broken front locker: Matt's K-10
- Broken hub: Sam's buggy, Clifton's LJ, Andrew's Ranger
- Rear shock mount: Shay's Bronco II
- Body damage: Hobart M-37, Clifton's LJ, Boyd's Bronco, Andrew's Ranger, Paul's 4Runner, Matt's K-10, Keith's CJ, Lance's S-10 Blazer
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Part mobile workshop, part heavyweight wheeling machine, the 7,500-pound Hobart M-37 was a
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After having nearly 80 percent of his CJ-7's drivetrain destroyed on the first day of last
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Equipped with BDS Suspension's long-arm suspension and 37-inch Goodyear tires, the BDS TJ
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Toward the end of the day each rig's Warn winch become integral to making it through the t
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Never grab the outside of your rollbar or cab! Doing so is a surefire way to lose your fin
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