Desertcrawler Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 Ok, trip is underway. Sounds like all have made it safely to Ridgecrest, some later than others. There are 7 rigs parked out front of SpringHill Suites, I think a few more are at the Best Western. Next time you go through Tecopah, stop at Pacino's Spagetti Factory. Look for one of our NCLR members signature on a picture hanging there with the GodFather II cast. Yes, we have celebrity in our midst. I'll let him/her post up the details -- I don't want to start some sort of stalker action from the Paparazzi. We will be departing Trona at 9am, heading into Striped Butte Valley for Saturday and Sunday night. We'll be off the grid through Monday, possibly Tuesday but will try and post up some pics and details if we can. We are getting some aerial photography done on Sunday I think so maybe some cool pix will appear... Here is a link to the SPOT tracking device we have along -- so you can follow our progress if you would like! http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Hxb7EOglDSq3nBGW3OsZRDSS3v2578Yy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBeaver Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 [ATTACH]3895[/ATTACH] Update on the trip. Day one started from Trona, following the escape route trail. We had one rig, that Dan and Colin felt they could fix, that would not drop out of high range. We progressed across the top end of the Panamint Valley slowly through a rough trail that literally shook me to my kidneys last year. Definitely proving the upgrades we put into the Pregnant Penguin have paid off. We reached the bottom of Goler Wash water falls and began to prepare the drivers for crossing the obstacle, when a LOUD bag rang through the canyon. As we all turned to see the source of the sound we see Robg's P-38 (which has now be christened - "Bubbles") list toward the rear drivers wheel. He had a Gen III airbag explode!!!!! It was quickly decided that Robg, his daughter and I (and passenger Ola - a workmates of Robg's) would be heading home. The P-38 was in no way able to continue. So with the P-38 down on the bumpstops, we unloaded all shared gear and food. Set the remaining 9 vehicles to continue up Goler wash. The ride home was very slow, I think Robg is going to need multiple chiropractic appointments due the rough ride. We made it back home to elk Grove by 2am.. I think Robg gets an award for the longest drive to an event for the shortest time at an event! This years trip looks to be a lot of fun and we are all disappointed to have missed the rest of it. Looking forward to the pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robg Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Beaver descried the trip home above however, I would really like to firstly apologise for dropping out at what was the first hurdle and secondly to thank everyone for the support and help; Lucinda thank you for putting my daughter Bella under your wing as she was incredibly distraught at having to go home.<O:p</O:pLong trip home at 50-60 MPH and little suspension, but Bubbles the Range Rover fought hard and re-enforced Clarkson's conclusion that "the most unreliable car in the world is the most reliable car in the world" is indeed true. To cap the trip home off, less than 10 miles from home I was pulled over by CHP! After a quick chat they sent me on my way with their sympathy.<O:p</O:pInspection Sunday revealed that the Arnott GENIII air bag which was installed new to the P38 in early March, had lost the lower crimp allowing the bag to separate completely from the aluminium piston. Staggering, but this is the second failure of a GENIII bag from Arnott in less than 30 days – A front crimp started to leak only days after installation.<O:p</O:pMy daughter happened to be using the camcorder as we drove into Goler wash and captured the sound of the bag bursting on video; I will post it up in the near future.<O:p</O:pNext year Bella and I will be back and this time with coil springs, yes this is goodbye to EAS. If the bag had let go 200 feet further up the situation would have been much worse.<O:p</O:pIn addition to the longest drive to an event for the shortest time there, I am also looking to scoop the longest one way trip on P38 bump stops award.<O:p</O:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoChef Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 Sorry to hear about your mishapps and continous problems with your air bags but glad you made it home safely!Too funny about the cops letting you for driving under the speed limit-lol I've been wanting to go on this expedition and perhaps next yyear, I'll be able to join you! Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLOHybrid Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 This happened to me in my LWB in 04 when my EAS computer gave up in Barstow on our way to the National Rally in MOAB... we still drove on the bumpstops all the way to Moab and had a spring conversion shipped to us where we promptly changed it in the KOA campground where we were staying. You wait till you do the conversion the loss of height adjustment will quickly be forgotten with the new plush ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AA Journey Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 Sorry to hear you didn't make it through the whole trip Rob. As you know i converted my P38 to coils last year and there is no looking back. I am really happy with the ride and handling of the coils. I did have to drive on the bump stops all the way from Canada but the good think i was pulling a trailer and weight of the trailer kept the car from bumping to much. I was really bummed I could not make it to this trip this year. I was really looking forward to this trip but there was family emergency and needed to go out of the country. Hope next year will be the year for this trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil. Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 award for the longest drive to an event for the shortest time at an event! Which obviously has to be called the Bubbles Award henceforth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robg Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 Wow, MOAB and Canada on bump stops makes my Death Valley run look like a warm-up. As for the Bubbles Award, I gladly accept.<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:pI have been in contact with Arnott Inc., who are working with me to resolve the issue however, one unpleasant fact that has come up in talking with Arnott is that the vendor I purchased the GENIII’s through, never paid Arnott for a number of orders he sold; my order was one of those sold in February that they never received payment on and is clouding the refund process, but Arnott are comitted to doing the right thing so in the very near future I will be gliding around on springs and gone will be the pit in the stomach thought of loosing air pressure!<O:p</O:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted April 12, 2012 Report Share Posted April 12, 2012 I left the group this morning, after a short side trip to Dante's View. Made it home to San Jose at 9pm. What an adventure! Here is a link to the photo album, let me know if it doesn't work.http://s1159.photobucket.com/albums/p628/NCLRJen/ Here is a link to youtube of Chuck going up Goller Wash (sp?) Look under my user name for Kevin and Lucinda also attempting same obstacle. I think I have one of Bregman too, but it's still processing. I would write a trip report but I swear dehydration caused me to lose half my brain cells out there in the heat and I can't think clearly today. Learned a lot about how much one truly needs for water intake in the desert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 I am in reno now. we are staying a night here then heading home. the trip was amazing. only a few hiccups after robs airbag. dan nd I were able to remove Andrews center console and drill some rivets to get his CDL solinoid out. a few hours and he was good to go. chuck broke a rear Drive shaft. I lost a turn signal. and NY PS pump that I Just installed leaked and was just needing a fillup once a day. both suttles lost one tire each. the sights were amazing. Gold Point is a MUST SEE FOR EVERYONE. I will post more later but my phone Is almost dead again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 the weather was Crazy. high of 105. low of mid 20's. one day was 42 with gusts of wind to 40 MPH. the last day had snow. got lots of pictures of snow on joshua trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSuttle Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 Suttle Shuttle home safe around 10pm. GREAT TRIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerDan Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 I got home at 10:45, just decompressing a bit before heading off to bed (Wow, my first night in a real bed again after a week...I may not even bother to get up in the morning!) Another great trip, my sincerest thanks to all who participated and made it so, and especially to Chuck for all his hard work in putting it together. It was amazing how well-planned it was considering how much new and unfamiliar territory we covered. Saw some amazing sights, it's really incredible the variety of terrain, flora and fauna that Death Valley has to offer. Every trip brings new revelations. Pics to come if I ever get off my butt and post 'em... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teds Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 Speichers got home safely last night. I was beat and only unloaded the stuff on top the rangie. Today will be spent unloading, cleaning and washing... What a great trip! I covered over 1300 miles and as stated everything from 100+ degree weather, 40 MPH winds and even a few inches of snow! We had a wonderful time and all the trucks eventually made it home under their own power. Great group of people and lots of stories of our adventures. We were really bummed to lose Rob and Beaver so early, but it could have been much worse if the airspring burst further up the trail. Chuck had an extra driveshaft and the Suttles went through both their spare tires, Dave didn't tip over and Dan and Colin fixed Andrew's truck to allow him to shift to low gear. Awesome trip and can't wait until next year. I will post pics soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandRonB Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 Welcome back folks. Glad everyone made it home safely. Looks like an amazing trip from the pix Jen posted so far; can't wait to read the rest of the post and pix. My two young boys call my NCLR friends (yes, that's you and the others) "Daddy's Land Rover Adventure Friends". Stuff they can't learn yet in their elementary school - yet they see and learn from most of our adventure Land Rover trips the following: spirit of teamwork and "just go it attitude yet safety in mind", and most importantly kindness and empathy to those who need help thru a tough section of the trail or vehicle breakdown, and come together (and sometime very creative solutions) to fix what's broken and get someone home to safety. Just got back from Costa Rica myself and the saying goes over there "Pura Vida" is universal! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbregman Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 It was close - we almost lost Dan in the desert at one point... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSuttle Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 That is hysterical. When did you do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerDan Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 When we stopped alongside the trail leading to Bob and Ward's cabin, along that first long dusty straight stretch of the road after leaving the pavement. We were stopped there for about 10 minutes as I recall, I guess you guys were busy with something-or-other at the back of the line and we were goofing off up front. That sand was hot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbregman Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 I believe it was during the first of the Suttle flat tires... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerDan Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 No, I think that was the following day, just after leaving Saratoga Springs and our visit with the pupfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted April 15, 2012 Report Share Posted April 15, 2012 Just got home from reno. What a trip. Kevin I owe you some rescue tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFuller Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 Jen, who's d2 is parked next to you on the last page of your photobucket? I saw them haulin' down I-80 yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 That's Andrew, i think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 Jen, who's d2 is parked next to you on the last page of your photobucket? I saw them haulin' down I-80 yesterday. I think it's Andrew's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 We made it home safe about 11pm. Marla then ran a mile for the first time in her track meet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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