Arizona Strip desert adventure trip preparation

[DirtyLarry]

With our big trip to the Grand Canyon Arizona Strip area coming up a buddy and I have been busy getting our trucks ready and rebuilding an off-road trailer he built several years ago. For those that maybe familiar with the back roads of the Arizona strip, we are headed to Kelly Point, Toroweep (sometimes spelled Tuweep) and all over the back roads and bad lands of the Grand Canyon area. We mainly want to explore the old ghost towns, mines and take in the beauty of the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley and more than anything, get away from civilization for over a week! Okay, we are staying at a hotel the night we roll into Utah and the night before we head home but the rest of the time it will be camping. We need a bath before driving 670 miles back home

I have read these trails are some of the most remote and deserted areas in the lower continental US although posses some of the most beautiful naturally picturesque scenery in the world. To make the trip more interesting we are going in July! Not only are we crazy for exploring the desert in July, the reality is that was the only time all of us could find 10 days straight to be away from work. At least we are renting a satellite telephone to take along. We will probably log close to 2,000 miles from Pueblo, all over Southern Utah and Northern Arizona then back in my ’78 K10, a well built ’83 Dodge Ramcharger and 3 guys (two motor heads and one automotive engineer friend that that I work with that is flying out from Indiana to make the trip).

The K10 is almost ready to go except for I need to swap out a leaky A/C evaporator and install a fresh set of tires. Have parts…need time to install them. The 56” rear spring swap seems to have been a success so far.

The Ramcharger is getting close but needs about two more days of fab work on the rear spare tire carrier and addressing a few minor fluid leaks. (It is a well built rig... 4" lift, 35" tires, Dana 60 full-floater, lockers, on board air, etc)

This past weekend we devoted most of our time working on a cargo trailer to drag behind us. I had originally planned on purchasing a new Jayco Baja tent trailer but I blew my play money on a 2005 Silverado HD I couldn’t live without….so this trailer will have to suffice. Not sure what it really started off as but it had little bitty 12” tires that were under the body of what was left of it. It looks like a relic of the early 60’s. My buddy pick it up several years ago then added a square tube stock frame and an upside down Pontiac 6000 rear axle. It worked alright for a few years but we ripped the rear axle clean out of under it going over Tin Cup pass a few years ago (another long story how we got it back home).

In the past weeks, we have added a brand new trailer specific 3,000 lb rated heavy duty rear axle, leaf springs, reworked the spring mounts and shackles, changed the trailer ball to a pintle type attachment, welded up tons of holes, applied roll on bedliner to the inside, painted it a Khaki color (it was supposed to be gray to match our trucks but it turned out Khaki which looks okay. Don't trust Ford tractor gray from the Big R ) and we found a cool set of high-rail wheels off of a whaded up BNSF Railroad Ford F150 at the bone yard. They are perfect as they have tons of negative back spacing to make up for the fact we ordered the new axle about 6” too wide! One problem with the wheels though….they are 16.5’s. 16.5's suck for off-road as the tires fall off the bead when run low on air. At least we have 2 spares to take a long.

At the moment we are still working on the hinged lid as the idea is to make this trailer as dust proof as possible. The plan is for this trailer to haul our extra tires, tools, parts, food, gas, and WATER….a lot of water.

This is what the trailer looked like 5 years ago on the trip where we broke it. It hasn’t been used since until it’s revival a month ago.


My buddy worked on the lid while I fabricated and mounted a set of fenders


Yep, my buddy is in a chair. Don’t let the wheelchair fool you… he can do anything from that chair including kicking your azz.

I might just sleep on top of this trailer being how I get so freaked out about creepy crawlers. Sleeping in the desert freeks me out (even in a tent) and it will be too hot to sleep in back of the K10.


Getting closer. Need to mount the struts, lights, propane tank, and more paint.


A nice UPS man brought these to me today. A fresh set of Q78 Swampers, my favorite tire size...tall and skinny.


We are planning one shake down test run up a rough mountain road for a day of fishing not far from here in a few weeks to see what might come loose, break, leak, fall off, etc.

This is the kind of stuff we are going to go see. Borrowed the pic from Sergeant V at the Expo Portal. TY

[Eturnit3]

looks good, and sounds like you guys have an awesome trip planned, Ive been trying to get my family to do something like this for a few years now, so I know how it is coordinating time off (sux):lol
The trailer is a great idea, and looks very well built. Definitely on my list of things to acquire have fun and let us know how your test run goes (with plenty of pictures of coarse)..

[dammitmitchell]

remember two necessities for desert time are these..
AFRO COMB ( to "flick" off cactus.. trust me.. i grew up in AZ..
and spare tires..

also i would take (two) cans of slime.. "just in case"
emergency food rations..
and sleeping bag.. because it gets cold at night in the summer still..
MORE water then you could ever consume..
extra fuel...
extra fuel...
and extra parts and tools.. esp recovery tools...

good luck!

[DirtyLarry]

Yeah, good pointers Mitchell. Actually we planned on packing some slime and in addition to the 2 additional tires for each truck and trailer, we are taking an industrial plug kit and a inner tube for the Q78x16 as well as a tube for the stupid 16.5’s on the trailer (we have little faith in the 16.5’s…but the wheels were so perfect! ) Also have a large rubber made tote full of various size hoses, hose clamps, upper and lower radiator hoses, belts, fuses, cable ties, wire, various wire terminals, heat shrink, an extra electric fuel pump, u-joints and the list goes on. Also taking my laptop in case the 8.1L goes on a frenzy.

In addition to that we are also taking 2 of the large week coolers, 3 regular coolers and I have a refrigerator already in the back of the K10, although it probably won’t work that great in those temps. The front rack on the trailer will be loaded gas cans while the trailer will house several cases and gallons of water. One spare Q78 fits under the sleeping platform in my truck while the other will go on the lid of the trailer. Same for the Dodge, one tire on the back and one on the trailer along with two extra tires for the trailer. We don’t plan on opening the lid of the trailer on this trip being it will be loaded with tires and firewood.

If we have to we can head over towards St. George or Colorado City for extra supplies if we start running low or have vehicle issues.

[dammitmitchell]

sweet .. here's a little desert trick..
when youhave water use a half gallon down to a QT sized carrier, f youhave it in a old burlap carry jug, or a army issue 2qt sling or a camel back..
soak the outside of the container with water, the wind will cool off the water contents (calvary used to do this..... so it's a pretty old trick)
makes drinkng water in the desert more manageable..

good luck! and take tons of pictures! i f-in miss the desert

[special-K]

Man,I gotta hand it to you...you sure know how to do it right.I know you can appreciate being somewhere that few have traveled.It`s a feel few get to know.To me,that is the essence of a vacation...GET AWAY!! It can all wait until you get back.
I want to see some ghost town pictures as well as some wonderful landscape.I sure miss that area.

[Yukon Jack]

Looks like a wonderful vacation - would enjoy doing something like that very much!

Can't wait to see all your pics and your story of the adventure!

[Oilbrnr]

Larry you mentioned Monument Valley. What kind of OHV access does the Navajo Nation allow anymore?

[jrdv]

Larry,
Your trip sounds great! I look forward to seeing your pictures.
You sound well prepared and it should be a good vacation. I will second Mitchells suggestion on a canvas waterbag. I carry one when I am doing fence work and it sure keeps the water cooler than a bottle.

Have a good time and watch for scaley critters. I have killed 4 rattlesnakes this year!

john

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Oilbrnr

Larry you mentioned Monument Valley. What kind of OHV access does the Navajo Nation allow anymore?

I had read somewhere that a permit needs to be purchased to enter the Navajo Nation. Not so much to pass through it on the highway but for the back roads. I also read where “Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited”…… so that said, we won’t be camping there for more than a night, if even that.

Entry Fees
Camping fees - $10/night plus Entryfees $5/person
General Admission - $5.00
Ages 9 or under – Free

http://www.navajonationparks.org/permits.htm


70RS/SS, I am a closet Dodge fan too so I have no problems getting rescued by a Dodge. I need to get some pictures of the Dodge Ramcharger that is going along. It is a pretty cool rig.

5 more weeks until we leave! Whoohoo!

[DirtyLarry]

Exactly Tim! I hope my wife doesn’t read this but I am more excited about this trip than the vacation she and I just took to Maui in March. Too damn many people on those islands!

I will be taking a ton of pictures and posting them on my Flickr page. I’ll post a link later. I hope to be able to post some pictures while we are still there as my Blackberry works as a modem to get the laptop online while in the field. Not so sure how well it will work in those areas though.

Hope I don’t have any pictures of my wife driving the Silverado with the flatbed in tow to retrieve any broken trucks! I am leaving the 2001 HD road ready just in case she needs to come get us.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

...I hope my wife doesn’t read this but ...

I can edit that out if you want.

[70rs/ss]

Well for the last few weeks we've had cloudy sort-of rainy weather up here and COOL, like COLD at night!! There are tons of dirt/back roads all over the Navajo nation, and access is not limitied at all that I am aware of? I spend as much time as I can out here in the sticks of No AZ. I haven't been to any of the far away ghost towns, but would like to get to some in the future?? Look me up when you get this way, I am only a few hours to the South of MV so I can be there quick if you call me ahead of time, heck call me if you break, I have a big DODGE if ya don't mind being pulled out by a SLOPAR?!

[rambler]

sounds like a awsome trip, I'm subscribing to this thread hopefully to see more pictures!

[70rs/ss]

Yeah, the rez is dry so don't even bring it on, they frown upon that kinda stuff. We have bootleggers here, but if they are Native the laws are pretty easy on them, but us Anglos get the real Po Po called on us (Sheriff or county PD vs Navajo Nation PD) the Navajo PD can write speeding tickets and such, but thier Tribal laws only pertain to Natives, so if ya get in trouble it'll be BIG trouble!! As for the permit, never knew that, maybe the fees are for MV the park vs just cruizing the back roads?? Anyways the park is where the Mittons and such are lots of John Wayne movies filmed there!!

[Prerunner1982]

I like the trailer. I have always wanted to do an off road trailer on 33"s. though I thought about mounting a tent to the top of the trailer. Something like this...

[DirtyLarry]

PreRunner,

Exactly, those tents are sweet. We would like to do something like that if we had a bottomless budget. Those tents for trailers or roof tops are very nice but expensive. I think I am going to hold out for a Jayco Baja so I can have a heater and shower. With those eminities then maybe the wife will let me have one. Is that your XJ? I always wanted one of those. Very capable rigs with great powertrains. The 4.0L is a bullet proof engine.

Well, I got the A/C evaporator project wrapped up this afternoon. Wwwhata hassle. I just changed the heater core a few months ago which is when I found all the PAG oil pooled up in the heater box. I should have changed the evaporator then. Ah, well….all fixed now.

But, found my fuel transfer pump isn’t working. Errr… Always something.





Much better. Even rewired and rerouted a few things while I was there.


Ah….nice and cool 42 degrees

[Prerunner1982]

Originally Posted by DirtyLarry

PreRunner,
Is that your XJ? I always wanted one of those. Very capable rigs with great powertrains. The 4.0L is a bullet proof engine.

No it isn't but it is one nice rig. I have a 93 Black XJ 2door. It is stock, but I have plans for it. Nothing to crazy though, it is my DD.

[dammitmitchell]

not to be weird..
but i have seen a trailer on "fully independant" front suspension..
not sure how well it workes in the end.. but it looked cool....

[Oilbrnr]

Larry are you running 134a or still 12?

[DirtyLarry]

I have been running 134A in this rig since 1996.

[vtblazer]

Awesome trip Larry!

Trekking through the desert was the motivation for me to get into wheeling, even if I've not yet been able to do it, it's still in the plans.

If it helps, the 16.5's will be fine as long as you don't air down 'too' much and being on the trailer, you shouldn't really need to.

BUT...if your still concerned, install some Staun internal bead-locks and call it done.

[DirtyLarry]

We got a few beauty shots of the trailer today. It is pretty much done except for building a mount for a 30lb propane tank and a latch to secure the lid. How you like the cool desert theme decals I picked up on Ebay.

[71swb4x4]

How far will you be from St George? My in-laws live there, and we have taken a few fun road trips. The stuff you are doing sounds 10x's better though.

[DirtyLarry]

We will be pretty close to St. George. I am sure we will run to St. George at least once for gas and supplies.