Member III
Member III
Campsite photos from side trip up Aspen Ridge near Salida, CO:
Member III
TAT 1.1. Where's Paul?
So.... when I was in CO with Neal, my clutch throw-out bearing started squealing a bit. I figured it could squeal all it wanted to; if that was all it did I'd deal with it when I got home.
Fast forward a few days. Yesterday I was skipping ahead of the TAT in WY, and was in Arco ID getting ready to get back on the TAT, when I realized the clutch was getting worse. Clutch pedal was stiffer, wasn't engaging smoothly like it normally did, and there was a new vibration when stepping on the clutch pedal. Not what I wanted when getting ready to go solo back on the TAT.
So I had to make a decision; keep going on the TAT and risk getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, find a shop nearby to replace the clutch, or head home to a shop I trusted.
I chose to go home to a shop I trusted. I was "only" about 700 miles from home at that point. So I left Arco, and headed west about 200 miles to get on I-84 (got on about an hour east of Boise). Then west on I-84 to I-205 outside of Portland, then north on 205 and I-5 till my Longview exit in WA. I got home about 1000 this morning after sleeping at a rest stop for a few hours. Clutch is squealing very loud and making all sorts of noises, but is drivable at least.
Monday I'll talk to the shop. They make a heavier flywheel for the four cylinder TJ that I'd like to try out if they're going in to replace the clutch anyways. There are another few issues with the Jeep and trailer that need to be addressed, but the clutch is the first thing. Good thing the Jeep isn't my daily driver.
So I'm done with the TAT for now. Home safely to my lovely wife and puppy dogs. I'll spend the next few days cleaning vehicles and gear, and putting stuff away.
So.... when I was in CO with Neal, my clutch throw-out bearing started squealing a bit. I figured it could squeal all it wanted to; if that was all it did I'd deal with it when I got home.
Fast forward a few days. Yesterday I was skipping ahead of the TAT in WY, and was in Arco ID getting ready to get back on the TAT, when I realized the clutch was getting worse. Clutch pedal was stiffer, wasn't engaging smoothly like it normally did, and there was a new vibration when stepping on the clutch pedal. Not what I wanted when getting ready to go solo back on the TAT.
So I had to make a decision; keep going on the TAT and risk getting stuck in the middle of nowhere, find a shop nearby to replace the clutch, or head home to a shop I trusted.
I chose to go home to a shop I trusted. I was "only" about 700 miles from home at that point. So I left Arco, and headed west about 200 miles to get on I-84 (got on about an hour east of Boise). Then west on I-84 to I-205 outside of Portland, then north on 205 and I-5 till my Longview exit in WA. I got home about 1000 this morning after sleeping at a rest stop for a few hours. Clutch is squealing very loud and making all sorts of noises, but is drivable at least.
Monday I'll talk to the shop. They make a heavier flywheel for the four cylinder TJ that I'd like to try out if they're going in to replace the clutch anyways. There are another few issues with the Jeep and trailer that need to be addressed, but the clutch is the first thing. Good thing the Jeep isn't my daily driver.
So I'm done with the TAT for now. Home safely to my lovely wife and puppy dogs. I'll spend the next few days cleaning vehicles and gear, and putting stuff away.
Member III
Last night’s camp in Caribu National Forest in Idaho, came with a guest. Not particularly a wanted or invited one either but i think he was being gracious to allow me to occupy his “turf” there were cattle guard gates and both ends of this beautiful valley i made camp in and mr. bull paraded back and forth calling for his harem which so happens were on the other side of both cattle guards so they could not “hookup” needless to say i did not get much sleep
Gosh, that Mississippi mud is orders of magnitude more slippery than when landing a jet on a snow covered runway at 150 mph! Detour... -BP
Wow. Not quite the ride I thought we were all along for...lol
Glad it seems everyone is safe.
One thing for sure...plan for the plan to change.
It seems that over all the TAT ks just like the BDR trails.
A great guide line...but go ahead and make your own adventure.
Atleast it seems some good learning moments were involved and some bugs are getting worked out of the vehicles and setups.
Anxious to hear more thoughts about the trail and cross country trips.
Glad it seems everyone is safe.
One thing for sure...plan for the plan to change.
It seems that over all the TAT ks just like the BDR trails.
A great guide line...but go ahead and make your own adventure.
Atleast it seems some good learning moments were involved and some bugs are getting worked out of the vehicles and setups.
Anxious to hear more thoughts about the trail and cross country trips.
DEADBEEF
Rank II
Enthusiast III
Glad you made it home ok. Michele and I headed to TX when we parted to see my kin. Stayed there a few days and I came down with a nasty cough. Went ahead and got COVID tested even though I have been vaccinated. Test was negative. Turned into a full blown cold, so we decided to head home as I didn’t want to pass it along to any of my already health compromised relatives.
Still plan on making it out to your neck of the woods, but maybe when it’s not so hot.
Enthusiast III
Clutches don't have much grey area in my experience. Glad to hear yours held out and you made it home. I have great appreciation for vehicles that "tough it out" and don't leave a person stranded.
Member III
TransAmerica Trail Tim.1
Last night I made it to Horse shoe Bend, Idaho and found a decent spot in the nearby Boise National Forest, there was “that guy” in a spot fairly close that pulled in after i had already crawled into my tent to get some sleep, it was after 10pm and he commenced to making way too much noise and played music until almost midnight, i yelled and asked him to turn it down a bit and was answered by a few filthy replys so i hope karma visits him soon!
i also discovered that actual time of sunrise is determined by how tall the mountain you are next to.
to be continued.
Last night I made it to Horse shoe Bend, Idaho and found a decent spot in the nearby Boise National Forest, there was “that guy” in a spot fairly close that pulled in after i had already crawled into my tent to get some sleep, it was after 10pm and he commenced to making way too much noise and played music until almost midnight, i yelled and asked him to turn it down a bit and was answered by a few filthy replys so i hope karma visits him soon!
i also discovered that actual time of sunrise is determined by how tall the mountain you are next to.
to be continued.
Member III
P.S. After seeing Paul’s post from where he had stopped in Rifle for repairs, knowing he had trouble I decided to wait on him, i found a spot early and pitched camp and did some much needed surgery on my truck. After waiting most of the day and several hours the next morning and not seeing Paul, i continued on my way only to find out later when i read the thread, he went home.
and I found someone who wanted my running boards so i got them out of my way.
and I found someone who wanted my running boards so i got them out of my way.
Member III
Sorry about that. Once I made the decision to head home before the clutch died for good I headed home. I was home in less than 24 hours.
Got home Saturday morning, and Sunday afternoon found myself back at the Dunes Bible Camp as a volunteer camp nurse for the week (I volunteered there two years ago, no camp last summer due to covid). Since I got back home earlier than I planned, I called the camp and asked if they needed help since my church had kids there this week (they said yes quickly). So I'll deal with the Jeep issues next week. We just finished middle school camp, tomorrow we start High School camp.
And I'm not a kid person.
Advocate II
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- First Name
- Bruce
- Last Name
- Cooper
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27527
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- KE0NBD
- Service Branch
- U.S. Air Force
Good to hear that ArmyRN made it home safe and that T Stanley is still trucking along on the trail.
You do everything you can to make sure your ready for a trip like this or any trip, but then stuff happens and you adapt. There is always another day to redo or do another trip. My last Alaska trip was like that, trailer broke twice, vehicle A/C broke and no place to get the part, everyone else wanted to go home early, but we made it home safe and I can’t wait to go back again
You do everything you can to make sure your ready for a trip like this or any trip, but then stuff happens and you adapt. There is always another day to redo or do another trip. My last Alaska trip was like that, trailer broke twice, vehicle A/C broke and no place to get the part, everyone else wanted to go home early, but we made it home safe and I can’t wait to go back again
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Member III
Member III
Did anyone else who started on the TransAmerica Trail make it to port orford, oregon?
i didn’t start in West Virginia but i did make it from where Neal, Paul and I started to Tincup Pass
i didn’t start in West Virginia but i did make it from where Neal, Paul and I started to Tincup Pass
Member III
From what I understand, the "Fast Group" (TAT 2.0) finished at the OR coast and has dispersed.
I got back from being a camp nurse this afternoon, so Monday I will start dealing with Jeep & trailer issues, and finish cleaning/restocking.
I got back from being a camp nurse this afternoon, so Monday I will start dealing with Jeep & trailer issues, and finish cleaning/restocking.
Out of curiosity...is the trip something everyone is gonna do again? Or was this enough for the trail?
Member III
Honestly... I wasn't impressed with it. I get it; driving essentially from coast to coast on back roads sounds cool. The reality was not what I expected.
Parts were awesome, but those were a small percentage of the overall TAT.
Parts were awesome, but those were a small percentage of the overall TAT.
Advocate III
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- Richard
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- Monk
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28263
Before I make any comments THANK YOU Paul for organizing and putting together this event. I learned alot and got to see a group of people come together as a unit. Four members of the group TAT 2.0 made it to Port Orford. I left that group at Oklahoma and headed home.
I'm going to finish the trail when I get some changes done on my truck. Nine vehicles in a group is to many for a long trip.
I'm going to finish the trail when I get some changes done on my truck. Nine vehicles in a group is to many for a long trip.
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Member III
You're welcome! Glad you were able to enjoy yourself - I had fun. I enjoyed meeting everyone who showed up - they all brought something to the table. I'm happy you learned a lot, and let me know how I can help you with your future adventures.
Please allow me to put this group number thing to rest (and to possibly benefit those who might be wanting to organize their own OB adventure trip). I'm tired of hearing about it, and tired of being second guessed about it (by more than one person). If you ("you" meaning whoever is reading this post) think you detect a bit of sarcasm or cynicism here... you're probably right.
When you organize an event like this (and this was my longest one yet), you never know how many are going to show up. As the organizer, you're taking a risk/gamble in a couple of ways when posting your Rally Point, to include... Do you open it up just in your region, or nationally (if it is a big trip like the TAT)? When do you want to go? How long do you think it will take? Vehicle requirements? Rules/expectations? What do you cap it at?
Here's what'll happen... the reality. Take it from someone who's done this more than once. Folks will sign-up, and then you never hear from them again. They won't give you the courtesy of responding to posts on the thread or even direct PMs asking if they're still planning on showing up or not, so you don't know if they're going to show up or not. Folks will sign-up, and then not remove their name from the list when they realize they won't be able to attend (not a nice thing to do - shame on them). You'll have folks sign-up, and swear up till the last minute (this was on my Arctic Ocean trip) they're going, and two days before kick-off they tell you they can't go for some lame reason (some folks can't get their act together even with months of advanced notice). You'll have folks who didn't sign-up, but they show up unexpectedly at the last minute. Bottom line... you just don't know how many are going to show-up on day #1. And you don't know how many are going to do the whole trip (even scheduled short trips), or those who have a limited amount of time to do the trip and will be dropping out part-way. Or drop out by rolling their vehicle (glad nobody was hurt and we found the dog), or deciding driving the TAT is riskier than they thought (stuff happens - it isn't risk free), or get mechanical issues that pull them off the TAT (oh wait; that last one was me).
So the million dollar question is... What do you cap it at? And what do you do if/when you reach the cap of those who signed-up... and you get a PM asking if there's room for one more? Remember... you don't know how many of those who signed-up are actually going to show up on day #1, so do you really feel right saying "No" to that PM? Let me know when someone figures it out. My experience... is... generally... roughly... slightly less than half of those who sign-up will actually show up on day #1 (there are exceptions; and make it too small a cap and you might get nobody showing up). Maybe don't let folks sign-up unless they pay a deposit of $100... $250... more(?), and tell them they'll get their deposit back on day #1? Would that help guarantee folks who signed up showed-up? How can you actually make folks pay a deposit? What about if they paid a deposit, then had a sob story that was keeping them from attending... do you refund the money? If you do refund it, then why require a deposit in the first place? Plus I have a feeling the OB moderators would frown on that unless the money amount was very insignificant, and then that defeats the purpose of requiring and possibly losing a deposit if the amount is insignificant.
I was very up front in the first few posts on this thread that this was going to be an adventure, had not been pre-run, I didn't know where we would be sleeping every night, etc. That's why there were posts about procedures for getting gasoline, radio checks, short lunch breaks, Walmart camping, early AM starts, morning drivers' meetings, etc... to keep us moving forward as a group. That's what you have to do with a relatively large group. The larger the group, the more work it is on you as the leader to keep things moving forward.
A large group (and nine is a pretty good sized group for the TAT I will admit) can work if everyone has the proper mindset up front (which I tried to instill). Mindset being deciding at the start you're going to stick with the group, and not decide later you'd feel like a "dog off the leash" if you were running solo or with a smaller group, and then decide you want to split off and run your own group. Exit gracefully. (Hint if you ever organize a trip like this and someone wants to leave, of course sincerely wish them well and tell them to go and have fun). Let me know how I can help you. Don't sign up for a trip thinking you're going to make changes to someone else's trip. If that's your plan, then organize your own trip, post your own Rally point, decide on your own guidelines and cap, and take it from there.
You make concessions when with a group that hopefully are outweighed by the benefits of being with a group. Respect the person who organized and set-up the trip in the first place... during morning drivers' meetings, speak up if you have a comment or concern. Plans can be changed, but the leader won't know what you'd like changed if you don't speak up.
One more thing (if I may) while I'm on a roll. This trip was "sponsored" (probably not the right word, but you know what I mean) and organized by an Overland Bound member (me) through the Overland Bound website. I made zero dollars doing this, I have no sponsor, no website (someday...), and had no agenda other than I wanted to run the TAT, and not run it by myself. Please don't use a trip like this organized through Overland Bound to promote your own website or your own agenda. Or at least double post both on the Overland Bound trip thread you're on, and your own website. Folks are following this OB thread to see how the trip goes, so post on this OB thread (or whatever OB organized trip you're on) to let them follow along. They shouldn't have to be directed to another website for updates. Dance with the one that brought you to the dance.
And finally...personally - driving the TAT down dusty bumpy gravel roads with trees or farmland or sage brush on either side (depends on what state you were driving the TAT) got old after a while. Later on we started skipping large parts of the TAT to keep making progress, and to keep it enjoyable. So that was part of the learning curve for me driving the TAT. Glad I got to do it, don't plan on repeating it. Since I live in WA, I might be tempted to sprint to ID and then finish the POS spur to the OR coast. We'll see. Looks like they're having fires down there in southeastern OR right now, so probably won't be happening anytime soon..
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Steward I
Maybe tweak the OB software so that signing up for something "invests" a certain amount of member reputation, showing up gets the amount back, fully participating doubles it, and cancelling loses it.
