From Arches, Valley of the Gods, Muley Point, and Monument Valley. Lol, sorry if there are TOO many pics. That area is too easy to photograph. I’m currently visiting family for a couple weeks so the adventures will slow for a bit.
CK5
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89 Suburban - The Canyonero: Rear Suspension Time!
- Thread starter nutt7
- Start date
Budget friendly build for General off-roading with an emphasis on camping and self reliability featuring a host of self-built, DIY mods.
Excellent pics. Great adventure.
Nobody on here has ever complained about too many pics, keep them coming!
Side trip in AZ to some 700 year old cliff dwellings. This was a bucket lister for me so I was giddy. These ruins are known, but too remote to really do much about. Therefore, you are able to get inside and see things up close. It absolutely amazes me to see the very handprints of the Solado Indians that built this dwelling. 60 miles of washboard dirt road that day caused me to rebreak my shock mount (you know, the driver rear). Consequently, this made my shock blow a seal and shook out a few nuts and bolts too, lol. I need a softer suspension.
I love this elevation in the Sonoran Desert. It’s most beautiful in the transition areas.
Sierra Anchas rising up in a hurry behind us.
It’s awesome to see water just gushing out of a rock. This spring was tasty!
We had to scale this rock! People leave ropes behind to help.
Get the hell out! That view and those canyon walls! I encourage you to NOT look at very many pics of your next destination. The surprise makes it better. I made that idea a point on this whole trip.
Lots of this hike was on all fours. 2300 feet in 1.8 miles or so. The last scramble to the ruins was exhausting with loose rock under your hands and feet. So damn steep!
First view! I don’t know how they lived up here!
Upstairs door. There were 5 main rooms, each was two stories, best I could tell.
Handprints!
Support beams for the second floor. Some were intact.
Back door views! Not bad.
Another view of the two stories. You can also see one of the main beams that fell, but someone propped it with a stick.
On the way down...
Took the Apache Trail to Tortilla Flat! Fun place! Walls are covered with $1 bills from visitors.
Chili burger and sarsaparilla. Don’t judge. I’m on vacation!
I love this elevation in the Sonoran Desert. It’s most beautiful in the transition areas.
Sierra Anchas rising up in a hurry behind us.
It’s awesome to see water just gushing out of a rock. This spring was tasty!
We had to scale this rock! People leave ropes behind to help.
Get the hell out! That view and those canyon walls! I encourage you to NOT look at very many pics of your next destination. The surprise makes it better. I made that idea a point on this whole trip.
Lots of this hike was on all fours. 2300 feet in 1.8 miles or so. The last scramble to the ruins was exhausting with loose rock under your hands and feet. So damn steep!
First view! I don’t know how they lived up here!
Upstairs door. There were 5 main rooms, each was two stories, best I could tell.
Handprints!
Support beams for the second floor. Some were intact.
Back door views! Not bad.
Another view of the two stories. You can also see one of the main beams that fell, but someone propped it with a stick.
On the way down...
Took the Apache Trail to Tortilla Flat! Fun place! Walls are covered with $1 bills from visitors.
Chili burger and sarsaparilla. Don’t judge. I’m on vacation!
Ruins are way cool.
Hard to believe people lived up there and climbed in and out regularly, guess you had to really need security from someone else to have a reason for that kind of home location.
Great photos thank you for sharing! 
I finished the trip a month ago, work has been hellish so I’m just getting to catch up on here. Before the pics, here are the trip stats:
#deedsRT2018 Trip Statistics
Vehicle: 1989 Chevy Suburban
Participants: Danielle, myself, Snickers the shih-tzu, Emma the Kelpie, and Dutchess the Mastiff.
Trip length: 36 days
Days on the road: 22. 17 camping nights, 11 days consecutive, 1 motel. The rest were visiting friends and fam.
Days without shower: 13. 5 max consecutive (funky).
Total miles driven: 4869
Off pavement miles: 312.3, about 100 in 4low.
Gallons used: 486.82
Average fuel economy: 10.001 mpg (true to her lifelong average)
Best mpg: 12.5
Worst mpg: 6.27
Fuel cost: $1433.46 (biggest expense by far)
Highest speed: 91 mph (downhill of course)
Coldest night: 9 degrees in southern Idaho.
Hottest day: 97 degrees in Death Valley
Endured over 5” rain, snow, hail, and dust storms (although most days were PERFECT)
Lowest elevation: -282 feet in Badwater Basin.
Highest elevation: 9600 feet near Boulder, UT
Miles hiked: 28.85
Landscapes: Forest, plains, mountains, desert (low and high), canyon, beach
Total pictures and videos: 1307
Vehicle damage: (mostly superficial) broke one side step on a rock, dragged the hitch multiple times, slammed and dragged rear diff and pinion guard, scraped up rear bumper, wheel rash, tire chunks, lost a few nuts and bolts, lol, cracked and separating fenders, broken rear shock mount (welded in AZ), one blown fuse, and the alarm died.
Shock mount bolt
Joshua Tree
Heading to Death Valley
A spring coming down Goler Wash
Lots of old mining cabins on this road...
Quietest campsite for sure.
Backroad welcome, complete with gun shots.
Break
#deedsRT2018 Trip Statistics
Vehicle: 1989 Chevy Suburban
Participants: Danielle, myself, Snickers the shih-tzu, Emma the Kelpie, and Dutchess the Mastiff.
Trip length: 36 days
Days on the road: 22. 17 camping nights, 11 days consecutive, 1 motel. The rest were visiting friends and fam.
Days without shower: 13. 5 max consecutive (funky).
Total miles driven: 4869
Off pavement miles: 312.3, about 100 in 4low.
Gallons used: 486.82
Average fuel economy: 10.001 mpg (true to her lifelong average)
Best mpg: 12.5
Worst mpg: 6.27
Fuel cost: $1433.46 (biggest expense by far)
Highest speed: 91 mph (downhill of course)
Coldest night: 9 degrees in southern Idaho.
Hottest day: 97 degrees in Death Valley
Endured over 5” rain, snow, hail, and dust storms (although most days were PERFECT)
Lowest elevation: -282 feet in Badwater Basin.
Highest elevation: 9600 feet near Boulder, UT
Miles hiked: 28.85
Landscapes: Forest, plains, mountains, desert (low and high), canyon, beach
Total pictures and videos: 1307
Vehicle damage: (mostly superficial) broke one side step on a rock, dragged the hitch multiple times, slammed and dragged rear diff and pinion guard, scraped up rear bumper, wheel rash, tire chunks, lost a few nuts and bolts, lol, cracked and separating fenders, broken rear shock mount (welded in AZ), one blown fuse, and the alarm died.
Shock mount bolt
Joshua Tree
Heading to Death Valley
A spring coming down Goler Wash
Lots of old mining cabins on this road...
Quietest campsite for sure.
Backroad welcome, complete with gun shots.
Break
Minus the 28 miles hiked looks like fun
Death Valley. Snickers at Mengel Pass
From inside Geologist’s Cabin
The climb out was rough, but we made it. Here is our campsite in Alabama Hills. It was pretty busy, but it’s amazing how few people will drive the extra 3 miles to be alone.
The dogs were sleepy champs for the whole trip, lol.
We drove up by Tahoe and planned to camp on the Rubicon Trail (no, we weren’t planning on trying it!). We were blocked by a bank of snow and saw some snowmobiles on the trail.
Break
From inside Geologist’s Cabin
The climb out was rough, but we made it. Here is our campsite in Alabama Hills. It was pretty busy, but it’s amazing how few people will drive the extra 3 miles to be alone.
The dogs were sleepy champs for the whole trip, lol.
We drove up by Tahoe and planned to camp on the Rubicon Trail (no, we weren’t planning on trying it!). We were blocked by a bank of snow and saw some snowmobiles on the trail.
Break
Here is when we got 5” of rain in two days, making camping tough with the dogs. We camped one night and went all classy at the motel 6 for a night. I even grilled in the parking lot because I’m a G like that.
They love the beach!
Klamath river mouth
Jedediah Smith State Park
Trying to gain perspective on the Redwoods is tough.
The waves were angry! Here we stayed at the only free beach camping area, which was largely a hobo hang out with a bunch of people mething around. Nobody bugged us too much though.
Back into the PNW. This was our last campsite, north of Tilamook
A few days ago it was dry and arid. Today everything around us is alive!
People watching
Cannon Beach. We watched The Goonies the night before!
Danielle with the shihtzu holster
Overall, the Canyonero did great and we had an amazing time. If the burb died tomorrow, I wouldn’t be mad...it has taken me through so much with minimal fuss.
They love the beach!
Klamath river mouth
Jedediah Smith State Park
Trying to gain perspective on the Redwoods is tough.
The waves were angry! Here we stayed at the only free beach camping area, which was largely a hobo hang out with a bunch of people mething around. Nobody bugged us too much though.
Back into the PNW. This was our last campsite, north of Tilamook
A few days ago it was dry and arid. Today everything around us is alive!
People watching
Cannon Beach. We watched The Goonies the night before!
Danielle with the shihtzu holster
Overall, the Canyonero did great and we had an amazing time. If the burb died tomorrow, I wouldn’t be mad...it has taken me through so much with minimal fuss.
Awesome adventure. Thanks for sharing.
So, one question, how many Toyotas with roof top tents did you see at Alabama hills?
So, one question, how many Toyotas with roof top tents did you see at Alabama hills?
Nice trip! We are going to do this kind of boondoggle someday. 
Dude! What an epic trip. This is the kind of trip most people only dream about. Nicely done!
All of ‘em.
In reality, I saw some overlanders on the highways and in the parks, but zero on the trails. Even saw an earthroamer. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they went on different trails.
I spent about a year planning and saving for the trip. I hope it’s not the last!
If you follow any overlanding stuff on Instagram it seems like all the California overlanders seem to congregate at Alabama Hills. Like they go there either one time and keep posting pics from it all the time or the actually just go there. I figured they just went out to pose and fake it for the 'gram. It's funny you actually hit the trails and didn't see anybody out there.
Going out for a month had to be a blast for sure. I'll be heading out next month for a week with some friends and we will be following somewhat in your footsteps some. Main targets for our run will be the Mojave Rd and Death Valley. Should be fun.
H20 Toie
1/2 ton status
and the 13 days without a shower
No shower you would survive, not sure the wife would next to you though.
