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CK5
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'91 K5 Four Wheel Camper
This is the build for my 1991 V1500 Blazer, AKA the K5.3. It started out life being sold to the U.S. Government with a 350 TBI/700r4/241 combo. 4 years with a 5.3/700r4 Combo and now moving to an 8.1L Vortec and NV4500 5-speed.
Yessir. It’s Australian for cold beer mate!
My original coors had just a little bit frozen when I opened it tonight. Needed it as it was 14 hour day behind the wheel.
Real time trip report….
Bill and Jenn traded seats once. But I felt my dog Storm might have a tough time managing the clutch.
We hauled down I-25 in the dark and caught the sunrise as we climbed Raton pass at the border to NM.
From there it was the high plains of NM to a rest stop north of Las Vegas (nm for those that didn’t know there are two cities named Las Vegas).
*mindless factoid: Las Vegas NM is where the original Red Dawn film was shot in the 80’s. Yes the plot had the town in Colorado but it was all shot around the town in NM. I always thought that was cool as you can recognize the railyard in the movie from the highway. Turned out Bill and I have a mutual buddy that was an extra on the set when it was filmed too.
First splash of fuel was taken on just outside of LVNM. Common theme to the day was wind. Lots of it. Headwind on the interstate sidewind heading west.
We stop for lunch and fuel in the town of Socorro. I got the green chili cheeseburger because you get green chili on stuff in NM. I may rethink that decision later.
Still we press on climbing in elevation into the southern Rockies. It’s a different landscape from home.
First touristy spot we targeted was the Very Large Array just off of US60. The VLA is a large scale setup of multiple huge dish type radio telescopes that are setup to work together as one. The scale is hard to picture from the road but they line out in three directions from a central point. Each dish is at least a half mile from the next one.
Unfortunately the visitors center was closed. So we parked by one off the road to get a sense of scale. (Yes we stayed to the outside of the US property no trespassing sign ) these suckers are huge!
From the VLA we were 40 miles from Pie Town NM. We crossed the continental divide at a measly 7,700 feet of elevation just east of Pie Town too. Dirt Every Day fans may recognize Fred Williams from the show always gushes over getting a slice of pie in Pie town.
Any place with Pie and a ‘61 Chevy Bel Air 2dr Sedan out front should be good.
Sadly it was not meant to be. They were all out of pies in Pie town. Boo! Damn you Fred!
We pressed on. It was getting late. The second theme of the day was elevation change. From Pie Town west on US60 we had to cross some like 5 individual mountain ranges. They weren’t as high up as the stuff home in Colorado but what they lacked in elevation they made up in steepness with a side of wind. Like a 40 mph side wind constantly from the left to the right of the truck.
For each one we climbed up we had to slide back down the other side. Which ordinarily isn’t a big deal, but combining the two with my truck made it less than relaxing of a drive than I would have liked. Constantly steering into the wind and getting nailed by the blast of air as the semi’s pass you going the other way wears on you. I found myself clamping my hands on the wheel so much my left hand cramped up.
We crossed the border to az without any issue other than the wind.
Still we caught the sunset east of Superior AZ.
We passed through the final notch in the foothills to finally see the Valley floor in the dark. Bill knew of a spot we could boondock in on BLM land. So we pulled off the highway and go far enough down the rough dirt road to eliminate any more converted school buses to reach out spot. There are 3 right off the highway.
Camp set up, Jenn whipped up some quick sammiches in the dark as nobody wanted to break out crap to cook with. Hit the spot.
Storm the camping dog was happy to be out of the truck as much as the rest of us were. I put her light on her collar and she did laps around camp sniffing out stuff.
Here is a quick shot at camp. The light in the background is not sunset but the light coming from the city of Phoenix.
Target tomorrow to start the trail is the abandoned WW2 base of Bouse where Gen Patton trained his tank army before chasing Rommel into the North African desert.
Any place with Pie and a ‘61 Chevy Bel Air 2dr Sedan out front should be good.
Sadly it was not meant to be. They were all out of pies in Pie town. Boo! Damn you Fred!
We pressed on. It was getting late. The second theme of the day was elevation change. From Pie Town west on US60 we had to cross some like 5 individual mountain ranges. They weren’t as high up as the stuff home in Colorado but what they lacked in elevation they made up in steepness with a side of wind. Like a 40 mph side wind constantly from the left to the right of the truck.
For each one we climbed up we had to slide back down the other side. Which ordinarily isn’t a big deal, but combining the two with my truck made it less than relaxing of a drive than I would have liked. Constantly steering into the wind and getting nailed by the blast of air as the semi’s pass you going the other way wears on you. I found myself clamping my hands on the wheel so much my left hand cramped up.
We crossed the border to az without any issue other than the wind.
Still we caught the sunset east of Superior AZ.
We passed through the final notch in the foothills to finally see the Valley floor in the dark. Bill knew of a spot we could boondock in on BLM land. So we pulled off the highway and go far enough down the rough dirt road to eliminate any more converted school buses to reach out spot. There are 3 right off the highway.
Camp set up, Jenn whipped up some quick sammiches in the dark as nobody wanted to break out crap to cook with. Hit the spot.
Storm the camping dog was happy to be out of the truck as much as the rest of us were. I put her light on her collar and she did laps around camp sniffing out stuff.
Here is a quick shot at camp. The light in the background is not sunset but the light coming from the city of Phoenix.
Target tomorrow to start the trail is the abandoned WW2 base of Bouse where Gen Patton trained his tank army before chasing Rommel into the North African desert.
Just to note on all the elevation change. Since I left Denver Gaia has recorded I’ve gained a cumulative amount of 20,000 feet of elevation and dropped 22,000 feet. (Rounding becaus I don’t want to crawl up front and recheck the numbers)
At home in Denver it’s about 5500 or so and I think we are at or below 3000 right now.
At home in Denver it’s about 5500 or so and I think we are at or below 3000 right now.
Your last checkpoint says 2092’
Yeah atmospheric pressure, nature’s supercharger. Lol.
That’s explains why it was still almost 60 degrees when we parked in the dark. I had shut off the screens to the phone and iPad as we were driving since they were killing my night vision. Feels good.
Lazy dog this morning.
She did great yesterday. Road-tripped like a pro. Got to check out a ton of new stuff in different places. In my age old tradition of forgetting stuff on trips I realized I forgot her leash at Bill’s house after leaving town. So we improvised. Nylon strap and a carabiner. Done. Around camp she’s loose and got a light on her collar as she blends in a little too well in the dark.
She did great yesterday. Road-tripped like a pro. Got to check out a ton of new stuff in different places. In my age old tradition of forgetting stuff on trips I realized I forgot her leash at Bill’s house after leaving town. So we improvised. Nylon strap and a carabiner. Done. Around camp she’s loose and got a light on her collar as she blends in a little too well in the dark.
Happy for you. Getting out on a trip like that is great for the soul.
It is totally worth it. Feels good. Cactus and blue skies on a cool morning is what the doctor ordered.
Someone finally got up.
simply put; I am jealous. looks like a great trip and a lot of fun.
Does it show my age to say I’m excited to see a patch of dirt and some building foundations where Patton taught his tactics on desert warfare in tanks?
This.
-2 here right now. My ball of fur has barely gotten off of his bed. Ya gotta wonder if ol Storm remembers being lost and alone just a few days back. Defiantly is a happy camper now.
How’s your ears!?
"Around camp she’s loose and got a light on her collar as she blends in a little too well in the dark."
I do this with my kids, give them glow sticks and they think its real fun but I can see them running around the woods all night.
Been following your tracker a little. Thats really cool, which unit are you using?
I do this with my kids, give them glow sticks and they think its real fun but I can see them running around the woods all night.
Been following your tracker a little. Thats really cool, which unit are you using?
I'd love to go to Pie Town one of these days. I thought the Pie-o-neer was closed for good. It's a pretty long drive to get there from here, tho.
I’m pretty sure he said it’s a Garmin inreach
@HankScorpio Eddie was on the mark. Garmin InReach mini.
@mrk5 there was one place open, one closed. No pie was a bummer.
Phoenix traffic sucks btw.
@mrk5 there was one place open, one closed. No pie was a bummer.
Phoenix traffic sucks btw.
Dang you literally drove right passed me!
Funny, figured we had a chance of getting spotted.
I have been keeping track along the way of other squares I spotted besides mine. I’m not talking the ones stuck out in a field but ones on the road. Didn’t see any from Denver to the border. NM had 3 suare
