Beautiful country back there.. glad you are happy with those shocks. Seems to be a good setup around here.
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.
Great pictures!
Glad you are enjoying your new blazer with your wife!
Glad you are enjoying your new blazer with your wife!
Cripple creek isn't far, but the tourists kind of ruins it for me. Gamblers come up from Colorado Springs, Denver and Pueblo by the friggen bus loads. it was busy as hell for a Sunday. I'd hit up Leadville if you want to check out mining stuff. That's not too far north of Buena Vista. Another cool place to check out if you want a relaxing soak is to hit up the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. Natural hot springs pools right next to a creek where you can hop from either if you want. Plus further up the canyon is a great network of trails to explore, by foot or by the burb.
Thanks! We both needed to get out of town for sure. Plus it was 25 degrees cooler up there. Mountain runs negate the need for AC in the Blazer.
Thanks to you too!
We got some great areas to explore for sure. No offense to the Michigan crew, but this kind of terrain was one of the reasons we needed to move back. Family was #1, but getting back to the mountains where I grew up was high up there too. Totally happy with the shocks. Firm believer in the "buy the best shocks you can afford" statement now. While this wasn't very taxing on the Blazer it did give it another shakedown. I never pulled the t-case lever out of 2wd. But any time you climb 4000+ vertical feet in 20 miles or less it's a good stress test. Temp never got over 210 on the gauge. Fuel economy was good, but I need to fill it up to run the number.
Thanks, I'll tell the better half since she took the majority. She normally doesn't go but the smoother ride might make it more comfortable for some trips. My buddy John with the Jeep wants us to do a couple of weekend runs to the mountains to wheel and camp. The truck is ready.
Thanks, Campy. You might say your local weekend runs exploring the U.P. and surrounding areas inspired this. While it's great to make epic trips for a week or more, there's a ton of stuff local we've barely scratched the surface to check out. It was good therapy for her to get out of the house and get some fresh mountain air. She got to see some critters and some beautiful sights. I needed some time on dirt to clear my mind. Work is just that. I'm pretty good at leaving work there and not bringing it home, but some days you just got to get some dirt on the tires. Even if it's not in double down low range.Sounds like it!
The payoff of all the hard work is here. To all the guys that are in the midst of a build, keep at it. You'll get there. It took a couple years for me and it's got more stuff to do, but mostly usable now. My K5 is the newest to me in my fleet, but it makes me happy to hop in the seat. Even to run to Lowes or into the sticks. Get your junk mobile and go explore!!
Great ideas, and thank you. You're right on the money with the Princeton hot springs idea. A dip will be perfect after a week hiking through the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.
David
The hot springs aren't like most being a big pool like in Glenwood Springs or other towns in the state. It's a cool place. Should be a fun trip!
No Mo Sno My ass! Mother nature must be a ford lover because she tried to take out both my trucks last night! Phucking biatch!
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Here's a little video from the Gopro footage I took. I sped it up since it really wasn't anything technical as far as the driving was concerned.
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It's pretty fun at that speed!
Nice summary! 
Desert trip prep mode engaged.
All monetary spending for upgrades is currently suspended for maintenance and trip critical needs.
The truck has about 4,000 miles on it since we got it roadworthy so it's time for a fresh oil/filter change. I've got a small drip coming from one of the water pump gasket on one side. Larry had an extra pair of gaskets that he gave me so I'll put them in. I've finally picked up a 241 skid plate off of another member so that needs to go on too. Plus I need to get over to Larry's to burn in the rear shock mounts and mount the rear Bilsteins.
This will be my first time heading out to the desert with Larry and the crew so I'm pretty stoked. I want to make sure the truck is absolutely ready to ride so I'm not "that guy" causing a hold up. Keeping up on the road with the 8.1 in Larry's truck and our buddy Bill's 24v Cummins is going to be rough. At least we'll have another noob driving his exo'd sub running a 6.2l oil burner that will be hanging in the back with me!
I'll be living solo this week since the wife is house/dog sitting in Denver so I expect to get most of what I need done. Just under a month out to when we shove off.
One issue I need to figure out is gear storage. I've got to carry a large cooler for food and beverages of course. The high lift jack, tools, winch gear bag, camp chair, sleeping gear, camp stove, propane tank and my "boonie box" full of fluids and spare parts. Here's the problem, the rear of my K5 is bare. No tie down points. I'm leaving the rear seat out to allow for room to sleep so I don't have to set up a tent nightly. I don't like the idea of everything loose in the back. On the road it isn't a big deal, but I know off road things are going to move around. My issue is since my build evolves I haven't locked in anything and don't want to start punching holes in the body for tie downs that might not be where I want them later. So any ideas for tying down gear?
All monetary spending for upgrades is currently suspended for maintenance and trip critical needs.
The truck has about 4,000 miles on it since we got it roadworthy so it's time for a fresh oil/filter change. I've got a small drip coming from one of the water pump gasket on one side. Larry had an extra pair of gaskets that he gave me so I'll put them in. I've finally picked up a 241 skid plate off of another member so that needs to go on too. Plus I need to get over to Larry's to burn in the rear shock mounts and mount the rear Bilsteins.
This will be my first time heading out to the desert with Larry and the crew so I'm pretty stoked. I want to make sure the truck is absolutely ready to ride so I'm not "that guy" causing a hold up. Keeping up on the road with the 8.1 in Larry's truck and our buddy Bill's 24v Cummins is going to be rough. At least we'll have another noob driving his exo'd sub running a 6.2l oil burner that will be hanging in the back with me!
I'll be living solo this week since the wife is house/dog sitting in Denver so I expect to get most of what I need done. Just under a month out to when we shove off.
One issue I need to figure out is gear storage. I've got to carry a large cooler for food and beverages of course. The high lift jack, tools, winch gear bag, camp chair, sleeping gear, camp stove, propane tank and my "boonie box" full of fluids and spare parts. Here's the problem, the rear of my K5 is bare. No tie down points. I'm leaving the rear seat out to allow for room to sleep so I don't have to set up a tent nightly. I don't like the idea of everything loose in the back. On the road it isn't a big deal, but I know off road things are going to move around. My issue is since my build evolves I haven't locked in anything and don't want to start punching holes in the body for tie downs that might not be where I want them later. So any ideas for tying down gear?
Any way you could utilize the floor anchors for the rear seat?
What about getting a couple of rows of etrack? I know China freight sells etrack tie down loops that you can then attach ratchet straps or bungies to, and any sleeping of or mattress should absorb them enough to not notice.
Do you have the interior paneling and/or the spare tire carrier installed?
I think I need a current picture to refresh my memory.
That is a possibility, but I have a thick rubber bed mat down in the back covering them up. Makes it easier to crawl around back there for sure. I do need to cut some holes so I can put the rear seat in.
I thought of that too, but I'm not ready to go punching holes in the tub just yet. My plan in my head has me building a drawer system similar to what Merrick did in his and adding the track to it. I just don't have the time of funds to go that way yet. I might grab some track regardless and play around with placement that won't interfere with future add ones.
Here's the blank slate:
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Or maybe you could find something to bolt in on the bed rails with the topper bolts?
That looks nice!Here's the blank slate:
