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Escalante Capitol Reef Moab area

K5wrench

K5wrench

1/2 ton status
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Posts
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Location
Wyoming
So I am being pushed by everyone into taking some paid vacation time.
Despite a spring punch list that includes rebuilding snowcat tracks and transmission.. the weather sux here and the snow is terribly hard so we dont have any guests anyway.
Too early to stain cabin exteriors.

So i guess now is the logical time to go away for a week.

I hate leaving.
Actually, i hate coming back to find and repair all the things that went wrong while I was away.

I will be driving the M1009 6.2 ORD lifted Blazer.
What are the odds the crank will break again?
Pretty small.

So I have this rough idea of driving down to Orem, about 8 hours south.
Then spending the next 5 or six days driving the backroads or trails around Capitol Reef, Escalante, and this Moab area that supposedly has some dirt roads.
Anybody heard of those?
I have a portable toilet, 10 gallons of water, my tools, backpack.
I plan to spend the first and last nights of the trip in motels travelling.
But the other nights camping out.
As a Wyoming guy now, I am used to BLM land and Forest service land that is open to dispersed camping.
I have that Reliance portable toilet, and I know i needs to stop and get a camping permit someplace.
Does just showing up down there and dispersed camping sound like enough of a plan?
That is my preferred method of operation.
I can stay in campgrounds or even a motel.. just would rather drive a bit and boondock.
Any good wheeling around Moab?
I am alone, and not looking to split my rig in half.
Just mild trail cruising is fine.

Supposed to be a vacation so I hope something breaks but just not my 6.2.

Anybody have some tips on boondocking?
Thanks.
 
Remember it's Easter Jeep Circus coming up...



Yeah have fun

Best time of my life was back roading it around Moab
 
Bent77 said:
Remember it's Easter Jeep Circus coming up...



Yeah have fun

Best time of my life was back roading it around Moab
Click to expand...
Yeah, I read that the weeks before and after Easter around Moab are hectic.
I am not good in crowds.
But I can deal with them a few nights.
Is the whole region gonna be impacted or just a hundred miles around Moab?
 
Mostly just the 2 counties for Moab and south

I suspect if you are down by Escalante closer to Lake Powell, would definitely be no issue
 
Bent77 said:
Mostly just the 2 counties for Moab and south

I suspect if you are down by Escalante closer to Lake Powell, would definitely be no issue
Click to expand...
Thanks!
That's as i suspected.
I mean, I definitely want to see the crowds.. just camp elsewhere.

So is dispersed camping easy down that way?
 
I never had a problem finding a site.
Just it depends on what you need out of a campsite though to.
I basically just needed a place to park, if you need a bathroom or a place to swap a broken crank, the pickings are a bit harder.
 
beags86 said:
I never had a problem finding a site.
Just it depends on what you need out of a campsite though to.
I basically just needed a place to park, if you need a bathroom or a place to swap a broken crank, the pickings are a bit harder.
Click to expand...
"A place to swap a broken crank".
You Sir.. are Rad!

I figured it was similar to here or Nevada.
I don't need anything but dirt to park on.
Hey, the last 6.2 didn't even spill it's guts on the ground when it suddenly broke in two..
Wait..
That's not really comforting.
I'd take the sissy Tahoe.. but why then have the M1009?
Gotta rock the square down there.
 
chicken corners/ Kane creek area in Moab has a lot of "roughing it" camping areas (fire pit, parking spot and mabe a central outhouse) that are usually empty (if its not EJS) cause they are so far out of town.
 
Just got all my tools ready.
Three tool boxes.
Spare lift pump.
I'm bringing 3 gallons 15w 40.
Battery booster.
10 gallons of water.
1 gallon ATF.
Compressor.
Tire plugs.
Spare fuel filter.
Diesel can.

I have to stop by the shop where i swapped my motor.
The HPCA temp switch in the donor motor doesnt open at 125 degrees.
So the high idle and injection stays advanced.
I just pull the wire off after it warms up.

But the temp switch on the broken motor was good, so I'll go nab that along with the fuel injectors.
Scrap man hasn't taken the block yet!

Got my camping junk loaded in the big Mystery Ranch pack and a Glock 19.

Porto Potty is clean and ready for action.

Still have to load all this from my camper into the snowmobile tote sled in the morning.
Fetch a thermos of coffee for the ride.
Haul it all down to the truck.
Fire that 6.2 up and haul ass.

If it's gonna snap the crank, it would have happened anyways.
Ain't no difference if it happens 12 hours away in Moab or 2 hours away above Devils canyon.
I'd be in the same boat.
Can't live life in fear of what could happen.
WFO!

Plan to make Orem tomorrow.
Get a room there.
Order Pizza.
Make some plans.
Always takes me 48 hours to get into the idea that I am actually free on vacation.
I think i'll drive the Burr trail at some point.
Time to run some rubber off these All Terrains.
Maybe i'll meet some other squares.
 
Sounds like a fun adventure!
 
On my way.
The deer are all stacked up against the west side of the mountain.
They are waiting for the snow melt and time to reveal tender grasses in the high meadows.

By the time I return, about 7 inches of snow will be gone.
Still leaving 40 inches around my camper but there will be islands of rock and dirt showing.

Already had to swap out the Diesel RX glow plugs this morning.
They had 30 miles and one cold start on them.
One of them swelled up but i got it out.
4 out of 8 had failed.
Back to Delco 60g's.
Also back to manual glow plug button.
I really don't trust the GP card now.

Anyhow, at mile 40 on this swapped 6.2.
Comming up on the spot the last motor chucked it's crank.
This is fun!
I have every tool with me I used to swap the motors except the cherry picker.
I ain't scared.

I will stop in Lovell and get that HPCA (housing pressure cold advance) temp switch out of the old block.
It is nice to have high idle and those 2 degrees of advance when the engine is cold.

Hey, this is already a fun adventure.
I like when crap goes wrong.
Keeps my mech skills sharp.
Just.. not the crank.. not this time please
I already decided that if I chuck another crank, I am putting a 377 in here.

15549938158878584778063628036991.jpg

15549943633858250936758909501416.jpg
 
Poor thing.
I'm gonna pull injectors and hpca switch and leave the remains for the metal man.
Check out the destroyed CAT crank!
That guy was bummed.
Oil line blew and he ran it unaware.
Roached the bearings and crank!
Ouch!

15549959551488973655549573857081.jpg
 
From Lovell to Greybull Wyoming is 34 miles.
I burned 1.97 gallons.
I went a steady 67 mph.
So about 17 mpg.

From Greybull to Thermopolis is 69 miles I burned 3.86 gallons.
I went between 63 and 65 mph.
So about 17.8 mpg.

This is with a 6.2 diesel.
Non turbo, Military J Code.
Makes approx 165 hp and 330 lb ft torque according to specs i have seen but it varied a lot between 84 and the 90's.
Feels about the same as my smog year 1984 K5 350 with the computer controlled quardajet at cruise.

33 inch BFG all terrains.
3.73 axle.
Th400 trans.
Altitude between 3,800 and 4,300 ft.


Now the section between Lovell and Greybull has a few hills.
Grewbull to Thermop. Is gently uphill over the 70 mile stretch but few hills.

Oil pressure settled at 38.9 psi at about 2,700 rpm (calculated rpm, no tach) at cruise.
Drops to 12 psi hot idle in gear at a stop.
18 psi in park hot.

So far so fun.
Just pulling out of Thermopolis.
Heading through the Wind River Canyon.

20190411_130332.jpg
 
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I love that area of Utah you're headed to. I would like to spend a lot more time there one of these days.
 
Hey make a detour on your way home and stop by!!!!

It snowed 5" the last 2 days but still warm so anywhere that was bare ground more or less is
 
Just saw this thread, there's tons of open camping in the areas you're talking about. You'll also be fairly close to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I've wheeled all over that area, from Page all the way to Moab through Green River with @Stephen and his family on the way to Blazer Bash in 2016.

I'm jealous, we spent a lot of time out there (2 weeks) and had a blast! If you're bored and actually have cell signal (not likely in the places you mentioned other than Moab) here's the thread from our journey:
https://ck5.com/forums/threads/epic...zer-bash-the-s-10-is-back-on-the-road.327530/

I wish we could have gone out into some of the other parks in the area, but we had our dogs (as did the Stephen) and they aren't allowed in Canyonlands. There's a lot of cool stuff there that we missed.
 
I am about to drive out of cell range.
But I stopped and bought Paper maps in Orem.
Got some extra fluids;
ATF.
Brake fluid.
Motor oil.
Diff oil.
Grease.

It has been snowy off and on.
Some slick wet roads.
Forgot how to drive in the big city.
Now I am the guy getting cussed at for driving like grandpa.

I remember driving Highway 17 over the hill from Santa Cruz every day in a 7.3 diesel plumbing truck with a 14,000 bed.
Doing 50 in the corners.. the truck would lean over and take a set.. sorta launched out of the turns.
Scared the willies out of the Prius next to me.

Now I am the white knuckle driver.
Not for long though.
Heading away from these big Utah cities.
So many people!

I'll post some pictures if I can.
If not,I will when i get a signal again.
Thanks for all the tips on the forums and PM's.
Don't really know where I am going tonight.
South on 89 for now.
Truck seems okay.
6.2 still running.
I better find a piece of wood..
 
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