CK5
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Ideas for BB18
- Thread starter Blazooki
- Start date
It's really not a bad suggestion. I wouldn't be against it.
when we did tech stuff in the past it was more about tow points, fire extinguisher and safety stuff. That and then making sure people understood Pritchett on 31s with no lockers wasn't a good idea for a reason.
This was very well written blaze, and it was about the only area I saw that was lacking for is years Bash (communication on the trail!). Drivers not keeping up with the person behind them. This is a bad thing for big groups. Also CB's/radios , and the lack of them. I was just as much to blame on this one as anybody. I had a CB, but didn't test it prior to the trip, and it ended up not being able to transmit, only receive. But there were groups of rigs that had nothing. I don't know about making them a requirement, but maybe brought up more about how it's a good idea to have one.
And like blaze, I am in no way complaining. I had a blast with everyone on this last trip, and can't wait to do it again. And I'll help any way I can. I don't know I have the Moab experience to lead a trail yet, but middle of the pack, tail gunner, I'll be signing up for that.
Tech inspection can't be a bad thing...
Personally, I would appreciate a bunch of more experienced fella's telling me if something is "wrong", be it actually wrong or just advised against, or even just a "I like my idea better"..., not to mention that safety should be priority #1.
Obviously, saying you have equipment that you don't is asking for trouble, I think we could trust a guy on the "do you have lockers?" type of questions...
Personally, I would appreciate a bunch of more experienced fella's telling me if something is "wrong", be it actually wrong or just advised against, or even just a "I like my idea better"..., not to mention that safety should be priority #1.
Obviously, saying you have equipment that you don't is asking for trouble, I think we could trust a guy on the "do you have lockers?" type of questions...
Not to keep bringing up safari but they actually hand out forms before some trails with a checklist,
do you have x,y,z check yes/no
Then they make sure you have seatbelts.
once you filled it out you sign it and turn it in to the trail leader or tail gunner. I think the checklist also includes the " if you roll you cant come after us bla bla bla insert legal stuff here" we could easily make something like that.
half page could explain equipment requirements and safety suggestions in the form of a checklist you could quickly run down on your own vehicle and switch your radios to the right channels before we even have the drivers meeting.
do you have x,y,z check yes/no
Then they make sure you have seatbelts.
once you filled it out you sign it and turn it in to the trail leader or tail gunner. I think the checklist also includes the " if you roll you cant come after us bla bla bla insert legal stuff here" we could easily make something like that.
half page could explain equipment requirements and safety suggestions in the form of a checklist you could quickly run down on your own vehicle and switch your radios to the right channels before we even have the drivers meeting.
All good suggestions.
As for tech inspections, who is going to tell the guy he can not wheel with us? I do look over rigs I have never seen. I make it look like I am interested in the build. We had a young guy that we found a rear u-joint going away. I helped him finish replacing it before the BBQ. He needed it just to get home, let alone to do Kane Creek the next day.
The safety equipment is a no brainer. I believe it is listed on the Blazer Bash page. I am going to make an oil spill kit mandatory for leaders, mid and gunners. We used mine in 2016 on Golden Spike.
As for tech inspections, who is going to tell the guy he can not wheel with us? I do look over rigs I have never seen. I make it look like I am interested in the build. We had a young guy that we found a rear u-joint going away. I helped him finish replacing it before the BBQ. He needed it just to get home, let alone to do Kane Creek the next day.
The safety equipment is a no brainer. I believe it is listed on the Blazer Bash page. I am going to make an oil spill kit mandatory for leaders, mid and gunners. We used mine in 2016 on Golden Spike.
everyone should carry a spill kit, we can't give the tree huggers any ammo.
Bring it down and I will give you a crap load of suggestions.
Example........get rid of those long leafy things holding the truck up.
Would have loved an oil spill kit on hells in 2016.
A rig could be 100% capable of running a trail just fine with no damage, but an inexperienced driver could still break it.
I did a quick interview with Mike at the BBQ. I had never wheeled with him and I didn't know anything about his rig and he was signed up for Pritchett. After 10 minutes I was comfortable that he would be just fine. However, a 10 minute interview and 10 minute tech inspection at the beginning of a trail with 30 people on it just isn't going to happen. Plus, there's nothing to stop the guy from just coming along anyways because it's an open trail and they know we won't just leave them out there.
Another important thing is, if someone breaks, assess the situation, get some people to help the broken rig and get the rest of the group moving. There's no need to hold up a group of 30 because someone got a flat.
I did a quick interview with Mike at the BBQ. I had never wheeled with him and I didn't know anything about his rig and he was signed up for Pritchett. After 10 minutes I was comfortable that he would be just fine. However, a 10 minute interview and 10 minute tech inspection at the beginning of a trail with 30 people on it just isn't going to happen. Plus, there's nothing to stop the guy from just coming along anyways because it's an open trail and they know we won't just leave them out there.
Another important thing is, if someone breaks, assess the situation, get some people to help the broken rig and get the rest of the group moving. There's no need to hold up a group of 30 because someone got a flat.
yeah, I remember that trans going on Hell's. I might have had mine buried in my toolbox that year. Got it at the entrance to Rubicon, which was nice, but I might have used them on @wetoolowdingbangow leakage.
I completely forgot about my duties as tailgunner for Hell's until now. That was the one trail I was looking forwards to most with the wife. Just couldn't make it
I gotta say sorry to Scott, forgot to let folks know I was broke down on the side of the road. lol
I took crap for not having a CB my first year, yet had killer mirrors Honestly, I had never wheeled with anyone else before. The next year I had one.
I completely forgot about my duties as tailgunner for Hell's until now. That was the one trail I was looking forwards to most with the wife. Just couldn't make it
I gotta say sorry to Scott, forgot to let folks know I was broke down on the side of the road. lolI took crap for not having a CB my first year, yet had killer mirrors
Honestly, I had never wheeled with anyone else before. The next year I had one.
Who was the guy who showed up at BB with inoperable brakes. And the rest of us got him fix up and stopping?
Good times. The wheeling trips with issues are the ones we remember. But I would rather not have the issues.
Good times. The wheeling trips with issues are the ones we remember. But I would rather not have the issues.
I kinda feel like once you've hit air down time, or 4WD time, or "official trail entrance" time, you've committed to help those with you get out...
That being said, I think it is ok to (strongly) encourage someone to bypass an obstacle.
That being said, I think it is ok to (strongly) encourage someone to bypass an obstacle.
Hey, ya'll said to come and you'd help
Plus I never touched the trail till the brakes were fixed. Confidence level after screwing with brakes??????....... Moab Rim and Hells first outta the gate aaaahahahahahahahahahah
Plus I never touched the trail till the brakes were fixed. Confidence level after screwing with brakes??????....... Moab Rim and Hells first outta the gate aaaahahahahahahahahahah
Just remember all the suggestions are nice, but it takes manpower to make it happen. It's one thing to talk about what should/shouldn't be done but nothing happens without people doing it. Tech inspections stopped happening when there was no one to do them. Easter Jeep Safari has an entire club to organize the event, so they can do a lot of stuff.
At lot of times it was a struggle to find trail leader volunteers and once or twice I had to volun-told someone they were going to be trail leader. We were very fortunate to have people we could count on to lead trails. I hope Wade has the same support we did and I know he could use more.
This year I did think the number of people without a form of trail communication was frustrating. There have been times I debated about getting a bunch of cheap FRS radios. Problem gets to be getting them all charged.
At lot of times it was a struggle to find trail leader volunteers and once or twice I had to volun-told someone they were going to be trail leader. We were very fortunate to have people we could count on to lead trails. I hope Wade has the same support we did and I know he could use more.
This year I did think the number of people without a form of trail communication was frustrating. There have been times I debated about getting a bunch of cheap FRS radios. Problem gets to be getting them all charged.
I could've vouched for him
We should make more noise about having trail coms, more would probably do it if it were a requirement. I'm a culprit, for no reason other than I don't think about it much aside from Blazer Bash.
Just throwing ideas out, but does having the truck next-in-line "ok" the one after it as the "inspection" make sense? It could be part of said checklist. It might take some of the "bad guy" off of the trail leader and speed things up. Maybe not inherently kick people out for violations but it might make people take the "required parts" list more seriously.
That might be a decent way to spread the responsibility. Really all we're trying to accomplish is eliminating some of the obvious failures like loose bolts and bad u joints, and making sure the safety elements are there
Might be good to point out where the fire extinguisher is on the rig in front and behind yours. That way if you need a fire extinguisher, you don't necessarily have to run to get yours
Might be good to point out where the fire extinguisher is on the rig in front and behind yours. That way if you need a fire extinguisher, you don't necessarily have to run to get yours
Honestly I think these discussions help as much as anything. I feel like the rigs coming in recent years have been far better prepared.
Like Chris mentioned, making noise about having trail coms helps. It might be better to start encouraging the use of handhelds on MURS and/or race radio frequencies, both are in the 150-151 range. The handhelds are cheap and easy to get on Amazon.
Like Chris mentioned, making noise about having trail coms helps. It might be better to start encouraging the use of handhelds on MURS and/or race radio frequencies, both are in the 150-151 range. The handhelds are cheap and easy to get on Amazon.
That's a terrible idea. Who lines up together? Friends, nobody is going to tell their friend they shouldn't run the trail.
My thing is this, sh*t happens on the trail, weird things break, The white ORD truck loses an ignition module, Wally loses a fuel pump, Keith loses an ignition module etc. Those aren't really preventable, it would have been nice if everyone had spares (I didn't either so I was no better then), but sh*t happens on the trail that you can't predict (like a Ried Racing inner C or Dana 60 steering knuckle). The problem is people that are hitting the trails with known issues. I understand that they spent all this money to get to Moab so they don't want to miss out on the trail just because they bent a leaf spring yesterday (or insert other problem here). I understand the struggle of not wanting to be "that guy" but also not wanting to be the guy that wandered around Main St. all day instead of hitting the trail.
I think the best way to help this is to have a better recovery method. Stopping all 40 rigs because one is down isn't necessary. Take a 30 minute break to assess the situation and come up with a recovery plan, then the rest of the group takes off. Friends of the broke rig or volunteers stay back to go get parts etc.
Once you're in recovery mode, no optional lines, everyone takes bypasses, one try on a mandatory obstacle and they you get a strap/winch. That could have helped the Crack N Back group out this year.
Just my $.02
