Jeep CJ7 Build Project: September 2014

Monday, September 29, 2014

Moab Trails

We complete all or a portion of these trails, in some cases, we did them more than once:

Sand Flats Road
Bartlett Wash Road
Hurrah Pass
Hidden Canyon
Gemini Bridges
Long Canyon
Chicken Corners
Hidden Canyon Overlook
Bull Canyon
Fins & Things
Elephant Hill
Hell Roaring Canyon Rim Trail

It rained some on Saturday, then quite a bit Saturday night, then off-on on Sunday and is raining off-on today. Has made the trails quite muddy, washed out some and made "slick rock" off limits at this point.

Fins & Things North Side Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo-gXFU8xcA&feature=em-upload_owner

Scenery

For those that have been asking for some scenery pictures, here you go. For the Jeepster pictures, see next post :).

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Laundry, Rain and Mud!

We needed to do some laundry so we took an afternoon to get caught up. Then it rained most of the night and for obvious reasons, we got the Jeep good and muddy today!

Here is a link to another "edited" video of Elephant Hill, going up the front side and down the back on our way to the back country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVCBCGGNL-E&feature=youtu.be

Here is a link to an edited video for "Fins & Things" South Side, which is the shorter side: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI9ElqNeA7c&feature=youtu.be

Friday, September 26, 2014

We have returned from the back country!

Christopher and I spent the night at "Devil's Kitchen" a remote 4x4 camping spot only accessible by going over the infamous "Elephant Hill". It was a 70 mile drive to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Then we entered the park and Elephant Hill starts at a paved parking lot. Many people come to just watch the 4x4's try to make it up and over the hill. We had to climb the hill, then cross the top of the mesa then down the other side, neither of which are easy going.

Our only issue is having a manual, 3 speed transmission with all stock gearing. Several times the Jeep would stall trying to "jump" up over a tall ledge or obstacle but we made it, both directions!

Here is an un-edited 18 minute video coming up the back side. (fast forward through the stopped parts): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5YvG1WqmeY&feature=em-upload_owner

Starting up Elephant Hill

At the top of Elephant Hill

Starting down the back side of Elephant Hill

At our camp site in Devil's Kitchen

Christopher prowling on Devil's Lane

In the morning, before packing and heading out!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

New Tire, Some Trails and Some Maintenance

It turns out that we had a tire failure that appears to be a factory defect in the tire. Nobody had one in stock and it was 3-4 days to get one in our size. So, we opted to buy another brand in our size that was instock in Moab. After spending 1/2 day messing around with that, we were able to take in part of "Fins and Things" a slickrock trail. Then afterwards we did some preventive maintenance, to lubricate, tighten and just go over everything.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Having a Blast in Moab!

Christopher and I made it to Moab, UT late on Sunday September 21st. Monday we unloaded and we planned our 4x4 off-road trails for our first adventures with the new Jeep.

We started with some easier ones to see how the Jeep would do, what kind of gas mileage we would get, etc.

One day one we did Gemini Bridges, Hell Roaring Rim Trail and Long Canyon Trail. In total from Moab, through all of those trails and back to Moab it was about 80 miles.

On day two, we did Chicken Corners, which was an all day trip. In total from Moab out to Chicken Corners and back to Moab it was about 65 miles and took about 6 hours.

All in all the Jeep is proving to be able to handle the more mild trails so far. We appear to have a tire going flat, that we will get checked out tomorrow.

We did have one problem on the way out, the alternator went out on the truck. In the end, we pulled it, got a new one and were back on the road in 1 hour and 10 minutes!