TAP’s Tacoma 2016 build up-date

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So, we’ve done some upgrades since the last build write-up and it’s time again to showcase The Beast. Our 2010, double cab, TRD, short bed Tacoma is the workhorse of our show; always dirty, inside and out, the beast that carries the burden each trip. Our Rubicon, on the other hand, is the pampered show horse; prancing around, showing off her off-road prowess, almost mocking our grunting, creaking, beast of burden. Interestingly though, it’s the Taco that gets all the attention, all the cat calls and whistles in the parking lot. “Nice rig dude!”, is a common occurrence, as Rubi looks on pretending not to care!

In 2015, we decided to move away from the overland trailer life and build out our rigs to act as our sleeping and cooking platforms. The decision was made to keep Rubi relatively light and “crawl” ready, as that goes along with Lori’s driving style and attitude. I’m more of an Overlander, so it obviously made sense for the Tacoma to become the camp platform. With 80k miles on the clock, The Beast is holding up well. Below are the 2015/2016 additions.

SnugTop topper:

We’ve used SnugTop toppers from day one and last year they graciously offered us a brand new model. The 6 year old Super Sport model we were using was still working fine, but definitely getting worn around the edges after 1000’s of miles off-road. We decided to go with the REBEL. It gives us the ability to hold up to 500lbs on the roof and features locking, flip-out, side windows. This new topper allows us to site an RTT, when desired, and provides easy and efficient access to the rear of the truck bed. snugtop.com

Truck bed kitchen build:

Building out the truck bed was a commitment, meaning the truck was now dedicated completely to overland travel. After thinking things through, I genuinely came to the conclusion that I rarely used it for anything else. On the odd occasion I might, I could simply spend $20 an hour at Home Depot and rent a truck to haul stuff.

We decided to go with a drawer system from Goose-Gear. All we needed was one drawer that could efficiently hold our kitchen gear (utensils, pots/pans/silver wear/plates/spices/cooking oil etc, etc), but also stand up to the rigors of overland travel. The drawer measures 22w x 36d x 12h and comes with heavy duty drawer guides and compression latches. It sits on a Goose-Gear plate system that bolts into the truck bed and provides a smooth, flat and solid surface for the drawer installation. Since installing the drawer and plate in November 2015, we’ve journeyed across Baja, the Mojave Road and many trails in Anza State park. I’m happy to report everything is working perfectly and holding up extremely well to the punishment we’re providing. goose-gear.com

Alongside the Goose-Gear drawer and bolted into the GG plate system, is a Partner Steel stove and combo slide. On top of the slide sits our 45l Engel fridge. The slide and stove are sold exclusively through Adventure Trailers and we’re impressed with the rugged build quality. Again, after several thousand miles of abusive trail conditions and copious amounts of dirt and dust, everything is still functioning like new. adventuretrailers.com

Overall, I am extremely happy with our basic, but functioning kitchen system. The only real drawback is the added weight to the rear of the truck. To cope, we’re using Emu Dakar leaf springs with extra leaf and 2.5 Icon shocks that seem to easily support this weight. Initially, I was also concerned about the lack of access to the rear of the truck bed, but the topper side windows allow excellent access, so it’s not been an issue.

ARB on board compressor:

Airing down is an essential part of driving on dirt, but let’s be honest though, airing up at the end of the day is a PITA. We’ve used portable compressors for years, but they are one more piece of gear that needs to be stored in your rig and they always seem to be difficult to access, when you’re tired, dirty and hungry! In 2015, we bit the bullet with both rigs and installed ARB high performance on board 12 volt compressors. They have performed flawlessly and I can quite honestly say have been one of our best up grades. Check out the write up we did on them last year. www.theadventureportal.com/arb

Tuff Stuff Awning:

Now our rigs are an integral part of our basecamp set up and the fact we spend so much time under the sun, it was time to install an awning. We chose a 6.5′ x 8′ awning from local Californian brand Tuff Stuff. The awning is definitely made to withstand the desert or Baja wind and to date we have no complaints at all. It erects easily and importantly packs away perfectly into its material case. Zippers and case are sturdy and we expect them to hold up over time and abuse. tuffstuff4x4.com

Bomber Products Awn-Lock attachment system:

We use Yakima racks on our Tacoma and attaching an awning securely can prove difficult with the round bars. Enter stage right, Bomber Products Awn Lock attachment system. The first thing you notice when you open the box is how well this piece of gear is designed and constructed. It’s design is simple and very easy to assemble and attach to the bars. Once in place, the awning is a breeze to attach too and the Awn-Lock will fit with nearly all awning brands. The attachment works with square or round bars (Yakima, Thule and Rhino for example) We’ve had the Awn-Lock for 5 months and it’s held up very well. No slippage on the bars and no loosening of the awning. Overall, a simple and highly recommended product. bomberproducts.com

Wheels and Tires:

I’ve always loved black wheels and I am not a fan of shiny alloys or chrome on vehicles. However, I couldn’t justify the cost of a set of new wheels, so I stayed with the factory alloys and simply coated them with Rust-oleum Flexidip. Application is very easy with a little bit of masking on the brake pads and around the rim. The complete set was cleaned, masked and painted in an hour. Sure, after a while it chips and starts looking tatty, but simply re-spray and it’s back to looking great again. Would it cut it at SEMA? No of course not, but as I said this is a work horse, no catwalk model.

Our tires are still BF Goodrich AT KO’s with about 30k miles on them. They’re 60% worn and took a beating in the Sierra last summer. Lot’s of chunking and honestly it’s very nearly time to get some new shoes. Possible contenders for the title are BF Goodrich AT KO 2’s, Falken Wildpeak AT 3’s and Cooper Discover A/T3 or Cooper Discover S/T Maxx.

Bushwacker Fender Flares:

I went for the Pocket style flares that advertise that they add significant tire coverage to keep dirt and debris off the vehicle. The style looks like they are bolted on but in realty the supplied bolts are fake. On their first trip, (Baja) I lost 2 bolts and the flares rattled too much for my liking. Since then, I’ve actually bolted them into the rig for added stability. If you intend to use these off-road, I’d advise you bolt them into your rig from day one. The rear flares needed to be cut to fit with the high aspect Pelfreybilt bumper. I measured the cut several times before diving in and it was honestly a very easy install. I’m not going to lie or apologize, the reason I put theses on the Tacoma is simple. They just look so darn cool.

In summary, building The Beast has been a labor of love for 6 years and I’ve made many mistakes with gear, usually when deciding to go the inexpensive route. In full disclosure, we do receive product support from several brands, PelfreyBilt, Timbren Industries, Yakima, SnugTop, Bushwacker, Rotopax, and Maxtrax. However, whether we pay full price (which we often do) or when we’re entering in a product endorsement agreement, ultimately all our gear has to work and certainly not fail when out in the backcountry! We only recommend and use products we believe in.

To see our full Tacoma build check out theadventureportal.com/toyota-tacoma

Author and Photographer: Andy Palmer

Editor: Lori Palmer

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

AEV and The Adventure Portal at the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area

By

Lori Palmer

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Last month, TAP headed up to the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area in the beautiful coastal community of Florence, to host a free, In – Field, women’s only, 4WD training course put on by AEV. It was taught by Chris Wood, Master Trainer for the I4WD Trainers Association and Global Sales Director of AEV. Most attendees were owners of JK’s with AEV components and had come from all over the U.S. for training and to drive the dunes with like-minded women.

The “women’s only” component was not meant to be negative toward men; we had several guys there who were training to lead trail runs. The idea came up because all the trainings I have gone to have been made up solely of men…super nice guys, but where were the women? The Adventure Portal crew spoke to Chris Wood of AEV late last year about the possibility of TAP hosting an AEV women’s only in – field event and AEV graciously agreed to it.

Every time I get together with a group of off-roaders, it’s a blast. We have common interests and stories to share, cool components to show off, great trails that are a “must do”, etc. You are in your tribe and it feels good. That’s how it felt meeting up with women who were from OK4WD, Grenadeacorp, Jeep Girls Rock, Northwest Overland, women in training for Rebelle Rally, a coordinator of Rauch Creek Women’s Wheeling Day and Jeep club members or individual enthusiasts. Attendees came all the way from New Jersey, Montana, California, Oregon and Washington. The key focus of our day at the dunes was how to be safe and have fun when driving in sand, while also respecting the Tread Lightly principles.

The group met up at 7:30 a.m and headed to a staging area to air down and settle in for class before hitting the dunes.

The training class lasted about 4 hours and Chris highlighted some critical points to consider when getting ready for an off-roading adventure.

Snatch strap A,B,C's — Snatch strap A,B,C’s

Here are just a few highlights from the training session that may seem “elementary”, but are valuable points to review.

Before heading out check your vehicle’s:
-Tires for wear and/or sidewall irregularities and be sure your spare is in good working condition
-Carry spares of the following items: fan belts, radiator hoses, fluids
-Make sure your battery is securely fastened in place
-Check your vehicle’s undercarriage, driveshafts, clutch, brakes, lights, steering linkage and seat belts
Before heading out become familiar with:
-The location of your vehicle’s lowest points (gas tank, transmission and axles)
-Your vehicle’s dimensions: height, width including fender flares and roof rack
-Transfer case function-ease of shifting from 4 hi to 4 low.
-How to change your tire, especially in awkward/dangerous situations.
-Backing your vehicle using only your mirrors.
-Tire placement when driving over rocks. Place some in a parking lot or field for practice, if needed.
When making travel plans:
-Tell someone where you are going and when you will be returning. Let them know that you will call them when you return. It’s essential that someone know where you will be and when you will be coming back so that they can notify help if you have not returned.
-When planning your trip: Allow for unexpected delays and plan alternative stops/camp sites.
-Carry maps to back up your electronics.
-Train yourself to make mental notes of the terrain you will be covering. Study intersections on 4WD trails from both directions of travel so that if you need to backtrack you’ll remember which way to go. You can also build rock kiosks to serve as reminders.
-Check weather forecasts.
-Find out if special permits are needed and get them.
-When traveling with multiple vehicles, make sure that all are familiar with the seven core rules of convoy travel: 1. Headlights on. 2. Lead vehicle announces oncoming traffic. 3. No tailgating. 4. Keep trailing vehicles in sight. 5. One vehicle at a time on steep up-hills and down-hills. 6. Advise convoy drivers of directions to a final destination. 7. Last vehicle keeps others advised of problems and progress at the rear.

I have to say, Chris Wood presented his material in a comprehensive and demonstrative way, making the information relevant; easy to understand and apply.

Chris demonstrating the use of a snatch block

To the dunes….

We all headed out to the dunes after lunch and started on some low, easy side swipes. One of the exercises was to let up on the throttle half way into a side turn while at a 25-ish degree angle. This made our jeeps slide sideways down the dune. Here, we practiced turning into the slide and steadily increasing the throttle to come out of the slide. Too fast an acceleration while turning into the slide either buried your wheels or bumped your vehicle around mercilessly (yeah, I did….).

We practiced the “art of momentum” when driving on deep sand or up a dune. Building momentum for the incline, then keeping a consistent amount of throttle while traveling up the dune was practiced on dunes with varying degrees of incline.

A couple of vehicle recoveries were performed when a driver had not given her vehicle enough torque as she was beginning the incline, then attempted to “gun it” toward the top as her vehicle’s power was fading, only to find that she’d dug her jeep into the sand. Another common scenario was when a driver let off on the throttle as she was cresting, only to become high centered. These provided Chris with “teachable moments” which were valuable assets to the day’s journey.

Later, for the in-field recovery training portion, Chris demonstrated the use of the High- Lift jack, the Pull- Pall winch anchor and MAXTRAX Vehicle Recovery Boards.

One of the last dunes to be driven was over 5 stories high; definitely a rush!

After that, we practiced squaring up with a decline before making a decent and letting the vehicle’s engine do its magic in low when traveling down the steep face of a dune.

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is situated on the coast, so as the day progressed, the fog began to roll in and the environment changed completely. In the thick fog we practiced spotting hand signals and paired up in our vehicles with the driver’s eyes closed and the passenger relaying the spotter’s signals to navigate the vehicle through a zig zag course. I am a talker. I had to remember to give ONE CLEAR SIGNAL at a time. No multi-tasking when it comes to guiding vehicles through challenging terrain. By the way, this is a common mistake. In the heat of the moment, there is a tendency to throw out too much information all at once. Here, it was duly noted that the key is to signal slowly. Nothing needs to be rushed when guiding a vehicle over challenging terrain.

Jeeps are remarkably capable off-road vehicles and having the guidance of a certified I4WDTA Master Trainer, excellent (read-AEV) components, breathtaking terrain, a fantastic group of women, and a super helpful support crew, made this experience one that I will never forget.

florence OR the_adventure_portal_AEV_in_field_training — Happy Trails…

For more information on AEV components, visit them at www.aev-conversions.com

TAP would like to extend a big thanks to Chris Wood and AEV for holding this event and for agreeing to let The Adventure Portal host a women’s day. We’d also like to thank Jackson Ellis of Glendale Dodge Chrysler Jeep, Brad Peden of Peden 4 Wheel Drive, Ken Benham of SAR: Snohomish County Search and Rescue Greg Gerhardt: comrade and photographer and Paul Kientz of AEV, for their support during the training.

Photos: Lori Palmer, Lisa Van Rynsoever, Jim Olexa
Author: Lori Palmer, Editor and Co-Founder TAP

theadventureportal AEV florence OR Dunes

The adventure Portal AEV Florence wonems only 1

A Journey On The Mojave Road

By

Andy Palmer

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The Mojave Road, The Mojave Desert, Iconic Overland trails, overland trails, overlanding trails, over land, off-road trails, off-road, off-roading, vehicle supported adventures, overlanding adventures,

As the wind continues to rock our Oz -Tent, I squint at my watch through the murky gloom, it’s 3am. It’s already been a long cold night, despite the 20 degree down bag I’m sleeping in. I was hoping for at least 6am and the temperatures have definitely fallen below freezing. Frustrated, I curl tighter into the fetal position. These are typical conditions for winter desert camping in southern California and as I drift off to sleep, a smile creeps onto my face. Three times we’ve arranged this trip and three times something has come up forcing us to reschedule it. Finally, here we are, our first night on the iconic Mojave Road.

The day before, we had set off from San Diego on a 5 hour road trip to Needles, where we planned to join the start of the trail. The drive was uneventful, with typical hordes of traffic through San Bernardino and Riverside, finally easing when we joined the I-40 at Barstow. I’ve lived in Southern California for 20 years and still can’t quite get used to the volume of people who live here.

Anyway, I digress, back to the trip.

We’d camped at Balancing Rock which although windy, had proved to be a great location. It’s about 10 miles into the trail and off on a side road (AT&T Cable Service Road). Easy to find and worth the side step. It’s now 6am and time to brave the day. The morning camp fire is taking the edge off the cold and as we sip our life-giving coffee, we discuss the plans of the day. The Mojave Road is 128 miles across the Mojave Preserve and can, if you want, be done in a day. However, that’s not our style and for us the point of trips like this are to enjoy the scenery, photograph interesting things, explore the regional history/geography and generally relax. Life is hectic enough!

The plan for the day evolves and we break camp to hit the road. Once back on the main off-road trail, we follow the well-marked signs, always keeping the rock cairns to our right. This is the fundamental navigation premise, when traveling east to west. The first part is easy overlanding terrain with a few sections of soft sand, but honestly, we’re yet to engage 4×4. The only issue we encounter is undulating terrain which has our long wheel base Tacoma having to slow down to avoid porpoising. Of course the Rubi as always takes it all in her stride.

We keep consistently climbing and at 22 miles we break away from the Mojave Road and head a few miles towards the ruins of Fort Piute. Constructed in 1867 by Company D of the US Infantry to protect the mail, this is a great example of the history of the trail. It’s hard to believe the brutality these soldiers faced. Not only did they have to survive in the extreme temperatures of the desert, but they also had to keep the mail and settlers safe from Indian attack. I smile sardonically as I think of our little “Overland expedition” across the desert. Life in today’s world has roughed off the edges and today’s “adventure” is categorized as recreation. A far cry from the realities of yesteryear.

“Come in TAP 2, did you just see that!?”

We’re now slowly following some other folks up the Piute Range and climbing to the summit at 3,432 ft. The terrain has become rocky with sections of deeply washed out gullies scarring the surface. The trail is fairly narrow and luckily cambered away from the drop, but it’s essential to straddle them correctly, not allowing your wheels to get into the deep ruts. The rig in front of us is struggling and doing the exact opposite and my CB call out, comes out of seeing them bounce precariously into a gully, coming inches from turning over. I’m getting nervous and my mind races, wondering how we’re going to recover them if they topple over. This is exactly why we travel with two rigs. An issue out here can become serious quickly! Finally and thankfully, we reach the top and the terrain eases off.

At 35 miles we find the infamous rusted out, left for dead, abandoned school bus. I wonder how and why it got here in the middle of the Mojave? We stop for the obligatory photo-op and lunch. The weather is sunny, and the wind has subsided. It’s a perfect winter day in the desert and the sterility of modern-day life is quickly being replaced with the satisfying grime of the desert.

A couple of hours later and 15 miles further along, we reach Rock Springs and the Rock House at 4,800 ft. Another US Army camp built-in 1866 and a well-preserved rock cabin built in 1930, by settler George Smith. The terrain is welcoming and flat and although tired, we resist the temptation to pitch camp for the night. At this altitude, the night temperature is going to plummet quickly and definitely be well below freezing. We carry on, initially loosing altitude quickly, but after crossing Kelso Cima Road, we start to slowly rise again, heading towards our intending primitive camp spot at Mojave Camp. Sunset is closing in on us and the terrain has become mile after mile of frustratingly close together whoops, that keep the Tacoma’s speed at around 12 mph. I glance at the altimeter and see we’re still at 3,800 ft. It’s a beautiful area to camp, but at this altitude it’s going to be a cold night.

Day 3:

We shake the ice off the sleeping bags and pack away the gear. It had indeed been a cold night and we were glad to be up and about, feeling the warmth of the rising sun. Today is going to be a long day, as we have lot’s to see, many miles to cover and looming deadlines dictating that we also have to head home. Our intentions are to try to complete the full 128 miles, but not at the expense of missing some of the must see areas. As I said earlier, overlanding is not a race.

We pass Marl Springs at mile 71, having decided to continue to the infamous “Mojave Mailbox” at mile 74. The mailbox, is well, just that. It was erected in 1983 by The Friends of the Mojave Road, and includes a book to write your name, the date you pass through and your thoughts of the Mojave Road. Behind the mailbox is also something not to be missed. Initially a group of frogs appeared, as we looked around we saw that this “add a toy” area had expanded into separate groups of gnomes and bobbleheads. If you drive this trail, don’t forget to bring your offering and take only pictures.

We’re still at 3,500 ft and the trail is sandy but fairly easy. Be aware though that conditions can vary, so be prepared. We now begin to drop down to the lower desert with the intention of visiting the Lava Tubes on Aiken Cinder Mine Road. It’s a slight detour off the trail, but certainly worth seeing. It’s hit or miss, but try to see the caves when the sun is directly overhead, as it creates an impressive stream of light into the cave. Unfortunately we were about an hour too early and missed the effect.

Continuing on, we tackle the deep sand of Willow Wash and head slowly towards the edge of Soda Lake. We’re in luck, as the El Nino rains have yet to kick in and the dry lake bed is easily passable. Be aware though, that deviation from the obvious trail is fool hardy, as it’s easy to get stuck in the lake mud. On occasions, even the actual trail can be impassable. If traveling with more than one rig, it is advisable to leave a good distance between vehicles. This way, if the lead vehicle gets stuck, the second one can we available for rescue. Take this seriously.

Four miles across Soda Lake and 100 miles along the Mojave Road, we come across Travelers Monument. I’m excited to see what the famous brass plaque says at the top of the rock pile. It’s a well-kept secret and worth keeping. You won’t hear the secret past from our lips! Also, don’t forget to bring your own rock to add to the pile. Sign you name, make a wish and enjoy the feeling of remoteness. I take a long hard breath and soak in my surrounding, this is a beautifully stark area and it feels good to be a traveler on this iconic road.

We’re unfortunately running out of time and after crossing Soda Lake, we take the bitter-sweet decision to cut out on Razor Road and get back on the I-395. We’re short of our goal by 24 miles, missing out on seeing Afton Canyon and crossing the Mojave River. We promise ourselves we’re coming back next year and completing this section traveling west to east.

The Mojave Road, Mojave Desert trails, overland trails, california overland trails, off-road trails, off-roading, off road, vehicle supported adventure, — Piute history

Check out Mojave Road details HERE:

The Mojave Road

By

Lori Palmer

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GPS	N35 03.08 W 114 40.57
Elevation gain	900- 5,200
Season	October-May
Terrain	Sandy, whoops, moderate rocks, one challenging downhill/uphill and some large washes with steep, sandy banks.
Difficulty	Mostly easy, some moderate sections.
Required Vehicle	Stock 4×4
Time	Two days minimum, preferably 3.
Length	128.6 miles

Directions to The Mojave Road East: From Needles Highway Nevada, .7 miles N of the CA state line, turn southwest on a formed sandy trail leading up a wide wash. Stay toward the right and you will see a Mojave Road Trail marker on the right.

Site Location and Description: This is an iconic overland trail that every overlander should experience at least once. The Mojave Road is rich in history and stark, beautiful scenery. As this is a long, somewhat isolated road, it is recommended that you travel with other vehicles, carry extra gas and plenty of water. Be ready for anything and enjoy this historic journey through time. Primitive camping is allowed anywhere that has been previously used as a campsite and is at least 200ft from the trail. The trail is marked by cairns that should always be on your right, when traveling east to west. Sometimes they are easy to follow, other areas, not so easy. Carry a guidebook (or electronic trail guide) along with a GPS, to keep you on course. Most of the terrain is sandy or mildly rocky, although you will encounter quite a few deep washes with steep sandy sides. As long as you know how to pick a line over these mini crevasses, you will be fine. A word of caution, we saw a stock vehicle come very close to rolling on to it’s side due to the driver’s lack of knowledge about how to navigate through this sort of terrain. Take these areas slowly.

The off-road trail leaves Needles highway and travels up a wash toward the Dead Mountains. It crosses through the Dead Mountains and descends into the Piute (Pah-yoot) Valley. You will cross US 95 and back on the trail, will ascend toward the Piute Range. A short, rough spur leads to the old stone ruins of Fort Piute. The main trail carries on cresting the Piute Range before descending into the Lanfair Valley. Parts of this section of the trail are moderately difficult due to deep moguls and gullies. The Lanfair Valley is filled with beautiful desert vegetation. Before crossing Ivanpah road, you will get to an old broken down school bus on the right and then on to the Penny Can Tree. Don’t pass the Penny Can Tree without adding a coin, making a wish and taking a picture. This is one of our desert’s classically off-the-wall, man-made attractions, and there are more to come!

After crossing Ivanpah, you come to a very rough section along Cedar Canyon Road, as the trail drops steeply into Watson Wash. Soon after, you can hike to an area where you will find the historic military site of Camp Rock Spring. Continuing on, you will find Bert Smith’s cabin. Don’t miss seeing this well-preserved cabin and reading the history behind it. Another historic site is Government Holes. Here you will see a well, corral and a tank that bears the name Ox Cattle Company. The trail skirts the edge of the Marl Mountains and Marl Springs and is mainly made up of whoops. For a great photo-op, don’t miss the iconic Mojave Road Mail Box located just past the power lines. Walk behind the mailbox and check out the amazing array of toy “gardens”. You will see a massive group of frogs, a line of bobble heads against another rock, some tiny trucks scaling a nearby boulder and finally a gathering of gnomes under a Joshua Tree further back. As you are reading this, make a mental note of what you and your friends or family will contribute to this little patch of desert wonder.

Your next stop along the road should be the Cinder Cone Lava Beds, where you can actually go into a lava cave. The landscape in this area is otherworldly. When you come to Kelbaker Road a few miles past the Lava Bed Wilderness, check your gas gauge and if you need a top off, take a right and go 14 miles toward Baker. From Kelbaker Road to Soda Lake the trail is mostly flat and well packed dirt. Soda Lake is a dry lakebed whose waters have evaporated and left alkaline evaporites of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Don’t cross the lakebed if it has recently rained. This place has notoriously trapped vehicles in its muck, when wet. If the lakebed is wet, head north to Baker, then return to the trail via Rasor Road from the I-15. On Soda Lake, you will encounter a large pile of rocks called Traveler’s Monument. Be sure that you bring a unique rock to add to the pile, then climb up and read the secret message contained in the midst of the rocks. The message is a well-kept secret, only known to travelers of the Mojave Road. Read it and forever keep it secret. An important thing to keep in mind after returning to civilization, is that the sodium from the lake is corrosive to vehicles. As always, give your rig a good under-carriage and body wash after your trip. From Soda Lake, you enter an area where the trail could become wind-blown and difficult to follow. At the end of the trail, you will pass under a Union Pacific trestle into Afton Canyon. Follow all posted signs and cross the Mojave River alongside the trestle. The second river crossing can sometimes be deep, so be aware. If you cannot traverse the water, go back to Rasor road and head west to highway 15. After the second crossing, you will arrive at Afton Campground. Continue up the road approximately 3 miles and you will come to the I-15, 35 miles north of Barstow.

The History of the Mojave Road: The Mojave Road once served as a trade route that spanned from the Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean and was used solely by Native American tribes. The Mojave Indians presided in Soda Springs on the western shore of Soda Lake for at least 7,000 years.

Father Francisco Garcés, the Spanish Franciscan missionary, traveled the trail with the expeditions of Juan Bautista de Anza in 1774, 1775 and 1776. In 1775, Garcés, became the first European to meet the Mojave Indians. They accompanied Garcés on his journey to the coast. José María de Zalvidea, of Mission San Gabriel, crossed the trail in 1806, reportedly converting the indigenous Mojaves near present-day Hesperia. In 1826, Jedediah Smith became the first American to travel the Mojave Road. From 1829-30, Mexican traders from New Mexico established the routes that came to be called the Old Spanish Trail trade route (now the Mojave Road) to California.

With the California Gold Rush of 1849, thousands of American settlers headed west through Mojave country and into California. Rock Springs was a critical water point that made traveling on this route possible. Rock Springs was named by Army Engineer Lieutenant Amiel W. Whipple, for navigational purposes, when he led a scouting party seeking a route for the transcontinental RR in 1854.

The influx of migrants passing through this area, combined with simple misunderstandings, led to conflict and to the Mojave War. In early 1858, as a result of the Mojave War, the Mojave Trail became the Mojave Road and came under the purview of the U.S. government. From 1854-1868 numerous military posts were built along the route from Camp Cady near Barstow to Fort Mohave on the Colorado River. The remains of one of these forts, Fort Piute, can still be seen today.

The caves in Afton Canyon were used by Native Americans before the arrival of Euro-Americans. Later, the caves provided a much-needed refuge for Euro-Americans traveling between Fort Cady and Soda Springs. There they could get supplies and protection from Native Americans. In 1866, Camp Rock Spring was established to provide mail carriers and travelers safe escort across this remote and difficult terrain. When the mail route was closed in 1868, so was Camp Rock Spring. The army protected the settlers and travelers from attacks of the resident Paiute, Mojave and Chemehuevi Native Americans until 1871. This protection also opened the way for large mining development in the Mojave Desert region of San Bernardino County and agricultural development in the Victor Valley area.

The Mojave road was important to the people of Los Angeles because it linked them to Prescott AZ, a prominent town at the time. The railroad reached this area in 1883. In 1894, the Rock Spring Land and Cattle Company, later known as Ox Ranch, controlled most of the area’s water. There were numerous gun battles between homsteaders and ranchers over water rights up until around 1925.

Great Resource: The Mojave Road Guide With GPS, 4th Edition, by Dennis G. Casebier

Sources: Guide to CA Backroads &4-Wheel-Drive Trails by Charles Wells and Matt Peterson, TAP travels, Backcountry Adventures: Southern California by Peter Massey and Jeanne Wilson, mojavedesert.net , Wikipedia,

Click here for more CA off-road, Overlanding trails…..and TAP into Adventure!

Photos: Andy Palmer

For a Mojave Road trail story, CHECK HERE

Down South, Mexico Way: TAP’s Baja Adventure

By

Andy Palmer

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It was 4am and suddenly my peaceful slumber was assaulted by the angry and obnoxious siren of our bedside alarm. Today we were meeting the guys from Agile Offroad Vans at the Tecate border at 7am to cross into Baja, and head down to San Felipe. It was our first overland trip in Baja and I won’t lie, my groggy mind was filled with excitement and a little trepidation as I poured the legalized drug, we call fresh ground coffee.

The previous week of vehicle prep had been a disaster and my nerves were a concoction of “what else can go wrong” coupled with, “Don’t lose your head down south!” comments from non-overlanding friends. Preparation had included installation of ARB onboard compressors to each vehicle, two new CB radios, the addition of a RTT on the Jeep’s AEV roof rack (which ended up not fitting and getting left at home) and the installation of a Goose Gear drawer and AT fridge and stove combo slide. I had mistakenly given myself a week to get all this done, along with the usual packing of all our essential camping gear. Clearly, this was too short a time window, and my nerves were frayed by the end of the week.

Anyway, back to the trip.

We arrived at the designated gas station close to the Tecate border in plenty of time. In fact, we were the first to arrive as I hate being late and since we had been invited on the trip, I didn’t want to be “those people” that hold everyone up. With these thoughts, clearly I wasn’t on relaxed Baja time yet.

Crossing the Mexican border into Tecate with 6 other rigs was relatively painless. Only a few in the group were inspected. I was only asked if I was bringing beer into Baja. We headed out in convoy along the Libre Mex -1 Highway to the “usual spot” to air down, about 15 minutes east of Tecate. The plan was to travel along The Compadre Trail for about 60 miles before hitting black top again at the small town of Ojos Negros. Conditions on The Compadre Trail can vary greatly due to weather and time of year. This trip, the trail was in pristine condition and it was smooth sailing.

The convoy included 6 E-350’s camper vans, all built with Agile Van TTB (Twin Traction Beam) suspension systems, two Tacoma’s (including TAP’s Taco) and the TAP Jeep Rubicon. We were quite the procession. I’m going to be honest, I’m generally uncomfortable with a group greater than 4 vehicles, so I was hoping that potential group frustrations wouldn’t raise their ugly heads. In my experience, group dynamics can deteriorate quickly due to varying abilities, trip desires, schedules etc. However, the group seemed mellow and, of course, we were the new comers in a group that had traveled together in Baja mainly times. So I reminded myself to simply “go with the flow” and that this time I wasn’t the group guide.

Our first day’s schedule was to head south to San Felipe where we planned to camp primitively on the bluff for two days, overlooking The Sea of Cortez. The day was to be long, traveling significant miles south and spending some time watching The Baja 1000 race along the way.

Spectators cheering on a trophy truck at the Baja 1000

After completing The Compadre Trail, we pulled off the road onto private property at race mile 40, where Ramsey from Agile, negotiated a group rate with the land owner to allow us to park and watch the race. The scene in front of us was crowded with spectators, all anxiously waiting for the Baja racers to blast by. The atmosphere was electric and friendly, with groups partying/camping and generally having an inebriated blast.

With race choppers circling, the Baja 1000 started roaring past us and we managed to find safe and elevated positions to watch the race and cheer the drivers on. All I can say is, race rigs don’t really worry about terrain conditions, with Trophy Trucks and Class 1’s traveling at 60-75 miles an hour across terrain that would have us picking our line! Amazing stuff and The Agile Van guys we were traveling with, had some cool stories of personally racing in the event.

The day was moving along, and it was time to get back on the road and continue east. After stopping at Valle La Trinidad for gas and tacos and dropping down from San Matias, we eventually get off the highway again and head south to Diablo Dry Lake Bed. Twenty miles later, at the end of the flats, we arrived at Jose’s, an old shack in the middle of nowhere.

Rigs on the salt flats — Stopping at Jose’s

Jose's — A welcome stop for cold beer and soda.

Here lives Jose, believed to be 95 years old this year. He survives alone by selling beer and sodas to travelers like us, from an underground dug-out cellar. Our crew have known Jose throughout their many years of Baja travel and always stop in to make sure he’s doing okay. This time Jose needs a splinter pulled from his hand, which we successfully extricate. If you’re on this path, please make sure you buy a beer, bring some dog food for Jose’s army of strays and generally keep his life and tradition alive. Also, feel free to plant a sticker on his “wall of fame”.

Baja1000_6 — Jose and his “Wall of Fame”

So, we left Jose’s and continued on, now in the dark, through abandoned alfalfa fields, heading east to Morelia Junction and then Zoo Road. Zoo Road intersects the race course at RM640, but as we cross, only a few of the lead bikes have come through. It was too late to attempt the deep sand entrance of a favorite coastal bluff site further down the coast. That night we ended up camping on the coast at Campo El Pescador, a bluff on private land known to the group. As we set up camp and prepared food, all of a sudden the reality of being in a third-world country hit. Two pick-ups loaded with heavily-armed individuals approached. These guys weren’t the Federales, these were the real deal; definitely intimidating. Lori approached them, conversed in Spanglish and all was good. Not speaking any Spanish, the word “tranquile” was all I could understand. I was very glad BlueDog was not with us, as he’s always extremely protective of our camp site. I believe he would have attacked with consequences that probably wouldn’t have ended well for him. Something to think about, if you’re planning on bringing your dog across the border.

Baja1000_9 — Sunrise over the Sea of Cortez

We awoke after a peaceful and uneventful night’s sleep, to a beautiful view of the Sea of Cortez, a fantastic group breakfast and a decision to break camp and move just down the coast to a quiet and beautiful bluff, that the crew had discovered many years ago. The drive into the bluff was indeed sandy and a couple of the vans got weighed down and stuck.

A good decision to avoid coming in the dark the previous night. In the daylight, it was easy to extricate the vans and all part of the adventure. We spent the next 24 hrs at this location, walking the empty beach, collecting sand dollars, sleeping, eating and drinking. We were now truly on Baja time and our world had finally slowed down!

2nd night camp spot — Second camp destination: Top Secret

2nd night secret bluff spot — The crew finds their spots.

The original plan was to spend two nights at this location. However, as I learnt early on with any overlanding adventure, plans change. Despite the amazing beach location, the Baja wind had kicked up significantly and like a stubborn pit-bull, wouldn’t let hold of its grip on us. The group decision was to go back in-land, cross the salt flats and head west. We would camp amongst the trees and cactus gardens that were filled with saguaro, cardon, prickly pear, barrel cactus and more, and were situated at the base of 10,00 ft Picacho Del Diablo.

Again we cross private ranch land and had to negotiate a group rate to camp primitively. Fifty-six bucks for eight rigs, seemed like a deal. The Agile Van guys had been here many times and knew the ropes. In the mid afternoon, having reached the camp area and set up, most of the group hiked to the water falls in the natural granite cliffs. An amazing area and known to climbers who have bolted certain routes.

3rd night fire pit — Campfire under Picacho Del Diable: Devil’s Peak

After another group dinner (Thanks John), with stories and conversation around the fire pit, we finally hit our cots and sleeping bags. Us in our RV-5 Oz-Tent, the rest of the crew, in their vans. I’m not going to deny, I was jealous of their “Van Life”! Anyway, no wind this night and sleep comes fast in Baja, so no worries!

3rd night camp — TAP Taco and our Oztent

The trip to Baja was our first overlanding experience across the border and something we’ve wanted to do for years. A big shout out to Ramsey and John from Agile Vans for inviting us and to the whole crew for showing us the ropes and sharing their knowledge of Baja with “south of the border newbies”! We had an amazing time and hope to go again soon.

Stream crossing Compadre Trail — Stream crossing on the Compadre Trail

If you are interested in the Agile Van’s TTB (Twin Traction Beam) suspension systems, and their 4×4 van conversions then check out agileoffroad.com

TAP into Adventure!

Heading north at start of Compadre Trail

Author/Photographer: Andy Palmer, TAP Publisher

Contributing Photographer: Lori Palmer, TAP Editor

OME BP-51 Bypass Shock Absorbers

By

Lori Palmer

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Check out the new Old Man Emu BP-51 shock absorbers for the Toyota FJ Cruiser 2010-2014 and Jeep JK Wrangler 2006-2016…..and get prepared to TAP into Adventure!

The OME engineers were given a challenge to design a high performance shock absorber for the modern-day vehicle. With traditional velocity sensitive shock absorbers, achieving exceptional ride quality and the balance between comfort and control tuning requires a great deal of time and effort, with many valving changes required to get the balance correct. You still end up with a compromise with either a slightly firmer controlled set up or softer comfort oriented result.

Bypass (BP) technology exists to overcome some of these ride quality challenges but presents a new challenge as traditional multiple bypass tube products simply won’t fit inside a coil over independent front or many rear shock absorber applications.
During development, areas that had to be considered were corrosion, heat dissipation, durability and how to cater for individual ride preferences or vehicle loading scenarios. The product also needed to easily bolt into a large range of vehicle applications without modifications to the actual vehicle. After 4 years of extensive design, development and testing the challenge has been met and it is the new BP-51.

One application of OME BP-51 High Performance Bypass Shock Absorbers has been engineered specifically for the Toyota FJ Cruiser model years 2010 through 2014. Consisting of 2 coil overs, 2 shocks and 2 fits kits, this application does contain left and right side specific coil overs. The resulting height gain for the FJ Cruiser, when paired with the appropriate rear coils, will be 2.5 to 3 inches of lift. Rear shock absorbers have been tuned to match the existing range of rear Old Man Emu springs and recommended compression and rebound settings can be found in the supplied fitting instructions for the various spring options available. The fitting instructions also include detailed information for correct installation of the shock absorber and reservoir placement.

Location Photography by Offroad Images © 2011

It is worth noting the that coil overs are preloaded with an Old Man Emu coil and are set to the appropriate lift height for vehicles with a bumper and winch. If these are being fitted to a vehicle without a bumper and winch, the spring preload will need to be adjusted to compensate for a lighter total vehicle weight. The use of the new BP-51 Spring Compressor Tool kit (VM800200001) will make this adjustment easier and minimize the possibility of damaging the coil.

BP-51_Taco_FJ_Front_rack_031 copy — FJ Front Rack

Another application of the OME BP-51 High Performance Bypass Shock Absorbers has been engineered specifically for the Jeep JK Wrangler with larger lifts of 3.5 to 4.5 inch.

The kits consist of 4 shocks and 2 fit kits and will fit both the LWB (Unlimited) and SWB variants for all year models from 2006 onwards. The engineers have designed two front shock absorbers, differing in extended length by 50mm, to fit various suspension heights. This ensures proper wheel travel can be achieved when matched with different coil springs.

The BP5160021 has been specifically matched to the Old Man Emu JK 4 inch suspension kit (OMEJK4) and is a direct replacement for the front shock absorber supplied in that kit. A longer version has also been developed (BP5160022) for longer travel applications.

The rear shock has been designed to fit within the factory mounts and includes a stone guard to protect the shaft from front wheel stone damage. The rear fit kit consists of a reservoir piggy back clamp and mounting hardware. It is worth noting the fitting instructions to ensure correct positioning of the reservoir to ensure clearance to other components. Both front and rear shock absorbers will be factory set in compression and rebound. Recommended settings for variations in load and accessory fitment are suggested in the included fitting instructions. Damping performance is easily adjustable across a wide range in both rebound and compression, allowing the user to alter the vehicle’s ride performance and cater for different road conditions and vehicle loading scenarios.

Developed and extensively tested under the harshest conditions in Australia, these big bore, position sensitive, bypass shock absorbers combine considerable ride comfort around town with significant amounts of end-zone damping for exceptional chassis control and handling off road. The damping performance is easily adjustable across a wide range in both rebound and compression. The result being significant changes to the ride performance of your vehicle, enabling a custom tune to suit the conditions and vehicle set up.

The body, reservoir and components are all made from 6061 T6 aluminum, Type 3 40 micron hard anodised finish ensuring exceptional heat dissipation, corrosion resistance and resistance to stone damage. All BP-51 shock absorbers are manufactured in-house by ARB.

For more product information go to ARBusa.com

Source: ARB
Editor: Lori Palmer

The Adventure Portal

TAP’s Tacoma 2016 build up-date

SnugTop topper:

Truck bed kitchen build:

ARB on board compressor:

Tuff Stuff Awning:

Bomber Products Awn-Lock attachment system:

Wheels and Tires:

Bushwacker Fender Flares:

For more overland and off-road capable rigs, CHECK HERE

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Here are just a few highlights from the training session that may seem “elementary”, but are valuable points to review.

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Check out Mojave Road details HERE:

The Mojave Road

Click here for more CA off-road, Overlanding trails…..and TAP into Adventure!

For a Mojave Road trail story, CHECK HERE

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OME BP-51 Bypass Shock Absorbers

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