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Will check on that, Lanty, and repost the info I find out.
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Interested in offroading in Virginia?
- Thread starter maddawg308
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I like the idea of running the long trails. The only problem with Haspin is it is a lot of spur trails that taper off into goat paths. We got a lot of practice turning around deuces and the like in tight quarters. Mud holes that are trouble for Jeeps shouldn't be a problem for the rest of us.
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I just emailed my son Noah perhaps he will come down with the M1009 and a few of his cadet friends. I would love to come but the 7,000 mile trip would take too long in a Korean duece.
clinto
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Better have the deeeeeeeeeeeep water fording kit installed!ARMYMAN30YearsPlus said:
TheBuggyman
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Maddawg,
I've been on almost all of the trails in the Dry River district, the main road running through is long and fairly well suited to larger vehicles although it has been six or seven years for me......
You can turn off of Rt33 just before the road crosses the mountain into West Virginia and it puts you right onto the "main" road through the forest. If you continue over the mountain just at the bottom on the other side is a large campground called Brandywine Campground. As I recall they have a few large open areas for vehicular gatherings.
I would think that this would be a good choice based on my experience, I have not heard anything good about the "Big Boys Playground" in fourwheeling circles. We would probably have to "reserve" one of the large open areas at Brandywine or we could just camp up on one of the mountains somewhere.
I have a good friend who knows most of those roads and has topo maps to boot, I could get him to go I'm sure.
Just my
I've been on almost all of the trails in the Dry River district, the main road running through is long and fairly well suited to larger vehicles although it has been six or seven years for me......
You can turn off of Rt33 just before the road crosses the mountain into West Virginia and it puts you right onto the "main" road through the forest. If you continue over the mountain just at the bottom on the other side is a large campground called Brandywine Campground. As I recall they have a few large open areas for vehicular gatherings.
I would think that this would be a good choice based on my experience, I have not heard anything good about the "Big Boys Playground" in fourwheeling circles. We would probably have to "reserve" one of the large open areas at Brandywine or we could just camp up on one of the mountains somewhere.
I have a good friend who knows most of those roads and has topo maps to boot, I could get him to go I'm sure.
Just my
TheBuggyman
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Gonna be chilly then anyway.............
Late April or early May is usually nice.......
Late April or early May is usually nice.......
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Sound real good Eddie. I like the idea of running across the mountain and camping. You gonna drop the dump bed off and bring the 813A1?
TheBuggyman
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Oh yeah, the dump bed is already off 'cuz the pond is finished!steelsoldiers said:
I hope to have the truck painted with my new doors on by early spring.
I'm not sure if the top should go on for the trip through the woods or if I should just run with the bedsides. What do you think? I like the top on it, but man, that truck is already plenty big!
TheBuggyman
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Oh, I should clarify:
You have to run the hard surface road (33) over the mountain to get to the campground.
You have to run the hard surface road (33) over the mountain to get to the campground.
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I'd leave the top off. It could get ugly with any low-hanging branches. I will pack the Stihl just in case If I still have the 818, I'm going to have to stack some weight in front of the 5th wheel for traction. The bobtail rear gets light with heavy braking so I imagine traction will be hard to come by off-road. Maybe I'll get some 14R20's mounted by then
If I still have the 818, I'm going to have to stack some weight in front of the 5th wheel for traction. The bobtail rear gets light with heavy braking so I imagine traction will be hard to come by off-road. Maybe I'll get some 14R20's mounted by then If the Harrisonburg environs are chosen, there are extra options for recreation if someone should get bored with wheeling:
West Side Shooting Range
The West Side Shooting Range is open year round and provides shooting lanes of various lengths, covered shooting benches, and a parking area. The shooting range is on FDR 151 about one mile north of the junction of FDR 151 and U.S. 33. The turnoff is about 1 mile east of the Brandywine Lake Recreation Area entrance.
Also, Luigi's Pizza at 1059 South High Street was an excellent place to get a good pie back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the Valley.
Opie
James Madison University Class of 1992
Edit: I flagged traffic for the road department one summer in the 'Burg, and Route 33 West into WV is mountainous and twisty starting about 15 miles out of town, warranting extra time, caution, daylight, and a perhaps change of underwear if you're flagging traffic. ("Where the HE11 did that car appear from?????")
West Side Shooting Range
The West Side Shooting Range is open year round and provides shooting lanes of various lengths, covered shooting benches, and a parking area. The shooting range is on FDR 151 about one mile north of the junction of FDR 151 and U.S. 33. The turnoff is about 1 mile east of the Brandywine Lake Recreation Area entrance.
Also, Luigi's Pizza at 1059 South High Street was an excellent place to get a good pie back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the Valley.
Opie
James Madison University Class of 1992
Edit: I flagged traffic for the road department one summer in the 'Burg, and Route 33 West into WV is mountainous and twisty starting about 15 miles out of town, warranting extra time, caution, daylight, and a perhaps change of underwear if you're flagging traffic. ("Where the HE11 did that car appear from?????")
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I just sent an email to the rangers in charge of that area of G.W. Forest. Will see what they say about larger vehicles on that trail system. Also asked for maps if they had them of the trails.
As for a date, would April 4-6 work for most people? First weekend in April, kinda a warm up for the East Coast convoy for the next month?
As for a date, would April 4-6 work for most people? First weekend in April, kinda a warm up for the East Coast convoy for the next month?
tsmall07
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I'd like to attend as well, as long as you guys don't mine having a lowly m1008 along for the ride. 
When you said there was a place east of C-ville, did you mean Crozet? The local 4x4 club I'm a member of goes there once a year or more and its supposed to be pretty awesome (I've never been myself). I'm not sure what they'll have for deuces and 5 tons, though.
Here is an article I found on the place, but I don't know if they have a website just for that park.
When you said there was a place east of C-ville, did you mean Crozet? The local 4x4 club I'm a member of goes there once a year or more and its supposed to be pretty awesome (I've never been myself). I'm not sure what they'll have for deuces and 5 tons, though. Here is an article I found on the place, but I don't know if they have a website just for that park.
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Well, I checked with the ranger yesterday, and offroading in that area of the park is permitted for larger vehicles such as deuces, 5-tons, etc. However, she did let me know that Rocky Run OHV area is too tight for even Jeeps, it was designed for ATVs and the like. She recommended Long Run Trail, which is next to Rocky Run, and is about 20 miles long, and is much better suited to our way of offroad driving.
I plan on heading up to that area this weekend to scout it out, hope to take some pics and find the trailhead. Granted, I'll be in my Durango, so I'm not going to go offroading at all. Just want to find the general area, see if I can stop in a ranger's office and get a map, etc.
For now, we're on for April 4-6, 2008.
I plan on heading up to that area this weekend to scout it out, hope to take some pics and find the trailhead. Granted, I'll be in my Durango, so I'm not going to go offroading at all. Just want to find the general area, see if I can stop in a ranger's office and get a map, etc.
For now, we're on for April 4-6, 2008.
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Chris:
You might need a weight box welded up to hook into the fifth wheel on the M818 we made a lot of them in Iraq because the new FMTV tractors with armor could not drive without a trailer or weight box or they would flip on the nose if the brakes were applied. What a genious idea adopt a European style truck.....
You might need a weight box welded up to hook into the fifth wheel on the M818 we made a lot of them in Iraq because the new FMTV tractors with armor could not drive without a trailer or weight box or they would flip on the nose if the brakes were applied. What a genious idea adopt a European style truck.....
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If you want to study a truck built from scratch to military specifications, take a look at the m656/xm757 8x8s.....ARMYMAN30YearsPlus said:
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Better yet, why not study a truck that actually had a long and useful life in the military...the M35.
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I wonder if we can actually grasp what the M44 series did for this country. From outside looking in, it seems that this single piece of equipment has been the spine of the military for what, 50 years? What an incredible machine these are. Since we are talking about trails, I'd bet no other vehicle on earth has covered more trail and off road miles than the deuce.