Riding the Draggin'

[LowTech]

Tuff needed some alone time to create more beautiful things, and I needed to do some work on "MY" rig. So I'm out here on a solo trip.

I've done so much work on the She Beast over the last few years, and then I realized one day . . . I'm a dependent!
All the fuel processing set-up was on her M105, I slept in her M109, . . . I did use a M146 as my office/ staging area for all work on her land, :-/
Time for a change!

If I went out in the lil Draggin' I was going to be sleeping in the cab, or in the bed If I dragged a trailer along, like my M105 Hard Top, then I wouldn't be able to pull the fuel processing trailer . . .

I had been planing to set up fuel collecting / filtering on each of the trucks as well . . . guess now was the time to start.

I took turns stuffing things into the Hard Top, and figuring out a way to collect / filter fuel. Something that would stay w/ the Draggin'.



Now, the Hard Top has been dragged up north for the last two summers, . . . but not really as a live-in set up. I've put some insulation in the ceiling, and most of the lower wall sections, that's about it. It's always been more of a shed. I did sleep in it for awhile when Tuff did her solo trip down from northern Nev to J-Tree and I had to stay for a few weeks, I parked up at a friends place . . . it was like sleeping in a shed.
So I had to make that livable.

First I added the basics, a board to sleep on (covered w/ wool blankets and some (LOL) padding), foot locker & backpack to hold clothing and personal things, Field desk, . . . to hold food, and a stove.



Seems like the basics, next I'll have to figure how to hold them all in place

 

[TMNT]

Very cool. That sounds like a lifestyle I could learn to love. I find myself at a place in my life where I realize just how enslaved I've become to chasing paychecks that there is hardly any freedom left to pursue my dreams. It sounds like you're living my dream. Live it well my friend.

... Although I might have to opt for an air mattress instead if a blanket covered board!

 

[LowTech]

Now I needed to make the pump & filter set-up work.

I started by pulling the 24v pump off the trailer, along w/ one (of three) filter bases. I figured that I could get by w/ just the one water block filter for this trial. Worst would be that I clog my primary up w/ crud, in fact I was figuring that I would anyway. I'm putting my secondary tank into action, after hauling it around for a year, and expect to have to change filters soon after.
I want to be able to draw from the tank in the bed, pump it through a filter, and into the main tank. Of course I also wanted to be able to draw from a 5 gal container and pump it into a jerry can, . . . or from a jerry can into the secondary tank, . . . or from the secondary tank . . .

Anyway, it seemed like the front of the bed, behind the cab, would be the most out of the way, reach all points, and be the hardest to mount, . . . so that was my target.
After lots of measurements, and moving the tank in the bed, I carefully drilled some holes for mounting. They were close enough that it fit. I mounted the pump . . . and found out that the stakeside pocket wouldn't let me get the hose on it's fitting. I did put the tank back as well
Moved the tank, took off the pump, made a plywood plate to act as a spacer, and remounted the pump. Just enough and it still clears the cab.
I then mounted the filter base under that w/ enough room to unscrew the filter (I think )
(disregard the small line going into the cab, it's just being held out of the way)



A couple fail trials, fittings not setting right, and hoses not tight enough, and it seemed to work.
Now gather all the oil from the separator tank, in 5 gal containers, and load them in the back of the Draggin'.



I had discovered that a cabinet that I took out of a S280, was a great fit for the veg oil 5 gals that I use. It keeps them out of the sun, of the public eye, and in place.



Time to pump from the 5 gals into the secondary tank. That would give it one filtering, a repeat would come when it went from the secondary into the main tank.
The pick-up is in the 5 gal and a smaller line is running the oil into the secondary.



Ok, now we're close enough to having it all figured out think I'll hook up the Hard Top.

 

[LowTech]

It sounds like you're living my dream. Live it well my friend.

... Although I might have to opt for an air mattress instead if a blanket covered board!

Thanks, I will.

Prob w/ those air mattresses is that I don't like the cheap ones, and can't afford the good ones
I did add more blankets, and a couple sheep skins on the pallet B-)

 

[TMNT]

I like the paint scheme on your truck. Mine is 3-color camo but I'm thinking about repainting it like yours. Of course it might not look right back here in Georgia with all the green trees and red dirt.

 

[LowTech]

I like the paint scheme on your truck. Mine is 3-color camo but I'm thinking about repainting it like yours. Of course it might not look right back here in Georgia with all the green trees and red dirt.

The trick w/ the camo is to use your local colors. The She Beast has the same MERDC pattern but she has more of the brown and sand, mine has more sand and rust(?) w/ brown being the 3rd color. You could do green / red / brown, I've seen them, or just paint it up desert style and move

 

[gimpyrobb]

Not sure what micron you filter at, but if you ever decide to revamp your system, let me know. I have some killer 5micron water separating filters cheap. I put some on an 003 and am going to rig some up for my deuce too. Did you get the email I sent?

 

[owl]

riding the draggin

After seeing some of the work you did in the she beast, I'm looking forward to seeing how your m105 comes out. I'm really impressed with your knowledge and talent.

 

[LowTech]

A day later I was parked up on the east-side of a small gathering not far east of the Colorado River.
On the way here, in the middle of the "120 miles, no service" zone, I passed an officer who had pulled a crotch-rocket over going the other way (he was prob getting a "No Flying" ticket). We waved at each other.
Later I'm off the side looking over maps, he pulls up next to me, . . . just to see if I was alright. I say yes and thank him through his passenger window, he points at the Draggin' and says "Bad A$$".

Staying on the east-side let's me have morning views like this,


After a few days of meeting people that I'd only ever heard on-line, and delaying my travels for another birthday party. Did I happen to say that that was how the start of the trip was delayed? Think I might be starting some kind of tradition

I headed for the first place that I knew would put me on a dirt track. It just happened to be on the other side of a wilderness, and the only way i knew to get to the other side was on the "I". Around 50 miles of interstate, . . . not sure if I could handle that

Once I made it to the other side, and got my "Survivor" T-shirt, I stopped and spent some time checking maps. Once before we had come this way, and on that trip we ran a pipeline road for a bit. This time I'm taking that farther and planning to skirt east of the mountains I've been scouting.


The track looks smooth, . . . but it's not. The run-off from the mountains would eat this track up. So they've reshaped the land around the pipeline. The water that crosses the track has a small berm, like a speed bump, on the down-the-street side. This keeps the water from tracking in the direction that gets driven.
That means a speed bump w/ a cross wash at the bottom. Sometimes that's big enough to have the whole rig/trailer in, . . . sometimes its not. It's the small ones that make the going slow. A little trench, maybe 6"-12", hard to hit at speed. Add that to a few gates, that are 9' wide, and the track is really a 15mph track.

A couple hours later I had passed the northern point of the mountains and was moving around to the east side. All of which was well worth seeing and I'll def come back here for more looking around. Of course no photos because I was too busy driving.

Coming out into what I had thought might be a rural type development, based on road grids and such, I discovered that it was an Ag area . . . in the winter Dirt fields everywhere, roads that weren't roads because they were in fields, fences, . . . time to run south till I could get back into the mountains. No! The Draggin' had had enough of the crap from the new tank and it was running like I needed to change out the primary filter, . . . and I was headed out to nowhere . . .
I pulled off where there was space and looked at the maps again.
If I go east instead of south I'll get to another close mountain range, can do replacements there.
Once there I discover that the primary is the only filter I don't have

Napa is not going to be close.
I decide it's time to pull the primary filter, and w/ no good way to clean it, I put the can back on empty (one reason not to get a spin-on, I may have to keep thinking about this). Time to skip the mountains and run pavement to the SE and see if I can find a Napa or CQuest.

I catch the lowering light on the place that I stopped at,


and head out, . . . my headlights haven't failed on me for a while . . .

 

[owl]

Filter not an issue, use your underwear! You do have underwear don't you?

 

[LowTech]

Filter not an issue, use your underwear! You do have underwear don't you?

Daaaa, I knew there was something else I forgot

 

[LowTech]

After pulling the filter it ran great!

I headed toward, so called, "civilization" as the day-star moved closer to the horizon.
My goal was to get as close to town as possible, and yet still have room to park-up for the night, . . . and do it before dark . . . I don't trust those lights

Not only made town, made it out the other side, . . . town didn't have the needed shops. There were more towns in front of me.

I pushed for a place that I knew south of town. It was getting too dark, time to stop. Didn't want to be in the black of night if my lights did their blink out thing.
Pulled off the side of the road far enough that I could point back toward the pavement. Now I could have the Hard Top open and still use the light w/o being seen by passing traffic.


The next morning I started early w/ just a cup of tea.
I soon rolled into one of my favorite areas in this part of the `Zona, . . . too bad it's fenced off and non-accessible. All part of a Military Playground




As I rolled through the first town of the day I spotted a Napa, yes!

No! They would have to order it.
That was after the young woman behind the terminal couldn't find it in the database. Guess that's what happens when you try to translate the napa # that I had, for another napa #.

I roll on . . .

About 10 miles off another road "T's" into this one, and like a lot of these type intersections there's room for road tractors to pull-off among the greasewoods. I'm headed for that. Time to top-up my main tank.


By mid-day I'm backing through the gate at my buddy's VW Dry Dock.
Pull out the things that take up floor space and I still have half a day to relax

 

[DUG]

Nice field desk.

 

[LowTech]

Nice field desk.

Yes it is, thank you very much for passing it on to me.

It sure has made a nice chuck-box for the Hard Top.

 

[DUG]

Yes it is, thank you very much for passing it on to me.

It sure has made a nice chuck-box for the Hard Top.

Glad to see it put to good use.

 

[LowTech]

Not long after I got here the weather decided to give me the chance test out some, slightly more, extreme conditions. It snowed, . . . and froze, off and on for a few days . . . , I came here to be warm!



So I picked up a $8 terracotta, unglazed, flower pot. It helps, and yes I have loads of ventilation. That's not a problem right now



After that was over, I spent time just "hangin' out" and helping "Transform" the yard space here,



Also worked on getting our portable transfer pump back in running condition (yes, I did leave on this trip w/o a working transfer pump . . . doesn't everyone? ), and did some mod's on the Draggin'.
I had smoked the motor on that pump last fall trying to transfer some really think, cold, WMO. We don't use it most of the time. Mostly it's the double-diaphragm, air powered, pump that we do transfers with . . . it's mounted to the trailer, not the trailer that I'm dragging. So I had grabbed the portable, the one that I had built into an ammo box, an extra motor (almost the same kind) and brought them w/ me . . . I was going to a city
A few days hanging out w/ my "Hot Rod" friend and we kinda decided that it was going to be more work than I wanted to couple up that motor. The decision was made to buy another another one the same as what I'd had. Not like I hadn't tried all kinds of things to get that oil out of the tank there, but it was going to cost me less, in time and money, if I just replaced it. A couple weeks of being here w/ no fuel is why I did the little mod's

First I needed to get my external wireless antenna wired through the wall, not much of a signal inside. Then some of that "no-slip" stuff on the top of my bumper. We did this to the She Beast a couple years ago, see how far behind mine is. I also mounted those back-up lights I'd been carrying around for the last few years, and one still worked I spent loads of time trying to find the perfect spot, not in the way of the jerry cans, lights, etc. Once I'd decided, and mounted them, I noticed that when I had the tailgate down they would shine under it . . . YES! meant to do that Perfect for backing up to something that I was going to load, too heavy to trust on the tailgate, and it was dark. I had it covered!



I had been given a small solar panel back at the first gathering I stopped at. It was too small for what he had needed. Seems like just what I need. Of course I was pulling 12v off one batt, now I had a way to keep it topped off. I mounted the panel to the lid of the 5 gal storage box and ran the wire to the cab. there I could just plug it into the 12v outlet that I use to pull from. At least I'll be able to start it every time



Time to roll farther south.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Your post makes it sound like you were there to work, yet I think I see a hammock chair set up. Nice job.

 

[LowTech]

I was there to work . . . on MY rig!
Besides, I can't seem to get my buddy to quit his job, so I'm bored during the week. also needed something to do between the micro-brews

 

[LowTech]

Time to catch up on this trip report, I'm a few behind
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Two hours of pavement later I roll into my favorite border town, not really on the border but only 4 miles off.
I connect with friends and they invite me to do a ridge hike with them the next day, . . . I wonder if I'm going to regret spending so much time at 3,000 feet.

The next morning we head to the ridges and get a good view of the town from above.



There used to be a mountain there, now it looks like that, . . . and there's a pit big enough to put a mountain in right behind it.



The second range, past the distant part of town, is in Old Mex



Just some small part of what we saw during the hike

 

[RAYZER]

You have the most awesome adventures low tech!