Off Grid/Overland/Vehicle camping while "plinking"

[Jonnyuma]

It looked to me like IH copied the early CJ running gear.

The IH Scout actually beat the Bronco to the market in 62 or 63... it was, in a word, revolutionary.

The Jeep CJ (Civilian Jeep) beat it to the market, but was in a different catagory, IIRC... not quite an SUV (that term would come later). The Scout was always a conglomeration of outsourced parts, they used AMC engines (304, 345, and even Isuzu 4cyl diesel) Chrysler transmissions and secondary electronics, Dana axles, and terribly rust-prone sheet metal. Confusing for the home mechanic (me) until you start to learn their story arc, what you're dealing with, and how to order parts.

I dragged mine out of a flooded field in IL. It was completely submerged in the big flood of '93 (Mississippi river) and was probably even worse than most of its contemporaries... hard to imagine.

I replaced the rusted-out tranny cooler (Chrysler TF727) lines and some rotted brake and (Saginaw) PS pressure lines in the farmer's driveway and drove that pig 150 mi back to St Louis. He was counting his $300 in singles and change but still laughing at me, no doubt... sucker.

By the time I got home I was looking through the steering wheel vs over it. I hoped against hope that it was the seat base collapsing but no, I was going through the floor.

I kept and drove that car/truck for years, even drug it back to AZ when I decided that my hometown of St Louis, MO was not for me anymore... it was the ONLY vehicle that made that backtracking move. The top finally came off and I had to use ratchet straps to hold the sides together. It was so rusty that I didn't want to open the door for the inevitable VIN check when I registered it. Yet, I drove it daily to work and trusted it to get me to/from wherever I asked it to.

I have some pics of that Scout somewhere, but, yeah... BORING reminiscences of a doddering old fool.

 

[P7M13]

1950 Willys Wagon L-Head 4cyl

My Only Willys, a 1951 Pickup. Said "Hurricaine", but it was the Flat head Go-Devil engine. Perhaps the engine had been replaced in its history. Loud, stinky and hot, I miss that beast.
Now drive a '94 Land Cruiser. I prefer analog.

 

[DeanMk]

YUP!
Though Mine takes me WAY W-A-Y W--A--Y out there in Gods Country!
View attachment 614940
My Last Super Cub prior to the current one in my avatar!

Piper Super Cub, The Ultimate RV.
Nice setup Ura-Ki.

 

[DeanMk]

I like to go overlording.. "overlanding" in/with improbable vehicles since I was a kid.
no big deal

Until I got Whitey Ford, I used to make believe my '89 Mazda B2200 was a 4by.
That truck would go dam near everywhere.....getting back from there was sometimes another story.

 

[DeanMk]

Any of you guys enjoy going off grid for camping (in the middle of nowhere) and enjoy plinking at the same time?

View attachment 614925 View attachment 614926 View attachment 614927

When I was a kid, we'd call it goin' huntin'….



...sometimes my plinking would bring down a bird or two....no one ever said anything....
Seen here is yours truly, the dogs, Dad's '74 1/2 ton Chevy with a Smittybilt canopy and the 15' Shasta camping trailer he got from one fo the teachers at the high school.
Late 70's....good times.

Dean

 

[Certaindeaf]

Until I got Whitey Ford, I used to make believe my '89 Mazda B2200 was a 4by.
That truck would go dam near everywhere.....getting back from there was sometimes another story.

I just sold my 86 B2000 I got new.. best rig ever.

 

[Ura-Ki]

When I was a kid, we'd call it goin' huntin'….

View attachment 615247

Dude, My Grand Dad had almost that EXACT same Chevy, bought it brand new in 73, same color, white interior, even had almost the same canopy on it! Lots and lots of critters got hauled home from the wilds in that Chevy!

 

[Jonnyuma]

I just sold my 86 B2000 I got new.. best rig ever.

, I used to make believe my '89 Mazda B2200 was a 4by

WOAH!
I had an 89 B2200 4x4 that was my daily driver up until a couple of yrs ago. What a great little truck.

I pd $400 for it right after my divorce and drove it for 5 years without spending any money on it save for a set of used tires ($100) from Craigslist and maintenance items.

Unfortunately, bad valve seals made a replacement truck necessary...A $400 truck needing head work is a non starter for me, even if I did the work myself... still sold it for $300.

Great little trucks and virtually the same as similar year Ford Rangers.

 

[DeanMk]

I just sold my 86 B2000 I got new.. best rig ever.

Did yours leak oil through the front cam bearing cap, too?
Mine was chronic for that, for the (almost) 21 years I owned it.
I'd like to trade Whitey Ford for an 80's Toyota trick, but most I see are already pretty used up.


Dean

 

[DeanMk]

Dude, My Grand Dad had almost that EXACT same Chevy, bought it brand new in 73, same color, white interior, even had almost the same canopy on it! Lots and lots of critters got hauled home from the wilds in that Chevy!

The biggest option on Dad's truck was the colour Red (or maybe the fact that it was long bed, either/or I guess).
He specifically wanted the P-L-A-I-N J-A-N-E model and the dealer had to call every other dealership in Kitsap County, through Tacoma, south Seattle, Seattle, North Seattle and FINALLY found one in Lynwood.
They drove it around to Poulsbo (because its cheaper than taking the boat ), so my dad's NEW truck had 149 miles on it when he got it.
250 six, 3 on the tree, bench seat, everything was either painted metal, vinyl or plastic, in the cab.
Didn't even have a radio. He picked up an AM/FM car radio from....someplace, for like $10 (which made him happy, since it was about 1/2 the price of the factory am/fm radio) and it worked for the whole time he had that truck (I do remember he got the antenna from JC Whitney. Big tall chrome thing with the coil spring at the bottom).
Nice ol' truck.
Bought a set of "Fleetwood" snow tires from the old Kelly-O.k. tire dealership in Tacoma that fall. Man, he loved those snow tires and was really pissed at my former brother-in-law when he tore up the sidewalls and flattened the tires after borrowing the truck one time.
That Smittybilt canopy was gotten through the friend of a friend, IIRC. It was actually made for a 9 foot Ford bed, so dad jimmy'd the rig by setting it on 2x6's and holding it all down with C-clamps.
At the time, that was the best canopy one could possibly get.
Steel square tube frame with aluminum skin. The door was in a separate frame and could be removed, if needed.
In the days before we got the trailer, Dad and I built center section that we would set on the bed and the canopy would set on it.
I think it was about 2 feet tall and allow us to sit up on a bench he made from plywood that would sit over the wheel well in the bed.
It was our "camping rig". He has some special vinyl backed closed cell padding we'd set down on the floor and he glued hard foam panel into the roof of the canopy, to keep it from sweating so bad when he was using the Coleman stove.
We sold the truck after dad died in '94, but still have bits and pieces of that center section sitting in the garage.


Dean

 

[Ura-Ki]

Piper Super Cub, The Ultimate RV.
Nice setup Ura-Ki.

Thanks!
I miss that Plane some times, it was a sort of pig ( Heavy), but it was solid and reliable and could handle all my off road needs!
The current one is much MUCH lighter, has a ton more power and uses less fuel, while carrying more fuel and payload!
Alas, it's going on the block to be replaced with an ever better one! Wife loves to fly with me, but HATES this current one, she says it's super sketch and she refuses to fly with me in it ( No covering on the fuselage and no doors or sides)! So, I ordered a new one, It should be ready to pick up in 3 weeks and then the build begin's! This time, I got a absolute freight hauler, the most capable Super Cub ever, though there is basically nothing left of the original super cub design in it!

Backcountry Super Cubs – The ultimate in STOL performace.

www.supercub.com

 

[Ura-Ki]

The biggest option on Dad's truck was the colour Red (or maybe the fact that it was long bed, either/or I guess).
He specifically wanted the P-L-A-I-N J-A-N-E model and the dealer had to call every other dealership in Kitsap County, through Tacoma, south Seattle, Seattle, North Seattle and FINALLY found one in Lynwood.
They drove it around to Poulsbo (because its cheaper than taking the boat ), so my dad's NEW truck had 149 miles on it when he got it.
250 six, 3 on the tree, bench seat, everything was either painted metal, vinyl or plastic, in the cab.
Didn't even have a radio. He picked an AM/FM car radio from....someplace, for like $10 (which made him happy, since it was about 1/2 the price of the factory am/fm radio) and it worked for the whole time he had that truck.
Nice ol' truck.
Bought a set of "Fleetwood" snow tires from the old Armstrong dealership in Tacoma that fall. Man, he loved those snow tires and was really pissed at my former brother-in-law when he tore up the sidewalls and flattened the tires after borrowing the truck one time.

Dean

Grand Dad special ordered his truck from GM, this was back in the day where you could actually go to the factory and watch them build it and take delivery with out having to go through a dealer, which saved several hundred dollars ( back then)! It was the first and only brand new anything they ever bought!
It was the 1973 2WD 3500 Scottsdale Camper Special version, in Sunset Orange/Copper Metallic with white vinyl/cloth interior, had the 350/350 power with air and power windows and am/fm radio and trailer wiring and hitch! He paid $4200 cash for it and drove it home from the truck plant back to Oregon while on a "Break In" tour through the upper western states! The Family sold the truck in 98 with 170,000 miles on the clock, and that truck still looked and drove brand new! Grand Dad always ran Cooper tires on it, he had a deal with Les Schawb to get those tires, and that darn truck always got 17 Miles per gallon! Man, I miss that truck!

 

[DeanMk]

Thanks!
I miss that Plane some times, it was a sort of pig ( Heavy), but it was solid and reliable and could handle all my off road needs!
The current one is much MUCH lighter, has a ton more power and uses less fuel, while carrying more fuel and payload!
Alas, it's going on the block to be replaced with an ever better one! Wife loves to fly with me, but HATES this current one, she says it's super sketch and she refuses to fly with me in it ( No covering on the fuselage and no doors or sides)! So, I ordered a new one, It should be ready to pick up in 3 weeks and then the build begin's! This time, I got a absolute freight hauler, the most capable Super Cub ever, though there is basically nothing left of the original super cub design in it!

Backcountry Super Cubs – The ultimate in STOL performace.

www.supercub.com

You're getting a Backcountry!
Those are super cool!
Before you lay down your money, check out The Bearhawk.
There's 3 options now, The original 4-place (which is basically a Maule), a tandem seat PATROL (aka Super Duper Cub!) and the LSA, which is akin to a regular Cub, but a little more substantial (maybe closer to an Aeronca Champ?).
Although marketed as a kit plane, I think they now offer turn-key models, too.
Not to downplay the Back Country, which is an amazing plane in its own right, but the Bearhawk has always impressed me.

Dean

 

[DeanMk]

WOAH!
I had an 89 B2200 4x4 that was my daily driver up until a couple of yrs ago. What a great little truck.

I pd $400 for it right after my divorce and drove it for 5 years without spending any money on it save for a set of used tires ($100) from Craigslist and maintenance items.

Unfortunately, bad valve seals made a replacement truck necessary...A $400 truck needing head work is a non starter for me, even if I did the work myself... still sold it for $300.

Great little trucks and virtually the same as similar year Ford Rangers.

I paid $5700 for Ol' Betsy in September of 1992.
I got it at the Christian Car Lot, which was originally the home of Eastside Subaru (Bremerton, if anyone here knows what I'm talking about).
The truck had 80K miles on it at the time. The Firestone down the street put new brakes on it and one of the rears came apart while I was driving on Alaskan, on the way to the boat, after work.
I had to get all new brake parts, shy of the wheel cylinder. It was mangled!
By the time it had 120K on it, I had already changed out 3 seals and then the rear main went, so.....time for a re-build.
By that time, I'd owned the truck about 2.5 years, so for the next.....18.5 years?, it was pretty much flawless.
I blogged my experiences wiht that truck at CarSurvey.org. Check out This Blog to get the history.
I loved that truck and the Ford sometimes makes me regret selling it in August of 2013, but then I remember the limitations I had to live with owning it and I don't feel so bad anymore.
Kinda wish I had an 80's Toyota truck, but most I see anymore are pretty worn out. Don't feel like doing that much work anymore.

Dean

 

[Certaindeaf]

Did yours leak oil through the front cam bearing cap, too?
Mine was chronic for that, for the (almost) 21 years I owned it.
I'd like to trade Whitey Ford for an 80's Toyota trick, but most I see are already pretty used up.


Dean

No, it was still running great and straight as a pin.
250k and burned about half a quart/3000 miles.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Kinda wish I had an 80's Toyota truck, but most I see anymore are pretty worn out

Its pretty amazing what old Toyotas still command price-wise. Back in 04 or 05 I was selling an extremely well-kept Nissan Frontier 4x4...bought (by me) for 10G when it was a yr or two old. Low miles, adult-owned, custom painted (black to match) ARE shell, 31" BFG Radial A/Ts, SS Gibson cat back, K&N, etc... just a nice truck. I had it for sale for 6G, told a dude I'd cut it loose for 5. He looked at it and said he had thought it was a Toyota... dumbass. If it was a Toyota do you think It would be 5G? Nope, 10G... now GTF off my lawn, troll. You're too stupid to own either.

BTW, I constantly troll Craigslist... enter $4-5G 4x4 Toyota and you get late 90s to early 00s. Notch it up to $7000 and the model year range doesn't move. I think it's cult-ish.

 

[DeanMk]

No, it was still running great and straight as a pin.
250k and burned about half a quart/3000 miles.

Yeah, that was a fault with that engine.
All mating surfaces, as they leave the factory, have a very slight cup to them, so that when you pull torque them down, there's a little spring pressure to help seal the seam.
Some of the Mazda engines had too much of a cup to them and wouldn't always seal correctly.
Especially true of the front cam bearing cap, which where mine leaked.
Even the factory repair manual said if it ever leaked there, to run some lines of Permatex sealant in a cross-hatch pattern to get the thing to seal up.
….which I did....
Took about 20 minutes of highway driving until I heard the faint pop of the seal breaking. I pulled over right there and could already see some oil seeping out.
From that point on, I just remembered to keep an eye on the oil and it was fine.
It was still a good truck, just had some short comings. Ain't nuthin' perfect.
I sold mine with about 256K+ on the clock, too.

Dean

 

[Ura-Ki]

Already made my deposit! After a lot of experience with the various air frames and a LOT of thought on the various options that are out there, there were several points I had to take in to consideration. 1) it had to fit the new LSA/Experimental qualifications) 2) it had to come in under weight of 1600 pounds ( well under 1300 Ideally)
3) it had to be compatible with the Lycoming pattern engines 4) it had to hit the weight/balance specs with a large Lycoming
and it had to be extra tough!
My choices were the Aviat Husky, another American Champion Scout Denali, or the Back Country Super Cub! No other's met my requirements!
The Husky is an awesome air frame, but it's a absolute PIG, empty weight is well over the 1300# cut off, and the Scout is almost as bad! ( And they are SUPER EXPENSIVE) or the Just Aircraft Super Stol XL!
The other issue was I would have ether had to buy a Certified Air frame and go through all the FAA certs and then the hassles of re certifying as a LSA ( where both bend the limits) With the Just Aircraft, go through a huge amount of work to use the engine I want, or spec out a B.C.S.C. and be much better off and much closer to what I want and need!
So, I have a B.C.S.C. Rev 2.1 in the works with a few mods and I spec'ed it out to my needs and wishes which they were most agreeable to!
Target is a 1100 pound empty air frame, 300+ HP Lycoming IO 435/470 Turbo/Injected! Options I spec'ed, 6 inch over, 12 inch wider, 3 inch forward Heavy Duty PA-18 Landing gear with the Porter Suspension system. no Tail Gear mounts, extra heavy fuse bracing of the horizontal stab pivot and jack screw trim actuator, ( NO more Flying Wires) electric trim, extra heavy bracing at the wing mounts, landing gear mounts, and firewall, and the Conical Engine mount 3 inches short/Back, left side cargo door ( mirror of the right side) No throttle mount bar, one piece cockpit doors, and braced console under mount ( For the Porter Gear leg mounts) no float mounts, Performance Aero Composite Flaps. NO Aluminum sheet parts, ( No leading edges, no trailing edges, boot cowl, and fuse sides around the cockpit, no firewall, Willow Mountain dropped floor conversion, and full carbon cargo compartment kit and false floors, and NO seats and no duel controls or pedals!
I have new 10 inch wheels being made with brake rotor mounts, and a pair of 35 inch Alaska Bush wheels on the way, as well as a Maxis go-kart rim and over blown tire for the tail gear! Also have Matco brake rotors and calipers on the way and Beringer toe brakes.
The Kit will be ready to pick up in about 3 more weeks, and then it's off to the races to get it built, build time should be around 700 hours, Not including the engine! I'm also using the new Duracover system this go around, so no more expensive and time consuming primer and paint process, and no more stitching and taping! Just apply and stretch and then paint the trim if you have a trim scheme! Should save around 30 pounds depending on how I decide to trim it!

 

[DeanMk]

Duracover is new to me....so the colour is impregnated into the fabric?
Sounds like what you're describing.
Otherwise, that plane is a BRUTE!
...sign of an experienced owner who knows exactly what he needs.
Post some pics when you get that plane up and running.
Good luck.

Dean

 

[DeanMk]

Its pretty amazing what old Toyotas still command price-wise. Back in 04 or 05 I was selling an extremely well-kept Nissan Frontier 4x4...bought (by me) for 10G when it was a yr or two old. Low miles, adult-owned, custom painted (black to match) ARE shell, 31" BFG Radial A/Ts, SS Gibson cat back, K&N, etc... just a nice truck. I had it for sale for 6G, told a dude I'd cut it loose for 5. He looked at it and said he had thought it was a Toyota... dumbass. If it was a Toyota do you think It would be 5G? Nope, 10G... now GTF off my lawn, troll. You're too stupid to own either.

BTW, I constantly troll Craigslist... enter $4-5G 4x4 Toyota and you get late 90s to early 00s. Notch it up to $7000 and the model year range doesn't move. I think it's cult-ish.

I keep getting news feeds for a FB buy and sell page from all over the NW (and some other places, too).
Always seeing all kinds of little trucks on there.
Saw a 70's Datsun Lil' Hustler on there the other day that wasn't in half bad shape.
….I really wanted to call that guy.

Dean