Swap Meet – 4 Wheel Parts: Oct 13th

Posted: June 19, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Travel | Tags: , | Leave a comment

The Nevada 4 Wheel Drive Association is hosting another Swap Meet at 4 Wheel Parts in Sparks. The date is Saturday, October 13th, 2018.

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It’s early but we’re planning on a bigger event than we had on April 25th of this year. This is more of a save the date announcement.

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We’d like to have a few people step up and help out. We’re looking for someone, some group or some business to:

  • Run the rock pile
  • Run the RTI ramp
  • Organize one or two food trucks
  • Get a raffle going
  • Post the event on social media: Facebook, Twitter, etc.

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Please let me know if you can help out.

 

Rubicon Ronin

 

Trail saw

Posted: June 11, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance, Travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

This time of year, we expect that enough people have been out and about on our public trails that any tree clearing should be done. So, why carry a bulky, smelly chainsaw and spare fuel?

I agree. But just this last weekend, we had a wind event that had sustained 50 mph winds over the sierras. The odds of coming across a tree blocking your way increased dramatically.

Now it’s not as big a deal on your way in to find a tree across the trail. Remember, Turn Around, Don’t Go Around. You could just turn around and find another place to go enjoy the mountains. But what if you’re on your way out. You can’t turn around because you need to get out. You won’t drive off trail to go around the tree because that’s really bad.

Here’s my solution:

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The Silky Katana Boy. It’s larger than you think at almost four feet long!

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The blade length is 20″. you need two hands to use this monster. The teeth are very aggressive.

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It folds up in to the provided pouch to about 27″.

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It’s not going to clear a 30″ tree in two minutes. But for most of the trees you’ll come across, it will do the job. Even if you only score one side half way in, you could pull the tree with your vehicle and break the tree and get past it.

It’s not bulky and it doesn’t require fuel. If I’m not carrying my chainsaw, I always carry this one.

Okay, the downside. It’s a little pricey. I just looked on Amazon and it runs about $135.

 

Rubicon Ronin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New map addition for flier

Posted: June 8, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Access, Travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

The 2018 Rubicon Area OHV Trails map/flier is hot off the press.

Hopefully, by Saturday afternoon, I’ll get them at the Rubicon trailhead in Tahoma. Once the Middle Fork Trail opens, I’ll post them there as well. The LTBMU is on board and even the TNF has allowed me to put up my map and fliers at the Barker Pass intersection.

So, not a lot of changes but one very important change. I’ve added a better representation of the Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) property and the trail to access the property. If you remember, there was a land swap done to allow vehicle access to the RTF property from the Rubicon. So, the RTF property is no longer the traditional rectangle of a half section of land.

Flier map 2018_3_16 (Medium)

Please remember that the RTF property is private property. It must be open for you to drive there. The plan is for the property to be open every weekend this summer but not mid-week.

The trail on the map is an approximation. It should not be used for navigation but rather for the general location of the trail. Please stay on the trail and Tread Lightly!

RTF plans to build a caretaker cabin on the property this summer. That will allow the property to be open all summer in 2019.

For more information on the RTF property, I suggest visiting the RTF website:

www.RubiconTrailFoundation.com

If you have suggestions for future versions of this map or the flier please contact me:

TheOtherRubicon@charter.net

 

Rubicon Ronin

 

 

 

Winch installation

Posted: June 8, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | Leave a comment

So, it’s been a long time coming but the winch is finally mounted.

So this is the ‘project’ Jeep. I thought a simple project like getting the winch mounted would be quick and easy and a good motivator for the next step, replacing the leaking freeze plug.

It’s a Warn HS9500i. I got a screaming deal. Sneavy’s Off-Road was the source for the winch line. It’s mounted on a Warn winch plate with a modification. I’ll need to get out and re-wind the winch under a load to get it tight.

Winch 2

With it being a high speed winch, and looking to double the capacity of the pull, I often use a snatch block. On the current trail rig, there is a standard hook that I connect back to on the winch.

On this install, I decided to upgrade to a D-ring. I had to cut down the face of the winch plate for better access to the D-ring. I cut a 1/2″ plate to size and bought a D-ring mounting point online.

I outsourced the welding because although I can weld (sort-of), I didn’t want to have second thoughts every time I used the D-ring.

Winch

This project took WAY too long, but don’t they all. Although it looks like a stock bumper, It’s actually a 1/4″ plate bent to look stock. I cut down the bumper to 46″, that’s like 4″ off each side of a stock bumper. Then I had it powder pointed.

For those looking REALLY close at the details, yes, I still need to snug up the frame bolts.

Not sure where the front license plate will mount, if it gets mounted. Maybe just a magnet mount somewhere for to and from the trail.

Now to move on to that freeze plug.

 

Rubicon Ronin