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The Long Trip Home, AZ to WA

aleigh

aleigh

Well-known member
1,040
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Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
Left in the late afternoon yesterday - made it as far as past flagstaff to my camp spot. Woke up in the morning PANIC oil all over the rear axle. Thought I blew an axle seal. Then oh WHEW oil over all everything. That makes it better right? Upper trans cooler hard line was cracked at the tranny side. Poured enough oil into it to get back to Flagstaff and a truck repair place sent the line out to a hydro shop. They cut the end off, put a new end on, made it all the right length somehow, and I'm back in business. At the grand canyon now.
 
aleigh

aleigh

Well-known member
1,040
52
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Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
Day 3 through the GC was pretty nice. Went through the GC in the morning and then out to Monument Valley. Cruised around here and then made it back to Page, AZ. Camped at the Lost Rock Beach campsite. You can drive right up to the beach and camp there if you want.

In the late afternoon the oil pressure gauge got wonky and started "jittering". I pulled over tipped the cab and it seems to have good oil. No apparent leaks other than a little weep around the oil filter mount it always had. It certainly has not been dripping anything. So, I find it easier to believe bad sender or wiring vs. a problem with a gear driven oil pump on a 18k mile engine. FIDO right? So far no problems. I started it up this morning and the needle was solid again so we'll see.

My friend is out pack-rafting on Lake Powell right now and then after this we'll set course for Zion. I want to be out there but mine is buried in the back with all my other stuff! D'oh.
 
aleigh

aleigh

Well-known member
1,040
52
48
Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
Day 4 through pink coral sand dunes was nice. I missed Zion but my friend made it - realized that getting thin LMTV through there would be impossible or anyways not worth it. We drove out to the ET highway and camped just past the road to Area 51. Nothing untoward happened during the night aliens-wise although there was a dead cow. Made it through Nevada and we're camped off 395 in California now.

Truck is running well. The sender is surely bad. I did discover the only thing worse than military truck headlights might be military truck windshield wipers. Although I am reserving judgment until I put new blades on.
 
aleigh

aleigh

Well-known member
1,040
52
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Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
Arrived home safe and sound. No further problems with the truck. Ended up straight-up 4-wheeling with a trailer and an apartments worth of stuff in the bed, towing the 4200# JK - no complaints at all from the LMTV. That flickr link has been updated with the rest of the pictures. Overall sure I wish it could have been a little faster on some of the grades but really it was the perfect truck for the job - moving me and two people's worth of stuff from AZ to WA while 4-wheeling and camping in the process.
 
D

DrillerSurplus

New member
443
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Location
Salt Lake City. UT
aleigh said:
Arrived home safe and sound. No further problems with the truck. Ended up straight-up 4-wheeling with a trailer and an apartments worth of stuff in the bed, towing the 4200# JK - no complaints at all from the LMTV. That flickr link has been updated with the rest of the pictures. Overall sure I wish it could have been a little faster on some of the grades but really it was the perfect truck for the job - moving me and two people's worth of stuff from AZ to WA while 4-wheeling and camping in the process.
Click to expand...
If you don't already have a plan in place for unloading, I've got a ramp and/or 8000# reach forklift up by Snoqualmie.
 
aleigh

aleigh

Well-known member
1,040
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Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
Hadn't figured that part out yet, but if you figure you can get it down somehow, I'd appreciate it. Trailer should be sitting at 1500# and the deck height on the LMTV is 60". 1300# on the trailer if a couple of 3-man lift crates are manhandled out of it first. I loaded them, then loaded the trailer. Like those little russian dolls.
 
D

DrillerSurplus

New member
443
7
0
Location
Salt Lake City. UT
aleigh said:
Hadn't figured that part out yet, but if you figure you can get it down somehow, I'd appreciate it. Trailer should be sitting at 1500# and the deck height on the LMTV is 60". 1300# on the trailer if a couple of 3-man lift crates are manhandled out of it first. I loaded them, then loaded the trailer. Like those little russian dolls.
Click to expand...
The forklift can do 8000#, so no need to unload. We just need to get the slings figured out, I don't remember where the lift points are on the trailer.
I have an assortment of nylon lift straps, just don't know for sure if I have 4 fairly long ones that are the same length but should be able to make that work.

The alternate is a portable ramp that can rest on the back of the bed, but we would need to figure out a way to hold on to trailer as it comes down the ramp. Is it loaded with tongue to front or rear of the bed?
I'm thinking easiest to just sling it out. I'm catching up on paperwork & finishing taxes at home near Bellevue, but the weather is nice the next few days and I need an excuse to take a break. Let me know.
 
aleigh

aleigh

Well-known member
1,040
52
48
Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
So here's the damage. The jeep was a bit over 2 tons and I estimate I had maybe 1.25 tons in the bed (incl. the M101A1).

Avg moving speed: 41mph - but that includes many sections like the national parks where the speeds are slow. And a number of long crazy 30mph curve mountain roads.
2485 miles total.

483.79 gallons / $1095.37 of diesel

$196 - Transmission intercooler hydro line repair in Flagstaff

$100 - Emergency oil & other supplies

$900 - Destroyed Sigma 20/1.4

$14 - Camping at Lake Powell

$75 - Scary food

$0 - Hotels

$0 - Park Fees

TOTAL: $2380.37
 
F

firedog104

New member
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0
Location
North Idaho
To the OP- not sure if it was mentioned I didn't read the entire thread, but when I bought my deuce I met the guy at the local fairgrounds where he lived, drove my jeep into the back of my newly acquired deuce using the dirt livestock ramp, then drove home almost 500 miles. Used my local fairgrounds to unload. Just an idea to get your trailer in the truck.
 
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