Author Topic: Cruise Moab Live (2015) (Read 55982 times)

BigMike · « **on:** Apr 28, 2015, 12:18:43 PM »

We are off to this year's Cruise Moab, an official Toyota Land Cruiser Association Annual Event put on by the Rising Sun 4WD Club of Colorado. This is the largest and most popular annual Toyota-specific Moab event. Details: http://cruisemoab.com

We are sending Marlin, Christine, and myself and will be running Poison Spider Mesa on Thursday and Hell's Revenge on Friday. Please stop by our Booth Thursday evening during vendor night to say Hi

and pick-up some free Turtle stickers!

We thought it would be fun to post live updates of our trip when possible to share our experience! So keep an eye on this thread and we are looking forward to seeing many friends and customers in Utah! $Beer Chug\'n$

Regards,
BigMike

edit: removed link for Live Updates

BigMike · « **Reply #1 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 12:20:03 PM »

We are currently caravanning on CA99 towards Bakersfield and are running CB channel 10

BigMike · « **Reply #2 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 01:40:30 PM »

Just got fuel in Bakersfield, $3.05/gal (87oct, Bakersfield Costco)

My truck is making 21.1 MPG cruising behind the Crawler Truck

BigMike · « **Reply #3 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 01:54:04 PM »

It's a warm one. Left is cabin temp (in the sun) and right is air filter temp.

BigMike · « **Reply #4 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 02:22:01 PM »

Just picked up some lunch for the road (Baja Fresh) at Weedpatch Highway and are now headed up the Tehachapi, CA SR 58.

Next stop Barstow in about 2 hrs.

BigMike · « **Reply #5 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 03:04:52 PM »

Goodbye valley

Hello High Desert

BigMike · « **Reply #6 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 03:05:50 PM »

blackdiamond · « **Reply #7 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 03:57:05 PM »

I experienced similar cabin temperatures driving to the roundup in 2007. It is hard to know if rolling the window down is better or worse. Are you planning to drive at night to beat the heat?

BigMike · « **Reply #8 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 04:35:49 PM »

We might be doing that on our return trip home

Decided to go past Barstow to Yermo and are topping off one last time on this silly CA gasoline. $3.24/gal 87oct

My truck made 20.7 MPG climbing out of the valley. It was also very windy near Mojave.

BigMike · « **Reply #9 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 04:48:56 PM »

Next stop will be the far end of Vegas. Our destination for today will be Mesquite, NV which is only about 3-1/2 hrs away.

OVRAROK · « **Reply #10 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 04:56:20 PM »

Where is the wifey, mikey

BigMike · « **Reply #11 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 05:01:02 PM »

It is noticeably cooler out here.

BigMike · « **Reply #12 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 05:19:22 PM »

Quote from: ovrarok on Apr 28, 2015, 04:56:20 PM

Where is the wifey, mikey

Thank you Very much for asking

It's a real bum deal. She is currently in Japan for a close friend's wedding, a wedding I really wanted to attend (let alone another opportunity to return to Japan), but we're in the middle of six back-to-back wheel'n events, one being this trip that my wife has never been to and really wanted to attend.

We've been apart now for two weeks. She returns one day after we get back from Moab.

The older we get, the more and more it sucks to be apart like this, but at least it's a good problem we have--we are both blessed to be part of these great opportunities.

BigMike

BigMike · « **Reply #13 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 05:29:07 PM »

I'm blocking and opening up so many passing lanes for Marlin. Predictive driving alongside a tow rig is so much fun and really helps pass the time.

Regards,
Bandit

BigMike · « **Reply #14 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 05:33:08 PM »

Dropping into Baker, CA

BigMike · « **Reply #15 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 05:40:16 PM »

Home to the world's tallest thermometer:

Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did

BigMike · « **Reply #16 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 06:24:41 PM »

Yates Well Road's massive solar facility, using mirrors to concentrate sun energy to boil water.

I haven't been out this way in a while, really cool to see the sun rays all hitting the receiver. So bright and so amazing, just thinking about how much waste energy is being absorbed. How cool that was to see!

BigMike · « **Reply #17 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 06:27:07 PM »

Welcome to Primm and welcome to Nevada!

BigMike · « **Reply #18 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 07:04:31 PM »

Viva Las Vegas

BigMike · « **Reply #19 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 07:45:02 PM »

Third top-off, Pilot, N.E. Vegas, $2.89/gal 87oct. That leg netted 21.9 MPG. We're out of Cali so I think Marlin will be increasing the pace. That'll be my top MPG until Sunday.

We've logged 430 miles thus far.

BigMike

jangelfire · « **Reply #20 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 07:53:14 PM »

Pretty brave going to moab without a trailer to get home on.i admire your confidence!

BigMike · « **Reply #21 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 08:43:49 PM »

Made it safely to our hotel!

BigMike · « **Reply #22 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 08:48:14 PM »

Quote from: jangelfire on Apr 28, 2015, 07:53:14 PM

Pretty brave going to moab without a trailer to get home on.i admire your confidence!

Marlin has driven the Crawler truck to Tennessee for TLCA's Great Smokey Mountain Trail Ride not once but twice! So this isn't out of the ordinary for us.

Take a look at this thread to see where Marlin has driven the Crawler Truck: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=71545

Up to Canada over to Virginia and plenty other states, all with his Triple Ultimate Overkill Marlin Crawler Transfer Case System.

BigMike

BigMike · « **Reply #23 on:** Apr 28, 2015, 11:04:53 PM »

I'm online now with my laptop, much easier to post

I'd like to add that I'm certainly cheating, beings there is a tow rig in our group. Should my truck break down for it's first time (it's gonna happen eventually), then I can just trade places with the Crawler Truck and drive it home

One cool story that I like to tell people about Marlin and road trips is that during a long trip towards the east coast his carbureted "22MAR" (one of the earliest 22R + 20R hybrid engines) started loosing power somewhere in Arkansas and when he stopped to get gas his entire intake was covered in oil. The crankcase vent (PCV) was puking oil everywhere from tremendous blow-by and he discovered his no. 4 cylinder was dead. Sure enough spark plug no. 4 was covered in oil. He continued on and it got worse and worse until the blow-by was so bad it blew the dip stick halfway out and oil was spraying all over his exhaust header.

Long story not much longer, Marlin limped the truck to the nearest auto parts store, asked if they could order a one-over piston, and they said it would take 3 to 4 days to get (not good). So Marlin called his shop back in Fresno and had the guys overnight a spare piston & head gasket to him. Marlin ended up at an automotive garage where he traded a shop bay to work on the Crawler Truck in exchange for a day's labor while waiting for the piston to arrive by mail. Keeping in mind that Marlin started Marlin's Automotive before Marlin Crawler, he is well versed in working on any car and spent the day completing jobs for the shop. The piston arrived late afternoon and that same evening Marlin pulled his head, replaced the piston, had it all back together, and while he was leaving, the owner of the garage offered him a full-time job!

So even a broken Piston won't stop us from long-distance driving our rigs to the trail!

Regards,
BigMike

BigMike · « **Reply #24 on:** Apr 29, 2015, 08:48:10 AM »

Good morning from Mesquite, NV!

BigMike · « **Reply #25 on:** Apr 29, 2015, 09:47:36 AM »

Gamble your life away

BigMike · « **Reply #26 on:** Apr 29, 2015, 09:52:24 AM »

Beautiful Virgin River Gorge

BigMike · « **Reply #27 on:** Apr 29, 2015, 09:53:04 AM »

They had the entire road torn apart for this construction

BigMike · « **Reply #28 on:** Apr 29, 2015, 09:57:12 AM »

Hey Marlin, not so sure if that's the optimal antenna placement...

OVRAROK · « **Reply #29 on:** Apr 29, 2015, 10:03:58 AM »

I love the play by play action, keep it coming

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