Dory transits cross country

[joeblack5]

Monday April 29..
Went for morning walk after watching sunrise. All pretty spectacular as can be expected from this environment.
Found a outlook platform probably made by native Indian to honor their ancestors.
Helped a Chinese photographer who had rolled out 300 ft of ancient Chinese philosophy scrolls. He had tried for the last three days but did not succeed because of high winds. This morning he had trouble because some rain started to fall. I think he made his shots he was pretty happy that we helped rolling them back up. They were hand painted on really thin paper. So if would have been a small disaster if they got damaged.

We left and Almost immediately I heard a loud squeel like escaping air. Thought the turbo hose came of again or that my mcguyver fix on the air tank had failed. But it turned out that the alternator main bolt had vibrated out and was missing. This is a pretty long 12 mm bolt that I did not have a spare for. I used two 3/8 socket extension , one from each side and then some duct tape to prevent them from coming out. That is how we made it to mexican hat and Monument Valley.

[joeblack5]

Another failed upload

[Native]

Not THAT's a real McGuyver fix!

[joeblack5]

Here are some pics of moki dugway. This shortcut was created for the uranium mines and has real cool switchbacks and steep grades. In one of the pics I tried to show the GPS screen at the same time.
Curious how many other skoolies have driven this road?
I wonder if anything over a short bus could make the turns.

[Native]

You sure have taken Dory into places many of us would not dare to go!

[joeblack5]

Pics with post 176 if I remember correctly 9600 feet.

[joeblack5]

Haha. Kudos to Smita who was willing to expose the kids and herself to my confidence that in theory Dory could do it.... I had driven a tight circle in the sand ,measured the outer tracks and then compared that with the satellite view of the hairpins. It showed feasible.
Got to love her.

[joeblack5]

Got to monument valley. Had camped there 14 yrs ago. All was gone. The old nice campground , even featured in the monkey wrench gang , was replaced by a motel. A new well organized $10 tourist trap is what is there now. Took a picture and got out. The entrance drive that used to be a road full of little vendor tents with jewellery.... All gone.
Oh well.. More people on the same globe with the same ideas.
In Kayenta we got a new alternator bolt from the Napa store. They did not have a long enough 12 mm bolt but I was lucky that a 1/2" bolt fitted real tight... The Napa store had one dedicated check out person. Probably the way the Indian Reservation deals with unemployment.
A little further we found a resupply store and left then on rt160 to Dennehotso. Diesel is cheap on the reservation. We had some pretty nice thunderstorms after Mexican water on rt191 and boo docked in Round Rock along the road.
Next morning we drove to canyon the Chelley nm to relive my marriage proposal of 14 yrs ago. We had breakfast in Chinle at the best western motel / restaurant. They refused to let us use their WiFi. Of course our Verizon 4G did not work in that area.... Food was good but the whole idea was annoying. Burger King has free WiFi.

[Mountain Gnome]

Originally Posted by joeblack5

Here are some pics of moki dugway. This shortcut was created for the uranium mines and has real cool switchbacks and steep grades. In one of the pics I tried to show the GPS screen at the same time.
Curious how many other skoolies have driven this road?
I wonder if anything over a short bus could make the turns.

I'm confused. Your bus does not look like a short bus to me!


What is your wheelbase? Mine is 133", just longer than the wheelbase of my minivan. I took my bus over the "Three Sister's Pass" (shortcut open only in the summer between Bend and Eugene, OR.) and it said up to 36' I think. My bus is 26', and the bends were tight! Glad there was no traffic (it was at night).



reading your post, with the low clearance your bus has, makes me feel better about taking my bus on dirt roads in the middle of nowheres!. My clearance is my weakspot I think.

[gs1949]

Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome

... reading your post, with the low clearance your bus has, makes me feel better about taking my bus on dirt roads in the middle of nowheres!. My clearance is my weakspot I think.

I agree completely Joe. You are opening horizons for your readers. I find your adventures fascinating, and thank you for your accounts of them, which help keep me motivated and focussed on the project instead of various aches and pains.

I am really looking forward to getting my bus onto some dirt roads during the upcoming dry season here in Western Oregon. I'll start with the Siskiyou National Forest because it's so close and I know it so well, but that will just be a couple of short testing runs. The main event will come a little later. I intend to head south to S Nevada by shortly after Halloween if at all possible, and then just play it by ear from there.

[cadillackid]

that bums monument valley isnt what it used to be... granted I never camped there.. but it was always a neat place to escape pretty much everything and just walk.. I suppose the motel would be nice for guys like me that have busses full of seats vs nice rigs like Dory....



really loving the pics! and the true macgyver fixes!!!
-Christopher

[joeblack5]

Thanks all.
Dory is 32 ft long+ 3 ft or so bike rack up front. Wheelbase is 16 ft.
This is obviously not a bus to plow thru mud. Because of the short and well thought out wheelbase it works very well for boon docking and tight roads.
Hi Chris.... Running ahead of my story but wanted to give you a pic. Was thinking of you while there.

The three sisters pass? Is that the same as highway 242 ...Mackenzie pass?
May be next year ...would love to go to Oregon and beyond. Have a friend in Eugene who I really would like to see.

[joeblack5]

The thunderstorm from the evening before gave a nice rainbow. The kids did the junior ranger thing and we hiked into the canyon. Dogs not allowed...reason ??..the locals that are selling art in the canyon have their dogs running loose.. It is amazing how fast the last 14 yrs have gone by.
On the way out we stopped at the burger king and got coffee and free WiFi. Then we moved on and boon docked at a gas station / burgerking n Burnside. Bought a couple of Navajo local newspapers to get a feel for the atmosphere. Can't say that they painted a rosy picture about life and opportunities. The native Indian bond must be very strong that only 17% of their population moves out of the reservation. Do like the T shirt.." Fighting terrorism since 1492 "

[Ronnie]

We have hiked into this canyon too, a few years ago. I remember the soft barefoot friendly soil, I hiked it all barefoot as I often hike barefoot if it is foot friendly.

Very spiritual land to the Navajo, we took part in a land healing ceremony.

[Mountain Gnome]

Originally Posted by joeblack5

Thanks all.
Dory is 32 ft long+ 3 ft or so bike rack up front. Wheelbase is 16 ft.
This is obviously not a bus to plow thru mud. Because of the short and well thought out wheelbase it works very well for boon docking and tight roads.


The three sisters pass? Is that the same as highway 242 ...Mackenzie pass?
May be next year ...would love to go to Oregon and beyond. Have a friend in Eugene who I really would like to see.

16ft wheelbase is Short? I guess shorter than other buses? Your pics make your bus look to my eyes like it is over 32ft, but I believe you


We took a 1977 Chevy K5 Blazer to Mexico back in the day. It could do a U-turn in 2 standard size (neighborhood width) lanes without needing to multi-point the turn. Oversized mud tires and 4×4 front axle and all. Well thought out. I should figure my actual turning radius, but I think it is just over 3 lanes (with the front-end swinging over the curb)


Yea, the Mackenzie pass. That's the one. I went uphill at night (from Eugene toward Bend) and it was the nose-swing that worried me. My tires were in my lane, but my nose sometimes was not! People drive very fast down that hill, and the hairpins are very blind turns. I was begging for a wreck. Glad it was at night, with little traffic.


Go from Bend and you can drive half-way to the very popular hiking area with the obsidian cliffs on that road (paid parking in the national forest - screw NewtGingrich for defunding the woods and NP system), before you hit the tight switchbacks going downhill. I told myself I'm never taking my bus (now motorhome) though the switchbacks again. But I tell myself stuff like that all the time, and then years pass, and I do it again...and tell myself again: "not again"...then years pass, and I do it again....

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome

16ft wheelbase is Short? I guess shorter than other buses? Your pics make your bus look to my eyes like it is over 32ft, but I believe you

What is the WB on a 40'er? My 37 only has a 17.5'wb.

[Ronnie]

I am 253" on a 34 ft bus, dog nose. Turning radius, a few city blocks....

[Rovobay]

Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome

I'm confused. Your bus does not look like a short bus to me!


What is your wheelbase? Mine is 133", just longer than the wheelbase of my minivan. I took my bus over the "Three Sister's Pass" (shortcut open only in the summer between Bend and Eugene, OR.) and it said up to 36' I think. My bus is 26', and the bends were tight! Glad there was no traffic (it was at night).



reading your post, with the low clearance your bus has, makes me feel better about taking my bus on dirt roads in the middle of nowheres!. My clearance is my weakspot I think.

Mt Gnome, I loved the thought of a TC1000 when I was looking. drove one. measured the distance from the from bumper to the front of the front tire. it was 6 feet if I recall and the height was 1 foot from the bottom of the front bumper to the ground. That gave me huge concern for approach angles especially because I intend to run on more remote roads..... however after seeing Dory go through so much different terrain, I am confident that will practice and knowing your vehicles limits, it wouldn't seem to be too much of a problem.

[joeblack5]

Hi all. Not sure why in reality this slf with 8 ft overhang front and back is doing reasonable well. It sure had surprised me and a lot of people we met on the road. Main thing seems to be to go slow. The air springs are so soft that when I brake the nose dips down a couple of inches. Of course the ferry setting allows me to go up 3 to 4 " as well. With the soft springs it is pretty comfortable.

Ronnie do you have connections to Navajo?

Anyhow on with the program.
Got coffee at the gas station in burnside and then back on the road. First stop was Hubbell trading post. Much note fun then we anticipated. A lot depends on the enthusiasm of the rangers. Kids did their junior ranger thing. The trading post was still operational. Tried to convince my wife to trade a couple of used Robin cooks for a cup of coffee... Would have made a good story but she did not want to.

Then we went on to petrified forest NP. First to the i40 side and then drove to the other side. The left side gift shop just outside the park allows you to boondocks for free. The right side has electric hookups and wants to charge a fee. A no go with our solar. The left side it was.

Upload failed. Will try in separate post.

[joeblack5]

Second try. The first pic are paintings of some of the original Navajo designs after a lot of knowledge got lost by the way they were treated by us.
The other in the visitor center of petrified forest and camping area outside the park.