The Rooster
March 2017
THE ROOSTER A monthly update from the Inland Empire Offroad Association
What’s New We had a big crowd at the dunes for the Presidents week trip, and at one point had 24 dune vehicles meet up during a break at the swing set.
March Trips We don’t yet have firm dates for a March Glamis trip, but Jim is considering St. Patrick’s day or a mid-week trip starting March 26. Mike is also planning a trip to Ocotillo Wells on March 10-13
Easter at Glamis We are planning a long trip to Glamis starting over a week before Easter, on April 6-17th.
New Toys Jerry Trantham picked up a second RZR 900, this one with a turbo. Also Shirley traded RZRs with Don to get a 1000.
Glamis, Presidents Week February 9-21, 2017 By Jim Kastle
I arrived at Wash 6 around 1:00 PM Thursday, after being delayed by a flat tire on the RZR trailer on the way down. I had no idea it was flat until a passing driver was frantically pointing back, and pulled in front of me and turned on his 4-ways. I immediately figured I had lost a tire on the RZR trailer. I can't see it behind the fifth wheel, and have wondered for two years how I would know a tire was flat. It wasn't that big a deal. It was a very comfortable 80 degrees , and Jerry and Linda, Don and Shirley, and Mike were already set up. We talked for quite a while, then Don helped me get the white and yellow trailers from storage. Walt, Ray and Janice, and Kris and Doug soon arrived. More conversation was followed by dinner, then a campfire. Friday morning Shirley drove her RZR for the first time in over a year and Kris wanted to drive the 1000, so Doug volunteered to lead an easy ride. I followed, wanting to break in my new clutches and belt as gently as possible, and Don went with us. Mike led Ray and Janice, Jerry in his new-to-him turboed 900 RZR, and Walt in his sandrail. The two rides met at Sweet Marie's for ice cream. Jerry reported the new turbo was powerful, but does use a lot of fuel. Shirley was comfortable in the RZR. The two rides returned to camp separately. After lunch Walt and I put up the masts on the yellow trailer and after much hassle, we
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managed to dial in his satellite dish. Jim and his son, Dave, friends of Janice from Arizona, had arrived while we were on the ride. Mike led Kris and Doug, and Jim and Dave on a ride to Hill 3, the flagpole, and the swing set. Jim has an 800 4 seater, and Doug reports he had no problems. The day ended with a campfire.
Upcoming Events • March 10-13 Ocotillo Wells trip at Salton City Golf Course (contact Mike Bacon for info.) • March 17-20 or 26-?: Glamis trip, contact Jim Kastle if you’re interested. • April 6-17, 2017: Easter week (and more) at Glamis, Wash 6. (Easter Sunday is April 16)
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Saturday morning I found Jeff, (Jim's son), wife Renee, and son Tyler, who are friends of Janice from Riverside had arrived. It was sprinkling lightly, delaying any riding. Around 11:00 Mike led several RZR's, Tyler, on a motorcycle, and Walt in his buggy on a fun ride that included the flag pole, the swing set, and a detour near Gecko. The detour was prompted by a RZR that pulled up to us as we took a break at the swing set. Many of us saw a Malcom Smith decal on it, and assumed they were friends of Janice. The driver asked "Where's Gecko?" Of course, five of us point in five different directions, then we realized he was serious! He said he had earlier been to the swing set, and thought he was heading towards Gecko, but ended up back at the swing set. We pointed him in the right direction, but he was so frustrated, he offered to pay someone to take him to Gecko! The RZR was a rental, and he was apparently with a group, but got separated from them. We offered to lead him to a place where he could see camp. In less than a mile, we could see Gecko, and he was ready to go the rest of the way by himself. We headed back to camp after an impromptu fuel 2
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March 2017
stop for the motorcycle. Speaking of Tyler, I enjoyed following him, once I realized two wheelers throw quite a roost. It seems like he floated over the sand and appeared to be having a great time. He is a world-class jet ski racer, and there was an obvious carryover to the bike and the sand. As we pulled into camp we saw Bobby and Luanne had arrived. Some of us decided to go to Brawley for Pizza Hut. Don and Shirley, Bobby and LuAnne, and Walt and I visited a nearly empty restaurant, and had an excellent meal with everyone bringing home leftovers, just like we used to at Mama Jeannie’s. Back in camp we enjoyed a nice campfire on a surprisingly cool night. Sunday morning it was real windy, delaying our ride. Steve Sturm arrived, followed soon by Frank Wilson. The wind continued all day. Bobby and Steve went for a short ride, and I think they were the only ones to brave the wind. Sunday was Doug's 60th birthday, so he, along with Kris, Mike, Bobby, LuAnn, Don, Shirley, Walt, and I celebrated at Yuma's Texas Roadhouse. The wait was very long, despite our using their call ahead seating. We figured lots of people were having an early Valentines Day dinner. The food was great, and despite being very busy our server did a great job. We returned to a roaring campfire. It was quite windy overnight, and when I looked out the window Monday morning, I saw the club flag just above my dually. Looking closer, I found the mast had broken. I went for a morning walk, and when I returned, Steve told me Bobby had driven himself to the hospital after waking up with a numb arm. As I type this Monday evening, LuAnn is with him at the hospital in El Centro, where he was transferred from Brawley because Brawley's MRI machine was broken. Steve, Frank, and I went for a fast buggy ride on very smooth sand, topped with a stop at the store for ice cream. There were two concurrent RZR rides, with Mike, Ray, Janice, and Jerry on a fast ride, and Don, Shirley, Kris and Doug on a more mellow ride. Apparently, at some time on the ride, Shirley drove the 1000, with Don in the 900. Later in the day, Don, Shirley, Kris, Doug, and I followed Mike on a RZR ride to the dunes near Olds, with Shirley enjoying her new RZR. While we were on the ride, Ray and Janice left camp and called on the radio to ask where we were, and started heading towards us. Soon Ray called to tell us he was heading back to camp for a radiator hose, as Janice's broke, just like mine did last trip. Mike led us to Janice and we removed the seats and a heat shield while waiting for Ray. With everyone working on it, we soon had it better than new, thanks to Jerry's heat shield. We returned to camp and had a campfire.
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March 2017
Tuesday morning I awoke to find Lynette, Bobby's daughter's, truck parked by Bobby's fifth wheel. When I got back from a walk, she was giving details to Jerry, Steve, and Walt. They still weren't sure what happened, but a stroke was most likely. The hospital in Brawley did not impress Lynette. She was going to go back to check on Bobby and his care. There were two rides. Walt, Steve, Frank, and me in buggies; and Mike, Don, Shirley, Ray, Janice, and Jerry in RZR's. We met at the flagpole, then again at the swing set. The sand was very smooth due to a lot of wind over the last two days. The buggies left the RZR's and headed in search of a new landmark Janice found on the Internet, Shady Eve, a cabana below Roadrunner, between the sand highway and the canal. Janice had received very clear directions, and we had no trouble finding it. As we arrived there were about seven 20-somethings already there. They were very friendly, and it turns out they are from New York, and hire a semi each year to haul their toys to Glamis, and they fly out a week later. We were wondering where the RZR's were and were able to reach Janice on the radio, and found Don's battery on his new (Shirley's old) RZR died, just like mine did at Coral Pink last year. They had called Kris and Doug, who had gone to Brawley, and asked them to buy a battery. They arranged to meet Mike and Jerry at Roadrunner to deliver the battery. Hearing the RZR's had everything handled, the buggies headed to Sweet Marie's for ice cream. After the snack, we continued to the big dunes near Comp, and had a fast ride through some very smooth sand. We returned to camp and found the RZR's were back in camp. We spent the rest of the day sitting around camp, and saw Bobby's return to camp. He and LuAnn told us the doctor told them he had a "baby stroke." LuAnn said she asked the doctor if Bobby could drive his sand rail, and was told he could drive. In fact, Bobby drove to camp from the hospital. Although pleased to hear this, we still are concerned about him. Steve volunteered to drive Bobby and LuAnn to Brawley for dinner, and to pick up prescriptions. We had a campfire and saw them return from dinner. Ray and Janice prepared a crockpot chocolate desert delight. It was great as always. Wednesday morning Bobby decided since he felt dizzy, he shouldn't go for a ride. We were pleased to see him being careful. We helped him and LuAnn load up and tow the trailers to storage. LuAnn later reported they made it home safely. Walt had arranged to go to Desert Hot Springs to get the birds clipped, and then to Banning to pick up a dresser. The RZR's went on a ride to the Shady Eve and had no trouble finding it. Steve, Frank, and I went for a ride to the big bowls near Comp. After a break my car began to make an odd noise. This worried me greatly, as I have been looking forward to duning with 4
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March 2017
John and PJ. We headed back to camp where we determined the noise was most likely caused by a spring in the brake caliper breaking and hitting the rotor. Not a big deal. Jeff and Lavonne arrived. Later Don and Shirley took Steve, Walt, and me, along with 20 gas cans, to Yuma. Cracker Barrel did a great job and we all enjoyed our different meals. We then went to Sam's Club where we used three different gas pumps to speed up the refueling process. Don and Shirley then took me to Firehouse Subs to pick up my favorite sandwiches. We made it back to camp in time to enjoy some crockpot apple-blueberry cobbler prepared by Ray and Janice. It was outstanding as always. The change to the crockpot had no negative impact for we consumers, but increases the cooking time, although requires less constant attention. Janice says that we could set up multiple crockpots and prepare a variety of flavors at one time. Thursday morning there were were again separate RZR and buggy rides. The RZR's went to the big bowls and then to Sweet Marie's. Walt, Steve, Frank, and I went for a pretty fast ride on very smooth sand near the flagpole and between there and Gecko road. We then decided to head for Sweet Marie's for ice cream. We had not arranged with the RZR's to meet, but as we pulled up, we saw Dave and Roni, and then the rest of the RZR crowd. The buggies then went through the dunes from Sweet Marie's to camp. Dave Huggard, followed by Pete, soon arrived, both traveling solo. I then dumped and filled the trailer, in preparation for Nancy's arrival tomorrow. Mike, Janice, and I then made a trip to Brawley, and El Centro for water, some hardware, RZR PARTS!!, and groceries. We returned to camp to find John Cole, also solo, had made his long awaited return to Glamis and was helping Ray install a new clutch and link bars on Janice's RZR! Dean Carver and his grandson Taylor arrived, for Taylor's first Glamis trip, and Dean's first time in a number of years. The day ended with a small campfire. Friday morning we awoke to find Barry and Terry had arrived, and Frank had left. Dean and Taylor, John, Barry, Dave, and I went for a ride towards Hill 3. About a mile from camp Dean's car began backfiring. We weren't able to fix it in the dunes, so we headed back to camp. In camp we found one of the radiator fan wasn't working. We found a ground wire wasn't connected, causing the car to overheat, and go into limp mode. Nancy was about to arrive and I needed to meet her to leave her car at Glamis Dunes Storage, and give her a ride to camp. I arrived at the highway just as she got to the railroad tracks. We got back to camp just in time to go on a second ride of the day, this time with the addition of Pete, who had to miss the first ride of the day because he had to go to Calpatria to buy new batteries for his sand rail. It was overcast, eliminating shadows and the sun to use as a reference point. My only reference point was the arrow on my GPS. I was able to find the flagpole where we took a break, and the swing set, which Dean and John had not seen before. We then headed to another new-to-most
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landmark, Shady Eve. We took another break and Dave and Pete recognized a couple they had camped with before Thanksgiving. Pete checked his gas, and asked us to take an easy way back to camp. We decided to go to Sweet Marie's for ice cream. Pete treated us, then offered to take the sand highway by himself, allowing the rest of us to dune back to camp. We had an uneventful ride to camp, despite quite a bit of blowing sand, and a lot of caution tape in the now very crowded wash 6. Later John led Barry, Dean, and me on a late afternoon ride to Olds, where we took a break with the RZR's, and then Hill 3. After leaving Hill 3 in the late afternoon, we went through the darkening dunes to camp. We got back just about dark. We had another campfire. P.J., Melissa, and the kids soon arrived and had little trouble making it through the crowded wash. The wind had been blowing quite hard, and PJ reported there was two feet of sand in places on the highway. Listening to the scanner later we heard that CalTrans closed the highway from Gecko Road to Osborne. It began to rain about bedtime. Saturday morning it was raining when we got up, and it continued almost all day. I don't think any of us took any rides. Instead we spent most of the day in the rigs. John had planned a carne asada potluck for Saturday night, but because of the continuing rain, we decided to postpone it to Sunday night in hopes the forecast dry weather would arrive. Well after dark we had a surprisingly well attended campfire, despite the continuing off and on rain. Most of us were just happy to be outside for even a little while.
Sunday morning Bobby Amador returned. We were pleased, but surprised to see him after his stroke earlier in the trip. His daughter Lynette and granddaughter Araya, soon followed, much to Allie's delight. We had the omelet boil with nearly everyone in camp attending. For the first time ever we used three turkey fryers, thanks to Don and Shirley who donated a complete unit, and Vic, who donated a large stock pot to replace the one I ran over last trip. After breakfast there were two rides, the RZR's, and the buggies. We met at the swing set, coordinated using the radios. At the swing set we were awed by the number of off road
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vehicles in this formerly empty spot. This demonstrates the power of the internet, and the line from Field of Dreams, "Build it and they will come." Among the many vehicles was a side by side that John Cole liked! The LS2 and Mendeola, plus outstanding workmanship made it show-car quality. The buggies left the swing set and were heading for Shady Eve, when Barry told Dean to stop, as something was wrong with his right rear wheel. We found a broken weld on the bearing carrier, which was one of the first we built, and did not have the improvements the rest of us have installed. We used Pete's ratchet strap to hold it together and headed for the sand highway. Dean said if we made it to Sweet Marie's, he'd buy ice cream. We did, and he did. We discussed fixing it at the trailer, but decided we had enough seats for Dean and Taylor, we would instead wait to fix it at home. As we neared camp, John said (channeling his inner NASCAR) "This is a splash and go!" Translation: Gas up, grab a quick lunch, and let's go for another ride. Within half an hour we were on another ride. John led a really fast ride in the general vicinity of Hill 3. The sand was pretty rough, but John made the best of it. On a break, Dave said, "If things didn't fall of my car on this ride, they never will." We continued the fast pace until we heard P.J. through his laughter say, "John lost a wheel!" He was laughing because the wheel continued rolling next to the car for quite a ways after it departed the vehicle, and John kept driving for a short distance. We removed the right front shock and using one of Pete's ratchet straps, compressed the left rear shock, and John seemingly effortlessly drove back to camp. Surprisingly, I don't remember anyone making a "Practice makes perfect." comment. Back in camp John started replacing the broken spindle, which suffered a material failure, NOT a design or building error. We had our delayed Carne Asada potluck that was excellent, enjoyed by over 25 people, despite attendance being down somewhat, probably due to it's impromptu nature. John finished the repair, and he, with Dean as a passenger, P.J., with Taylor as a passenger, and I, carrying firewood, made an Olds trip. Things were pretty dead, but at least John and P.J. can say they made a night ride to Olds, their first this season. There was a campfire before we left, that featured crockpot peach cobbler. Thanks to cooks Ray and Janice,
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and to Mike, and Dave who contributed supplies. After our night ride we enjoyed the remains of the fire. It was after midnight when we retired. Monday morning we had three different rides: a fast RZR ride led by Ray, a more moderate ride led by Mike, and a buggy ride. We could hear each other on the radios, but without talking about it we met the fast ride at Hill 3, then after they left, the moderate ride arrived. While we were with the second group, a red helicopter buzzed the hill at a very low altitude. It was impressive, but also scary. We decided to show Shady Eve to P.J., and found near virgin sand in the old closure area. We were taking full advantage of it, when I saw the same helicopter in the distance, and headed toward it. Before long, he was following us through the dunes! We're all going to be checking the Internet for helicopter videos of Glamis, looking for ourselves! We made it to Shady Eve, and took another break. We decided more ice cream would be a great way to end the ride, and for most, the trip. On the way to Sweet Marie's we heard Ray say something about a broken RZR, but couldn't make out the details. We were enjoying the company and the ice cream when a very friendly BLM Ranger arrived. He asked where he could find the ice cream, and we pointed it out. He bought two ice cream sandwiches, and I decided to ask him about things we hear on the scanner. He was very informative, and told us about an arrest he did the night before, that both P.J. and Janice had heard. He is a former Detroit street cop, who realizes how nice the Glamis crowd is, and expressed frustration with "the new guys" who don't realize they are not usually dealing with hardened criminals at Glamis. He said there are very few actual BLM Rangers nationwide, and they are required to serve at Glamis, because the BLM views it as an important area. One thing he said that I found interesting was that the BLM brings in lots of revenue, because they monitor all the oil and gas leases, and control grazing on federal lands. We must have talked for over half an hour, and I'm pretty sure his ice cream melted by the time we said our goodbyes. We duned back to camp, and when we arrived, Kris told us Doug had taken Bobby's trailer to pick up a RZR with a broken trailing arm. That must have been what we heard from Ray. Doug soon arrived with Dave Trantham's two month old 4 8
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seat 1000 on the trailer with the left rear wheel decambered more than 45 degrees. It was all the more amazing when we heard he had driven it a couple of miles, and on to the trailer! We watched in amazement as he drove it off Bobby's trailer, and into his. Barry and Terri, and P.J. and Melissa soon had to leave. Don and Shirley went to Olive Garden in El Centro, while Nancy and I went to Yuma's Texas Roadhouse for "date nights." When we got back, Ray, Janice, and John were still at the fire so I joined them. We were talking about the great time we had when we heard, then saw, the snowcat heading down the wash road, or right next to it. Janice said, "Let's follow it!" John and I assumed we'd take the buggies and RZR's, and we both weren't interested as it was pretty cold. Then Janice said we could take a truck. Mine was still warm, so the four of us hopped in my truck and headed south on the wash road. Every four washes or so we'd drive off the road to look for snowcat tracks, and they were pretty obvious. We got down near wash 30 when we saw the snow cat about 100 yards off the road in front of a large diesel pusher towing a big enclosed that was buried to the chassis, with the MOHO's rear wheels buried. We were told the snowcat had tried to move it, but the coach's air brakes were locked. They were working to free the brakes. Soon they were ready to try again, it wasn't effortless, and the snow cat built two good sized berms, but pulled the rig to the road. We were impressed! At this point I realized that Janice has the mind of a 13 year old boy, just like the other three of us! We all thought it was time well spent. Tuesday morning, one by one we left, and as I left John was waiting to make sure Ray and Janice would be able to get out. Looking back, this was a great trip, and a very long one. Several of us were their for 12 days, and Mike for 13. I never felt rushed, and really relaxed. Nearly everyone of our regulars was there for at least part of the trip. John and P.J. making it out and having a great time was important, especially after missing the New Years trip. I hope to make a mid March trip, probably St Patrick's weekend and some time before and/or after. I hope for a lot of company. My last Glamis trip of the season will start April 6th, and MAY extend through Easter. I'm sure others WILL stay for Easter, but as P.J. and Melissa won't be able to make it two weekends in a row, I may go home to spend Easter with them. Then we have a Dumont trip Cinco de Mayo weekend, May 5th-7th and maybe a day or two before or after. Then of course Coral Pink July 12-21 with a few days in Mesquite before and after. Let's go dunin'! 9
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Off Week at Glamis, January 9-13 By Jim Kastle Having not having as many buggy rides at New Years as I had planned, I was eager today return to Glamis ASAP. Frank Wilson told me he was coming back on the 9th with Steve Sturm, Kevin Fegan, and Chuck Grossman. I asked if I could join them. He said sure, and later Steve gave me a call. I had 5 days at home to get ready to come back. Nancy helped me get ready, and by 1:30 P.M. Sunday, I was at pad 3 on Gecko Road. I saw Steve's, Frank's, and Kevin's rigs backed onto the pad. Pulling the fifth wheel with the RZR behind, I couldn't back in. I knew it had rained last weekend, and figured I'd just make a U turn onto the pad, drive behind another camp, and turn toward the road. Well, the sand wasn't as hard packed as I expected, and I got stuck. Welcome back to Gecko Road! I unhooked the RZR trailer, aired down all six dually tires, and was able to pull into position. Steve then helped me back up to the RZR trailer and pull it into place. I depleted my CO2 supply airing up the tires, and went back to storage for the buggy box. While there I decided to finish airing up the tires using the air compressor in the yellow trailer. The generator wouldn't start, and I drained the battery trying to start it. It ALWAYS starts after two or three revolutions. Something was wrong. I couldn't remember when I last fueled it. I filled it, and had to jump start it. I was able to top off the tires, and haul the buggy to pad 3. By this time it was too late to go for a ride, so I set up camp and visited with the others. Steve told me they share dinners, with each guy preparing one dinner. Steve provided a dinner of smoked ribs, cheesy bread, and salad. Kevin let us use his beautiful motor home as a place to eat. It was great. The day ended with a campfire. Monday morning I went for a walk, which was easy on the paved road. On my walk I saw Chuck driving up in his Moho and stacker. After breakfast Steve led a nice fast ride in the dunes east of Gecko. We returned to camp for lunch, and then Kevin led a REAL fast ride driving his new-to-him Suspensions Unlimited sand rail he recently bought from Walt's long time friend, George. Kevin loves the car, and drives it like he used to drive his former two seat rail 12 years ago. We took a break at Olds, then I led to the swing set, that only Frank and I had previously visited. They were all impressed. Kevin wanted a picture to send to his son to give him a new reason to come back to Glamis. We then made a pretty fast run back to camp. Kevin provided steaks that were perfectly barbecued by Steve. Kevin prepared a great salad. We ate in Chick's motor home. It was late enough we didn't have a fire. Tuesday we decided to go back too the smooth dunes near the swing set, and then head off to Gordon's Well, even though the Duner's Diner was closed. We had a pretty good ride to Gordon's Well. On the sand highway as we neared Gordon's, we really picked up the pace, as fast as I want to drive my sand rail. Chuck and Steve are braver than I and passed me. We overshot the turn towards the diner, however, and ended up going down the very steep wall of the old canal. Steve endoed his car, causing some damage. We made some improvised 10
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repairs, and took a slow cruise back to camp. It will provide a topic of conversation for some time to come. Dinner was chicken cacciatore prepared at home by Janece, and finished at camp by Chuck. We again ate in Chuck's beautiful, cavernous motor home. It was great, as I've come to expect from Janece. We finished the day with a campfire. Wednesday morning we were joined by a friend of Chuck, Matt, a retired FedEx pilot, and a genuinely nice guy, with an absolutely beautiful Funco 4 seater. We all went for a ride in search of the smooth sand we found yesterday. I never found it and ended up going through some really rough sand in search of a better line. Matt called that "We lost a wheel here." I turned around and found Frank was doing his best John Cole imitation. His right front spindle had broken. We figured if John can drive on three wheels, so can Frank. We did our best to unload the right front corner, and headed towards camp. The car scoped up literally hundreds of pounds of sand, and was going to rub off a lot of powder coat. Time for plan two. Last trip Frank needed to replace some front rod ends, and I found that I use the same ones on my car. I realized my spare spindle should bolt up to Frank's car. Chuck and I ran the four miles to camp to put Frank's tire and wheel on my spare spindle. We took the assembly back to Frank, Matt, and Kevin and soon had the spindle on the car. The geometry was terrible, but the arithmetic was right, and Frank made it back to camp. After lunch Kevin led us on one of the fastest buggy rides I've ever been on. I had to cheat like the dumbest kid in the class on his SAT to keep him in sight. It was fun and demonstrated how comfortable he was in the new car. I'm pretty sure George never drove it anywhere near that fast. Dinner was my version of Sandy Cole's meatballs in Chuck's motor home. We were joined by two more of Chuck's friends, Bill, and Mark, as they arrived. We swapped lies for hours, and a good time was had by all. There was no need for a campfire. I really enjoyed the trip. I felt like I made up for the lack of buggy rides at New Years. I hope they'll invite me on more of these off-time trips. Gecko Road is different, and clearly has advantages: the close proximity to the dunes, walks for exercise on pavement rather than sand and rocks, parking just off the pavement, and a beautiful night time view of the lights of the Imperial Valley. I wouldn't want to be there on a busy time, as space is at a premium, cell service is not as good as it is in the washes, and you are RIGHT next to the camp next to you, so close that the first time I started my Honda EU2000 whisper quiet generator, the guy next to us said, "You're not going to run that all night, are you?" Maybe he recognized me! I moved the generator to the bed of my truck on the other side of my trailer, and politely asked if that would be OK. He said it would be fine and that he appreciated me moving it. All in all it was a positive interaction, and I'm glad he handled it that way rather than getting mad or calling a ranger. Made me think about how nice it would be if everyone communicated as clearly. Also made me think about a big positive of the washes. Thursday morning those of us who arrived Sunday left. Most headed home and I headed to Wash 6 for the cleanup.
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The Rooster
March 2017
MLK Cleanup January 12-16, 2017 By Jim Kastle As I mentioned in another trip report in this newsletter, I was at Gecko Road for five days before heading to Wash 6. Thursday morning I received a text from Janice telling me she wasn’t sure where to camp. I replied that where ever she wanted would be fine. I towed the buggy box to Wash 6, right where we usually camp, and found Bob Amador’s flatbed, and Ray and Janice and their fifth wheel. Janice had already figured out to the foot where the expected arrivals would camp, and once Don and Shirley and Jerry and Linda arrived, they verified she was right on. I went back and got the fifth wheel and RZR trailers from Pad 3, thanks to a lot of help from Chuck. I then got the yellow trailer from storage. Bob towed in his other trailers, and left to go get the RZR from Havasu, and then to work. I didn’t go for a ride Thursday, but I think Ray and Janice did. We had a campfire Thursday night. Friday David and Roni arrived and Ray led them, Jerry, Don, Janice and me on a great RZR ride, one of the best RZR dune rides I’ve ever been on. The pace was perfect, and we covered a lot of ground, including Hill 3, the flag pole, and the swing set. At one point, David frantically called me on the radio saying my RZR was smoking and told me to get out, as it appeared gas was dripping from it. Evidence of how much I really DO like my RZR, I got out, threw the seats aside, and started looking for flames. (Maybe not the smartest move, as I hate getting burned, and it IS fully insured and I would love a newer side by side.) I couldn’t find any flames, despite what I thought was the smell of burning wiring. It turned out a coolant hose had ruptured, spewing hot coolant everywhere. This was exactly what happened to Jerry’s RZR just about a year ago, when I frantically called to Jerry that his RZR was on fire. Fortunately for me, Jerry was still carrying the rest of the hose that he used to repair his, and it was a perfect fit for mine. With everyone’s help and water, my RZR was ready to go in just about 45 minutes. We were moving along nicely a few minutes later, when I thought I smelled burning rubber, like maybe my belt. Dave soon reported smelling it too. Before long, it was clear it was my belt, and I limped it back to camp. Both Ray and I decided carrying a spare hose would be a good idea, and I owed Jerry a new hose, so I headed off to Yuma in search of three Gates 22323 hoses. Of course, cheap propane and $2.01 per gallon gas, Texas Roadhouse, and Firehouse Subs made the trip more appealing. There was little traffic on I-8, so I didn’t even consider another off road excursion. I bought one hose at each of 3 different auto parts stores, so I accomplished the most important task of my trip. I also got propane, diesel, gas, and a TR dinner. I returned to a campfire and several new arrivals, mainly friends of Ray and Janice who we have ridden with in the past. Saturday most of us participated in the 20th annual dunes clean up. It’s significant that Don and Shirley have been to EVERY one of them. There was quite a good turnout of duners, and I think everyone of them got in line for a hot dog or hamburger, and a Monster Energy Drink. If a person wanted a second hot dog or hamburger it was necessary to wait in the long line a second time. I would have enjoyed a second sandwich, but not enough to stand in the long line again. Just like last year, IEOR was nearly shut out, with LuAnne being the only raffle winner among us. She won a goody bag. In the future, I’ll sign up, pick up a few bags of trash, and give them to someone
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The Rooster
March 2017
else who is willing to endure the long, slow raffle. I’d rather spend more time duning, and less time sitting waiting for the raffle. I DO want to support the clean up effort. After the drawing several people, especially Jerry, Ray, and Ray’s friend Jim helped replace my belt, and encouraged me to go on the ride. I’m glad I did, as Ray led an 18 vehicle ride with RZR’s, Quads, and a two wheeler. We took breaks at Hill 3 and the swing set, and didn’t lose anyone. The two wheeler dumped it a couple of times, but got right back on it. Half way from the swing set to camp, my brand new belt began to slip, and soon broke. Again with lots of help, we got it changed. I followed the rest of the vehicles, taking it as easy as possible, and was able to make it back to camp. I put the RZR on its trailer. Ray, Janice and several of their friends decided to take a night ride to Olds. Listening on the radio in the yellow trailer while I set up the turkey fryers for Sunday’s omelet boil, I heard that one of them lost a belt. With Ray on the ride, they were in good hands, so I kept getting ready for breakfast. I filled the turkey fryers from the water barrel in my truck. Then as I moved my truck, I ran over them! The burners were barely recognizable, and one of the pots was crushed beyond repair. Boy do I feel dumb! After an hour of straightening, the burners work, but clearly have been stress tested! At least the dually was unscathed. Sunday morning we had another well-attended omelet boil that got a little crowded in the surviving pot, but we made the best of it. Janice, ever the generous person that she is, says she has a pot to replace the one I ruined. While waiting for the omelets, Ray and Jim worked in the trailer to replace the rollers on the secondary clutch of the RZR that lost the belt last night. After breakfast I stored the yellow trailer and my buggy box and headed for home to get started on my RZR repair. I had planned to go to Quartzsite with Jerry and Linda, Don and Shirley, and Ray and Janice, but decided I would miss the RZR too much, and should probably spend money on RZR parts, not Quartzsite. I’m already looking forward to next year, however. At home Sunday I ordered a new primary clutch, as that’s the one I’ve had the most trouble with. Monday, I took both clutches off, and found the primary seems fine, but the secondary was very damaged, so I ordered a new one of those as well. I’ll repair the old one, and should have serviceable spares for both clutches in the future. I’ll make Quartzsite next year! Tuesday evening I got a call from Don saying they were at Texas Roadhouse in Yuma, reminding me of the fun I was missing. I didn’t get any details of the events at Glamis after I left. He also said they would head to Quartzsite in the morning. Wednesday morning I got a text from Janice saying they were leaving Glamis and heading for Quartzsite. I’m looking forward to Presidents Day with a clutch issue free RZR trip, and duning with P.J. and John who missed the New Years trip due to John’s mom’s illness. I’m happy to report she is back at work and doing well. The Cole family has a long time tradition of celebrating Christmas Eve. They had to delay last year’s celebration, but they are excited about their Christmas Eve celebration on Super Bowl eve!
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The Rooster
March 2017
More Blurred Lines By P.J. Kastle Jim mentioned it in his article, but it is worth making very clear that we found a RZR that even John Cole can get excited about! It also fulfills my “Mendeola in a RZR” prophecy from April 1, 2014. The “RZR” in question is actually titled as a custom built sandrail, so it is exempt from ROHV helmet requirements. It is a Werewolf by TMW offroad, and features an LS2 and a Mendeola 2D packaged exceptionally well in the back of a still four seat RZR. The stock LS2 produces 432 hp, which is four times the horsepower and six times the torque of the original RZR 1000 engine, and it runs 934 CV joints and is rear wheel drive only. It really is an exceptional vehicle, and might be the best of both wolds. I think we need to do a hands on test though to see how well it would hold up to an IEOA buggy or RZR ride...
This month we’d like to thank Jim Kastle for writing about his January and Presidents Week trips. Please feel free to write up your now thoughts and experiences and send them in. It really isn’t that hard, and we all enjoy hearing about dune trips (or anything else) from new perspectives. I agreed to get a newsletter out each month, but writing the content is a task that is easily shared. We can’t wait to hear from you and to see everybody in the dunes. -Paul, Melissa, Allie, and Marshall.
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