RoverXchange Rover Spring 2011
PresidentialROVINGS Spring 2011 Welcome to another installment of the RoverXchange. It’s spring time again here in the Rockies, and while the snow will still be in the peaks till mid summer, the lower trails are opening up ready for a fresh season of wheeling. While I hope to see many of you on those trails, I also look forward to hearing of your own adventures. So does our newsletter editor Tate, and the rest of the Rover community. Please share your experiences with us all by submitting an article, be it a family outing, a story of how you rescued the neighbors pet down a well with your winch, a joke or rhyme, or a technical writeup of some mods you finished up over the winter. We want to hear from you. To get you in the writing mood, I’ll share a humorous chant I thought up, and some bumper sticker ideas too. All praise thee LUCAS PRINCE OF DARKNESS, let thine oil leaks stain and mark thy divine ground. Release thy holy smoke from the confines of copper shrouding and choke the non believers for they know not what it means to follow the righteous Rover bible. Heathen are they that worship false gods, the blasphemous names of Jeep, Chevy, and foulest of all Hummer. Jeep - Tastes like Chicken Jeep - US bland of 4x4 Jeep - Not just for Dinner Jeep - It’s whats for Dinner FJ40, 50, 55, 60, 80 – so many tries, and still copying Rover. Bronco – an untrained horse, often in a trailer pulled by a Rover Rover - Respectable Overlanding Vehicle for Everyday and Recreation. P.S. All jokes are just that, Jokes. No offense is intended. I could list some Rover ones, but we’ve heard them before.
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RoverXchange The Rover Xchange is a mostly quarterly publication of the Solihull Society 4-Wheel Drive Club, Inc. All material in Rover Xchange, unless otherwise noted, is the property of Solihull Society and may not be reproduced without permission.
Solihull Society Contacts President Jeff Corwin president@solihullsociety.org VP Eugene Higby eugene.higby@solihullsociety.org Treasurer treasurer@solihullsociety.org Secretary/Membership Paul Donohue secretary@solihullsociety.org Trail Events Coordinator Jim Hall jim.hall@solihullsociety.org Special Events Coordinator Wendy Vaughan wcvsweetirish@gmail.com Rally Sponsorship Coordinator sponsorship@solihullsociety.org Land Issues Coordinator Jim Hall jim.hall@solihullsociety.org Newsletter Tate Crumbley tate.crumbley@solihullsociety.org Website Admins David Garbs admin@solihullsociety.org Dan Russo dan@solihullsociety.org Website – www.solihullsociety.org Newsletter Articles and Photos – Articles must be submitted in either Word (.doc) or text (.txt) format. Digital photos can be emailed or mailed on CD in either a JPEG, TIFF , PDF, or EPS files. The articles can be submitted either via email (tate.crumbley@solihullsociety.org) or mailed on a CD to Tate Crumbley at the following address: 2010 E 98th Ave, Thornton, CO 80229. Materials will be returned upon request.
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
RoverXchange Volume 15, Issue 1, Spring 2011
IN THIS ISSUE Trailer for a D90
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Gear Closet: Tents
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Ascent to Roverphile
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Stay the Trail: 2010 Review
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Breck in Lights
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Cover: Rovers rumble along Halfmoom Creek Back cover: Colorado Columbine
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RoverXchange
Courtesy Sterling-Rice Group A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
Trailer for a D90 by Craig Dickson I know this is not a Rover project, but it is Rover related to anyone that tries to go camping in a D-90. I was also finding that during hunting season in order to fit my Easy-up Canopy into the truck I had to take out the passenger seat. Since the season lasts the entire month that meant not having a passenger seat in the truck all of September. I took the rear bench seat out years ago so it was kind of strange driving around with only one seat in the vehicle. It is amazing how much sound one seat absorbs! I found a 1964 M-416 Trailer on Craigslist that a guy had planned to restore, but because he’d gotten sidetracked with a different project, he wanted to sell the trailer. Fortunately for me, the previous owner had already sourced new shocks, new tires, an extra set of wheels, inner tubes, ID plates, reflectors, cover and service manual. He had also changed out the light bulbs to 12v. All I needed to do was sand, repaint and figure out a spare tire solution. I read on the internet about swapping out the axles and wheels for ones that match the truck and remove the need for a spare tire, but this would require buying two new tires and wheels to match the truck. Since the owner gave me a perfectly good extra wheel and inner tube, and the tires already on the trailer where good, there was no need to start from scratch. I also thought it would be fun to fabricate a spare tire bracket and use what I had. After much reading and debating with myself I decided that I wanted to mount the tire under the trailer like they do on pickup trucks. Since I was not going to be doing any hard trails with this trailer I was not too concerned with ground clearance issues. Luckily the tire barely fit between the shock mounts and after bolting the bracket to the frame rail and bolting on some rubber bumpers for clearance issues I was ready to move to the next step of stripping of the paint. I got an angle grinder for Christmas and was ready to go at it when I read about lead paint and all the nasty stuff in vintage paint and thought sandblasting would be less messy and time consuming. After taking the RoverXchange
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trailer apart I took it to AA sandblasting and had it bead blasted. That was the smartest thing I did on this project. I always liked the look of a matching trailer and vehicle so I decided to have some paint mixed up. My wife did not like this idea and tried to talk me into painting the trailer like a man and go with something classy like all black. A trip to the paint store and I came back with paint, primer, reducer, stir sticks, mixing cups, paper funnels and because I did not have a compressor or paint gun these nifty little spray guns called Preval sprayers. I was starting to sweat now because I had no idea what to do with any of this stuff. Luckily my neighbor builds race cars and he stopped by to give me advice. I decided to go with Eastwoods Extreme Chassis Black for the frame and PPG paint for the body. I also decided to go with a roll on bedliner for the inside of the trailer. After moving my wife’s car to the driveway (I told her it would only be for a few days), I built a temporary spray booth by hanging plastic sheeting in the garage and covering the floor with plastic tarps. This was a good idea because the Eastwood chassis paint came in aerosol cans that put out a very fine mist and paint went everywhere!!! Overall I feel the Eastwood paint is a very good product. The thing about auto paint is that there is a time line when recoats are required which really kept me on my toes because the chassis paint and body paint where different so I was constantly checking the directions to make sure I didn’t mess it up at this point. Once the frame was completed it was time for the body tub. This was exciting because I was going to finally see some color. I mixed up the primer, loaded the Preval sprayers, and was ready to go when I realized something was
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wrong. The primer was coming out in a tiny little spray pattern. I rechecked the directions and could not find anyway to adjust the spray pattern. Now I was frustrated. At this point it would have been faster to use a magic market to paint this thing. The lady at the paint store said I would need maybe three of these Preval sprayers. After using up all the sprayers I now found myself at 10:30pm, out of spray guns and barely any primer on the body. The next morning, I was back at the paint shop asking what I did wrong. Turns out that although the directions don’t say it, I needed to add reducer to the primer. After work I was back at it. I bought all five sprayers they had on the shelf and was ready to go. This time with the reducer added, the primer flowed out in a beautiful pattern, and I was spraying like mad. After doing nothing in two hours the night before, I was now able to lay down the primer in about an hour. Things were starting to get exiting. After the proper drying time, sanding, and acetone wipe, I was now ready to start the color coat. I know it sounds fast but with my work schedule this process has so far kept my wife’s car in the driveway for two weeks. The color coat went on very nice, and I could finally see some progress. While I was laying down coats of color on the tub, I was also putting the wiring harness back on the chassis and splicing a new wiring harness to fit the seven pin socket on the truck. After another search of the internet for wiring help and diagrams,I felt like I was ready. After plugging in the wiring harness to my truck and finding my wife to stand at the back of the trailer and tell me which lights were turning on. I realized I had problems. Although I was sure the wires were right on the trailer as each wire is marked with a metal tag and I had the service manual, none of the lights were responding in the manner to which I wanted them to. I figured the problem had to be with the truck. I pulled out the test light and found out that although the internet said the seven pin socket is universal and everyone seems to agree which color does what, my test light said differently. Using the test light as a guide I changed around the wires soon enough, everything worked. Now it was time to put the tub back on the chassis and roll on the bedliner. This looked simple enough, mix a couple of cans of stuff together throw in a bag of ground up rubber pellets and away we go. Right away I knew I was in trouble. This stuff is a mess. I was trying to lean over the tub 6
RoverXchange
Letter From the Editor
It’s only the extreme amount of snow left in the mountains that makes me feel at all better about the delay in getting this issue of RoverXchange out the door. Personal issues with work, health, and a dearth of user submissions have hampered its publication, but really there’s no good excuse. Chicken Little says “the sky is falling” and the newsletter editor says “I need more content.” I know, it’s and old refrain, but it’s true. With the rally just around the corner, it needs a great cover shot. Again, I’ll offer a 1-page member profile to anyone who submits a front cover shot. In addition, I really would like more stories on 2003+ Range Rovers and Series trucks, but writeups on any truck is welcome. Big thanks to those who submitted for this issue. Since I use my Rover for trailhead transport way more often than wheeling, and I have a bit of a tent addiction, I included a story on tents in my gear closet. If it’s popular, I’ll add similar ones in future issues on other topics associated with the Rover lifestyle. Please send any feedback you have on that line of stories, especially if you’d like to write one. Tate Crumbley tate.crumbley@solihullsociety.org
and roll it out. Within five minutes my back was killing me, the bedliner starts out very slippery then gets sticky. Somehow I got it all over my arms and because I did not have a shirt on I was able to get it all over my stomach. In retrospect if I did this again I would have the pros apply the bedliner material. Fortunately it was still spring and I could wear long sleeves to work for the next few weeks After everything was dry, I was able to do the fun stuff like put on the reflectors, taillights, and ID tags. It was really coming together now. Since finishing the trailer, I have used it to go to Pioneer and pick up landscaping rocks, insulation for the garage, and, of course, it was helpful during hunting season—the original plan. This was a fun project that really doesn’t take any money or skills, just some free time. But the level of satisfaction is pretty high.
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
Gear Closet: Tents
by Tate Crumbley
More than hardcore wheeling, my Land Rover serves as a transportation to and from the mountains for other pursuits such as hiking, camping, and mountaineering. Though slow on I-70, my Discoveries have soldiered reliably up rocky roads to trailheads and slick jaunts along the highway. If I can afford to stay over a night, inevitably the cargo area will fill up with gear and I’ll spend the night in a tent. My love of tents began years ago when, as a child, I camped in my parents’ grassy back yard in North Carolina. During hard rainstorms, i would attempt to defend my few square feet of space from Mother Natures intrusion, protected only by a few poles and some nylon. Through the years, the tents grew stronger, more expensive, and the weather I’d venture into grew worse. As you can see from the pictures, my “ideal campsite” differs greatly from the hoards of July campers in stifling heat and bugs, but I’ve learned the hard way that Colorado can present “winter” any month of the year, as was evident from the Leadville Rally. From epic snow, pounding rain, and howling wind have assaulted my nylon abodes from winter in Colorado to the glaciers in Alaska to floods in Utah, and my collection of tents has grown from one to seven, with several “moving on” to other owners. What follows is not a buyer’s guide like you’d find in the Gear Issue of Backpacker, but rather a tour through my personal collection of tents, the ones that have been solid and interesting enough to find room in my closet. Most of them I picked up used on Craigslist, and many have been discontinued by their manufacturers. Each one offers a unique features and benefits, and my favorite question after “where should we go this weekend?” is “which tent should we take?”
Sierra Designs Omega In many ways, this is the perfect tent for Colorado. After getting fed up with wind repeatedly collapsing an REI Half Dome, I bought this tent new. Known as a convertible tent, zippered panels open to mesh, allowing for a very strong structure that can be opened for ventilation or sealed for weather. This is the tent I grab for summer trips, and it easily could be “the one tent.” I used this one with my wife for the Moab and Leadville rallies. Its only drawbacks are that the door is awkward to open and it’s tough to get the fly tensions properly.
The North Face Westwind “Little Yellow” Bought by a friend at a yardsale in North Carolina for $25 and given free to me when he had two kids, this tent model was a staple of high altitude mountaineering for decades and was issued as an emergency shelter for USGS polar expeditions. Mine was made in China in the 1990s after North Face moved their manufacturing from California, and the stitching is crooked. If not guyed out well, it shakes like a wet dog in winds, and this has accounted for numerous sleepless nights until I figured out the secrets. Despite this, it is a light, tight, wickedly tough shelter for two, and I still trust it with my life.
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The North Face Expedition 25 “Big Bertha”
When the world ends, this is the tent I’ll grab. It’s heavy and slow to pitch, but I’ve personally weathered three feet of snow in it and 60 mph winds with nary a complaint. This was a short-lived stretched version of the venerable VE-25, and I appreciated that my 6 foot frame could fit with room to spare. It was purchased new in 2000 and has been with me on lots of memorable trips from a North Carolina to Montana road trip after college to a mountaineering trip with my wife to Alaska in 2009. It’s also seen two “backyard blizzards” when Washington DC and North Carolina saw three-feet of snow and I couldn’t stand to stay inside. As a three person tent, it’s tight, but it’s palatial for only two with gear and space to cook as you wait for Armageddon to pass.
Bibler Tempest “Pea Pod”
A single wall tent, this tent has no separate rain fly and the poles go inside it. That design makes for quick setup and a terrifically taught pitch that hums in strong wind instead of flapping. Rain sounds like a snare drum solo, and the fabric breathes pretty well in a wide range of conditions. Since it weighs the same as the Westwind but is easier to pitch and quieter, this became my go to tent for recent trips. The previous owner took it trekking around South America, so it’s pretty well traveled.
Moss Deltoid
This tent holds the record for “highest initial retail price” at $800 ten years ago. I didn’t buy this one new, but picked it up recently from a friend because of the history of the brand. So recently, in fact, that it has yet to go on a real trip. Moss tents were handmade in Maine and California for years after most major companies outsourced their sewing. The workmanship on this tent is far above any of the other ones, the fabrics heavy for expedition use, and zippered panels make it convertible for true 4 season use. This 2 people + gear model is a bit tough to pitch, but once together, the symmetric shape makes the fly tension perfect all around. The vestibule is monstrous. I am looking forward to spending comfortable nights in this one, so long as I don’t have to carry it on my back alone. If Big Bertha has competition, this is it. Several Moss tent designs are still made by MSR, though they are now sewn offshore. 8
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
Black Diamond Megalight “Circus Tent”
It stuffs the size of a small cantaloupe, pitches in seconds with one pole, and doesn’t have a floor. This tent is common in expedition basecamps as a cook tent as snow can be excavated to create tables, seats, and an increased living space. My wife and I first used it on our mountaineering trip in Alaska, and I loved the simplicity of design and low weight. I bought one when we got back because I thought it would make a great sun shelter for our baby. Its nickname is “circus tent” not only for the colors but the great interior space.
REI Kingdom 4
The name says it all. With the same floor space as the Megalight, this behemoth comes in its own backpack. I can stand up in it. For car camping with a baby, this sucker is great. Our family used this tent for my daughter’s first camping trip when she was only 6 weeks old in April 2010, and it has seen a few car camping trips. It’s decently well made, has numerous guy-out points for wind, and a vestibule with more space than most of my other tents. However, it requires two people to set it up because of an awkward connection in the pole structure. Since there’s no reason to use a tent this large solo, having a second person around to help shouldn’t be a problem. I have a feeling that this will be the new standard for family trips. So that’s a trip through some of the tents in my gear closet. Other tents have come and gone over the years as interests and tent requirements have changed. What’s next? Hillebergs have always appealed to me, or maybe an ultralight solo tent. Who knows? If you’re looking for a new tent or have something interesting to share, drop me a line. I can and have discussed tents for hours.
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
Ascent to Roverphile When I joined Solihull 6 years ago I didn’t know quite what to expect. My foray into offroading was something most of my friends were perplexed by since it seemed like a hobby those who like wrestling and beer chugging contests would enjoy. In contrast, I first was exposed to it as a teenage in Colorado with a friend who had a FJ 40 in which we spent many weekends exploring the mountain trails. It took many years for me to come back to this, call it a middle age crisis or whatever, but for a while I wheeled in a Nissan Xterra, How limiting it seems now. I took a few Bill Burke classes and was resigned to get a Land Rover as my dream car. So, after selling the Xterra to a guy on Craigslist, I was ready for the next move. Finding a Rover was a major exercise in over analysis. Should I get a Range Rover? Maybe too expensive, how about a Discovery? DI or DII? What really are the differences? Is the bad electrical system in the DI enough reason to avoid it? After combing endless websites and reading opinion after opinion, it seemed like an early DII was the way to go...now where to get one? There were lots on used car lots but really outside my price range. I figured that buying one in CO probably carried a premium so I turned to Ebay. I kept asking myself, “Andy, are you really going to spend 10K on a notoriously unreliable British car
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by Andy Snow from a seller you’ve never met?”Yeah, I was. It was irresistible, and at that point, I knew I had joined the cult. I found a good deal from a dealer in Texas who had pictures of the maintenance records. OK...ready...FIRE... aim...oh wait....“Buy it Now” seemed easy enough, and the truck showed up on an autotrailer at my house in 3 days! It was in great shape—no dents and it smelled like a Rover. I was really in heaven now. Oh, but there was MUCH to do to be trail ready. This required more analysis: start with some BFG All Terrains, sliders from Rockware, Oh, and an ARB bumper from Craigslist. Not really knowing anyone in the club, I posted on the website to see who was up to hit the trails and found someone who wanted to meet me in Leadville to do Tennesee Pass.Ok probably the easiest trail I’ve ever done, but it a good starter. Now six years later, I’ve been to all the Rallies, served as Vice President, trail leader, written a few articles, stuffed goodie bags for the Rally, and made some great friends. Oh yeah, that like-new Rover now has armor all around, 33in Mud Terrains, lockers and some spectacular trail damage (that hood is never gonna close!). My daughters love it; my wife hates it. In few years, the oldest will be driving and wants to wheel. I think she has a good idea on what not to do from watching me.
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2010 Solihull Society Sponsors Gold Camel4x4 and Outdoors A new American company ready to make its mark on the off-road scene, Camel is giving North American off-roaders access to the most powerful 4x4 parts and accessories coming out of Australia. For the first time ever, state-of-the-art, outback-tested suspensions, winches, recovery sets, lights, tents and many other innovative Ironman accessories are now just 3-5 days away from 4x4 drivers in the US and Canada. An internationally respected and popular brand, Ironman has been on the cutting edge of 4x4 technology for over 50 years. www.camel4x4.com
Overland Journal Overland Journal is a perfect-bound magazine printed on high-quality stock, published five times per year. From a premier-issue length of 96 pages, we have increased to the current 128 pages. Our 30% advertising content cap is well below the national average and ensures ample editorial space for in-depth coverage of equipment and vehicles, as well as full-length feature trip stories that span the globe. Our strict standards for writing and photography, in addition to our striking layout, means that our subscribers receive an expedition and adventure travel magazine that is at once inspiring, informative, and attractive. Our extremely high readership satisfaction level allows us to offer an unconditional guarantee. www.overlandjournal.com
JC’s Rover and 4x4 No matter what Rover you own, from the newest LR4 and Range Rover to an older Dicovery or Series truck, we can help you maintain, repair or modify your vehicle. In addition to specializing in Land Rovers, we can also service European vehicles. Our staff consists of Factory Trained Land Rover Master & Certified Techs, as well as ASE Master Techs and ASE Certified Techs. The JC’s Rover & 4x4 team are committed to quality service, honesty, and fair pricing. We have over 30 years of combined Land Rover experience and over 45 years combined automotive service experience. We carry both Land Rover Genuine parts as well as high quality aftermarket parts to ensure the job is done right the first time. We back that with a full 12 month, 12 thousand mile warranty. www.jcsrover4x4.com
Suncor Energy In 1967, we pioneered commercial development of Canada’s Athabasca oil sands — one of the world’s largest petroleum resource basins. Since then, Suncor has grown to become a globally-competitive, Canadian-based integrated energy company with a balanced portfolio of high quality assets, a strong balance sheet and significant growth prospects. Across Canada and Colorado, Suncor’s downstream operations market the company’s refined products to industrial, commercial and retail customers. We have refineries in Edmonton, Alberta, Sarnia, Ontario, Montreal, Quebec and Commerce City, Colorado. We also sold about 15% of all petroleum products sold in Canada in 2008. Our Lubricants business is the largest producer of quality lubricant base stocks in Canada. www.suncor.com
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
2010 Solihull Society Sponsors Silver
BRITISH4X4LTD. Aurora, Colorado 303-345-3866
KENDELL ELECTRIC Inc SERVICE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION
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Stay The Trail: 2010 Review Since 2002, the Stay The Trail OHV Education program has been focused on the encouragement of responsible recreation on public lands within the State of Colorado. The program has maintained three major forms of outreach over these past years; one being educational trailers that are towed around the state to staff a number of various outreach events, the second being the www.staythetrail. org website, and the last being advertising. 2010 followed the momentum of 2009 in that outreach and exposure continued to grow at an exponential rate. Much effort was placed on expanding exposure to the general public through specific marketing opportunities, which proved to be beneficial. 2010 also marked the first year of employing a full-time seasonal outreach specialist to assist with event attendance through the busier months of the year. Of the goals set last year, many accomplishments were made including the purchase of two smaller outreach trailers, and direct work with land managers concerning the implementation of travel management decisions. All things considered, another great year for the Stay The Trail program. So what does a “great year” entail? Where to start, where to start… Our outreach program continued to soar beyond our expectations with 81 individual event requests we knew that we were going to be busy. In May, we hired Sam Lo-
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by Justin Lilly
gan to assist with staffing those events through our busy season. By the time things were said and done in December, we had attended 70 events around the state including 2 in Utah and 1 in Wyoming. This was a huge step up over 2009, and almost triple the number we attended in 2008. The number of events we staffed allowed us to reach out to nearly 10,000 outdoor enthusiasts through a variety of different opportunities, and resulted in over 640,000 people exposed to the Stay The Trail brand. We also purchased two smaller outreach trailers, to allow us to be more efficient in our travels as we continued to provide educational resources and presence throughout the state. On the larger of the two, we were able to get a photo of a Series-model Land Rover in order to round out our 4x4 exposure on that trailer. By the end of the year, we had travelled over 15,000 miles in 2010 staffing agency, club, organization, and cooperative events. Whew! Marketing and promotions was another strong point for Stay The Trail in 2010. We branched out into radio and cohosted a 15-minute segment with Terry Wickstrom on 104.3 The Fan Outdoors through the season, in cooperation with High Country Performance 4x4 and Sun Powersports. This was a great chance for us to
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
get agency personnel and club members on the radio to talk about their stewardship opportunities and responsible recreation tips in specific areas. Ex-Program Coordinator Justin Lilly was on air with 106.7 KBPI a couple of times through the year for scattered events, following up with 2009’s involvement with Willie B and the morning crew. He also had the opportunity to do an interview for the January 2011 American Motorcyclist, which is the official publication of the American Motorcyclist Association, about land use and the challenges of public land access. We continued to branch out our print marketing efforts, most notably with the Colorado Activity Center’s local guides. We’ve maintained advertising in Overland Journal, BRC Magazine, and the COHVCO Newsletter. In the fall, we hired a local film company to join us in Buena Vista for a video shoot. Our goal was to replace our older public service announcements, and we definitely succeeded. Jeff from JC Rover joined us, as well as a number of other participants for the shoot, and brought down one of his rigs. When the day was done, we had enough footage to create a 2-minute web-based video, 4 30-second spots, and 4 15-second spots. All these videos launched in January of this year on staythetrail.org, FaceBook, and YouTube. Currently, efforts are being put forth to get these videos out to local television stations and we can’t wait to see that happen! The year ended with our flagship marketing/promotions event, the 9News Parade of Lights in Downtown Denver. 2010 was our second year participating in the event, and we continued to build on the theme of mixed use by having mountain bikers and hikers along with us as well as the Leave No Trace “Big Foot” and Tread Lightly “Lightfoot” mascots. This pa-
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rade draws over 400,000 people to the streets of Denver, with another 150,000+ watching the live telecast at home. So all things considered, to label 2010 as successful would be an understatement. We have continued to branch out and engage more organizations, individuals, agencies, and recreational groups. Our materials and outreach efforts are being well recognized by the Bureau of Land Management
and Forest Service, in and out of Colorado. We’ve strengthened our bridges to other stewardship organizations and recreational groups to allow open dialogue about the overall responsibility of access and use of public lands and worked together to encourage people (specifically youth) to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. We look forward to working with you all again this coming year. Please feel free to contact our new Program Coordinator, Justin Vanderpool at justinv@staythetrail.org for more information. On a quick personal note, for those who have not heard, I have left the Stay The Trail program to venture to Alaska. I am remaining on as a (distant) advisory member to Stay The Trail, and hope to meet up with you all on the trail again sometime soon! Thank you all very much for your support and efforts to help us continue to build on the stewardship ethic we encourage. Take care!
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Breck in Lights
by Jim Jenista
editor’s note: As this issue readies for press, it looks like this event will be postponed because of technical issues. Stay tuned for a re-imagining at a future date and location. Imagine a hillside full of Rovers blinking their lights to the tune of your favorite John Philips Sousa March similar to the current spectacle of choreographed fireworks displays. Now make that a charitable event. That is exactly the plan for Jim Jenista, who is looking to set something special up at this year’s Rally in Breckenridge. This ambitious project seeks to create a Rover-powered firework show, with Rover headlights blinking on and off to music, choreographed to display patterns, shapes, or words. Since the display is in public space, proceeds from modestly priced tickets would add to the Solihull’s charitable giving for the year. In addition to the obvious challenges of coordinating the runtime of the event, just getting it setup requires permitting and approval from government agencies, Vail Resorts, and the town of Breck. The pictures and diagrams shown here are pulled from the requests and illustrate Jim’s vision for pulling it off, right on the slopes of Breckenridge.
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Keep Your Wheels Where They Belong Going around obstacles widens trails, impacts vegetation and causes erosion. Challenge yourself by staying on the trail. Use caution when going over obstacles and remember to be courteous to other trail users.
Get Dirty
No Shortcuts
Go straight through mud puddles while maintaining a steady speed. Don’t get stuck.
Switchbacks are designed to maintain the stability of a trail, cutting them destroys their integrity.
Rock N Roll
Stay In Line
Rocks are natural obstacles and part of the off-road experience. Go over them, not around.
Riding single file on tight, narrow trails will avoid braiding and trail widening.
Get Over It
Stay On Course
The challenge is going over the tree. If the tree is too big, go back and contact the land manager.
Stream crossings should be made by crossing them directly at 90 degrees and staying on the trail.
Whoop it Up
Be Sensitive
Go over the whoops (bumps on trails created by constant use). If you want a smooth ride, stay on the highway.
Wetlands are important and sensitive areas for wildlife and people. Please avoid them. © 2010 Responsible Recreation Foundation, All rights reserved. “Stay the Trail” & “Keep Your Wheels Where They Belong” are registered trademarks of the Responsible Recreation Foundation
Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition
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A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
®
Bill Burke’s
4-Wheeling America 970-858-3468 … bb4wa@bb4wa.com
Premier Training for all users of 4-wheel drives and all skill levels. Driving Techniques. Recovery. Safety. Environmental Awareness. Getting Prepared. Trail Spotting. Navigation. Field Fixes.
“Amazing. Incredible. Far beyond what I had expected. All these things come to mind to describe my weekend. For me, the biggest thing I took away was safety. Seeing the more serious rigs and what they could do was awesome, and practicing the techniques to overcome obstacles was incredible, too, but being safe in doing it is the glue that holds it all together. The other thing I was impressed with was you as a person. We’ve all met people that are experts in one area or another that are totally unapproachable and can’t be bothered talking to a beginner. You taking the time to explain things made all the difference.” Pat Munhall, On the Road...Maine
www.bb4wa.com We hold BLM & USFS permits to operate on public lands.
●Private Instruction One-on-one with Bill Burke.
●Group Training Comprehensive training programs that include all you need to know about going into the remote back country safety.
●Industrial & Government Training Programs
“Just a quick note of thanks for a truly great trip. All of “A few of us had the chance to spend the our expectations were exceeded; everyone from my weekend with Bill here incame the 4-year old to mywheeling wife and 4-wheeling friends Northeast…. I have to say it's time well away with a whole new perspective and appreciation and one of the best forspent all things “off-road.” There wasinvestments something foryou everymake your wheeling experience body!can Hard core for wheeling, camping and sightseeing all blended seamlessly under Bill’s guidance.” and knowledge.” David M., ‘03 Nick Vanoff, Private Training Moab
DVDs by Bill Burke ●Getting UNStuck
●Getting PREpared
Safe recovery techniques. Real life situations!
Watch this DVD before you head out! Includes 8page booklet!
Custom safety programs for organizations that use 4WD vehicles in their operations.
●Trail Leader Training Trail leading is serious business not to be taken lightly. It is also fun if you are prepared for all situations. Learn skills needed to safely lead clubs, friends, and other groups.
RoverXchange
Spring 2011
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MembershipInformation Application for Membership/Renewal Please print clearly.
Name:
Email:
Address: City:
State:
Zip: Cell Phone:
Home Phone: Occupation: Present Land Rovers: Past Land Rovers:
How did you learn about our club? _____________________________________________________________________ May we share the above information with other club members? Yes Type of Application: New member Renewal
No
Type of Membership: Family (F) -- $50.00 Out of state (O) -- $30.00
Waiver:
I/We, in consideration of my/our participation in the Solihull Society Land Rover Club, [hereafter referred to as club] do hereby release Solihull Society, its members, officers, sponsors, successors and assigns from any and all responsibility or liability for any and all claims, arising from or related to the activities and my/our participation in and all events sponsored and/or involving the club. I/We understand and acknowledge off-highway driving is a hazardous activity with inherent dangers, which can result in severe property damage, serious bodily injury and/or death. With full knowledge of such risks, hazards and potential for damage, injury or death, I/We voluntarily and knowingly assume such risks and hazards and agree, that the club, its members, officers, sponsors, successors and assigns shall not be liable in any way, to me/us for any claims for damages, injuries or death resulting from my/our participation in the club’s events. I/We acknowledge my/our vehicle is in good mechanical condition, and said vehicle is insured for bodily injury liability insurance and personal injury protection insurance and/or medical payment coverage, as required by its' state of registration. I/We are advised to consult with our insurance broker/agent about availability of and adequacy of present medical payment coverage should I/We and/or our passengers sustain bodily injury, while operating my/our motor vehicle. I/We further acknowledge the driver/operator of the vehicle is licensed to operate a motor vehicle and the license is not under suspension. This waiver/release of liability is binding on our heirs, insurers, personal representatives or assignees.
Signature
Date
Club Use Only: Cash Check # Quicken Deposit slip
18
RoverXchange
Email to member Roster Member card # Welcome packet
A Newsletter for Land Rover Aficionados
DealershipDISCOUNTS
Our members receive exclusive discounts at Denver area Land Rover shops
The Colorado Denver East Dealership offers:
ON PARTS & LABOR 1 5 % DISCOUNT Includes courtesy vehicle. Will install customer parts.
Contact dealer for details.
The Colorado Flatirons Dealership offers: Flatirons
15%
DISCOUNT ON PARTS & LABOR
Superior, Colorado
The
Colorado
15%
RoverXchange
Dealership
offers:
DISCOUNT ON PARTS & LABOR
JC’s
10%
Springs
Rover
DISCOUNT
offers:
ON
LABOR
Parts typically 10%-20% cheaper than list
Spring 2011
www.SolihullSociety.org
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Solihull Society PO Box 480864 Denver, CO 80248-0864