VT trip with VTXS...

[TOZROVR]

Since aquiring my 1988 Range Rover, I'd yet taken it out and put her through her paces...we'd named her Mary-Kate after the Olsen twin as she liked to puke a lil coolant every now and again

We'd spent quite a bit of time at BWO getting her ready over the last few months and even though she was due for new tires next week, we couldn't resist driving her up to VT for the annual VTXS Pete the Beagle Trophy. The event is a 2 day affair located in VT on the clubs land and some of the old town roads. I spent Thursday night prepping the truck...getting all the gear Duncan and I would need for the one night we'd be there (we had to be back home for Sunday so we'd only be wheeling sat and not sun).

My buddy Tom and I and Duncan made it to Camp late Friday night (after a bowout on the Rt101 at about 75mph...)and got the tents pitched and had a few frosty adult beverages. Chris Maurer, the fellow who purchased AV4x4 from me arrived around 2am.

Saturday we awoke early to the sound of Peter Vollers wife in her P38 Rangie roling into camp...just getting to camp requires 4lo and a well sorted rig...Kim's Rangie was on AT's and made it to camp pretty easily...she had huge containers of breakfast stuff...2 kinds of strata, homemade muffins...some great stuff.

Soon enough we had all 12 rigs ready to roll out and we hit the trail. Most was pretty easy, but I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't driving a locked rig and had 3 nearly bald tires (after the blowout we put the spare on..a new version of the slicks I was running LOL!) There were some really tight spots and some hairy stuff where we were off camber going around a rutted corner...basically lay the driver's side over and scrape your way through. I lost my bumper caps a few times and the truck now looks like I raked it with a steel tine rake :up:

The final stretch of trail was really hard on many of the group and the winches were used...quite a few suffered body damage (I impaled the drivers rear 1/4 panel on a log and the log was cut to free my truck leaving a the panel completely crushed in...being aluminum much of it popped out with a good whack).

We made our way back to camp after being behind the wheel for 10 hours and never touching pavement...Steak tips, potatos and salad were soon ready and Tom and I packed up our gear. After eating Duncan hopped back into Mary-Kate and we said goodbye to all the great folks...they wheeled into Sunday and from the pics I was sent, had a great time...with the baby Oct 1 I was really pushing my luck just being there, but I have a very understanding wife!

All in all the Rover kicked ass...I was very impressed with it...


The North Face Hilton..Duncan's and my home away from home...


Just so we're clear


short creek crossing (the dents on the door were there but I the rear 1/4 was crushed more by an obstacle a few minuted prior to this shot)


Chris in the AV XJ


Dave in the SICK BWO prepped TDi Defender 90...


Tim in his '89


My best friend.


Tom resting...

[TOZROVR]

Wish I'd got more pics of actual wheeling but being the first time out in the Rangie had me plenty occupied...



Handsome Dave...


www.vtxs.org


....are we there yet?


Jamils '99 DII


El Presidente


KimPossible's rig


Home





http://www.endlessearth4wd.com/VTXS/index.htm for the rest

[DrewInSD]

Nice trip pics!

[siam]

Nice.. So how did the read quarter panel get crushed? Log popping back up when you whet over it? Oh wait that was me last year.. hehe If ever you go over a log make sure you go extra slow so the log wont spring up and hit the Rover.. The log springs up when the load of the tire is released a bit too fast.. .. I carry a chain saw now if I can move it, it's gonna get chopped.. hehe .. Nice pics..

[TOZROVR]

Well I was heading up a muddy/rocky/root strewn slope (welcome to New England!) and had to really use the gas to get up (see post with new MTR's LOL!) and as soon as I crested the first part of the hill you I had to steer left and then hard right to avoid a log poking out toward the drivers side. The Log was a downed tree that we'd cut 3 trucks before....well it could have used a few feet taken off before the lil guys came through as soon as I crested the first hill under hard throttle I let off and started the right turn and the ass swung around and basically impaled itself on the log. just like the P38 did 5 minutes before I did LOL.

If I'd tried to move forward it would have ended up crushing more in and removing the drivers taillight...so we chopped off another 2 feet of the log and most of the dent popped right out left a few blemishes, but no worries

After running so many trips last year it was just nice to be back out on the trail with the new rig.

RJ