Yes we are on the road. VERY on the road. After circling for a couple of days and a relaxing visit with friends in Grass Valley, we headed east over the mountains in a couple of 10-hour marathon drives to Salt Lake City and on to Denver. The monotony of the long straight roads was enough to put us to sleep. We couldn’t help but wonder what it must’ve been like crossing these endless prairies and deserts in a covered wagon. Motoring through southern Wyoming, herds of antelope grazed along the roadside and buffalo were “roaming”. We didn’t see any “deer playing” but that’s just part of the song. Black clouds circled around us and the National Weather Service was advising of blowing snow and high winds with 50 mile-an-hour gusts. We pulled into Denver under sunny blue skies but as the saying in Colorado goes: “If you don’t like the weather stick around a few minutes. It will change. It did.

You’ll not see The Turtle V this clean until we load it on the ship in Baltimore.

A last goodbye shot at our home in Nevada City. Wonder what it will look like when we get back.

Will the last person driving out please close the gate?

Blowing snow and darkening clouds gathered in the distance.

This must have been the land “where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play”.

Herds of antelope grazed along the highway. No sign of deer at play.

We couldn’t help but wonder what it must’ve been like crossing these endless prairies and deserts in a covered wagon.

Watching your mirror Monika? (Yeah, check out that triple semi trailer passing us!)

No problem!! Under control.

At 7600 feet, the temperature was already hovering around 32°F.

Yes, despite any number of delays, we are actually leaving. We will be driving away from our home in Nevada City, California on April 11th and head east to Baltimore where our truck and camper will be shipped to Germany on April 29th. Last minute packing is in progress as we figure out what we’ve forgotten and organize a place to put it. The process of preparing for a three-year trip can be intimidating, but the key is that once everything is packed, you must be able to easily find things. Where is the charger for the color printer or the replacement water filters or the spare clips that hold the mud flaps up in deep water? We have made extensive lists in the computer, allowing us to type in a word like “filters” and all oil, water and fuel filters, (maybe even the coffee filter), will show up with their location. On a long overland trip, organization is the secret to happiness. You can go crazy unpacking whole compartments, looking for something that’s in a totally different place. (There are 9 external storage compartments, many with multiple labeled boxes, and about 20 inside the camper itself.)

A couple of recent television interviews were fun, in case you missed them. Disregard the short commercial before the segment on us.

http://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/8709985-the-turtle-expedition/#.UVIhgCXCYaI.facebook

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/03/26/sacramento-couple-readying-for-drive-to-china-in-custom-camping-truck/

Computer lists are a good way to organize clothes and equipment so you can find what you need quickly.

This is not a weekend trip. We must have clothes for four seasons to their extreme, from bathing suits to dress clothes to weather below -60°F.

Books and maps are important resources and they take a lot of room.

The kitchen is a challenge to pack and organize. Cooking our own meals most of the time is part of staying healthy on the road.

Organization and maximum use of space is critical in a small camper. 35mm film cans hold spices that can be refilled as needed from the “pantry”.

Laundromats are not the norm, so we must have clothes, sheets and towels to last at least 4 weeks. Our next washday may be a river along side the road.

Yes, The Turtle V is our home. Photos of family & friends and favorite places add to the comfort of living is such a small space for months at a time.

Camera, Action! Yesterday morning at Ken Imler Diesel Performance, the Channel 31 (CBS 13) Good Day Sacramento News Crew caught up with us for a quick interview. The two morning segments were “Live” to a possible viewing audience of 1.5 million. A longer version was slated for the 12-noon and 4:00 News broadcast. If you’d like to see the live versions, paste these addresses into your browser:

http://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/8709985-the-turtle-expedition/#.UVIhgCXCYaI.facebook

or

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/03/26/sacramento-couple-readying-for-drive-to-china-in-custom-camping-truck/

and smile. There is a short 30-sec commercial before each segment that you must endure. You might also enjoy an interview we did at the Overland Expo a couple of years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YgrXon8uIM

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBNnBcyTw38

When we pulled into Ken Imler Diesel Performance for a last-minute check on The Turtle V, the Channel 13 mobile News Crew had already raised their transmitting tower.

Good Day Sacramento is a Live local morning news program that’s quite popular in Sacramento. They have a possible viewing audience of 1.5 million.

Cambi Brown and her photographer were easy to work with, even with the pressure of going LIVE. Cambi joked that her boss was in her ear.

An interesting thing about doing a live interview is that there are no retakes. What you get is what you got.

Like a good first aid kit or a winch, we hope we never need chains, but we know better. In snow, packed ice or mud, chains are often mandatory, even with our aggressive Michelin XZL tires. From experience, we know that chains on the rear wheels are often enough to move forward, but in very icy conditions, we also need to steer. Pewag nickel manganese square link mud and snow chains are the strongest in the world. Their history of forging goes back to 1479 and in 1912, they produced the first snow chain wordwide.

The ladder style of our chains is a tested true design. While most people think a set of chains is just something you buy in a bag at the gas station when the chain controls go up, in fact, there are hundreds of options. Our big 40.7-inch XZLs needed a non-standard size. The Pewag assembly plant in Rockland, California can make custom chains for any application. After taking careful measurements, Mike Marks custom built chains specifically for our needs. In the unlikely possibility that a chain should break, we also carry repair links and a compact pair of chain repair pliers. Back home, we did a test fit of both front and rear sets of chains, better done in the warmth of our garage than on the side of the road in a blizzard.

Learning that your chains don’t fit on the side of the road in a blizzard is not the best time. Always pre-fit at home before you need them.

Pewag chains come in dozens of styles and sizes from the factory in Austria. At the Pewag facility in Rockland, California they are cut and assembled for each application.

Mike Marks used a special hydraulic ram to cut chain links to the desired length.

A hydraulic press makes closing the cross chain hooks much easier than using chain repair pliers.

Our slightly lighter front wheel drive chains (5.6 mm compared to the 7mm rears) were pre-fit in the warmth of our garage.

Pewag’s new Multi-Arm chain tighteners are an easy way to keep chains snug on the tire.

We carry a compact pair of chain repair pliers and a few repair links just in case the unlikely happens.

While The Turtle V looks ready from the outside, before we head east to ship to Europe, we wanted to know what was going on inside the engine, differentials, transmission and transfer case, as well as the coolant that not only cools the engine, but also heats the camper and our FlatPlate hot water system. We regularly have the engine and gear oils and the antifreeze checked by Polaris Laboratories. It’s called “trending”. They keep a record of what the previous tests showed so we can compare the difference, if any, to the current analysis. Samples of gear oils can be taken with a small pump. Coolant can be sucked up with a turkey baster. We also took the opportunity to check the level of concentration of Molybdate and Nitrite, which in turn will determine the number of SCA, (Supplemental Coolant Additive), units needed per gallon in the system. Fleetguard’s DCA4 additive protects against corrosion, scale formation, foam, liner pitting and solder bloom. A refractometer can be used to determine the freeze point protection.

Samples of gear oils can be taken with a small pump.

Coolant can be sucked up with a turkey baster.

After taking a sample of coolant, we also checked for proper amounts of Molybdate and Nitrite, which in turn will determine the number of SCA, (Supplemental Coolant Additive), units needed per gallon in the system.

A refractometer can be used to determine the freeze point protection.

Samples are collected in small plastic containers and sent to Polaris Laboratories.

Polaris Laboratories will email us a PDF showing the test results.

As the old proverb goes “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” (James Howell’s Proverbs in English, Italian, French and Spanish (1659)) It is Winter here in the mountains of the beautiful California High Sierras, our backyard, and we are only 15 minutes from Bear Valley, (great snowshoeing and X-country skiing), and less than an hour from the groomed slopes of Sugar Bowl Ski Area. A little fresh snow was too much to ignore. Knowing that it may be years before we can ski California or Utah snow again, we took a little time off to “play”. We expect to drive away from our California home mid March and we will ship from Baltimore, Maryland to Bremerhaven, Germany or Rotterdam, Holland in April. The clock is ticking!! The Turtle V is quite comfortable, but the Jacuzzi is not coming with us.

Cold temperatures and Sugar Bowl’s snow making ability made for a great day of skiing.

Surrounded by the beautiful California High Sierras, it was a day to enjoy the reason we live here.

Four inches of fresh powder in Bear Valley gave us just reason to take the afternoon off.

If you can walk, you can snowshoe. The MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes (www.msrgear.com) are like wearing potato chips with built-in cramp-ones on your feet.

A little hot chocolate by the babbling creek. It doesn’t get any better.

Monika is always happy when she’s outside walking.

The Turtle V is quite comfortable, but the Jacuzzi is not coming with us.

MSR (Cascade Design)

www.msrgear.com

As our departure date gets closer, we made a quick trip to San Francisco to pick up Gary’s special 6-month visa for the EU/Schengen countries at the Swiss Consulate. It has been our tradition, whenever we go to San Francisco, to buy a fresh crab at Fishermen’s Wharf, a loaf of sour dough bread at the famous Boudin Bakery and maybe a little bottle of white wine. The docks where the fishing fleet ties up are a perfect place for a lunch stop. That said, Gary’s grandmother, a San Francisco “Lady”, always took the family to Alioto’s, (founded in 1925), where the favorite Crab Louie Salad was served. On this trip, having heard about it for years, Monika had to have a “Crab Louie”. Back on December 22, 1945 it cost $1.25! Today the price is $38.00 and a glass of Chardonnay $12. That’s inflation!! It was very good but on our next trip to the City By the Bay, we’ll buy a cracked crab and go back to the docks with the seagulls.

Driving out through the nightmare traffic, we did pass the old Lotta’s Fountain. Lotta Mignon Crabtree grew up in our Gold Rush town of Grass Valley, CA and became one of the wealthiest and most beloved American entertainers of the late 19th century. Lotta’s Fountain served as a central meeting point during the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire aftermath. To this day, on April 18 at 5:12 AM, a dwindling number of survivors and others gather to commemorate the tragic event.

The famous Alioto’s Waterside Café was founded in 1925.

The wooden docks overlooking the fishing fleet are a great place to enjoy a fresh cracked crab and some famous sour dough bread from the Boudin Bakery.

Monika had to have a “Crab Louie” at least once in her life, so we splurged.

The menu from 1945 clearly states, (lower left corner, “NO SERVICE LESS THAN .25c PER PERSON”

The famous Lotta’s fountain on Market Street was dedicated on September 9, 1875. The cast iron pillar was donated by Lotta Crabtree in 1916.

Whether you travel in a car, SUV, pick-up camper or expedition motorhome, it’s easy to overlook one of the smallest parts of the drivetrain. When you think about it, all of the power in our big engines is channeled through the transmission and back to the rear wheels (and front wheels if you have four-wheel-drive) through a bunch of little bearings, any one of which you can slip underneath your thumbnail. Those little bearings are located inside a fairly complicated system of driveshafts, CV joints and U-joints, all running on a thin layer of grease. If any one of these little components fails, you will know it right away because you will be on the side of the road. Periodically, and especially before a long adventure, we take our driveshafts to Drive Line Service of West Sacramento where they meticulously inspect, rebuild and balance everything with quality Spicer parts.

These little needle bearings are what connect your engine to the tires on the ground.

The new Spicer sealed U-joints are stronger and better sealed against moisture and grit.

Our old stub-shaft was lathed off and a new one was pressed and welded on the driveline.

After careful alignment, a new stub-shaft was welded in place.

The CV joint, (constant velocity) is a critical component of modern driveline systems.

The CV joint still has a zerk fitting and must be occasionally serviced.

A needle adapter to our grease gun is used to lube the fitting inside the CV joint.

The carrier bearing is bolted to the frame and supports the driveshaft and the CV joint.

A high-speed precision Axi-Line balancing machine developed by Drive Line Service of West Sacramento is used to precisely align and balance all components.

Small weights are welded to the shafts to balance them and eliminate even the slightest vibration.

Expert technicians at Ken Imler Diesel Performance in Sacramento installed the reconditioned drivelines.

Drive Line Service of West Sacramento developed the precision Axi-Line balancing used by over 100 shops around the country.

A Legend of his Own!

In January 2012, Four Wheeler Magazine published its 50th anniversary issue. Originally, the editor asked me to write a personal account of our friendship with Granville King, the wily old Desert Fox. His series, From the Backcountry,  and ours ran at the same time and were the most popular in Four Wheeler’s history. Unfortunately, editors changed, and the new one was no longer interested in this article which was sad. That’s why I decided to publish this tribute to our old friend Granville on our website.

Monika

Granville King and his beloved Superdawg

Click here to access the story.

Many of you have been wondering why we have delayed our departure from California, and others have asked about my recent surgery. Here’s the scoop on both questions.

Forty years ago, in South Lake Tahoe, CA, I tore the bottom of my left middle finger off while installing a winch cable on our Land Rover (The Turtle I). The classic 8274 manual-control Warn winch tried to pull my knuckle through the rollers. It didn’t fit. Broken beyond repair. The orthopedic surgeon in Tahoe did an “island pedicle flap”, stealing a blood vessel and a nerve from my ring finger to repair the injury on the middle finger. Cool? The knuckle was history. The doctor, who was then the Orthopedic Surgeon for the 49 football team, confided to me that while the middle knuckle of the finger was frozen at a 35° angle, left hands were really only good for two things: beer cans and ski poles.

This Summer I slipped off a ladder and re-broke the same finger, but now it was in a 90° angle and twisted to the side, making it difficult to even put gloves on, let alone hitting the correct keys while typing!

Recent surgery by Dr Richard Tortosa in Yuba City, CA, who happens to be one of the very best orthopedic hand specialists in the country, opened up the top of the re-broken finger, removed some bone chips, and installed a screw and a pin to fuse the joint in a more useable 30° angle. Now, after ten days in a cast and eight more weeks with a splint, the finger is healing well and we are getting back up to speed with our final packing and departure.

In the process, I learned how many things the left hand is used for, like tying my shoes, and I did get out of doing dishes for a few weeks. I can also now easily hold beer cans and ski poles.

Back in Tahoe, an “island pedicle flap”, was done stealing a blood vessel and a nerve from my ring finger to repair the injury on the middle finger.

The re-broke finger was in a 90° angle and twisted to the side, making it difficult to even put gloves on.

Like my cool sling? Cost over $150 bucks! Monika could have made one from an old sheet. And we wonder about the cost of health care?

Skin between the ring and middle finger needed to be relieved to get more blood flow through.

With the cast and stitches removed, healing has been quick.

Just checking, Finger surgery was a success!

Final packing! Three years, 26 countries, temperatures from –60°F in the mountains of Tajikistan to over 120°F in China’s Gobi Desert, medical supplies, selected spare parts, tools, camera equipment — you can imagine the list.