CANCELED: Dirty Bacon's Great American Adventure

[mikekey]

If your RV breaks down, your home is broken down. Then your home is in the shop, where is your home?

I think we'd get along, Marines are special to this family.

[DirtyBacon04]

Hhaahaha! That was a great video!

Your main home would be in the shop. Then you have your bugout truck to sustain you short term until the RV is ready again. Boom, problem solved.

[DirtyBacon04]

As far as the name goes, I was wanting to incorporate Nomad/vagabond or maybe the metallica song "Wherever i may roam" (considering it's my favorite metallica song)

Maybe Expedition: Vagabond or something of the like... If i end up getting sponsered down the road i'd probably do some big graphic like Expedition Overland did.

My mom had the idea of contacting the Boy Scouts and seeing what kind of sponsership/assistance they could do for me.

[djthumper]

Yeah, I doubt if the Boy Scouts will sponsor anything like that. Not with the changes in the next couple of years.

[DirtyBacon04]

I guess i haven't been following the BSA drama...

Hmmm. Maybe i can get Clay Croft to sponsor me

[mikekey]

Yeah, I doubt if the Boy Scouts will sponsor anything like that. Not with the changes in the next couple of years.

Don't ask don't tell is over in the Corps now.


Sgt. Nomad

[DirtyBacon04]

Well, got a big check mark on my "To-Do" list today... All I need now is the 2" reciever mounting plate, and a top terminal battery. Oh, the misc winch accessories too. Got one 17k lbs snatch block today, lookin at getting one more, plus probably 2 tree savers. Any other ideas/recommendations?

[The Roadie]

If you got the $, upgrade to synthetic line and save weight.

[DirtyBacon04]

I've thought about that. Based off my pro/con list that I made, I'm thinking the steel line is the way I need to go for my plans. It seems that the only benefit of synthetic is weight. I didnt feel that the one benefit out weighed it being weaker, less durable, and less versatile.

[Trail X]

The other benefit is that when you unlock the winch drum engagement dog that it doesn't unwind the wheel 10 times due to the spring memory of the wire rope. After I dealt with that wire birdnest a couple times, I was pretty sure synthetic was for me.

[dvanbramer88]

Also, pull cable in slick mud or difficult terrain, and you'll appreciate the synthetic more. I've pulled both cable and synthetic rope, and also helped people re-spool their winches with both. It is night and day.

[mikekey]

Also, pull cable in slick mud or difficult terrain, and you'll appreciate the synthetic more. I've pulled both cable and synthetic rope, and also helped people re-spool their winches with both. It is night and day.

Dave, can you elaborate more on why it's night and day.

[dvanbramer88]

Also, pull cable in slick mud or difficult terrain, and you'll appreciate the synthetic more. I've pulled both cable and synthetic rope, and also helped people re-spool their winches with both. It is night and day.

Dave, can you elaborate more on why it's night and day.

The steel cable is harder to pull off the spool because it maintains some memory. And once you have a good bit of line out, you're also fighting the weight of the line as well as the friction on the spool. Its a decent challenge to pull cable any distance when its muddy or otherwise difficult to walk.

The synthetic rope just seems to spool off easier when you're pulling by hand.

And than when it is time to neatly respool the line on the drum, the synthetic line is just so much easier to control and get to wrap nicely. And plus you're not fighting the weight and memory of the steel line.

In summary, steel cable is considerably heavier and stiffer. More difficult to work with. Synthetic line is really light, supple, and easier to work with.


This is experience from ErikSS's winch, JD's winch, Mike Barton's winch, and TrailShaman's winch.

[DirtyBacon04]

Here's the flip side, if a winch cable breaks on TECORE 142 or something, it's only a weekend, then you'll be home with parts on order... I wont have that luxury. I need something thats going to last me, and if I get a good work out in by using it, then it's a win-win.

[mikekey]

Going to be wheeling 5 days a week?

[navigator]

save your steel cable as spare.

[Trail X]

Here's the flip side, if a winch cable breaks on TECORE 142 or something, it's only a weekend, then you'll be home with parts on order... I wont have that luxury. I need something thats going to last me, and if I get a good work out in by using it, then it's a win-win.

I think it's a common misconception to think that steel cable will last longer than synthetic. As long as you properly sleeve your synthetic line with chafe guards, I'd bet it can be used in just about any situation that steel cable could.

Synthetic line can also be field repaired, where a steel line cannot. You can also take a synthetic extension line and turn it into a synthetic winch line if needed (you are going to get an extension of some sort, right?).

Steel cable can get kinks in it that renders it unusable, whereas if you get a kink in synthetic, you can just "knead" it out, and its fine.

Steel does benefit from not being affected by UV, but I think most synthetic lines aren't really affected that much anymore. I'd still cover any permanently mounted winch with a neoprene cover to keep sun and rain off, synthetic or steel cable.

However, the biggest advantage of synthetic comes from the safety side, where if a component of your recovery pull fails, it will just drop to the ground because it does not store energy. A steel line will whip back when it fails.

I think the only thing that synthetic has yet to figure out a solution to, is creep the of the polymer molecules - which is the only reason why you don't see synthetic lines used very often for overhead lifts. The synthetic will plastically elongate a bit when subjected to high stresses.

[mikekey]

Bacon, here is the perfect route for you: http://bit.ly/1hgiWpR

In 113 hours you will have driven thru all 48 states in the contiguous United States. The route begins in South Berwick, Maine and ends 6,872 miles later in Taft, Montana.



This is the most amazing route planning ever, and the most cleaver. Even if it's all based on technicality. You could claim the crap out of the accomplishment.

Assuming you get 15mpg and the national price of gas of 3.50 it would cost you $1603 dollars to drive it all.

[DirtyBacon04]

Hell mike. If i could hire you as my manager, I would.
Thats a great find!! I'd be modifying it here and there to incorportate more offraod... i do like how it goes straight through the heart of Utah!

[mikekey]

Yeah it's kind of a joke, I mean it's technically all possible, although I don't think you'd want to do it unless you just wanted the bragging rights about how you visited all 48 states in 10 days. LOL. But using the logic of corners, you could in theory come up with a route to off road in all 48 states in a year!

I've been thinking up all kinds of crazy routes since we need to think about it where we will go. The more I think about it, having a predetermined route is the best way to save gas. and avoid driving randomly all over because you can't decide where you want to go, thus costing yourself more money.