PLANNING: Wharton State Forest Overnight

[foosh]

Well I've mentioned it to a couple of you guys, so here it goes... I'm looking to get a trip together before its too cold and we end up with thick unpassible ice. This trip would be a starting on a saturday or friday night, trecking a couple hours in, camping for the night, then heading out the next day. I anticipate starting from the Atision entrance, since we know a bunch of the terrian over there and since we all want to go back and hit Jemima mount again. We'd camp somwhere along the side of the trail where ever the ranger's rules allow. For the second day we'd continue accross to the otherside of Wharton and try to make it as close to the parkway as we can by staying on trails.

Let me know if you guys are interested, this is open to anyone not just us Jersey Boys (Dan, JD, ONElowton... and the PA folks).

Requirements:
-30.5 + A/T's or M/T's
-aux lights for a possible night run
-camping gear for your crew
-food & drink
-recovery gear, at least tow straps or recovery straps,
-shovel, ax, and hi lift (not needed by everyone)
-recover points on the truck (hooks, Hitch)

[Gordinho80]

Do they allow camping at Wharton?

[foosh]

Yes in certain areas... theres one site not very far in at the Atison entrance, and to camp in other areas you have to get a permit... I'm currently looking into this, worst comes to worse we camp at one of the sites thats not to far in the first night, and wheel in that general area that day, wake up and have the whole day to make it the rest of the way across.

Mario by the way The second trail i hit with brendan after we broke off from the pack was the same one i did with you in the spring. When we went through the first couple holes water was slightly higher then normal, and after about a mile further, it turned into a water road... looks like the snorkel mod is gonna have to happen sonner than later if we really want to conquer more of wharton.

[MrSmithsTB]

I'm interested in this for sure. It will most likely have to be sometime this month or the first week or two of Dec at the latest. No guarantees on weather after that.

[foosh]

Exactly... I was thinking the Thanksgiving weekend depending on what people have to do, if that doesn't work, the next one would be fine. Plus i want to have enough time to get a couple mods done that i've been speculating about...

[irishboy02]

lets get a date set, i gotta see wat i can do with work\

ill be prepared

[MrSmithsTB]

Yes, lets. The weekend of the 20th or 4th I think are our best bets. I'd assume family will take precedent Thanksgiving weekend.

[foosh]

Ok, both work for me, so its up to you guys... we may have to Work around the rain because last weekend, the water table was really high even though there hasn't been tons of rain in a while. The trail i've run a buncha times in the past, became unpassible, and there was water where i'd never seen mud.

[irishboy02]

Yeaa, that second trail me and tom hit after everyone left had a STUPID amount of water...

We gotta get movin on this snorkle men!

So far, both those dates look good so far, just waitin on that work schedule now, but im in!!

[foosh]

Problem with the snorkel is that the body lift really has to be done to accomidate it because theres no way to access the inner fenderwell with the stock washer fluid box... the best thing we could do is run a sealed intake into a sealed air box with filter and then run the boxes intake through a flex pipe that would meet the snorkel unit leaving the fender... Of course this is with the body lift and lots of work!!!

Anyways someday i'd really like to be able to drive the river road, which requires a snorkel, its kinda like the ultimate road in wharton that most people can't do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Wmv4sJCNg&feature=fvw

[bobbyblaze]

The 20th is no good for me. The 4th is open. I have definetly seen signs for a permit being required for camping in the forest when we were out there last week. That means camping is allowed.
I don't think I can get any more of those MRE's to eat. Gonna' have to cook real food this time

I have seen that vid with the JKs before. Makes me wanna' put a snorkeland M/Ts on my jeep. Don't forget to re-locate your rear diff vent tube higher with that snorkel. Can't go deep with it laying on top of the spare tire.

I pulled my front wheels to check my brakes yesterday and I noticed a massive amount of dried pine needles between my engine and my skid plate. Had to drop the plate to clean them all out. Definetly picked them up goin through the water there. I would suggest to all that went last week to check theirs. I think I may have picked them up in that deep hole Brendan and I hit. The wave went over my hood. Must have dredged up the bottom on my way out.
I had to put new rear brakes on my TB yesterday. My front brakes will probably be this weekend. Busy,Busy Busy

[The Roadie]

Don't forget to re-locate your rear diff vent tube higher with that snorkel.

Rear diff, transfer case, tranny, and front diff all have vent tubes.

[bobbyblaze]

Don't forget to re-locate your rear diff vent tube higher with that snorkel.

Rear diff, transfer case, tranny, and front diff all have vent tubes.

Thank you. I will be buying tube in bulk then

I find myself in deep water at Wharton Stare Forest more than i'd like to. It's one thing to play in the puddles intentionally but it's alot different when there's no way around it.

[bobbyblaze]

Hey Bill, have you re-located any vents on your rig ?

[The Roadie]

I haven't lengthened any hoses, but I tywrapped the ones I have a bit higher than they were originally placed. It is time to lengthen the hoses, though. I have a torn weather strip that I need to install the replacement I've bought for the driver's door.

[MrSmithsTB]

Bobby, since you are such great company, I vote we put down the 4th-5th as the go date. We just need to decide Fri or Sat. Give everyone enough time to clear their schedule and secure any and all items needed, along with any mods that will allow for more "fun". I don't know if I will be body lifted by then, but I will have all new brakes, ball joints, CV half shafts, all fluid/filter changes, etc. I'm am also going to start work on a pre-snorkel design to hold me over by bringing the air in from a safer location, free from the heat of the engine compartment and the water of my hydro lock tunnel .

Also, good point about the vent tubes. If one of us does the leg work and figures out lengths and relocation points, we could equip the rest of the attending vehicles early on day one so we can all rest easier through the water holes.

[foosh]

With the body lift the most basic snorkel idea would be to take and seal the stock air box over our filter and cut the top out, and run a tube out the top, under the hood, and back further in the engine and secured in a higher location, air maybe warmer, but it will be dryer... expecially for the green monster and the insta hydro-lock mod!

[bobbyblaze]

Bobby, since you are such great company, I vote we put down the 4th-5th as the go date. We just need to decide Fri or Sat. Give everyone enough time to clear their schedule and secure any and all items needed, along with any mods that will allow for more "fun". I don't know if I will be body lifted by then, but I will have all new brakes, ball joints, CV half shafts, all fluid/filter changes, etc. I'm am also going to start work on a pre-snorkel design to hold me over by bringing the air in from a safer location, free from the heat of the engine compartment and the water of my hydro lock tunnel .

Also, good point about the vent tubes. If one of us does the leg work and figures out lengths and relocation points, we could equip the rest of the attending vehicles early on day one so we can all rest easier through the water holes.

Great company ? I've got the personality of a caesar salad. I've noticed a steady decline since I stopped putting alcohol in my system. Weird, but I don't fall down anymore.

What kind of brakes you goin with? I just put on AutoZone Duralast Gold Cmax ceramics on the rear. Definetly using them up front too.

There's a thread or how-to about the rear diff vent tube relocation on the OS. Very quick mod if you don't keep your spare under there. I wanna get under there and look in to the rest of the vent tubes though.

I might have my fogs on by then but probably no more lights. Better think twice about night runs in waterworld (especially after the rain). It's one thing when you can't tell how deep those holes are in the daylight but.. . .

[MrSmithsTB]

I've got my vent tube relocated already, but I was thinking it might be nice to route it and all of the other ones to points even higher still. I got OE Delcos for the rear, I'm going to get the same for up from. And I'm going to throw in some cross drilled rotors. Lots of plans, we'll see what time and money allow for in the next months. Hopefully enough to conquer the Mt.

[Trail X]

With the body lift the most basic snorkel idea would be to take and seal the stock air box over our filter and cut the top out, and run a tube out the top, under the hood, and back further in the engine and secured in a higher location, air maybe warmer, but it will be dryer... expecially for the green monster and the insta hydro-lock mod!

I beleive it's been said in the snorkel thread, but a body lift will not help a snorkel. The body lift does nothing to the positioning of the airbox relative to the body, as it's bolted to the body, not the frame.

The stock air box would be nearly impossible to seal to the washer fluid res. It's been tried. You'd have to find a completely different, pre-sealed airbox to make it work.

Those don't even seem to be as big of an issue as actually running the air from inside the fender into the engine bay and to the filter.