Posted by Alabma Al on Monday, November 20, 2000 at 13:54:34:
Whew, I cut my hunting trip for deer short. First time in 20 years. Got back Wed nite.
Got a good nights sleep (counting pw's) and left Thurs @ 12 midnight. Drove to Muscle Shoals, Ala and began the drive with Bill and a Jerry Dan with lowering bed. We got to within 40 miles of VPW when the battery voltage was zero and belts began to squeal. Found out that the belt was on too tight and burnt out the smog pump. No problem, just remove the belt. Pulled into VPW at 3:30PM on Friday. Cold as a well digger's etc. Spent exactly one hour touring with Steve, buying repair and parts manuals, and loading truck. The best way to tell you all how I felt and what happened is to read Steve Kanavas reply to my "on the way" posting 11/16. We got to Nason, Ill. and slept a couple of hours at Bill's uncle's trailer and got back on the pavement. It is surprising how may times you feel you got to stop and pee when you are pulling a new wagon. It gives you a chance to get out and see if it is still on tight and to walk back and look at her thinking "Gad, did I pay too much, will the wife have a fit, where will I get all the help and parts to finish this?"
Why is it that I did not remember the pavement going bump bang bump on the way up.
I was really feeling kind of down (post partum depression?) when this kid and his dad drive up along side in their new $60K 4WD and, grinning from ear to ear, they give us the ole thumbs up and yell "Want to trade.?" At that point, like someone said, my concerns vanished like mist burnt off by the morning sun. Was dark when we got home around 4:30 Saturday. The wife ran out and said "Yea, I like this." As I backed it down I felt like I was awfully tall. I was-- the wife screamed "stop you will hit the door."
After measuring we only had two inches of clearance on an 8' tall garage door.
Some notes: This one has the radial Michilen stagger block tires ($300 ea to replace), a military gas tank (need advice on how to place it and secure), spedo in kilometers (need a replacement), no bed (need 3rd series with flat top rails), had superwinch lockout hubs put on, headlights are closer to hood than normal, has nifty military running lights, engine starts fast and idles like a sewing machine, all metal is straight with no rust throughs, will have lots of questions later. Photos tomorrow...Alabama Al