Not Much

I got nothing to report. Fabien and Michelle did a "blog tag" thing but they are the only two people I know who actually HAVE a blog, so I would just tag them back, and where is the fun in that?

Oh I did buy a new truck. Care to guess which brand?

Got the bed sprayed.
Got the canopy, to protect my stuff.
First is a 2.5 inch lift kit.
Then new wheels.
Then some knarly tires.
Then the nerf bars.
Then the bumper.
Last the lights.

Unicat Americas

Longing...
Freedom...
The forces of nature
Horizons...
Dreams...

Welcome to our world.
Travel off the road,
off the beaten track.
Travel to the end of the earth,
and to your own center.

Travel to discover the world anew,
On the way you will experience the unforeseen,
Come up against new situations,
Make decisions again and again
And though you really have no idea now what it will really be like
It is exactly what you anticipate

Smacks of high adventure,
And it is a great adventure
You therefore need a vehicle that offers dependability and safety on route
A vehicle that affords well being and quality of life,
even under extreme conditions
A vehicle tailored to your personal requirements
This is the standard every Unicat vehicle meets.

Mature engineering which shows also in the details ensures your safety
Customized solutions realize individual needs
An integrated vehicle concept satisfies highest demands
No matter where the journey takes you

Achieving this quality level calls for intelligent structures and a broad based approach
Specialized staff from various departments work hand in hand
Utilize synergies and constantly devise new solutions
State of the art machinery and equipment
Facilities like our own testing grounds simply expect them
Knowhow and competence built upon technical superiority
Plus experience, experience, experience

You wish to travel cross frontiers
Break new ground
Marvel at unspoiled nature
Master extreme situations
You set off and already have reached your destination

Unicat wishes you a good journey

UNICAT

Have you ever wondered? We have. A lot.

Is it a Chevy El Camino or Ford Ranchero?

....It's a Japanese version of both. The new tow vehicle to pull behind the Buda bus, a Subaru Buda Baja (except it came from Bellevue WA, not Buda TX)

An empty campground, a full sky

Our view in Willard Bay State Park. We had no neighbors, except one. He kept buzzing our campground looking for a snack.

Trip to Tucson - Departing

Ready for the road trip to Tucson, AZ. We are happy because we have no idea what is in store for us of being on the road 3 weeks.

Days 5, 6 and 7 - A Road Trip Across the State

So for Saturday we decide to haul a load of crap across the state and store in the new house. Here is Mrs. Dirtbagger and the Chessa-dork getting ready for the road trip. Notice the bitchin fog lights and awesome ARB bumper on the front end of my truck!

Fog Today

I was so excited this morning. Today we had fog. So I drove down the road with my new fog lamps on. I'm such a redneck. Anyhow, we've tons of places to visit lined up. Here is how it's looking:

• Feb - Trip to Tucson, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park and back via the 101 on the California Coast.
• March - Trip to Oregon Coast with my Sis
• April - Trip to Bend, Oregon to climb @ Smith Rock state park with Brian and Gloria
• May or June - Visit Mrs Dirtbagger's sister "Louie" at da Joursey shour
• July - Trip to Alaska
• August - TBD

Two Aces Make a Pair of Lights

OK, so I decided to spend my Saturday putting the new PIAA foglamps installed in my truck. These are not some cheesy Shucks Auto Supply pieces o' crap. These babies are high intensity, halogen retina burners! All the kids have them, and I gotta have mine too!

Beauty was, it only took two trips to my local Ace Hardware store. Once to get the parts, and trip two was to replace all the fuses I blew installing parts from the first trip. The rules of home improvement also apply to cars too.

So here is a photo of the finished product, my awesome ARB Sahara bar and PIAA fog lamps. Now, all I have to do is sit patiently in the cab of my truck and wait for some fog.....

Map? Map? I don't need no stinking map!

Today we dropped off the truck @ a local Uhaul dealer to have the class III receiver, weight distribution hitch, and electronic brake controller installed. It was done in less than 3 hours. Looks like the only thing I need to do is have the oil transmission cooler installed. Can't imagine blasting down the freeway to have my tranny overheat and blow tranny fluid all over I5. What a site that would be. We're about 3+ weeks away from trailer pickup.

Our route to Tucson and back via the land of fruits and nuts (California) is over 4300 miles long. Hope I have damned good map.