Memorial Day Weekend Offroad Event(s) - Page 2

Ok, I'm off Sat, Sun, and promised the wife Mon and Tue since I'm going away. Sometimes you have to love the military and our 4 days
 
My plan is to leave Sat morning and get in there somewhere around 5-6 Sat night. Hang out and have some fun, then go wheeling on Sunday then head back home.
 
Looking forward to this, been talking about it all day!

Sounds like if we want to, we can have a Wharton Run on Saturday for those who arrive early.  As for everyone else we should all get together that night either at Muddy's for a BBQ or we can go out to eat.

So Wharton and Rausch(SP) are two different places?

I don't want to sound like a pansy, but these places aren't too rough on the trucks correct? Are there bypasses for alot of the stuff? I'm going to be very far away from home to have something break, and you guys all know my service history. I don't have a full warranty anymore either, so I need to take it easy.

I might purposely leave the tube steps on so I can gauge what my limits are. I do have the underbody protection, but my wife is quite fond of our tube steps You understand.

HummerGuy,
I was thinking the same thing...!  Dont want to be broken down and be over 600 miles away from home....that would suck!

I would suggest that you bring some tools with you and take your tube steps off......you won't get very far with them on....even a little tiny rock!  Remember my little beach pics?  I couldn't even clear the rock if I went all the way over, and it was only up maybe 12".

Well, I'm still up in the air. I was mapping it out and I think if we go I'm going to take the long way through TN and stop at Graceland and Dollywood since she has always wanted to go there. It will give her something to look forward to other then mud I'm not sure if I'll go both days or just Sunday. I'd like to do the whole BBQ thing though.

We'll see. I thought I'd know in the next few days but it turns out I'll probably know more the week of May 12th. You guys just keep planning without me. I may not be in any condition to go by that time but we'll see what happens

HummerGuy,  you should take off your steps.  Muddy and I agree these Hummers are our daily drivers so we won't do anything to damage our vehicles or get you into a spot where you don't feel comfortable.  Nobody wants their trucks damaged, we'll make sure everyone has fun and gets to play in whatever they want.  Some people like mud, others prefer rocks, etc.  Wharton is an easy State Park with all dirt trails that you don't even have to put your truck into 4Lo.  They have mud and there are bypasses.  Rausch Creek has something for everyone and we'll stick to the trails that keep us and our trucks safe.
If nothing else you get to meet other drivers, talk, show off your Hummer tattoo, oh wait I'm the only guy crazy enough to have one of them, and have some fun.

OK great. I've been on the rough trails, but that's within towing distance of my dealer, so I've never really worried about it. I'll take the steps off before we go then. My wife has had muscle problems lately in her right leg so she is having a hard time doing anything that requires stretching her legs. Hopefully she'll be better by the time we go and I can take them off.

I found some new ones (don't ask me where) that supposedly have hooks that go into the chasis bolt holes and can attach and detach without tools. I think I saw them on eBay or one of our sponsor sites. I may make the case for those after our trip.

I've got a few minor health concerns I'm getting checked out but it should be nothing. I'm getting some tests done May 10th but I think it's probably just stress-related stuff. The vacation is going to do me good, so I'm going to try really hard to come. I've already got most of it mapped out, but we probably won't be there until Sat afternoon/night.

HummerGuy, if needed leave them on and Muddy can take them off in the staging area when we get to the off road park. Like how I nominate him to do...

I appreciate the offer. I can put them on and off with no problem, but they may not be going back on anymore

Well guys, gas is up to about $3.80 a gallon in the cheapest parts of where I live. If this keeps up, I may not be able to afford taking a trip, especially with us on one income. I'm really hoping and praying something dramatic happens to soften the blow before the trip, otherwise I may not be able to go, and i'm really bummed about that I need to think of my house and ya know, food, first

Yeah, I was thinking the same exact thing......gas is about $3.60 here.....it's just crazy! Hopefully truckers and regular people alike can get together and not buy gas for a few days.....that would get the gas folks thinking!

I have a pair of vice grips and a hammer... so I can repair any and everything....
 
Gas is cheap in Jersey... still $3.17 on the tunpike... and $3.21 on the Expressway... only because they are only alloed to raise it once a week... which is Thursday...

Just paid 3.49 per to fill up.
 
That was the nice thing about going wheeling down in Jersey.  Filled up when I got there and again when I left.

Yeah.... that was the thing that sucked about Wheeling at Rausch.... let with a full tank... put $50 in down the street.... so I guess it cost $100 to drive there and back...

$3.17? well, maybe it wont be so bad. Chicago supposedly has the highest gas prices in the nation these days, next to or greater then L.A.

I look to you guys for motivation.

Example:

"Mike, you pansy a$$ wussy. Don't let your wife convince you gas should stop your trip, you damn SOB Mf'er. Get your ##** @#%$ here and off-road with real men, before we come and @#$ %$%$ your #%#@# and @#$$ the #@$$ to the @#$%"

Maybe I'll fear more then rising gas prices

HummerGuy if your coming out I have a set of black step bars I bought on ebay and have since replaced with sliders.  Your welcome to have them, just let me know if your coming out and I'll bring them along.  If not and you plan on buying sliders I'll just hold on to them.

Thanks! The ones I have are fine, but the holes in the chasis that the bolts screw into have started to rust and the threads are almost worn to the point where I don't know if they will work anymore. That's what concerns me. I really have to sit down and look for those ones that hook in.

Anyone have any extra sliders???  I like the rocky road ones, but I'm not sure if I'll have the $$$ to buy new ones and still make the trip......

Don't want anyone having to be in the poor house just for making the trip, but it would be great to meet you some more of the fourms members. 
 
I'll start a taking collections for a gas card so we can get HummerGuy and SolarFlare out here.

Don't do that. I make too much to deserve that.

I'll make it, don't worry. Unless my wife is on crutches, I should make it, at least Sunday. Last night she could barely walk so I may have to take her to the doctor this weekend. Hopefully my headaches are just caffiene withdrawel and not something major. Withdrawel is a b1tch We always have something wrong. Just have to ignore it and move on. That's what meds are for right

Notice a correlation between shorter posts and no caffiene intake

At least I'm averaging 17.17 around town...hopefully doing a long trip I can get better mileage...the only problem is that when I hit 70mph I watch the gas needle drop!  LOL!!!
I don't need gas money.....at least Muddy is nice enough to let us sleep at his house......!
HummerGuy-Caffeine withdrawal is nasty......I had headaches for a while(months) when I got off of Pepsi....now I can't even stand the taste of the stuff....
Still very much forward to meeting you all!

Yeah Brandie. It's hard. I tried getting off it before and my body just totally went haywire.


Oh yeah; we are in for Sunday! We are taking a side-trip through Tennessee for a few days, but we'll be on Sunday, health issues hopefully resolved She's never seen the Smokey mountains so I'm going to take her through Memphis, Nashville and maybe Chatanooga.

That seems to work out better for everybody, including us.

So Harrisburg is the main town/city in that area, correct? I'm just trying to figure out a base for us to stay Sat and Sun Nights before our trip back to Chicago.

I would stay at the Hampton Inn in Pine Grove, PA.  It's like 7 miles from Rausch Creek.  You can go to their RauschCreek's website and click on the lodging info. 
If your going to try to make it in on Saturday and do something with Muddy and I than I would choose to stay somewhere closer to us, in NJ, for Saturday Night.  I'm around 2 hours from R.Creek and Muddy is another 40 mins. from me.

Wrong time to be trying to kick a caffeine habit, you'll need some for the long drive.
 
Reminds me of that classic movie "Airplane"...."Looks like I picked the worng week to stop sniffing glue."
That's a great movie.