Manual Sway Bar Release

My new lift kit came with a manual sway bar release. Just pull a pin, move the sway bar off the stud and fasten it out of the way with the included strap...

When I was shown this feature, I thought "I have a Rubicon with an electronic sway bar release so I will never use this". What I failed to realize is the Jeep is programmed to reconnect the sway bar when it reaches 18 mph. However, there are rough trails like what we ran today where you want to release the sway bar for a more comfortable ride but still travel faster than 18 mph. This option solves that problem.

Mormon Well Road
There is still a lot of wide open space in this country

Ultimate Jeep Accessory

Looking for the perfect gift for your significant other and their Jeep. How about a Rear License Plate Mounted Bottle Opener. At $9.95 it will not break the bank and could potentially save a life (think broke down in the middle of the desert with a case of ice cold long necks and no opener).

Another product I wish I had invented

Logandale Trail System

That notorious thrill seeking couple, Steve & Jayne (www.JeepTheUSA.com), are in town which means that at the very least I am going to have a very dirty Jeep and I do not even want to contemplate what may happen after that. Just to be on the safe side, I have put Earl Scheib Paint and Body on speed dial...

If you own a Jeep and see this couple, run in the other direction

Today, we drove up to the Logandale Trail System where we ran the Overton Ridge and Wash. The ridge has some extremely steep ascents/descents but you are rewarded with great panoramic views of the surrounding rock formations...

Click on photos to enlarge

There was even a little rock crawling along the way...

But for the most part, it was all about enjoying the scenery...

Lastly, we did discover an extreme rock crawling area where even the "big boys" were having problems...

Action Hero Night

It was "Action Hero Night" at the local Chick-Fil-A where kids dressed as their favorite action hero would receive a free Kid's Meal. I tried to convince them that I was still a kid-at-heart and that I was dressed as Marvel Comics' "Fat Man" whose superpower is the ability to eat huge quantities of dessert in a single sitting. For some inexplicable reason, they did not believe my story and I had to pay for dinner. 😢

Jeep Modifications

In preparation for towing a RV trailer, I had U-Haul install a 7 pin connector and brake controller on my Jeep. Although it came with a tow package, there was only a flat 4 pin connector which does not have the ability to brake the trailer.

Newly installed 4 pin & 7 pin connector

Much to my surprise, the tow package used a 3.73 gear ratio instead of 4.10. In an effort to improve the overall performance of the Jeep including towing, I purchased a Superchips Flashpaq.

This device comes with several preset performance tunes along with the ability to do a custom tune. It will even correct the speedometer if you go to bigger tires. Lastly, you can return the Jeep back to stock mode before taking it to a dealer.

Click on image to enlarge

I am currently running the 87 (octane) Performance Tune. I have not noticed any significant change in power but the automatic transmission appears to shift smoother. There is a Heavy Load Tow Tune which requires 91 octane gasoline that I will switch to when towing. I am also curious to see how the Crawling Tune performs on those really gnarly trails. 

Liberal Hypocrisy

I recently read an article on Harry Reid, the retired Democratic leader of the senate, who lives here in the Las Vegas area in the exclusive Anthem Country Club community. What makes the Club so exclusive (other than the million dollar homes) is it is a gated community (think wall) with armed security (think guns) that requires a government-issued photo ID (think voter ID) for entry. All the things that Harry and his fellow progressives are against in public, he has embraced in his personal life. Definitely, a case of "do I say, not as I do".

My other favorite liberal hypocrite is Al Gore, the millionaire retired politician and global warming activist, whose home in Tennessee generates five figure monthly electric bills and who flies around the world in a private jet that spews tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. I suspect the same can be said for the Clinton's, the Obama's and other liberal elites.

Perhaps, politicians should be limited to two terms: one term in office and one term in prison.

Fixer Upper RV

After dinner I met this fellow in the shopping center's parking lot, who was kind enough to pose with his RV...

He offered to sell it to me and as an added incentive was going to throw in the trailer...

He assured me it had never been in a wreck and had only 65,000 original miles on it...

When I asked how it was damaged, he said it was the weather in Mexico (I think we're talking hurricane or tornado). If I had not already put a deposit on a R-pod, I might have tried to negotiate a good deal.

Seenager

My friends, Steve & Jayne, sent me this image...

Panhandlers

Most of the major intersections in Las Vegas have panhandlers holding signs asking for help/money. As in any highly competitive market, there are those individuals on the cutting edge of their profession, who are always looking for new and innovative ways to differentiate themselves from their run-of-the-mill competitors. It appears the latest trend in panhandling is the "Why lie..." signs. In the last year, I have seen signs that read "Why lie, need beer". Now, in keeping with the recent legalization of marijuana, I see signs that read "Why lie, need reefer".

Ironically, it is against the law here to panhandle or give money to panhandlers (it is considered a traffic hazard) but due to the huge homeless population, it is rarely enforced.

Lift Kit

I had 4 The Truck in Henderson install a 3 inch BDS lift kit with Fox 2.0 shocks on my Jeep. Now, I can hit those speed bumps at the mall without fear of bottoming out. The next step in the evolution of my machine is to replace the stock tires with larger ones once I have put a few more miles on the current set. The downside to this setup is having to pole vault into the driver's seat (it's not easy being "inseam challenged").

UNC Alumni Association

It has been 50 years since I graduated from the University of North Carolina. In the interim, I have moved more times than I can count including a three year stay in Mexico. I never once sent them my new address. And yet, whenever they want a donation, I get an alumni letter asking for money. I believe the FBI, CIA, NSA, et. al. could learn a great deal about locating "person(s) of interest" from them. Unfortunately, now that they are politically just to the left of Lenin, I no longer donate.

Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours

I think most people would be surprised at the number of interesting places within an hour's drive of Las Vegas. Today, I visited Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours located in Eldorado Canyon at the historical Techatticup Mine (the oldest, richest and most famous gold mine in Southern Nevada). I photographed so many old and unique vehicles that I thought a slideshow would be the best way to display them...

If you would like to view a full screen version of the slideshow, click here

After the mine, I continued east to some remote areas of Lake Mead where I discovered a late model Ford F-150 trying unsuccessfully to learn how to swim...

This occurred within a national recreational area so I suspect the owner will be hit with some massive fines in addition to the cost of repairing or replacing the truck.

Vegas Heat

Although my RV came with two 15,000 BTU roof air conditioners, it is all they can do to keep the inside temperature under 85 degrees F when it is over 100 outside. In as much as I want to see if I can take the heat in Las Vegas this summer, I needed to look at other ways to cool the RV.

I spoke with some people in the office who live here year round and they recommended a portable air conditioner that vents to the outside. However, when I looked at those units, I discovered that they were not only more expensive than window conditioners but did not work as well.

After some careful window measurements and then shopping online, I found a 6,000 BTU LG air conditioner that appeared to be just what I needed. It arrived on Monday and much to my relief fit the window in the slide-out perfectly. I used some water hose insulation that I bought several years ago during a cold snap in NC to seal the ends of the unit so there are no drafts in or out of the RV.

Since then, we have had two days where the outside temperature was in the low 90s and I am pleased to report that it not only worked well but cut down on the time the big roof A/Cs were needed. Hopefully, I will stay cool this summer and lower my electric bill at the same time. 😊

Inside

Outside