The Long Limp Down

[T.Low]

Oops. If a moderator can't resize that pic, I'll do it as soon as I get access to my PC. Thanks.

[T.Low]

It's at about this point where the (mis)adventure begins.

We come to this boulder fall. At first glance, it's a bit much for our vehicles. But after a few minutes of scouting, I see a perfect line which we should be able to crawl untouched.

(This pic is on the way down, so obviously we made it)




We spotted for each other, and crawled it slow and easy with no touches. Perfect.

But as soon as I hit flat ground the rubbing started and would not quit. Had to shut 'er down.

We mess around with for about an hour or so, then finally come up with an idea that will keep the long linkage bar away from the pulley. It's a clever idea, but maybe not quite thought all the way through...The engine runs free now, no rubbing .

Knowing it's a temporary fix, I park the van on the first wide spot in the trail that we come to and ride with Keith the last 3/4 mile to the Pass.

[T.Low]

I'm not there with you.

To enjoy the scenery AND help fix it?

[T.Low]

Keith at the summit of Van Epps Pass. Nice job to get a stock FJCruiser there with no touches.

[T.Low]

Near by, back down to my van, I've got the linkage bar pryed back and held by motorcycle straps away from the pulley in such a manner as to allow it movement to still do it's job. Or so we thought...

As I turned the van 180 degrees around to head back down the trail, BANG went the drag link bracket, cracked in half from its frame mount by the power steering mechanism processes ing against the linkage bars new restriction we put on it.

Crap.

It's 5pm on the eve before a three day holiday, we're at 5400' elevation near the top of a tight boulder strewn 4x4 trail with plenty of cliff side corners on the way down...and I've got basically one wheel steering...hmm.

[Slicky]

Well this is quite an adventure!at least you guys had decent weather, I can't imagine how bad it would be to work on the steering in the rain or snow.

[mdmead]

Yikes! Is this the trip you invited me on? Sorry I wasn't there to lend a hand.

So snow... you couldn't reach the lake?

[T.Low]

No, Matt, that was two trips ago. I think this one was such short notice that nobody else was invited.

As much as I liked the idea of camping in the van that night, heading down in the FJC the next morning to fetch the part, and return for an trail side install, the reality was far from being that simple. Tomorrow is The 4rth: Nobody is going to be open. And if they were, they may not stock that part. While I think I may actually have a pickle fork to remove the bracket from the drag link, I'm not as sure about reassembly. Do I leave the van for retrieval later, with part, a well stocked tool box, better jacks and blocks? Yada, yada, yada. Oh yeah not to mention my hands don't really work so well, so I'd be asking Keith to do the work...which of course I know he'd do but that's beside the point...

And, of course, we'd have to do the motor mounts, too...

Well, it's already broken, so let's see if we can't limp 'er along down the teail nice and easy like...whatever we do take get van and part back together again, it will be easier (and cheaper) with the van sitting in camp along the Cle Elum River rather than near the top of Van Epps Trail...so down the teail we go...

Somehow I managed to keep 'er from going over the edge of the cliff on some of the tight corners, kept the sheet metal and undercarriage away from the big rocks, and clunked it on home to the trailhead .

Not to be discounted in this misadventure of mine is the fact that Keith the Noob in his 2wk old stock FJ Cruiser was out front basically on his own heading down Van Epps Trails and brought 'er home sans battle scar. Not bad, Noob. Not bad.

I spotted him on that gnarled rock face near the top, and told him to shout if he when he needed another spot, and he really never did: just went slow enough to keep me in his shiny new mirrors.


I think it's 1600 that divides the two legs of the FC trail where we got off Van Epps and headed back to Cle Elum River rd. (Feel free to correct me.) Keith went ahead to claim a spot along the River to camp before the holiday campers snagged em all, and I'd limp along and meet him as soon as I could.

With the van safe and (somewhat)sound at camp along Cle Elum River Rd just across from FC trailhead, we went to town in search of a cold draft and a cell signal. Let's go over our options: wether it's a tow truck, a borrowed truck and flat bed, or a fetch and install, it'll be a helluva lot easier at the camp spot vs up the trail. Hopefully enough to offset whatever carnage may have occurred under there on the way down Van Epps....

[T.Low]

At The Brick (pub) in Roslyn we worked the phones, (and the drafts) looking for trucks and flatbeds: I really didn't have the flexibility or desire to leave the van and come back and fix it later.

We found No simple truck and trailer solutions. Headed back to camp.

I decided to see if any repair shops in Cle Elum were open on the next morning, even though it would be Indepence Day. A long shot considering it's probably a part no one will stock. At midnight there'd be no southbound traffic from our camp spot down to Cle Elum, so I could (relatively) safely limp along at 10 miles an hr and arrive about... I dunno, 3:00am?

Well, the drive was as adventurous as I thought it might be , even at 3-10 mph, but sure enough only saw three cars the entire way down. Pulled up next to a repair shop and went to sleep...figuring I just saved myself a poop load of a tow bill without adding any more to the repair bill.

[T.Low]

I woke up with the sun, but unfortunately the repair shop didn't. No sign saying closed for the fourth, but it was 8:15 and It was just me and my dick in my hand...(just seeing if anyone's still reading this drivel )

One shop was open, but the earliest they could schedule me was a week and a half out. So, I'd have to get a ride back from Bellingham two weeks later to pick up the repaired van. Hmm. Then, I still have a little punch list Motorsports Jonni is going to do to the van, so that's yet another week of summer that would slip by.

So, rather than wait around for parts stores to open the following Monday, and try to repair it myself in a parking lot(after camping in the parking lot all holiday weekend), or go back and forth over the pass to try to borrow trucks and trailers, or leaving the van for two weeks to get fixed but still needing to bring it to a second shop in Bellingham to complete my punch list...

[T.Low]

For $330, I get my van on a car trailer and get a truck with trailer brakes big enough to safely pull it over the pass. I take the van straight to Jonni Jonasson Motorsports in Ferndale and drop it there for my one-stop-shopping to get my bracket fixed, my motor mounts replaced, and my honey-do punch list knocked out and get back into the backcountry with no multiple trips over the pass wasting everybody's time.

I drop the truck and trailer at uhaul, sit in the rain with my camping gear until a buddy picks me up, then I'm home in my own hot shower by 5:30 pm. Done deal, approx 24 hrs after first heading out down from near the top of Van Epps Pass.

Holy crap.


Out of 40 plus off pavement trips over the last 6 yrs, this is my first breakdown. Not bad.

[mdmead]

It wouldn't have worked this time as I was at Tollgate picking up my new toy while this adventure was happening... but if it happens again, CALL ME! I've got a big truck and access to a car hauler trailer. I'd have been happy to lend a hand. (I also own a tow dolly, which may or may not be wide enough for our vans... I'll need to measure... but would mean yanking the rear driveshaft too.)

Wow, what an adventure. And you handled it about the same way I would have - self-sufficiently!

[Slicky]

You are a stubborn man but credit to you your persistence payed off . The Uhaul actually in my mind worked out to be a great solution . Glad you got her down without too much extra damage.

[astrozam]

Of course we were reading that dribble

Good stuff, handled well Tom, thanks for sharing the story

[T.Low]

Thanks guts.

Time to look into AAA. MY buddy has there 195 mile tow package. I'll get a quote.