Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[quadzilla]

Took the roof box and rails off the car which has been there since April. Car could really use a good wash inside and out after thousands (I'd guess over 15K) of highway km this year. Can already feel better handling and that clunking noise is gone (something in the box). Will get better f/e again as the box was eating up an extra 1-2L/100 depending on the wind. Will be harder to find my car in a parking lot though.

I easily had over 100 tent nights (stopped counting) this year and am already thinking about next year's trips as I'm planning on going back to the desert and other places.

From google stalking me...

[tortoise]

Damn, that's a journey.

Super jealous of your 100 nights in a tent.

[Jaeger]

Absolutely epic journey Derek!

[Firm]

Yeah, that's a heck of journey. Not sure I'd be up for tent life, but it would be really cool to see all those great spots - I firmly believe that road tripping is the best way to see/experience an area.

That stop in Brownville TN is only about 45 minutes from me. If you're ever in that area again you're more than welcome to stop in for some beers, a hot shower and the guest quarters....Or pitch your tent in the yard if you like 

[bridgecity]

Absolutely epic as others have said. Did you do this with a partner? Do you still have a property in Ontario and if so did you have someone take care of it?  Was this all done continuously or did you head back to Ontario at certain times? So many questions but what a journey.

[Arthur Dent]

Amazing road trip! What were you favourite moments along the way?

[quadzilla]

Thanks everybody. 

Yeah, that's a heck of journey. Not sure I'd be up for tent life, but it would be really cool to see all those great spots - I firmly believe that road tripping is the best way to see/experience an area.

That stop in Brownville TN is only about 45 minutes from me. If you're ever in that area again you're more than welcome to stop in for some beers, a hot shower and the guest quarters....Or pitch your tent in the yard if you like 

Ya, tent life isn't for everybody and that is OK. Just getting out there and seeing things is great no matter how you do it. Watching the landscape unfold in front of you as you drive is so amazing. Doing it on a bicycle is also amazing but obviously at a much slower pace. There are so many amazing places to see in the USA (and other countries of course).  BTW, I might take you up on that offer next year when I drive back to AZ in the spring. That Brownville TN stop was at a shitty over priced hotel.

Amazing road trip! What were you favourite moments along the way?

Very hard question as I saw and did so many amazing things. Meeting and having long conversations with interesting people, cycling up Mt Lemmon in AZ (35 km of climbing!), going in slot canyons so narrow I'd have to take my backpack off and turn sideways, how much the geology would change in such a small area (100 miles).  Just a few off the top of my head. If I answered this tomorrow, I'm sure I would have a different list. One thing I missed out on was camping in the dunes at Great Sand Dunes NP in Colorado. They only give 20 spaces and by time I checked, they were all gone. I still went to the park and hiked the dunes but it would be amazing to sleep on them.

Absolutely epic as others have said. Did you do this with a partner? Do you still have a property in Ontario and if so did you have someone take care of it?  Was this all done continuously or did you head back to Ontario at certain times? So many questions but what a journey.

Short version...I went solo. Sold the house and as many things as I could before leaving. The rest of my stuff is in a 12x15 storage locker. I've been living in my car/tent since April with the occasional couch surfing at my mom's or friends.

I did AZ, UT, and a tiny bit of CO in April and May. Came back to Ontario to see my mom and then took off on a self supported bike trip with a friend (72 years old and we knocked off 400 km in 4 days). Then I took off to Lake Placid for a few weeks. Came home and did another self supported bike trip with the same friend (300 km in 3 days). Back to Placid and Gorham NH for 3 weeks and hung out with some friends at both places. That puts me into the end of August.  I wanted to get out to Maine but every time I was close and checked the forecast, another hurricane could be coming up the coast.

In the middle of Sept, friends left on a 1 month vacation so they asked me to house sit their place for them which ends this week.  Soon I'll be going to head back to NC to visit family. No idea what I'll do after that.  Would be nice to find a short term rental till March when I'll take off again.

[OliverD]

Reminds me of a meme I saw recently:

What essential item do you always take on camping trips?

A hotel room reservation.

 

[Firm]

That's pretty wild, big life change for sure, but you only get one round at life - gotta make it worthwhile and it sounds like that's what you're doing.
Anytime you need a spot to stop in SW Tennessee just shoot me a message, we're about 5 minutes off I40 in Lakeland.

[blur911]

Replaced the right rear wheel bearing on the Outback.  It's a bolt-in hub, went pretty well, no special tools required, weill...I did get to use my slide hammer.
Nice to have the loud grumbling sound gone, it was starting to get bad.

[ktm525]

Replaced the right rear wheel bearing on the Outback.  It's a bolt-in hub, went pretty well, no special tools required, weill...I did get to use my slide hammer.
Nice to have the loud grumbling sound gone, it was starting to get bad.

nice. bearings can be a pita if they get frozen in there.

[Dante]

Did the rear brakes with my friend yesterday on his Passat. Calipers, rotors, pads. All went pretty smooth but I think there is still some air in the system as the pedal is softer than it should be IMO.

Will have to properly bleed the system again. I ordered one of those bleeder pumps and few bottles of fluid to finish the job. I know the pump is not a necessity but it makes the job easier and it will get used quite a bit among us.

[ArticSteve]

Some sort of pressure bleeder or vacuum bleeder is a necessity as "pumping the brake pedal" technique can spell disaster for the master cylinder.  It won't render it broken, but the pedal will always be soft.

[blur911]

Replaced the right rear wheel bearing on the Outback.  It's a bolt-in hub, went pretty well, no special tools required, weill...I did get to use my slide hammer.
Nice to have the loud grumbling sound gone, it was starting to get bad.

nice. bearings can be a pita if they get frozen in there.

Hardest part was getting it out of the brake backing plate.   Our previous Outback had press-in bearings, this is a nice update.

[Dante]

Some sort of pressure bleeder or vacuum bleeder is a necessity as "pumping the brake pedal" technique can spell disaster for the master cylinder.  It won't render it broken, but the pedal will always be soft.

I don't know, some may argue it can be done without it, but for me as an occasional DIY-er, it's better, cleaner with it.
Plus the cost of the pump is not that high and it will be amortized at the first or second use.

[blur911]

Some sort of pressure bleeder or vacuum bleeder is a necessity as "pumping the brake pedal" technique can spell disaster for the master cylinder.  It won't render it broken, but the pedal will always be soft.

I don't know, some may argue it can be done without it, but for me as an occasional DIY-er, it's better, cleaner with it.
Plus the cost of the pump is not that high and it will be amortized at the first or second use.

Vacuum or pressure bleeder?  In my experience, pressure works much better.

[Dante]

Some sort of pressure bleeder or vacuum bleeder is a necessity as "pumping the brake pedal" technique can spell disaster for the master cylinder.  It won't render it broken, but the pedal will always be soft.

I don't know, some may argue it can be done without it, but for me as an occasional DIY-er, it's better, cleaner with it.
Plus the cost of the pump is not that high and it will be amortized at the first or second use.

Vacuum or pressure bleeder?  In my experience, pressure works much better.

[ktm525]

I sometimes just use the pedal, sometimes gravity, sometimes vacuum with the mighty vac, sometimes pressure with my $10 self built device (modified garden sprayer from rona and a master cylinder cap mod) They all seem to work. Easiest seems vacuum with the mighty vac as you can do it all from wheel without moving. It does bring in air into tubing but it is downstream of caliper.

[ArticSteve]

I use a master cylinder screw on cap that fits an amazing number of different brands, Ford being the big one.  I also use the hand held garden sprayer via tube to master cylinder cap.  Don't touch the pedal on older vehicles.  Not worth the risk for me.  I did it on a 10 year old/200k km Saab 900S and blew the seals.  Master was $1200 and that was 20 years ago.  Did not replace.  Drove it out west gingerly with aid of the emergency pull up brake.

[rrocket]

I use a master cylinder screw on cap that fits an amazing number of different brands, Ford being the big one.  I also use the hand held garden sprayer via tube to master cylinder cap.  Don't touch the pedal on older vehicles.  Not worth the risk for me.  I did it on a 10 year old/200k km Saab 900S and blew the seals.  Master was $1200 and that was 20 years ago.  Did not replace.  Drove it out west gingerly with aid of the emergency pull up brake.

You aren't supposed to put 100psi in the system! LOL [emoji38]