My van on Mars

tmillar said:

It really does look like it is on the planet Mars. I'm pretty surprised that the Transit can handle that rough of terrain.

Did you put on different tires or anything?

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Greetings, tmillar. Yes the terrain is rough and all mixed up. It is a very interesting part of the Mojave desert, with open desert, dry lakes, old fossil-bearing sedimentary formations upheaved at crazy angles, lots of fractured pointy rocks, and miles of fresh black lava flows. Here is Amboy Crater, a relatively new (<10,000 years) volcanic cinder cone just off Old Route 66.



Mostly I was driving the little Transit Connect on basic dirt roads. Sometimes a road is washed out two feet deep, and without a 4-wheel drive Jeep, I just turned around and tried another road. Went cross-country a few times when the road evaporated, hoping to find it again. Only got stuck once in soft sand.

The tires are factory stock Continentals suitable for a flower delivery van in the city.

I envision upgrading a new Transit van on 16" rims to tires rated for Light Trucks.

carryon said:

yea that would probably be a better idea

cool!

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Ok I promise to do better. In two weeks, GF & I are heading out to Vegas, then Tonopah, then east into the badlands of central Nevada to a ghost town and the best fossil site for ichthyosaurs in the world at Berlin Ichthyosaur State Park. Quite a few miles of really good dirt road, minimal campground, no hookups.

We are testing our KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) proof-of-concept again in the Transit Connect in anticipation of the larger Transit van. We'll have cases of bottled water, propane stove, basic Igloo ice chest, clothes in duffle bags, gear in milk crates, patio awning bungeed to the roof, and a platform bed made from Home Depot plastic shelving units. Girlfriend is a saint to put up with me. She even agreed to have an emergency potty - Home Depot 2- gallon bucket, plastic trash bags, and kitty litter - haha.

Then to Reno, Virginia City, and northwest into the Sierras and west down the north fork of the Feather River. Maybe we will find a campground or access to the river. Then north up I-5 and east into the Cascades Mountains and Lassen Volcano. Even with this dry winter, all the roads up there (7000 ft) are not yet fully plowed and open. Cold nights!

We plan to catch a motel every few days or so, for a shower and bed and dinner on a plate. Otherwise she likes cold pork&beans from the can. Gotta love her for that!

Then north thru Oregon & Washington to her family's place to pick up an heirloom treadle sewing machine and a coffee table. The little TC is back to hauling cargo again. This is why I like the versatility of a cargo van without all the built-in conversion cabinets and cupboards. It keeps the U in utility. And the full size Transit van has even more U!

My ancient flip-phone will take a picture, and I can email it to myself and transfer it to iPhoto, and post it up here. I sincerely hope you all will post photos of your adventures too.