Planning an extended trip can be frustrating and costly. I myself am planning a trip in my little Isuzu Vehicross. More than one actually. As my budget build progresses, I will need to test the capabilities and the reliability of the Vehicross before I take it on extended trips.
After months of work, and more than a few scraped knuckles, I finally completed my first … well … semi-off-road test, the wait is over. There was enough sand to force engagement of the Isuzu Torque On Demand (TOD) system. The ruts, such as they were, proved deep enough for a few test of the low range setting as well as test the new Old Man Emu suspension. Everything beyond this point is now a want, not a need for adventure travel. Yes, there are some minor issues, and I suspect there will always be with a vehicle that is nearing its twentieth birthday. It is, however, mechanically sound as of this writing.
The success of the first test has opened the door to a more vigorous test. I have located some trails I will use to really give the Vehicross a workout. I will see what breaks and what doesn’t. This will also give me a chance to test filming my trail runs and my ability to go vehicle camping. My next “test run” will actually encompass two full days and a night in the Vehicross. This should be happening with in the next two weeks as I still need to decide on and purchase a tent for this setup.
If this proves a success, and I am confident it will be, then I will take on a larger challenges. Living in Georgia, there are actually few places to go Overlanding. However, the one name that keeps coming up is Tray Mountain. From the videos I have seen, and hailing from the western most sates, I am not worried about the technical terrain. If the videos are anything to go by I am not worried at all. Honestly, the only thing that worries in me in the entire state is mud. The mud here is unreal. I digress.
Once tray mountain is complete, I pan to attend a Vehicross owners meetup in Moab Utah next spring for a week of trail riding and camping. I did think about cutting that trip short by a day or so and attending Overland Expo West as well, but honestly, I don’t really see my little Vehicross fitting in well with that crowd. Maybe it will, who knows?
Until Next Time …
The Pantagonist 