Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Tom's Neighborhood Workshop

[wreckdiver1321]

Our day out in the mountains was an interesting one. It was still early in the season, with some snow and spring runoff in full effect in the surrounding streams. I didn't have much of a plan other than exploring the area up along the Beartooth Highway, and re-familiarizing myself with the first couple of miles of a trail I've not yet run to completion, the Crazy Lakes route. This trail starts just off the road to Lily Lake and continues down to... I don't really know where. We got up in the morning and headed up the pass, stopping just off this route for a quick picnic.





This is an awesome little camping spot just off the road, and it's relatively low elevation, which makes it great for early season hangouts.



Lunch was sandwiches for the whole crew. For some reason, the kids' favorite thing to do is climb around in the back of the Land Cruiser, which is both fun and kind of stressful because they are experts at making messes.



We took some time to wander off into the woods for a bit to check out the area. We found another campsite, a little more out of the way than this initial one, and a short walk later we found a little fort someone had put together. The kids thought this was incredible.







Of course, I needed to stop for some glamor shots of the new stance.





After a sufficient amount of run-around time, we hit the trail for a bit. As expected, the water crossing I've yet to complete was higher than I felt comfortable with solo, so we stopped and turned back.



The scenery on the way out was fantastic, especially with the spring weather doing it's thing.





I did manage to find a spot to stretch the suspension just a little bit. Now, this was not maxed out and the truck wasn't even bothered by it, but it sure makes for an entertaining photo op. Gotta love the ol' flex pose.



We hit the upper road back out of the area and paused to gaze at the view for a moment. Here you can see the road leading down to the Beartooth Highway, the only thoroughfare between Red Lodge and Cooke City, just outside Yellowstone National Park. On the opposite side of the highway, the Absaroka Mountain Range stretches east(ish) to west(ish).



We then drove down in Cooke City to get the kids some of the promised godly nectar, ice cream. Though it was a bit chilly and it was a bit rainy, we stopped and got some tasty Wilcoxson's ice cream, which is made right here in Montana. The kids, obviously, were quite happy about this decision. But before long, the weather moved in again.



So we hightailed it back towards Red Lodge. We turned a movie on the rear TV (which is quickly becoming one of my favorite things), and the kids were napping fairly quickly. Meanwhile, Beret and I got to enjoy the incredible scenery which, despite my having driven through it probably a hundred times already, never gets old.





Since it was still relatively early in the day and the kids needed to get out for some more entertainment, we decided to stop off at Wild Bill Lake, a short hike off the main road and a popular picnic and fishing spot for locals. Here, the boys could indulge in their favorite pastime: throwing rocks into bodies of water.

Once again, I could not stop checking out how cool my truck was looking. I was so pleased with the changes it had gone through so far. I couldn't wait to see the project come together a little more.



We took the short hike up the trail to the lake. As per usual, the scenery was lovely and the kids were having a grand old time. Sometimes I forget these simple, easy walks in the woods with kids are sometimes the most fun and memorable. This would absolutely turn out to be the case with this particular walk.







At this piece of shoreline, Dirk stopped to throw rocks in the water, entertained by the splashes. He was seriously lobbing them a pretty solid distance, with giggles and jumping and the whole gambit of physical manifestations of childhood innocence and joy. His brother came along behind him, intent on the same experience. He successfully threw a few rocks into the water without any incident, but around rock number five or so, he forgot that his intent was to throw the rock into the water. Instead of letting go of his projectile, he remained affixed to it and lobbed himself into the lake. Luckily he was in shallow water, so he attempted to stand up, but slipped and went a little deeper in the water. After this repeated twice, mom waded in and dragged him out of the cold lake.





Was Bram upset about this? Did he cry and yell and get scared?

No. He thought it was hilarious.

"That was SO SILLY. Why did I go in the water?"

I don't know, buddy. Maybe don't do that next time?

We wrapped him in mom's hoodie and finished our hike around the lake. We may be clumsy, but we're not quitters!







We were successful in staying out of the lake on the rest of our hike, so that's good news.

Upon reaching the truck, we got the boys dressed in pajamas and buckled them in for the drive home. A few peanut butter sandwiches later, and we had snoring little bears in the backseat, happily resting from a long day of exploring in the mountains.

It's moments like these that really make parenthood worth it to me. Without a doubt, this is one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Watching my boys discover and play and laugh and learn, and afterwards watching their sleepy little eyes close while they fall asleep happy and unconcerned with the world. I'm not sure if it's mostly happiness or envy with which I look at them in those moments. Maybe both? Either way, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Oh, and the Land Cruiser? This is exactly why I've worked so hard to get one of these. Sure, I can do this kind of thing with a lot of other vehicles. But there's almost nothing as trusty, safe, and comfortable as the 200 Series. It's an easy button for adventures like these, big or small. And I know we're just getting started with each other.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

After the fun in the mountains, it was time to get back to some maintenance items and to get working on another modification I had been thinking over for a long while.

To start though, it was time for the first oil change!

I knew the dealership had changed the oil right when the truck was on the market, so I used the mileage at pickup as my zero and counted out a 5,000 mile interval. Now, remember that I had swapped the cap to read 5W-30 oil, well I hadn't actually done the swap yet, and I still had a minor oil weep. So I went down to the parts store and picked up what I needed to do a full service. I had also ordered a Fumoto oil drain valve that I would be installing in place of the drain plug, just to make maintenance easier.



Funny thing about the Toyota 3UR is the amount of oil it takes. It was the same with the 2UZ in my 100 Series, but unlike every other vehicle out there, Toyota opted to give their V8s an EIGHT QUART oil capacity. Yep, you read that right. Two freakin' gallons. Because Land Cruiser.



Thanks to that, my oil changes are about $100. Good thing I don't drive all that much, except on trips.

Anyway, it's like every other oil change. Pull the plug, then replace with the Fumoto.





The filter on the 3UR is also funny. Unlike a screw-on filter, they use a replaceable filter element encased in an aluminum housing. Not the only time I've seen this, but it is different. Also, the Land Cruiser comes from the factory with a plastic cover for the filter housing, but a common upgrade is an aluminum housing, which mine seems to already have.



A quick swap with a fancy new socket and the oil change was complete. I learned a few things about how this setup works, and overall it's a pretty darn easy job other than shelling out the cash for oil. The upside of course is all that oil capacity keeps the oil cleaner and cooler for much, much longer, and running the engine "low" on oil really isn't as much a concern as it may be on other engines.

Anyway, with that out of the way, I took the time to wipe down all the surfaces under the truck where the oil leak had showed up. Since I had made the change form 0W-20 to 5W-30, I wanted to see if that had a positive effect, if any, on my oil leak.

After that, I started poking around in the engine bay to accommodate what is probably my favorite and most-used modification: an onboard air compressor. A compressor is great for filling tires if you air down, for helping other people fill flats, for airing up beach toys, for cleaning the dust off yourself and your stuff, for pressurizing water systems, a great many uses. I had ARB's ubiquitous CKMA12 compressor in my Nissan, and had removed it prior to the sale, so I still had it sitting on the shelf.



In poking around the engine bay, I had noted this little thing:



This little box near the power steering reservoir appeared to be a heat sink of some sort, similar to what I'd expect to see on HID light systems, except my Land Cruiser has no HIDs, aftermarket or otherwise. So what is it for?

I took to the internet and quickly discovered the purpose of the little box. Turns out, this heat sink is to run the daytime running lights. The DRLs actually utilize the headlight high beams, but are dimmed down by what is essentially a resistor. That generates heat, thus the need for the heat sink.

Well, I have three reasons to simply throw this thing away:

1. I don't like DRLs, and I can disable them from the menu in the cab. I turned them off the day I bought the truck.
2. I plan on using the high beams as a switch to fire some additional lighting, so if they are always on, that plan ain't gonna work.
3. This spot looks like the IDEAL size to put my air compressor.

So I took it out and threw it in the trash.

I then stared at the mounting holes left behind, thinking about different brackets I could fab up and ways I can mount the compressor. My mind spun with endless possibilities and my creative side went nuts. I came up with all kinds of nonsense.



Then my rational side took over. I simply grabbed the compressor mount and placed it over the mounting holes for the resistor. Lo and behold! It fits! The factory bolts even dropped right in like it was made to go there. Wild!



I then grabbed the compressor itself and started messing with how it could sit and potential orientations. I landed on this setup, as the compressor does not block access to the headlight bulbs or wiring, and it has plenty of room on all sides for heat dissipation. In addition, this location allows for a quite short wire run compared to other options. It appeared I had found my compressor mount.





Next I had to do all the wiring to get the compressor working. In order to do that, I had to go down quite the rabbit hole.

To be continued...

 

[Blackbyrd]

Looks like a blast! Reminds me of growing up on the lake.

 

[zmotorsports]

Great pictures.

The wife and I love the Beartooth Highway (212) and also like to stop in Cooke City at the Sinclair to get some Wilcoxson's Ice Cream and to stretch out legs.

We haven't done much off-road playing in that area however, so we may have to change that.

 

[jbrentd]

Nice updates Tom! The new LC is looking sweet...glad you and the family are enjoying it.

 

[nicholam77]

Man, I'm jealous of that scenery. Looks like a great trip!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Looks like a blast! Reminds me of growing up on the lake.

It was a good time, and I'm sure a story we'll tease him about for the rest of his life.

Great pictures.

The wife and I love the Beartooth Highway (212) and also like to stop in Cooke City at the Sinclair to get some Wilcoxson's Ice Cream and to stretch out legs.

We haven't done much off-road playing in that area however, so we may have to change that.

Thanks Mike!

That is exactly where we got ice cream this time, though have since switched to going to a little spot down the road in Silver Gate. Just a cooler place to get it in my opinion.

Stand by for more pictures from this area, I did a fair bit this summer. There are a ton of fun 4x4 routes up north of Cooke, all of which I would recommend. There's a route to Kersey Lake, Daisy Pass and Lulu Pass, Lake Abundance, Sheep Mountain, and the famed Goose Lake Jeep trail. Then there's several spots to the east, including Fantan and Sawtooth Lakes close to the outlet at Morrison. So much great terrain out there.

Nice updates Tom! The new LC is looking sweet...glad you and the family are enjoying it.

Thanks Brent! It's been a great ride so far, can't wait to do some more with it.

Man, I'm jealous of that scenery. Looks like a great trip!

Not bad for only a day. Much more pretty scenery to come!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

To get the electrical project rolling, I had a few steps to take. Primarily, the electrical panel for under the hood and the control panel for the rear cargo area. Now I had decided on the layout of the underhood components and well as what was going on the cargo panel, then I went to a friend with a machine shop and had him waterjet cut some panels for me. I had my brother in law do a bend on the underhood panel with his brake, and then shot paint on them. To go along with the aesthetic of the truck so far, I opted to use a matte, textured black paint.



While I was waiting on that, I did some modification to the relay and fuse box that I had set up for my 100 Series. One of the items that I had set up on the fuse box was a small power inverter to recharge a laptop. Well now, I use a tablet and my phone instead of a laptop, my wife uses her phone, and the kids have no need of a computer for the time being, so I opted to remove that circuit and instead use it to power a fuel pump that will be in an auxiliary fuel tank I'll be adding at some point in the future. In order to use this circuit for that purpose, I simply re-labeled it and attached a new ring terminal on the ground side. Why the ring terminal? It didn't match the other ring terminals.





Anyway, OCD satisfied, I went to working on the wiring to the compressor itself. Now, the wiring for the compressor is a little funny. It needs a heavy-gauge cable to the compressor itself, which is fed by the "accessory" side of the relay. This provides the power to the compressor and gets it running. With most other accessories, the other part of the equation is a switch, which should operate the accessory when the switch is powered on. However, the compressor can't simply run as long as the switch is on. It'd blow itself up. To stop that, there's a pressure switch that breaks the circuit between the on/off switch and the relay. As a result, the wiring is a little circuitous, but follow along with me.

First up is building the positive and negative wires. Both of these I used 10ga, since the run is only about four feet and it's plenty for the amperage. I attached the male-end plug to the wires and ran them how I wanted, then trimmed to length and made a loom using braided wire sleeving.



Normally I don't like splicing like this, but I didn't have a replacement plug. So I spliced.



With that done, I routed the wire in front of the radiator and over to where I was going to be mounting my fuse box.

At that point, I ran the necessary connections under the hood to create a wiring loom to go through the firewall first, including a wire that came from the relay, went over to the compressor pressure switch, and then back to the wiring harness.





To connect the 10ga wires to the relay and ground bus, I built another Metri Pack (this will be a pattern) for that specific item.







After all that was set up, I built out my wire loom to go through the firewall. I started with the 5-pin Metri Pack and the compressor, as well as power for the USB ports at the back. This was a relatively short wire bundle, maybe 18 inches or so, as I would be switching to an interior connector inside the vehicle. I know that minimizing connection points is preferred, but I compensated for potential voltage drop by over-selecting wire gauge. Everything is a little bigger than it needs to be. Besides, I wanted everything as easy as possible to disassemble in case I needed to add or fix or modify something.



With this setup ready, I marked, center punched, and drilled a hole in the firewall. I found a spot that came through just above the pedals, where I could re-wrap the insulation around the wires to keep the truck temperature stable, and only required me to drill through a single layer of metal. With the hole made, I brushed some paint in there to stop any corrosion problems.



Then I popped in a grommet and sent my wiring through.



Once inside the cab, I started building the connector for the interior wiring. This was both easier and much, much more difficult. Easier because it's fewer, simpler steps than making a Metri Pack connector. More difficult because you're standing on your head and don't even have enough room to spit without getting your face wet. But, through the power of copious swearing and dislocating my shoulder, I made it happen.





That done, I built the wire loom to go all the way to the back of the truck, again utilizing braided sleeving. I like to build the wires by first attaching the connector, then pulling them taut using the vise and wrapping a small layer of tape every two feet or so to keep the wires together, then running the braided sleeve all the way down to the connector. At that point I can add heat shrink to lock it all together.



Easy peasy!



I then ran that wire loom from the front all the way through the channel hidden under the door sill trim, then up the interior trim panel and out to the wing panel on the driver's side of the drawer system.





Then, in the spirit of hopping around in no particular order, I moved on to the rear control panel.

I started by cutting out a cardboard pattern to help me cut the proper size and shape hole in the drawer "wing". Then I put it in place behind the wing and traced out the shape.



Using my Dremel, I cut out the proper hole, then lined up my plane and drilled holes to mount it in place.



Getting an idea of how this will look yet?



I then sprayed some paint down to prevent any corrosion on the raw edges I just cut (unlikely but who knows?), and did a test fit of my components: A voltage meter, two switches, a high-amp USB outlet, and a quick disconnect for the compressor.



Then I couldn't help myself and popped the wing panel back in place. Perfect!



With that settled, I pulled the wires through the newly-cut hole in the drawer wing.



The foreman approves of the job I've done so far, which is good because this was a massive amount of time and very, very little to show for it at this point.



More fun to come, stay tuned!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I briefly shifted gears here and started working on the compressor plumbing. I had the compressor itself up front, under the hood, but ultimately had decided that I wanted the outlet and quick connect for the air system to be on the wing panel in the rear cargo area. Which meant I needed to run the plumbing from under the hood to inside somewhere. Somehow.

To that end, I started poking around. I looked at a few spots at the firewall, but decided that it might be advantageous to plumb the line along the frame rail rather than inside because at some point I'd like an additional air tank, and maybe I'll want to add another connection point outside the truck. So, I opted to go along the frame.

I had decided after researching that a plastic shark-bite type plumbing system would be very easy to install, cost-effective, and easy to modify or repair if I needed to down the line. Thanks to Amazon, some 3/8" air line found it's way to my house and I started routing it from the compressor to the rear. I started by routing it back from the compressor to the firewall along the passenger side fender. From there, it turns 90 degrees and follows the engine bay wire loom until dropping down along the brake lines.



From there, I fished it out and wrapped it in corrugated wire loom to protect it from road debris. I tied it off with zip ties every so often, using a 3/4" fuel line as an abrasion guard where the pipe contacted or was tied to anything underneath. This, theoretically, should keep the line from developing a hole thanks to rubbing against anything. I went all the way to the rear, near the tail light, before poking around up top and locating a place where I could come through to the interior of the truck.

Just forward of this wiring that comes through is a flat section, just out of the way and big enough to put an air fitting.



I cleaned this area and drilled a hole to accommodate the air line. I brushed some paint on to ward off any corrosion as well.



From underneath, I lined up a 90-degree brass connection and a panel pass-through so my wife could thread in the shark bite fitting after putting on a glob of silicone. I also added a shark bite to the other side of the air fittings. With those tightened down, I connected the pipe coming from the compressor.





I then re-installed my control panel and cut a section of tubing to length to connect the pass-through to the quick connect fitting. And with that, the plumbing was done!



Now to get it all working!

 

[jbrentd]

Nice, clean work so far, Tom! Are you having to add a battery or go with a bigger alternator?

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Nice, clean work so far, Tom! Are you having to add a battery or go with a bigger alternator?

Thanks Brent!

I don't plan on an additional battery. It's an addition to weight and complexity, and a lot of the time the systems don't work as intended. That's why I went with a single oversized Group 31 AGM in the stock location. It's got a lot more capacity than the standard battery, and for the type of camping I do, I really don't more than that. I've not nuked a battery from sitting in one place, ever. If I'm concerned about it, I just run the engine for 15 minutes before I go to bed.

I've considered a bigger alternator, yes. But I'm not in any hurry. The factory Denso alternator will last a long time, and really the additional output is unnecessary because I'm not running a bunch of stuff at once. Plus the high-amp models seem to be nowhere near as reliable as the Toyota ones. Shocking I know.

In short, probably won't make a lot of changes, other than one I've already made. I'll explain that in a bit.

 

[zmotorsports]

EXCELLENT workmanship on the wiring. Nice and clean execution.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

To cap off the electrical system, all I had to do now was install my fuse/relay panel and get the controls at the rear working.

I started by assembling my panel and getting it ready to go under the hood. This panel includes a 100A circuit breaker, which feeds the positive bus in the fuse box. From there, a fuse is added directly to the positive bar and a wire either feeds a mini relay or an accessory directly. A second wire comes from the accessory plug and connects to a ground bus, which is hooked directly to the negative terminal of the battery. This creates an entirely self-contained auxiliary electrical system that can be completely disconnected from the vehicle if needed. There is no integration with the factory system at all, and it's entirely weather sealed.





With the fuse panel done and ready to go in, I cut the wire loon in the rear to length and added the necessary connections. Rather than using a bunch of spade terminals, which are ugly and can be installed incorrectly, I built a couple plugs for the switches. Then I was able to directly connect the USB port to the switch, so it could be turned on and off when I wanted. This avoids any inadvertent power draw issues.





With those done, I tested the USB port and confirmed it worked. For some reason I don't have a great picture of the power meter, but it works great too. I made sure to get one which I can turn off, again to avoid any issues with parasitic drain.

Now that the control panel installation in the rear was complete, it was a simple matter of installing the fuse panel and building some wires. I opted for 0/0 cables coming from the positive and negative terminals on the battery, which feed both the breaker and the ground bus on my panel. The breaker then feeds the fuse box. You'll also notice a couple of 18ga wires coming directly from the battery terminals. These are the power meter connections. I wanted a direct connection to the battery for the most accurate reading.



And with that, my electrical system is mostly complete! I went to the rear and tested everything, confirming the compressor fires up and shuts off as it's supposed to, and that the system holds air properly. Everything worked flawlessly! Very pleased with the outcome of the electrical build.

I also had a couple other parts show up that needed a quick installation.

Number one is the fix for this broken roof rack cap. This was broken when I bought the truck, so I ordered a replacement through my local dealer.





I cannot for the life of me understand why the previous owner didn't just replace this. It was only like $50 and required no more than about 5 minutes to swap. It just snaps into place. Easy peasy, and an extremely satisfying result.



The next install was a HUGE quality of life thing for an offroader/overlander such as myself. Anybody who does any 4x4 driving knows one of the real improvements you can make in your trail experience is to air your tires down. More traction, more comfort, more floatation, etc. Now one of the problems I had was constantly losing valve stem caps. Like constantly. I was losing them on every trip, and frankly didn't want to be leaving my valve stems open to dirt and mud. Thankfully, I found a solution that is worth every bit of the $20 I paid. Hell, I'd pay double that. No loss valve caps!



They come with a little leash that connects to the valve stems, so that you literally have to try to lose them. Honestly, no idea why I didn't have these before. These are the best things ever.





With those little installations wrapped up, I inspected another box that had arrived. This one I haven't done anything with yet, which I will explain later.



With all that done, it was time to head to the mountains again!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

EXCELLENT workmanship on the wiring. Nice and clean execution.

Thanks Mike! I work really hard on my electrical systems. I hate messy wiring and prefer to do it right the first time.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

On this trip, I once again hooked up with the 406 Cruisers crew to run a new-to-me area up near Harlowton, in the Little Belt Mountains. We got up early and herded the kids into the Land Cruiser with our lunch and stopped for coffee before hitting the road. The boys watched a movie as the miles rolled by and we headed to the north. This area of Montana looks incredibly desolate for a stretch, the road passes the high desert town of Acton before dropping down and following the rolling hills surrounding the Musselshell River. This is an alternate route up to my parents' place, so it is a path we know well.

At Harlowton, we gassed up and turned north, climbing slowly until we reached the forests ******* the Little Belts, then quickly found ourselves on a forest service road, dipping down and climbing up through the range. Eventually, we rolled up to the crew, which was smaller and a bit different from the original trail run. This trip included a highly-modded 4Runner and an incredibly cool 77 Series Prado, which was sporting a VW diesel engine and transmission.

We had a quick trail talk and headed into the hills. Today would be characterized by mud and extremely narrow paths through the trees. If I wanted to keep my Land Cruiser pristine, this was not the run to do.

We wound through the thick, young timber and climbed up into the high country.







This was a fun group to wheel with, even if the trail wasn't very challenging or complicated. Just a 30+ mile loop through the hills. But it was a great group, comprised mostly of Bozeman locals who all share a passion for Land Cruisers. Funny enough, my cleaner, newer Cruiser wasn't anywhere near as interesting to everybody (including myself) as the 77 Series.



Here is the aforementioned Prado, owned by a super nice guy named Dane who was happy to share about his cool truck, a right-hand-drive Japanese import.





After our photo stop, we continued blasting through the woods, winding through tight timbers, and shooting through fun mud puddles, which we all agreed lit up our inner five-year-olds. Or maybe just the adult men in us. Hard to say.



Before long, we rounded a bend and came across some downed trees laying across the road. Frankly it was a miracle we didn't see any more than these, but we figured there might be some trail work to do along the way. I got out with my hand saw, ready for some work to clear the timber, but a member in a newer 4Runner named Paul had a better idea. He pulled out a Craftsman battery-powered chainsaw.





In a matter of minutes, we had the trees cleared out of the way and headed back down the trail, just as the temperature fell and the skies opened up with rain.







After a few hours of climbing through the woods, mostly just dodging trees and driving through mud, we broke out of the trees, up a large hill, and arrived at the furthest point of our journey, one of the higher points in the Little Belts. Rain continued to fall as we hopped out and appreciated the view before the obligatory lunch and chatting about each others' rigs. It was fun to be miserable in the cold rain with a bunch of Cruiser guys.



After about an hour, we hit the trail back down, going a different route than how we had come up. It was cool to encounter more varied terrain. This route gave us our first real challenge, this neat little squeeze. This route was the result of a massive tree fall across the trail. Rather than attempt chopping it up, some other users devised a bypass. This bypass was interesting, because it involved an extremely tight turn, up a steep and muddy hill, between two narrow trees and avoiding one really annoying stump. Like I said, neat!



Once again Paul came to the rescue with his mighty chainsaw, which was almost outmatched by the tree stump. We needed this stump cut down to allow the wider rigs (read: me) to pass through and avoid any damage to the body panels. With the stump gnawed down to an acceptable level and Paul's batteries depleted, I made a run up the hill. Thanks to some great spotting and an approximately 97-point turn, I was able to get lined up, thread the needle through the trees, and up the hill without trouble. It was fun watching the other guys navigate this little feature.







Not far ahead, the route turned a lot more rocky and interesting while the trees and brush thinned. Basically out of nowhere, the trail rose up a rocky and off-camber rise that tested the width of my truck and my knowledge of where the wheels were.





We cruised a little farther ahead, enjoying the scenery and rocky trail, which I was enjoying immensely. Not too long after the rise, we dropped down into the forest. I watched the map, which showed a tall hill rising above us. I figured the route would skirt the hill and resume on the other side, but a radio call from the trail leader relieved me of that belief. He let us know that a steep and loose section was ahead, but we should all handle it easily if we keep a steady throttle and trust our tires.

Well, that sounds ominous.

I came around the corner to see the road head basically straight up the hill, which was made of mostly loose scree with the occasional boulder poking out of the ground.

Yup, gonna be a fun one.

I chose second gear and the 2nd start feature, which keeps the transmission in 2nd gear rather than allowing a drop to first, and started up the hill. I picked about 2500 RPM and focused solely on aiming the tires. The first third of the hill was simply loose, and keeping to 2nd gear allowed the tires to roll gently over the scree without spinning. I got to the first rocky section, and the Land Cruiser acted like it wasn't even there. The nose came up, the left side stayed a bit low, and it just climbed the hill like it was a residential road. I was concerned about the taller rocks scraping the frame or axle, but they passed underneath without incident. The second rocky rise proved no more challenging, and I hopped out to watch everyone else climb up.









After this was a series of rocky steps that brought us down to the valley floor and to where some of the club members were camping. 4lo and first gear made this an easy task, and before long we had reached the end of our long, muddy day.

Overall the 200 did exceptionally well, further proving that huge tires and tons of lift coupled with hundreds of pounds of armor were not going to be necessary with this build. All that happened was a minor scratch on one wheel, courtesy of my not paying attention. Otherwise, there was no frame scrape, no bottoming of the suspension, no digging for traction. In fact, I got the feeling I hadn't even come close to this truck's limitations. Another outing had left me quite impressed.





We stood chatting with the group while my new compressor setup quickly filled the tires back to road pressure. Before long, the kids had tired out and it was time for the long, quiet drive home.

Man, I love this Land Cruiser.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

While all of this was going on, I was using my extra time to finalize everything on the 100 Series. I had cleaned up all the wiring, gotten everything installed, made sure the seats were in and looking good, removed any trash or debris from the work areas, and then wiped down and Armor-Alled the interior to get rid of literally two years worth of dust. I vacuumed the carpets and got everything cleaned up properly, then took it to a car wash and cleaned every inch of it. With all the prep work done, it was time for the final photoshoot.

I took the truck over to the MSU-Billings campus parking structure and took the glamor photos. I'll let you guys browse and see how everything turned out.

While walking around the truck, I felt a minor pang of misgiving. I had poured myself into this project for the better part of two years, fixing every bit of rust and addressing a lot of deferred maintenance items. This vehicle was set up with all new suspension, new bumpers, a clean interior, every fluid had been changed, all the filters were new, everything was nearly perfect, and it ran like a top. As though it had never been apart. It was tight as a drum.

And now, it was time to move it on to someone else. It felt strange and like I was doing the wrong thing. I had built this great truck for someone else. But alas, it was time for the new project to get my time, a project I was already loving and getting huge amounts of use from. As proud as I was of the 2003, it was time to move it on and enjoy the whole process again. This time, with less rust.

Believe it or not, this project sat on online, for sale, for the better part of three months. I lowered the price a few times and eventually was contacted by a local guy in the ham radio club who was plainly champing at the bit to get a nice Land Cruiser, and he was in love with what I had done to mine. He wanted to use it for the same purpose for which I had built it, but also as a vehicle that would be involved with the local Search-and-Rescue operations, helping find lost or injured hikers.

He had me go and get a quote for the remainder of the rust spots we had not addressed, and then a few days later was ready for the transaction to take place. We shook on a price and were both very happy with how everything landed. I did take a bit of a loss, but I gained so much experience in the whole process. I learned bodywork, how to weld, how to remove rust, I had used an oxy-acetylene torch for the first time, and deepened a fair bit of my overall mechanical skills. I had spent countless hours with my brother-in-law and neighbor. Overall, the experience was arduous but I gained a lot from it.

Would I do it again? No. Would I go back and change that I did it at all? Also no.

I'll let the results speak for themselves. It's not perfect, but man is it good.

























Not too shabby!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

There was a bit of fallout from the muddy experience in the Little Belts, unfortunately. I got a little too aggressive at the carwash and blew some of the clear coat off the paint at the back of the passenger side. I was pretty pissed at myself about this, and spent an inordinate amount of time kicking myself for having to learn this lesson the hard way.







After I cooled off, I opted to deal with preserving it myself for the time being and having a body shop address it later. I lightly sanded the area, knocked down the edges of the clear, and applied my own spray clear atop it to save the paint from damage from the sun or debris or what have you. Is it perfect? Not even close, but it's better than having the paint deteriorating, and frankly I still wanted to use the truck for the summer. And honestly, if you don't know what you're looking for, you'll never see it.



Once that job was done, I had a trip up north planned with the boys. My wife needed some down time, and since my work is remote, I can basically work from anywhere with an internet connection. My parents were missing the boys, and the boys needed some time playing outside. On top of that, my brother was flying in with his family to spend the 4th of July in Seeley Lake. So I figured we'd drive up to Seeley and hang out for the week.

I packed up the boys and set off after work that Thursday, driving through the night to the mountains. We arrived without incident and spent the next week enjoying family, flying, and the mountains of Northwest Montana.

Our first day, we flew into an airstrip in the Bob Marshall Wilderness that my dad helps maintain through both the Montana Pilot's Association and the Recreational Aviation Foundation. This airfield is dozens of miles from the nearest road, and hosts a forest ranger over the summer. Being in a wilderness area, there are no methods to access this area except on foot, on horseback, or by airplane. This was a highlight of the trip for me. I got to fly the plane I was riding in basically the whole way back, and got to watch my kids enjoy their grandfather's special skill.









Bram tried really hard not to look at the camera for this photo.







The rest of the week was just work, hanging out, and enjoying the time.







I did manage to do some Land Cruiser things on the way home, enjoying taking the long way from Seeley Lake over the mountains and into the Lincoln area before hitting the dirt again to go the hard way to Helena. Got to have some variation in the experience on the way home, which was a good time.





Dirk had a lot of fun learning to air up the tires.



The rest of the drive home was uneventful, and the kids did absolutely awesome with the long driving days. I kept them entertained with movies and toys, but overall they just enjoyed the ride after an exciting week playing with their cousins and grandparents. It was a great experience for us all, and a nice change of scenery for my workweek.

Now onto more shop work!

 

[jbmatth]

Great to see that you are putting the new ride through its paces and the family sure seems to enjoy it as well. I do have to ask though, what air chuck are you using, that's different than most I've seen?

JB

 

[68400BIRD]

Your clear coat should not come off just from a high pressure sprayer. I think it's more likely a adhesion problem and or there was body work done in that area of the vehicle. If the vehicle has had no body work then I would be concerned that the clear coat might have more problems down the road.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Your clear coat should not come off just from a high pressure sprayer. I think it's more likely a adhesion problem and or there was body work done in that area of the vehicle. If the vehicle has had no body work then I would be concerned that the clear coat might have more problems down the road.

I was thinking something similar. Not bonded very well.

 

[Trapps]

The in air pic is super cool! I built a model of a Bonanza when I was a kid; it's such an Iconic bird!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Great to see that you are putting the new ride through its paces and the family sure seems to enjoy it as well. I do have to ask though, what air chuck are you using, that's different than most I've seen?

JB

The air hose is from the fill-up kit I got from ARB a long time ago. The chuck itself I found on Amazon, it's a latching closed-flow version. I did have an ARB one, but it kind of fell apart on me after a while, so I found a substitute. Closed flow is important so that it doesn't blow air unless it's attached to a tire valve and run the compressor more than necessary. Eventually I might get something with an integrated tire gauge at some point, but for now this is working just fine.

Here's something similar:
https://www.amazon.com/Tire-Air-Chuck-Quick-Connect/dp/B07N9773DN/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Your clear coat should not come off just from a high pressure sprayer. I think it's more likely a adhesion problem and or there was body work done in that area of the vehicle. If the vehicle has had no body work then I would be concerned that the clear coat might have more problems down the road.

My assumption here is there was a scratch through the clear a long time ago that found a weak spot in the clear coat. Definitely no signs of body work so this section probably isn't the best adhered, which wouldn't be the first time someone said that about a Toyota paint job. I'll be having a body shop handle this area sometime this year to address the issue. No additional problems with it since, so I'm betting it's pretty localized based on my experience with it, and I've definitely done some high-pressure spraying since.

The in air pic is super cool! I built a model of a Bonanza when I was a kid; it's such an Iconic bird!

Thanks! This is my dad's, it's a 1964 S35 model. Very cool airplane, and he takes it to some really fun places. He's known on the Beech forums as, "that crazy son of a ***** who takes his Bonanza off road."

 

[gearhead1960]

I used this air-chuck on the end of my inflator. Works really well....

 

[jbmatth]

@wreckdiver1321 thanks for the info on the nozzle, now that I see the add linked and look back at the photo I can see it. I've got a couple of those but have had some mixed results on getting them to stay on while inflating. I didn't see that the first time viewing the photo, I've considered getting the LockNFlatebut they aren't cheap.

JB

 

[wreckdiver1321]

@wreckdiver1321 thanks for the info on the nozzle, now that I see the add linked and look back at the photo I can see it. I've got a couple of those but have had some mixed results on getting them to stay on while inflating. I didn't see that the first time viewing the photo, I've considered getting the LockNFlate, but they aren't cheap.

JB

Sometimes mine doesn't get all the way seated, but I just push the lever and push it further on the stem and that fixes it.

 

[zanyad]

I've considered getting the LockNFlate, but they aren't cheap.

Link goes to a spark plug gap setting tool. Did you mean this LockNFlate?

 

[jbmatth]

Link goes to a spark plug gap setting tool. Did you mean this LockNFlate?

I fixed the link in my original post, thanks for catching that, yes that is the chuck I am considering.

JB

 

[Bob Heine]

Sometimes mine doesn't get all the way seated, but I just push the lever and push it further on the stem and that fixes it.

Tom, I bought the Astro digital gauge and inflator kit because it's easier to read than the Campbell Hausfeld analog gauge it replaced. At $22 it's also a decent price for what you get: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KY8RFKC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

When the locking chuck leaks I give it a slight turn clockwise and it seals.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Tom, I bought the Astro digital gauge and inflator kit because it's easier to read than the Campbell Hausfeld analog gauge it replaced. At $22 it's also a decent price for what you get: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KY8RFKC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

When the locking chuck leaks I give it a slight turn clockwise and it seals.

Bob, do you need to hold the trigger on this to get the tire inflating? I like that I can clamp mine on and walk away for a minute.

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob, do you need to hold the trigger on this to get the tire inflating? I like that I can clamp mine on and walk away for a minute.

Tom, I do have to hold the trigger. I rarely have to inflate my tires more than a few pounds so it's a pretty brief hold. Might be two or three pounds except when winter comes and the high daytime temperature is 65°F instead of 95°F. Then it's more like ten pounds. I'm also using 90-100psi from a 60-gallon air compressor with a 1/2" air hose from one of the two reels in the garage -- the tire fills real quick.

 

[PhantomEB]

Awesome reading thru all this!

I am a Bronco kinda guy but if it weren’t my Bronco I am sure it would be a Toyota in my garage.

strictly Toyotas with the 406? It’s only 5-6 hours due south for me to check out beartooths area?

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Tom, I do have to hold the trigger. I rarely have to inflate my tires more than a few pounds so it's a pretty brief hold. Might be two or three pounds except when winter comes and the high daytime temperature is 65°F instead of 95°F. Then it's more like ten pounds. I'm also using 90-100psi from a 60-gallon air compressor with a 1/2" air hose from one of the two reels in the garage -- the tire fills real quick.

Bob, I am routinely filling between 20 and 40 with a fairly slow compressor, which is why I like the clamp-on style for this application. Lower tire pressure on the trail is a game-changer when dealing with rocky or washboarded roads. So much better for comfort, less equipment fatigue, and improved traction.

Though I may have to look at one of these for shop use. That's a great little inflator for really good money.

Awesome reading thru all this!

I am a Bronco kinda guy but if it weren’t my Bronco I am sure it would be a Toyota in my garage.

strictly Toyotas with the 406? It’s only 5-6 hours due south for me to check out beartooths area?

Hey Phantom! So yes, the 406 Cruisers guys are strictly Toyota, but I'm always looking for someone to bum around with on the trails. I see you're in Medicine Hat, so yeah not too far. The Little Belts or the Missouri Breaks would be even closer for you, but not as scenic as the Beartooths by a long way.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

The next order of business in the shop was another wiring job on the Land Cruiser, this time to set up a plug to power my 12v refrigerator.

I have owned an Indel B refrigerator for my truck for about 8 years now, and it is a complete departure from traditional coolers in all the best ways. Nothing ever gets soggy, the temperature is consistent, there's more interior volume despite less exterior space being occupied, and you don't have to listen to ice sloshing around. Having used a fridge for so long, I'm not going back to a cooler any time soon. The only consideration needed to install one is the power capacity, which I took care of with the big battery, and a proper connection to the electrical system.

Obviously, there are a number of the classic 12v "cigarette lighter" plugs in the vehicle, but I don't particularly like that method because the plugs themselves are loose-fitting, all of them power down when the vehicle is off (which sort of defeats the purpose), and the wiring to them is extremely small, usually 18 AWG or sometimes even smaller. My fridge, at max power, will pull 15 amps. If it's unable to get the required power, it will read the battery as low and automatically shut down to avoid draining the battery below a certain point. All of these issues mean some electrical work is needed to accommodate the fridge.

I knew I would be setting up the fridge on the passenger side of the truck, opposite my new electrical control panel. I also decided I wanted the plug tucked out of the way as much as possible, so that if some cargo came loose back there I would not have an issue with the plug being knocked loose or pulled out entirely. I found a little cubby under the third-row cupholders that made perfect sense for this, as it was otherwise not being used.



In order to get in behind there and make sure the wiring installed properly, I needed to basically take apart the entire passenger side section of the drawer system in the back.



Once I had that apart, I pulled the panel open a bit and determined where I could get a plug to sit without any interference from wiring or the structure of the plastic panels. I then drilled a hole to accommodate my new power outlet.

To power the fridge, I opted for a Hella-style 12v receptacle rather than the standard cigarette lighter plug for the reasons I listed above. The Hella plug is much more secure, and the plug is much more compact in size. After several trips with this setup, I've yet to have it come loose.





Unfortunately, I did not manage any good pics of the install under the hood or the associated wiring, but overall the setup is the same as the connections I've built before. I added a Metri Pack connector to two 10 AWG cables, then wrapped them with braided sleeve and sent them through a factory hole in the firewall. From there, I ran the wiring through the door sills and to the rear, where I connected them to the outlet. Pretty simple.



Overall, this worked pretty well. I may make a few changes, as the wires are a little tighter on the plug than I would like, and the factory grommet ripped a bit when running the wire through. Luckily this area is very difficult to get wet, but I want to make sure it's not an issue in the future. My plan is to rebuild all of the wire harness (slightly longer) and maybe change out the outlet to something like an Anderson plug. I also have a better solution to seal the wiring coming through the firewall.

For now though, the system has worked flawlessly since installation.

How do we celebrate another successful truck mod? With another trip to the mountains, of course!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

As a shakedown to test everything, I took the family, once again, to the mountains outside of Cooke City for some four-wheel adventure. This time, I wanted to show my wife the beautiful scenery of Lake Abundance and the big bowl created by the mountains surrounding this area. She had never been, and I felt like some exploring in this region would be plenty of fun for everyone, including the boys. I also wanted to make sure everything worked for a big trip I had planned in a few days' time. More on that later!

We set out in the morning with a packed fridge and drove up over the Beartooth Hghway to the Cooke City area. We stopped at a waterfall so the kids could stretch their legs and we could have some lunch before moving farther into the old mining areas up in the Beartooths.



Once we ate and got the kids all packed up, I drove to just outside Cooke City and turned north at Daisy Pass road. I aired down the tires and shifted to low range, crawling up over the rough road. The route switchbacks up above the highway, passing through old burn and a few cabins, then past a few old mining claims before topping out just below Crown Butte at nearly 10,000 feet. We crested Daisy Pass after about an hour, and then aimed for the drop that slithers down to Lake Abundance, an area I had been to on hunting trips many times. The route down to the valley floor is fun, with several steep and rough drops that don't often see large vehicle traffic.



At the bottom of the valley, there's an area of softer dirt that is characterized by thick brush that surrounds the Stillwater River. This area has deep ruts, and the brush narrows the road quite dramatically before crossing through the river and out the other side. As we approached the brushy area, we saw a number of people milling along the trail, staring at something. As we rolled up, we discovered a full-size Suburban, loaded to the gills, had high-centered itself in the ruts and was unable to move at all.

Also there were an older couple from Missouri on a rented side-by-side. I got the full story and took a look at the Suburban to determine the best way to assist.

Apparently, the family in the Suburban were on their way back from Lake Abundance and hadn't been paying close enough attention to the road. Dad, not choosing the correct line and going probably a little faster than he should have been, beached the front and rear of the truck on the hump between the ruts. He sheepishly explained all of this to me with a generous dose of self deprecating humor.

Apparently, about two hours after the "stuck", the couple from Missouri showed up and attempted to help. First they tried digging and pushing, but the family in the Suburban had few tools. In desperation, the side-by-side folks attempted to use their vehicle to push the Suburban out, which resulted in them rolling their rented vehicle. Luckily there were enough hands to help tip it back upright, but they went back to attempting to dig out.

About an hour after that, we rolled down the hill and found ourselves in a perfect position to help. I set up a shackle in my hitch, then used a soft shackle to anchor to a recovery point on the Suburban, then ran a recovery strap between the vehicles. I set down my Maxtrax on the driver's side, then explained to the driver what I had planned. I told him to go into first gear and maintain a constant, slow wheel speed while steering towards the hump in the middle of the road. I'd go taut on the line, then gently increase power until we both moved up the hill.

With everyone out of the way, we got set up and performed the recovery. I have to say, the 3UR V8 really impressed me here, with almost no indication that there was any additional strain on the truck at all in 4-lo, 2nd gear. It just handled the extraction without any fuss. A cheer arose from the crowd and the father of the Suburban family thanked me profusely while I cleaned up and stowed the recovery gear. Overall, a fun little chance encounter. One I am glad I showed up for, as we did not see anyone in anything larger than a side-by-side for the rest of the day. That poor family probably would have been stranded for hours.



With our heroics complete, we crossed the river and found our way to the end of the trail, at the wilderness boundary and the trailhead to Lake Abundance. I love this little area, as the mountain views are absolutely incredible to behold, with sharp 10,000 foot peaks rising all around and nothing but the sound of wind and rushing water. Just an incredible slice of heaven.







We walked to the lake, once again hunting for a place we could get the kids chucking rocks into the water, and came across some people fishing. We happened to show up as one was caught, and the kids were so excited to have the opportunity to see the trout with their own eyes. They giggled as it thrashed on the line, and stared in wide-eyed amazement as it was pulled from the net, seeing the wonder of nature the way only young children can. They loved every second of it, and we were so grateful to these folks for allowing us to shatter their peace. They even let my kids touch the fish, which was a fun moment.



Thanking them, we hiked further along the lake, taking in the view and enjoying the rambling of the kids as they wandered through the forest. We discussed bears, elk, bigfoot, fallen trees, fish, animal tracks, and poop. As you do when you take boys on a hike in the mountains.







After a sufficient time wandering, we hiked back out to the truck. The boys were tired from our little two-mile sojourn, and appreciated a cold drink and a snack back at the Land Cruiser. I checked the battery draw and was very pleased to discover almost zero appreciable power usage from the fridge over that couple of hours. Gotta love enormous batteries.

On the way back out, we scouted a few new side roads and discovered two additional campsites that we plan to utilize at some point, as well as a stunning view of the mountains and the Stillwater Basin. Just an incredible place.



We enjoyed a slow climb out of the timber, back over the pass, and once again down into Cooke City before stopping for some huckleberry caramels at the general store and heading back over the highway for home. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday, and a great trial for all my little mods before a big trip I had to undertake.

Into the most remote part of Montana.

Alone.

To be continued....

 

[strokinhorns]

Tom, great job telling us about your adventures. i appreciate your writing style. making memories with the family is priceless.

 

[gearhead1960]

Tom, ....them 'mericans must have been horrified that them der Toyoda pulled out the big ol' Chevy!

Great scenery shots.....you've probably covered this before, but what lens are you using for these shots?

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Tom, ....them 'mericans must have been horrified that them der Toyoda pulled out the big ol' Chevy!

Great scenery shots.....you've probably covered this before, but what lens are you using for these shots?

They were just grateful to be rescued!

I am using a Nikon 16-35mm or 24-120mm attached to my D610.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

"To be left alone is the most precious thing one can ask of the modern world."
Anthony Burgess

I awoke to the utter silence that only exists in the voids between civilizations, the places where mankind has left only the most minor marks on the landscape. An early-morning chill carried only the scent of pines and fresh water as dewdrops bent the blades of grass. I sat for a moment and stared at the woods around me, comfortable, calm, and reverent.

This was the first of a multi-day trip I had planned in order to escape some of the din of humanity that surrounds us all on a daily basis. Responsibilities gather upon us in the form of friends, spouses, children, jobs, and all manner of other things, but sometimes an escape helps to reset our focus and allow us time to be alone with our thoughts. Time to ponder our lives, our role in the world, and time for us to reacquaint us with our own inner selves. Often we are so caught up in what other people want us to be that we forget ourselves. Being alone, in my experience, helps restore that.

To that end, I planned a five-day trip out into the mountains by myself, just me and my trusty Land Cruiser. In dreaming up this solo adventure, I had thought back to the exquisite loneliness I had experienced in January, when I drove the Land Cruiser home from Dallas. I had a deadline and minimal gear with me, but I so enjoyed the hours of driving, just alone with myself in a place I had never been. So I sought to recreate that escape in somewhere somewhat new and somewhat familiar, close to home but far enough away to make it an adventure. I opted to head west, and in the interest of pursuing the lonely escape I was hoping for, I put a pin in the most desolate corner of Montana: The Yaak.

The Yaak River Valley of northwest Montana is the extreme corner of the state, bordering Idaho to the west and Canada to the north. This hidden corner of the state lies deep in Kootenai National Forest and hosts an incredible environment stemming from a unique climate found in no other part of Montana. The wet Pacific Ocean weather patterns meet the more dry Rocky Mountain climate to form a "Modified Pacific Maritime" climate that supports what amounts to an inland coastal rainforest, with thick pockets of red cedar and western hemlock trees. This thick forest is home to around 180,000 acres of undisturbed wilderness, a very small number of roads, incredibly healthy populations of grizzly bears and wolves, and a town of less than 300 permanent residents. What better place is there for getting lost?

The days before the trip were hectic, filled with planning and packing. I had utilized the drawers in the truck as both a dresser and a pantry, found places to stash all the gear I had wanted with me, and did some maintenance, replacing the engine and differential oils, checking wheel torque, greasing u-joints, and some other minor items. With the truck loaded and ready, I got off work and hit the road after kissing my wife and kids goodbye. I aimed west, looking to find a spot near Butte, perhaps as far as Deer Lodge before calling it a night.

I put miles behind me fast, trying the get myself as far out as I could to make the following day a more lazy one. I drove past all the major population centers in the western part of the state, passing Bozeman's gentrified charms and on into the rich mining history of Butte, where I stopped for gas before heading a little further west. I texted my wife an update as I passed the exit for Anaconda, then carried on north towards Deer Lodge. Just as I was hoping, after a four-hour drive I was able to pull off at the Racetrack exit and into the Flint Creek Mountains surrounding the old mining settlement of Danielsville. I knew from my guidebooks that there was an interesting 4x4 route here with a few places along the road to camp, so I dove into the darkness of the forest and found a clearing not too deep in the woods. I climbed into the back of the truck and opened my book, finding Jack Carr's excitement matching mine. I was ready for this experience.

So there I stood the following morning, listening to the quiet burbling of the creek next to me, watching the rays of the sun creep ever lower over the tips of the mountains towards the surrounding forest. I heated some water and poured a cup of coffee while I surveyed the site I had chosen in the dark. I had parked under an enormous pine, next to a fire ring in a moderately-large clearing. The surrounding forest was thick with wet grass and explosions of green growth. It was a beautiful and peaceful site.









The setup I had for this trip was not all that dissimilar from the setup I had when I went to get the truck, though this time with the aid of more clothes and my refrigerator.



As I sipped my coffee, I surveyed the map and made a plan for my day. I was going to continue my march west, sticking with I90 until diving off at a town in the Idaho panhandle I've always wanted to visit, and then taking a backroad northeast into Montana once again and following a series of lonely highways to the north.

But first, a little mod.

I hadn't had a chance to install this before leaving, so I took a quick moment that morning to get out my tools and install this RAM phone mount so I could more easily navigate hands-free. A little spoiler alert here, I do end up dispensing with this later on, but we'll save that bit for later. Anyway, with this chore out of the way, I hopped back in the driver's seat and continued along the interstate to the west, sipping fresh coffee.



I passed Deer Lodge and turned more to the west, coming through the mountains of Missoula and moving onward. Podcast after podcast filled the speakers as the mile markers flew by. Before I knew it, I was seeing signs for my first stop.

See, there's this incredibly touristy little spot near the Idaho border called the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar, which unsurprisingly features no less than 50,000 silver dollars hung up behind the bar. They also have food, fuel, and a place to sleep, but also an enormous gift shop where one can buy almost anything with a Montana or western theme. I don't normally stop here when passing through this area, fully recognizing it's "tourist trap" nature. I'd seen it once, and that was enough. However, on this trip, a stop was required due to me forgetting to pack a hat. I didn't care too much, but didn't want to spend the entire trip looking like a homeless vagabond.



I ran in, got my new hat, and then ran back out. I fueled up my thirsty Land Cruiser and pointed west once again, this time for a shorter jaunt to the town of Wallace, Idaho.

Wallace has long been a place of fascination for me, as I've found it impossible to dismiss when looking at from the road. Sitting along the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, it seems like a quaint, simple town built into the narrow valley surrounding it, with beautiful old homes and a city center that appears to be from another time. The interstate actually travels over top of a section of the town itself, making it even more of a curiosity. To add to that, a classic movie I enjoyed growing up with was the disaster drama Dante's Peak, which featured a Bond-era Pierce Brosnan alongside Linda Hamilton fighting to save a small town from a waking volcano in his snorkel-equipped square body Suburban. This movie was filmed on location in Wallace, Idaho, and since seeing the movie and recognizing some of the shots, I always wanted to stop there. Some research into the town itself made me want to visit even more.

From the Silver Dollar Tourist Trap, I hauled along I90 to the northwest and diving deeper into the mountains and forests lining the border between the two states. Before long I found myself crossing from Montana into Idaho and passing the town of Mullan, just around the corner from Wallace. I slowed, found the exit, and for the first time pulled off along the main street in Downtown Wallace.

This now-sleepy little town used to be a major mining center. Founded along with the discovery of gold and silver in the nearby mountains, Wallace popped up in 1884. After a rocky start and several land ownership disputes, the town prospered with the explosion of mining in what came to be known as "The Silver Valley". By the turn of the century, the city had modernized with paved streets, huge building projects, and an extensive electric lighting system. The Great Fire of 1910 destroyed a large swath of the town, but it quickly bounced back and continued booming through into the 1970's, when environmental legislation put huge pressure on mining companies and eventually led to the closure of almost all mining and smelting operations in the Silver Valley.

Oh, and the interstate running over the town? That's it's own story. In 1956 the federal government authorized the interstate highway system across the country, and the Wallace city leadership discovered the plans for I90 in Idaho would result in Wallace being almost completely levelled to facilitate the new at-grade road system. Through a series of legislative actions, the city leaders listed every single building in downtown Wallace, through which the current highway system traveled, on the National Register of Historic Places. Federal law protects historic buildings from being removed for the construction of infrastructure such as highways, and as such, the Federal Highway Administration was forced to build an elevated viaduct to bypass the town altogether.

Appreciating the pluck of this little spot on the map, I hopped out of the Land Cruiser and took a stroll down the main thoroughfare, fascinated by the beautiful history there.





This particular building was the site of one of the most famous brothels in the city, which were illegal but regulated and tolerated by the city as a way to reduce *** crimes and allow women to pursue this type of work. The resulting permissive approach allowed women to rise to prominence in the town and become influential in other ways outside of the brothel business. Ultimately, the practice was finally stopped by the federal government in, get this, 1991. The Oasis is one of the last standing brothel operations in the city, and was left basically untouched upon it's abandonment in 1988 when it was raided by the FBI. Eventually the building was purchased and left alone before being opened as a museum to the bordello trade.



Passing these areas, I grabbed myself a cup of coffee from a local place and wandered around for a while, soaking the place in. I thought a brief bit of cardio would get me focused for the additional miles I had in front of me, and walked to another historic artifact from the heyday of mining: the Wallace Stairs.



This set of wood stairs sits at the southern side of town. Actually, there are multiple sets of stairs dispersed around several parts of the south hill. With the boom of mining occurring around the turn of the century, the town needed a place to build housing, and the steep walls of the valley prevented a standard grid road pattern from emerging. Instead, the city built homes up into the hillside and connected them with downtown through several staircases. These staircases were used by children to go to school, they were used by men to go to work in the mines, and women to go to work in the local shops. The stairs serve as a fast and useful method of going up the hill and accessing the roads and homes along the south hill. They were fully restored about 10 years ago, and now are mostly used as a place to exercise.

Since I was going to be sitting immobile in the Land Cruiser for the next several hours, I opted to walk the longest stretch as far as it would take me, and got a nice view of the town, including several homes ******* this set of stairs. It was a cool way to have a more personal experience with the history of the area.



With my legs slightly tired, I walked back down the stairs and headed back for the Land Cruiser, ready to put some miles down. The next leg would be a rougher one, wandering along some old mining roads back to the border and home turf. Before leaving though, I had to stop and see one of the most important attractions at Wallace, which I sadly neglected to get a photo of. Sitting in the center of the main road, visible below the stop sign in this photo, is a manhole cover which proudly proclaims this exact spot is the Center of the Universe. Who knew?



With this cosmic achievement under my belt, I hopped in the truck and filled up at the edge of town, then once again headed off into the mountains.

To be continued...

 

[rattle_snake]

Cool. Solo trip. I like that idea.
Roommate in college was in Wallace, we skied silver mountain many times. Wallace was old school enough for us to drink at the bars before we should have, haha.

 

[Xti04]

Awesome solo trip. I just putna bunch of mods on a cruiser for a buddy the other day. Makes me want to get my Jeep done so I can hit the road to adventure.