New pickup

[riptides]

Civil servant, previously navy. I have looked at a map a couple times. Never had the Sarah Palin aha moment.

We went hiking and fishing a lot. We had an isuzu trooper 4x4. I thought it was very cool living there.

Sandy Cove?

 

[oosik]

dnw64 - soooo - go the Alcan one way, take the ferry system on the way back. The Alcan is paved all the way now. Gone are the exciting days of driving 1600 miles of dirt/gravel road. You won't be able to see the gigantic dust cloud, 15 miles ahead, raised by an approaching semi truck. Or be choked by the dust clouds from those who insist on going 65 and are forever passing you. You will meet many of those who speed. Down the road - 100 miles. Putting on their last spare tire.

I've never driven the Alcan when paved. It was built in '41 and was some 1700 miles then. It's now 1500. Reconstruction has shortened the drive.

The thing I remember most - drive at a reasonable speed or go like a bat out of h**l. Its still a 3 1/2 to 4 day drive. And it stretches out to the horizon and on, forever. It traverses some of the most remote, desolate country on this continent. Our first drive - 1965 - the word was - don't DARE pass a gas station. They are few and FAR between. 1500 miles - no towns and still only the necessary number of gas stations. Drive the Alcan - you will understand the true meaning of remote - isolation. Drive it in the winter - be prepared to see -50F. The paving hasn't improved the winter temps one bit.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Even these days, there's always at least 125 miles of gravel on the ALCAN, as they have that much total pavement tore out for repairs...

First time I drove the ALCAN, I was glad I had a 4wd pu, because I had to pull a guy out that was blocking the road, he was stuck in the mud in the middle of the road! The ALCAN sure isn't what it "use to be", it's even fairly straight now...

BTW, after a few trips over that road, I don't think after that, it ever took me more than 2 days to drive over it!

SR

 

[ovrszd]

A member here, MoPops, lives in the St Louis Missouri area. He rode his BMW bike to Deadhorse and back. Averaged 700 miles per day. Said he was only in Deadhorse 15 minutes. Made the trip for his 60th birthday present. I called him Iron Butt. What an experience!!!

 

[hawkeye08]

Some retired friends have made the drive several times in the motorhome with little jeep tagging along. The first time, had a rock punch a hole in radiator (diesel pusher).. repair place had done many, even had a metal shield to add to avoid future problems. They also taped cardboard on windshield to protect it, with a small area open to see forward. They enjoyed traveling, but now they are older and sold motorhome.

 

[BigBlue1]

Didn't have time to read the entire thread but I did see a couple comments about the height of your new truck. Running boards are probably mandatory. I'm 6' tall and pretty limber but it was a real challenge to get into my '17 Ram 2500 4x4 when I first got it before I put the steps on it. Full-length steps that go to the rear wheel wells will allow you to stand on them to get something out of the front of the bed too. Also, do yourself a HUGE favor and get the Amp Research Bedstep. It makes it SO nice to be able to climb in and out of the truck bed. The height of the lowered tailgate is way more than that of my old 1500.

You should be getting close to taking delivery. Can't wait to see pics of that blue Power Wagon. I wanted one really bad but also wanted higher towing capacity that the PW gives up so I went with a Laramie Sport instead. Sort of wanted to stay with blue like my 2010 1500 but no blue on the 2500 Sport models for 2017. This Delmonico Red is also eye-catching.

Rob

 

[k0ua]

Oosik. Congrats on the new truck. I am sure it will be a real beauty. Sorry to hear about the Son. Can't help much there. I was wondering if you are going to put any 2 way gear in the new ride? I have just finished up adding an HF mobile and screwdriver antenna to my 2010 Silverado. It has been interesting. Looking forward to seeing some pix.

 

[Ford850]

It sounds like owners of the 2019 Ranger will have to learn how to change the oil differently too.

Changing your 219 Ford Ranger's oil? You better take off that front left wheel, then. - Roadshow

That original story was reported in error and retracted. You can access the oil filter through the wheel well and the wheel does not have to be removed.

 

[Doofy]

That original story was reported in error and retracted. You can access the oil filter through the wheel well and the wheel does not have to be removed.

With the exorbitant prices of new vehicles, you would think they would become easier to do the common maintenance on. Sheesh!

 

[bcp]

Some retired friends have made the drive several times in the motorhome with little jeep tagging along. The first time, had a rock punch a hole in radiator (diesel pusher).. repair place had done many, even had a metal shield to add to avoid future problems. They also taped cardboard on windshield to protect it, with a small area open to see forward. They enjoyed traveling, but now they are older and sold motorhome.

I remember the first time I was in Whitehorse, maybe early 80's. Almost every car and truck, local or otherwise, had a cracked windshield. The only ones that didn't looked nearly new. I had a windshield broken on two of my trips.

Bruce

 

[ultrarunner]

This is why all the Model A guys fabricated plexi windshield covers and added stone guard mesh to protect the radiator...

Said it work real well...

 

[Xfaxman]

----------------------------------------------
Also, do yourself a HUGE favor and get the Amp Research Bedstep. It makes it SO nice to be able to climb in and out of the truck bed. ---------------------------------------------------

Rob

Agree on the BedStep. Have one on both of our trucks. Here is what my BedStep looks like from the back:

And their pictures:

 

[oosik]

We always expected to loose a windshield and the headlights. Bound to happen. The worse "rock throwers" BY FAR - pickup trucks. Most of the semi-trucks were very considerate. If possible they would pull to the far right, when you met them. Didn't want to go toooo far to the right. Grader blade shavings. Man - they would puncture and flatten a tire in a heart beat. There were as many "protection systems" devised as there were vehicles on the highway. Bubbles on the headlights - weird screened framework covering the windshield. I just let State Farm take care of it all when we would get back home.

K0UA - no, I'll have enough gobelldegook in the truck, as it is. Beside from the look of the cab and all the knobs, buttons, view screens - very little room remains. Just subscribed to Apple Play & SiriusXM. I can figure what Apple Play is - got the Oak Ridge Boys in the background right now - followed by Alabama. SiriusXM & SiriusXM Travel, that's my next challenge. I vaguely understand that some of the features on the truck require SiriusXM - for some reason. Lordy - the old brain is already starting to sweat.

I really could learn to dislike some of these software programs. Just because it's 2019 doesn't mean that EVERYBODY is 100% up to speed on massaging these programs. And all the darn passwords - I've got a 40 page notebook - alphabetized - crammed full. And wouldn't you know - some require that you change your password every three months.

Hey - I'm just out here in the sticks. Leave me be. The idea of selling it all - driving the Taco Wagon to Old Mexico - becoming a tequila farmer. Sure appealing at times. But then I come back to my senses - realize what I have here - mighty fortunate.

 

[oosik]

K0UA - I had a '69 Bronco. It had the normal am/fm radio - Ham HF radio - Ham 2 meter radio - company business radio. Looked like a porcupine after a wind storm - going down the road. The year we made the trip from Anchorage to the UP - Michigan. Moved the HF to our one ton van. Wife drove - I sat in the back seat and played "radio" all the way across the Yukon Territory and Canada Hwy #1. What a blast - 15 meter. Not surprising - QSL to a ham in the Yukon was pretty rare. Made the day for about 60 operators on that crossing.

 

[k0ua]

K0UA - I had a '69 Bronco. It had the normal am/fm radio - Ham HF radio - Ham 2 meter radio - company business radio. Looked like a porcupine after a wind storm - going down the road. The year we made the trip from Anchorage to the UP - Michigan. Moved the HF to our one ton van. Wife drove - I sat in the back seat and played "radio" all the way across the Yukon Territory and Canada Hwy #1. What a blast - 15 meter. Not surprising - QSL to a ham in the Yukon was pretty rare. Made the day for about 60 operators on that crossing.

Yes, I am enjoying mine. I got the Little Tarheel II installed last night. It is quite a bit better than the previous temporary 3 foot hamstick "dummy load on a stick" I had on it until this antenna came in.

 

[dnw64]

Also, do yourself a HUGE favor and get the Amp Research Bedstep. It makes it SO nice to be able to climb in and out of the truck bed. The height of the lowered tailgate is way more than that of my old 1500.

I have similar on my truck. My son calls it "the old man step". I don't care...

 

[Sigarms]

This thread was started 15 days ago and OP said the truck would arrive within the following week and we still have NO PICTURES! kind of sad when your at the age where you covet another mans truck LOL

 

[oosik]

Sigarms - only one reason. No truck yet. Don't be upset. I've already dropped $58K - paid-in-full - I'm still patiently waiting.

 

[oosik]

dnw64 - so I go to Amp Research. Looking for the Beststep. The tech refers me to RealTruck.com. They seem to only have the step that mounts on the SIDE of the bed - not the tailgate area. I shall continue the search. I DO NOT intend to enter the bed of the Taco Wagon like I do the F-150. Lay on the tailgate - wriggle like a snake - finally have access. The other method - step up on the rear bumper - step over the closed tailgate - hope your foot on the rear bumper doesn't slip. OH - double ouch.

My BIGGEST FEAR now. The truck comes - I take the required pics - my system will not allow upload. It hasn't happened recently but there have been times. I get a dropdown message - - "You do not have authority to...............". I've had no problem uploading to TBN since I upgraded Mojave to 10.14.2 As a matter of fact - - I've found that I can upload images as big as 5-7 MB and the TBN upload software will do its own resizing to its needs.

 

[ededic]

With the exorbitant prices of new vehicles, you would think they would become easier to do the common maintenance on. Sheesh!

They did... you don’t even have to open the hood to change the filter.