Another great adventure...

[Capt Steve]

Just returned from a week on the Colorado River at Ehrenburg Arizona. We met our friends from San Diego for some serious Rzr riding fun at the Ehrenburg Sandbowl OHV venue just a mile from our RV Park site.

Tuesday morning 108 miles east of Ehrenburg on westbound I-10 I blew my left rear outside dually on our 24' Class C. The damn thing just grenaded scattering chunks of tire for 50 yards. Turned on my flashers, got it off of the shoulder and called our ERS {Coach Net} set out the emergency triangles at 25, 50 and 75 yards back from the rig and settled in to wait.

Took about an hour and half to get the tire guy out but I carry a spare and lots of tools so between the two us we were back on the road fairly quick. On Friday I called the Discount Tire shop in Yuma and made and appointment reserving three new Michelin's as I had two others that were the same age {about 5.5 years old with 42,000 miles on them}. They all looked good and on Monday I had Discount check them and air them up for the load I was hauling and they pronounced me good to go. Just a case of them timing out way before they looked like they were candidates fro replacement... oh well.

Spent the rest of the week riding our Rzr's all over the Sandbowl. It is a huge area bordered on the west by the Colorado and on the east by a wicked set of mountains 20 miles away. To the north is I-10 and we never did reach the southerly boundary.

Every type of terrain you could ever ask for awaits at the Sandbowl. Running the access roads {and the term "roads" is a stretch} that service the huge {power line towers and the high-pressure gas lines that traverse the OHV} gives you everything from high speed gravel to serious switchbacks as we climbed the east pass.

Lots of rock crawling and deep sand and silt to test your mettle as well with dust so thick in the silt I could barely see the front of my Rzr... gaggg!

This shot was taken looking up the east pass:



This was taken from the top of the pass looking back down and to the west:



this was the view of trail/road {?} back down to Ehrenburg:



Here is a shot of our site with the Colorado River in the background:



We never saw another buggy or bike in four days of riding we had the entire OHV venue to ourselves.

Came home a day early so I could pick up the new tires on Saturday in Yuma..

My recenty departed dad, a Master Chief in the Navy who rode diesel subs for 20 of his 30 years used to tell me... "Son, any problem that can be solved by money is NOT a problem..."IF" you have the money. you were right again Pop.

 

[walkinghorse]

Sounds likes great trip, well the tire, not so great, but no collateral damage?
In the picture of the two UTV's the right rear tire of the right UTV appears to be cocked/tilted? Perspective, suspension set up, lower ground at that point???
Just curious.

 

[Capt Steve]

You are correct sir...

Yes, did have some collateral damage...

When the tread grenaded it stuffed the mudflap up and over the the duallies and wedged it between them. We had to unbolt the mudflap to get the blown tire out and found the steel bar that supports it seriously twisted.

I think with a little persuasion I can realign it and reinstall the mudflap but have not tried yet. At least it was drivable once we pulled the mudflap.

As far as the right wheel on my buddies Rzr looking odd I agree but think it is just the angle of the ground where he was parked. We logged a lot of miles after that pic was taken {up and over the east pass and back to that point} and then 20+ miles back to camp without any issues.

All in all a pretty good trip and as noted definitely another great adventure.

 

[Muley Gil]

"My recenty departed dad, a Master Chief in the Navy who rode diesel subs for 20 of his 30 years used to tell me..."

While I was in Afghanistan, I worked with a retired Master Chief that also spent 20 of his 30 years aboard subs. After he left the Navy, he spent 10 years in law enforcement in Florida.

Small world.