Saturday, May 15, 2021

Boondocking with Lori & Chris near Penrose, CO

 Two days ago, Thursday, Lori & Chris had retrieved their fully functioning, non-oil leaking overlander rig.  I retrieved my VRRV and we left mid-morning and headed out for some boondocking therapy.

Our destination was my old standby: the Penrose Common Use BLM area, near Penrose, CO.  The usual spot was taken up by a couple of Sprinter vans so we drove in a bit further in:



There is of course, no easy hiding of the big beast that is Stewie.....

This outing is also first time for Yagi's new saddlebags, cheap knockoffs that I'll not mind getting beat up during falls.  I hope to find it easier to separate from the motorcycle during a fall, now that the gray plastic toolbox is no longer in the way.


Chris and I did go for some riding in our respective TW200s but alas, no pics taken as we were having fun.  There was however, an occasion for video:



Friday was a relaxation day, no riding of motorcycles, just enjoying the quiet and sun.  I did take the soft top off of Mariko to do some fastener repairs and then took her for some pictures.



I think, I'll remove the roll bar/cage from the sammy at the upcoming Samurai Rally in Kentucky and see if someone will buy it from me.  It's not bolted direct to the frame, instead only to the body, so it really won't be of much protection after the first roll-over, if even then!


For my part, my driving in conditions that might cause said roll-over isn't something I intend of pursuing or even coming close to allowing to happen.  I think it'll clean up the looks on the sammy when the top is off, and allow me to fold the soft top and carry it along; presently, the bow that supports the soft top binds on the rear support columns of the roll cage.

Here's another view of the rear of Chris & Lori's Overland Rig, nice amount of outside storage eh?  I also really like the antenna mast they use for Internet connectivity.

8 comments:

RichardM said...

Nice write-up of the trip. Going out to Kentucky this summer, eh?

redlegsrides said...

Thanks RichardM, Yes Kentucky is in the plan for July, we'll see how that goes.

SonjaM said...

Good to see Big Stewie back on trail so soon. Awesome outing with friends, Dom. You guys are lucky ones.

CCjon said...

Great story and photos. They could paint Stevie a camouflage design, but that might cause a bit of a commotion when venturing south of the border.

Please talk more about the internet antenna, did not know these exist, how they work, costs, effectiveness , etc.


Steve Williams said...

I think if I were out boondocking and saw Stewie heading my way I would think the government was coming to get me. That vehicle looks intimidating.

I was struck by the tall antennas soaring up from each vehicle. I was wondering what they were for. How exactly are you pulling in an internet signal? When Elon Musk has all his Starlink satellites in orbit maybe internet will be easier.

Thanks for posting the updates. It's always enjoyable for me to boondock from the comfort of my easy chair.

redlegsrides said...

Truly fortunate SonjaM....Stewie is performing well and no oil leaks. Lori says its running a bit quieter too.

CCjon, that's just a collapsible mast for the omnidirectional antenna marketed by weBoost as their RV model. It's quite tall though, isn't it? I'm definitely thinking about buying such a mast but so far, have managed with just my little one that I made from a collapsible lightbulb replacement tool. Not sure what prices are these days for these boosters, mine was not too bad years ago, and I know Chris' unit is more expensive as its got more capabilities and power too. Effectiveness is usually not too bad, though I take care to pick spots that have some internet access to boost, can't boost what's not there. Switched to a directional antenna which seems to help as well.

Steve, glad you're enjoying these updates. The antennas are simply part of cellphone boosters we've both bought from weBoost. I've the car version which requires you to mate your phone onto a cradle onto which the antenna is connected. Chris is using the RV model with a collapsible mast and a base station that doesn't require his cellphone in a cradle to be boosted. My antenna is directional, his is omnidirectional and he and Lori seem happy with its performance.

About Starlink, Chris and Lori have already signed up for that service as soon as its available! It will be really nice to be mobile and not depend on cellphone internet coverage I think. I'm not sure I'll need it since I'm retired.

Blaze Our Way said...

Ahh!! The pictures are wonderful! It was a perfect shakedown run for the repaired Stewie. I maintain it was a wonderful location with the right alkaline and pine smells. And wonderful views of the storm clouds rolling across the valley. Only marred by the prison lights. :) Thanks for showing us the way and being the support vehicle. And the sammy looks to rough and tumble!!!

redlegsrides said...

Lori, glad you guys liked the site....it's one of my "go to" places to flee the ongoing human infestation.