SoCal BS Thread

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Nov 15, 2018
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So I'm driving my truck today and I still have no issues whatsoever. I couldn't help but think about how much money was spent before my engine, more or less, "blew up" and then how much money it took to get it back up and running like it should.

It all started around 08/2020 that I took my truck in for a head job to be done and I only had it for roughly 3x months after the job was complete. Then I started having major issues, took it back in to the shop that worked on it, and they had it for roughly 1x month only to tell me that I "needed a new engine"... and they didn't even inspect their own work as they would have definitely seen that the timing marks were OFF and that is just for starters of what was found to be wrong!!!

Anyways, the point being, I finally filed a complaint online to the B.A.R. (Bureau of Automotive Repair) just now.

I'm hoping and praying that the B.A.R. will help me get compensated or, at the very least, it doesn't happen to another person.
 
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I went to Santiago Peak today and guess who was waiting for me at the top!

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That's KRAZY???!!!

If you are ever up for it, let's setup a "night run" one of these days?:beerscheers:
IMG_0496.jpg

I do night solo runs pretty often, but less and less as more safety in numbers is the main thing I'm more worried about these days than something breaking down. Yes, it's a fire-road, but things can still break down at any time.

I know I can Googl_e it, but do rattlesnakes come out at night? It never occurred to me that there would be animals like that up there?

:wavehi:
 

Dezert4Runner

Pineapples belong on pizza
Joined
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That's KRAZY???!!!

If you are ever up for it, let's setup a "night run" one of these days?:beerscheers:
View attachment 78891

I do night solo runs pretty often, but less and less as more safety in numbers is the main thing I'm more worried about these days than something breaking down. Yes, it's a fire-road, but things can still break down at any time.

I know I can Googl_e it, but do rattlesnakes come out at night? It never occurred to me that there would be animals like that up there?


:wavehi:
Yep, most snakes species are very active at night too. That is a Speckled Rattlesnake and is usually only found in or near rocky areas. The top of the mountain near the towers has some rock piles and talus slides, which are ideal for rattlesnakes. Watch your step up there day or night!!

The original plan was to go up Silverado Canyon/ Maple Springs and leave going down North Main Divide to Ortega Highway, but the gate was closed which was a bummer that we had to backtrack to get to the I-5 south to head home. I checked the forestry website and it showed it was open :noidea:

I feel like that area was a one and done for me. I just wanted to check out the view and say I’ve been. I had the old lady with me, and it was a perfect spot to check out and enjoy with her.
 
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Yep, most snakes species are very active at night too. That is a Speckled Rattlesnake and is usually only found in or near rocky areas. The top of the mountain near the towers has some rock piles and talus slides, which are ideal for rattlesnakes. Watch your step up there day or night!!

The original plan was to go up Silverado Canyon/ Maple Springs and leave going down North Main Divide to Ortega Highway, but the gate was closed which was a bummer that we had to backtrack to get to the I-5 south to head home. I checked the forestry website and it showed it was open :noidea:

I feel like that area was a one and done for me. I just wanted to check out the view and say I’ve been. I had the old lady with me, and it was a perfect spot to check out and enjoy with her.
Interesting and very good to know as I'm up there quite a bit. It's my personal playground to me especially off desert season. And I can get to the trailhead for Maple Springs Road in about 40min vs about roughly 2.5hrs just to get to Anza/Ocotillo... just to get there.

I do more night runs because of how spooky it can seriously be up there especially when by yourself as you can't stop the feeling of "being watched" and HAHAHAHA, I was right, I'm being watched by snakes and who knows what else???!!! :eek::boltout::peep::help:

But yeah, seeing Catalina during the day time is pretty cool. You can also see Disneyland's fireworks show from up there albeit it is tiny AF since you're actually pretty "high up in the sky"???

Anyways, have you've ever tried Oriflamme Canyon near Escondido? If not, start from the top going down or start from the bottom going up, which would likely be a bit more "challenging"... sort of. I guess it depends on what you're driving? You should have no issues given what I see. Nice looking rig btw!!! :thumbsup::beerscheers:

But if you haven't done that one before go check it out. Easy, but pretty fun at the same time and the view is really nice.

Here's a small clip and one of my very first off-roading trips... Well, I've done a few trips before that, but this particular run was solo for me.

Btw, who makes your front bumper? I want to put on one like that, but a direct bolt on. I'm trying to stay away from having to do cuts to the frame. My "build" to my truck I want to keep it mostly "stock", but better than stock and eventually I want to throw on some Camburg UCA's along with a few other mods/upgrades to the suspension and to the engine although I'm not touching my engine for quite a while given recent events. :noidea: I'm just happy that my engine block was salvageable.
 
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Octanejunkie

Just another jagoff with a 4x4
Joined
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Messages
612
That looks fun. Yes, snakes are out already. Be careful if you park and walk back to your vehicle, they can easily hole up against a tire in the shade. Where's the entrance to Santiago Peak trail?

I'm down for a trail run anytime, too, and would love to start exploring more trails down here. I've only wheeled up in Arrowhead, Bishop/Owens Valley and Gorman.

I'm dying to take my rig out for a few hour/half day capability run before committing to a full day or weekend of wheeling. Just not sure how far I have to do that lol
 
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That looks fun. Yes, snakes are out already. Be careful if you park and walk back to your vehicle, they can easily hole up against a tire in the shade. Where's the entrance to Santiago Peak trail?

I'm down for a trail run anytime, too, and would love to start exploring more trails down here. I've only wheeled up in Arrowhead, Bishop/Owens Valley and Gorman.

I'm dying to take my rig out for a few hour/half day capability run before committing to a full day or weekend of wheeling. Just not sure how far I have to do that lol
If you want to enter on the I-5 side, then the trailhead starts at:

Maple Springs Visitor Center
31330 Silverado Canyon Rd.
Silverado, CA 92676

The 15-fwy side "trailhead" is really a connecting trail to Santiago Peak, if you will. Anyways, you're in a residential area that just kind of has an entrance all of a sudden, which is called "Bedford Motor Way". Bedford is mostly hard packed with some ruts... nothing crazy, but watch your speed at times because there are some fairly sharp turns/corners at times... especially if you're coming from the mountain going down. Just my humble opinion on the matter.
 
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@Octanejunkie btw, "Indian Truck Trail" will likely never open up again due to the douchebag that started the fires up there a few years back. Only open to biking and hiking now. :sad: That was a fun trail too that had sharp turns/corners and was fun to do at night as well. Easy also, but it had its fun parts... mostly hard packed, quite a few ruts, nothing too crazy with the ruts, but it made it fun with what they were.
 

Octanejunkie

Just another jagoff with a 4x4
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@Octanejunkie btw, "Indian Truck Trail" will likely never open up again due to the douchebag that started the fires up there a few years back. Only open to biking and hiking now. :sad: That was a fun trail too that had sharp turns/corners and was fun to do at night as well. Easy also, but it had its fun parts... mostly hard packed, quite a few ruts, nothing too crazy with the ruts, but it made it fun with what they were.
I did Indian Truck Trail years ago and heard it was closed. I might run up to Drinkwater Flats, it's about an hour from me while Santiago is 1:20 + to the address you shared.
Thanks for that!
 
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That looks fun. Yes, snakes are out already. Be careful if you park and walk back to your vehicle, they can easily hole up against a tire in the shade. Where's the entrance to Santiago Peak trail?

I'm down for a trail run anytime, too, and would love to start exploring more trails down here. I've only wheeled up in Arrowhead, Bishop/Owens Valley and Gorman.

I'm dying to take my rig out for a few hour/half day capability run before committing to a full day or weekend of wheeling. Just not sure how far I have to do that lol
Bishop? Have you done Swansea-Cerro Gordo? HAHAHA, I did that one solo too and I really wouldn't recommend it doing it solo, but that is my humble opinion. There are SOME parts where you DO NOT want your rig to breakdown at without someone else being there to lend assistance.

A long story on that one, but yeah, Swansea is pretty damn fun. I zoomed by the ghost town though as my main destination was Reward Mine and I was running out of daylight really quick.
SwanseaCerroGordoTrail2018_p1.jpg
SwanseaCerroGordoTrail2018_p21.jpg
SwanseaCerroGordoTrail2018_p30.jpg

I can't find the picture of me at the salt tram? But yeah, Swansea is really fun.
 
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I did Indian Truck Trail years ago and heard it was closed. I might run up to Drinkwater Flats, it's about an hour from me while Santiago is 1:20 + to the address you shared.
Thanks for that!
Yeah, it's closed and has been closed since fucklenuts started that fire!!! I would LOVE to put a few magazines of 22LR into that dickbag so he bleeds out and not just because the trail got closed, but I'm pretty sure quite a few animals lost their lives that day.

It was a pretty fun trail to do.

Anyways, it is now open to only biking/hiking.

You're welcome brotha. :beerscheers:
 
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Airdog

Did Your Mom
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Oct 5, 2018
Messages
543
Bedford truck trail is permanently closed too. It crosses private land that never got an easement. Land owner took them to court won and now it’s locked out.
Only entrance is main divide off Ortega until Indian truck trail opens back up.
Fire areas are usually closed for 3 years before they open back up the fire roads that run thru them.
 

Octanejunkie

Just another jagoff with a 4x4
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Messages
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Bishop? Have you done Swansea-Cerro Gordo? HAHAHA, I did that one solo too and I really wouldn't recommend it doing it solo, but that is my humble opinion. There are SOME parts where you DO NOT want your rig to breakdown at without someone else being there to lend assistance.

A long story on that one, but yeah, Swansea is pretty damn fun. I zoomed by the ghost town though as my main destination was Reward Mine and I was running out of daylight really quick.
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I can't find the picture of me at the salt tram? But yeah, Swansea is really fun.
I actually met @theesotericone a few years ago and ran a few trails outside of Bishop, not sure what they were but will look for pics.
 
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Octanejunkie

Just another jagoff with a 4x4
Joined
Nov 2, 2018
Messages
612
Bedford truck trail is permanently closed too. It crosses private land that never got an easement. Land owner took them to court won and now it’s locked out.
Only entrance is main divide off Ortega until Indian truck trail opens back up.
Fire areas are usually closed for 3 years before they open back up the fire roads that run thru them.
I live in Santa Monica. The closest dirt to me is the road to the Nike missile base at the top of West ridge fire road. It's 1/2 a mile of hipsters giving you dirty looks to drive a flat dusty road.

I have to drive a minimum of 1 hour to get to a trail that even comes close to justifying shifting out of 2-Hi, and then it's usually to say I did
 

Mike_taco4x4

Overlandbound #23345
Dunce
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Trying to find the rattling bolt noise around driver side fender is frustrating. Here it at high rpms 3.5k plus. Nothing on idle or rotation of tires. Doesnt sound like motor. Watch im going to literally find a loose bolt somewhere.
Funny thing is i already did on brake line braket and thought for sure thats it. And it wasnt cause that my luck these days.lol
 
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