SoCal or bust! Squatchy’s first road trip

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Heading down to SoCal from Portland Oregon. Hitting Pinnacles National Park on the way down and Sequoia on the way back. Lots of Snow in Sequoia right now . It will be a bit more than 2000 miles round trip. Looking forward to stretching Squatchy’s legs a bit.

In case you’ve wondered 4 of the Large InsatCrate 23”x16”x13” folding bins fit in the back with the seats up quite nicely. These things are the best. They fold up when not in use and come with a bifold lid that stores on the bottom.

And our copilot Mr. Tim

 

[Garth]

I wish you a safe trip and it’s good to see you have your emergency food supply on the seat next to you

 

[TrailRax]

Big fan of Mr. Tim

 

[Larry N]

Where did you get the gear mounts on the hatch? Are the lifts strong enough?

 

[kenmitch]

I see you have a shovel strapped up top.....Are you planning on stopping in San Francisco?

Have fun on your road trip!

 

[kenmitch]

Where did you get the gear mounts on the hatch? Are the lifts strong enough?

Probably this one? Bronco Sport Hatch MOLLE Panel

I'm not sure what's behind the plastic trim panel, but it may be possible to use some rivet nuts and spacers to fortify the mounting points.

 

[freebob]

Well it is a bronco sport .So I hope it's not bust..

 

[wireman]

Where did you get the gear mounts on the hatch? Are the lifts strong enough?

You could use these if needed.
https://www.amazon.com/Struts-Support-Retaining-Automotive-Tailgate/dp/B0DQ3WXKH8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UVFzhg_ZeKNKcx8pbXZcSk-lZ0wp3H_qp5Svqvzpaaw_Zca1q6s7EjZDMkNzJRq9BTvanz4oo4xyctjDLuQqmmdT8xyyJAMWNR8Xg1SB4Xj1jcDeHpsQZTWY8ZSAywFj-wpTmxoKRBi_H6pr6gx7bhuWbbyWNi2cy_bC2Z-bBjf3ns4EhdF-0PMEhRBvUF5T6rXEobn9RB4McpAELnm2KpJ92DdOAqV9oVF44r_cxvw.de93yyoRG_Wb34S5oCR4wkDje6PTkafn24gGjfzxR7E&dib_tag=se&keywords=hood+strut+clamp&qid=1771975633&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

 

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Just got done with today’s drive which was filled with torrential rain from Grants Pass to Redding. Fog, heavy rain, horrible visibility and lots of trucks but the Bronco did great.

This is the Molle Panel on back from JCR. There’s not a ton of space on it and I only have three light items on it. A small shovel, an ice scraper/snow brush and an emergency light. Even in the cold I haven’t had any problems with the struts holding it up.

https://www.jcroffroad.com/product/BSHMP-1G.html

This storm followed us the whole way from Portland

This is how I knew for certain we were now in California

 

[davidg4781]

You could use these if needed.
https://www.amazon.com/Struts-Support-Retaining-Automotive-Tailgate/dp/B0DQ3WXKH8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UVFzhg_ZeKNKcx8pbXZcSk-lZ0wp3H_qp5Svqvzpaaw_Zca1q6s7EjZDMkNzJRq9BTvanz4oo4xyctjDLuQqmmdT8xyyJAMWNR8Xg1SB4Xj1jcDeHpsQZTWY8ZSAywFj-wpTmxoKRBi_H6pr6gx7bhuWbbyWNi2cy_bC2Z-bBjf3ns4EhdF-0PMEhRBvUF5T6rXEobn9RB4McpAELnm2KpJ92DdOAqV9oVF44r_cxvw.de93yyoRG_Wb34S5oCR4wkDje6PTkafn24gGjfzxR7E&dib_tag=se&keywords=hood+strut+clamp&qid=1771975633&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

I could be wrong but I've heard these will damage the arms. Not a concern if the lifts are already out but these could cause them to wear prematurely.

 

[davidg4781]

Awesome road trip! I'm on vacation this week and normally I would've wanted to take a small one but I'm just not feeling up to it this week. Maybe the cold weather, although that's a good time to do it sometimes.

I have another vacation coming up in April so I could go then.

 

[wireman]

I could be wrong but I've heard these will damage the arms. Not a concern if the lifts are already out but these could cause them to wear prematurely.

Some have brass bolts or brass tips. Along with the aluminum housing, both are softer material than the strut shaft.

 

[WildFord]

check out Carrizo Plains. got some good bloom of wild flower now tho careful with muddy road. https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/california/carrizo-plain-national-monument
you can call ahead and check on the conditions.
someday I hope to reverse your trip by going up to Oregon for a loop from So Cal.

 

[pixlpush]

UPDATE – Road Trip Complete

All in all, it was a great trip. It started with pouring rain and fog through the mountain passes of Southern Oregon and Northern CA, followed by lots of sun, some sand, and finished with snow and giant trees.

Over 10 days we covered about 2,400 miles, and I couldn’t have been happier with Squatchy. Unfortunately we didn’t make it off-road this time, but it handled everything else perfectly.

I expected more snow on the roads in Sequoia, but they had been cleared by the time we arrived. However, it was so foggy on the way in that at times you could barely see 20 feet ahead along 15 miles of super twisty road. The additional fog lights were incredibly useful—if only so other drivers could see us.

There was still plenty of snow on the trails though—so much that just 100 yards from the parking areas we had the giant trees entirely to ourselves.

That was really special and probably not something we’ll get to experience again. The magnitude of these ancient giants just can’t be captured in photos.

Pinnacles National Park East of Carmel CA

No Dogs on the trails! Mr. Tim is not pleased

Here's what I think about that!

A quick trip to the beach in Carmel where dogs are more than welcome!

An evening arrival in Temecula CA to meet some old friends

it's important to stay hydrated in SoCal

a lovely sunset over the vinyards

and hot air balloons at sunrise

Next Stop was this amazing A-Frame in Three Rivers CA just west of Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park

Kings Canyon National Park

On the way back home a stop in Ashland Oregon, maybe we brought too much stuff?

the 100 year old Ashland Springs Hotel is pretty great. when it was built in 1925 it was the tallest building between Portland and SF.

 

[Larry N]

Great trip, thanks for sharing.
Are you happy with the hood protector? Which brand is it?

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