Rubi Recon

[ExpeditionBuilds]

I’m about to put the INTECH on my 3.6. Just awaiting its arrival and ill update you once i have broken it in

Hi X-Treme, Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the 3.6/iNTECH.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

Sponsored

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Over at the Jeep EJS display early in the a.m. to capture content. This years concepts are once again, really cool and feature something for just about everyone.

I'll be putting together a video of the Jeep Concepts and all the details. Stay tuned for that...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

A good portion of our week here at EJS has been devoted to shooting content for manufacturers. In this pic, we're setting up for a night shot. The wind was gusting to +65 mph at times. I have my Jeep pulled up next to the camera trying to use it as a wind break.

I was able to get a handful of captures made before the tent we had in our shot was blown down, snapping the center pole, leaving my Art Director to turn to me and say, "looks like we're done!". Mother Nature does what she does

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Out exploring incredible Moab...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Into the great wide open...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

As promised, here's the Easter Jeep Safari video. Enjoy!





https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

The backside of Top of the World...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Getting a good spot is everything on the trail...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Anyone else have the urge to speed up when you see a water crossing? Yippeeeee

Onion Creek trail had 26 of them...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[EZPower]

Prepping for the winch install...

-Steven

What is that plate behind the fairlead?

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

What is that plate behind the fairlead?

Hey EZ! That is from Artec Industries. I used their winch plate and this is part of their kit.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Catching up on a mod I did just before we left for EJS. I did a custom install of Diode Dynamics new SS3 Max-Combo into the front of my Expedition One roof rack. Here's quick look.

The new SS3 Max packs a huge punch in a small package. I also like that they offer an amber backlight feature...

I wanted to keep a lower profile and not interfere with the usefulness of the rack and these gave me that...

I'll do a video review soon on the new set-up, stay tuned!


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

?These Aux. lights unexpectedly got us through a really tough night?

At the end of a great week in Moab for EJS it was time to point Rubi East and head home. After looking at the map we decided we would leave Moab around midday and head to Boulder, CO for the night via I70.. I make it a habit of checking weather/radar each day I remember telling my wife that there was front moving in but our timing should keep us well out in front of any weather this particular day as we head east.

This should be a pretty easy day for us, 365mi./6hrs., maybe even stopping in Glenwood Springs for a dip in the Hot Springs. Well.....the best laid plans. When we approached Glenwood Springs, the interstate is closed with the State Troopers diverting us off the East bound/Denver side down through town and back onto the interstate a few miles down the road...hmmm? Ok, back on the interstate and heading towards Boulder again we settle in and are cruising along. We get down and out of beautiful Glenwood Canyon and somewhere before Dotsero we encounter the interstate closed again as we are detoured onto the frontage road...hmmm this isn't looking good. After about 2-3 miles on the frontage road we can see the issue...grass fire that has the interstate closed.

After sitting for 40min or so and listening to the chatter on channel 19 we decide to turn back. We were able to speak with a State Trooper as we were doubling back. He informed us the interstate would most likely be closed all night as the fire had spread into residential area. Asking him about an alternate route to Boulder he told us we could double back down to Rifle, catch R13 through Meeker and then link up to 40 to 9 and down to Silverthorne which gets us back on I70. That's a long way around but doable.

Time to high tail it back the way we came as this looks like it could add 2-2.5hrs onto our day and it's late afternoon already. Ok, here's the rub in all of this. We are heading back towards the weather I mentioned and this takes us up through Steamboat Springs, elevation 6732'. It's starting to lightly rain as we make Rifle and leave the interstate, this could get dicey for us tonight.

By nightfall as we approach Steamboat the rain is mixing with ice. Rubi is doing fine, traction is good and we start up the mountain. About half way up the precipitation turns to full on wet snow. I'm looking for a place to possibly turn around as visibility is dropping rapidly. With no safe place to either pull off and or turn around we are in the throws a blizzard now as we continue to climb the mountain. Somewhere near the summit I realize that both my LED headlamps and fog lights are icing over and we really can't see much. We were both leaning forward trying to spot the roadbed as it is all covered in snow at this point. Running out of visibility, I switch on my A-Pillar/Bumper Aux. LEDS.

I had recently updated my A-Pillar set-up to a white SSC1 pod as the ditch light. The Yellow SSC1 pods I previously had on the A-Pillar mount got moved to the outer third of the front bumper. Here's a pic of the SSC1 installed on the bumper.

This was an easy install as I used one of the factory bolts in the OEM Steel bumper. My thinking was it might be nice to have them light the trail/road ahead and outward.

It turns out that it was these new lights that kept us seeing the road ahead. We ran these for the next hour or so. As we began down the back side of the mountain, my headlights and fogs pretty much useless at this point. The temp was slowly rising and the snow was mixing with ice/rain, making for a little better visibility (we could see the roadbed again). It wasn't until we made the town of Meeker that I was able to pull off and clean the LED headlights and fogs. The Diode Dynamics LED's were warm enough when lit so as to not ice over at the ~35 degrees we were running in.

It's a little ironic to me that I added the SSC1 pods as almost an afterthought, thinking well, I have them why not? It turns out this set of Aux LED's saves the day for us...who knew?

Lessons learned...you can never have too much light....and storms in the Rockies are a different breed and not to be taken lightly. What starts out as a pretty nice day can quickly change to something that can possibly hurt you. Be well?

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Recent addition to my build. Rock Slide Engineerings' Rear Hitch Slider. Having this gives a little added protection for the rear bumper coming off big ledges, etc. allowing the Hitch Slider to take the hit. It also makes a great step for getting to the roof rack from the rear of the Jeep. Look for a quick video review coming soon.

RSE did a great job integrating this to fit simply into the factory hitch receiver.

Use the code expeditionbuilds 10 and get 10% off of anything RSE sells.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw



-Steven

 

[ExpeditionBuilds]

Ya' know, Moab is unique and beautiful on so many levels that we typically would experience from the driver seat POV. Sometimes when I capture it via the drone it shows a whole different level of WOW?...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5HJ5REOo6XbFuakJem6TTw


-Steven

Sponsored