What did you do to your TJ today?

hear said:

I still have my JKU t-tops bag, Im told they'll fit in that, but I need to try. I would much rather have the zip in windows but all this stuff is hard to come by.


And then the last bit of stress before we head out — the trailer. We're going to be gone for a day longer than usual and U-haul only has "toy haulers" availble which are $20/day more. Which turns into like $200 more than usual to rent. Options...

1. bite down and swallow hard on a $500 trailer rental.
2. Borrow FIL's trailer ,but involves a pair of 10 hr round trips to Arkansas and back (to get it & return it) plus like $200 in gas. The intense irony being that I'm ultimately going to AR but nowhere near where FIL lives
3. Just drive the TJ all 7 hrs to the final location. Then do the trails for 3+ days. Then drive home. Pray nothing breaks, but if it does FIL can come get me.

Those all suck. But this is where the options get complicated.

Since TJ Buddy's jeep spit the bit repeatedly last week, he's no longer taking his, which means his trailer is not in use. The problem is that his trailer is in Norman OK. He was planning to flat tow there. Ok fine, so I'll flat tow instead. Oh wait, my tow bar is in AR. No problem, I can use his now. Oh wait, he lives 30 min away so an hour round trip just to get the tow bar. Oh wait, my bumper needs some D-ring adapters...last time I flat towed I swapped bumpers with my 2000, but my 2000 is also in AR, but also far from FIL's trailer. My only option for the tow bar is to drive 2 hr round trip to Collins Bros to get the adapter. So I'm driving 3 hours just to make flat towing to Norman even an option.

That option kinda sucks because I don't really have that much time either. Which is why driving to Norman and dead heading the trailer back isn't a great option. That would be a pair of 6 hr round trips and like $150 in gas.

Current plan: drive the Land Cruiser to his house, wife follows in her car, and she takes me back home. Then the next morning I drive the jeep to his house, and then we drive the cruiser and the TJ to Norman. Load the jeep onto his trailer, I tow it to AR. Wheel. Then do it all in reverse, but more at our lesiure. If it is so broken down that it can't get to Dallas I can leave it at our friend's shop. That's the lowest cost, lowest risk option. Technically 2 cars driving to Norman and back is still a pair of 6 hr round trips, but I'm doing them in parallel, so same gas but half the total time. And Norman is about 45 min closer to the final destination than I am, so it's not exactly apples and oragnes.


I'll tell you one thing: if left to operate unchecked, I will make a simple operation hella complex.

Click to expand...

hear said:

I still have my JKU t-tops bag, Im told they'll fit in that, but I need to try. I would much rather have the zip in windows but all this stuff is hard to come by.


And then the last bit of stress before we head out — the trailer. We're going to be gone for a day longer than usual and U-haul only has "toy haulers" availble which are $20/day more. Which turns into like $200 more than usual to rent. Options...

1. bite down and swallow hard on a $500 trailer rental.
2. Borrow FIL's trailer ,but involves a pair of 10 hr round trips to Arkansas and back (to get it & return it) plus like $200 in gas. The intense irony being that I'm ultimately going to AR but nowhere near where FIL lives
3. Just drive the TJ all 7 hrs to the final location. Then do the trails for 3+ days. Then drive home. Pray nothing breaks, but if it does FIL can come get me.

Those all suck. But this is where the options get complicated.

Since TJ Buddy's jeep spit the bit repeatedly last week, he's no longer taking his, which means his trailer is not in use. The problem is that his trailer is in Norman OK. He was planning to flat tow there. Ok fine, so I'll flat tow instead. Oh wait, my tow bar is in AR. No problem, I can use his now. Oh wait, he lives 30 min away so an hour round trip just to get the tow bar. Oh wait, my bumper needs some D-ring adapters...last time I flat towed I swapped bumpers with my 2000, but my 2000 is also in AR, but also far from FIL's trailer. My only option for the tow bar is to drive 2 hr round trip to Collins Bros to get the adapter. So I'm driving 3 hours just to make flat towing to Norman even an option.

That option kinda sucks because I don't really have that much time either. Which is why driving to Norman and dead heading the trailer back isn't a great option. That would be a pair of 6 hr round trips and like $150 in gas.

Current plan: drive the Land Cruiser to his house, wife follows in her car, and she takes me back home. Then the next morning I drive the jeep to his house, and then we drive the cruiser and the TJ to Norman. Load the jeep onto his trailer, I tow it to AR. Wheel. Then do it all in reverse, but more at our lesiure. If it is so broken down that it can't get to Dallas I can leave it at our friend's shop. That's the lowest cost, lowest risk option. Technically 2 cars driving to Norman and back is still a pair of 6 hr round trips, but I'm doing them in parallel, so same gas but half the total time. And Norman is about 45 min closer to the final destination than I am, so it's not exactly apples and oragnes.


I'll tell you one thing: if left to operate unchecked, I will make a simple operation hella complex.

Click to expand...

hear said:

I'll tell you one thing: if left to operate unchecked, I will make a simple operation hella complex.

Click to expand...

macleanflood said:

Well something just blew up in the rear end. It's turning like the rear locker is on and there was a big snap noise. Driving slow 20 miles home I can make it.

-Mac

Click to expand...

macleanflood said:

View attachment 711557

Click to expand...

Zorba said:

And the cover comes off to reveal...

Click to expand...

Zorba said:

DAY-YUM! That's almost as complicated as this costume conundrum I'm dealing with for next month's performance! Still don't know what headpiece/garland/tiara/whatever I'm gonna end up with!

But there must be a reason why you and your wife don't drive the TJ and the Cruiser the same day - why do you need to go back home?

Click to expand...

hear said:

I did consider buying one, but I have a car/driveway problem as it is, it would create chaos in the meanwhile.

Click to expand...

hear said:

So unless she’s going on the trip (she AINT!), we have to take two trips to ferry the cars to his house.

Click to expand...

hear said:

As much as I hate the HOA, that would almost certainly get me a letter. And given that the length of the trailer is longer than the jeep, it would create a problem rather than solve one.

Click to expand...

chili_pepper said:

Could be wrong, or maybe it just doesn't work, but I thought I recall seeing a tool for expanding and recrimping the caps.

Edit - Something like this:

https://gosolockpicks.com/product/klom-locks-face-cap-removal-tool

Click to expand...

Zorba said:

"Drought" gives the politicians something to bloviate about.

Click to expand...

John Cooper said:

View attachment 711617

Click to expand...

TheBoogieman said:

Thank you so much! I'm not a talker (anti-social) as my wife would say. Emotional wreck I would say.
p.s. To clarify about not having any friends. Most (6) committed suicide, then the rest died from drugs, and alcohol. Two of my former close friends have been in prison for 20 plus years. That's why I stopped hanging out with them years ago. My best friend died a few years ago at 50 from all the bad things we used to do. God must have a plan for me. I hope it's not payback. Thank you so much once again.

Click to expand...