Hi. I'm turbobrick and I have a carcaine problem.

turbobrick

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Messages
650
Location
Carson City, NV
So the hunting thing is late onset, and its a serious addiction, but carcaine has been the monkey on my back since my teens. I had just finished the last major phase of the long term build of my '99 Jeep XJ when I went big game hunting for the first time. At the point that we started hunting out of the Jeep, it was caged, frame plated, fabricated 9" housings, TruHi 9 with ARB in front, low 9 with Yukon Grizzly out back, 5.38 gears, 4 speed Atlas transfer case, 37" tires, Raceline beadlocks, Mastercraft suspension seats, Radflo coilovers and shocks, way too much to list. Built for the Rubicon, not hunting, but it could go just about anywhere. A magazine feature shoot at the Soup Bowl on the Rubicon.



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Myself, my dad, and brother in law hit the wilds of Nevada using the XJ to hunt muleys during early rifle season. My brother in law had been hunting for several years, so my dad and I were looking to him for guidance. The XJ is a tight fit for three guys and their gear, but we got way up on top before dawn on our first day. We hop out of the XJ, gather our gear, and the BIL says DEER in a hushed whisper. My dad was nowhere near ready, but I had my trusty -06 and after a couple warning shots harvested my first big game animal, a beautiful little forkey, and I was hopelessly hooked. We took him back to camp, and used the Warn comp winch and home made crane to break him down. Over the next few days, my BIL made a superb shot on on another forkey and we closed out the season.

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My BIL was on a mission to Africa the next hunting season, so my dad and I were on our own. We only drew horns shorter than years speed goat that year, my XJ was under the knife again, so naturally I needed to improve my hunting rig. I bought a 230k mile 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 with the Hemi. It ran good, and I just did basic maintenance and welded up a lumber rack that would accommodate the new-to-me Yamaha Rhino, because carcaine. I also mounted a CVT pop up tent on the rack, along with mounts for coolers and water tank. We had great success that year, doubled on two goats, my dad harvesting his first big game animal.

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The next year, I located a set of genuine Power Wagon axles from a burned truck. The 4.56 gears and selectable lockers were a huge upgrade. I also built my own hidden winch mount, tucking the 12k pound winch behind bumper like a real Power Wagon. We had another successful shorter than ears hunt, and two more small muleys.


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I adapted the crane from the Jeep to the Ram, added some used 35" KM2s and a set of genuine forged Power Wagon Wheels.

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The following year, we drew late season cow elk, and honestly had a heck of a time finding them. It was my wife's first tag, and unfortunately work pulled her away, my BIL was time limited with three little kids at home, and we all had a wedding to attend mid season. Ultimately, I made 5 trips out, the last 3 solo, getting into the worst stuck scenario in my wheeling career, alone and many hours from help. It was -5F that morning, and I got out by getting creative with the Hi Lift and the spare tire. I finally connected on the last day of season, in a hunt that is probably the most rewarding accomplishment of my life.

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The Faux Power Wagon was really showing her age now at about 250k miles, so it was time to upgrade..............
 
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I sold the Faux Power Wagon right as COVID took off, so I was unable to go get the Power Wagon I was initially after. After numerous delays, I found a different, much nicer 50k mile 2014 Power Wagon Tradesman with the 6.4 Hemi in the SF Bay Area. I scored a set of lightly used AEV Salta wheels and picked up some new 35" Nitto Trail Grapplers, including a matching full size tire and wheel. I also installed a sPod and AEV switch panel. Next will be the sub-harness that allows sway bar unlock and locker operation in all gears. I also bought a nice aluminum flatbed that I'm rehabbing and adding a nice tool box for some dry, secure storage. I had my buddy, the guy that built much of my Jeep, weld up a bed tire carrier so I can install an auxiliary fuel tank where the spare tire usually goes (the 35s, and planned 37s don't fit under there anyway). I also installed a set of White Knuckle Offroad sliders with the thicker .188 DOM tubing, they are well worth the cost IMHO, install easy, and are essential if you drive a big truck like this offroad.


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Thats where I am now. I hope to get the bed and fuel tank done before my OTC Idaho deer hunt, or at least before my lucky BIL's late rifle elk hunt here in Nevada. I plan on building some tall sides for the bed, taking advantage of the extra real estate it provides. I plan on keeping this updated as my habits progresses.
 
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Looks great
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Looking forward to the bed modifications. Curious if you will use the gooseneck hitch as well?
 
Looking forward to the bed modifications. Curious if you will use the gooseneck hitch as well?

I haven’t really done much trailering, see the lengths I went to making the Rhino fit in the Ram above. That was mostly due to the fact that I knew the 230k mile Hemi was on borrowed time, and I have a Cummins work truck when needed.

But, I like having options, so I just bought a new B&W 2.5 shank bumper pull drop hitch, and I bought the Curt harness to run wires to the gooseneck.

For this bed, the gooseneck is integral to the frame, so I intend to leave it there for the off chance I need it.
 
It was a monster. I put a Golen 4.6 stroker in it 300hp/300tq, I regret selling it, but it was for a good cause. If I tell that story I fear somebody will initiate an intervention into my carcaine habit.
I've always wanted to build a snow crawler out of a Cherokee or even a Grand. Most guys here go Toyota. Nice rigs. mtmuley
 
I've always wanted to build a snow crawler out of a Cherokee or even a Grand. Most guys here go Toyota. Nice rigs. mtmuley

When I build another crawler, it will positively be a full frame vehicle. I learned my lesson about building unibodies, that juice is not worth the squeeze. The Grand had a much superior unibody, but its still a fool's errand. My only beef with Toyota is no power and having to do a SAS right off the bat. Other than that, good stuff, mostly.
 
When I build another crawler, it will positively be a full frame vehicle. I learned my lesson about building unibodies, that juice is not worth the squeeze. The Grand had a much superior unibody, but its still a fool's errand. My only beef with Toyota is no power and having to do a SAS right off the bat. Other than that, good stuff, mostly.
i'm not a "Car/truck guy" but did you see the new Bronco after the Rubicon?
 
i'm not a "Car/truck guy" but did you see the new Bronco after the Rubicon?

The new Bronco seems like it will be pretty capable. The test vehicles they took through there looked about as beat as I’d expect for basic rigs on 33s. Many vehicles can make it through the Rubicon with spotting and stacking rocks, it’s truly not that hard of a trail. The difficulty comes from its remote location and the consequences of problems you can’t solve on the trail. Being full frame, the Broncos will be a good start to a crawler, but I suspect that 33s are going to end up being around the limit for that front IFS to handle crawling, and the reason Ford took them through on a small tire like that.
 
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Well, that was way more work than I anticipated, I think it’s a trick my mind plays on me to con me into these projects. Carcaine is a hell of a drug.

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Cut a big hole in a brand new Suburban 42 gallon tank, added a Hyperfuel dual pump hanger and a stock Chevy fuel level sender.


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Then I took a Sawzall to a perfectly good Power Wagon.



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Installed the lower half of the flatbed, it took a ton to fit around the coil buckets, but it went together pretty well. I had to get a Curt hitch to provide enough clearance for the tank, it also provides some protection for the tank.

Welded in some heavy wall 2x4 and used the stock straps and skid alone with some all thread to mount the tank where the spare was. I drilled two holes in the stock PW tank, and linked them with PTFE AN lines and bulkhead fittings. Also rerouted the exhaust a little. I connected the Suburban tank vent lines to the PW vent, hopefully the EVAP system will be able to handle the extra load. I had to redo the fuel fills after these pictures, they both needed a better angle to fill without spitting. I added an Autometer fuel gauge in a single pod to the a-pillar so I can monitor how much fuel is in the Suburban tank.




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So, now I have about 1,000 miles of range at 15mpg, or 700 at 10, my old Ram was usually somewhere in that range. I finished up the bed sides today, got all the lights wired, and installed the light bar. All ready to head for Idaho on Friday.
 
So working long hard hours on the Power Wagon, I felt a pop in my foot with a shooting pain up my leg. I powered through, finished up, and we went off to Idaho for my OTC deer tag. But really, I just did this so my brother in law would come up with my niece so we could scout for his late rifle elk tag in the Jarbidge Wilderness. My wife and dad came along, and the truck easily swallowed up all our gear. We really got a feel for the elk area for next month, but didn't see any deer in the nearby parts of Idaho (I wasn't expecting much in those areas). We came back home, and I went to the doctor, turns out I have metatarsalgia. They gave me a cortisone shot in my foot, so I'm hoping I'll be good to go for elk in early November.
 

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I hope your foot is better.

What is the recycling container in the bed of the first Dodge truck used for? I’m always interested in creative and practical repurposing of common things.
 
I hope your foot is better.

What is the recycling container in the bed of the first Dodge truck used for? I’m always interested in creative and practical repurposing of common things.

Its actually a 90 gallon garbage can. I always had room for it in the Faux Power Wagon, so I brought it along. Initially, I used it to bring out carcasses but we also regularly filled the can with trash from the places we go. I'm only planning on bringing the Trasharoo with the new truck, its plenty of trashcan for most trips. Packing out lots of trash is a holdover from my Rubicon days, we are hyper vigilant up there since so may groups are looking for any reason to shut it down.

Foot doesn't feel great, I'm hoping I can power through the elk hunt, its an important one. Thanks for the well wishes.
 
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