Troy in Bend, OR

[Troysmith80]

Hey, the blurb at the top of the page said to go introduce myself, so i am!

I'm Troy, in Bend, Oregon. Haven't done much off-road traveling but have slowly been working toward it. Grew up on dirtbikes, have done significant dual-sport riding and a handful of long motorcycle camping trips (3 to 15 days). Sold the bikes a while back to try traveling on four wheels. I'm always liable to drift into a myriad of other sports and activities, but for now I'm focusing on mountain biking and backcountry skiing (depending on the season). Of course I love camping (I suppose that goes without saying around here) and hiking/backpacking and just generally exploring.

First rig was a 1984 VW Vanagon Westfalia Wolfsburg Edition. That was a great rig, probably my favorite and i'm definitely a bit sad that i sold it. I put a 2.5L Subaru engine in it and did several other upgrades and fixes and it was a pretty dang good traveling rig. Did several trips in it with my wife and enjoyed it very much. Alas it was only 2WD (usually one-wheel-drive in critical moments!) and had a few other issues that were enough to make me want to try something else... maybe a mistake.

Second try was a 1992 Ford E-350 extended van with a 4x4 conversion and lift as well as a large fiberglass top that gave it 6'3" of interior height at all times. Built a rough prototype camping setup in this and used it a little but it just wasn't right for us. Ten MPG was hard to swallow, and it was just a monstrous thing that didn't suit the "attitude" my wife and I are seeking for our road trip rig. So i sent it on down the road.

Just getting the third rig going. We've had to shift our financial priorities a bit and have had to abandon (for now) the idea of a full-support rig. By that i mean one with onboard stove, sink, fridge, cabinets etc. like the Westy had and was the plan for the Ford had it come to fruition. We're keeping it cheap and simple now and will cook outdoors and carry a cooler. I picked up an old AWD Chevy Astro from a friend of a friend for $500. It hasn't been used for several years so i've got to get it up and running and then it will be our trip/beater rig. It will be smaller and more efficient than the Ford and will have the AWD, cruise control and A/C that the westy was missing. Though it has significantly less interior space than the westy, it will have to do. I'm going to put a folding bed and some storage in it and a good bike rack on the back and ski/rocketbox on top. If i like the rig and find that i want more rough-road / off-road capability then i will consider a lift kit and larger tires.

I'm interested in this site primarily to learn about routes and areas that i may not have known about otherwise. I haven't done any off-roading just for the sake of it, but it's fun if there's somewhere i want to get to and it gets a little rough in between here and there. I'm more interested in rough roads that add a little something to the drive and help keep the crowds out on the way to a beautiful and remote destination. The ease with which dual sport motorcycles can get you into those places is one of the great things about 2-wheels, but the lack of gear and toys I have when i arrive there is one of the compromises i was tired of.

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[Jerry]

Welcome to the fourm! Check out the archives and you will find some info on Tom's Astro. Hope to see you on some of the runs.