Rubicon Run 2016. August 26-28

[Desert Dog]

The Rubicon Trail is a mandatory pilgrimage that all "TRUE" Jeep and Toy owners must do at least once in their lifetime.

Infectious Off-road is doing our Rubicon trip on August 26-28. We will meet at the trailhead at Loon Lake on Friday August 26th at 8:00 AM, and hit the trail by 9:00. We will wheel back to the springs and camp there till Sunday. We will hit the trail at 9:00 sharp in order to stay on schedule and get a good campsite before the crowds head in. Sorry, no waiting for stragglers.

Of course, you can come up anytime you like and meet us at the springs. GPS coodinates for the entire trail are easily downloadable for free from numerous websites and the trail is well marked. Download GPS info here: http://rubicon-trail.com/Rubicon.Trail. ... oints.html

Becka and I plan to drive to Placerville on Thursday afternoon (whenever I can get out of work) and get a hotel room for the night, then head to the trailhead early on Friday morning. Some folks camp at the trailhead. I will post the name of the hotel we are staying at, just in case others want to stay there too.

Since it is a 6-7 hour drive, its best not to caravan as a big group from Bakersfield. With 30 people needing bathroom breaks and food stops at random times, it might take 10 hours to get there. People also drive at different speeds; some like to do 90mph and some want to do the speed limit (some rigs can barely do the speed limit, lol). Experience has proven that attempting a big caravan with a drive this long is an exercise in frustration.

We will be running back out the way we came from the springs, so Buggies and green sticker vehicles can wheel right back to their tow rigs. We usually park the tow rigs at the Loon spillway.

Please, make sure that your vehicle is 100% running good and capable of making the trip. Make sure you have an ample supply of spare parts and fluids. We ask that all rigs on this run have at least 35" tires, a locker, and upgraded or spare axle shafts. Dana 35s are highly discouraged and are the #1 cause of vehicles being abandoned on this trail. If you have a D35 rear, I recommend against going. You will be climbing over rocks 30" high and traversing through water that might be several feet deep. Full sized trucks/SUVs are also discouraged as the trail is narrow in spots. Spare gas is also a great idea.

AGAIN.....If your rig is not running 100% and your axle/driveline situation is not up to snuff, there is a good chance you WILL break and your rig will sit abandoned on the trail until it can be repaired and driven out. There are NO TOWS out of the Rubicon if you break down - you must hope that someone else has a spare seat for you to ride out the weekend. This is not an easy trail and it is very long and remote. Please be considerate to others and wait to do this run if your vehicle is not ready. Every 4x4 will eventually break on the trail, but please be prepared for it and don't set yourself up for failure.

The campground at the springs has pit toilets, but no other facilities. You must have a fire permit to have a fire or cook your food on a camp stove. The good camping spots for groups fill up very fast, so it is important that the folks running in with me on Friday morning keep a good pace. Bring your fishing rod and fishing licence if you want to fish. You can get a fire permit online for FREE here:
http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/

The Rubicon Trail is a county road that is monitored by several LE agencies (yes they have built 4x4s and will pull you over). Make sure you have current registration or greensticker, seatbelts, no open containers, and proper car seats for the kids - or you will get a ticket. I got pulled over by a deputy and issued a ticket for a cracked windshield on my Jeep.

The mosquitos are usually bad on the Rubicon because of all of the nearby water. They laugh at most repellent, and really only seem effected by 100% DEET. They really gets riled up when we cross through water.

When you pack your rig, try to keep the weight as low as possible. The trail gets very off-camber in many spots. I have seen numerous vehicles with loaded roof racks roll/flop on the trail. Try to keep your overall vehicle weight as light as you practically can.

Be mindful that it rains a great deal in the summer in this area. Half of my Rubicon trips had at least one day of rain. Be prepared for this. 6 years ago we had a member that was hospitalized due to extreme hypothermia on a rainy solo Rubicon trip when his sleeping gear/tent/cloths got soaked in his open Jeep. His tent had no rain fly, Jeep no top, no waterproof jacket, too wet to start a fire, and a waterlogged sleeping bag. He curled up under his Jeep with a bottle of Jack and a trash bag over him, and waited out the night before wheeling into Tahoe shivering uncontrollably.

On Saturday, some of the street legal rigs might run up Cadillac Hill, out of the end of the trail, and visit Lake Tahoe for a few hours, then run back to camp. But then again, we might not be motivated to do that, lol.

[Repsolaaron]

Can't wait. I'm thinking were going up Thursday too.

Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk

[Desert Dog]

[quote="Repsolaaron"]Can't wait. I'm thinking were going up Thursday too.

Sent from my SM-S975L using Tapatalk[/quote]
Yea, Victor want to roll with us Thursday Too. I am going to try to leave by 11:00am.

[Zak.Taylor]

So what do you guys say about me running it in my stock Yamaha Rhino 660 on 28's??

I want to take the JKUR, but the wife (Katie) won't let me put a 3.5" kit and 35's on it because "then it won't drive like a stock Jeep, and then you have to pay for it."

So, what say ya'll? Most of you know me and know my driving. I have a little winch on the Rhino, but currently no stock axles to take as replacements. I do have a spare tire.

[Desert Dog]

You will definitely need good skids and sliders. Spare shafts and tire are mandatory for SxSs on that trail. Also, there is one water crossing that is usually several feet deep, but I have seen RZRs go trough it before. Most SxSs need spare gas too.

Some Rhino action on the trail:

[attachment=2]rhino con.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=1]rhino con2.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=0]rhino con 3.jpg[/attachment]

[Zak.Taylor]

I put a set of 28x10R14 ITP Bajacross tires on it today. I took it out wheeling and definitely think I can go places with it that I wouldn't want to go in the JKUR (stock). I will be ordering some spare axles and I have a couple spare tires (sizes don't match but if I don't lock the front, I should be able to limp it out. Also have a plug kit, which I've used a few times already with the old tires (translucent sidewalls...lol)

Also, Katie may take a day off work and go also. If so, can we drag the JKUR through there without doing body damage? I don't care about the undercarriage much but don't want gouges in the doors.

I'm not concerned about hitting all the hard obstacles, just want to run the trail and make it home in one piece. Bypasses for the hard stuff?


Maybe I'll just borrow my neighbor's Jettamino....

[Desert Dog]

[quote="Zak.Taylor"]can we drag the JKUR through there without doing body damage? I don't care about the undercarriage much but don't want gouges in the doors.

I'm not concerned about hitting all the hard obstacles, just want to run the trail and make it home in one piece. Bypasses for the hard stuff?[/quote]

Unless you put it on 35s, upgraded (or spare) axles, skids, and good sliders, I wouldn't take it. At stock height, you will be on the rocker panels and undercarriage all day.

The only optional obstacles that can be bypassed on the con are soup bowl and old/true sluice. You have to go through everything else (which is 99% of the trail). We have watched several stock 4-door JK Rubicons get bad body damage in old sluice. This trail doesn't require an extreme rig to make it though, but will be very challenging on 35s with a locker. Anything less than that, and you will risk a major breakdown at worst, or hold the group up for hours at best.

If you got a cheap 2.5" budget boost for that JKUR and added 35s, it will make a world of difference off-road and keep its street manners like a stock jeep. With this done, and some spare shafts, I would definitely take it.

[Zak.Taylor]

I just received my order of a 2.5" Rough Country kit, 35" Kanati Trail Hogs, (stock rims) and a winch bumper for the front and 12k Shittybilt winch. It will all go on next week.

Tell me about spare shafts....were looking at $1000 for a set and that's pricey insurance for something that I'm hoping won't break. How mandatory are those if I don't get crazy and winch if I need to? I've got nothing to prove....but a grand for 4 parts I'm hoping to never use on a rig that will certainly never see a tougher run than this is a hard sell, not to mention....where the heck do I carry them??

For the rhino.... I got a set of 28" ITP bajacross, a spare belt, it has a winch, and I have 2 spares and a plug kit.....thoughts??

[Desert Dog]

[quote="Zak.Taylor"]I just received my order of a 2.5" Rough Country kit, 35" Kanati Trail Hogs, (stock rims) and a winch bumper for the front and 12k Shittybilt winch. It will all go on next week.

Tell me about spare shafts....were looking at $1000 for a set and that's pricey insurance for something that I'm hoping won't break. How mandatory are those if I don't get crazy and winch if I need to? I've got nothing to prove....but a grand for 4 parts I'm hoping to never use on a rig that will certainly never see a tougher run than this is a hard sell, not to mention....where the heck do I carry them??
[/quote]

We can get you off the trail (lots of winching) in 3-wheel drive if you break a front shaft. I would at least invest in spare u-joint for the front, so there would be a 50/50 chance of fixing:

http://www.4wheelparts.com/Drivetrain-D ... 2FS5-7166X

Although they don't break as often as fronts (unless you have a D35), the rear shafts are the big problem if they break and can strand you on the trail. Having Chromoly shafts back there is a huge insurance policy, especially on the heavy unlimited. Brad and I both broke stock rear shafts in our JKs when we had D44s. Fortunately, the rears are way cheaper than the fronts. Install your chromoly shafts and keep the stocks as spares.

Now that you have 35s, a little lift, and a winch, I think you will be good to go.