Jared & Ross & Randy & Doug's Excellent Adventure

Quote from Ruptured Duck

wow ... That was a harsh old guy jab...@FunCycle I'm sure he wasn't referenceing your older age there and things that start to go with it.

But I do get to ride every day with no excuses. Almost 13 years retired and enjoying every minute

Quote from FunCycle

But I do get to ride every day with no excuses.

Yes but we are beginning to understand why the rides are so long.....

Quote from MACAWS

How soon we forget!

The only work I do on a regular basis is cut grass and a little weed eating. I do not count oil changes or working on the Slingshot as WORK. Finally got rid of the river lot so now I do not have to keep that place up.

Step one in swamping this pig out.

Seats gone.

And the filth underneath is insane.....

So I'm done for the night.

This is the second "lessons learned" post in what I think will be a series of three, after my cross-country trip these past two weeks. This is written from my experience and is just an opinion, so if you disagree with me, have at it. I've already written a little bit about this and some other post in this thread, but I've managed to get all my thoughts in one place, so I wanted to share it again.

This post is about TOOLS. I've gotten a lot of questions, so I'll try to address the high points, and leave it open for discussion

1. I tend to try to be very self-sufficient, but on a trip like this with the limited space you have, it is pretty much impossible to carry it all. Obviously, everybody should have their own basic set of tools, such as a socket set and Torx wrenches. However, when it comes to do the larger things, like maybe an onboard air compressor, or a foldable tire iron, it's good to coordinate those among the members of your group so that you don't have to carry a bunch of extra weight. We did this amongst the three of us, kind of by accident, but it was a good thing we did.

2. Spare tire. I've addressed this several times, it seems to be quite common. I brought a folding lug wrench to be able to tighten lug nuts if they came loose on the highway, which has happened to me before. I brought a slime kit with the bottle of slime and the small compressor to reinflate a tire. However, it's not practical to try to bring a spare tire for the slingshot, and the number of times I have heard it needed from someone on a long trip is nearly zilch. If you are dragging a trailer, and have the room, then maybe, but if you are dragging a trailer, I would be more worried about a spare for the trailer.

3. Tool storage. This is again entirely up to you, but I found a waterproof box by MTM, and put the smaller stuff in there. I deliberately set it up so that all my tools fit in the compartment behind my seat. That was pretty much the only place for tools and fluids.

4. Tool list. Here's what I brought with me, as best I can remember. Two different Torx sets, one of which was a folding handset, and the other was small bits that go into a ratchet. A compact socket set, a small adjustable wrench, a larger set of vice grips, a medium size needle-nose pliers, a medium-sized set of wire snips, a container of zip ties, a folding four-way lug wrench, a quart of oil, a bottle of Dot 4 brake fluid, half a bottle of Dexos engine coolant, some Lucas products for the gas tank, multiple coarse and fine (chamois) rags, duct tape, disposable nitrile gloves, an extendable magnet wand to pick up dropped objects, road flares, Slime kit with bottle of green slime and 12V compressor, first aid kit, couple of different flashlights, spare LED headlights, Allen wrenches, spare fuses of all sizes, and jumper cables.

5. Things I wished I had. WD-40, a flat head and a Phillips screwdriver or at least a bit to go in the ratchet, some 91% rubbing alcohol, waterless hand cleaner...and not really much else I can think of. My travel partners had similarly full gear lists, and we covered just about everything. One other thing that would have been nice if I had the room, but it's not really a tool, is some of the cleaning products that we used throughout the trip to keep the Slings from being too disgusting. Because I was carrying tools, and a lot of stuff for the gathering in Sundre, I didn't have the room for cleaning material, so I relied on the guys I was traveling with, and used a lot of their products.

So that's it for now, happy to discuss further if anyone has thoughts on the topic.

This is the last "lessons learned" post in the series of three, after my cross-country trip these past two weeks. As before, this is written from my experience and is just an opinion, so if you disagree with me, have at it.

This post is about things I sceewed up, or got lucky on. The bottom line is, whether it was luck or planning, I had very few things truly go sideways on me, or on us. I give a lot of credit to my traveling partners, because together the three of us thought of things that anyone of us didn't.

1. Coffee mug. Most people recommended an insulated mug, and I have one. I personally feel that brand is largely unimportant, but what is not an important is to have some kind of cover on your drinking hole. I did not. That liquid and around the mouthpiece covered up with bugs and grime so quickly, I might as well have rolled it in the sandbox. Next time I will have a sliding lid that covers up the drinking hole.

2. Batteries. Specifically, for the video camera I was trying out. I didn't check the batteries ahead of time, and by the time I got on the road and realize they wouldn't hold a charge, it was too late. Not a common battery, needed 5 days to get it from Amazon. Oh, well. A minor disappointment for some, could have been a major disappointment for others. Lesson learned, check your tech before you go.

3. A cooler of some kind. I use a heavy backpack, one of my favorites, and I just froze all my liquids ahead of time. Didn't work too badly, but there were definitely days that my liquids were warmer sooner that I would have liked. Not necessarily a huge issue, if you don't mind bumming ice out of all of the gas stations you pass. Definitely an inconvenience, though. Maybe next time I'll carry a small collapsible cooler, just to try a little better.

4. Layers. Specifically, windproof ones. This is one I got lucky on, because I have always dress in layers. I didn't realize just how cool it would be a couple of the mornings, up in the thin and dry air. I had enough clothes, but just barely. Next time, maybe one more later. Lesson for me, pay attention to the weather in the place of you are going, and then add a layer.

5. Tires. I have a Kenda 305 and a Nitto 315 that I swap between, and try to equalize time on. I previously decided to drive the Nitto. Definitely the right call. Not *once* did it slip or spin in the rain or wet roads. (I won't say I didn't deliberately spin it that one time on purpose...) It was the right call for me. I know it's not the best tire, but it was great for me. ALSO, I considered doing a laser alignment on the front end before I went. The front tracks fine, but both tires are toed in slightly. I didn't do the alignment. I should have. The outer 1/3 of the front wheels are past the wear bars, while the inside portions....aren't. Oh well, time for new tires.

So that's it for now. Like I said, pretty minor in the grand scheme of things, and I give a lot of credit to the help I got from my traveling partners and the folks on the forum. Open for discussion.

I believe every Slingshot should have a laser alignment... better handling and tire ware.

Thanks for your reports...

Quote from Ross

but still rollin with a flip phone?

It was not long ago Ross that Mitch was using a flip GPS. He finally gave in and upgraded to a modern Garmin GPS. Mitch now has a modern Garmin VIRB video camera and GPS. I think the phone upgrade is next. Wait until he finds out that he could operate his VIRB Video camera with a new I-Phone.

Quote from av8ingtom

I think the phone upgrade is next. Wait until he finds out that he could operate his VIRB Video camera with a new I-Phone.

Not a chance pal - nest you will be wanting me to get a top

Looks like this trip could be its own calendar!

Quote from Ross

Flip GPS ... that's a sextant right - you know @MACAWS, he's all about that bleeding edge technology from the 1800's

Someone has to carry on traditions!
One of these days that fancy new technology is gonna bite you guys in the butt