Epic Jeep road trip

[Cali_Army_Guy]

Little back story. As some may or may not know my sister is stationed in Washington state on a carrier in the Navy. For the last 5 moths, and for the next 19 months, the wife and I will be watching my nephew until she's back. Well next week she deploys for 9 months.

So this weekend my sister is flying me, my wife, and her son (2 years old) up to Washington for the 3 day holiday weekend so she can see her son one last time before she deploys. And because my sister doesn't want to leave her car unattended for almost a year the wifey and I and my 2 year old nephew will be driving it back 800 miles from Bremerton, WA to Stockton, CA. Doesn't seem so bad right? Well here's the car we're driving back.

Lifted Jeep Wrangler

It has a bunch of cool upgrades. Mild lift, 33" tires, $1000+ roof rack, $1500 Warn winch, Smittybilt front bumper/stinger, rock sliders. Aside from the garbage gas mileage, and what I'm predicting will be a harsh ride, I'm super stoked. Also going to stop and see an old friend in Oregon on the way back home. I love road trips and I'm definitely looking forward to this. We'll try and take a bunch of pictures along the way for those who care. When we get to WA we're going to buy and install a hi lift jack just in case we need to change a tire on the return trip. Once we get home I'm going to instal a 50" light bar on the front of the rack. Can't wait!

Future plans will include tube fenders, synthetic winch cable, roll cage upgrade, and 35" tires. Should be a fun ride for the upcoming California summer. If anyone else has a Jeep, or other 4x4, hit me up. I'll be making a few trips out to Posmo and Hollister Hills this summer.
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2015 VW Passat Wolfsburg Edition
1966 VW Beetle - Sold

[TDCTDI]

Sounds like fun (for the first 150 miles.) Why would you invest $ in a vehicle that wasn't yours? Or subject it to offroad abuse? For the kind of money that you are looking to put into it, you could put into a bug which would be just as capable offroad & you wouldn't be tearing up someone else's vehicle.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


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Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[Enkiel]

nice looking jeep...

if wife agrees, its definately my next daily driver.
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1964 Turkis Flipseat

[cbeck]

It's a jeep thing. If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand

[JBall8019]

I am sure your sis is proud of her rack! I hope you enjoy the trip and your sis has a trouble free deployment.
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John

[vwjetboat]

[Luft kühl]

[vwjetboat]

[my59]

My uncles were all military, and my dad international business, so there was a fair amount of leaving cars with family 'for the duration'. You expected to get it back with normal wear and tear and in the shape you left it. None of the kids were old enough to drive, and it was a time period where most folks only had one car, so it worked out well.

I have to admire you for taking on her child for so long.

Add toys to the jeep? Are you nuts? The boy is gonna need the toys!
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my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget.

[Cali_Army_Guy]

[Cali_Army_Guy]

So my sister picked us up from the airport Saturday morning. Get in her Jeep and notice this sticker. Shit just got real.

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2015 VW Passat Wolfsburg Edition
1966 VW Beetle - Sold

[67rustavenger]

Hey CAG, There's a real great car show coming up this weekend in Woodburn, Or.
NW Bug Run on June 3rd. If you are going to take the week to get back home. It would be great to see ya at the show for some good swap meet hunting and drag races. This year it's supposed to be in the 70's rather than the 100's like last year.

I hope your sister has a good deployment.
I have a daughter in the Air Force. I worry about her welfare all the time. She's about to end her Alaska deployment and move onto???

Have a safe trip home.
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I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!

There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!

[Cali_Army_Guy]

Thanks for the info, but sadly we'll be back in Cali tomorrow evening. Here's a couple pics of us heading in to Oregon from Washington. Had to wait at the draw bridge at the Columbia river. We're staying at a friend's house in Springfield then tomorrow we're going to take 97 and check out crater lake and Klamath Falls before heading back in to Cali.

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2015 VW Passat Wolfsburg Edition
1966 VW Beetle - Sold

[iowegian]

[Cali_Army_Guy]

Well we made it back to California. Logged just shy of 800 miles. Was like 795 I think. What an experience. We left Monday morning from Bremerton, WA and headed to Springfield, OR to see one of my wife's friends she hasn't seen in a few years. Hung out and BBQ'd and drank beer. Tuesday morning (today) we woke up, ate some breakfast, and hit the road. We ending up taking Hwy 97 out of Oregon all the way back in to CA. What an amazing drive that is. Mostly two lane highway through a bunch of cool little towns. Here's a few pictures from the drive home.

And I found out the Jeep has lockers. Win!!

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2015 VW Passat Wolfsburg Edition
1966 VW Beetle - Sold

[BG Brian]

They spent something like 200million a few years back planning to replace that drawbridge.It all went for engineering and consultants and consulting with engineers or whatever.The coast guard said the new bridge needed to be certain height and the plan they came up with wasn't so they just threw in the towel.Never put a shovel in the ground.