Minnesota - Page 51

gcextreme · #**751** 08-19-2012, 05:53 AM

Glad you had a good safe trip man.
Its no surprise to me the ranger did so well, lol your ranger is solid and dependable.

Can't wait for pics

MeanMark87 · #**752** 08-19-2012, 07:25 AM

My wife and I decided on this trip about 6 months ago when tickets went on sale for Iron Maiden's US tour. We wanted to pick a destination to go see them, somewhere out west, because that's where I usually spend my vacations. So we settled on Denver. While in the area I made my second trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Our route took us from the Minneapolis area through South Dakota, straight down through Wyoming, into Denver, then back up to RMNP and home via Devil's Tower in Wyoming (I think this makes about my 6th trip to the tower...) and South Dakota's highway 14. All in all it was 2,138 miles of driving, and we had a great time. Except for our first night, and 2 nights in Denver in a hotel, we stayed in the back of the Ranger. I already posted this before, but here's a short video I made detailing the twin-size bed platform I built into the back of my truck, just for this trip.

The truck itself is a 1988 Ranger XLT, extended cab, 2WD manual trans with a 2.3. That engine had to work SO hard to make it up those mountain roads at high elevations, pulling a truck loaded with gear and 2 people. I felt bad for the old thing, but it made it through. And the most shocking part was even on the hardest stretches of the trip, the mileage never got below 26.3. In fact on the stretch from Devil's Tower to Pierre, SD I managed to get 30.0 mpg. The only mechanical problem was a cracked off exhaust pipe downstream of the muffler, which I had to jury rig in a parking lot in Rapid City. I have a pic below.

Enjoy guys!

Odometer rolling over to all zeroes 200 miles into the trip.

First night camping Rapid City, SD

Our home for a week

Exhaust pipe problem

Don't wanna see this when you're on vacation....me dicking around with the muffler

Trip fuel in Wyoming

Dinner in Denver

Picking up some records in Denver

Up the irons for Maiden

One of the best ones I got

Maiden was EN FUEGO!

Piloting the truck through the Peak to Peak Byway

Pretty

Stopping along the Peak to Peak byway

Approaching Rocky Mountain NP

Getting camp set up - Rocky Mountain NP

Man + Machine at Moraine Park Campground in RMNP

Ranger meets the Rockies

Herd of elk we saw while hiking (notice the huge rack on that bull!)

Another shot of the elk

hiking RMNP

More hiking

Me on the Big Thompson river

Fern Falls

Fern Falls + me

After a long day of hiking....about 10 miles

Ranger gets dolled up and goes into town - Estes Park, CO

Misty mountains - RMNP

Ranger negotiating the Big Thompson canyon

You can't resist when you pass this sign

Devil's Tower

view from the tower

Sun setting on the tower

Me and the tower

I couldn't resist writing this...chalkboard at the Devil's Tower bathroom

Prairie dogs

Camping at Devil's Tower

Camping at the SD state fairgrounds - Huron, SD

That's it for now....I have so many more pics but I didn't want this to turn into any more of an enormous post than it already was. The verdict: Ford makes one hell of a truck.

TerrenceStuart · #**753** 08-19-2012, 07:32 AM

venting! I'm so jealous of guy's who are fatter, uglier than me, but they still have the confidence to ask women out (who are really sexy) and they end up dating or married.
I wish I didn't get so nervous that I get sick (almost) just wanting to say "hello" to a woman. I'm almost 45! This is something a 13 year should be experiencing.
I challenge anyone in the world who is not practicing abstinence, to tell me that they have gone over 22 years without sex. (ok, everyone can now laugh and make jokes)

Minnesota2001Ranger · #**754** 08-19-2012, 09:03 AM

That bed is legit!!!!! So cool!!!! Glad you had a fun trip!!! And machine, its OK!!!! I'm sure you'll find the right girl, trust me!! 22 years, whatever, the girl you find I'm sure will be fine with that!!! I know she will!!! Just be yourself and go with the flow!!

Minnesota2001Ranger · #**755** 08-19-2012, 07:44 PM

First time off road with the new tires and rims!!

ForumRunner_20120819_214345.jpg

gcextreme · #**756** 08-19-2012, 07:55 PM

Charlie and I had a quick meet... lol.
I had to snap a couple quick shots with my phone..

We talked ranger stuff, got measurements for his light bar i am making, ate some pizza, and had a good time...short but sweet..

05 Ranger Danger · #**757** 08-20-2012, 01:28 PM

Glenn you really need to Bedline all that gray trim

gcextreme · #**758** 08-20-2012, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 05 Ranger Danger

Glenn you really need to Bedline all that gray trim

No im eventually going to get wider black bushwacker fender flares.
If I do anything with these I will paint them gloss black.

gcextreme · #**759** 08-20-2012, 08:15 PM

Charlie, did you stop by Spider Lake at all???

Minnesota2001Ranger · #**760** 08-20-2012, 08:34 PM

Naw I didn't, it was too far out of the way for me. I hopefully will hit it up the next time I head home!!

gcextreme · #**761** 08-20-2012, 08:43 PM

Ok cool.

I made 4 spacers 1/2 thick, hope they will work for spacing the lights up.
I also started getting some scrap pieces for making the mounts. Hopefully end of next week I will have all the pieces I need and have them machined/cut and ready to weld.

Minnesota2001Ranger · #**762** 08-20-2012, 09:59 PM

OK perfect!!! I can't wait to see the finished product!!! Thanks Glenn!! You'll have to keep the dimensions for this bar and see if you can sell more here on FRF!! Or the bar can just be one of a kind haha

TerrenceStuart · #**763** 08-21-2012, 02:11 AM

charlie, when the lightbar is done, are you going to remove the lights from behind the grille?

Minnesota2001Ranger · #**764** 08-21-2012, 04:33 AM

Yea but those two are going on the bar

TerrenceStuart · #**765** 08-21-2012, 05:58 AM

glad your removing the lights from behind the grille! I hate it when people have the lights behind the grille and also on a bar, right in front of the grille. it looks silly and crowded.