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CAMPING ABOVE TEN THOUSAND FEET ?


mountainborn

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Hey you guys ! It is different alright. For example water will boil at a much lower temperature, down around 165* instead of the usual 212* or so that we are used to. Baking is really different. Some ingredient changes are in order for higher elevations.

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I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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Thanks tstorm5 ! up in the clear, cool, dry air at elevation, it seems that sounds just carry for ever. When the Elk are bugling it sounds totally wonderful !

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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I remember as a young child living in California and camping in Yosimitie and Sequoia National Parks.  My mother put a pot of Pinto beans on to boil in the morning and that evening, they were still hard.  We had to buy a pressure cooker to boil things.

 

Great article

 

coy

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  • 2 weeks later...

Larry,

 

Appreciate the discussion about high altitude camping.

 

Concerned about the effects of Hypoxia while flying aircraft without pressurization or Oxygen. Always trying to reduce the effects, especially since we're not getting any younger!  Good article!!!!!!

Bill #75 LE2

 

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Hi Buzzy ! No black flies at that elevation.

Bears Yes. Bear frequency of appearance depends on how tidy the campers in the campground are. Many campgrounds up in the front range of the Rocky Mountains have a bear proof box at each campsite. If not, hanging is a necessity. A bean flip and a marble usually ran them off. The locals told me that Arkie's are crazy they go Bear hunting with a bean flip.

In this campground there was a spring up a little higher above it so a water filter worked well. Nearly all of the streams are snow melt run off fed, Trout streams, providing a great source of water to filter.

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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A quick note about early season Black Bears, they are very hungry and are foraging hard. Never get in between a Momma Bear and her Cubs. As soon as the Choke Cherries ripen they will abandon all other food sources unless campers are careless.

Most Bear problems are actually Untidy camper problems. The Bears usually hibernate up high and pass through campgrounds while foraging their way down the streams to lower elevations.

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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Can you tell us more about your Wrangler? I am afraid to ask about the fuel economy with all that bulky gear on the roof. Though after having owned a lifted Land Cruiser 80 for many years, anything in the double digits is fine.

 

Is the power OK at 12K feet (Loveland Pass)? Have you thought about adding a supercharger like the Edelbrock kit?

 

How often do you have to drop to Low Range for bumpy, loose forest road grades, and has your Ollie ever been a major problem? Have you ever wished you had a Rubicon for the much lower gearing and electric lockers?

 

Are you happy with the relatively short wheelbase, and have you ever had any towing scares?

 

You are way over max  ratings for the Wrangler, but you haven't expressed any worries about it that I have seen, so your formula seems to be working for you. I would like to get more info and feedback about hauling these trailers in (way) less than ideal conditions, so please tell us about your Jeep and the gear up top... You can start a new thread if you like.

 

Thanks very much.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Hi John ! When we decided to get our Ollie we wanted to pull it with a Jeep so we could explore old Spanish Mines, ghost towns and drive Jeep trails such as Engineer Pass and Cinnamon Pass. The way we did it was to drop the Ollie at a primitive boondocking campsite well above 10k feet to start our day of Jeeping.

We had a 2005 Wrangler 2door and we bought a 2008 Wrangler 4door to pull the Ollie with and put an expedition roof rack and a spare tire mounted trail rack on it to carry stuff expedition style.

The 2008 Wrangler had Jeep's first v6 and was a little short on horsepower but we never were below third gear on the steep and crooked, million dollar highway. The engine was an EFI engine and ran well at all elevations. The only time we used low range was during the more extreme Jeep trails. The 4door usually caused us to make a four point turn instead of a three point turn on those trails.

As you have figured, weight was a constant concern and we packed very carefully keeping our center of gravity low. All of that stuff up on top was placed to keep well balanced fore and aft.

Fore and aft balance on the Ollie was equally important. We did not use a weight distribution hitch or a sway bar.

The climb up to the campground in the photos was three thousand feet up in a five mile stretch of road to get to the 10,800 high campsite. That climb was at 25 to 45 MPH which was the posted speeds.

Tow rating and warranty caused us to go with the automatic transmission and factory towing package, supplemented with on board air compressor and air bags on the rear axle.

That large aluminum box on the tongue held a Yamaha 3000 EFI generator. Extra generator gas and chainsaw gas was carried on the trail rack above the spare tire.

We were in new territory and learning as we went, yet it worked well for us. A good friend tried a similar set up and found that it just wasn't for his style of camping and towing.

For one trip West we even carried a three wheeled bicycle up on the expedition rack. The bicycle was more trouble than it was worth.

To us the trade off in performance for capability once up high in the Rocky Mountains was worth it.

Fuel economy was 14 mpg on the plains but a head wind could cut that back to 10 mpg real quick. Once we had established a base camp our mileage returned as the Jeep was un laden.

We traveled expedition style because we were staying off the grid above 10k elevation for over 110 days each year.

Our current Jeep is a 2012 Wrangler with a v6 that has about 85 more horse power.

We have thought about a turbo charger set up but have never gotten too serious about it.

The Rubicon's manual transmission reduces it's tow rating and we have never used locking differentials though there have been times they sure would have been nice !

We have never had a towing scare, probably because we drive like we are in a short wheel base 4X4 and usually in twisty mountain roads. Those times we travel interstate highways at those speeds we are not loaded expedition style. For example when loaded for a Summer's expedition to the Rocky Mountains we would drive secondary roads at those speeds, not the interstate highways.

Sorry for the long winded answer ! Feel free to call me at 479.243.5450 and we can cover a lot more ground quicker if you would like to.

harm

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

We just got back from camping at about 10,000' at the Bristlecone pine forest in the Eastern Sierra.  Oldest known living things at up to about 5,000 years old.  Amazing.

 

Campfire in the evening, hiking and sightseeing during the day.  Beautiful scenery.

 

I love the high country too.  By the end of October a lot of these places will be closing for the winter, and already, the "snow not removed beyond this point" signs are showing up.

 

I won't retire until next summer, but after that, lookout.  Ollie is ready to go and we'll finally be able to wander and stay as long as we want.  Hope to see you out there.

 

 

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John


"I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt."


LE2 #92 (sold),   Black Series HQ19   

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