By Javier Velador (Jvelador) on Monday, September 10, 2001 - 11:44 pm: Edit

Does anyone want to caravan to Truck Haven early Saturday morning, 10/13?

We could meet somewhere in LA or where it is most convenient for all.

So far, maybe Jose Cabrera will join me.

Javier

By badams on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - 07:27 am: Edit

I am in Orange County, CA but I would love to Caravan with you guys. I believe I live close to Jose. Let me know when/where

Badams@kore.com

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - 09:41 am: Edit

hmmm, if you guys can't make it there friday night, then you'd be missing out on the food...

can't you guys make it by friday night?

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - 01:41 pm: Edit

Ho,

I got the ignition squared on the Series. Wow! It's a huge improvement over points. I'm still getting a run on after I turn it off which I think is coke build up.

Unless something happens, I'm ready to caravan out Friday if you guys are willing to drive 55MPH...

Jeff

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - 05:30 pm: Edit

Hey Guys,
I might be taking that Friday afternoon off; I'll in Calabasas and ready to go. Contact me by e-mail to set up a caravan.
PS: Where is Truck Haven?

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - 05:36 pm: Edit

Someone said it is about 180 miles EAST of Los Angeles. We can set up meeting places all along I10.

By Mike J. (Mudd) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 04:39 am: Edit

I'm in! but probly Friday evening! I'll be coming from Sann Diego. So... Whatever, wherever, whenever. Rollin rover, out. Mike

By John Lee on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 05:23 am: Edit

OK, I'm calmed down enough to type again. I was so fucking pissed off yesterday I couldn't even think straight. The assholes who did this must be brought to justice. I completely support the President in whatever he has to do to give these people their just desserts. If that includes invasion and destruction of another country, be it Iraq or Afghanistan or whatever, I will wholeheartedly support the President.

For Truckhaven, I'm planning on leaving for Truckhaven early Friday afternoon, probably about 1:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. I would like to caravan with as many people as possible, if people can leave work that early.

Jeff, don't worry about the 55 mph. If you can leave work on Friday that early, I'd be happy to caravan with you.

By Mike J. (Mudd) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 05:50 am: Edit

I wanna go with the 75mph crew.

By Brian on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 06:23 am: Edit

I'll be leaving the LA area mid afternoon. Not sure if I can swing 1PM but if you guys are going 55mph i'll prb catch up.

"If caravan 1 is traveling SE at an average of 55 mph and leaves downtown LA at 1PM, how long will it take caravan 2 to catch up to caravan 1 if caravan 2 is traveling SE at an average of 80 mph and leaves northridge at 3PM? Disreagard friday traffic and unforseen Series malfunction."

Brian

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 07:08 am: Edit

Ok. No math jokes!

Any faster then 55MPH, and things will start falling off my truck!

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 07:57 am: Edit

Part two of word problem:

"If Phx caravan leaves Phx at 6:00pm Thursday afternoon and travels west/southwest at 75mph, how many apples does Sally have left in her bucket?"

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 09:23 am: Edit

I like spaghetti.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 09:35 am: Edit

I might be able to go with the 55-MPH group. I'll know more when closer to that date. Does anyone know where I can locally buy 9x18 (9mm Makarov) rounds?... please send me an e-mail on the Makarov issue thecabreras at msn dot com

By Jay Allen on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 09:36 am: Edit

Hey Ho dude- How many bbq's are you going to bring? I would like to cook some Filipino style bbq on Fri night, but have no way to grill it.

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 09:47 am: Edit

I have a little Smokey Joe that I can bring...along with my bucket of spaghetti

By Kristian on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 09:49 am: Edit

Anyone leaving from the Bay Area? Scott Hayes and I may be departing Friday morning.
RH- I'm assuming you will be "busy." hehe

By Brian on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 09:59 am: Edit

Yo Kristian, when are you guys planning on leaving the bay? depending on your arrival into LA, I might be able to meetup with you guys on the freeway.

Brian

By John Lee on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 11:19 am: Edit

I'm glad that everybody is pumped up for Truckhaven, but perhaps we should sit tight for a while on the Truckhaven thing. Depending on how things pan out in the next few weeks, I'm not sure if Truckhaven should happen. The last thing I want to do is party in the desert while our servicemen fight or while families are grieving those lost in yesterday's heinous attacks. It's neither in good taste nor appropriate.

Also, I've been having second thoughts about the appropriateness of our shooting plans for Truckhaven. Right now things aren't too bad, but many local Muslims have already been beaten and such. If things get ugly domestically, I'm not sure a shooting fest in the desert will be appropriate either. While Truckhaven is a free fire zone, gunfire is still gunfire and people are really sensitive to such things right now. Also, I don't want to be shooting if people are getting beat up as we could just be adding fuel to the fire.

I don't want to rain on your parade, but a Truckhaven run may just not be appropriate come October. I hate to let these fucking terrorists dictate the way we run our lives, but there are other things to consider that quite frankly are inescapable.

How about everyone leaves his schedule open for the weekend of October 13th and we see how things pan out and then act accordingly?

What do you guys think? Let me know your thoughts.

By badams on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 11:50 am: Edit

We must all recognize the tremendous gravity of the current situation here in the U.S., however, if we let the events of yesterday control our lives then "they" have won.

I think the camaraderie and escape of the truckhaven event would do us all a little good.

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 12:08 pm: Edit

John, I agree with the spirit of your suggestions, but I say we all donate a few pints during the week of Oct 8 and then go practice our marksmanship, field cooking methodologies, and off-highway desert navigation...you never know when these skills will come in handy. If we have troops abroad, then I'll gladly settle for MREs vs. haute cuisine. I'm being serious here.

By Brian on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 02:04 pm: Edit

John I know how you feel. This morning, it took me a little bit to even post on the boards. I felt guilty posting about LRs and our trips...seemed selfish. It still does, but I am not going to let this govern my life. The videos still shock me and it makes me more furious every time I see it, but being with friends allows and outlet. Even sitting down and chatting with you and Han yesterday brought me some easy and comfort that I wouldn't get sitting at home with my wife, call it male bonding. I'll do what I can do from here, donate blood and pray for those that are suffering. If the attack had been on the west cost though...who knows...

As for the gunfire issue. I think it's a non-issue. We'll be WAY out there where we can engage in recreational target shooting legally. Nothing at all to do with what's going on here. Of course if there are terrorist out there...

Brian

still mourning the great loss yesterday,
but still looking forward to seeing you
all at Truckhaven.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 - 05:31 pm: Edit

As badams said,

“We must all recognize the tremendous gravity of the current situation here in the U.S., however, if we let the events of yesterday control our lives then "they" have won.”

I agree. As devastating this is to us (and all the nations), we can not let it stop our lives. We must continue (or at least try to) our lives and show these assholes that this incident can only give more strength to this nation and to watch out because they will be caught and hopefully pay for their act (hopefully fried).

Let’s keep our lives going, let’s keep planning for Truck Haven, let’s keep planning on what we’ll be eating that weekend, and we’ll decide later on the extra activities we can participate on.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I am as pissed off as everyone else, but I cannot let this event keep me and my family in pain. We need to keep surviving!

So, how are we organizing the Iron Chef Challenge?
Are we donating money to cover some of the food expenses?
Are we bringing some of the items to be cook?

By Mike J. (Mudd) on Thursday, September 13, 2001 - 02:26 am: Edit

I'm still going. You guys better be there too. Afganastan will be blown up by then and our troops will be home anyway.

By Roverine on Thursday, September 13, 2001 - 05:09 pm: Edit

I don't know about the above, but ... let's go.

Kim

By hanchung on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 07:15 am: Edit

i think it will be good for all of us to work as hard as we can and do all we can to cope w/ the nation's situation. then taking off for a couple days to relieve stress is a good thing. unless come october shit hits the fan than we should be prepared and perhaps postpone truckhaven. as it stands... i'm looking forward to meeting everyone there. it sucks but currently truckhaven is not on top of my list of priorities.

if everything is well, i'll be leaving friday late afternoon from downtown los angeles. if there will be a convoy then... let me join.

regarding the shoot out... we might not have a problem w/ gun shot noises but w/ the nations state of higher security... one gets pulled over w/ fire arms in the vehicle... dunno what happens then.

han chung

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 07:38 am: Edit

>"one gets pulled over w/ fire arms in the vehicle... dunno what happens then."

Well, unless you're dressed in black & white stripes and have a chain clasped to your ankle leading to a large, round, iron ball you should be OK. The Right to Bear Arms in this Country was still a Right, last time I checked.

In AZ we have something akin to a "get out of jail free" card - the Concealed Weapons Permit. It lets the lawman know that the FBI considers you one of the good guys.

Think about it: pulled over in a Range Rover Discovery () with a friendly, cooperative attitude, expensive, hi-quality firearm(s), and all the ID the policeman could want. It's a little different than gettin chased down in a rustbucket with a bud-light in my lap, no ID, and a Saturday night special with the serial number filed-off stashed under the seat. Know what I mean? It might help to have a picture of Bin Laden in the gun bag with a nicely clustered grouping right in the X-ring...

Roverine, you comin out to Truckhaven? Cool.

By Brian on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 07:53 am: Edit

just be smart about transporting firearms. Keep the firearm in a case UNLOADED and lock it if you can. Store it in the back and don't leave boxes of ammo sitting around on the passenger seat and pick up those loose rounds rolling around on your dashboard. Don't give LEO any excuse to harass you, although it's been known to happen anyway.

Brian

By Roverine on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 08:30 am: Edit

Yes, so far we've been planning on it. Unless my friend comes with GPS, we would like to caravan (i'll admit it, all of my other friends already have GPS, seemed redundant, so we never purchased one.) We're in Orange County.

I remember in the first few weeks of Desert Storm, we hit the Mojavie Desert Heritage Trail, (one leg out of 4) and the desert beauty, diversion, comradery and friendship had a nice "de-stressing" (a kim word) effect.

Kim

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 12:44 pm: Edit

ok then, LET'S DO IT!!

about the bbq'ers... i have 2 and i'll bring them both. those are the little smokey joe.
bill, bring yours if you can. we gonna cook a shitload of beef.

caravan... let's meet somewhere on friday after lunch.

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 12:46 pm: Edit

jeff, 55?
i can live with that.

if the fast lane folks want to just stay on the fast lane, that's cool, let's just work out the meeting time and places when the time comes.

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 02:30 pm: Edit

Yeah. I live in the right hand lane at 55MPH. Even if I do get an overdrive before hand, I will still stay at 55MPH. It will just be a lot less stress on the engine. At 55MPH, the truck could go faster, but it's obviously not happy about it. When new, the little engine only put out 71HP. I'm sure I'm a lot less now. Add 4.7 gears in the rear and a 4 speed and you'll understand what I'm dealing with. Most folks don't seem upset with my speed once they realize I'm not going to speed up just because they tailgate.

Also, due to the open nature of my vehicle and the issues raised above, I'd like to transport my firearms in someones Disco versus my truck. The series is a full time rag top and there is zero covered/lockable storage besides my tool/parts box.

If people are OK with the speed, I'm sure it will be an interesting looking caravan with 40 years of Rover design nose to tail along the 10 freeway.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 05:43 pm: Edit

Jeff, count me in @ 55MPH on Firday. I think I'll be able to leave after lunch (1 'ish)

By Blue Gill (Bluegill) on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 05:46 pm: Edit

sounds like we're going to see some fun Rovers at Truckhaven....I just have to get mine back from 2WD, front-wheel-drive minivan to 4WD Rover...

By hanchung on Saturday, September 15, 2001 - 04:52 am: Edit

any late afternoon takers? i'll be leaving to truckhaven sometime after 5pm from downtown los angeles. 45/55/65/75mph's whatever is fine w/ me.

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Saturday, September 15, 2001 - 05:17 am: Edit

Leave downtown LA at 5PM on a Friday night? That sounds insane. You'll be up to your eyeballs in traffic all the way to the 15.

I think Jose is much closer to the "best" time to leave LA. If we're in/at downtown by 1~2PM, we'll have clear sailing.

I think Truckhaven will be about a 4 ~ 4.5 hour drive at 55MPH. It's about 200 miles give or take. I have about a 120~140 mile range on a tank of gas.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Saturday, September 15, 2001 - 09:37 am: Edit

I think Jeff is right. We can leave around 1-2 pm or very late on Friday 7-8pm to avoid most of the traffic. By the way, yesterday at around 6pm I saw a Series II driving southbound on the 405 just after the 101 intersection. The driver was a male with black beard. The Series had a worn out "Military...something" sign on the driver side. I kept honking but I guess the Series is too loud to hear it. A Discoweb.org visitor?

By han chung on Monday, September 17, 2001 - 02:05 pm: Edit

jeff,
i think it's going to be beyond my eyeballs... but have no choice. gots to get to truckhaven rain or shine. actually last time had to travel east on friday around same time destination big bear took us about 3.5 hours w/ traffic.
see ya'll there. let me know anyone who wants to put up a nice convoy of rovers in LA's peak traffic for show.

han chung

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Monday, September 17, 2001 - 02:45 pm: Edit

Han,I understand. I'm looking forward to seeing you and everyone else out there as folks pour in.

I appreciate people being willing to work with me and the Series. I know it's a limiter compared to what people are used to. I try to make sure I don't have the truck in bumper to bumper traffic. The shifting gets to be a PITA and the heat from the transmission and exhaust right under my feet gets extreme. The truck is well cooled and will run at idle for days on end. It's the driver that gets beat up.

Jeff

By Kristian on Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - 10:09 am: Edit

Brian- I'm not sure what time we'll roll out of here. It's about 5 hours to LA. We'll be coming down I-5, then jumping to I-10 (maybe 210 first?). I'd like to be N/NE LA about noon.

By John Lee on Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - 11:51 am: Edit

Kristian,

Let's try to caravan out to Truckhaven together if it fits your schedule. I'm planning to leave downtown Los Angeles about 1:00 or 2:00 at the latest. If you're coming a bit earlier, I can leave a bit earlier.

Jeff, when did you plan on leaving Santa Monica?

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - 12:24 pm: Edit

At this point, that day is wide open for me. Is there a good area/exit to meet at? I'm not too familar with downtown LA. I don't go there often.

Jeff

By John Lee on Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - 01:34 pm: Edit

Jeff,

We can meet at the EE shop if you like. It's in the Garment District area of downtown Los Angeles. Pretty busy area though.

If you prefer, we can rendezvous somewhere else where there's less traffic like in the Inland Empire area.

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - 02:38 pm: Edit

EE sounds OK. I will talk to Steve too. He is coming. Maybe he and I will caravan to downtown from here.

Jeff

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - 04:11 pm: Edit

John, can you give me directions to EE from Calabasas? Very good possibility I can meet you guys there too.

By Javier Velador (Jvelador) on Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - 08:15 pm: Edit

Jose, mapquest was actually useful when I looked up driving directions to EE.

In case you don't have the address:

1155 East Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90021


I think, there's no way I can miss the Friday 1~2pm caravan from EE now! Now that I see it's gonna be a long ass convoy.

See you all there...

Javier

By badams on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 06:59 am: Edit

What time will the caravan hit Orange County?

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 07:47 am: Edit

i don't think the LA group hits OC at all,

jay, what's the best way to get to truckhaven from OC?
perhaps we can meet near riverside where 10 and 91 meet?

By Roverine on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 07:47 am: Edit

I'm thinking either OC will have to join up with LA caravan maybe in Inland Empire, but with traffic, it could really hold a lot of people up ... dunno. Or, we can just do an OC caravan and meet up at camp ... Southern route might be nice, but I couldn't lead on that. We were thinking about leaving Friday around 12:00 - 1:00 PM if possible ...

Still 3 weeks away - Once we get a clearer picture of who's in & what times, we can discuss further plans, coordinate CB frequencies, etc.

Kim

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 08:27 am: Edit

only 3 weeks?
damn, i better call my butcher.

By John Lee on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 08:28 am: Edit

Brian,

"What time will the caravan hit Orange County?"

Sorry, but I don't the caravan will hit OC at all. The way to Truckhaven is on the 10 East and the 10 crosses downtown. EE is about a few hundred yards from the 10, and thus far the plan is for some guys to meet @ EE.

We could rendezvous somewhere in the Inland Empire but I think it would be hard enough to get one caravan together. Getting two different caravans to meet would be very difficult.

By Kristian on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 09:43 am: Edit

John- I'm not too familiar with SoCal geography, but I'll plan on linking up with the convoy east of LA. Once you guys get cooridnated down there, I'll adjust accordingly.

By Roverine on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 10:17 am: Edit

That's right Ho! ... 3 weeks will go by in the blink of an eye ... So, maybe we should we coordinate on the meal plans, i.e. how many BBQ's, are we all donating food, and/or pooling money, and anything else to bring, etc.? ... How best to organize? ... Different group meals Friday, on our own Saturday? I'm trying to think of some yummy stuff to bring ... (Greg's trying to think of which cigars to bring, LOL) I have a good size camp table that is pretty sturdy also - 29" wide X 60" length ... I need to ask Greg if our grill is still in working order (I think last time we used it over camp fires - not sure what shape it's in). We're open to whatever works best

Kim

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 10:34 am: Edit

sounds like we are getting really psyched about the food portion,
and not really into the off roading aspect.


anyhow, since eating is important,
this is what i'll bring: beef, sausages, enough charcoal, 2 smokey joe bbq'ers, fire wood, and some drinks.

kim, if you can bring some of your specialty, it will be good. and the table is a good idea. table: the more the better. han has one too. i am sure he'll bring.

all this food is for friday i guess, and for saturday, we can go with simpler things like sandwich, or whatever is left over from friday.

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 11:01 am: Edit

Let us know what others can contribute. I'm not a great cook, but I'm willing to work for food...

By Bluegill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 11:09 am: Edit

I'll bring my smokey joe & charcoal and beers & stogies for sure. Hell, I could easily bring my propane grill... Let's let the Master Iron Chefs tell us how they'd like to handle the food - i.e. we all bring some food, $ contributions, etc.

Can't wait for the off-road as well!

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 11:29 am: Edit

This is wonderful....all of us planning for the big trip. I am open to any suggestions on how to approach the FOOD issue. I suck cooking too but I am more than willing to provide money or what ever is necessary to contribute to the trip as well as the IRON CHEF CHALLENGE..... please advise.... anxious to help!

PS I have little gas hibachi I can bring in needed

By Chairman Kaga on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 02:22 pm: Edit

If memory serves me right, there used to be this great show on Food Network called "Iron Chef". It was really fun to watch, but now Food Network has ruined that show by trying to condense three episodes into one hour. Now there is no anticipation of who will win or lose and there is no appreciation of the fine ingredients and hard work that go into every dish on Iron Chef. I must sadly conclude that the Food Network ruined my show and that the show "Iron Chef" is now a hunk of shit.

I therefore proclaim that the spirit of the original Iron Chef shall, henceforth, continue in the deserts of Southern California at Truckhaven rather than on the Food Network. I have orchestrated a battle among three Iron Chefs who will not only demonstrate their culinary skills at Truckhaven, but who will carry on the spirit of the original Iron Chef TV show.

Iron Chef Air Michael Villanueva shall prepare his famous Pancho-Ninja Chicken.

Iron Chef Land Ho Chung shall grill his famous tri-tip beef, pork sausage, and pork chops.

Iron Chef Sea Jay Allen shall prepare his famous scallop and shrimp dishes.

With Air, Land, and Sea represented in this battle, the diverse menu shall celebrate the bounty with which Americans are blessed.

I SUMMON THE IRON CHEFS!

By John Lee on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 03:02 pm: Edit

As Truckhaven approaches, there are some logistics to be worked out.

I was chatting with the Iron Chefs, and there are two concerns regarding the food planning: (1) how much food to purchase; and (2) the cost of the food.

Right now, the Iron Chefs don't know much much food to prepare because we don't know how many people are coming. We've basically given notice to the world about the Iron Chef Challenge and invited everyone to come, so obviously we have no idea just how many people are planning to attend. Can I ask everyone who's planning to attend either to post here or email Ho/me and let us know how many people are coming? If you're unsure if you can make it, that's fine and just let us know that you're a "maybe" so that we can plan accordingly.

Those who cannot make the Friday night cook-off need not contribute to the haute cuisine fund. Also, be aware that the collective food will be for Friday night only. Please bring enough food for the other meals for as long as you plan to stay at Truckhaven.

After they know how many people will attend, the Iron Chefs can make a more informed decision on how much food to purchase and prepare. Once they know that, we'll know the cost of the haute cuisine. Can I ask everyone who is attending to chip into the pot? The Iron Chefs didn't ask for this; I'm asking for this so that the Iron Chefs don't have to go too much out of pocket in feeding scores of people. It's the least we can do as the Iron Chefs will be slaving over hot fires that night while we stuff our faces and drink ice-cold beers.

Right now, I don't know what the contribution amount will be, but it shouldn't be that much. We'll know more as we know who's coming. Right now, I'm estimating at least 20 vehicles and probably around 30 will show up.

Also, there will likely be enough people that grouping the entire group into a single trail run will be impracticable. It's just as well, as there will be varying skill levels and trucks there and we'll have to run different trails. Therefore, I request that nobody bring rifles to Truckhaven, to minimize the stray round hazard. If you're going to bring guns, bring a pistol and/or shotgun.

By Iron Chef Mission Viejo on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 04:26 pm: Edit

I can lead a southern route to Truckhaven on Friday, not quite sure yet as to what time. Hopefully around noon... We can meet somewhere in south County. Maybe Land Rover Mission Viejo? Or the big rest stop just before Oceanside? Anyway, our route will be: 5 south
76 east
79 north (for 2 miles)
S2 east

Then take Montezuma Valley Rd into Borrego Springs for any last supplies (like gas and beer) then follow S22 out Truckhaven...

I'm not sure who else from OC would like to take the Southern route, I know the newly jumpsuited Kim Sikes is on board. Anyone else?
-Jay

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 04:27 pm: Edit

From the heart of Texas, deep within Fort Sam Houston, in a lonely Guest House room overlooking Brook Army Medical Center, with my eyes and my heart I hear and read your summons, Chairman Kaga.

I am honored to be named to such an august company and I sincerely hope my fare proves palatable to my brothers in rovers.

I submit my entry: Pancho-Ninja Chicken. Chicken thighs marinated in a thickened teriyaki tomato base sauce flavored with freshly crushed garlic and ground Northern New Mexico red chili grilled over dampened mesquite wood chips. Side dish will be par-boiled red potatoes sautéed in fresh rosemary, butter, and olive oil on a true iron griddle. Beverage of choice: Fat Tire Pale Ale.

Anywho, I will be bringing my propane three burner TrailMaster stove, but I have yet to find a blasted prep table.

BTW: I am not sure how many I am cooking for? We have a few? 5? 8? Well, whatever, it will be fun.

Chairman: If some folks can bring a sack of pancake batter, eggs, sausages, cheese and shallots, we can make a wonderful breakfast in the morning. What do you say to scrambled eggs and shallots sprinkled with cheddar cheese, pancakes with maple syrup, sausages, and hot coffee?

After these past few days of intense stuff, brave and crying soldiers, it was such a treat to read all these posts. I needed that!

I am looking forward to cooking with you all (given that I am finished here at BAMC)!!!

I plan on leaving Thursday, and I may have to bug out Saturday AM -- it is along drive back. but will be cool to meet folks and leanr about wheeling.

By Bluegill (Bluegill) on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 06:17 am: Edit

Caravan of One

Leaving Phx on Thursday, hopefully by noon. Will try to get lost along what's left of the Colorado River near I-10 Thursday night, and press on to Truckhaven Friday morn. Will be searching for Chief Mojo Riser in the desert Sunday night, and plan on being back in Phx by Monday noon. I'll be happy to send a food contribution check in advance, or throw my fair share into the hat on-site.

By han chung on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 06:37 am: Edit

3 weeks ... double damn. we'r pretty close. i'll bring the table, lots of ice, drinks ie. beer water wine, fire wood, etc. anything else?
sounds like we'r gonna have a great group. lookin forward to seeing y'all.
we'll see friday what happens and maybe i can join the early ee convoy too since it's very close to my shop. hehehe.

han chung

By Chairman Kaga on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 07:13 am: Edit

If memory serves me right, there is a Korean Chef who emanates from southern region of the vast Brazilian lands where the gauchos roam. This Iron Chef is famous for making Brazilian-style BBQ in the deserts of Southern California, but is not a native Brazilian; He's Korean.

Unlike most Korean chefs who prefer to soak their meat in various sweet and spicy marinades, this Korean Chef strives to bring out the pure flavor of the meat using only simple ingredients like rock salt. This Korean Chef has adopted the the more simple techniques of his adopted Brazilian countrymen and seeks to make the meat the main player in his dishes.

Iron Chef Korean Ho Chung emigrated to Brazil from his native South Korea. There he learned to appreciate the natural and pure flavors of the world-famous South American cattle, something that was impossible in his native Korea.

When Ho became interested in fourwheeling his love of cooking pure beef naturally hit the trails as well, much to the delight of his trailmates. His usual strategy is to whet the appetites of his trail buddies by starting with Italian sausage. Then he moves to tender and juicy pork loin, again using nothing but simple spices and maintaining the purity of the ingredients as his primary goal. Then the Iron Chef tops it off with fatty tri-tip that is crispy and seared on the outside and tender and pink on the inside. During this culinary trilogy, the Iron Chef Korean is famous for passing out a seemingly endless supply of ice-cold Coronas.

I have summoned Iron Chef Ho to battle two other Iron Chefs in the Truckhaven desert. Iron Chef Ho will represent the land ingredients while two other Iron Chefs will represent the air and sea. This shall be the first air-land-sea battle in Iron Chef history.

Now Iron Chef Ho! Show us your methods of maintaining the purity of your meat ingredients and how they compare to ingredients from the air and sea!

By John Lee on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 07:48 am: Edit

Blue,

I'll just collect on site. I think this is going to be a fun run.

Also, sorry about the rifle thing. I know I promised you could shoot my HK93 all you wanted, but I'm just too worried about the stray round hazard. Iron Chef Michael Villanueva and I will be getting some shotgun action though, and you can shoot my Super 90 all you want.

See you there!

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 08:03 am: Edit

"Purity of ingredients" seems to have the caught the Chairman's attention!

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 08:08 am: Edit

whuuppss ... just caught the message above -- sounds like many people will be there. Yikes!!

By Mike J. (Mudd) on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 10:07 am: Edit

From San Diego I can leave around mid afternoon or whenever. Maybee meet you guys on the 76? This is going to be so cool. we should make a rsvp list to see how many and from where. Mike

By Brian on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 01:03 pm: Edit

I will be leaving straight from work in Northridge to catch the Norcal crew as they pass me. Depending on traffic, we can either head down to EE or just divert to the 210 so you guys don't have to wait for us. Sam will probably be with us as well.

Brian

By hanchung on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 02:15 pm: Edit

yeah, someone can put together an email w/ the people posted on this thread plus other people who have not posted here and everyone can sign in and reply all so we know who's in.
chairman kaga, this event is really building up to be very exiting and one of a kind. any media coverage? how about some digital video coverage for the rest of the rover community? lights camera action! narrator wanted(english speaking).

han chung

By Steve (Steve2) on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 05:42 pm: Edit

count me in for friday caravan - will be starting west most thread with jeff b. this sounds like it will be alot of fun. just what the doctor ordered!

ho- please count me in for food - let me know how much $$

thanks!
steve

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 07:34 pm: Edit

WOW!

you guys are just too much fun.
keep posting here who's coming, i am keeeping track.

By Mike J. (Mudd) on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 03:25 am: Edit

Video would be great! I just got my moab video, and vehicle repair kit,(disco web sticker) there great! Thanks for makeing it, and your welcome for my money. I wish there was a section of vehicle coverage to see everyones modifications, and a little narration. oh yea, whats worse, mud flaps or tied back mud flaps? It was also cool to put faces and personalities to the names that i communicate with all the time. Truckhaven is going to be sooooo killer! Yahoo! Mike J.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 04:19 am: Edit

Ho,
I am in. So, far I plan to go to EE around 1'ish and meet a whole bunch of people. How much $ donation needed for food. That day I'll be coming from Calabasas. Jose

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 04:21 am: Edit

Jeff Bieler,
Are we meeting @ EE and travel @ 55 mph?


Jose

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 04:34 am: Edit

That's the plan. Except for hills. I can't go 55MPH up hills... ;-)

Does everyone have communication? I don't have a CB, but have two FRS radios. If the caravan will use CB's, I can give one FRS to someone in the group so I can keep in touch.

Jeff

By John Lee on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 05:21 am: Edit

Jeff,

If some of the others "can't drive 55", then we can just split up somewhere on the way and we can all gather at Truckhaven. I'll drive with you all the way to Truckhaven.

All I have for communication are the cell phone and CB. I'll take that other family radio so that you can keep in touch with the rest of the group.

By han chung on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 06:17 am: Edit

damn john... how many people are coming to ee? we'll probably have to park some inside and line up the rest in the alley. would be a nice picture... downtown alley and a shit load of rovers. cool, kodak moment.

By Brian on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 06:28 am: Edit

Jeff you can just draft behind several rovers and that'll keep you up to speed!

By John Lee on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 06:55 am: Edit

Han,

I'm thinking everyone will have to park on Pico Boulevard. There's no way our parking lot can sustain that many vehicles, and the alley won't either with the delivery trucks having to pass through there.

By han chung on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 07:11 am: Edit

john,

we'll see what happens...

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 07:34 am: Edit

John, is you can suggest a different meeting place where all the rovers can park would be best...In my opinion.

Jeff, I have a hand held CB you can use. I usually use it when I get out of the vehicle to be spotter. It works good but it would work best if you had bigger antenna. I'll bring it with me.

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 07:39 am: Edit

Thanks Jose. Please bring it. I'll being my FRS radios just in case.

The truck is Positive Earth/Ground and runs on a generator, not an alternator. Until I convert it to Negative Ground, I can't wire up any accessories. Also, the accessories will kill the battery until I convert to an alterntor. The generator is barely powerful enough as it is.

By Scott H on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 09:12 am: Edit

Ho and All,
I'll be caravaning down with Kristian on Friday from Nor Cal. Kristian, do we have another recruits from up here?

See ya all there.

Scott H

By John Lee on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 09:46 am: Edit

Jose,

"If you can suggest a different meeting place where all the rovers can park would be best."

I agree. The parking near EE is limited, and it's somewhat of a rough neighborhood on top of that, so meeting elsewhere would be best.

I'll drive east of downtown Los Angeles this weekend on the 10 fwy and look for a large parking lot for a mall or market. If I find something suitable, I'll waypoint it and post the GPS coordinates here. I'll look for a market so that we can get any nicknacks that need last-minute getting.

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 09:54 am: Edit

scott, i need your email please. email me please.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 10:31 am: Edit

John,
My current commute is 101 East to 405 South to 22 East to 5 South
I am not very familiar with your area. Good Luck!

By John Lee on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 10:34 am: Edit

Jose,

Don't worry. I'll try to find a very suitable place, one near all of the main freeways and one is that is clearly visible from the freeway and close to a large exit. I just hope something like that exists. We'll see this weekend.

By han chung on Friday, September 21, 2001 - 10:45 am: Edit

guys,

didn't mean to have the convoy meeting place to be moved somewhere else... i'm sure we can fit about 6-8 vehicles safely in our parking lot. so if the convoy is larger than that... for safety issues and convenience for everyone, a single large open space would be nice.

By Javier Velador (Jvelador) on Sunday, September 23, 2001 - 01:20 am: Edit

Here's an idea... There's the West Covina Plaza that's visible off the 10 freeway. In that huge parking lot, also visible off the freeway, there's a Tower Records.

The folks from Orange County would have to take the 5 freeway to the 605 north then the 10 east. Take the Vincent Ave exit (just as you pass the Plaza). Make a right into to the parking lot. You can't miss it off the freeway.

It's the offramp after Pacific.

Obviously, those coming from LA and anything west of where the 605 and 10 meet, would hop on the 10 east.

We could plan to park parallel to the freeway to make us highly visible and popular, I'm sure.

what do you all think?

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Sunday, September 23, 2001 - 12:48 pm: Edit

Javier,
How far is this place in West Covina from Downtown? I need to calculate my commuting time from Calabasas to this place in West Covina to determine my arrival time.

By Roverine on Sunday, September 23, 2001 - 06:22 pm: Edit

Javier and all,

For (us at least) in lower mid to south OC, we will be taking the "Jay Way" -- Reference "Iron Chef Mission Viejo" post on Wednesday, September 19, 2001 - 04:26 pm. So it seems we'll meet up at or near Truckhaven ...

Jay ... maybe it's best to meet at LR Mission Viejo ... because we're not exactly sure where the Oceanside rest stop is you're talking about ... and we'd rather be lost in MV going 35MPH than on the 5 Fwy going 75MPH.

Kim
Whada ya think?

By Javier Velador (Jvelador) on Sunday, September 23, 2001 - 07:37 pm: Edit

Jose and all,

The West Covina Plaza is about 20-25 miles east of downtown LA. If traffic is light, the drive from LA is about 30 minutes.

By John Lee on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 04:58 am: Edit

Javier y Jose,

I drove the 10 freeway from the 5 to the 605, and there's nothing really suitable on the 10 that's west of the 605. So, I'm starting to like more and more the suggestion for meeting up at West Covina Shopping Mall.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 07:00 am: Edit

Javier, John and all of those planning to join the caravan from LA.

West Covina sound good to me. If I am traveling form Calabasas. it should take about (based on other people's opinion) 1 1/2 hour..... is this accurate 1 1/2 hour? I should be done with work stuff by 12 noon, that puts me in West Covina by 1:30 pm.

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 07:33 am: Edit

I agree. The majority of highly visible (and in decent neighborhoods) places to stop on the 10 that are East of Downtown are in West Covina/just West of the Kellogg Hill.

Jeff

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 12:24 pm: Edit

It seems that West Covina is conveniently located for some of us. What about choosing a meeting place to meet the OC crew? Is it possible?
*=*=
Any further discussion about food supply, money donation, bringing stuff, etc..... you know... the food thing! I spoke with Iron Chef from Mission Viejo over the weekend and it appears that no advancements have been made on this topic.

By John Lee on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 12:35 pm: Edit

Jose,

"Any further discussion about food supply, money donation, bringing stuff, etc..... you know... the food thing! I spoke with Iron Chef from Mission Viejo over the weekend and it appears that no advancements have been made on this topic."

As stated previously, I will collect at Truckhaven. Right now, we don't know how many people are coming on Friday night for the cook-off, so the chef's don't know how much food to buy. Once we have an accurate head count, the chefs can buy the requisite amount of supplies for the cook-off. Once the Chefs buy the supplies, we'll know the total cost of the supplies. Once we know the total cost of the supplies, we'll know how much each person has to donate Friday night.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 01:02 pm: Edit

10-4 on the food topic.

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 01:35 pm: Edit

Two questions: First: Is there anyone (aside from bluegill) who is coming from the Southwest? (I mean the real Southwest, not Southern California.) Anyone from New Mexico? I am likely leaving Albuquerque early Thursday morning -- crud... I must be insane.

Secondly, what kind of wheeling might we be doing? I assume the normal basic recovery gear, extra water, extra oil holds. Is there anything unique about Truckhaven that warrants a special vehicle prep theme?

Thanks

MV

By John Lee on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 01:50 pm: Edit

Mike,

"Secondly, what kind of wheeling might we be doing? I assume the normal basic recovery gear, extra water, extra oil holds. Is there anything unique about Truckhaven that warrants a special vehicle prep theme?"

I think you're pretty well covered. Truckhaven is a good spot for people of different skill levels to wheel at because there are bypasses for everything. You can make it as easy or as difficult as you like it. Also, the trails there aren't a sort of A to B trail where you basically have to cover an obstacle if you want to get anywhere. Truckhaven is more of a very large playground where you can go wherever you want. The trails range from extremely difficult to easy.

Just bring whatever you normally take for offroading and I think you will be fine. Best things to bring to Truckhaven will probably be lots of food and water and an open mind.

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 02:02 pm: Edit

emphasis on that "open mind"

By han chung on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 02:28 pm: Edit

michael,
did you say you were leaving on saturday?
>>I plan on leaving Thursday, and I may have to bug out Saturday AM -- it is along drive back. but will be cool to meet folks and leanr about wheeling.
is this still your schedule? you know people are coming friday night and wheel saturday. correct me if i'm wrong.

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 05:57 pm: Edit

An open mind is a thing of terrible, fragile beauty.

Hello Han

Yup, that is my intended schedule. Leave Thursday, stop by Laguna Pueblo, stop by Zuni Pueblo, and I should be at Truckhaven by Friday mid afternoon. Likely will leave late Saturday AM for home.

Don't worry, you'll get some chicken

By John Lee on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 06:11 pm: Edit

Michael,

Wow, that's a very hectic schedule. I'm a bit worried that you won't get in enough shooting and wheeling to justify the long drive to Truckhaven.

I'm guessing that you'll be spending all of Friday night cooking and enjoying the campfire camaraderie. That leaves only Friday afternoon and Saturday morning for wheeling and shooting, and I fear that's not enough time.

Let me know if you want me to leave Los Angeles early on Friday. I think the convoy plans at this stage are to meet at about 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. at or near Los Angeles, at least for some of the Southern California members of the group. If so, then we probably won't reach Truckhaven until very late afternoon.

I was thinking if I left early Friday morning, you and I could meet up in Truckhaven for some shotgunning and possibly some wheeling before the the arrival of the Iron Chef hour. That way, you could get in some more shooting and/or wheeling time to justify your long drive.

What do you think?

By Iron Chef Contra Manga on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 06:37 pm: Edit

I agree with John, you should try to get more time with us. I am trying to take off all of Friday, so I can go out there and shoot and loot, hop and pop, (just ordered some tracers..hehe hah..) I have done those banzai runs before, but that was many years ago, you should try and hang out as much as possible. John- I was also thinking about our Geological Arizona contingent, he might appreciate a side trip up into Anza, like Pumpkin Patch and the Calcite mine. Waddya think? Hope to see y'all soon!!-Jay

By John Lee on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 07:06 pm: Edit

Jay - If you can get off the entire Friday, that would be great. I can close the EE shop (or not even show up Friday morning) and convoy with you to Truckhaven if you want. We can do some pre-runs and shoot when we hit Truckhaven. I also want a preview of the top secret hush hush seafood dishes for later that night. Let me know if you can leave Friday morning.

Bill - if you're up for a run to Anza, etc. on Sunday, I'm up for that. It's a cool place. We can explore that area on Sunday and Jay and I can get home by way of Julian and stop off for some hot coffee and fresh apple pie. Let me know if you have the time on Sunday.

By han chung on Monday, September 24, 2001 - 09:13 pm: Edit

michael,
i know i'm gonna get some chicken and some...
like john said, i was affraid you'r not going to spend enough time wheelin and shootin w/ us.
truckhaven ironchef battle is not a weekly program. it's kinda rare we get this much people together.

By Bluegill (Bluegill) on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 05:46 am: Edit

Hey guys - I'm leaving Phx Thursday and I plan on taking "back roads" as much as possible to Truckhaven. I was going to try to do some climbing in some cliffs I always stare at from the highway on my way to LA, camp somewhere between here & there Thursday night, and get to Truckhaven sometime on Friday.

Michael V, if you want to join my Caravan of One, let me know. The only thing is that I like to wander a bit, and I tend to get lost in the rocks, but I will get to Truckhaven one way or another by Friday. I'm just not planning on riding the highways all the way there. I could always modify my plans, though.

I can be at Truckhaven any time Friday, even early morning. I'd love to get some Friday wheeling in. I'm cool with Sunday spur trips, too. I'll take Monday off if need be (I'm tight with the boss, it's me!). Anza is right across the way from Truckhaven, right?

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 01:33 pm: Edit

which off ramp is this west covina mall?

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 05:32 pm: Edit

Yeah, that is too much -- not sure how I am going to work my timing here. I am going to have to wait until I get back to New Mexico until I can make solid departure time. I am just hoping I can get out of Fort Sam in a few days, If they keep me here another week or two, I am screwed. Can you hang loose John as far as departure time? If not, just do what you have to do. But please bring me a 6er of Thai.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 05:58 pm: Edit

Since we have a group meeting in West Covina and another at Mission Viejo Land Rover, our these two groups meeting somewhere else before arriving in Truck Haven. I personally think it would be a cool idea for both groups to meet somewhere. Any opinions?

By John Lee on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 06:26 pm: Edit

Mike,

Jeff Bieler and I (and probably a few others) are probably going to leave early Friday morning regardless of what happens, so we'll see you in Truckhaven earlier than previously anticipated. At least we hope so. Do try to make it early.

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about the Singha. I'll take a look at some of the gourmet markets around here and see if they have it. If they don't, I'll stop by one of the 100,000 Thai restaurants in Los Angeles and pick up a few for you.

By John Lee on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 07:23 pm: Edit

Ho posted some pics of the Truckhaven pre-run I did a few weeks ago on the EE site at: http://www.expeditionexchange.com/truckhaven Iron Chef Vahak was there to grill up some pork chops and steaks for us. We also got in some wheeling and shooting. I just wanted to whet the whistles of those will be coming to the Iron Chef Showdown.

p.s. The reason for the Ford Expedition and Chevy Yukon is because I was wheeling with some bankruptcy attorney friends I used to practice with before EE. They are buddies but they are not enlightened enough to drive Land Rovers. The Expedition did surprisingly well. The Tahoe left something to be desired though.

By Steve (Steve2) on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 - 07:47 pm: Edit

john -

hk93?

cool
steve
not that i know a thing about these things.... 5.56mm, delayed roller block, diopter sights...

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 04:21 am: Edit

Javier,
Could you provide directions to the West Covina meeting place?

By John Lee on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 05:54 am: Edit

Steve,

Yeah, HK93 of sorts. I have the older version of the rifle, called the "HK43". These were imported by SACO Defense before the formation of Heckler & Koch, Inc., the American branch of Heckler & Koch, GmbH in Germany. The HK43 is identical to the HK93 except the baked-on enamel finish is jet black, and the barrel is only 14.5" long. The barrel meets NFA regulations because the flash suppressor is spot-welded onto the barrel and makes the barrel effectively over 16" in length.

I was going to bring this same rifle again because I promised Blue he could shoot it when he couldn't bring Mr. T out to California. But now I'm thinking we should shoot pistols and shotguns only. There will be lots of people at Truckhaven that weekend and we're bound to split up into different groups and hit different trails. I think the no-rifle policy will minimize the stray round hazard, no matter how safety we shoot and however solid the backstop we use.

So, bring your pistols and shotguns out. I'll bring a box of clay targets and a thrower, and we'll have a good time at Truckhaven. If you don't have a shotgun, don't worry. I'll bring one of mine and you can shoot it all you want.

By Steve (Steve2) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 11:19 am: Edit

john

no rifles?? that's a bummer but understandable - all i really have are rifles. how about with frangible ammo? re: the 43's i know these veyr well- they had that weird handguard- personally i think the g41 was the most handsome rifle ever made.

steve

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 12:00 pm: Edit

Dammit, John, don't even joke about forgetting about Singha.

I'll dice an' deep fry yer rear iffen you firgit m' beer!

By Bluegill (Bluegill) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 12:32 pm: Edit

Last time I was at my local Albertson's grocery store, they had all the Singha you could want chillin in the cooler. I'm a Fry's man myself, but I'll take a stroll through Alby's on my next weekly trip to the hardware store (next door to Alby's)...

Hmmm...deep fried John Lee flank steak...not too sure about that

By John Lee on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 12:42 pm: Edit

Steve,

"no rifles?? that's a bummer but understandable - all i really have are rifles. how about with frangible ammo?"

Hmmm. Maybe we should take a vote on the rifle thing. I know Brian wants to bring his rifle and so you do, so that's two right there. I suspect Jeff does too with his Garand and all. Should we just bring the rifles then? I have no real objection to that so long as we shoot way off in the corner of Truckhaven only. What do you guys think?

"re: the 43's i know these veyr well- they had that weird handguard"

Yeah, the HK43's came with the so-called "slimline" handguard, the thin one that exposed the receiver in front of the magazine well. I have since fit the wider, "tropical" handguard, the one that looks like this: http://www.hkpro.com/image/HK33A2.jpg

The buttstock on my rifle is the A2 buttstock from the MP5, the buttstock pictured here: http://www.hkpro.com/image/mp5female.jpg The HK43 differs from the HK93 in that the buffer is located, not in the buttstock as it is on the HK91 and HK93, but rather inside the bolt carrier. Thus, use of the MP5A2 buttstock is possible on the HK43.

"personally i think the g41 was the most handsome rifle ever made."

The G41 is definitely a unique-looking weapon. It's a bit striking to see an M16 magazine on an HK weapon. You do a double-take when you see it. For those wondering what the hell we are talking about, here's a pic of the G41: http://www.hkpro.com/image/g41cover.jpg

For me, I prefer the look of the G33. My favorite G33 is the one fitted with the tropical forend, A2 buttstock, the SEF trigger pack, and 25-round magazines, exactly the same version as in the first pic.

By Jeff Bieler (Mrbieler) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 01:29 pm: Edit

John, I'm OK with no rifles. As the group gets larger, it's harder to control.

If we do decide to bring them, I thought you wanted to shoot my No.1 mkIII Enfield. I'm leary of bringing the Garand to the desert. I'd hate to damage the stock and finish. My beater Garand I re-enact with doesn't shoot live ammo so well (great with blanks though). My Enfields are all play grade.

If it's just pistols and shotguns, I'll bring my Combat Commander and maybe a little something else. My shotguns are WWII security guns (Winchester 1897 & a Stevens 620). They're no good for trap & skeet.

By John Lee on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 02:00 pm: Edit

"I'm OK with no rifles. As the group gets larger, it's harder to control."

Yeah, I know what you mean. That's one of the reasons I wanted "no rifles" at this trip. With so many people scattered about Truckhaven in different groups, I thought it would be safer if we stuck to shotguns and pistols.

"I thought you wanted to shoot my No.1 mkIII Enfield."

Definitely. I've never shot a SMLE. The closest I've gotten is the Enfield No. 4. That's a sweet rifle, but the SMLE just as so much panache than the No. 4. Just looking at the SMLE makes me want to do a bayonet charge on something.

"My shotguns are WWII security guns (Winchester 1897 & a Stevens 620). They're no good for trap & skeet."

Actually, those shotguns will work fine. The clay targets will be hand thrown at close ranges, so your shotguns will have the necessary reach. They'll also be easy to hit with because of the open chokes. If we were shotgunning, I was going to bring my Benelli Super 90 in the short barrel configuration. That would differ little from your shotguns.

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 05:54 pm: Edit

Who will be the weatherman for that weekend? John: Will you make the call? Looks like you all in SoCal are going be mighty wet soon. I hope the weather is good for the weekend.

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 06:02 pm: Edit

Blue gill: Can you believe that not one of the three beer distributors in New Mexico carry Singha? Seems it just does not sell well. Anywho, that is why I am insistent that John (or you )bring some.

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 06:07 pm: Edit

I cannot seem to find it in this thread, so help me out here please: Where exactly in this Truckhaven are we meeting?

BTW: I have a white DSII. (Iike that will help). I will be on channel 19 (CB) and on FRS channel 11. Is there a building? A Dennys? Are we meeing in the desert via coordinates?

Thanks

By Brian on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 07:17 pm: Edit

Fellow rifle owners, It seems like there are a few of us that would like to shoot a variety of long guns out at truckhaven. I was actually looking forward to it. How about we bring them, but agree that we will only shoot them together, at a designated time, at a designated place, when it is absolutly safe?

Brian

By Steve (Steve2) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 08:12 pm: Edit

i'm with brian on the rifle thing - rifle shooting only during controlled situ's. i'm totally cool with that.

steve

By Javier Velador (Jvelador) on Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - 08:36 pm: Edit

All,

The West Covina Plaza is visible off the 10 freeway. A few miles east of where the 605 and the 10 freeway meet.

Take the Vincent Ave exit (just as you pass the Plaza). Make a right on Vincent and a right into to the parking lot. I say we meet and park parallel to the freeway. That way, as others approach the Vincent offramp, we'll be very visible from the freeway.

It's the offramp after Pacific.

Folks from Orange County, and not part of the OC caravan, would take the 5 freeway to the 605 north then the 10 east.

Obviously, those coming from LA and anything west of where the 605 and 10 meet, would hop on the 10 east.

Javier

By John Lee on Thursday, September 27, 2001 - 08:48 am: Edit

We've started a mini mailing list for more information about the Truckhaven run. The list consists of those who have RSVP'd. If you have not yet received any Iron Chef emails but are intending to come to Truckhaven, please send Ho and email and request that you be added to the mailing list.

By Michael Villanueva (Michael) on Saturday, September 29, 2001 - 09:39 am: Edit

Will there be any young teens or chidlren present? Are any of you parents bringing your children?