Road Trip 2017

da.hs

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Location
SK, Canada
TDI
2010 Golf, DSG, silver (from new). 2010 Audi Q7 (from 2016), 2004 Touareg V10 (from 2018)
If you wanted something as "remote north" as the Alaska Highway, much less busy and closer.. you could head north from Saskatoon for a day or so. Paved as far as La Ronge, about 4 hours from Saskatoon. Then around 10-12 hours on gravel to Stony Rapids - not quite the Arctic Circle but within a quad ride (I think 80km) to the NWT border, 60'
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Da.hs, from Valley View, we've been up to Peace River and beyond .......... all the way to Hay River on the south shore of the Great Slave Lake then around to the north side to Yellowknife. We did that in 1993.

So, I would really like to go on up to Valley View (nice campground there) and then do a day trip up to Peace River and return. It is an awesome sight approaching the area from the south as I remember.
 

aja8888

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
TDI
Out of TDI's
Peace River is a neat town as I have been there a few times (on business). Why not head to Norman Wells if you want a real driving adventure? I spent a week there once (and only once). :D

Good luck getting back home Andy!
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Wow! Well, Import Auto Service got 'er all fixed-up today! Good clutch pedal a little above 2/3s where it ought to be. I drove it a considerable amount in downtown Saskatoon hitting the traffic lights, etc., with zero shifting issues.

So, a coin toss says we head south tomorrow.

I'm sorry this Road Trip never materialized as we had expected. Of course, there would be no problem to go on but there are things on the other side of this trip that we want to do. Thus, the coin toss results is probably for the best!

We do plan to take in the Badlands in South Dakota and I will post a few photos later!
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
Bandlands are cool, been out there during a hunting trip to Greybull, Wyoming. We stopped on the side of the road and heard a horse whinney from out in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine crossing that stuff in a horse drawn wagon.
 

WooK

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2016
Location
Moreno Valley, California
TDI
2006 Jetta
A few weeks ago I did a road trip from southern california to boise, idaho and back. Took interstate 15 through nevada to 93 all the way up to idaho. Total miles is about 1,900. It was a meditating drive since there is nothing from las vegas to boise. I was told there could be buffalo citing but only saw horses and cows.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
Bandlands are cool, been out there during a hunting trip to Greybull, Wyoming. We stopped on the side of the road and heard a horse whinney from out in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine crossing that stuff in a horse drawn wagon.
Neither could most of them. They stayed along the Platte River in Nebraska for several reasons. The main one being a good water source. Secondary is that the Platte runs the length of the state without much deviation to the North or South. out in the Sandhills (Western NE) there are still visible wagon tracks.
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
Andy, I see you must be ok by the reply to my other thread. Hope all is well and you are having fun;)
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Yeah, we did a 997 mile day on the last one...'bout 18 hours!

Ironically, more troubles ........LOL.

Friday morning, the weather was nice and cool. So, I did not turn on the air until around 11:00 am while sitting at a filling station. I turned it on for the dogs while I was in the store hitting the facilities, etc. When I come back out, no AC.

Some time on Thursday the nut that holds the AC Clutch must have backed-off as we did have air when I cut the engine off. Then, Friday morning driving down I-35 (or was it I-29) north of Kansas City the clutch-face must have fell off.

Anyway, I slapped on the clutch face from a spare... Then, I turned the AC full down on Temp so the clutch would stay engaged and not bounce off ... worked just fine!

Dang, I distinctly remember torqueing the nut on the AC Clutch!....LOL
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
Your luck sounds like mine, not always good, but good enough
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Here almost a year later, is an update, which primarily a list of all the things that happened or was about to happen.

From the beginning:

1. Late start in the spring preparing for the trip which pushed me even though I set the date of departure back several times to relieve the pressure.

2. Patched up the high pressure AC hose where it goes over the transmission (bad decision).

3. The AC high pressure hose blew on the first day out just south of Indianapolis. So, we turned back and set a ten day window to be back on the road (took 12 days as I remember). I flushed the AC system, installed new hoses, new clutch, new dryer and charged it. Worked great and still does.

4. On the new first day out, due to malfunctioning fuel gauge and my stubbornness, ran out of fuel at the service station (filled-up and then it would not start.. took about 30 minutes to get it going).

5. On the 4th day out, the clutch pedal began to fall and take right on the bottom. Long story short, I had to have a new slave installed by a guru in down town Saskatoon. We spent 5 days in a nice campground north of the city.

6. Due to such a late start, second start and lost time, at the toss of the coin, we turned back and made a long sweep through part of the west and headed home. (and, endured a really bad storm in the camp ground the last evening there)

7. Last day on the return, lost the clutch face off the AC Compressor. Have no clue, why, but I had an old used one in my parts box.

Most of the above is in this Thread.... Anyway, here is the rest.

8. About 6 weeks after returning home the Power Steering unit puked it's guts. It began leaking almost a fast as I could dump in more fluid.

9. I installed the OE manual steering........ then, noticed that the Van tended to over stir to the left and under stir to the right. I kept driving it off and on. Finally, I checked the front end ......... ball joints, bushings, etc., all trashed. I installed them new in 2012. They were trashed by 80k miles... Junk Meyle parts. I am sure at the time I thought they were okay as that is a German company (made in China).

10. The MAP had occasionally caused a DTC to show-up which finally would not go away a few thousand miles after we got back.

11. Cruise control stopped functioning.

12. The transmission developed a really obvious grind/whine about a month ago.

And, don't forget, in May of last summer about two months before we left on this road trip, the Water Pump locked-up trashing my Timing Belt (50k miles on it). Fortunately, the TB did not jump time.

If we had traveled on vs turning back, there's little don't that it would have been almost a total disaster.

Well, I am in the process of finishing up most of the work. We've set a window of July 21st to August 15th as departure date on Road Trip 2018. Of course, a late start will dictate using a modified trip. If this window has to be cancelled, we do have an alternate fall Road Trip on the bucket list.

So, watch for our next road trip.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Yeah, 1.9zook, I've done a lot of TB jobs and never found a WP tight. This one locked and the shaft appeared cocked in the unit. Without all the details, I was so lucky to catch the problem considering my hearing is really bad. I set the engine at TDC and everything lined up perfectly.

Here's a pic of the TB. (remember, this is the ALH in my Vanagon)



 
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