Colorado Fall Color Tours 2018!! - Event Date: 17 Sep. 2018 - 22 Sep. 2018

By the way, on the typical day trip, is a full tank enough gas or should I plan on bring a can?

Truer words were never written!  Thank you Bruce!  Good advice from a "truly experienced" guide. 

What time to prep?  I'm elbow deep in a radical transformation of the Blue Mule that's long overdue.  First and most importantly I'm installing a Throttle Body Injector TBI system.  As you probably remember I've had problems with my carb for years.  Last year I finally had it and bought a TBI kit.  Now that it's warm enough to work in the shop I'm installing it.  I also installed an air compressor and air tank so I can air down my tires for off-road travel, then air them back up quickly for highway travel.  I'm also fixing some other minor problems with the engine that I've been putting off.  And I'm changing out the T-90-A tranny for a T-90-C tranny to slow me down when I'm climbing over rocks.  Not that I like climbing over rocks, but I'm tired of bouncing over them because I can't go slow enough to climb over them.  And adding tubes in my radials will help with that whole process.  In addition to that, my friend Dennis and I are stripping Sam's Jeep down and rebuilding it completely so it'll be a safe and fully functional Jeep for anyone to use.  

But I have been thinking about FCT and parts.  I've got some donated parts that are left over from last year.  I need to inventory them to see what I've got.  I'm thinking that I may create a rolling cart or rolling shelf unit that I can put all those parts on so folks will know where to look if they need something.  I'm also thinking about making a rolling shelf unit to store all the fluids on.  Stuff like oils, grease, antifreeze, gear oil, solvents, etc.  

So here's an idea, if you have a rolling shelf unit, or know of one that's sturdy but inexpensive, then I'm interested.  As we get farther into summer and I've had a chance to see what I have for folks to use to keep their Jeeps running, I may make another request to see if we can put together some more parts.  But for now, what I need is organization, and a couple of rolling shelf units will help me with that.   

Thanks for asking!!

Having a few basic tools, including a jack and lug wrench is also a good idea.  We get flat tires on the trail every year.  Having a spare tire, and being able to change the flat for the spare, are common sense self-recovery items each Jeep should have.  

I applaud and appreciate all the experienced off road drivers who join us for FCT that bring along an extensive parts kit, like the one you mentioned Lew.  The experiences that you and others have had with breakdowns and tools and parts that were needed really helps when someone's Jeep quits on them.  Even something as thoughtful as a box of common nuts and bolts has made a huge difference in whether we can make repairs, or do we have to start a recovery operation.   I know the Blue Mule has had it's share of failures in the forest, from broken throttle cables to tires coming off to failed fuel pumps.  So I carry lots of pieces and parts to help me get back home.  I encourage everyone else to do that too.   

Just a few thoughts to share as I think about changes I've made to the Mule and what it means for my trail parts pack.