the blue truck: August 2013

Friday, August 30, 2013

Stats # 5: Kiss my A...!!

Fotunate I am. On the accidents statistics, there is one incident only.

Smart - ironically enough - was her name, Mrs Smart. Vancouver, stop and go trafic. Four lines go into three, while I move forward slowly in the stop and go process of the Friday afternoon trafic, Mrs Smart decides to step down on that pedal. And she does it - she does it hard. The first and only time some one was kissing the blue truck's a...

Her VW Jetta was totalled (so much to Deutsche Wertarbeit) while the blue truck suffered some scratches at the trailer hook, the bumper and a cracked tail light. I drove off - she paid the bill.

And that:

...that wasn't me!

Touch wood - for an accident free future of my trip.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Just on time...

...for the thousandth click on the most visited site on this blog "MEET & GREET" the page has gotten an up-date. Some missing links to web pages of travelling friends have been activated and some new "old" friends have been added.

Come along and meet the Roadies!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Stats # 4: What Got Stolen?

Yes, I know, you think Central America, Mexico, Colombia... all those countries. And you'll be surprised that I still have some of my equipment after I have left the USA for Mexico on September 20, 2011 and have not been in any other country with the blue truck than in Mexico and Centeral and South American Countries.

Happy Days. Mountainbiking in Alaska.

And I might surprise you even more when I tell you, that in absolut Dollars over 99% of all the things that got stollen on my trip got stolen in the United States of America. Yes, you want to know what got stolen, here you go:

My Mountain Bike, San Francisco USA
My Washing Machine (WTF? read bellow for explanation), Popayan, Colombia
My 1 gallon fuel can, holding the fuel for the Coleman stove, Popayan, Colombia

Believe it or not but that already concludes the list.

Read a blog post about the black bike I bought in the USA and got rid of it involuntarily in the same country. I still have the kayak by the way. And HERE you can read about how pissed I was when those bastards in San Francisco made my truck by the weight of a bike lighter.

What is the story about the washing machine? Yes, actually the blue truck used to have a washing machine. Remember the white barrel that has been mounted on the tail ladder of the blue truck. That was my washinig machine. Here is how that worked: In the morning, before travelling either a curvy or a rough road I loaded the barrel with dirty laundry and some water and liquid washing detergent. In the afternoon when setting camp, flush, take out and hang. That's it. It works - Did work I should say.

I doubt that who ever stole the thing in Colombia has a clou about what it's for. I must also admit, contrary to the mountainbike it was kind of my own fault. I did not find a safe place to camp, it was late and dark, I stayed in a Hotel. As so often the blue truck was too tall for the garage of the hotel. The reception was attended 24 hours and they promised to keep an eye on the truck, parked directly in front of the hotel main entrance. The truck was still there in the morning. The washing machine and the little fuel can for the stove weren't. I should have taken both items off and locked them inside the truck. I didn't - No Risk No Fun.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Stats # 3: How Many Flats?

Everybody keeps telling you that flat tire issues will be the thing that will ground you for sure, when travelling from Alaska to Argentina. Some folks have adivsed me to carry at least 2 complete spare tires. Especially in Alaska people keep telling you how important it might be to carry a second spare. - I don't and I must say, I wouldn't.

I have been on the road for nearly 3 years. I wold estimate to have been driving around 50% on unpaved roads, partially on extremely rough terrain. Alasaka and its very well maintained gravel and dirt roads are a walk in the park compared to some roads in Mexico or Central and South America.

I have had only 4 flat tires so far. The first one in Northern Canada, I have had ordered the new set of tires already and was going up on some rough forest roads in British Colombia when I noticed that I was losing about half of the air in one tire over night. I do carry a tire repair kit and fixed the hole with it. That did the trick for the few days left until the blue truck got new, already ordered shoes.

With the second set of BFGoodrich All Terrain tires I have not had any tire issues at all. From Canada to Alaska and all the way down through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. That is where I swapped for BFGoodrich Mud Terrains. They are noisy and their stopping power is - well is it? But they are performing outsandingly on rough roads, through rivers, mud and on ugly roads. I could not have made it on the La Guajira Peninsula in Colombia if I had still All Terrains installed.

Unbelievable that it took over two years from the first to the second tire issue. Maybe I was just lucky until Peru. Second it hit me high up in the Andes at almost 16'000 feet altitude. Once again, it was not too far off from when a set of new shoes were due. I removed the screw and it was a quick fix once again.

Third time again in the Andes of Peru. No chance this time. No quick fix. I hit some piece of metal in a switch back of a paved road, it took just seconds and the tire was flat. No chance for a repair as it a large cut over the side of the tire. Obviously time to get a new set of BFGs in Lima, capital of Peru.

I have just had about 3'500 kilometers on the new set of BFGoodrich Mud Terrains when I had to repair one of the tires again. A nail has found its way through the almost new tire. Cusco at Camping La Quinta was a perfect and tranquil spot to do that work.

In Summery my tires statistics:

4 flat tires on travelling almost 3 years (3 times just losing air, one real flat)
I am running on the 4th set of tires in three years and approx. 120'000 kilometers
I am carrying one spare tire and a tire repair kit
I have used the spare tire once and the repair kit 3 times

Want to know how many times I got stuck? Or what got stolen on my trip so far?

Come back soon for more statistics on the blue truck trip through the Americas.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Stats # 2: What you liked the best in the shortest time

As promised last week. Here is the second go at the statistics after you have clicked over a hundred thousand times on my German and English blog.

It has only been on-line for exactly 2 months. Today. But it has received already almost 1'000 direct clicks.

The stories of friends and families that have made my trip, which are consolidated on the one and only "MEET & GREET" site on this blog are those stories...