1970 Jeep Gladiator 1 Ton 6BT 12V Cummins Build

[bigun]

Cool license plate

[Resbum]

Now is as good a time as any for this. I woke up this AM and saw Stuka, over at FSJNetwork, had posted to my build thread over there. He had found a craigslist ad that made reference to my truck.

On or around the 24th of January, 2015, my truck was stolen from a fenced and gated backyard, in Christmas Valley, OR, where I was keeping it while I finished the shop on my property I moved to.

To be honest, I don't even want to talk about it because for the last 6 weeks I've floated between absolutely sick to my stomach and rage when I dwell on it.
I scanned every craiglist for eastern Oregon for the first month hoping parts would show up there.
I finally quit doing that so much because it was giving me an ulcer.
My older sister, bless her, posted an ad in just about every craigslist in the western U.S..
One of those is what Stuka found and posted the link to it.

As I mentioned, I really don't want to talk about it, so please understand if I don't get into any long dialogs about it.

Resbum

[Resbum]

I don't know if Stuka, over at FSJNetwork, brought me good karma by posting this morning, or if the universe has a sick sense of humor and waited til I posted that the truck was stolen.

After six weeks, today, at 2:30, I got a call from a county deputy to come get my truck. It was found 40 miles east of town a mile out in the desert. It seems to be mostly all there, but some small things are missing. I won't know what all is gone until I can go through the bed. But all the major stuff is still there. They didn't even take the turbo off the engine or wheels and rims. The batteries are gone and the bed doesn't look as full as when I packed.

All things considered I consider myself extremely lucky.

Resbum

[DarkMonohue]

That's astonishing. Good for you! Maybe the thief saw the ads and realized it was going to be really hard to get rid of it without getting caught.

Are you feeling burnt out and discouraged, or are you doing the happy dance?

[Resbum]

That's astonishing. Good for you! Maybe the thief saw the ads and realized it was going to be really hard to get rid of it without getting caught.

Are you feeling burnt out and discouraged, or are you doing the happy dance?

Thanks. Astonishing doesn't begin to describe it. It was more than just those ads. There was a huge amount of heat on the truck, and my gut agrees with you on the reason for it getting dumped like that.

I'm feeling both. It will probably take starting to work on it again before I feel completely better.

Resbum

[Resbum]

Getting reunited with GLADI8R yesterday. My bro-in-law on the right with the deputy and tow truck driver.



There was NO WAY I was going to let that thing out of my sight again. It immediately got hooked up to my Pathfinder and got towed to my property. When I got the call my bro-in-law and I were 35 miles out of town. We had just found a cave we'd heard about. About half the mud on the Pathfinder is from that. The other half of the mud is from the road for the last 1/2 mile into my property. That's why I originally didn't take the Jeep there when I moved. I wanted to get the shop built and also wait for dryer road conditions to tow the Jeep in.

[DarkMonohue]

Edited. Glad you got it working.

[Resbum]

Cool beans. Thanks Dark. I'll fix my post next time I'm at a computer. Resbum

[ColeTrickle]

Glad you got it back.

[Resbum]

Thanks, Cole.

[Achilles]

Glad to see you got it back!!!!

[Resbum]

June 27 &28 The 7th Annual Christmas Valley 4x4 Off Road Campout and Trail Ride

OFF TOPIC

Hey anyone in eastern Oregon or the Pacific Northwest. Every year my bro in law hosts this event. He posts the invite in the Expedition Portal and Pacific Northwest Backroad Adventures forums. All are welcome. See my additional comments below, after his invite. Resbum

http://www.pnwadventures.com/forum/showthread.php/25309-The-7th-Annual-Christmas-Valley-4x4-Off-Road-Campout-and-Trail-Ride

Here's his invite

June 27 &28 The 7th Annual Christmas Valley 4x4 Off Road Campout and Trail Ride
Yes it is that time again to look toward Christmas Valley for the 7th Annual
CV campout and trail ride. I'm sorry I'm getting it posted 2 months late but It's been a busy winter. And have had lots of stuff cluttering up the old Gray Matter. So once again as always it is the last Full Weekend in June.
. This years trail ride will once again take us South of Christmas Valley to see if we can locate some Wild horse herds and explore some of the canyons they hang out in. Once again it will be a long day so be prepared with food and drink and a full tank of gas. Camp will be in the same area as always. CB channel 4 make sure you have a Flag for the dunes and an ORVsticker. Fire fighting equip. first aid kits, recovery gear, all the stuff you should have in your rig anytime you go off road. Remember No alcohol during trail rides or you will be asked to leave. Please bring an arm load of fire wood.
And Darrel and Jesi well Jesi anyways don't forget my annual bribe "Cookies"

If you have any questions feel free to email me. title it " 7th Annual CV"
My email is (typed in code of course) rupe430 at gmail dot com pretty sneaky huh?

Hope to see you here!
Rupe and Mrs. Rupe
The Dusty Boot Ranch
in the Heart of Oregons
High Desert!

My additional comments:

There isn't really any crazy four wheelin'. They mostly stay to the backroads. Going out on the dunes is fun, but you need an Oregon ATV Permit and flag. Both can be picked up in the little town of Christmas Valley on the way out. It's 20 miles away. The permits can be bought at Santa's Hardware. They're something like $15. If Santa's doesn't have any flags you can buy those at the Chevron station. You'll need to stop there anyways to top off you tank.

The "Camp will be in the same area as always" my bro in law refers to is the the BLM Christmas Valley Dunes Recreational Riding Area campgrounds. They are located about two miles away from where I live. Here's the BLM link.

http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=85

On one side of the dunes riding area is The Lost Forest. BLM link:

http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=86

On the other side of the dunes riding area is Fossil Lake. BLM link:

http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/heritage/paleo.php

Nearby, there is also, Crack in the Ground, Hole in the Ground, Benjamin Cave, and more.

So, as you can see, there is a whole lot more to do and see than just the trail rides.

I'd like to see some Full Size Jeep'ers make a presence at my bro in laws trail ride. It would also give me a chance to show off my truck to any of you. If only a couple FSJ's come I could even put you up on my property, instead of the campground. I have an area cleared for camping that I used before I got my 5th wheel in place.

Let me know and also please drop my bro in law an email listed at the end of his invite above.

Hope to see some of you. :-bd Resbum

[Mudbull]

Wow...I leave the forum for a few months and miss this much? Really sorry to hear about your ordeal, glad to see that it's home though.

[loosewrenchcowboy]

dear lord!!

Resbum, I know we have all felt the time and $$ crunch during projects, but few of us can sympathize with the agony of having them stolen. Thank the car gods u got it back.

Or to Mudbull, to have it wrecked(2 times for u right, the car and the fsj?).

It just makes ill to think about it.
I had my 69 firebird stolen, but i lucked out a few days later and i saw it hidden behind a semi trailer in a police impound yard(no records of it being in there, or being towed-inside job perhaps??). No worse for wear except a few glass scratches from the slim jim.

And after restoring an 80 z28, having it hit twice in a year, while parked!!(sold it after painting it the 3rd time in 18 months- it was cursed!!

Maybe the guys that horde them away in a garage to never see daylight are smarter than i thought!! Lol

My sympathies to u both. But i am glad to see u are both recovering well.

[loosewrenchcowboy]

the winch

Did they swipe your winch?
Is there and reason u didnt just run the milemarker hydraulic winch the way it was designed-off the power steering pump?
I installed a 10,500# milemarker hydro on my truck in 1998, truck sits outside, daily driven until 4 years ago. Put 100,000 miles on the truck with the winch on it, michigan salty roads and all. And i have to say i havent touched it since installation. Except to pull something, from someplace it aint sposed to be.