Back from the hunt (Ash Fork) 12/06/2013
Author: Azca
Took the boy out for his first elk hunt, didn't catch anything but that is not the only reason to go.
We were hunting out of unit 10 N. of Ash Fork and dealing with a combination of snow, slick and sometimes sticky mud and frozen ground throughout the trip.
The 80 performed fantastic except for on the way up. She started running VERY rough on the hill between Wickenburg and Yarnell (I was dragging a trailer and fully loaded truck for a 9 day trip). Thought I would have to cancel the trip. Limped it into Prescott and had NAPA check it with their computer type thing. Threw a 301 (IIRC). Said it was misfiring on #1. They had no wires so I just picked up a spare plug. After I cleared the hill I had no further problems with it until the way back and it hesitated and acted like it died just once on a downhill run south of Ash Fork. Besides the one hick up, not other issues. Think it was the o2 sensor, no other issues I can see...
The trip was, well shall we say, fraught with woe and anguish. By brother, driving a Taco, sliced up 4 tires, two Goodyear Duratrac's and two replacement Firestone ATs. The FS have REAL thin sidewalls. The GYs did not hold up well either. He drove into Williams 3 times to get replacements! Worse yet... No road hazard insurance! Between that, the weather, mounting a tire on a rim in the outback (that was NOT fun) and a host of other "distractions".
Overall very pleased with being able to get the boy out on his first elk hunt and spending time with him. The scenery was awesome and the 80 did not let down on ability although it is a gas hog wheeling or loaded (did 8 MPG) WAY under powered for hauling with brakes that really are not up to the task of towing. But the rig did what I wanted it to do with ultimately no fuss out in the middle of nowhere.
In short it was the most difficult trip I had been on but I was still happy with the outcome.
We were hunting out of unit 10 N. of Ash Fork and dealing with a combination of snow, slick and sometimes sticky mud and frozen ground throughout the trip.
The 80 performed fantastic except for on the way up. She started running VERY rough on the hill between Wickenburg and Yarnell (I was dragging a trailer and fully loaded truck for a 9 day trip). Thought I would have to cancel the trip. Limped it into Prescott and had NAPA check it with their computer type thing. Threw a 301 (IIRC). Said it was misfiring on #1. They had no wires so I just picked up a spare plug. After I cleared the hill I had no further problems with it until the way back and it hesitated and acted like it died just once on a downhill run south of Ash Fork. Besides the one hick up, not other issues. Think it was the o2 sensor, no other issues I can see...
The trip was, well shall we say, fraught with woe and anguish. By brother, driving a Taco, sliced up 4 tires, two Goodyear Duratrac's and two replacement Firestone ATs. The FS have REAL thin sidewalls. The GYs did not hold up well either. He drove into Williams 3 times to get replacements! Worse yet... No road hazard insurance! Between that, the weather, mounting a tire on a rim in the outback (that was NOT fun) and a host of other "distractions".
Overall very pleased with being able to get the boy out on his first elk hunt and spending time with him. The scenery was awesome and the 80 did not let down on ability although it is a gas hog wheeling or loaded (did 8 MPG) WAY under powered for hauling with brakes that really are not up to the task of towing. But the rig did what I wanted it to do with ultimately no fuss out in the middle of nowhere.
In short it was the most difficult trip I had been on but I was still happy with the outcome.
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