Membership is open to anyone eighteen (18) years or older who wishes to participate, regardless of whether or not their off-highway vehicle is running, or whether you even have a rig right now. We have members who participate only by riding along with friends to help out on the trail. If you or someone you know is interested in obtaining more information about the Off-Camber Crawlers, Inc. Four Wheel Drive Club please feel free to join our mailing list or email the board.
Founded in Jan 1997, The Off-Camber Crawlers, Inc. (OCC) is a group of professional individuals, mostly from Washington, DC and its surrounding areas, who are interested in off-road driving and enjoying the great outdoors with friends.
We meet once a month at 6:30pm typically on the second Sunday of the month. Check our calendar for the next meeting or trail ride. We meet at Kilroy's in Springfield.
Regular Monthly meetings are held at Kilroy's in Springfield, VA (5250 Port Royal Rd, Springfield, VA 22151). The meetings are on the enclosed deck in the rear of the restaurant. Most folks drive around and park behind the shopping center and enter the deck from the back of the building. The meetings are typically held on the second Sunday of the month at 6:30pm, but we do move them around for holidays or venue conflicts, so be sure to check the calendar.
Ed Miller (OCC, TJ 35's, locked/locked) Jonathan Kalmes (OCC, LJ, 35's, locked/locked) Rob (Guest, LJ, 35's, locked/locked) Gene, Claudia (NVJA '07JK Rubicon, 35's, locked/locked) Chip Woods (OCC, TJ, 33's, open/open) Charles Galpin, Joe Edwards, Sam (OCC, '94 D90, 33's, rear locker)
This was a great sized group and all the vehicles where nicely setup for blues. There were 3 blue groups and we made a rough agreement on which route's we'd take so we didn't end up in traffic on the same trail, and our group was going to start with the u-turns.
We had a slow start. On the way to the trail we saw extreme, and after a brief discussion it was decided we'd give it a shot - someone mentioned they recalled it not living up to it's name. As the trail progressed it got harder and I was running a new [to me] set of tires and wasn't getting traction so I stopped to check my air pressure. It looks like I need to adjust my deflators as they were all high in the low twenties. Chip offered up his deflators set at 12 psi so I aired down to 12 which improved traction. However it was getting tougher for Chip and I and we walked the trail a bit and decided it wasn't getting any easier and there was no end in sight so the smart move was to turn around and head for the trails we knew. Whilst turning around I managed to lose the bead on my right front tire. It was of course a very steep rocky section so we hooked up Ed's winch via a snatch block on a tree to prevent the truck falling downhill and I jacked the right front up with my hi-lift. We then put a ratchet strap around the tire to help seat the bead and used my air tank to inflate the tire. Some smart-ass comments were made as to how far I'd make it without breaking again and fortunately for me it was uneventful from that point forward.
So once back on middle road we went up u-turn hard, and I believe stopped for lunch at this point. During lunch we cut the end of Rob's exhaust off which he had manage to bend on extreme and was pressing up against his right rear shock which was also bleeding out. Later I found out this was a bad move as the exhaust heated the rubber boot on the drive hope and sprayed the rubber into his brakes. Then we went down u-turn easy, and went all the way down to the very start of trickle and road it all the way to the end. We crossed over middle road and took cobra up, came back down winch-only. My memory is fading already but we ended up taking some other trail up and then came down cobra, but I can't remember which trail :( Chip needed to get back to camp so he split when we took wahoo before heading back to camp.
Despite the slow start we covered a lot of ground and had a great day. I want to thank everyone in my group for being patient and helpful which we futzed around with my tire. I am thinking the skinny tires were not a good choice but will setup my deflators and give them at least one more chance :)
I also want to thank everyone who helped organize the event, and especially Chip for cooking a great dinner on Saturday night!
The OCC Email Forum/List is truly the central vein of OCC. A substantial portion of the OCC community is our mailing list. This is where we meet and greet everyone. Questions are posted, answers are given. Trips are setup, meetings times coordinated. Technical questions are posted by newcomers and the old-timers provide years of experience.
Everyone is welcome, so please feel free to post any questions or responses on our list. This is an email list for the Off-Camber Crawlers off road club, you will be a guest for 6 months. Please use that time to decide if this club is right for you. At the end of the 6 months we hope you will have joined or declared your intention to join. If your 6 months pass and you have not made an attempt to join you will be removed from the list.
We had a driver meeting to check for safety equipment and discuss trail etiquette. We set our CB’s to channel 4, and changed channels several times during the day due to too many other users. 9:52- We followed Blue Group #3 up to Middle Road and continued to the North end after they went down Wahoo!. We took a quick break at the bottom of Trickle before heading up the trail. About this time Preston stopped to replace the first of many fan fuses in his YJ. A little further up the trail, Charles pushed the bead off his right front tire. We replaced the valve stem, damaged by a rock, reseated and aired up his tire. Preston replaced another fuse. Every rig made it through Trickle with no tugs, stacking, or winching. 11:53- A quick lunch break was taken at the end of the trail. After lunch ad a short drive on Middle Road we dropped onto the bottom of Wahoo!. Preston replaced another fuse. Wahoo presented some challenges for the three rigs with open differentials. I turned around at point to possibly winch Patrick over a log. But with some good spotting and a little stacking he made it over. Preston replaced another fuse. Doug had taken bypass #1 and rejoined at bypass #2. At bypass #3 we noticed Charles had a cut sidewall, Patrick’s XJ fan wasn’t working and a misfire developed, and the trail was a little much for Doug’s 4Runner. Preston replaced another fuse. So we took the #3 bypass and headed back to Camp 2 to assess the rigs. Kevin’s tire cut was small and not leaking. Doug and Robin decided to call it a day, aired up, and headed home. Patrick’s fan fuse had blown; Preston’s YJ was rubbing off on the XJ. 2:03- About a half hour later we headed out for some easier trails and the quest some had for mud! So we went to the 101 area. At Camp 6 Preston replaced another fuse. Then it was up Timber Trail and after a couple loops through the 101 area Preston replaced another fuse. A quick photo was taken at an overlook and we headed to the trails around Loop 10. We dropped down Dynamite to Loop 10. A couple drivers have a fear of heights, so the long steep downhill was a challenge for them. 3:18- Several rigs did the quick/steep up and down near the bottom, and then we headed back to the trail intersections with the mud holes. Patrick quickly sunk his XJ into a deep sloppy hole! After hooking up a strap and before being pulled out he spun his tires to get his rig very muddy. Kevin, with his larger tires and lift on his XJ decided to give the hole a try. He made it further than Patrick, but had to be pulled out by Charles. We bypassed the large mud holes at Camp 8 and headed back towards Camp 2. 4:01- Everyone took a turn on the RTI ramp in the field before we went back to Camp 2 and prepared for dinner. 4:25
Colossal Canines - Blue Group #3 Saturday Trip Report
Attendees: Alexander Mendez & Passenger (NVJA member, '07 JKU) Chris Kann (NVJA, '03 TJ Rubicon) Ed Salas (OCC, TJ) Jim Stowers (NVJA member, '87 YJ) John Young (NVJA, '92 XJ) Joshua Sprinkle & Wes Lunsford (OCC, Scott's Red YJ) Pete Soski & Melissa Burn (OCC, '94 YJ) Wayne Lau & Randy Wood (OCC, '01 TJ)
I led one of the three Blue Groups for Saturday's run. After a brief driver's meeting we lined up and headed out. We headed over to Middle Road and I turned onto Wahoo, unfortunately it wasn't. After backing out and taking the next turn, we headed down Wahoo. We make quick work of Wahoo and went up Corbra next. We stopped at the top of Winch Hill to check the drop-off off the rock. The drop-off was still there, but it was dug out on both sides of the rock. I drove to the right of the rock and fit snuggly through. I had Alex go to the left side, but he slide sideways (due to the loose dirt/rocks) until hitting the rock which straighten him up. John took a nice line to the right by coming off the rock on the driver's side instead of going to the right of the rock.
We took lunch further down Winch Hill and then headed down Middle Road towards the beginning of Trickle. On the way, we did the Funnel which I usually like doing it the other way, but it was still fun. We picked up Trickle near the end where Middle road crosses Trickle. Trickle was pretty uneventful except for the bugs out there. At the end of Trickle, we ran into the Green Group lead by Alan which was about to start it.
We headed up Sissy and Nasty next. It's been a while since I've done these trails and I enjoyed them. Just as I was saying to myself how quickly we were going through the trails, we ran into some trouble. Nasty has a couple large rocks between two (2) trees on a hill climb. Alex got a little high centered. After a little rock stacking, hi-lifting, and winching he was free. Joshua had a little wheel spin and the rear driver's side tire caught the rock and he lost the rear driveshaft and driver's side center pin. After about 2.5 to 3 hours we were able to re-attach the driveshaft and replace the center pin. Thanks to everyone in getting Scott's jeep rolling again. We finished Nasty and headed back to camp.
We had great weather, great bunch of folks and great wheeling. Couldn't ask for a better day. Hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as I did.
Btw. I hope I got all the names right. If not I apologize.
