V6E18 - The Sidelined Driveline

  It was raining gently when I woke at my campsite, in the mountains east of Erwin, Tennessee. Having no interest in lingering on a wet mountaintop, I quickly stowed my camper, and made my way into town, where I stopped at an auto parts store to pick up a new air filter for the Jeep. I might as well run some errands while the weather was so unfavorable! I spent the remainder of the morning at a coffee shop, pecking away at my computer, as I tried to catch up on emails and social media. It was certainly a productive morning, despite the rain.

Aimless in Cherokee

After coffee, I plotted a course to some nearby forest roads in Cherokee National Forest. There were a handful of viable roads to explore, most of which seemed to be dead-ends according to my GPS, but they’re always well worth exploring. A residential paved road, tucked within the foothills of Tennessee, gave way to an unkempt gravel route that wound its way up the mountain. The road didn’t demand four-wheel drive, but it deteriorated slightly as it gained elevation, ultimately terminating at a gate. Upon reaching the gate, the rain resumed, now falling more heavily. Not discouraged, I studied my GPS and set a course to another interesting forest road. This one followed a wooded ridge for several miles before terminating at yet another gate. The third time’s a charm as I explored one more gravel road that appeared to connect with a main thoroughfare. While it was a lovely route that meandered through Tennessee’s backcountry, it was a well-traveled artery that didn’t yield any better-kept secrets. The road emptied out onto pavement next to Watauga Lake, where I stopped at a day-use area to study my phone, and determine where I was going to spend the night. To my surprise, despite the vast amount of public land, I encountered very few dispersed camping options in this part of Cherokee National Forest.  

Wrenching on Watauga Lake

On the shore of Watauga Lake, I discovered Cardens Bluff Campground; an inexpensive and well-maintained forest service campground with paved spurs, fire rings, picnic tables, facilities with running water, and beautiful views of the lake. It was the perfect place to settle in for a couple of nights! During my stay, there was some maintenance that I wanted to perform on the Jeep. First, I swapped out the air filter with the new one that I had just purchased. Next, I’ve been experiencing squeaking, clicking, and vibrations from my front driveshaft that have been escalating considerably for the past month, so I decided it would be wise to remove the shaft for a close inspection. It took me a while with simple hand tools that were barely adequate. When I finally got it out, I discovered that the front universal joint was severely worn, and decided that I should leave the shaft removed until I could get it serviced. Of course the Jeep would be without four-wheel drive while the driveshaft was out, but it would prevent catastrophic u-joint failure on the highway, which could result in major damage. Disappointingly, the joints on the front driveshaft of a Jeep Wrangler JK are not easily serviceable. So when the u-joint goes bad after thousands of miles, shops will likely give you a quote for an entirely new driveshaft assembly, which costs in excess of $1000 from the dealer. This repair should cost no more than $30 plus an hour of labor, so the most practical solution is to replace the driveshaft entirely with a serviceable unit for roughly $300. In which case, all subsequent repairs will be relatively inexpensive!  

Discovering Damascus

Following an enjoyable stay on Watauga Lake, I continued north to Damascus, Virginia. Damascus is a small town in southern Virginia that is very much a hub for outdoor adventure, including cycling and hiking, as the Appalachian Trail, passes through the main street of town. Thus, there are multiple outdoor stores, and bicycle rental shops in the area. While there, I enjoyed a couple of delicious burritos at Damascus Diner, and wandered around town on foot as they prepared for Trail Days, a popular hiking festival planned for the coming weekend. I was sorry that I’d have to miss it!  

The Virginia Highlands

I continued north out of Damascus scanning the roadside and my GPS for forest roads that might lead to adventure, despite not having four-wheel drive! Eventually, I found one not far from Mount Rogers National Recreation Area that seemed to wind its way up into the mountains, terminating at the Appalachian Trail. Once again, it was visibly a dead-end according to my map, but it seemed to intersect with multiple hiking trails at the summit, so I was optimistic that it would be interesting! The road was rocky and rough, and zig-zagged up a deciduous mountainside. I put the Jeep into low-range and it had no trouble with the terrain, despite lacking a front driveshaft. After following the forest road for nearly five miles, it emptied out into a sprawling, mountaintop pasture, complete with vault toilets, fire rings, hiking trails in every direction, free-range cattle, and ponies wandering about... I could not have been more delighted by this beautiful place, and I decided to spend two days here, to do some hiking, and to mingle with people passing through along the Appalachian Trail!  

Storage Improvements

On my way north, I stopped by Blue Ridge Overland Gear in Bedford, Virginia, to meet with Adam Schalow to discuss interior storage options. Adam and I walked around the Jeep, looking for interior locations that were under-utilized, or unutilized for storage, that BROG might be able to provide a solution for. Living full-time in a four-door Jeep Wrangler, space is at a premium. There is ample space for gear, but one has to have enough room to move around and to breathe as well, and that’s what makes it challenging. Adam quickly discovered that I have necessities tucked neatly into every available crevice and pocket. However, we did discover that my sun visors were unutilized, and could be adorned with small pouches, and the grab bar in front of my passenger seat could also accommodate a bag that BROG makes specifically for this space. While these are small items, when you need to maximize every inch of space, it amounts to a huge gain in storage options and organization! [gallery link="file" columns="5" size="large" ids="https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-12.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-2.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-3.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-4.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-5.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-6.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-7.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-8.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-9.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-10.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-11.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-13.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-14.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-15.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-16.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-17.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-18.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-19.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/v6e18-20.jpg|"]