Death Valley with GX
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 252
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From: CA
Death Valley with GX
Just took the GX for a road trip to Death Valley. I figured I wanted to just kick back and relax this coming Memorial Day weekend rather than getting stuck in traffic somewhere.
I gotta say it is one of the most spectacular trips I ever had. I stayed on mostly main gravel roads and didn't venture off to other trails like the guys in Yotatech since I'm traveling alone.
Somethings I observed.
The GX a/c had no problems keeping the cabin cool with outside temp hovering in the 119°F. I manually set the A/C to fan speed 2-3 and cabin temp. to 72°F.
The engine cooling fan was on mostly while in the Valley and did noticably suck some power from the engine, I wonder when will they upgrade it to electric ones.
On gravel roads doing about 15mph-25mph the ride does get a bit jittery and tiring even with the suspension set to max comfot. The rear axle tend to hop and get the truck side ways. I wonder if I should lower the tire pressure to 25psi or less for more comfort and less axle hop?
Navigation system worked flawlessly. On trail going to the Racetrack and on Titus Canyon there is no guessing on how far are you in and need to go. Makes the trip a lot less worry free and keeping things in schedule.
Anyway, for those who are interested in making the same trip as I am, here is my itinerary. You need at least 2 days and 1 night or more if you ran out of time. We maximized the time by packing lunch and dinner and tour until 1hr. before sunset.
Day 1
Enter National Park through the west entrance 11am
Stovepipe Wells Village - pay park fee (Lunch)
Sand Dunes
Devils Cornfield
Furnace Creek Visitor Center - Get Park map by showing receipt to ranger.
Devils Golf Course
Badwater
Natural Bridge
Artists Palatee (if open)
Zabriskie Point (if open)
Twenty Mule Team Canyon (if open)
Hole in the wall (if open)
Harmoney Borax Work Interpretive Trail (gravel road)
Keane Wonder Mine (gravel road)
Spend the night at Beatty
Day 2
Rhyolite (ghost town)
Titus Canyon (heading west, aprox. 25miles or 1:45hr) (gravel road)
Leadfield (ghost town)
Scottys Castle (Lunch)
Ubehebe Crater
The Racetrack (heading south aprox 28miles or 1:15hr @ 20mph) (gravel road)
Head Home!
I gotta say it is one of the most spectacular trips I ever had. I stayed on mostly main gravel roads and didn't venture off to other trails like the guys in Yotatech since I'm traveling alone.
Somethings I observed.
The GX a/c had no problems keeping the cabin cool with outside temp hovering in the 119°F. I manually set the A/C to fan speed 2-3 and cabin temp. to 72°F.
The engine cooling fan was on mostly while in the Valley and did noticably suck some power from the engine, I wonder when will they upgrade it to electric ones.
On gravel roads doing about 15mph-25mph the ride does get a bit jittery and tiring even with the suspension set to max comfot. The rear axle tend to hop and get the truck side ways. I wonder if I should lower the tire pressure to 25psi or less for more comfort and less axle hop?
Navigation system worked flawlessly. On trail going to the Racetrack and on Titus Canyon there is no guessing on how far are you in and need to go. Makes the trip a lot less worry free and keeping things in schedule.
Anyway, for those who are interested in making the same trip as I am, here is my itinerary. You need at least 2 days and 1 night or more if you ran out of time. We maximized the time by packing lunch and dinner and tour until 1hr. before sunset.
Day 1
Enter National Park through the west entrance 11am
Stovepipe Wells Village - pay park fee (Lunch)
Sand Dunes
Devils Cornfield
Furnace Creek Visitor Center - Get Park map by showing receipt to ranger.
Devils Golf Course
Badwater
Natural Bridge
Artists Palatee (if open)
Zabriskie Point (if open)
Twenty Mule Team Canyon (if open)
Hole in the wall (if open)
Harmoney Borax Work Interpretive Trail (gravel road)
Keane Wonder Mine (gravel road)
Spend the night at Beatty
Day 2
Rhyolite (ghost town)
Titus Canyon (heading west, aprox. 25miles or 1:45hr) (gravel road)
Leadfield (ghost town)
Scottys Castle (Lunch)
Ubehebe Crater
The Racetrack (heading south aprox 28miles or 1:15hr @ 20mph) (gravel road)
Head Home!