The Rooster January 2015

Thanksgiving 2014, November 21-December 1 by Jim Kastle

I arrived at Wash 6 Friday afternoon to find Mike, Don and Shirley, Jerry and Linda, Chuck, Steve Porter, Bill and Linda, Dave Huggard, and Ray and Janice. I set up the white trailer and Ray helped me get the yellow trailer. Mike led Ray, Janice and me on a great first RZR ride. We had a campfire, and Bobby and LuAnne soon arrived.

Saturday morning we went on another four RZR ride with the same RZR’s. Jerry stayed in camp and installed a larger battery in their RZR, and Don and Shirley went to Algodones to finish some dental work for Don. Kris and Doug and Janice and Steve Tharp soon arrived. On the afternoon ride was the same four RZR’s were joined by Janice Tharp. I had never been on a RZR ride with her and I was very impressed with the way she threw the RZR around like a quad. We went to Mama Jeannie’s for dinner, but were unable to visit with Jeannie.

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Whats New

Having had a great long trip over Thanksgiving, it is almost time for New Years. Members will be arriving at the dunes in less than a week from now, and staying on into 2015.

Spaghetti Dinner

After debating about when to have it, we decided to stick with New Year’s Eve for the spaghetti dinner. Bring pasta, sauce, sides, or desserts to share with the group. See more on page 7.

RZR Update

The rivalry between smaller and larger dune vehicles is increasing, just as the numbers of RZRs in the dunes and club are rapidly growing. This month look for back and forth regarding rollovers, which did occur during the Thanksgiving trip.

THE ROOSTER A monthly update from the Inland Empire Offroad Association

The Rooster January 2015

Sunday morning Mike led another ride with Don, Shirley, Jerry, Ray, both Janices, LuAnne, and me all following him. We were having a great, somewhat fast ride when Mike crested a dune and landed in a hole, biting his tongue, and as we found when we went to leave, breaking Mike’s drive belt. Ray installed Mike’s spare belt while the rest of us watched or occasionally handed him a tool. Ray said he wanted to practice for doing his. It seems to me he doesn’t need any practice, as he had the belt changed in what seemed like only 10 minutes. We continued to Sweet Marie’s for ice cream. There was a buggy ride while we were on the RZR ride and apparently Bob lost a CV boot, but didn’t let that stop him from duning back to camp. Back in camp I decided to work on the generator in the yellow trailer. I made a trip to the store, and another to Gilmore’s on the flats, but got it running. Bobby cleaned his CV and reinstalled the boot. We had a campfire.

Monday Dave and Bill and Linda left. I went on my first buggy ride of the trip with Chuck, and both Steve’s following me. We went to the big bowls between Olds and Comp and were

blessed with some near perfect sand. We took a break near Osborne and watched two motorcycles do some monster jumps for a friend’s camera. They were good! Our ride continued through the old “small” closure and past the Boardman Box. The sand down there was very soft and smooth. Back in camp I headed off to Yuma to get a replacement PC board for my furnace which stopped working sometime early Monday morning. I was later joined by Don and Shirley, Jerry and Linda, Mike, Chuck, and LuAnne for a Texas Roadhouse dinner. We returned in time for a campfire. I worked on my furnace and found they sold me the wrong board. I was able to do a makeshift repair and got the furnace working.

Sometime late Monday or Tuesday morning Steve Porter and

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Upcoming Events

• December 24-January 5th: Christmas / New Years at Glamis, Wash 6

• January 16-19th: MLK Dune Cleanup Weekend at Glamis, Wash 6

• February 6-16th: Presidents Week at Glamis Many people get Monday the 16th off, so add some days to make it an extra long trip.

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The Rooster January 2015

Dave Huggard left. Early Tuesday morning I realized I would have to take the dually to Yuma again to get the right board. I remembered that Nancy was coming out Tuesday afternoon, so I texted her asking if she could get here early so I could use her car. Being the great wife she is, she left home before dawn. I missed the morning RZR ride, because Nancy was due to arrive before 10:00 A.M., and I sure didn’t want to make her wait. On the ride they found a burned out RZR near hill 3. Since I found out I had to return the board, I was worried they might not accept it, as many places have a “No returns on electrical parts policy.” I was pleased to find they not only stocked the correct board, they had no problems exchanging it for me. I have been impressed by Hilco RV in Yuma before, but this was really impressive. I got back to camp in time for a RZR/buggy ride with Mike and Doug in their RZR’s and Kris and me in our buggies. Jeff Oliver and Brandy and his friend John arrived.

Chuck and Steve Tharp left, with Steve leaving his rig in camp, planning a Friday return. We had another well-attended campfire. Around 11:45 P.M. I heard P.J., Melissa, and Allie arrive.

Wednesday P.J., Brandy and John, and I went for a buggy ride into the bowls between Comp and Olds. The sand was quite rutted up compared to Monday. We had a good ride but twice buried P.J.’s car on a ridge. One time I pulled up to tow him out, and my car wouldn’t start. Brandy came to the rescue, but even jump starting my car wouldn’t help. P.J. pushed me off and I bump started the car and was able to return and tow him free. We planned to go for another ride, but back in camp I worked on my starter. I found a defective starter cable, but Jerry had the stuff to build a new one. I had a new starter in camp, and knew my old one was on its last legs, so I replaced it. My battery seemed a little weak, so I ended up replacing it. At Coral Pink P.J. stuck a stick into a paddle, so we took the time to try and repair the tire. So much for a second ride. While we were on the buggy ride, Mike led a RZR ride on which they stopped at the burned out RZR and salvaged a few small parts. Eight of us went to Cracker Barrel for dinner, making three days in a row I was in Yuma. While we were gone, Steve and Kim, and Kim’s parents, Terry and Leslie, arrived.

Thursday morning Mike led an 11 RZR (and 1 buggy) ride. I missed the start of it as I was on a walk and saw Brandy and John heading for breakfast, and figured the three of us would go for a buggy ride. When I got back to camp, I found that P.J. was not feeling well, and Brandy had joined the RZR ride. Not wanting to stay in camp, I called the ride on the yellow trailer’s radio, and Mike answered. He said they were at hill 3. I asked them to wait for me, and took the RZR to meet them. We then headed through the dunes and the dusty washes to somewhere around was 29 to allow Janice to pick up a crock pot she needed for Thanksgiving dinner. We were back in the dunes somewhere around hill 5 when Brandy reported his car was beginning to sputter, low on gas. Mike led us to the wash road and we all made it back to camp in plenty of time for dinner.

Dale and Rebecca arrived. Kris and Doug offered their trailer to set up the food. We had a slightly smaller than average IEOR feast, but there was plenty of good food for everyone. Thanks to all, but especially Kris and Doug for the use of their trailer, Shirley and Bobby for the turkey, and Nancy for the ham. I

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The Rooster January 2015

loved all the deserts, especially the pies, and did a good job of sampling them all. I did, however, miss Janece’s coconut cream and chocolate cream pies. (How about that, Janece, you don’t make the trip, but STILL get mentioned in the newsletter!) The day ended with another well-attended campfire that started breaking up at 6:00 P.M. and was almost abandoned by 8:00. We didn’t even take a night ride to the hill. Based on scanner traffic, there was not much happening at Olds anyway.

Friday Morning Kris and Doug and Jeff Oliver left. Brandy, P.J, and I went for a ride through the big bowls between Olds and Comp and then into the former “small” closure.

While we were on this ride, Mike led a RZR ride to the area near hill 3. We heard on the radio that Terry, Kim’s dad, rolled his RZR with the only damage being a bent whip. Not long before the roll, Leslie, his wife, had abandoned him and was riding with Shirley in the 1000. Rumor has it Terry and Leslie are looking for a 1000. Back in camp we took Allie for a buggy ride to get ice cream, and missed the afternoon buggy ride. The only thing I heard was that Bob lost another CV boot. We had another well-attended campfire. Amber (Dave Medlin’s Daughter) and Josh Leeper came into camp to visit, and they were camped nearby in Wash 6 with their new toyhauler. We hope that they will join us in the future. Then Brandy and John, P.J., Ray and Janice, and I went to Olds. It was the busiest we’ve seen in a couple of years. After an hour or so a truck with a DJ in the back pulled up to the first row. We probably wouldn’t have noticed, but the scanner traffic from the rangers and sheriffs indicated they saw the D.J. as a problem, and they reported rows one and two were blocked. We didn’t see any blockage. We heard on the scanner the rangers closed the access road to Olds. In what I consider a huge overreaction we counted at least 18 law enforcement vehicles with their red and blue flashing lights line up side by side on the hill just to the west of Olds overlooking the parking area at the bottom of the hill. This was clearly an attempt to intimidate those of us at Olds. Probably 2/3 of the crowd left, followed by 1/3 to1/2 of the law enforcement vehicles. Three or four of the rangers or sheriffs then approached the DJ and ran his truck license and his driver’s license. Finding nothing wrong they apparently just told him to turn off the music. The D.J. and the officers left Olds. Most of you know I am not at all a rebel, and tend to support law enforcement, but I think their actions were way out of line. My opinion is that they are trying to justify highly overstaffing on holiday weekends. I am much more concerned about the abuse of law enforcement power than I am about a D.J. Yes, I know the rules and regulations prohibit the use of a P.A. system at Glamis, but using 18 vehicles to ask to turn it down is ridiculous, at least in my opinion.

Saturday morning I led P.J., Steve Tharp, Brandy and John, Dale and Rebecca, Bob’s brother-in-law Randy, and Bob in the RZR on a buggy ride through some near virgin sand west of hill 5. Mike led the RZR’s on a ride in the same general area. We again heard that Terry rolled the RZR. Is a future 1000 a sure thing for them? I later found out he was barely moving across a hill and stopped. The RZR slid downhill, building a berm on the low side of the tires, causing it to roll onto its side. No damage. The buggy ride was uneventful

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The Rooster January 2015

and we returned to camp with the only problem being Brandy’s car running rough, and the power steering was intermittent. On Saturday afternoon Dave Medlin arrived for the evening after driving his truck out for the day. Brandy packed up and headed for home, and several of us went to the hill, including Dave for the first time in a few years. The crowd was noticeably lighter than on Friday.

On Sunday morning we awoke to find heavy fog, so thick that we couldn’t see across camp. Steve Tharp e-mailed the group with a video of the fog. The fog cleared in time for a ride, which was uneventful except for P.J. tearing a paddle off one tire and then burying the rear end as he started to drive off. We returned to camp and started to pack up. Mike offered to lead one more RZR ride, so Ray and I followed him on the last ride of the trip. No one rolled. P.J. and Melissa left, and the rest of the Kastles, the Fords and the Tranthams went to Yuma for another Texas Roadhouse dinner, Nancy’s first of the trip. Ray and Janice and Mike watched camp and had a campfire going when we returned.

Early Monday Mike and Ray and Janice left. We finished packing and I took the yellow trailer to storage. Before

leaving, I asked Jerry and Don if they could wait until I got back to leave, so my RZR, buggy, and trailer wouldn’t be left unattended. When I got back they help me load the buggy and RZR so we could caravan. Thanks guys! In just 3 ½ weeks we’ll be back at the dunes for Christmas/New Years.

The trip had been a great one, but we missed those of you who weren’t able to share Thanksgiving dinner with us.

!RZR Observations By Paul Kastle

As Shirley pointed out last month, the Razors out number the sandrails now. We discussed this at the elevator shop on a Tuesday night, and realized that despite the many RZRs in the group, the rollover rate (per vehicle) is much higher for them than the buggies. In light of this, we chose to include the consumer advisory message on the following page. We’re just offering some friendly advice to our RZR riding friends. Perhaps next month we’ll look at reliability, but us buggy guy think the numbers need to be compared on a per year of use basis, since the RZRs are all so relatively new… !!!

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The Rooster January 2015

Polaris Recalls RZR Off-Highway Vehicles Due to Excessive Rollovers (Recall Alert) The off-highway vehicles may roll over when pointed up hill while maneuvering in steep sandy terrain. Users should upgrade their vehicles or not exceed the manufacturer recommended terrain angle of 15 degrees.

Recall date: December 5, 2014

Recall number: 14-1200

Recall Summary Name of product:

2009-2011 Polaris Ranger RZR 800, RZR S 800, and 900 XP recreational off-highway vehicles (Although recall may be expanded to include RZR 1000 models once the next larger version is revealed.)

Hazard:

The vehicle may roll over unpredictably when driven in soft sand. Users have reported rollover rates that are substantially higher than traditional vehicles used in similar terrain. Some vehicles have been reported to roll multiple times in one weekend.

Remedy:

Consumers should immediately stop using the vehicles on sand hills and contact Polaris to schedule an upgrade. Users may trade in their vehicles for newer, larger, and more powerful units or may choose a non-factory vehicle for traversing such terrain. Polaris is contacting its known customers directly by advertising newer larger models at countless off highway events.

Recall Details Units

About 2,599,564,123 units, because everybody seems to have at least one. Description

This recall involves 2009-2011 model Polaris Ranger RZR recreational off-highway vehicles. These have a “RZR” decal on the plastic right and left rear side panels. The right and left of the hood have “Dual Overhead Cam” decals. Incidents/Injuries

The firm has received multiple reports of incidents involving consumers who received emotional injuries due to the ridicule from their full size vehicle driving friends. Sold at

Polaris dealers nationwide from May 2008 through February 2013 for between $16,000 and $45,600. Manufacturer

Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn. Manufactured in

United States The U.S. Duner Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of humiliation associated with the use of factory built consumer products in sandy locations under the agency’s jurisdiction. DPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with using consumer products in high-silica environments over the past 40 years.

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The Rooster January 2015

New Year’s Eve Spaghetti Pot Luck This year we will once again have a pot luck spaghetti dinner on New Year’s Eve, which falls on a Wednesday night this year. We had considered having it during one of the weekends, but the only preference on the website was for New Year’s Eve, and hopefully that will catch the most people.!

So, we’ll see you there in camp on Wednesday night, December 31st! !

RZR Seating, minus the RZR: Some RZR drivers just can't get enough. Check out the custom camp chairs that Don and Shirley have with stands that Mike Bacon bent up for them. Very nice guys! Notice that they are still “side by side.” I also won’t get into the fact that they are right side up, and unbroken… -P.J.!

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This month we’d like to thank Jim Kastle for writing about Thanksgiving, and Shirley Ford for sending in a picture. Please feel free to send in whatever content you’d like to share. The next newsletter will cover the Christmas / New Years trip, and will be out in late January. In the mean time, have a wonderful Holiday season and a happy New Year. It has been a great 2014, and we look forward to seeing everyone in the dunes in 2015!