Walter Carter is born and raised challenging the rocky desert hills of Arizona. He has always and forever wanted a machine that will be capable of traveling farther AND get him back home safely. He's not so much of a "trail quail" and prefers real, goal oriented expeditions.
You are definitely going hard core with your build and this is certainly no mall crawler!
How do you approach your offroading addiction and love for 4x4 trucks?
If, after crossing the deserts, I come to a water barrier, rock escarpment, mesquite thicket or any other challenge, I don't want to have to turn back because my vehicle is not up to the task.
After building many trucks, jeeps, strip-downs, sand rails, etc. I took advantage of the online auctions and bought several military HMMWVs. They were great machines but my apatite for travelling farther was not gratified. After 1400 hours of modification, along with over $50,000 in parts and materials, I've turned one of the HMMWVs into the best country crossing vehicle I've ever operated.
What modifications have you done for your 4x4 and what are your future plans?
I shortened the wheelbase 24 inches, added rear steering, swapped the 242 transfer case for an NP205 converted to dual shift, added full carriage Eaton Detroit Lockers to both differentials, added an on-board compressor for tire air and gear case pressure regulation, all steel body, perforated steel belly pans, fenders that turn with the wheels and have LED trail lights mounted to them, LED headlights putting out 22.5K lumens, vinyl convertible top, lay down windshield, GPS speedometer, tachometer, dual plain inclinometer, water proof switches, gauges, LED lights and wiring, 16 inch Flex-A-Lite variable speed fan, V340BT JVC stereo with 10 inch kickers, 1400 watt inverter, YAESU FT-7900R/E dual frequency transceiver, comet antennas, spare tire loading winch, backup camera, jerry-can holders, etc.
Next I would like to upgrade the suspension to airbags, add a winch and possibly a tow hitch.
Wow - I'm impressed!
Did you have any challenges lifting your 4x4 truck?
Because I built my own platform I have no challenges to lifting my machine.
Where do you go wheeling and what is the terrain like?
I like travelling the Saw Tooth Mountains South of Casa Grande, The Chiricahua Mountains Southeast of Tucson, the Pinal Mountains near Globe and the Superstition Mountains East of Phoenix. All these locations have sand, rock obstacles, water bodies and trees/vegetation/cactus. Finding abandoned mine operations, ghost towns, stage stops and railroad beds/bridges that are abandoned are the most fun I can have off road.
Tell us about an interesting experience you had on the trail!
Driving a sand rail towards the South entrance of box canyon in the mid 80's I was caught in a thick hail storm mixed with freezing rain. Being completely unprepared for the weather. I started to pass a miners settlement on the edge of a creek bed and was hailed by two men on the front porch. Their lodgings looked much more livable than the machine I was in and I accepted their invitation to enter. On the wood stove in their quarters they had a large, steaming coffee pot and they offered me cup.
Even though I wasn't a coffee drinker my uncontrolled trembling prompted me to accept. One of miners stepped to the stove, poured some water from a jar into the already boiling pot and dumped about a half a coffee cup of fresh grounds directly to the water. About 5 minutes later the miner poured me a cup of coffee that looked more like a thick syrup and placed it on the table in front of me. Not surprisingly the hot steel cup felt good in my hands but what did surprise me was how really good that syrup tasted and how it warmed me clean through in no time at all. Turns out they called that "cowboy coffee" and it made a coffee drinker of me.
Other info you would like to share
Because my vehicle is so radically different it is a real show stopper. I would enjoy an opportunity to share photos of it with other enthusiasts.
I included only one picture with the top down but none with the cargo rack attached. Also, under the flaming skull is perforated steel. The skull cutout is easily removed by removing four bolts and a broad louvered grill, for maximum air flow, can be bolted in it's place. I built the entire thing in the one car garage the pictures were taken in front of. Also, I did everything but upholster the seats.
Walter Carter
Arisona, USA
Extreme 4x4 are highly modified and custom built 4x4s. Some of them may look like other 4x4s but as you look closer you see interesting solutions. Others are obviously extreme 4x4s!
