Our project Power Wagon has been a faithful pack mule since its arrival here in northern Illinois at the Four Wheeler Midwest Bureau.
Our last blog update was back in June, and it covered the addition of the VoltaBox system that provides 120-volt power via solar energy. You'll be able to read about the VoltaBox in the November issue of Four Wheeler. In previous issues we covered the addition of the B&W Trailer Hitches Turnover Ball Gooseneck Hitch, Companion 5th Wheel RV Hitch, and Tow & Stow Receiver Hitch; Valley Odyssey II electric brake controller; Daystar 1-inch leveling kit; and 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja ATZs on Dick Cepek Torque wheels.
We can report that our Power Wagon, and its new accessories, are operating flawlessly so far. The truck itself now has almost 50,000 miles on the odometer and it is as tight as the day we took delivery. The last time we used the front and rear locking differentials was to pull a stuck tractor out of a creek. With the lockers engaged and the traction of the MT's, recovery of the big IH 706 was easy.
We recently removed the VoltaBox to make room for lots of gear for a family vacation. We stuffed the 6-foot bed with three large storage bins, cooler, five mountain bikes, five folding lawn chairs, two duffel bags, one Coleman stove, one Weber gas grill, and a spare MT ATZ tire on Dick Cepek wheel.
In a couple of weeks, we'll load the bed of our Power Wagon with a Super Duty rear axle that's badly in need of a rebuild and we'll point the PW down to Custom Differentials in Missouri, where it'll get the love it needs. From there we'll aim the PW further into Missouri to tour an ORV park and then to Tennessee to shoot some suspension installs.