Epic Willys Adventure 2021 Oregon Trail

I’m so exciting the crew completed the journey and safely. Been following video & photos on Instagram and just happened to stumble onto a LIVE FEED driving down the road. Appeared to be the lead vehicle pick up. What a great camping, travel, sight seeing experience in a assortment of old original Willys vehicles.
Congratulations to you all!
 
Yeah, it's been fun following along. Congrats to @wunderwillys and the rest of the EWA crew for pulling it off!
I pinged the EWA folks (via their website) about getting invited on their next adventure. Would be fun if a few OWF folks came along;
@Stakebed , @Lookout Ranch , @Pete ? Anybody else?
@Flinthillsben !!!
I wouldn't mind a trip with you guys, but I'm not definitely not cool enough for the EWA. Plus, I don't have a flat-bill, a beard or tattoos.
 
@Flinthillsben !!!
I wouldn't mind a trip with you guys, but I'm not definitely not cool enough for the EWA. Plus, I don't have a flat-bill, a beard or tattoos.
Have you ever seen the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" ? There's a scene where the "Soggy Bottom Boys" perform wearing fake beards (as they are convicts on the lam); I think those could work for us!
As for the flat bills; @Pete might want to add something to the OWF repertoire of stuff for sale?
 
Have you ever seen the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" ? There's a scene where the "Soggy Bottom Boys" perform wearing fake beards (as they are convicts on the lam); I think those could work for us!
As for the flat bills; @Pete might want to add something to the OWF repertoire of stuff for sale?
Gotta have @Stakebed on the trip, especially if he gets his wagon on the road.
 
Gotta have @Stakebed on the trip, especially if he gets his wagon on the road.
Cause I have the requisite facial hair? No tats though.

My hope and dreams is Red Wagon on the road by late Spring. Not finished but drivable. But we know how that goes. Man plans and God laughs.
 
Yeah, it's been fun following along. Congrats to @wunderwillys and the rest of the EWA crew for pulling it off!
I pinged the EWA folks (via their website) about getting invited on their next adventure. Would be fun if a few OWF folks came along;
@Stakebed , @Lookout Ranch , @Pete ? Anybody else?


@Flinthillsben !!!
I wouldn't mind a trip with you guys, but I'm not definitely not cool enough for the EWA. Plus, I don't have a flat-bill, a beard or tattoos.

@Vintage Don anyone? I for one would welcome a little OWF trip similar to this. Some of you write great orations, some are photographers, some old school mechanics; but darn it if we all aren’t entertaining in some way.
 
We’re finally loaded and the group has went their ways, kinda emotional and still soaking it all up. I can’t believe we made it, I would roll anywhere with that crew. Keep in mind that the social media and the sponsors are what drive these events and without their support this wouldn’t be possible, so there is certain amount of hamming it up.

I would captain a OWF convoy but I’m not interested in planning another one of these trip and wrangling sponsors
 

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It was good to finally meet in person. Glad you had an awesome trip. Next time your out here plan more time to check out everything in the PNW.
 
Final trip report for my 1953 Willys Wagon “Gold Bond” for the Oregon trail trip.

3058 miles and 215 gallons, 14.2 MPG from my garage in Cincinnati to the carrier back from Oregon City. Pretty good considering all of the offroad, altitude and poor driving habits. Used less than 3 quarts oil and a single quart gear lube. No breakdowns or flats, some cracked glass and a few dings.

The Epic Willys Adventure 3 (2021) was truly epic, I left a week early to visit sponsors and started in my driveway in Cincinnati. Spent some quality time with the Jeepsterman himself in St Louis, whom graciously replaced my windshield gasket and glass and a whole slew of the remaining hood, doors and hatch weather stripping. They even took me to their secret hanger full of nos parts and for a boat ride, Certainly another trip for another day.

Then off the Independence MO to meet the Epic crew the evening before launch. We were about 650 utterly blissful and trouble free miles thus far and many unknowns and hot days to go.

We had an epic storm to start and many parking lot beers as all the guys arrived through the night and morning came too soon. I’m sure the first of many noise complaints fell of deaf ears. The terrible hotel coffee would be a harbinger of days to come. Let’s meet the Jeeps

gold bond wagon
old smoky wagon
Amos truck
Gregg CJ3B
Black pearl CJ2A
Ollie CJ2A
Old man CJ3A
Veronica FC 150

It was truly a mad scramble to get to our sponsor launch at the local Carquest, where I packed away the sponsor swag, wired the rugged radio digital intercom system and headsets into my 12v portable power supply and off we went, in convoy through mean streets of the wrong side of the tracks in downtown KC. I couldn’t help but wonder what the public thought of us, a group of outlaw jeepers perhaps, or perhaps just some middle aged covid ragged dudes trying to some something epic.

Soon enough we had our first breakdown casualty, Veronica was madly spewing an ever angry and growing cloud of steam and coolant down the road and our first breakdown was upon us….day one to be continued
 

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I’ve been unable to finish writing all of this up and getting the photos together. Taking that much time off has proven to be head banger. However I did finally retrieve Gold Bond from storage with the epic guys in Wisconsin. Some of my Jeeps in January friends also serviced her and I flew up last weekend. We camped in the kettle
Morain forest and I drive her home 500 miles on Sunday. No issues just two fuel stops and today I changed the oil and sent it off for analysis and checked the plugs. We’re still cleaning her up but otherwise she is ready to go again.

I’ll find the time to finish the epic story eventually
 

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