I survived a week in a VW Atlas with the Puffalump Queen AMA

"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
10/11/2017 at 13:52 • Filed to: Dusty's Work Avoidance Tour 2017

For those who missed it, The Puffy One and I towed her new butt turrible Lemons car from Los Angeles to Austin. We went to Vegas about 24 hours after the shooting (that was something), jumped desert trucks, drove RZRs, and tried to drift Mustangs at Vegas Off Road Experience, towed the Lemon over the Hoover Dam, camped at the Grand Canyon, visited Meteor Crater, found a free (and nearly empty) campground in the Apache National Forest, saw a Very Large Array (if you know what I mean), watched the sun set over the dunes of White Sands, got bats in our hair in Carlsbad Caverns, and managed to not kill each other driving across West Texas (but only just). Stefalump will be doing a proper write-up of the Atlas, but in the mean time AMA. I’m bored.

For an idea of how stupidly big this space is, find the guy in the white shirt, then know this is one of the more constricted sections

DISCUSSION (48)

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 13:58

Will the Atlas drift?

Dusty Ventures > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
10/11/2017 at 14:00

Not with a trailer attached

Stef Schrader > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 14:01

Where’s Rally Chicken?

Dusty Ventures > Stef Schrader
10/11/2017 at 14:04

Probably watching duckumentaries

Whthuheh > Stef Schrader
10/11/2017 at 14:08

Duck

Thomas Donohue > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 14:08

Will the trailer drift with an Atlas attached?

functionoverfashion > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 14:09

Not with that attitude! Is what I’m hearing. You just need a surface with less grip...

Dusty Ventures > Thomas Donohue
10/11/2017 at 14:13

It’s a uhaul trailer, so yes. All the time.

Funktheduck > Stef Schrader
10/11/2017 at 14:15

#teamduck

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 14:22

That means you weren’t cornering fast enough. At the limit of adhesion around a corner the trailer will want to keep going straight. The effect of this at the tongue will start to induce a bit of oversteer in the tow vehicle. *Disclaimer* Try it with an unloaded trailer first, as throwing the trailer around too far past the limit of adhesion will cause it to drift to the outside of the tow vehicle track, which will induce the opposite effect on the tow vehicle, which can lead to the trailer and tow vehicle swapping places.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 14:28

That’s disappointing. It’s always a “thrill” when the truck steps out with a trailer behind it.

LongbowMkII > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 14:30

Can i rent a 411 for rally duty?

Dusty Ventures > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
10/11/2017 at 14:34

I am well versed in that thrill

Dusty Ventures > LongbowMkII
10/11/2017 at 14:36

You’d have to beef up the cage and add a co-driver seat, but yes

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 14:36

How bad off is the 411?

Dusty Ventures > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
10/11/2017 at 14:59

Everything not pertaining to the engine is good

Chris Clarke > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 15:02

Is Texas a boring state to drive though, or the most boring state to drive through?

MonkeePuzzle > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 15:06

while your trip sounds ok, possibly even good, can you now admit that the best part was my mspaint edit of chicken rock?

sincerely yours,

monkee attention seeking puzzle

MonkeePuzzle > LongbowMkII
10/11/2017 at 15:07

411 on Turo!

Dusty Ventures > Chris Clarke
10/11/2017 at 15:20

A boring state. The most boring is still the 1-2 punch of Iowa and Nebraska on I-80

Dusty Ventures > MonkeePuzzle
10/11/2017 at 15:21

I didn’t see any chicken rock. Duck rock was pretty epic though

Stef Schrader > Whthuheh
10/11/2017 at 15:56

Nope, chicken.

Stef Schrader > Funktheduck
10/11/2017 at 15:56

Chicken forever!

Stef Schrader > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 15:57

She is fascinated about these creatures that are unlike her.

Stef Schrader > LongbowMkII
10/11/2017 at 15:57

You’d have to find one first.

Stef Schrader > MonkeePuzzle
10/11/2017 at 15:57

My Puffalump was the chicken, though. The rock did kinda look like a duck.

Stef Schrader > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
10/11/2017 at 15:58

very bad

Funktheduck > Stef Schrader
10/11/2017 at 15:59

Duuuuuuuuuucccckkkk

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Stef Schrader
10/11/2017 at 16:12

So on a scale of 0-10 how likely is it that we’ll see it at the autocross at River City community church and/or Texas Rallycross in the next 12 months?

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 16:19

Time for an STI engine.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 16:20

Sounds like an adventure for Dusty’s Work Avoidance Tour 2018.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 16:21

Wow! Fantastic trip...

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Stef Schrader
10/11/2017 at 16:22

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-2003-2004-2005-SUBARU-IMPREZA-WRX-2-0L-TURBO-ENGINE-JDM-EJ205-EJ20-TURBO-/172916855882?epid=1823355313&hash=item2842a5d44a:g:pFkAAOSwdDtZqgCr&vxp=mtr

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Chris Clarke
10/11/2017 at 16:43

How can the state with Cadillac Ranch be the most boring?

Dusty Ventures > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
10/11/2017 at 17:40

I have suggested this

LongbowMkII > Stef Schrader
10/11/2017 at 17:55

theres one on the back of that trailer.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 19:17

This is my experience too. YOU CAN ONLY GO 75 MPH THROUGH THE MOST BORING PLACE IN THE WORLD.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Dusty Ventures
10/11/2017 at 20:40

Quickest pit stop?

Dusty Ventures > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/11/2017 at 21:08

IDK, somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. The Atlas has a big gas tank and we almost never refilled unless it was around an eighth

Stef Schrader > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
10/13/2017 at 03:24

never

Stef Schrader > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
10/13/2017 at 03:24

Probably not for autocross, but the usual Lone Star Rallycross site is close enough that it might happen.

Stef Schrader > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
10/13/2017 at 03:24

Gross. Never.

Stef Schrader > Funktheduck
10/13/2017 at 03:26

Chiiiiiiiiiiiiicken

Stef Schrader > LongbowMkII
10/13/2017 at 03:26

mine

Stef Schrader > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
10/13/2017 at 03:29

It’s not the Cadillac Ranch. It’s the spaces between the Cadillac Ranch and other chunks of civilization.

To be fair, it was a lot better coming in across I-10 a bit further south than the usual cut I end up making across northwest Texas. THAT part sucks. That part sucks so, so bad. I-10 had considerably more towns closer together than the northwest leg, and then there’s so, so much more of that Panhandle area that’s not interstate, forcing you to sweat buckets every time you hope? you got some little speedtrap’s speed limit right. It is The Worst .

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Stef Schrader
10/13/2017 at 06:59

I’ll be in the lookout. I’d love to see this thing running sometime - I’ve never even seen a 411 in the flesh.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Stef Schrader
10/13/2017 at 09:09

You don’t want a 250-300hp 411?

Whthuheh > Stef Schrader
10/13/2017 at 11:06

Duck. Quack > cluck