Update

Just learned from my outfitter in Philly that the Rear Seat Delete for my Grenadier (GRSD) will arrive tomorrow.  When I learned in late August that it would not be here until late September, once I concluded that that check engine light problem on my Defender had been resolved, I was thinking of loading up the Defender and getting on the road in it on schedule as soon as possible after Labor Day to avoid the predictable and dangerous winter conditions in the Sierras at the end of the Donner Party Trail, but I was too preoccupied with an unrelated problem here at home to make that happen. So, I decided to wait out the GRSD and scale back my plans somewhat. If I can get it installed Friday or early next week, I will try to get on the road, unless that unrelated problem here at home throws a monkey wrench into my plans.  That, needless to say, would be unfortunate, as I have been planning this trip for several years, and the Grenadier had just arrived in time after the Baltimore bridge collapse delayed it to make that happen. Regardless, and as I usually do, I will figure out some solution to this problem.   In the meantime, the spare gas can and its attachment for the rear spare tire will also arrive this week, and I will get that installed.  It holds a meager two gallons to increase my normal driving distance to 375 miles, which should be enough for the longest stretches between gas stations that I expect to encounter.  The longest stretches I had to travel between stations in the past were between Coldfoot and Deadhouse, Alaska, 259 miles on the Dalton Highway (think, Ice Road Truckers), and Labrador City, Labrador, and Baie Comeau, Quebec (269 miles), but I got only 12 miles to a gallon on those roads and not the usual 15, which consumed 22 or my 23-gallon tank, without a spare can.  Not a good thing, especially since that does not account for running the engine for anything other than driving for things like getting warm.

 

In the meantime, I will continue with a few abbreviated local prep-trips, just to make sure I can still do this stuff.