5 day 4X4 Off-road/Dirt Bike camping adventure. Northerrn Thailand Mae Ngao NP

[EndoJim]

4X4 trailering two bikes, two Dogs “Jack the miniature Pit bull and Moto the German Shepard”, Moto Mama and Myself.

 

[EndoJim]

Truck pack up with five days of food and beer, riding gear, fuel, spares of all sorts, camping gear, fire wood, chain saw… As usual I’ve probably packed to much crap but we’re ready for anything.


Jack and Moto excited and ready for a new adventure. We're off to pick up the bikes and trailer.

 

[EndoJim]

Pit stop for some lunch off the 108 up in the mountains near Ob Luang NP heading down to Mae Siriang


Another Pit stop to check the load and let the boys stretch their legs in the pine forest. Looks like a great place to camp but we're looking forward to single tracks and a river for our camp site.

 

[Captain_Slash]

I imagine that was a fun trip, its great riding in that area with lovely scenery too

 

[EndoJim]

Turned off the 105 to enter the park. Could tell right way this was going to be a great adventure. Water was flowing, weather was perfect and everything was green.

Many places to pull off on the river.

Moto decided he wanted to ride in the open air.

Beautiful well kept national park.

Mae Ngao river

 

[EndoJim]

Don't know why the post came out like that. Added my comments above the pictures. Seem more often than not the site stalls out when I'm trying to post.

 

[EndoJim]

Any how...I'll try again

We drove through the park and found a great valley. Road was paved for about 10km.


Church in the back ground




Interesting cabin. My wife told me the sign read something like "single man live here"


Fence across the road from the cabin


Valley opened up and the views were great...




Kids love the dogs


This was in front of a tiny temple actually more like a hut. Wanted to throw my fishing line in but their was a sign up no fishing. I'm sure they are feeding the fish.


I wanted to unload the bike and find out were this bridge lead too.

 

[EndoJim]

About 30km down the river from the national park, we located a place I had been looking at on Google Earth.





Normally we use a tent but wanted to try this out. Canopy with a mosquito net. Worked awesome.


Jack and Moto loved this place

 

[EndoJim]

After a couple beers and a dip in the river. I cooked up some steaks, potatoes, corn and onions.






We all sat around the fire with full bellies. Proper way to end an epic day.

 

[EndoJim]

Try to finish this...

The little woman froze during the night but was happy to wake up to a foggy morning





All packed up and ready to move on






The valleys were awesome with great view everywhere you looked

 

[EndoJim]

This dude did not like the dogs especially Moto my Shepard







First of many water crossings





Water was cool and clear

 

[EndoJim]

After the water crossing the valley opened up



Another water crossing lead us through very small village and rough narrow road






The road became overgrown but I bush wacked our way in. The wife was looking concerned

 

[EndoJim]

Continued...

We made it across a very steep water crossing and into an old growth jungle. This is where my wife was very insistent we needed to stop. I pulled over popped a beer and went up to scout it out with Moto. It was very steep but I am fairly sure the beast could have made it even with the trailer... well maybe.





The wife relieved we
stopped...


Locals Bridge


Sketchy from this point on...
I think you need flip flops on to make it across this one...





The road continuing west after
the steep climb we turned around on. I checked it out on google earth and I could
see it would take you out to the road about 20kms southwest.











The hill we did not climb
leading back down to the truck.

 

[EndoJim]

Headed back out the way we came in






This was a steep climb back up to the village we drove through a few hours earlier.

 

[EndoJim]

Absolutely beautiful views

 

[bigntall]

Endojim: great report and thanka for posting. It looks like you enjoy doing a lot of the same stuff my friends and I do. Camping out in the bush and exploring in four-wheel drives and dirt bikes. Contact me if you're looking for other people to do these adventures with. All the best.

 

[brake034]

Yes, great pictures and report EndoJim! I noticed your car tires are not the typical offroad profile, is it a mud profile?

 

[EndoJim]

Endojim: great report and thanka for posting. It looks like you enjoy doing a lot of the same stuff my friends and I do. Camping out in the bush and exploring in four-wheel drives and dirt bikes. Contact me if you're looking for other people to do these adventures with. All the best.

Thanks bigntall, Decided rather than bitching about the lack of ride reports to do some of my own. Definitely would love to meet some others to ride and camp with. I'll be back from work next week and will Pm you. Are you in Chiang Mai?

 

[EndoJim]

Yes, great pictures and report EndoJim! I noticed your car tires are not the typical offroad profile, is it a mud profile?

Thanks, The tire are 37" Maxxis Trepador 60% mud and 40% street. So basically makes them good for neither




Definitely wear better than the Simmex Trekker. You can't beat the Trekker for raining season in Thailand. Actually I have a set on a buggy I'm building which
steal to use on the Hilux during the rainy season.

 

[bsacbob]

Thanks bigntall, Decided rather than bitching about the lack of ride reports to do some of my own. Definitely would love to meet some others to ride and camp with. I'll be back from work next week and will Pm you. Are you in Chiang Mai?

Great philosophy Jim, a lot of members are simple happy to be viewers rather than contributors, but without contributions they would have nothing to view

 

[brake034]

That's a very nice project, a Suzi buggy, looks great! The original 1300cc or maybe a Vitara engine??

 

[EndoJim]

Thanks, Actually I'm way too excessive compulsive for just a 1300cc or Vitara... I went with a modified 400hp Isuzu 3.0 turbo diesel, Hilux 5-speed trans and transfer case, land cruiser differentials. Built the frame and four link triangulated suspension from scratch. The only thing left Suzuki is the steering wheel and what remain of the shell.

 

[brake034]

The only thing left Suzuki is the steering wheel and what remain of the shell.

And the Suzi license plate I guess ??
Very nice project, nice workshop, I guess this "Suzi" was not your first project.....

 

[Lone Rider]

Great truck - did you have any problem to make the 4x4 street legal after all the conversion work ?

 

[bigntall]

Thanks bigntall, Decided rather than bitching about the lack of ride reports to do some of my own. Definitely would love to meet some others to ride and camp with. I'll be back from work next week and will Pm you. Are you in Chiang Mai?

They used to be a bunch of us posting ride reports and information but unfortunately due to some disagreements with a prior owner we all went missing. Let's hope it's once again fertile grounds for posting going forward.

Yes I'm in Chiang Mai and more than welcome you to hook up with us when we go out. Drop me a line when you are back in town and free, we can grab a breakfast or lunch somewhere. I'm down south in the islands for another couple weeks but after that I'll be back up there.

Your project is bringing back memories of me throwing a Watts link rear end on my race car . Way too much money and time spent on that activity. LOL. But boy the fun of these stupid activities. Enjoy your build, and more importantly enjoy the fruition of what comes from it.



Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[EndoJim]

Absolutely beautiful views

Wow... Love the new software on the site now.

This was the last day of the trip. On the way out I came across this turn off not on the gps or map and decided to check it out. The road took us across a large river crossing and then into a nice old growth jungle forest.

We arrived into a small village about 10km later. It was very strange to see so many kid out seemingly waiting for us.

About 15minutes after arriving in the village a truck pull up and asked me to help pull someone out down the road we just drove up. So I disconnected the trailer and went to see if I could help. Drove down about 2km and found a stock 2wheel drive pickup truck loaded to the hilt stuck in a tight muddy turn. I could not believe they made it in that far. Would have loved to see them crossing the river . Come find out they group had driven in all the way from Chomburi to donate school books and general supplies. Really nice people

This guy here had already started the new years celebration quite tuned up. He spent a good 5 minutes trying to talk me into staying the night to celebrate with them.

The wife love to pick up every mutt she finds

Headed home..

Drove out of the park at night and the new light were awesome... You should have seen the villagers eye when we went by. I think they thought a space ship was landing

Made it home without any major issues. Broke a rear shock bracket on the truck and the bike got a little chaffed by the tarp. Super impressed with the independent air bag suspension setup on the trailer.

The End

 

[bsacbob]

The last spot you were in looks familiar Jim, do you have any gpx files of that area?

 

[EndoJim]

Sorry no gpx files... but I believe this was the village (17.626944, 98.078278).

I plan on visiting this area again later this year. Hopefully a group to camp and explore the area for a few days. Looking at google map compared to the northern Thailand map their are many trails which are not mapped out. This particular trail looks like it will take you all the way out to the 105.

Any idea why the pictures loaded above twice?

 

[bsacbob]

That is very close to an area we did back in 2013 on a trail to the NE, as you say lots to explore in that area and good camping spots too.

No idea about the duplicate pictures yours is the first we have seen like this so far.