PDA

View Full Version : Rausch Creek-stock or not?



galen211
11-20-2006, 02:16 PM
Cary and I were talking Saturday and we were talking about Paragon vs. Rausch Creek.

Being a stocker I said I didn't want to go to Rausch and Cary's buddy Brian said he thought Rausch was easier than Paragon. This was never the impression I got. I don't doubt him, I just want to create a discusion question for the board.

Any comments from someone who has been both places?

rvrsrvc
11-20-2006, 10:30 PM
Define stock. I think a stock Series with a wise tyre choice and confidence in your spotter would be fine in either place. On Green and Blue Trails.
A stock Sport not so much!

I helped with a fantastic dealer thing last weekend at Rausch and the organisers had us on mostly the service/access roads.
An LR3 punctured a trans pan hitting a rock on the way up to the staging area. A DII punctured a tyre in a puddle on an access road.
The rides got backed up so I diverted our group (3 LR3's and 3 DII's) to a Trail not on the agenda that had some slightly more agressive stuff. No damage and happy people. And the LR#'s faired better than the DII's. (I think running boards are kind of a hinderence; the LR3's air suspension definetly was ana dvantage.)

As far as PAP v. RC, well, the terrain is similar, the coal dust as choking in the summer time; RC has the advantage in that with the smaller property there's less travel time and more adventures.

I'm also biased towards RC in general.

Anybody else?

rvrsrvc
11-20-2006, 10:33 PM
And with either place, if one plans on going often, invest in some sort of diff protection, at least thefront. Both places are rocky and on the live axle Rovers, coil or leaf sprung, the diff housings are extremely vulnerable. Ask Tyler Kinghorn or our esteemed leader, Jason!

crazyfish
11-20-2006, 10:50 PM
ok, so what diff guard is your favorite for a Series?

galen211
11-21-2006, 08:27 AM
I have also been told the RC is cheaper.

Last time at Paragon the price was $35/day.

What is RC?

flippedrover
11-21-2006, 09:58 AM
So wait some holed their trans? Missed that one. Rausch is fine for stock trucks if you are smart about the use of the long skinny pedal. I had a guy that was way to enthusiastic with that pedal in my group and he bent the passanger running board and flatted a tire. A series shouldn't have much trouble with Rausch. Evan was able to show up a lot of people with his series.

flippedrover
11-21-2006, 09:59 AM
oh and diff guards are a must!!

rvrsrvc
11-21-2006, 10:15 AM
Tyler: Love that avatar. still. I heard about the LR3 on Monday. Apparently it took all day and their drive home for enough fluid to come out causing driveability problems. Thing was, they had said something about it before they even went out on the trail. Guy said his wife was driving at the time.

Sean: I don't know what's available for Series! I've done a fair amount of coil and air rovers but not enough Series stuff to advise.
I think Carey Knause probably makes his own stuff for Series, but I've never seen it in person.

rvrsrvc
11-21-2006, 10:35 AM
Galen: I think RC is $25 for the day with one person and vehicle. Additional persons are $5 each. Plus a $10 annual membership the first time.
The prices are due to raise for next season but RC is a non-profit. They are building up a supply of tools and equipment for guests to use if they break something. They also have a "buy 4 get the 5th free" or similar promotional card.
Personality wise, I feel RC is less 'corporate" than PAP: No quarter-hour fines for being late off of the trail; basic camping on the property; more self-policing. Lynn has given me the combo for the lock if I happen to get there before she does on any given day!
I've done most of the trails at RC that my Disco can do. PAP is so big it sometimes takes 45 minutes to get to a trail head. Throw in the pressure of having to potentially pay a fine for breaking down and/or being late, it could affect how many trails you can tackle in a day. PAP has a tech inspection for cooler contents and battery holddowns; and one point they were checking for those tow ropes with the projectile hooks sewn in.

And, I believe RC is in the process of building a paved race track for cars/bikes/karts as well as a 300-400 acre Rally School. It's gonna be a motorised toy mecca. In coal country.

galen211
11-21-2006, 10:42 AM
OK, one more...

How would RC be if a soft top Series showed up with no roll bar?

rmuller
11-21-2006, 10:56 AM
RC should be fine with that... It's only Lynn working there usually... and unlike Paragon they don't do a vehicle check.

We've taken stock FLs, LR3s, RR's out in RC and they've done fine.. just have to learn your limits and have good spotters.

I think it's posted somewhere else on here, but just a reminder, I've organized a run out to RC this Saturday.. have about 17+ rovers coming... You guys are welcome to join.. here is some more info: http://www.muddyoval.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4095

solihull109
11-21-2006, 12:47 PM
Hello Sean,
I have some info on diff guards for your series( Thanks for the plug Trevor!).
What year series are you inquiring about. It's funny, I just had a lla 109 5door dropped off at the shop over the weekend, the owner said I could have it for parts. I'm going to chop it up and part it out. However my daughter loves the muted/mustard yellow color. I'm going to try and hook Galen up with a set of sliders and diff guards for his 88 for Sunbury....it's kinda close. I would send photos of my stuff, but call me kooky, I prefer for people to see my products in person, so they may hold the goods.
I do quite a bit of series restorations, so all the series products are what I call" sleeper mode", it's overbuild, but looks stock and conforms to the stock parameters.
If you get a moment give me a ring and we'll go from there, thanks.
Cheers,
Carey Knause
Eastern Woods Research
570.326.5628
easternwoodsresearch@yahoo.com

P.S. I'm a R.O.V.E.R.S. member, so all members recieve a discounted rate, of course!

mlp141
11-21-2006, 01:00 PM
Carey -- Galen was telling me about your place -- sounds amazing. Hope to get up there some time.

I too would be interested in some info on diff protection as I just got a 1965 88."

crazyfish
11-21-2006, 03:13 PM
It's funny, I just had a lla 109 5door dropped off at the shop over the weekend, the owner said I could have it for parts. I'm going to chop it up and part it out. However my daughter loves the muted/mustard yellow color.

Damn, who is NOT in on the "borrowing" of the Short Bus?

I'll start a new thread to keep things in line.....

flippedrover
11-21-2006, 11:03 PM
Tyler: Love that avatar. still. I heard about the LR3 on Monday. Apparently it took all day and their drive home for enough fluid to come out causing driveability problems. Thing was, they had said something about it before they even went out on the trail. Guy said his wife was driving at the time.

Sean: I don't know what's available for Series! I've done a fair amount of coil and air rovers but not enough Series stuff to advise.
I think Carey Knause probably makes his own stuff for Series, but I've never seen it in person.
Wonder if they messed it up before hitting RC.

jason
11-22-2006, 10:48 PM
This could go into the file of "great debates". Wire vs. Synthetic, Leaf vs. Coil, Manual vs. Auto, Zeppelin vs. Sabbath, etc.

I think it's hard to compare Rausch Creek and Paragon, but I've definitely experienced both parks in both stock and modified trucks.

Paragon is No. 1 for the beginner. A stock truck with an inexperienced driver will do great on the well marked green trails. There are enough green and easy blue trails to keep you on a different path for days. The problem is that even with 15,000 acres of trails, there always seems to be knuckleheads in front of you. Also, the park is well managed and patrolled by the staff if you get lost or into trouble. This is the real reason I like to host club outings here. I really don't have to worry about the new guy getting overwhelmed, or the stock guy getting bashed up and in turn bashing the club. At the same time, the experienced driver with a modified truck with good protection, will find the red and black trails quite challenging. Mostly large rock garden scenarios and steep drops into water crossings dot the advanced trails. Of course, there always seem to be knuckleheads in front of you here, too.

Raucsh Creek is No. 1 for the "Macguyver" type. Smaller trail system, low maintenance, virtually no staff patrolling, camping on-site available, fewer people on the trail, and very challenging terrain on most trails make it much more enjoyable for "our type" of people. Of course, there are no knuckleheads to help winch you out or fix your truck, unless you brought them with you. I much prefer Rausch over Paragon for the illusion that you are in the wilderness and left to your own devices. At Paragon, there's never a doubt that help is a horn toot or a 'breaker breaker' away. However, truth be told, I've never left Rausch without a casualty. The three times I've been, we've had to tow either my or Paul's truck home. I have much more confidence now that both trucks are fully protected and modified enough to get out of virtually any jam, so I'm sure the next trip will be much more enjoyable.

So there you have it. If you like cruises where everything is massive and mapped out for you with a great staff and nice accommodations, Paragon is for you. If you like fly fishing in the stream in front of your tent, Rausch would be more like it.

rvrsrvc
11-22-2006, 11:18 PM
I'm under the impression they hit something driving up the hill to the staging area!

flippedrover
11-23-2006, 03:02 PM
Uhh..I'm drawing a blank for a smartass comment.