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Date:         Sun, 31 May 2015 11:53:02 -0500
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Warning to VanagonPilots
Comments: To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net>
Comments: cc: "wetwesties@yahoogroups.com Westies" <wetwesties@yahoogroups.com>
In-Reply-To:  <afQR1q0183bgThL01fQwvp>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Oh, I have no argument with your purpose, I just didn't want to leave people with an erroneous notion of what caliche is. One cannot go into the high plains of Texas, gather up caliche, and fertilize crops with it. In fact, especially due to its physical properties, that would be counter productive.

Thanks for giving us the warning regarding driving our beasts on roads paved with caliche. Though caliche is especially pernicious, any road surface of glop with gravel and grit included might produce similar consequences. A clayey material for example.

mcneely

---- OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@comcast.net> wrote: > I actually read that Wiki' 1st & while it does do very nice job of describing Caliche Chemically it was SeverelyLacking in Info that pertained to > > the point I was trying to make so I kept looking & found the other info ~ > > Also ~ I'll add for All (have mentioned to McNeely already) ~ I Feel that this Lesson may be of particular Importance to WeWhoPilot Vanagons > > due to the Design of the RearSuspension, as the TrailingArm provides a "Deck" for the Stuff to BuildUp upon & its Closeness to the tire provides Very > > LittleRoom for BuildUps to Escape ~ Especially if you run BigTires ~ I run 235/75r15s on the Rear so they are VeryClose ~ > > > > On 30 May , 2015, at 11:01 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote: > > > Just to clarify about caliche, while the link provided is accurate regarding physical properties of the material called caliche in the U.S. and most of the world, it is very inaccurate regarding the chemistry. > > > > Only in Chile and parts of Peru and Argentina does a material called caliche include sodium nitrate. The bulk of the material bearing that name in the U.S. and most of the world is calcium carbonate, precipitated from soil water as the water migrates toward and evaporates from the soil surface in arid and semiarid climates. Much of the caliche in west Texas incorporates calcium sulfate as well, though not in as high a proportion as does gypsum, just enough to give the local water a rotten egg aroma. > > > > Here is a Wikipedia article describing caliche. I can testify, however, that it is as nasty physically as described in the other article. > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliche > > > > mcneely > > > > mcneely > >>>> > >>>> On 29 May , 2015, at 9:38 PM, OlRivrRat olrivrrat@comcast.net > >>> [wetwesties] wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> I've been driving the BackRoads of NewMexico for 45Yrs & have, on > >>> WayTooMany Occasions, found myself forced to SlippySlide along > >>>>> > >>>>> on miles of Wet Caliche Surfaced roads ~ This past weekend, while > >>> taking the ShortRoute from ABQ to ElVado Dam for a ChamaRiverRun, > >>>>> > >>>>> I encountered 3Mi's of the LovelyStuff right @ the VeryEnd of that > >>> S'R' (the TailEnd of which is 16Mi's of Dirt) ~ I Trolled that 3Mi's @ 1-3 > >>>>> > >>>>> MPH & actually spent 75Yrds of it Clawing my way (miraculously) out of > >>> a Ditch & in the end, made it (VeryThankfully), to my destination ~ > >>>>> > >>>>> The next day I drove the 55Mi's to the TakeOut, Parked VDubaru for the > >>> weekend, & headed back to the PutIn in a friends truck, Completely > >>>>> > >>>>> Unaware of the Damage that had been done to my RearTires in that > >>> 55Mi's ~ 3&aHalf days later, after a Wonderful 28Mi RioRun (including > >>>>> > >>>>> 8Mi's of Class 2-3 WhiteH2O Solo in my 16Ft Bell Chestnut Prospector) > >>> I was back in my VDubaru & heading home ~ After just 5Mi's more > >>>>> > >>>>> of dirt & 2Mi's of HiWay my RearPass'Side Tire Blew & I had to drive > >>> on it for about 1/2Mi to a RestArea ~ On pulling that Tire I discovered > >>>>> > >>>>> that the EntireArea above the TrailingArm from the Shock to the Front > >>> of the WheelWell was a VerySolidMass of DriedCaliche, that had been > >>>>> > >>>>> been fractured into several pieces by SuspensionAction but remained > >>> mostly intact ~ I broke it up with a hammer & got it out of there ~ The > >>>>> > >>>>> DriverSide was similar but Tire appeared to be Fine so I assumed that > >>> I had Damaged the PassSideTire during the Torture I had PutItThrough > >>>>> > >>>>> while trying to get out of the Ditch back on the 1st day ~ I kept the > >>> speeds low the rest of the way home as I was not TerriblyConfident in my > >>>>> > >>>>> Spare & got home without further incident ~ The next day I pulled the > >>> DriverSide to inspect & be sure I had gotten all of the Caliche cleared > >>>>> > >>>>> away & found that it also had been damaged beyond further safe usage ~ > >>>>> > >>>>> Pics of tires & 1 Chunk of Mud I saved here ~ > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>> https://plus.google.com/photos/109991183317103413704/albums/6154147871482117665?banner=pwa&gpsrc=pwrd1 > >>>>> > >>>>> Some info about Caliche here ~ > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>> http://azdailysun.com/a-mud-like-no-other-caliche/article_102317ed-73e2-5039-b2e4-0f7dc88159ba.html > >>>>> > >>>>> ORR ~ DeanB > >>>>> > >>>>>

-- David McNeely


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