Jump to content

25th ladoga trophy


Jimmymad99

Recommended Posts

58 minutes ago, Daan said:

Could you explain a bit about the class you are entering? Adventure TR2 you mentioned in our facebook chat. What regulations does your car need to comply to? We competed in TR2 in 2009, which was at the time 36" tyres max, modified production cars.

We had a great time doing the event and had a decent result also. I must admit, contrary to what was said above, I have no intention of going there again. These events really take over your normal life, which I cannot have anymore.

It was double income, no kids back then, it is single income 2 kids now!

That said, if you haven't done it, my advice is do it, you won't regret the experience.

TR2 pictures (all involving a winch cable!):

gallery_336_1371_120193.jpggallery_336_1371_60098.jpggallery_336_1371_101235.jpg

 

Daan

Open adventure  is what we got our name down in allows 2 winches roll cage up to 40 follows tr2 route but not against the clock but russian translation is not the best  

U got me worried  now lol 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, if we're sharing pictures, I can't stay idle. 🙂

And to complete my (our) story and give some background:

First year (2009), after meeting HOFS of course, we competed with 2 vehicles (Def 90 and Disco 1) + 2 support cars (2 x RRC). The idea was to run Tourism and Tourism Open but we ended up in Raid, amongst a bunch of portal axled trucks... And got more than we could handle, 48h+ to get out of the swamp of stage 1. But we did have fun, sort of. Enough for me to want to go back.

DSC03286res.jpg

2010 our team fell apart a couple of weeks before the event. Quentin and myself didn't want to give up without a fight, so took his RRC that was prepped for support duty and did Grand Tourism. We had a great time and even won the team spirit award. Still proudly on display in the Workshop!

DSC03897.JPG

2011 again Grand Tourism, but this time with my P38. Along with a Disco1 and Disco3 (both guys had also done 2009 with us) and a British RRC, all in Grand Tourism. 

River1.jpg

2012 should have been the pinnacle, with Mouse in Proto, the Disco3 again in Grand Tourism and 3 support cars. Things didn't quite work out, unfortunately.

I was registered for 2015 Grand Tourism with the P38 again, but then the Shop burned down with the cars inside it... 😞 I've been wanting to go back ever since, and my project P38 is being built (very slowly) with Grand Tourism or support in mind.

Filip

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, Escape said:

Well, if we're sharing pictures, I can't stay idle. 🙂

And to complete my (our) story and give some background:

First year (2009), after meeting HOFS of course, we competed with 2 vehicles (Def 90 and Disco 1) + 2 support cars (2 x RRC). The idea was to run Tourism and Tourism Open but we ended up in Raid, amongst a bunch of portal axled trucks... And got more than we could handle, 48h+ to get out of the swamp of stage 1. But we did have fun, sort of. Enough for me to want to go back.

DSC03286res.jpg

2010 our team fell apart a couple of weeks before the event. Quentin and myself didn't want to give up without a fight, so took his RRC that was prepped for support duty and did Grand Tourism. We had a great time and even won the team spirit award. Still proudly on display in the Workshop!

DSC03897.JPG

2011 again Grand Tourism, but this time with my P38. Along with a Disco1 and Disco3 (both guys had also done 2009 with us) and a British RRC, all in Grand Tourism. 

River1.jpg

2012 should have been the pinnacle, with Mouse in Proto, the Disco3 again in Grand Tourism and 3 support cars. Things didn't quite work out, unfortunately.

I was registered for 2015 Grand Tourism with the P38 again, but then the Shop burned down with the cars inside it... 😞 I've been wanting to go back ever since, and my project P38 is being built (very slowly) with Grand Tourism or support in mind.

Filip

Did you not get there with Mouse in the end then Filip? :( 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Escape said:

Well, if we're sharing pictures, I can't stay idle. 🙂

And to complete my (our) story and give some background:

First year (2009), after meeting HOFS of course, we competed with 2 vehicles (Def 90 and Disco 1) + 2 support cars (2 x RRC). The idea was to run Tourism and Tourism Open but we ended up in Raid, amongst a bunch of portal axled trucks... And got more than we could handle, 48h+ to get out of the swamp of stage 1. But we did have fun, sort of. Enough for me to want to go back.

Filip

Filip, maybe you can share for the OP what failures you had in 2009, as the spec of your car is almost identical to his car.

Daan

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, landroversforever said:

Did you not get there with Mouse in the end then Filip? :( 

We did get there, though we did have some trouble getting her up to shape as we weren't very familiar with the LS and Volvo portals. We were having a pretty good time, until about halfway through the first big swamp. We think the front locker failed, she dug through the soft top layer and sunk deep. By the time we had borrowed enough rope to reach a sturdy tree, the starter wasn't resenting being underwater. I (foolishly) stalled the engine while winching out of the swamp, and that was game over. We tried winching with another car parked at the edge of the swamp, but to no avail. In the end I think it took a tracked skidder (and a wad of roebles) to get her out. I decided there and then to sell her...

@Daan, the Defender didn't break down, but the homemade pumpdrive for the hydraulic winch did. In hindsight we should have had a backup option, or just rigged the drive. But at the time we were quite overwhelmed. The winch on the Disco started playing up as well, so we had a hard time getting both cars out. I did manage to break the R&P on the rear diff 'exploring' the tracks around the last camp as well. We were out of the race, but I did want to do some more offroading... Still very grateful to @FridgeFreezerfor pulling me out with Eddie. 👍 

Filip

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Escape said:

We did get there, though we did have some trouble getting her up to shape as we weren't very familiar with the LS and Volvo portals. We were having a pretty good time, until about halfway through the first big swamp. We think the front locker failed, she dug through the soft top layer and sunk deep. By the time we had borrowed enough rope to reach a sturdy tree, the starter wasn't resenting being underwater. I (foolishly) stalled the engine while winching out of the swamp, and that was game over. We tried winching with another car parked at the edge of the swamp, but to no avail. In the end I think it took a tracked skidder (and a wad of roebles) to get her out. I decided there and then to sell her...

@Daan, the Defender didn't break down, but the homemade pumpdrive for the hydraulic winch did. In hindsight we should have had a backup option, or just rigged the drive. But at the time we were quite overwhelmed. The winch on the Disco started playing up as well, so we had a hard time getting both cars out. I did manage to break the R&P on the rear diff 'exploring' the tracks around the last camp as well. We were out of the race, but I did want to do some more offroading... Still very grateful to @FridgeFreezerfor pulling me out with Eddie. 👍 

Filip

Shame :(. Any idea where she is these days? I have fond memories of the ride you gave me at Seven Sisters with Shires.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, landroversforever said:

Shame :(. Any idea where she is these days? I have fond memories of the ride you gave me at Seven Sisters with Shires.

Yeah, that was a very good weekend! I still have a short video of our (short) ride in hidden valley.

She was bought by a Finnish team and is still competing as far as I know. I don't think she ever went back to Ladoga, but there is footage of her a Klaperjaht and similar events. I think @elbekko followed their adventures more closely. I couldn't at first, now I do smile when I catch a glimpse of yellowness in a youtube vid. 🙂

Filip

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Arrrgggh the pangs! :ph34r:

 

One thing worth pointing out (and that @Escape hinted at) is that if the class you enter allows up to 40" tyres and allows portal axles you are definitely going to be following in the ruts of people with 40" tyres and portals, or if your class follows the route of a competition class it's a valid tactic for them to dig big holes so you'll fall in and hold up their competition.

 

The other thing worth pointing out is that anyone can get a car through a tough day's off-roading or even a tough weekend in the UK - but going out and doing that every day for a week is an entirely different thing, especially if you're 2000 miles from home and especially if Day 1 takes you more than 24 hours to get through.

 

BTW YouTube has killed my 2008 & 2009 HOFS videos due to the music but if you're willing to risk a couple of Gb of downloading I can throw them up on my server for anyone who's interested - 2009 shows a broader range, including @Escape and collective and @miketomcat  The organisers have put a LOT of the older videos up online too.

 

And since we're doing piccies...

2007-06-04-11h45m51.jpg

 

Tourist class:

2007-06-05-13h37m36.jpg

 

More Tourist class - the L200 was a family holiday, kids in the back (you see them on the DVD), their other truck has the cartoon characters airbrushed on it:

2007-06-06-13h34m44.jpg

 

Finnish support trucks - one full of food & coffee & longdrink, one full of tools & spares & firewood:

IMG_6725.jpg

 

IMG_6900.jpg

This is Halfordskis - they have everything:

IMG_7038.jpg

 

HOFS Support crew on the "road" to the campsite:

2007-06-06-13h23m20.jpg

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

Arrrgggh the pangs! :ph34r:

 

One thing worth pointing out (and that @Escape hinted at) is that if the class you enter allows up to 40" tyres and allows portal axles you are definitely going to be following in the ruts of people with 40" tyres and portals, or if your class follows the route of a competition class it's a valid tactic for them to dig big holes so you'll fall in and hold up their competition.

 

The other thing worth pointing out is that anyone can get a car through a tough day's off-roading or even a tough weekend in the UK - but going out and doing that every day for a week is an entirely different thing, especially if you're 2000 miles from home and especially if Day 1 takes you more than 24 hours to get through.

 

BTW YouTube has killed my 2008 & 2009 HOFS videos due to the music but if you're willing to risk a couple of Gb of downloading I can throw them up on my server for anyone who's interested - 2009 shows a broader range, including @Escape and collective and @miketomcat  The organisers have put a LOT of the older videos up online too.

 

And since we're doing piccies...

2007-06-04-11h45m51.jpg

 

Tourist class:

2007-06-05-13h37m36.jpg

 

More Tourist class - the L200 was a family holiday, kids in the back (you see them on the DVD), their other truck has the cartoon characters airbrushed on it:

2007-06-06-13h34m44.jpg

 

Finnish support trucks - one full of food & coffee & longdrink, one full of tools & spares & firewood:

IMG_6725.jpg

 

IMG_6900.jpg

This is Halfordskis - they have everything:

IMG_7038.jpg

 

HOFS Support crew on the "road" to the campsite:

2007-06-06-13h23m20.jpg

 

Some advice hear would be great on group to select we are number 755 on entrance  but waiting for paper work to select group its either open adventure  or euro to chose from the euro is for trucks over 2100kg but it only has 100-200m swamp runs wear as open adventure follows tr2 route and we are running on 38.5 trep muds ? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, elbekko said:

Ah, now you lot are making me want to go back...

I think I still have the maps somewhere :ph34r:

You know there's always a seat for you! Or we could take 2 P38s 😎

@FridgeFreezer is right on the money. One day isn't too bad, but it's day after day. Usually you've also been burning the midnight oil the weeks before to get everything ready, as well as working your day job to pay for it. And then there's the long drive there. The ferry from Germany to Helsinki is great in that respect: it cuts down on driving time and forces you to relax. You can't get to your vehicles, so nothing to do but eat, sleep and drink. 🙂

@Jimmymad99 in 2009 I wanted to do Tourism Open with my 90, which is now called Adventure open. It was on 37" Baja Claws and should have (just) been up to it. But it is a TR2 competition route, so you're in for the full monty.

Filip

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, Jimmymad99 said:

Some advice hear would be great on group to select we are number 755 on entrance  but waiting for paper work to select group its either open adventure  or euro to chose from the euro is for trucks over 2100kg but it only has 100-200m swamp runs wear as open adventure follows tr2 route and we are running on 38.5 trep muds ? 

I'd say euro is a good starting point if it is your first go. On the other hand, if you do open adventure, you do TR2 tracks which are done with cars on 36" tyres. You are allowed to run your 38.5 tyres on this course so should be ok. 

The only reservation I have is running 38.5 inch tyres on land rover axles; you are bound to find the weak spot, so carry spares for anything that is likely to break. Either way, you need spares for anything on the truck likely to break, and have all potential scenarios of failure in you head and have a plan what you are going to do about it, should they happen.

 

Daan

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Daan said:

I'd say euro is a good starting point if it is your first go. On the other hand, if you do open adventure, you do TR2 tracks which are done with cars on 36" tyres. You are allowed to run your 38.5 tyres on this course so should be ok. 

The only reservation I have is running 38.5 inch tyres on land rover axles; you are bound to find the weak spot, so carry spares for anything that is likely to break. Either way, you need spares for anything on the truck likely to break, and have all potential scenarios of failure in you head and have a plan what you are going to do about it, should they happen.

 

Daan

 I will be carrying spares got full ashcroft  cvs shafts plus full set of spares 4.75 kam ring pinion  pegged with the strong old school electric diff locks 

Iv got a par of hydraulic type r winches on at moment  but busy machining up god winch 

Not shaw what's best  or run one of each 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Escape said:

You know there's always a seat for you! Or we could take 2 P38s 😎

I doubt my budget stretches to preparing a vehicle. Plus, you know I'm not allowed near puddles anymore...

Co-driver I could be crazy enough for...

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Jimmymad99 said:

 I will be carrying spares got full ashcroft  cvs shafts plus full set of spares 4.75 kam ring pinion  pegged with the strong old school electric diff locks 

Iv got a par of hydraulic type r winches on at moment  but busy machining up god winch 

Not shaw what's best  or run one of each 

Build thread required! I'd say the hydraulic winches are more use to you in a swamp, you need the finest degree of control, and having a pair means you carry a spare.

But I do want to see your god winch!

You also need to keep in mind, you might get in a situation were you are stuck in a swamp and all you have is a 1" thick tree to winch off. You need the most controllable winch in this situation. Dug a trench about 4 inches below swamp level to have a strop as low down as you can and get your co driver to bend the tree in the opposite way of the pulling direction. You get enough pulling power out of this, as the tree roots could be 10 metre deep.

Also, I had winch extension cables in case I got stuck in a swamp, like this:https://www.winchshop.co.uk/collections/webbing/products/50mm-webbing-with-hook

I had 3 x 180 ft and 2x 90 ft with a loop sown in the ends. The idea was you could rig them all up to about 800ft (including the winch cable), and having multiples of 90 ft, you could pick over to the next extension. (the winch has 100 ft of cable).

I only used 1 extension of 90 ft, and that was on the rear winch, when the front of the car had sunk in the swamp (bonnet under). There happened to be a tree behind us.

Also crucial are beadlocks, can you air down to 2 psi without the tyres coming of the wheels?

The problems of a computer controlled TD5 I take it you are aware of and can be solved with the ECU and throttle pedal high up and I would want some form of diagnostics in case it stops working.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Daan said:

I had 3 x 180 ft and 2x 90 ft with a loop sown in the ends. The idea was you could rig them all up to about 800ft (including the winch cable), and having multiples of 90 ft, you could pick over to the next extension. (the winch has 100 ft of cable).

Can be important, yes...

1379690914_AuTmGfZCQAEW2b3.jpglarge.jpg.243e95bf27aff116e44b6bb7e5ed3a6b.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Daan said:

Build thread required! I'd say the hydraulic winches are more use to you in a swamp, you need the finest degree of control, and having a pair means you carry a spare.

But I do want to see your god winch!

You also need to keep in mind, you might get in a situation were you are stuck in a swamp and all you have is a 1" thick tree to winch off. You need the most controllable winch in this situation. Dug a trench about 4 inches below swamp level to have a strop as low down as you can and get your co driver to bend the tree in the opposite way of the pulling direction. You get enough pulling power out of this, as the tree roots could be 10 metre deep.

Also, I had winch extension cables in case I got stuck in a swamp, like this:https://www.winchshop.co.uk/collections/webbing/products/50mm-webbing-with-hook

I had 3 x 180 ft and 2x 90 ft with a loop sown in the ends. The idea was you could rig them all up to about 800ft (including the winch cable), and having multiples of 90 ft, you could pick over to the next extension. (the winch has 100 ft of cable).

I only used 1 extension of 90 ft, and that was on the rear winch, when the front of the car had sunk in the swamp (bonnet under). There happened to be a tree behind us.

Also crucial are beadlocks, can you air down to 2 psi without the tyres coming of the wheels?

The problems of a computer controlled TD5 I take it you are aware of and can be solved with the ECU and throttle pedal high up and I would want some form of diagnostics in case it stops working.

I was thinking of running winch rope though a fairlead on front axle like the do in  Malaysia to help pick front axle up back on to the marsh top I carry 2 crank sensors 2 throttle pedal and 2 ecus they are mounted on the roof with fuse box and pedal is on roof with a cable  to it from normal pedal iv got navicom on it full time running single bead locks but busy drawing up double beadlock  wheels with solid frame  that will clamp bead either side 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our one big problem  is no tech crew we are going on our own backs  we tried to go 10 years ago but failed after both me and co pilot  got insured 

So wear do you guys leave your trailers ect once u made it over there or do your tech end up towing them around 

@Daan did you carry all your spares and camping kit with ? 

  @Escape what did u do carry all your kits and spares or did u have help 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Jimmymad99 said:

Our one big problem  is no tech crew we are going on our own backs  we tried to go 10 years ago but failed after both me and co pilot  got insured 

So wear do you guys leave your trailers ect once u made it over there or do your tech end up towing them around 

@Daan did you carry all your spares and camping kit with ? 

  @Escape what did u do carry all your kits and spares or did u have help 

Yes, we carried everything on board. We drove the car to harwich (failed alternator 1 mile before the ferry). shoelaced the waterpump to get to ferry, which we made with 10 seconds spare.

Got a new alternator in holland, carried on to travemunde to take ferry to helsinki. from there drive to st petersburg in a day. Competing went ok untill we also lost all electrics on day 4, causing us to go over time. We removed the plunger from the fuel pump and got a competitor to tow start us, and finish the stage like that. It was a shame as we were in 4th place, with 3rd in sight, but we dropped to 6th, only due to 1 min over time at the stage finish.

Onday 5 we broke a cambelt due to the cam cover seal failed and cam cover full of muddy water. Luckily it broke driving in camp, so we could fix it in the evening. 

The alternator and cambelt failure were particularly gutting, as both were new/rebuild as part of our preparations before we set of.

One deep river crossing (centre of steering wheel) also took out our fan; We drew a fan shape in the russian halfords store, and the serving lady found us a Lada fan; loo and behold the bolt pattern is almost the same as a defender waterpump pouly, so we fitted that.

We also noticed a slight flicker of the oil pressure light on the last day. We investigated, but there was oil pressure, so we continued; this proved to be a mistake, as we did a big end bearing on the way home, 50 miles before the border to finland. Dan and jen towed us to helsinki, for which I am forever gratefull. We investigated here, and it showed that the sump had been clouted by a large rock, partly blocking the sif, starving the engine of oil.

on the day we left home I arranged european brake down cover with the AA; It proved the best £70 I spend, as they delivered my car to my front door 3 weeks later and paid for my plane ticket as well.

Writing all this, it reminds me as action packed in every possible way, it was a great experience which I would not want to have missed. 

But as you can see, as a whole the thing is rather draining on the mind/wallet/social life and therefore I have come to the conclusion my life is complicated enough without these events! I have done RFC in Malaysia, Ladoga and Croatia trophy and they all have similar stories. Great to have done it but just the thought of going back there again makes me feel tired. Maybe it is just my old age!

That said, you either do it, or spend the rest of your life wondering what could have been.

Daan

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. By using our website you agree to our Cookie Policy