I've driven like 20 to 30 miles with no top, but never that far. Man, that's just insane. We do occasionally get people that come to the club rides (in Maine) that drive their jeep topless from Vermont, and at this time of year. Not me, I like to think I know better, although when I was younger I was foolish, rode my motorcyle to high school every day it wasn't snowing. I left one morning at about -10 F and decided to see how cold I could get. I was wearing the classic leather jacket, scarf (I know, a wimp), and a full face motorcross helmet, so there was only the screen in front of my face, and my glasses. I did 95 all the way there, which was the bike's top speed (GT 750-built for torque, not speed).

Using the wind chill formula (I love math, how many people have ever seen this!) WC = 0.0817(3.71(V^0.5) + 5.81 -0.25V)(T - 91.4) + 91.4, where V is the wind speed, WC is the wind chill temperature, and T is the ambient temperature.

So I managed to get down to about -60 degrees below zero, kinda depressing, I was hoping for triple digits. The anti-freeze in the bike did gel up on me though, and started smoking heavily, I limped it to school and shut it down, luckily it sustained no damage. The temperature gauge was pinned on "H". My glasses were frozen to my face, couldn't get them off for about 10 minutes, and of course they fogged over when I entered the building. Kinda felt stupid sitting there with the helmet on, unable to see. Aaah, the good old glory days, I'm glad I know better now.

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!

 

OK, now...., if we go to the other end of the spectrum... here in Texas the summers are hell, (example: last year the hottest in history it got up to 119 at my house a couple of times), and yes I know you guys in Arizona have that beat, but anything above about 110 is hot no matter what, plus we have the humidity. Now try crawling around in attics like I used to do when I was a teenager installing cables for alarms, cable Tv, etc. With the Relative Humidity at an average here of about 75% and the 105 and up temperatures the heat index is incredible. I never actually sat down and figured it out, but the temperaturs in the attics ranged from 135 and up. I can tell you that there are many times that I would have preferred the cold .

82 Scrambler, 360, T5, D300, 4" lift, AMC20 (rear disc brakes) and Dana30 with 3:73's and lockers.
Smithville, Texas
Member TX4X4 Cyber Club

 

There is a line somewhere between tough and just plain stupid. I think the guy you are talking about crossed way over that line! /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

Brad
ORC Land Use Section Editor
http://www.off-road.com/land
Vice-Pres. Rock Garden 4 Wheelers, Farmington, NM
http://rockgarden.rockcrawler.com

 

JEEPN:

There is this guy that every day at 4:00 PM he drives by on some old 60's bike. Even when it is snowing like crazy, he drives by. The roads around here have been very icy for the past several months, and that dosn't seem to deter him. But then, I work with guys that insist on Mtn. biking every day in the same conditions. They follow what ever road has been driven on. Many have broken noses, collarbones, etc. to prove it. Such foolishness!

Enjoying Montana's Big Sky & Snow(Skiing that is)

 

It really wouldn't be that bad if you think about it. How do you think snowbobilers deal with it? Dressed properly, I can ride a snomo all day long, even if it's -20 out. And I've reached speeds in excess of 100MPH(although average speed is more like 50 or 60MPH).

 

Working through this winter in Southern CA - people put COATS on at 50-55* Two winters ago was we were in the MIN/St.Paul area of MN. People there button the top of their flannel shirts at 5-10* Guess a lot of it is just what YOU are used to. Us'ens in TX have both bad heat -everwhere - and pretty durn cold up around Amarillo in the panhandle.

 

It takes me a little while to become accustomed to the cold, but once I am, it's not a problem. I was platoon leader down at Ft. Polk, LA for awhile back in July-August '91, and it was HOT! We had 3 people have heart attacks in the morning due to the heat, and the ambulance crews had to be in their rigs with the engine running from 6-7AM. We trained at night (Combat Engineers) on the only alligator infested lake around, because it was the only time it ever got below 90 degrees. Man that sucked, always drenched in sweat. That and there is always a few whiners out there who refuse to work due to the heat. It was hard and it sucked, but I (and the others) got through it. How do you people in the DEEP south cope with all the heat? At least it warms up occasionally in the north so it's not cold all the time. All in all, I'd rather have the cold I think, maybe I'm just a wimp.

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!

 

You don't have a choice but to deal with it /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif. Either that or move... When its 115 outside, you just don't do much outside, but if you do, you drink lots of water and rest frequently (in the shade) /wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif. It does come down to what you are accustomed to. Last year during the 115 degree heat it was amazing that when we hit 100 degree days we were ecstatic that a cool front came through (people out running around, enjoying the cool weather)/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif. Just like you guys in the north getting used to the cold, we kinda get used to the heat, it is tough in a Jeep with no A/C though,, feels like your driving in a blast furnace.

82 Scrambler, 360, T5, D300, 4" lift, AMC20 (rear disc brakes) and Dana30 with 3:73's and lockers.
Smithville, Texas
Member TX4X4 Cyber Club

 

Sounds kinda like the stories my buddy used to tell. They where down in Antartica for Operation Deep Freeze. Any ways He said they would pick a hut and light off all the heaters in it to get the temp up to about 98-100 strip down to their skivvies and and get a nice sweat going, Throw the door open and run outside to the next hut or something and back. Only problem he had with it was the -100 degree weather outside. so you would have this 200 degree tempeture change.

Now thats drastic. /wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

John
Damn the Mud!! Full speed ahead!!!
http://www.Marylandmudbugs.com

 

That sounds just plain foolish, but I can understand it (being foolish that is). Also sounds like prime conditions for a heart attack. I think I've heard of the Antarctica base, doesn't it have a mean annual temperature of -70?

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!

 

yep it gets quite cold.

Never managed to make it there though I can tell ya running the Straits of Magellen in the middle of winter is a harrowing sight./wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif

"Antarctica is the coldest continent. The world's record low temperature of -89.2° C (-128.5° F) was recorded there. The mean annual temperature of the interior is -57° C (-70° F). The coast is warmer. Monthly means at McMurdo Station range from -28° C (-18.4° F) in August to -3° C (26.6° F) in January. Along the Antarctic Peninsula, temperatures as high as 15° C (59° F) have been recorded. The strong winds often make it seem even colder."

John
Damn the Mud!! Full speed ahead!!!
http://www.Marylandmudbugs.com

 

/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif Folks from "Real Cold" areas of the US really don't have a good "feel" for how miserable it can be in the foggy Central Valley of CA in January and February. That fog and 33 degrees with just a little wind blowing combine to make it damn near impossible to stay warm outdoors workin'. I know guys who don't think anything of going outside for firewood when it's near zero in Colorado, yet they complain about how cold it is here in CA at +30. As far as heat and cold to work in is concerned, if I had my choice, here on the coast, I think I would take heat. Really cold weather.....and by that I mean our minimums of +7 or so..... is so darn inconvenient, with eveything frozen and stiff. When we worked on the well rigs in summer at temps in the 105 range, we had to be careful to set the pipe wrenches in the shade or they would be too hot to pick up, even with gloves. I have NEVER worked in HUMID hot weather though, so that would be a whole different ball game I'm sure./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif Having lived in CA all the time I'm spoiled, so what I think is miserable is probably not even on the scale for some of youse guys. Jeepchick and I are getting mentally ready for our new life in humid Iowa and those windy, snowy winters. IT WILL BE WORTH IT to get FAR away from the crime and the problems that accompany this fine CA weather./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif Quadra-Trac Team./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

I agree CJdave, the trade off of less people, crime and friendlier neighbors is well worth the short summers and long cold windy winters of Montana. If you need an attitude adjustment, you take yourself (or send your Jeepchick) on a little hike and get the full benefit of the wind biting at your face and fingers. Then go home and realize things are pretty good after all!!

Everyday travel is off-roading in this town....

 

I don't care how your dressed this guy went well beyond tough to STUPPID maybe even dainbamaged.

 

Yeah, and you'll have the POWER to turn up the heat or the A/C, won't it be nice!

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!

 

/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif No kidding! Last week Jeepchick went on a generator test with me and we began noticing the HUGE number of brand new housing tracts under construction. We saw a couple hundred new homes just alongside the main hiways. If every person in CA cut his power by 10% we would STILL not make up for the growth just in the last year. It's like the guy said: "They want me to turn off my porch light and just down the road they are building 500 new homes?"/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif CA is so screwed it's unbelieveable./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif The best part is that Jeepchick and I are going to be here while the chicken s#it democraps spend state treasury dollars to buy power and sell it at a loss because they don't want the public to lynch them and their Sierra Klub constituents for stopping the construction of power plants, and then later on when it comes time to replace those funds by a special state tax, we'll be outa here!/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gifIsn't it GREAT!/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif Quadra-Trac Team./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

Every time Jeepers talk about the cold and driving/riding in Jeeps, I think back to my time in the US Army....driving around during field exercises in the M38A1s and MUTTs with the tops and windshields down in the dead of winter....BRRRR....I think the steel pot on my head just made it colder. /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif Thankfully, the Cherokee is much warmer and I don't have to wear a helmit anymore./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif

 

/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif During the Russian Campaign, the German Army infantry guys suffered from the loss of heat due to the thermal conductivity of the hobnails in their boots. Heat only moves AWAY...... I've learned a few things about heat from doing infrared work and from watching my cat. When he goes out in cold weather, the fur does not give off any heat. He is real cold on the outer edges, but next to his skin he's warm The thermal conductivity of fur is near zero./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif Not a bad design....OOPS....I forgot...a cat was just "evolved" by accident beginning with two lovesick amoebas in a pool of slime./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif Yeah, right.

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif Quadra-Trac Team./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

Bored Dave, looking at things through the scope? Man, I'd like to get my hands on that for a day, that'd be cool. I assume you've looked at your house to see where the heat loss is coming from?

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!

 

/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif Yes.....looking at houses can be VERY interesting. When I first moved up to Jeepchicks house I scoped it from inside since it was hot summer weather. The ceiling was VERY hot in one of the rooms. I popped the attic hatch and saw a big pile of insulation bats which had never been distributed. That was just ONE of the many construction defects in that almost-new house. Another one was a FAKE smoke detector system. The units were not hooked to anything.....just ornaments on the walls. I often go into frozen food warehouses to find leaks. If the roof membrane has a hole, moisture-laden air squirts in when someone opens a door and the heavy cold air tries to drop down and go out the door and that pulls a vacuum up at the top of the room. That squirt of moisture laden air forms an icicle which continues to grow and can easily fall down on a forklift driver./wwwthreads_images/icons/frown.gif Sometimes it's just a tiny fissure that can cause that. I also look at cold room doors to see if the perimeter strip heaters are working.

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif Quadra-Trac Team./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

CJDave:

You really have a habit of getting off topic, even when the post is off-topic. But, I have to add that I have spent quite a bit of time working with builders trying to improve the energy efficiency of residential, commercial, and industrial facilities. I have spent quite a bit of time behind the lense of a thermal camera, tracking poor insulation jobs and overheated circuits. A lot of the homes we looked at were new, so we always took our shoes off. With the thermal camera, you could see the heat left in the carpet when a stocking clad worker crossed the room. That signature would take upwards of 15 minutes to completely dissapate. Of course the resolution of our camera at the time was 0.05 degrees F. I loved to go into new construction with builders that claimed they built better homes than I was trying to convince them to build, installing a blower door in the home, powering up the camera, and showing them how much detail they needed to address in their construction.

Actually, I learned a lot from most builders, and I hope they learned from me.

Enjoying Montana's Big Sky & Snow(Skiing that is)

 

/wwwthreads_images/icons/blush.gif But.....er..../wwwthreads_images/icons/blush.gif....jFr.....I thought the topic was "cold"....er I mean an absence of heat....heh heh. Admittedly, I DO get off topic..../wwwthreads_images/icons/blush.gif....now and then./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif Around here, some of the builders are advertising an energy efficient home and what that means is that the ducts ACTUALLY STAY CONNECTED for more than a week after the home is occupied. The trouble with CA has always been that the weather is so mind that you can build and sell crap for houses./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif Quadra-Trac Team./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

 

Dave:

It is not a problem with CA. It is just plain shoddy workmanship. I have been called out by manufacturers who have clients complaining there new manufactured home will not get warm at -30 & 20mph winds. The supposadly have purchased super energy efficient package for our climate, and the house won't heat above 45 degrees. Go out to the home, do a thermal scan and find typical problems, settling during shipping, and poor set-up that results in the marriage line leaking. The clincher, however, is no snow against the crawlspace wall, and pets laying against foundation. Yep, you guessed it, the heating system either has not been connected under the home, or in more cases than not, it has been connected with "DUCT" tape, and has fallen apart due to inproper use of a product. All the heat has been blowing into the crawl space and keeping everything but the conditioned space warm.

Enjoying Montana's Big Sky & Snow(Skiing that is)

 

Here it is February 16th and Im thinking spring...er maybe not spring but Im thinking no more extreme cold weather after the end of this month!!!Yipee..

Everyday travel is off-roading in this town....