Expedition in Antarctica?

I've always thought it would be fun to wheel in antarctica... Haha duno why, but something about the extreme climate and different terrain ya know? I've read it can get down to -85 degree F. So what would someone have todo to their XJ to prepare for such extreme wheelin? Just wondering..

im not dont no you would need a good heater i say we get some sponsers and go!!!!

allthingsoffroad said:

im not dont no you would need a good heater i say we get some sponsers and go!!!!

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Sorry, but what the hell did you just say!!!!!

Check this site out:

http://www.turtleexpedition.com/adventures/intro.html

it will give you some ideas.

Rev

Rev Den said:

Check this site out:

http://www.turtleexpedition.com/adventures/intro.html

it will give you some ideas.

Rev

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Yea, and wasn't there that icleandic or greenland wheeling group that had all those mods to deal with cracks in the ice and stuff.

Here is the basics:

1. Huge Flotation Tires
2. Tons of Spare Parts
3. Good Winter clothing
4. Good winter shelter
5. Group of several similarly equiped vehicles
6. A support helicopter to fly in supplies

I would love to go
Michael

yes offcourse it was an team from iceland that did this some years ago and they used toyota landcrusers for the job and they also whent to grenland and did that first just to get the pratice there are some big problems that has to be solved there becuse how cold it is there but if you have the right cars and alot of money hey go for it man

2xtreme said:

Here is the basics:

1. Huge Flotation Tires
2. Tons of Spare Parts
3. Good Winter clothing
4. Good winter shelter
5. Group of several similarly equiped vehicles
6. A support helicopter to fly in supplies

I would love to go
Michael

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Add to that a diesel engine, lots of external and internal heaters (to keep moving parts from freezing up) and a HUGE crevasse bar. (Think movable 16 foot stinger bar)...

RichP said:

Yea, and wasn't there that icleandic or greenland wheeling group that had all those mods to deal with cracks in the ice and stuff.

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I think its these guys. They've had more than one writeup in 4x4 mags in the last few years....

I was going to mention that company when I saw that thread.
This seems to be the english side of the page, in case youre icelandic isin't that great. http://www.arctictrucks.is/template3.asp?PageID=1038
I saw a product of theirs, it was a system to deflate and inflate the tyres, without getting out of the vehicle (in the cold), it had digital controls and flexible hoses. Good idea if you ask me.

I also took the liberty (but don't take one wheeling) to talk w/ my dad when I saw this thread, he was living in Alaska abover the arctic circle (government job) in the 70's, when the oil up there was first being developed. He said it was common to for people there to leave engines (diesel equipment) running at night to keep it warm. This was also the first commercial use of synthetic oil, which I don't believe was the same product as today (wouldn't mix w/ regular oil) but it held up well under the cold and long periods of idiling.

He also had a GMC pickup w/ gasoline engine. He said that on really cold mornings it was necessary to put gas antifreeze and a camp stove under the gas tank for 15 minutes and then under the engine for 15 more. Scary if you ask me, but he said it started fine at -40F.

LP GAS engines would probably work well as it won't turn to gel.

So, when does the expedition begin? Know of any sponsors with DEEP pockets? The antartic summer shouldn't be too bad w/ highs around 32F. Don't forget to buy a hygrometer check the protection level of your antifreeze before you leave.

I lived where -40 was common and -60 was not unheard of. NO Diesels. Too damn hard to start. Back then they didn't have synthetic oils, but that would really help. Even there, a decent vehicle heater managed. You put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to help keep up the temps. We had block heaters, dip stick heaters and a battery heater.

LP GAS engines would probably work well as it won't turn to gel.

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Except the LP gas wouldn't vaporize at super low temps making it completely useless.

Something along the lines of no free lunch in thermodynamics...

Synthetic oils have been around for some time, even if they were not commercially common, popular or cost-effective. "Synthetic" lubes were developed by the military in the 60s. Even amsoil has been in business since the 70s. have heard about the pipeline construction using synlubes, I don't know if its true. The stuff was "around" though.

The first non-conventional lubricants were from Germany in WWII.
I have read that these were similar to the A/C compressor lubes of today (drawback is they absorbed water) and German troops abandoned light vehicles in North Africa, they placed a rock on the acellerator w/ the vehicle parked. The US/British GIs found the engines still in working order.


The boiling point of propane is -42 celcius at normal pressure. If butane is present in LPG its a warmer temperature. Propane carbureation systems in engines need heating equipment, because the gas goes from very high to neg pressure, like in an a/c unit, so the device can freeze up if not warmed.

http://www.gov.nt.ca/Transportation/hwyinfo/hwymap.htm

Tuktoyaktuk, NWT is a little more doable for us without huge budgets. Not a lot of actual wheeling, but you get to take ice highways, etc. in the winter. A group of us are most likely going to try it in Jan/Feb.

sure as hell wouldn't have to worry about the xj overheating.

ps my XJ has an engine heater!

XgeekstarX said:

ps my XJ has an engine heater!

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Just bring a really long extension cord. You'll be fine.

Iceland.
You'd need the same mods, probably.

XgeekstarX said:

ps my XJ has an engine heater!

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Yet you live in Florida... Have you ever put it to use?

Look at those flares. Much more classy than the plain sawz-all look.

GudaXJ said:

I've always thought it would be fun to wheel in antarctica... Haha duno why, but something about the extreme climate and different terrain ya know? I've read it can get down to -85 degree F. So what would someone have todo to their XJ to prepare for such extreme wheelin? Just wondering..

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I hate to be the one to spoil your pipe dream of wheeling in Antartica but how do you plan to get your XJ there? and I do believe if you had the money to do that, you probably would take a vehicle other than an XJ.

Not saying XJs are a bad expedition vehicle at all, as I believe they are, but Antartica is just a little bit unreasonable. You can find pretty much the same climate in Alaska. I knew a guy several years ago who took a trip across Alaska. The group consisted of 2 vehicles and his was a lifted Surburban. He told me that it was so cold that in order to start the engine he had to heat up the oil pan with a torch. I don't know too much about block heaters, but I believe you need an outlet to plug them into. You'd need a very long extension cord if you are going to Antartica! :laugh3:
edit: DOH! someone beat me to the extension cord line!