Hello from Newfoundland, Canada

Hey all,

New tundra owner here!

My ford ranger finally died (I could have kept it going with some work but it was too unreliable for my 950km one way drives every month) so my wife to be found a 2012 tundra double cab 4.6L for a good deal and we jumped on it. Tundras have always been my dream truck and I’m pumped to have this thing now. We got it with 110xxx Kms on it and we’ve got big plans for it eventually (money is tied up in wedding planning etc right now) its a 2012 SR5, so far all I’ve done is blacked out most of the Chrome (the grill is going this week hopefully) and added the roof racks for our canoe. I’d like to have a flat cap but the raised one came with it so I didn’t argue. Next up of course is the usual level kit, rims and tires but that’s not urgent. I’ll be using this for highway driving, hunting and fishing. Taking it moose hunting this coming week. I pretty much drive trucks on dirt roads (sometimes no roads) for a living and after driving literally every major truck manufactuerers trucks in various years I have to say the tundra is the nicest. That being said I don’t abuse it like I do my work trucks but still, it’s way nicer. Looking forward to joining the community and seeing everyone’s rigs!




-Matt

 

Welcome from CO.
Good job picking the fastest color

 

Welcome and great find!!!

 

Welcome Matt from Matt in Colorado!

 

(sighing) from a top the mountain.

 

Welcome from Oregon!

 

Welcome from Ohio!

 

Hiya and welcome from SoCalif!

 

Welcome from OK

 

Welcome from CA

 

Welcome from Obx

 

Welcome to the party!!

 

Welcome to the family!

My wife and I are hoping to drive to the most easterly point of North America. Haven’t decided yet if that’s in New Foundland or Nova Scotia (I know NF is further east than NS, just not sure we can drive there). I know we can drive to the edge of NS, but not sure if we can drive through Quebec to NF and Labrador. Any idea if there’s a mainland route? Or is it all ferry by going across New Foundland island?

Thanks!

 

Ferry either way. If you come through Quebec into Labrador you take the ferry across the strait of bell isle to northern newfoundland (where I am currently) and you can drive from northern newfoundland across the island to the most easterly point in North America in about 11 hours if you only stop for gas. If you come through the Nova Scotia route you have a longer ferry ride (over night vs 1 hour the Labrador way) and drive from the most westerly area of Newfoundland to the most easterly, about 9.5 to 10 hours traffic and moose depending. If you come here your going to want to spend time in gros mourne national park and I highly recommend the northern route. Drive through Quebec, cross over and drive to St. John’s from what’s called the northern peninsula. Then on your return trip drive to the Nova Scotia ferry. Either way, if your looking at coming to the most easterly point don’t stop at Nova Scotia. I guarantee you you havnt seen a place like newfoundland or met people nicer than us. If you want to plan a trip let me know, I can help with accommodations, routes to go, places to see, things to do, and where to eat. I’ve been all over this island either living, working or travelling.

 

Welcome from NC! It’s obvious that you have good tastes in trucks and color!!

 

That’s awesome information, thanks! I really like the idea of making it a loop like that. I considered Saint Lewis as the most easterly point, but only because I didn’t think it required a ferry to get there. I was sort of thinking of the points we can ‘drive’ to, but when we ‘drive’ to Argentina, we’re gonna have to ship the truck across the Darrien Gap, so I guess that proverbial ship has sailed anyway (or it will when we get there )

Is the easterly point of New Foundland Quirpon or Camel Island? Or someplace else? I’d definitely love some help in planning destinations and so forth. Or north/south plan has been in the works for a long time, but this east/west idea is kinda new.

 

I’m a dummy. I missed an entire section of New Foundland. St Johns I think is the eastern edge.

 

This is fun haha. Quick lesson in Newfoundland.

1. It’s all one word pronounced like “understand”

2. There’s one major road here basically. It’s the trans Canada highway and everything else is off of that on smaller highways. There’s no loop. You start at one end of the island and end at the other, turn around and go back. But it’s places off that main route that make it a great trip.

3. Cape Spear is the most easterly point. Don’t try and dip your toes in the water either, a lot of people die there every year.

4. St. John’s is the oldest city in North America. We also have the most bars per square foot than anywhere else in North America.

5. You won’t be able to understand half of what we say. Just smile and ask us to slow down. We have slang words for literally everything you can imagine. Including the sweat that rolls off a beer bottle.

Quirpon (pronounced “car-poon”) is the
most northern point of NL. The south portion is harder to get to as it’s basically just spurs off the main road. You go so far and have to either get a ferry to a remote settlement or drive back and go down a different route. Just look up a map of the island and you’ll see the roads. The island is basically laid out east to west as the railroad travelled east to west and not north/south. Therefore the settlements ran along the railway aside from the small fishing communities. I’ll do you up a map tomorrow when if im in the office of some nice routes to drive.

 

Hmmmmmmmmm............some Mod editing going on.............

 

WELCOME from Alberta!

 

The only thing in your list I knew already was the pronunciation - noofunlan. We had a Newfie dog when I was a kid. The rest of this is awesome to learn.

Number 4 seems the most important bit of information there is relative to bar density. Well, that and I think I'll need to know the word for the sweat that rolls off a beer bottle.

For number 3, is it the terrain of the shore that kills em? Is it all craggy and rocky with large surf? Or is it the cold? Not gonna lie, I do wanna take a dip in the Atlantic from somewhere along the eastern coastline - just not real keen on making the return trip in a body bag.

Number 2 sounds exactly like our style of exploring. We take turns picking a random direction to turn at intersections, and just let the road lead where it may. Some of our most interesting finds have been entirely by mistake - but, I'd still love to hear your thoughts on routes we shouldn't miss after traveling all that way!

Here is a quick route I just cobbled together on the google:

https://goo.gl/maps/jiGvNEPaCto

 

In your professional opinion... metric or imperial?

I just saw your sig, apparently for the first time.

 

Easier to deal with metric. The Brits can keep their Imperial..

 

Welcome from Nevada

 

Basically people get too close to the water by cape spear and end up in the water. Once your in your not getting out, you’ll get beaten off the rocks and if that don’t kill you the temperature will. There’s plenty of places to swim in the ocean, just don’t do it near cape spear. It’s all large sharp rock and cliff. You won’t have to worry about the return trip in a body bag either, it’s not very often we recover the bodies.

As for the beer sweat, it’s really a localized word from one community that I’ve heard, but where I’m stationed now they call it “whipty-doos” I’ve never heard it before anywhere else on the island except this small community of less than 800.

That’s the best route if your up for the driving. You’ll see all the best parts of the island with a few side trips off the main roads. I’ll type up a list tomorrow and dm it to you about what to do along the route. If I were you I’d prepare to spend more time gros mourne. There’s not much in central newfoundland honestly. It’s either coast where you’ll find the nicest areas.


Also if your really up for it and I’m around in the areas, depending on your rig set up we could do an overland trip through the mountains. Recently they built a transmission line that runs through the heart of some untouched country (until now) i did some wildlife surveys on it, now I’m the Warden in the area and it’s a beautiful area. You’ll drive through some of the long range mountains in an area that was completely inaccessible a few years ago except for a couple of trappers who boasted and hiked in. Your rig doesn’t have to be an overland outfitted machine but good tires and 4x4 will go along way on it. EDIT: just looked at your truck. I think you’ll be fine. Beautiful build