I have taken a break this week to build you a magazine. I say this is a break as I have been working out bugs and repairs on the Krawler for a solid couple of weeks in preparation for Wintercamp in April. Not all were problems but things I just wanted to be better and as winter felt long and cold this year the motivation was a bit low when it was -20 in the garage - so like always I has quite a list of things to do when it started to warm up.

All this workload meant I would miss Moab this year. I am writing this on Easter Sunday and I can picture the parade down main street of 1500+ rigs as they head for trails, and sidewalks filled with unsuspecting tourists, many viewing the parade in lawn chairs while I am here hitting the keys.

I get asked all the time, "What's so great about Moab?"

Well, besides the great trails, I enjoy the circus-like atmosphere during the Safari, and the fact that our office phones are quiet that week because all the major companies are in Moab. That means there isn't much to do here, so I might as well go and join in the fun!

But this year, I am waiting for some confirmation on parts for current projects, article ideas and information for our next big project we plan to start this May. But not only must I wait during Safari week but also the week before as rigs are fine-tuned, and then the week after as everyone hauls their broken junk home and catches up on their sleeps for a day or two. So if you too are waiting for parts from smaller companies, you now know why. Be patient - after all, they need some play time, too!

So despite actually having to wait for some steering parts to be custom made, the Jeep is in the driveway ready to go. Even managed to get in a couple test trips in, so skipping the Safari was a good thing this year. But, it won't happen again next year so don't call me the week before, during or after the Safari, because I won't be here!

As I hinted at a new project, I will give you a bit of a teaser. A tube chassis is coming our way late May, we have already started gathering parts and confirming our build. And as you can expect I don't tend to follow the norm when it comes to building full-out rigs, and this one won't disappoint I'm sure. There is a Mustang 5.0L on the engine stand with a big blue bottle in a box beside it. We will have a brand-new T-case ready in June, and some custom axles you may never have seen before. Actually, I'm am sure you haven't seen these as I am custom designing them, with help of course.

I am even using some parts that I previously said I would never use, but times have changed and some of these components are a lot better than they were just a few years ago. Our goal is to have the chassis rolling for the two Canadian off-road Expos, so you should be able to check out our progress then. However, if things happen and if we don't manage get that far, you will still be able to crawl around under the Krawler and check out some cool new upgrades I have done to it over the past few weeks.

But before that, I need to get this magazine off my desk and I am watching the hills as the wet season rolls into Kelowna. I check on the Big White snow report almost daily and they have gotten a foot of snow this past week which gives us an idea of what we will be camping on. With lawn mowers and gardening equipment rolling through the neighborhood now, I wait for the best snow week of the year as it's close; the jerry cans are full of fuel, snow boots by the back door, header food in the freezer, coolers ready to be filled - we just need those hills to get a bit more snow... and then it can be spring.

Albert Vandervelde
Editor, 4WD Magazine