05 LJ Rubi LS Swap and the kitchen sink

@elff the drainage is still an issue. Actually I have all but conceded that I have a creek. Trying to mitigate the water from the wall to the creek is the issue. I need the area to dry out for 3-5 days in order for me to be able to do any work. I have been trying to decide how to finish the area and what to do with all the rocks, big and small.

Yesterday I basically separated large rock from small and dirt using my "grizzly bars". It does help sort things out. I have basically decided behind the foundation to the rock wall will just be larger rocks in back to smaller to dirt. I hope to be able to leave a drainage channel for the run off. I would burry a pipe, but there is a large rock just before the corner that hinders that idea. I could try braking it up or cutting it or some thing, but not sure what will work.

Also in the middle of separating the rubble from the good rocks and dirt. I have at least 200 cinder blocks already moved out that were not combined with other debris. Now I need to get through those so I can get them called off. I am running out of area to do work and store items. Trying to not move everything 20 times in the process. Overall I have more dirt and rock than I need, but have a hard time paying to haul it off. I will probably move a bunch of the remaining dirt to the outside of my fence/wall to fix the grade between it and the road. I get lots of standing water there as well. And to be fair, when the river floods, that part is almost always under water. So need to wait a bit to do work there until I know the water won't rise, or need a week or two to work the land.

In the pics, you can see the grizzly bars

the whole upper yard is just dirt now

most of the water comes from this corner and runs down a "dry creek bed" that is never dry

water from the other side running to the corner, again trying to get the large rocks up the wall then dirt below to the foundation. A big rock I had a hard time moving.


rock and wood pile


I think I'll end up with upper rocks down to dirt. I may need to make a bit of a rock creek bed as well, not sure. I'll throw some wild flower seeds out after I get done in a bit to get the soil to stabilize. Not sure what I will have grow up there long term.

I need to clean up the side of the house as well.

@Wildrat I have a GMRS radio that will be going in. it's probably over kill with 50 watts, but it's what I talked myself into. Seems this is the current trend, GMRS vs CB.

I have thought about a video system, but also looking at another grand. I am sure I could do it cheaper but have not put much thought into it. I would have enough power going to the corners to power cameras, but have not taken into consideration video feeds back. The dash has a place for an iPad mini, I think I could use it as a hub and do wireless, but would need to figure that out as well. Yes I would like to have some video capabilities. But just handing a couple go pros may be the ticket as well. So not sure and that would be another analysis paralysis thing for me to think about.

@Wildrat The water runs down the rock face 24/7. Then collects behind the foundation, the gray cement line between the wall and the rest of the yard area. The pic is a bit distorted from pano mode. This pic shows it better.


Trying to get all the water to drain from the house side to the corner then down around the tree to a storm drain in the lower part of the yard. Problem is there is a rock just behind the foundation that is less than 6 inches from the top of the foundation. Not completely enough elevation change to get a good flow of water. There is also a concrete pad in the corner over by the tractor in the pano pic that is a problem for drainage as well. It's been a real challenge to figure out drainage without removing some large impediments.

Before I removed the small retaining wall that fell, this is what it looked like. The icicles give you an idea where the water is coming from.

A couple earlier before pics when I didn't know I had a problem. New SOD from the concrete slab/patio to a line, then pine straw to the retaining wall.


Problem was the foundation was covered with 6 or more inches of dirt. There were plugged and disconnected drain pipes under the sod. I would say a French drain, but it was not just pipes. The non sod area was wet 24/7 and the water was moving out into the SOD area and made it impossible to mow or use at all.

I am gaining back lots of surface area and will make it all a bit outdoor living room. That is once I get this all figured out. I could have all the rocks hauled off, but that seems like lots of cash and people pay good money for rocks. I might need to see if I can sell them. I have yards of them...

So the goal is to keep the water behind the found foundation. Then make the area look decent. The retaining wall always looked like crap, I was wither going to paint it or practice stucco on it then paint it... But it falling down was a good thing overall. Will make for a better upper yard. I kind of want an outdoor pool table on the patio...

As for the jeep, had to clean up the holes on the body mounts for the bushing to go through. Then of course could not find all the pucks, but mostly the sleeves that go in the pucks. Then I remembered that they were totally rusted, so I ordered new ones. They were about 6 bucks and I figured I would spend more time and money cleaning them up than replacing them.

Hope to work on something else tonight.

When I was in the woods most of the time, I have investigates water like that. It is likely groundwater, or an underground spring. The ones I have looked at, appeared to run out between the layers of rock. Is the wall sandstone? I like the way it looks. Maybe you can build a canal of sorts, and elevate the one end, so it will run down hill, but you have likely thought of this. You could practice your stucco skills a couple of feet up on the cliff face, so the water will run into your canal. Another idea is to build a small pond where it pools, make the sides higher so when the small pond gets full it runs over into your canal. You could put goldfish in the pond, they don't mind the cold. Just an idea.
I think you're doing good with it so far, like I said, it's just a matter of time.
Have you installed any of your wire harnesses yet? When you do, I would like to see pics of them installed, or partially installed. Are you going to use Adel clamps along the frame or inside if you go that route. Maybe, if you run the wiring down the frame, you could bend some tin to protect the harness in vulnerable spots. Well, enough of my dreaming.