Friends of Franklin R. Soto

Franklin Soto is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hello,

I'm Franklin.

The guy who'll fix almost anything, with the exception of relationships.

I am a small, creative business owner specializing in commercial and industrial equipment repair and office supply sales.

I have been busy over here in Washington State buying, fixing and preparing equipment for my farm / business venture.

I made things easy for my family, friends, and dedicated customers to keep tabs on me.

I use the Go Fund Me website to spread the word. It's easy and affordable.

My website link is just for entertainment and information relating to the venture.

Donate if you can.

After each pic, just scroll down and click on the "Read more" tab.

Eventually, it will open the entire website page.

Copy, paste and share the link.

Best viewed from a PC or laptop.

You can keep tabs on me and be just a click away from the Adventure...

You, too, can Live Vicariously through me...

ucanlivi.com

"Friends of Franklin R. Soto"

https://gofund.me/bb4052c4

I have also created an extension site to continue the progress.

"The Franklin R. Soto Mountain Project"

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-franklin-r-soto-mountain-project

We are in the process of starting a new chapter in our lives.

Click on the "Read more" tab below each picture to view more pics and videos.

Catch up and read the story behind it all.

In 2023 we have been preparing for transporting goods and

materials to the farm over the past few months.

The snow was the major hindrance.

I90 at Snoqualmie Pass just was not cooperating at all.

Made several attempts at bringing the 37ft RV to the farm.

Worked on the John Deere 450c crawler. Got it running. Just need to fine tune it.

Made it to the farm in early April during spring break.

Planted some trees and set up rain barrel drip systems.

Restarted the road building. Connected one road to another.

Going back again soon to plant more trees and shrubbery.

There will be more road building towards the top of the mountain.

Going to the farm on the first attempt on January 20, 2023

Got a flat rear tire blowout at exit 47 eastbound on I90.

Good thing I had a brand new spare tire to put on.

Took about (30) minutes to swap out the tires.

Had to double back home due to no extra spare to have on hand.

Parked the RV back home until my next attempt.

I figure April / May 2023 I should try again.

Opened up the valve cover to the John Deere 450c crawler.

The engine cranked and it wasn't turning over. Turns out the push rods were

off the rocked arms. As you can see in the pic the rods were sitting beside the

rocker arms. Removed the rocker arm rack and repositioned the rods.

Gap to 14 thousand for the intake valves.. 18 thousand for the exhaust valves.

Cranked it over a few times. Then it started to run again. Need to fine tune the engine.

Put it back together.

Changed the oil filter and the hydraulic fluid filter.

Need to clean it up.

Dirt cleaned off

Gottta go back and change a bent rod and test the hydraulics before I

move the dozer to its new home.

Video link to the John Deere 450c prior to doing the work.

https://youtube.com/shorts/LILugRuN6Tc?feature=share

Here I am in Oroville, WA building more roads.

Joining one road to another road.

Meet my new friends. Jim and Johnny the Shale Rock Boulder Brothers.

Average in size 2ft wide to 4ft long. various dimensions.

Never a dull moment. They love to roll down hill whenever I push

them out of the way.

Time to plant some trees, and set up the trampoline cages.

Set up several (55) gallon drums for drip lines.

Had to hand carry 5 gallon jugs of water to each barrel.

Took some time. It got done before sunset.

Filled (5) 55-gallon drums. Poured into (5) gallon jugs.

Lugged the jugs up the hill to fill the other 55-gallon drums.

It was good work. Burned a few calories.

Here is the sunset that appeared at around 7pm.

View of the roads and equipment waiting for us to return.

Still have a way to go before I reach the top of the mountain.

Just a matter of time.

Just beyond that tree to the left and the right is near the top.

It's within my grasp.

In due time we will make it to the top. John Deere 450c dozer with

the 6 way blade has the skill set to level and pushes some serious dirt.

Can never get enough drive time on the John Deere 450c

Found and purchased another John Deere 450c Dozer in Snohomish, WA.

If you want to see a dozer like this in action,

Google John Deere 450b moving dirt on youtube.

This John Deere 450c Dozer has a 4 in 1 bucket.

Took the RV for another test drive within the city of Puyallup.

Just as I was heading back home, the transmission blew up and destroyed the front

drive shaft U joint connected to the tranny.

Here is the RV waiting for the tow truck.

The RV is being towed to Kent, WA.

The RV had been jacked up, and the tranny was removed for a rebuild.

RJ Automotive in Kent, WA. will do the Remove and Replace work.

TRC Transmission is doing the Chevy TH-400 tranny rebuild.

Today I was shopping around for a prefabricated metal garage building.

I came across a company called Great Western Building Systems, Denver, Colorado.

They were helpful and had a wealth of good knowledge about metal garage buildings that I never knew about. I will post the link to their Youtube channel for you to explore and possibly consider purchasing a prefabricated structure.

They offer a lifetime warranty for the products they sell.

So give them a call and ask for Erik.

9 7 0 7 0 7 8 3 3 0

Youtube testimonials link: Multiple Videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOrlj13hg_s&list=PL5sHC6-TPaoV8IxdBZJ3AfKen9yZShrR8&index=1

Huge building.

Can accommodate a few cars and tractors if needed.

Large metal building.

Very spacious.

Beautiful looking prefabricated building.

Just my style.

Simple and elegant.

Took off the engine cover to expose the 1705 5212 Rochester 4-barrel carb.

I would need to disassemble the top half of the carb.

The carb is split in two.

Exposing the inner guts.

Remove and install a new carb rebuild kit.

Then put it all back together.

On November 1st, 2022, I attempted to drive the RV to Oroville, WA.

I encountered some shaking from the drive shafts.

I got as far as Issaquah, WA.

The fuel at the carb was not making it to all the 4 barrels.

Had to turn around and drive back home at 45mph.

Driving back home saved me over $2,500 in repair and possible towing costs.

I removed and dropped the three drive shafts for repair work.

I had replace (4) U joints and (2) carrier bearings.

As you see, the total length was 12 feet 6 inches.

The total cost for parts and repair was under $300 dollars.

Kudos goes out to O'Reilly auto parts of Puyallup and Drivelines NW of Fife, WA.

Had a visitor on Sunday morning, the 23rd of October.

By Sunday afternoon, I had completed part of the new road.

As you can see, I guided the John Deere 450c dozer on its new path.

The Semi truck and trailer were parked on its driveway.

By Monday morning, I traveled a bit higher on the mountain.

Heading to the front of the property.

Had to wrap up the show Monday afternoon and prepare

for the journey back to Puyallup.

I believe I was able to push and level off around 200 feet of dirt.

There were some 2-4 foot boulders that posed a nuisance.

The John Deere 450c was able to push the boulders aside.

A view of the new road from the street.

The friendly deer is making its rounds again.

Another one of those sunsets.

Prepared the transport of the newly acquired 1972 John Deere 450c located in Enumclaw, WA. The front blade is a (6) way. I Left Puyallup, WA. for the journey to Oroville, WA. on the 15th of October.

Video of traveling in the 1972 semi truck.

Going over Blewett pass, heading to Oroville.

Made it to Oroville, WA.

Here are the first John Deere 450c tracks leading to the future road.

If you want to see a John Deere 450c in action,

Google on youtube John Deere 450 Bulldozer 6 Way Blade Dozer Crawler Pushing dirt.

The road is being cut into the mountain. After a few passes of the John Deere dozer, I was able to make the road level in 2.5 hours.

Here is the view of the road leading to the campers and trampoline shelters.

Another beautiful sunset. Can't get enough of it.

Here is the Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir planted within the trampolines. We planted (168) trees for the fall season.

Transported the T-340 International Harvester from Seattle, WA.

It has the 4 in 1 Drott bucket.

Here are the Four Farm Musketeers. Waiting to conquer the mountain.

The 1976 MGB Roadster is waiting for the 1987 Winnebago Windcruiser to show up and trade places.

Another perfect sunset.

We have acquired the most significant vehicle in the fleet.

A 1987 Winnebago Windcruiser. 37 feet long.

It's gonna need some love and therapy.

Here is the RV sitting at the RV lot in Sumner.

Purchased on September 5, 2022.

Chevy frame. 454 engine.

Just waiting for me to show up and buy without test driving it.

I was told it runs and drives.

The RV was moved and parked in the dead-end alley next to the RV lot.

I will return to check it out and change some fluids before I drive it home.

Here is a nice side pic. It gives you a good idea of what 37 feet looks like.

I sucked out (1) gallon of tranny fluid. Then, replaced it with anti-slip tranny fluid and Lucas transmission fluid. Next, change the engine oil and filter.

I drove it home. Parked it on the street. Now it's time to clean and paint it.

Watch the transformation.

The exterior has been hand-washed. The painting has begun.

The passenger side is coming along.

I moved the RV into the driveway. Painting as I go.

Going to do some front brake work and tune-up.

The driver's side is painted. Looks much better.

The passenger side is almost done painting.

The passenger side is done painting.

Not too shabby.

It's time to wash and seal up the roof.

Cleaned up the roof. The next step is to seal it up.

Here is an interior pic.

Scrapping the ceiling with a large street sweeper.

Painting the clean areas as I go.

It's coming along. Just a matter of time before it gets done.

There is more grey on the way.

Getting closer. Not so down with the gloomy brown.

The greyer, the better.

The vanity got some grey. Is that the small cabinet in the reflection.?

The small cabinet needed some grey loving.

The back room got some grey.

Visited the property in June. Transported some trampolines. Assembled a total of

(6) trampolines. This trampoline is the prototype for planting and protecting the Ponderosa Pine yearlings on the mountainside.

This pic is the view from the bottom side of the property, looking up towards the beginning of the mountain.

A beautiful sunset appeared at the end of the day.

Found a 1972 Semi GMC 8v71 cab over on craigslist. Purchased it and had it delivered to Tacoma, WA., for some TLC.

After some cleaning, spray painting and fluid changes, I have been able to practice driving the rig around the Port of Tacoma.

Did some pin striping. More to come.

Sprayed the rear end frame. More painting is to be done.

Completed the pintle hook installation. Painted the lower half.

Roller painted the frame rails and spray painted the leaf spring buckles

More buckles spray painted.

Located a tilt trailer in Elma, WA. Gotta do some TLC.

The top deck wood needs some replacing. Also need to do some light work.

Did some prep work and painted the outer frame.

Attached new side lite markers, I cleaned and painted the outer area of the rims.

Put on the new Swivel Bull Dog 7,000-pound trailer jack.

Had to order (4) Truck-Lite 60 brake, stop, and turn signal lights from Amazon.

The tilt trailer is nearing completion.

Once I get the trailer lights working, I will install the wood decking.

Installing the wood decking.

Wood decking is coming along. Almost done.

90% done. Going on my maiden drive to transport one of the dozers soon.

Spray painted the four outer rims.

Nice pic of the passenger side.

Spray-painted "The Soto Farm Not For Hire" on both sides of the trailer

We are leaving Elma, WA. The truck and trailer finally joined forces to drive back to Tacoma, WA.

Transported the R40 Ditch Witch from Tonasket, WA. to the property. Parked it behind the front loader tractor.

Started to set up the water barrels. Cut in the path by hand with a shovel.

Transplanted some bamboo plants from Puyallup, WA.

Here is where the hand-carved path ended up for now. To be continued.

Located and purchased a 1979 Seagrave Fire Truck Pumper in Enumclaw, WA. It has sat for over (12) years. I will have to do some TLC to bring it back to operation before driving it to Oroville, WA. The truck is an automatic Detroit Diesel 8v71n. Appears to have a starter issue, or the air blower is seized.

Front of the rig.

Pumping station gauges.

Interior cab area.

A nice pic of the dirty fire truck. Just waiting to be cleaned.

The driver's side front area is on standby for the Purple Power cleaner.

The driver's side rear is also on standby.

Starting the Purple Power process.

A little bit of elbow grease goes a long way.

Started to pin strip the fire truck.

The passenger side is looking better.

Rubbed out the passenger side

The driver's side is coming along just fine. A bit more cleaning is to be done.

Making progress on the driver's side.

The pumping station needs some rubbing compound to be done.

Did some more rubbing compound on the pumping station.

The rear passenger side also needs some rubbing to be done.

Rubbed out some more paint. Looks very shiny.

Making some progress on the passenger side.

Did some rubbing of the paint. Getting better.

Here is an updated pic of the driver's side. The rims got a new coat of black spray paint.

The passenger side of the engine has stuck injectors. The throttle is not able to move.

Sprayed CRC cleaner directly into injectors. I slowly rotated the throttle back and forth. Eventually, the throttle body was moving freely again. No runaway is happening here.

Disassembled the rocker arm assembly. Easier access to remove injectors.

Close-up pic of the removed injector. GM C70.

Exide Commercial com-80

Found and purchased an operational dozer in Seattle, WA.

International harvester T-340. Gas motor. 4 cylinder.

Got it running and is now prepped for delivery to Oroville, WA.

On May 25, 2022, I transported the 1965 Winnebago pull trailer. Going to spend a couple of days catching up on the farmland venture.

The Winnebago trailer made it.

Covered with a tarp.

Uncovered and moved the tractor.

Checked all the fluids. Topped off the gas.

Luckily it started right up.

Getting ready to move some dirt.

Tractor on standby.

Moved a little bit of dirt.

Practice, practice, practice.

Working on sloped terrain.

As you can see, I have plenty of sagebrushes to dig up and dirt to move.

This beautiful sunset appeared on May 26th, 2022.

I have started to carve out steps leading to the first terrace landscaping area.

I couldn't resist posing with the masterpiece carving.

We climbed the mountain again.

Took a few scenic pics.

A view from the first ridge of the mountain.

Neighbor to my left.

They like collecting vehicles.

View of neighbor to the right (up the road).

Another crazy-looking sunset.

View of the property from the beginning area.

Posted the Private property sign.

Keeps the law-abiding travelers out.

Wildlife animals run free from the DNR land area.

Right next to the neighbor with the vehicles.

A beautiful sunset...

It's springtime in Puyallup, WA.

We picked up the (200) Ponderosa Pine from DNR in Olympia, WA.

We will pot the starters for the season.

Then we will transport and plant the trees in September or October before the winter frost in Oroville, WA.

The Ponderosa Pine is on standby until the fall of 2022.

The 1965 Winnebago pull trailer is being prepped for delivery to Oroville, WA.

Painting the inside of the 1965 Winnebago pull trailer.

Going to panel the walls after I seal up the inside with caulking.

The flooring will get a new surface after I complete the walls.

What the condition of the travel trailer looked like when I first bought it.

As you can see, it was due for a good washing.

The inside needed some serious TLC.

I have been slowly making progress towards its completion.

Just a matter of time and patience.

Found this future farm truck in December 2021.

1977 Jeep J10 pioneer four-wheel drive pick-up truck.

(8) cylinder automatic. 401 cid.

Just waiting to be cleaned up and driven again.

Loaded up the 1977 Jeep J10 Pioneer on January 15, 2022.

Next stop Puyallup, WA.

Unloading the 1977 Jeep J10 pioneer with assistance from my neighbors.

Parked in the driveway and prepared to wash and restore the paint.

Let the transformation begin.

Purple Power cleaner to the rescue...

Wow...

Who would have thought that Purple Power cleaner would work so well

on the mold and mildew.

The shine and luster are coming back slowly...

A little general-purpose cleaner and polishing compound will give it some pop.

Some Nu Finish car wax help preserve the shine...

Wax on and wax off. Again and again.

Wash again and wipe down. Repeat as needed...

The lean and mean front grill.

A little bit of chrome polish and rubbing compound brings it back...

The exterior paint has a cleaner look. Still a work in progress.

Here is the link for the Panoramic Video from the top of the property.

Best results:

Start the video. Then stop the video.

Adjust the video to half Speed (.5) / Quality to 1080 resolution via the setting icon.

Restart the video. Enjoy the view.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uccoMkLq_svQgGEIUtpTQY295fJJ0gDY/view?usp=sharing

Left Puyallup today and got on I90 eastbound.

Heading to Oroville, WA on 12/20/21 with tractor in tow.

Lots of ice and snow on the road.

Pulled over after making it across the Snoqualmie Pass (after exit 54)

Had to take off the chains on the truck.

Another sunset with the mountains as a beautiful backdrop.

The 1972 Sno King camper was set up in November 2021.

Waiting for the carport to be built and the tractor to arrive.

The temperature was 32 degrees on December 23, 2021.

The snow had fallen and was shoveled out of the way.

The car battery jumper, electric start gas generator, and air compressor on standby.

Started preparing and arranging the hardware for the 10 x 10 x 10 car port assembly.

The buckets and pea gravel came from the local Best Hardware store in Oroville, WA. Off-highway 97.

The buckets allowed me to hold up the 4 x 4 x 10 posts to assemble the remaining parts.

I centered the wood post and pounded the pea gravel into the bucket. Temporarily kept the 4 x 4 x 10 post in place.

The carport frame was done on 12/24/2021.

We will return in 2022 to extend the carport by 10 feet and put it on a roof.

The 1956 Ford 800 tractor is on standby until next spring.

The camper spends the cold weather beside the carport and the tractor.

On the first day of the camper being dropped off. The pallets are courtesy of the local

Best Hardware store in Oroville, WA.

Preparing and leveling the driveway for the future carport and tractor before the first snowfall.

The tractor reaches the point of completion. Just a matter of time.

The tractor is ready for the journey across the State of Washington.

Going to Oroville, WA.

The 1956 Ford tractor is ready at home in the driveway and waiting to be transported.

The next stop is Oroville, WA.

The R40 Ditch Witch was the first piece of equipment purchased before being dropped off in Tonasket, WA.

The tractor was waiting for the rear end to be swapped out.

A beautiful sunset appeared out of the blue.

Day one of posting our address and the hunting/trespassing reminder.

Our neighbor was busy moving soil while making the driveway.

A case of beer goes a long way...

Another moment in time when mother nature provides a beautiful sunset.

Here is the view of the property from the upper road.

Looking down towards the top of the mountain.

Here is a view from the top ridge of the mountain.

In the distance, you can see the lower valley.

We have acquired the 105.43-acre property located in Oroville, WA. My wife and I plan to create a self-sustainable permaculture food forest, which will allow us to incorporate the planting of one thousand trees. I want to meet individuals who'd like to see us achieve our goal. My wife and I are innovative; she loves tending to her garden, which includes growing plants from seed and transplanting trees, while I enjoy hands-on work of any kind. This property will be a new adventure, and you can play a vital role.

Panoramic View of Surrounding Property

This 105.43-acre property is a vast and beautiful piece of land with endless possibilities. We will need to build a paved road and paths to allow family and friends to visit; We will prepare the ground to plant and harvest fruits and vegetables. We will need to build greenhouses to prepare our plants to thrive during the initial planting stages. We have purchased (200) pine tree starters from the Olympia DNR outfit to plant in the spring of 2022. But that's just the start! With your support and our determination, we can build a place with many fields of lavender (my wife's favorite) and offer a local go-to-market. We'd make our gardens a perfect place to relax and to enjoy the views. We will add pull-in campsites for folks to stay and lodge for a night, week, or month. The next place I would call "The Fourth Place."

Let's not forget the people who have supported me to make this venture possible over the years.

We have been busy assembling the fleet of farm equipment. The R40 Ditch Witch. The 1956 Ford 800 tractor with front loader. Both units needed some TLC. I was able to get the Ditch Witch clutch to operate again. The Ford 800 tractor required some major TLC. Imagine if you will need a tractor that has not been working for over ten years. I had to start from scratch. After changing some critical parts on the tractor, I was able to take it on a test drive. Just need to finish up with the rear-end swap. Who would thought that I would find a rear end from this era within (3) days of searching on Craigslist. Thank you, Craigslist...The rear end was swapped, and the tractor was primed for oil-based paint. Painted the tractor a red and grey combination. Looks much better now. The 1972 Sno King Camper has been set up for the off-grid adventure. A couple of free pallets from the Oroville, WA Midway Best Hardware store allowed me to rest the camper above the ground. The 1956 Ford 800 loader is ready to be transported to "The Fourth Place." Luckily, I located an International Harvester TD340A 1960's era Dozer in Snohomish, WA. I will need to clean it up, paint, and revitalize the Dozer so I can make a new home for it at "The Fourth Place.