The RV/Camping/Trailer Thread!

[thesameguy]

I think everything in this class is hydraulic, but I'm not 100% sure.

[Random]

The bus-based stuff will be air brakes. Some of the Super-Cs might be air brakes, as well. I don't know what the law is regarding needing an air brakes endorsement to drive an RV--not worth checking into for the stuff you're looking at, but might be important if you win the lottery and buy a 45-foot Monaco. ;)

edit: looks like RVs with air brakes do not require an endorsement.*

*from a safety standpoint this is bunk, by the way--you set people up with the 2nd largest class of vehicle on the road, and they don't have to understand how the damn things operate, nor do they even need any additional training if the RV is 40 feet or less? So dumb.

https://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648.pdf <-- CA DMV RV handbook

[thesameguy]

If I won the lotto, I'd probably buy that limo bus SP posted a few days ago! I can't imagine the reason to drive something 40' on the road, much less larger. After standing around in it, 28' really is about perfect for any current or imagined need.

[speedpimp]

Just make sure you give yourself plenty of room for right turns, even if that means taking up part of the left lane.

[thesameguy]

Some updates:

When I spoke to the Revcon people I tried to get information out of them - capacities of stuff, etc. - and they referred me to various websites to do that research. Now, if I want seven large from someone I'm not going to make them do leg work, so that was both annoying and troubling... how hard is it to answer "What capacity is the generator?" When you don't answer, I think you don't know, and that doesn't bode well. But, I'm a trooper, so I went visiting those websites. That turned out to be a bit of a waste of time, as it turns out Revcons could be ordered with all sorts of equipment and it's impossible to know what one has based on the year and length. However, that research prompted me to look further, and I determined that this particular RV has been for sale for MONTHS. Like six or eight. It was "sold" on Ebay just a few months ago. That is sketchy, and perhaps more importantly is seems nice or not, it's overpriced by a couple grand. Something is fishy no matter how it's sliced.

That Bounder is still available, and I'm still thinking about it as a go. There is nothing exactly like it for sale - no other early '90s <30' Bounders - to compare it pricewise. I was hoping to make a case for a $6000-$6500 offer to hedge my bet on the resale-ability of it with its damage, and offset the cost of tires. I've been unsuccessful, so I'm not sure how to proceed. I think it will be with an offer in that range, I just won't have any comps to offer as comparisons. :lol:

This showed up the other day:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4414232141.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00g0g_9szPv8942Ns_600x450.jpg

but I've received no return email. I might just go drive by - it's like 10 minutes from here - and see if it's out there.

Nothing else really promising locally, although this is quite fun:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4409937347.html

Not sure I wanna drive to Antioch, but this is out there:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4416524534.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00S0S_5xhleNrtBGV_600x450.jpg

[Random]

The switches ahead of the steering column are intriguing on the Antioch one...and it's a nice drive if you head down along the river through Isleton to 12.

edit: and it's smogged, which is a positive.

[thesameguy]

Yeah, 12 is how we take the Falcon to Fun Ford Sunday - it's a great drive. I'd really consider going to see that thing in the Falcon!

Sadly those people are not emailable, so I need to figure out a time to call them.

[Random]

http://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/4419257623.html

[speedpimp]

Nice. That just goes to show that people will restore ANYTHING.

[Random]

It's definitely more of a mobile home than an RV, but it does have some interesting style to it.

[speedpimp]

Most definitely has a unique flavor to it. At the time it was built that was probably one of the largest mobiles made. Would be an awesome addition to a 50's themed collection.

[Kchrpm]

Flagged for removal.

[Random]

Interesting.

[thesameguy]

I nearly caved and called to buy the Bounder this weekend. It was really fun looking at RVs, but as "buy a cool vintage RV" transitioned to "buy appliance RV so as to not become stuck somewhere" the fun has drained out a little. I might as well be buying a 2000 Ford Taurus. I am to the point where I just kinda want it to be over.

But I didn't, because the rear damage is freaking me out. It wouldn't affect me, but I think it would make it a lot more difficult to sell - especially if I end up selling it around wintertime and it turns out to leak.

I've heard nothing further from the Revcon people. I am over them - I like their rig, but they're too flaky to deal with.

So, here are some more candidates:

Looks great: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4421267224.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00d0d_40jEwtALo9O_600x450.jpg

It's small, with a small water tank - http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4422489617.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00U0U_1GWI6JJnodD_600x450.jpg

Looks about perfect - http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4422630248.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00e0e_9jmFwqghIS5_600x450.jpg

I've emailed on all three of these....

[thesameguy]

The douchebag selling the last one refuses to talk about it via email, which could be a defensive maneuver, but to me screams "I don't want to pin myself down with facts." I may go look at it tomorrow though.

Also found this:

http://fresno.craigslist.org/rvs/4423370374.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00E0E_eJ2MkkSb6Yx_600x450.jpg

I'm skeptical as it's advertised on the Fresno CL but is in Sacramento (Elk Grove). It's also advertised on Sac CL, but it's a very different ad - much lower price, shittier pictures. Not sure what's going on there. But it seems awesome, and I'm liking the fact it has a Banks Power Pack. That means it's EFI, at the very least. Trying to get a look at it tomorrow as well.

[Random]

Sweet graphics, mang. http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4407860162.html

[thesameguy]

That Windjammer has been for sale for about a month I think.... I keep almost emailing on it, but being an '89 it's almost certainly carb'd and I think I'm pretty set on buying EFI. Those gauges definitely go with carb'd powertrain and not an EFI one.

This shopping experience has been kinda weird... some of these trucks sell instantly, and others hang around for a LONG time. With cars I've shopped for I can usually figure out why they're not selling pretty quickly - damaged, overpriced, etc. - and I know a good deal when I see it. With RVs it's not so obvious. These things were made and sold in such small numbers that it's unusual to find two that are exactly the same for sale at the same time so there isn't much surface comparison to be done. Even over the many months I've been looking I've only found a handful of identical ones, and it's hard to separate out the seasonal effect on pricing... if there is one.

One thing I've noticed is that everything between about 1982 and 1992 is compressed into the $4000 to $8000 range. Doesn't matter size or features or really anything, if it's made during that ten year period that's the price range. You get a few older rigs that are nicely maintained that might creep in, or newer ones that need to be sold immediately or are lacking in some way creeping down, but it's a fair rule and it hasn't changed in the last year. That's the notion that kept me from dropping coin on the Bounder - I knew I'd find another early '90s truck in slightly better shape for the same money.

As for why that Windjammer is still around, it could be totally misrepresented, overpriced, or just not desirable for some unknown reason. No idea. I can't help shake the regret that comes when a rig sells instantly ("Must have been a good one...") or run away when one doesn't ("It must have a problem."). For all I know, the only problem with that Windjammer is that it's in Vacaville. Heh. I can't tell anything about it from the ad other than the fact it's probably carbureted.

But, I do really like the sweet '80s graphics on it. :D

[thesameguy]

I won't spoil the surprise with a picture, but dig this... and it's kustom slide out.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/ant/rvs/4423253052.html

If that isn't Burning Man, I don't know what is.

[Random]

Two kustom slideouts! The bars on the door are a nice touch.

[Random]

Good looking Monaco: http://redding.craigslist.org/rvs/4426433430.html
http://redding.craigslist.org/rvs/4426240929.html

[Random]

Ooh, here you go: http://redding.craigslist.org/rvs/4365161417.html

Only needs a little clutch work.*cough* Training video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4mZAKy_pm4 :D


This might be even more Burning Man: http://humboldt.craigslist.org/rvs/4371322896.html "no 420" :lol:

[thesameguy]

There is another, yet longer Monaco for sale down in LA... they really do look superb.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/rvs/4426573569.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00202_buAT8AwBFPD_600x450.jpg

There is also this monstrous Cambria:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/rvs/4422187447.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00w0w_4fOHwnEZ5dF_600x450.jpg

I really do want to set 30' as the max... I don't know what my hangup is about another couple of feet, but the 28' Bounder just felt so right-sized I can't justify the extra maneuverability hassle of another several feet. I do wonder what the fuel economy hit is with longer, though... I feel like a few more feet of mostly air plus some wood and fiberglass can't weigh that much. So, like, maybe, if push came to shove with 32' or so be that bad? The only true, real immediate concern would be where to keep it. I don't think I have anywhere to put something longer than 30'.

[thesameguy]

That Rexhall does look pretty nice - and the corner shower looks nicer than what I have in the damn house! '95 I think makes it post-RV-widening... it does look wide in the pictures!

[Random]

The only time I felt like 8.5' was kinda wide was around Union Square at rush hour. :eek:

edit: though I did take one of our 96" buses down a pretty narrow dirt road in Mojave (http://goo.gl/maps/HOQpM)that would've done a number on the paint of our 102" bus. Heh. :D

[thesameguy]

I actually have a fear that something is going to go Really Wrong and we're going to need to extricate ourselves from camp sometime in the middle. I've heard it can be impossible - and it'd surely be impossible if we choose to drive up early with a camp. In *that* situation, maybe going bigger would be better - more room to hide! :D

[speedpimp]

Two kustom slideouts! The bars on the door are a nice touch.

It goes with the house storm door its attached to.

[Random]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxvfDTaUVAo

Neat! The positive pressure fan is a nice touch.

I can't find a price on their website...an FJ forum poster said they are north of $30k. :eek:

[thesameguy]

Not really a surprise. All those specialty trailers cost a bloody fortune. There just can't be that much actual work involved in making them - I'm sure most of that money goes into paying overhead for the operation.

There is an ad on CL for an old M105 that someone started a project like this with...

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4390200882.html

Nowhere nearly as complete, but a nice start.

[thesameguy]

Also, I will add that old RV sellers are the FLAKIEST people on the planet. I've never gotten so many "no idea, come look" responses on anything in my life. I got more details out of a guy selling a $1700 Suburban at a charity donation outlet than people selling $7k homes on wheels. I've showed up twice to look at trucks only to have been ditched. Lame.

[Random]

Wow, super lame. :|

[thesameguy]

Fo real.

This thing looks REALLY nice, although it's quite old...

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvd/4429561264.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00w0w_iCgHjJVZFyD_600x450.jpg

The place selling it has a couple older RVs for sale, I may have to drive up and take a look.

[Random]

OUt of your price range, not what you;re looking for, blah balh blah, but this is a really nice looking GMC conversion. AND, they kept the slanted GMC windows, which is one of my pet peeves about bus conversions: so many people get rid of the neal stylistic features of the buses.

http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/rvs/4430471699.html
http://images.craigslist.org/00N0N_6OubHG1h3uU_600x450.jpg

I would add some windows to the bedroom area on this particular example.

[thesameguy]

I'll also mention this:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/rvs/4422474067.html

http://images.craigslist.org/01717_5Mt4ZgUwQce_600x450.jpg

[Random]

In running condition! At least it has that going for it...

[thesameguy]

It's not an A, but it's quite a nice truck... and minutes pre-OBDII...

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/rvs/4432385902.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00W0W_4W1TfWpT4dn_600x450.jpg

[Random]

That does look pretty clean. And the additional batteries mean more nntsnntsnntsnnts on the playa. :D

[thesameguy]

I was thinking about that... and wondering whether I'm going to even want to bring music or if RV time = quiet time. Heh.

[thesameguy]

This is overpriced (a little), but has some EXCELLENT marketing in it:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4434613373.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00K0K_3mpEaVhvnB9_600x450.jpg


PERFECT SIZE FOR WOMEN TO DRIVE

[Random]

Drive easily. Can't leave out the modifier. ;)

[thesameguy]

Man, I wish I'd followed by gut and made plans to be in LA this weekend dropping off the Mercedes...

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/4405335810.html
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/4436435593.html

One of those would certainly work out.

I thought I'd burn some SW miles and fly down, but flights are up to $250 one way right now. :(

I need a SoCal motorhome emissary.

[thesameguy]

Also quite fond of this, although it's older and slightly overpriced...

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/4436327009.html

[thesameguy]

Aerocruiser?

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/rvs/4423520193.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00C0C_4en4HmYlV0J_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/rvs/4404056466.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00101_igarSSJ31dJ_600x450.jpg

[Random]

Aerocruiser?

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/rvs/4423520193.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00C0C_4en4HmYlV0J_600x450.jpg

"Roof air don't work." <-- might an issue in the desert.

[thesameguy]

Definitely... but if it was otherwise right, I'd just get it fixed. Those units aren't grotesquely expensive since they're essentially self-contained.

[Random]

The upholstery choices never cease to entertain. Heh heh.

[thesameguy]

I think they are all upholstered in fabrics that would have been popular in a home five to eight years before the RV was built - that way they feel very comfortable for buyers. :D

[Random]

This doesn't look too bad: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4412452496.html

[thesameguy]

Yeah, I keep thinking about driving up there - I just hate driving that far for one look and have been hoping something else pops up. It's my favorite color - beige on ultrabeige, but I am put off by the fact it's been for sale for nearly a month... could be the location, could be something wrong with it.

[Random]

It kinda looks like it was spraybombed, so it may be a 50-footer, paintwise.

There's a GMC 4104 for sale for $13,950...you know Iyou want to...
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/rvs/4431550535.html

[thesameguy]

I think I would stretch to ten grand for something like that - but I gotta cap it there. Ten grand in something designed to be essentially depreciation-proof and disposable really makes me itchy.

[thesameguy]

Man, I wish I'd followed by gut and made plans to be in LA this weekend dropping off the Mercedes...

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/4405335810.html



This one is looking quite promising.

http://images.craigslist.org/00L0L_dEjQcFIyFAx_600x450.jpg

The seller responds to emails, seems nice, isn't a retard. He posted a pretty comprehensive set of pictures, which is head and shoulders over most of these things.

I got a response from the Four Winds guy, and am waiting on responses from the Allegro and Aero Cruisers - but I think I may have a winner in that Cruise Master. It's a grand more than I wanted to spend, but new tires and 1995 are definitely worth something.

If I maintain my good feeling through our discussions, then I need to figure out how to go look at it and bring it back.

[thesameguy]

Tangent:

The only affordable flight to the LA area (ONT, SNA, LAX) includes two stops and a layover, resulting in a nine hour flight. It would be faster to drive. So I started looking at renting cars - both to get there and as a backup plan to get back. Oddly, renting a car one-way through any of the major agencies results in some crazy price - like $150/day Aveos. OTOH, going through Priceline on a one-way rental results in normal pricing, like $22 Aveos. I experienced this years ago and thought it was a fluke, but I guess it's just the way it is.

[speedpimp]

I spotted this beauty while helping a coworker unload pallets at a friend's house. The main thing that caught my attention was the blue bowtie in the center of the grill. It's a Journey RV built on a Chevy chassis. It was unlocked and smelled really musty.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v709/speedpimp/ChevyJourney.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/speedpimp/media/ChevyJourney.jpg.html)

[thesameguy]

That has been another reason to stick with newer rigs - more space-agey materials that are less prone to getting musty. Although, I must admit, there is some charm in a musty old truck. I like the smell of old European cars and old domestic trucks. Though, maybe not for sleeping in. ;)

Turns out Georgie Boy guy is kind of a douche. I explained my situation and his response was, essentially, "I will not hold it for even one day while you travel down here." That caused me to do some serious research to try and determine exactly how desirable that rig was, whether it was worth sacrificing a day at work to go down to SoCal. In the process of my looking, I found a mess of ads for the exact RV, dating back nearly a month - at which time he was asking $11k. He's had it for four weeks, marked it down three grand, and won't commit to holding it for one day while someone very interested travels 400 miles to check it out. Douche.

I talked to the Allegro guy as well. I really like those '80s Allegros with the bunk beds and the "split level" looking ceiling. They dropped that body style in the '90s when fuel injection went in, which sucks. I might be willing to go carb'd, though, and they have 100 gallon fresh water tanks which is really, really awesome. Seems like it's just Bounders and Allegros in the <30' class that carry so much water!

I also talked to the guy with the Itasca. His ad is now down, so I don't have the pictures to reference, but it's got all the right features. 3rd owner, complete maintenance history with routine service, recent tires, fresh transmission rebuild. It has leveling jacks which is dope, a 60 gallon fresh water tank which is less dope - but probably totally acceptable.

Not sure what I'm doing yet, but I think the plan is to Benz down next weekend, and either motorhome or PT Cruiser back. I think.

[novicius]

Earlier this week my girl & I picked up our first towable travel trailer: an 18" long 1983 Cameo Industries "camping unit" (no model name, heh) for $2,800 USD. We're cheap like that. :D

465
This particular Cameo is a survivor with only a few improvements due to wear and tear over time:


The roof has been completely redone due to a leak that developed at one point.
An oversized awning has been installed.
New wheel bearings last Fall.
It has a new black-water holding tank valve.
Nearly all towing lights work (only one needs to be replaced).
The A/C, heater and oven/range all work.
Electrically-operated brakes (!).
Toilet works and bonus points for not smelling at all! Can't smell anything even when I stick my face in the bowl (not a habit)!
Includes a super-drab '70's-tastic wood paneled interior and a horrible cream paintjob that's just *slathered* on and cracking on every corner, lolz.

We've had some fairly heavy rain this week and so we have now verified that the roof and windows do not leak. The windows are in especially poor shape: the seals are shrunk, hard and bulging out in each corner. If we were to ever fully teardown and restore this camper, those windows would have to be replaced. But for now I'm just happy for no leaks.

466

Last night we went shopping for fresh fabrics to update the cushions. Found some interesting, vibrant stuff.

467

Eventually we'll sand/primer/paint all of the woodgrain... some other color (TBD). Still, two stainless steel sinks! A working fridge, oven & stove! The stove's overhead lights and fan will even work off of straight battery power instead of needing to be plugged in. :up:

468

Flatscreen will hang here, of course. Serious as balls.

469

That's the P.O. reflected in the mirror here. The tiny mirror will be eventually replaced with a wall-to-wall sized one. Also, having the mirror above the rear window means I can shave naked AND wave (aka "helicopter") to my camping neighbors. :lol:

470

...and yes, whenever we go to Burning Man, this is what we'll roll in. :rawk:

[thesameguy]

Awesome!

I think that's about exactly what our friends tow up there. They get along by bringing a significant quantity of bottled water and having their tank emptied by the RV service a couple times during the week - a totally fine solution.

How's towing with the 'sploder?

[novicius]

Thank ye kindly. ;)

At 2,200 lbs, the Cameo offers minor lag & nudge to the Exploder's movements. The night we picked it up, the lights didn't work when plugged into the Ford; turns out I have a blown 20A tow lights fuse. :rolleyes: So we drove back with the hazard lights flashing (unhassled, ultimately) and without functional trailer brakes (unwise). Even without brake assist, again the lil' trailer didn't seem to affect the Exploder much; the rig is rated to tow 7,000 lbs. (http://www.ford-trucks.com/specs/2003-2/2003-ford-explorer-specifications/), after all. :lol:

Can't really give much gas mileage data since the trail between Madison & Dubuque, IA (where we picked it up) is steep, hilly country.

[thesameguy]

2200lbs shouldn't be an issue without brakes, even at that length - at least not these days, and not with your truck. I'm sure the Cameo was designed to be towed by something far smaller (and far less competent - '80s competent) than a 3rd gen Explorer where the brakes would be necessary. They're surely nice to have, but far from necessary with your setup. Hell, when I was a kid we towed a 1200lb trailer with a damn Volvo all over the place (Rockies, Sierras, etc.) and never had a problem. The Explorer could probably tow the Volvo and its trailer without brakes! :lol:

[novicius]

Yep, it really seemed unaffected. My original plan was more balanced: pulling a travel trailer like this with a Jeep Liberty 4x4 V6. But people still want money for those things (more civilized and easier to drive, probably) so I supersized my order with the Exploder. The minor difference in daily mileage is more than made up for in ease of hauling. :up:

Cruise control was a little tense -- immediately drops to 2nd and get the motor screaming if you're not close to your target speed (as in, hit "Resume" with more than a 5 MPH gap). Gotta pedal it up to the speed you want then engage. Again, the torn up, hilly terrain made cruise control unhappy anyway. *shrug*

[thesameguy]

Man, I wish I'd followed by gut and made plans to be in LA this weekend dropping off the Mercedes...

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/4405335810.html
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/4436435593.html

One of those would certainly work out.



I've talked to the bolded guy a couple times and he is somewhere between a freak and a liar. As seems to be the case with "these people" he listed his ad in several places with different verbiage. On some, the RV has a full inspection and is ready to go. On others, it needs new tires. On others it needs generator work. I asked him about all these things in our conversations and he acknowledged the problems, but I think it's deceitful to not list obvious, known problems in an ad... especially when you're couching your ad as "huge savings" when in fact its fairly reasonably priced given all the work needed. Typical for people selling these things, I guess.

[Random]

Carlo, I bet you can pop all the windows out and redo the seals with mew material from a place like this (http://www.pellandent.com/RV_Products_List.aspx?CategoryID=303). My impression of the RV manufacturing marketplace is that there isn't a whole lot of bespoke componetry.

[thesameguy]

When your lady is a rock star, travel plans become difficult to arrange. :(

Two more possibilities:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310941848951

http://www.ebay.com/itm/310939811669

Both are being sold at a dealer in SoCal, but the upside is that they're probably in generally nicer shape than privately sold ones and I'd have more comfort buying sight unseen. I'm going to make an attempt at each of them, and if it works out we could do a very intense trip down and back in one or two days.

[CudaMan]

*peeks in*

You haven't bought anything yet?

;)

I know nothing of RVs, but I like that Bounder. Looks homey.

[thesameguy]

No, nothing yet. I haven't been able to find the right intersection of vehicle, price, and location. Mostly location.

I did go for that Bounder, but when bidding crossed $8k I had to stop. My budget has grown from $4k to $8k and that's fine, but an $8400 purchase blows past nine grand after a trip to the DMV and that's just too much.

I've got a good two moths before I need to get worried, and if I get to that point I'll be a lot less discriminating. Until then....

[Cam]

Bah, you shouldn't have to lower your standards. Something will come up.

Novi, nice man! Although, it's about 2197 lbs. heavier than my preferred camping shelter. ;)

496

[thesameguy]

Right now I don't have to lower my standards, but if I get too picky and don't do something then I'll have to. :D I've got a grand invested in tickets, I'm not not going! :)

This ad caught my eye:

http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/1988-Rexall-AIREX-103466195

[Random]

That is gonna suck wind in the hills...

[novicius]

Novi, nice man! Although, it's about 2197 lbs. heavier than my preferred camping shelter. ;)
Thanks Cam! We still do have our tent for camping, I just doubt it's going to get much use now. :D

I moved the camper into it's permanent storage space yesterday ($26/month) at a storage business local to us. We can access it 24/7 so that's nice but it is outdoors. I have a line on indoor storage but I need to get a price. Still, pretty painless and cheap overall. :up:

[George]

Photography isn't this cat's strong suit, but this is kind of interesting. I'll put it here and let the craigslist thread cool a little - I've been posting like crazy in there lately.

Custom Truck - $14000 ( (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4448351015.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00q0q_lDZi3GPvroT_600x450.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/00909_enVgrjCzdb2_600x450.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/00202_d3BqNiY0Yoa_600x450.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/00E0E_kEBUJ9jvhyC_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

Won't lie, that's ridiculous. Unless dude crammed a Merlin up front or something.

Unless something goes horribly wrong, this is the weekend's unholy plan:

1000 Saturday - Take Benz in for alignment
1400 Saturday - One final nut & bolt check on Benz
1500 Saturday - Take a nap
2000 Saturday - Drop dog off at parents for care
2100 Saturday - Pack Benz
2200 Saturday - Watch [mostly] nekkid wimmin
0100 Sunday - Drive to Garden Grove/Santa Ana area
0900 Sunday - Say small prayer I am still awake
1000 Sunday - The OC
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/4436327009.html
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/rvs/4399709281.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/rvs/4441681870.html
1500 Sunday - San Diego
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/rvs/4443703058.html
1800 Sunday - Inland Empire
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/rvs/4447174575.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390829446361?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
http://www.ebay.com/itm/310943285262?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
1900 Sunday - Optional -
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/rvs/4446421597.html
2100 Sunday - Sweet, sweet sleep
0900 Monday -
BTC auto Service
8822 8th St
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
1000 Monday-
MBZ Automotive
11996 Jack Benny Dr #109
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
1200 Monday - Hopefully go buy something big
1900 Monday - Head back

[Random]

Update? :D

[novicius]

Still sleeping? ;)

[Random]

Not according to The Schedule. ;)

[thesameguy]

Home, exceptionally tired, lighter in the wallet, longer in the driveway.

[Cam]

Pix or it didn't happen?

[novicius]

:up: :up:

[thesameguy]

Things went ever so slightly differently than planned, but we held it together. It was stunning, really.
0900 Saturday - List PT Cruiser for sale pre-emptively.
1000 Saturday - Take Benz in for alignment
1400 Saturday - One final nut & bolt check on Benz
2100 Saturday - Take Nap
0000 Sunday - Drive to Valencia
0400 Sunday - Pay $70 for a bed for four hours.
1000 Sunday - The OC
Inspect 1987 Tiffin Allegro - Seller was super nice, truck was really clean but definitely smelled of its age, which was a turnoff. Ran and drove great, though, and was really homey inside. A quick drive on the freeway made it abundantly clear how important a 4-speed overdrive transmission was going to be. a carb'd 454 howling away at even 55mph was unbearable to me.
Inspect 1995 Georgie Boy - Seller was cooler than I expected, but just slightly too casual for my tastes (ie someone who wants $7500 for an item with a tiny market should be a little more accommodating). Truck was every bit as nice as represented, although apparently another potential buyer broke the ladder on the back off it's bottom mountings. Not really a functional issue, just a safety issue. We could have bought it then and there and been happy. But we didn't.
No call from guy with 1985 Holiday Rambler. No worries, I had pretty much already ruled out something with a 3-speed auto and greater than 30' at that point.
1400 Sunday - San Diego
Inspect 1993 Winnebago Itasca Sunsomething. Seller was very cool - had the AC on, water heater on, and water pump on when we arrived and was ready to demo everything and immediately offered a test drive. Unfortunately it was a little rougher than I would have expected, most notably the headliner was in very bad shape. Also, three of the four outside tires had visible bubbling on the sidewalls and I think all of them were Hercules brand ... and that fits with what I've read online - they're cheap for a reason. Regardless, it ran & drove well, didn't seem to be any functional issues. Although this one had leveling jacks and a rear queen bed, the money at this moment was on the Georgie Boy as it was so much cleaner and didn't need tires.
1500 Sunday - Inland Empire
The Bounder we were going to look at had been sold, and the two Ebay auctions I had interest were both ending without meeting reserve. In the case of the Fleetwood, bidding ended at $7500 and it didn't seem likely $8k was going to break the reserve... It was clearly a $12k+ truck. The FMC ended at $4500, and while it might be a $5k or $6k truck, the fact that bidding ended at $4500 tells me the market for this thing is about zero, and I didn't want to be a high bidder on something nobody would want next year. Also, I found ads offering the same truck at $12,500, so I'm pretty sure the seller is insane. I had found, however, a 1993 Fleetwood Southwind in Norco which we decided to check out, as Norco is right on the way from San Diego to the IE, about 20 minutes from our destination.
Inspect 1993 Fleetwood Southwind. Very cool sellers whole told the whole story, up to and including the details of a recent neck surgery that prevented further enjoyment of the truck. She was a little recalcitrant about demo'ing anything, but at this point I had a good grasp on how things worked and was able to test without assistance. :up: Nice body, nice interior. Good tires, with minor sun damage on the driver's side (tiny amount of sidewall cracking). All the big bullet point items - injected, 4-speed, 30' - plus some bonus items - small solar panel, hydraulic leveling, three beds - and two minor issues - potential non-functioning dash AC, and rear twin beds.
1900 Sunday - Optional -
We were fucking WRECKED at this point, and were absolutely not driving to Ventura. We drove to Rancho Cucamonga, instead.
1900 Sunday - Wash Benz, wash PT Cruiser, respond to inquiring on PT Cruiser, eat Mexican food, pound Red Bull.
2200 Sunday - Sell PT Cruiser. Pocket $600, provide remaining $1200 along with the keys to the Benz to girl's mom.
2300 Sunday - Taco Bell.
0100 Monday - Sweet, sweet sleep.
0730 Monday - Regret having been born, start talking about how to proceed. Having no vehicle to drive home in, it's either buy a motorhome, rent a one-way car, or fly.
1000 Monday - We decided that leveling jacks trumped queen bed, and I found some evidence that the Southwind had either an 80 or 100 gallon fresh water tank - quite a bit larger than everything else we looked at. Call the Southwind people, offer $7200 ($800 under asking). Slightly high in the scope of what we've seen, but only slightly. $800 will buy two new tires and fix the dash air if we decide to. Plus, the Southwind was the only truck we looked at with a totally full tank of gas, and that's worth something (I think about $240). All the others were totally empty. We agree to $7300 and they'll smog it.
1100 Monday - Enterprise Rent-a-Car, to pick up a '14 Mustang V6 to get around in during the day.
1200 Monday - MBZ Automotive. The owner is an ex-dealer MBZ tech and really cool. Get his card, introduce ourselves, and have a brief conversation about W124s
1300 Monday - More Mexican food.
1500 Monday - Trade $7300 in cash for twenty bazillion pounds of metal and fiberglass.
1600 Monday - Gather supplies, eat Chinese food, quick safety check on the Southwind (I have no idea what I'm looking for :lol:)
1830 Monday - DRIVE.

Some notes:

o I've said it before and I'll say it again, VPX Redline is SERIOUS SHIT. I sipped on one the whole drive home and felt great the whole time. 3:30am Tuesday morning we pulled into the driveway, went inside, and I passed out.
o Fuck Mother Nature. The drive home included fast, gusty winds that made driving in a straight line IMPOSSIBLE. When that subsided, we got fog, then lightning storms, then rain. WHAT THE EFFING EFF???
o My hands are still sore from 325 miles of borderline white-knuckle driving. The combination of whether and a giant vehicle was seriously nerve wracking. Staying alert was not a problem. The last 75 were calm and felt very good.
o 454 TBI moving a 30' Class A was not awful going up the Grapevine. It was running really hot just as we crested the peak, doing about 40mph. I would not attempt it during the day or heat, however. Too much risk. Going down was far less worrisome than I expected - until the very bottom it I kept it at ~55mph without any concern. The last mile or so I could tell the brakes were getting warm (not even remotely an issue - just being over-cautious) and backed off them, letting speeds ramp up to 65.
o I kept it at about 60mph the whole way (save the Grapevine) and made it home on the tank of gas the seller provided. :up:
o I have never once driven from LA to Sac and not worried once about CHP. :lol: I have also never once made that drive without music. It's not that music wasn't available, it's just I didn't need it. ;) Semis didn't get in my way once, and on the contrary I think I can count with one hand the number of vehicles I passed. This particular drive was an entirely different type of anxiety.

[thesameguy]

Pix or it didn't happen?

Okay grandpa. In 2014 we do video. Duh.

http://youtu.be/YxrRy8FMFpU

:D

[Random]

Dat upholstery. :lol:
Again with teh twin beds. :?
You didn't peek in the shower/potty?
CB radio!
What can you stick in the dash to replace gigantor teev?
Electric mirrors = win, unless you really like the additional exercise of getting in and out of the RV a half dozen times... :lol:

Crosswinds and tall vehicles are very exciting, as you found. As you drive the vehicle more, you'll get into the zen of matching the steering inputs with the sway. :) As with towing, sometimes the secret is to not make any inputs and just let the rig settle itself down.

Downshifting on downhills will save your brakes. It's likely that you'll need to come down steep, long slopes at the same, low, speed as the trucks/buses.

Tow hitch, so you can ditch the Suburban. ;)

What's L think of the whole operation? ;)

[novicius]

Crosswinds and tall vehicles are very exciting, as you found. As you drive the vehicle more, you'll get into the zen of matching the steering inputs with the sway. :) As with towing, sometimes the secret is to not make any inputs and just let the rig settle itself down.
Truth!

I subsequently discovered that the initial towing of the lil' Cameo from Dubuque to Madison was exacerbated by using a 1 3/4" ball instead of the required 2" ball. Jeezum Crow! :eek:

[thesameguy]

I gave up on upholstery. We even looked at some much newer trucks at dealers here, and they all suck. I think the combination of automotive+high wear = crap, just like commercial carpeting. The big win, upholstery wise, is that the owners weren't big ol fat people so all the foam is in good shape and comfy. ;)

I really don't understand the twin bed thing. The guy with the Georgie Boy fixed the issue by putting a piece of plywood across the gap along with some foam to make one big mattress. We actually incorporated this into our conversation, and the twins might end up being better. Two twins + gap > queen - so it may be a win. We don't need the "walk around queen" that RVs come with - that's for olds!

CB radio + fans + stereo with aux-in jack + sweet Sunpro tach! All the toys. :D

No idea what to do with that CRT, but I spent a lot of time thinking about it on the drive. The big problem is the plastic dash is molded right around it. My immediate thought is to find a recent, but older 4:3 computer LCD with a power brick and some sort of digital input (DVI, HDMI, whatever) and slip it in there. I really would like to wire in a backup camera, but am also thinking about sticking the little Fusion E350 PC that was attached to the upstairs TV in as well. MHTPC! :D

When it was just me on the freeway, the crosswinds weren't so bad... but idiot drivers hugging the line when passing, and semis flying by at 75+mph is what kept things exciting, especially since a solid 20% of 99 is under construction with bad road, narrow road, and lane closures. I almost went up 5, but I know 99 so well the comfort was appealing. As it turns out, 5 had serious delays so we definitely made the right choice. Still, an intense experience.

I kept it in 3rd on the up and the down, and it was no worries staying under control. There are a lot details you don't appreciate about the Grapevine in a car, and one of those is the huge performance gap between semis - especially on the downhill. There was a slow procession of trucks on engine brakes creeping down at 30 or so mph, and then many of them passing us at 50mph. Lots of fun being sandwiched between two semis at differing speeds with a crosswind. Lots. I actually read a few forums on Monday gathering tips for that trek and they all really paid off. Plus, I've towed over the pass before and aside from the height/wind issue, it was really a very similar experience. My expectation was for the worst - 25mph up and down - and it was really fine, aside from some prep (lower gear, watching road & engine speed) nothing worth stressing over.

I was surprised to read the hitch is rated for only 3500#, tongue weight of 250#. In fact, that was one mark in the Southwind's favor - the runner-up Georgie Boy had been used to tow a minivan on a dolly, which is WAY beyond its tow rating. The Southwind was towing a 20' flatbed with quads on it. It does also have a trailer brake controller, which is cool. Our only potential use for it is a bike rack. :lol: Or, if I'm feeling punchy maybe a trailer hitch BBQ. ;)

Hard to say what the global opinion of all this is, but I think really positive. It was a very tiring weekend (still beat, drinking more Redline :lol:) but ended on a very positive note. She was able to pee and sleep while underway, so that's cool. :D All we know at this point is that a) it's really happening, and b) there's a good chance it's not going to explode in our faces. :D

[thesameguy]

Oh, and I did look at the bathroom, I just didn't video it. It unfortunately has a stain on the shower floor from a wet cloth that bled color, but it's otherwise really clean. The whole thing is used but clean, exactly how I'd hope it is. :)

[Random]

I've got a 17" Viewsonic LCD sitting on the floor of my office...

[thesameguy]

I actually have a 4:3 19" in the closet I keep forgetting to put on CL - I think it has integrated power, though, which would make wiring annoying. I mean, I can run the thing off the generator, but I'd rather have something 12v that can run off the aux electrical system or even the main battery.

I had this great idea of gathering supplies and then using the old TV to make a fiberglass mold to produce a housing. Conceptually I get that, but in practice, I have no idea what I'm doing. :lol: I want to get some sort of modern-ish audio system, a backup camera, LED lighting, and some sort of big rear bed solution. Those are my upgrade goals, in no particular order. First order of business, though, is to take it to a professional and get it a safety inspection and a professional opinion rendered on the tires. Speaking of, I forgot to mention I think there is something not quite right with the brakes. When slowing down from say a freeway offramp, the power steering fluid bakes quickly resulting in a groaning pump. It wasn't a problem coming down out of the pass because we were moving and there was plenty of airflow over the power steering cooler, but when actually stopping it's an issue. The connection is, I'm sure, the hydroboost system, but what I don't know is if this is a side effect of the brake side of the equation or the steering side. Like, maybe aged brakes or maybe a bad PS pump or just old fluid. Gotta deal with that.

[Cam]

Sweet ride, TSG. :up:

[KillerB]

I was going to give you shit for not meeting up while you were down here, but that sounds like a hectic weekend. Cool rig. :up:

[thesameguy]

I almost texted you (many times hilariously) at 2am on Saturday night to score a couch, but by Gorman I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make to the OC and be okay for Sunday. :D

[novicius]

Watched the vid last night, looks good! :up: :up:

The twin bed thing is a lil' strange, I'd like to read more about your thoughts on the twin vs. queen debate -- but it looks good on you, champ! ;)

[Godson]

I'll be in the "towing" side of life before long...

[novicius]

Forest River 19' Wolf Pup toy hauler (http://www.forestriverinc.com/ToyHaulerTravelTrailers/WolfPup/) -- doit doit! ;) :up:

535
Motorcycle eye-hooks built into the floor makes for a sizable dining room area when the bike is out. Complete with galley, fridge, toilet and two bunks.

[thesameguy]

The twin bed thing is a lil' strange, I'd like to read more about your thoughts on the twin vs. queen debate -- but it looks good on you, champ! ;)

We've probably looked at two dozen RVs in the last four months or so, and of them I can count on one hand the number that have a rear queen. I seriously don't know why that is, but it's weird for sure. We talked about it fairly early on (when it appeared queens were scarce) and agreed that if the only bad aspect of a particular truck was the rear bed configuration, we weren't going to let it get us down. Very much a beggars can't be choosers situation, and since this truck literally had everything else we wanted it wasn't worth losing this good opportunity to get fussy over beds. *Worst* case we can sleep on the flip out couch or the dinette bed (and the one we got has both).

However, we also discussed modifying the truck and that's the path we're on. In the normal queen configuration, you get the bed centered in the room with paths around either side ("walk around queen") so end up with ~18" of wasted space on either side just so the olds can get into bed. With the twin setup, there is a 2' wide path between the beds, so our plan is to build a deck over the bedframes and convert the entire back of the thing into one big bed, no paths whatsoever. We'll end up with an extra 3' of width versus the queen configuration. Some plywood, some foam or maybe a futon mattress, and we'll have a pretty big bed!

FUCK, it just occurred to me why people might do the double twins! The twins run the length of the rear bedroom, wall to wall, fore to aft, with the path in the middle. If it was a walk around queen, you'd suck up two feet of length with the path at the foot of the bed. I'll bet the two twins make for a smaller rear bedroom, giving more living space out of the same foot print. That's why this truck gets a couch and a dinette in the same 30' footprint that the Bounder had but lacking the formal dinette. If that's so, this is definitely the optimal configuration for us. :)

[XHawkeye]

http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/05/VandenPlasPrincessCaravan_2500.jpg

Vanden Plas caravan (http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/05/21/from-the-archives-vanden-plas-caravan/)

[thesameguy]

Well, that's pretty awesome. :D

I wonder what a skilled craftsman could do with a 1980's Bentley. :D

[Yeti]

Oh hey, you finally bought something.

I will say that, unlike so many other things you linked in this thread, the Southwind doesn't look like the scene of numerous non-consensual sexual conquests, so that's good.

[thesameguy]

It's definitely an old people RV. We bought it from old people who'd bought it from old people. :D

[Cam]

I've never seen an RV driven by young people.

[speedpimp]

About the only time you see a young person driving an RV is if they are delivering it to the dealer. When I was delivering them I was 31 and the youngest of the other drivers seemed to be in their early 40s. There were quite a few in their 50s and 60s.

[thesameguy]

I've never seen an RV driven by young people.

We looked at a couple of them owned by 30-somethings, so they're out there. But yeah, definitely very unusual... except for one specific time of year in one specific part of the country, apparently.

[Random]

The younger folks tend to be in the Class C stuff, seems like.

[thesameguy]

"Starter RVs."

Fuck that noise.

[thesameguy]

Bored? Read some of the Good Sam Club testimonials:


We were traveling southbound on US 101 on the Oregon coast when I looked in the mirror and seen something wrong with on of the left side tires on our fifth wheel.


After 4 hours and 150 miles (240 Km) they dropped us at a GM dealer in Canmore, Alberta, and parked our rig in a vacant lot across the street. Through that night we were harassed by hooligans from a nearby bar.


I've used my membership twice. Once for a blown break line on Memorial Day weekend, and the second time for a dead battery during a wicked rain storm.

Gems, all of them.

But, seriously, I'm signing up for that shit. $160 to ensure my busted ass old RV doesn't get stuck somewhere? You betcha.

[novicius]

I'm on my folks' AAA Gold RV Package, for which I've been thankful more than a few times. :up:

This coming Monday & Tuesday is (finally) the nights I can play with our Cameo camper. I get to practice leveling with the scissor jacks (with an investment in Camper Blocks (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-Leveling-Blocks-10pk/21907582) in our future, I'm sure), filling the holding tanks, emptying the holding tanks, connecting/disconnecting the propane tanks, lighting the furnace, testing the changeover between electric to propane, etc.

Just the basics so I can run it all on my own without blowing myself up. :assclown:

[thesameguy]

I have AAA, but AAA limits how far they will tow an RV and that scares me. One time I had to have a car towed 105 miles, and because it was outside the 100 mile free towing range I got nailed for the extra 5 miles AND the return trip. I can't imaging what an RV tow truck would cost! Good Sam and Coach Net's higher end offerings will tow you to the nearest RVIA certified repair place - however far it might be - or up to 100 miles to a place you choose. They will also deliver and change tires - and that's definitely something I do not want to get involved with myself.

I too need to learn the ropes - I've still not messed with the hydraulic levelling jacks, fridge, water heater, or the holding tanks. It's all pretty idiot proof, but I am definitely not looking forward to dumping a poo tank. The owner's manual is sitting on my coffee table - I just need to read it.

[But installing a stereo was way more fun.]

[novicius]

Well at least you've got your priorities straight. ;) :up:

I need to get a set of poo-specific work gloves. I also had a link to the tips & tricks on the entire process around here somewhere...

[thesameguy]

Poo gloves. Great call. A couple of the RVs I looked at were people getting out and they just left all their stuff in the truck, but the one I got was from folks who were just upgrading so they kept everything. I think I am going to need a set of hoses and might as well invest in a cord to connect up to electrical just in case. I really want to buy a mess of solar panels, but they're expensive and, meh, I'll just run the generator.

I have a basic grasp of emptying poo - fill the black tank with 1/3rd to 1/2 water (grey or clean tanks or directly, then flip a pair of valves and let 'er rip. What I need to start doing is shitting in the thing all the time so I can see how much poop I can hold. :lol:

[XHawkeye]

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Smart-spare.jpg

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cohort-sighting-the-smart-spare/

[Random]

Nice!

[JoshInKC]

I've spent the last 2 weeks doing an archaeological excavation that happened to be in a field right by an rv where we parked our cars and used the restroom, etc. and subsequently saw basically every variety of rv/camper trailer available. One of them actually had a similar smart car shelf in the back. I think that was the single most impressive vehicle of the entire period- Not only was it incredibly long and brand new looking with a big awning that turned into a screened porch and a tiny car attached to the back - It also expanded roughly six feet side-to-side once parked. I didn't see the interior but I wouldn't be hugely shocked if it had more square footage than my house.
Also, rv park people are interesting. Very near 100% of the rv people own and dote on small dogs, while only about 10-15% of camper/trailer people own dogs. Camper/trailer people are in general friendly, while rv people (especially the husbands, the wives are mostly pretty nice when they're walking their little dogs) can be a bit snooty.

[speedpimp]

A favorite sighting of mine is the Class A motor home towing a SUV tow car which is in turn towing a "toy trailer".

[thesameguy]

I've spent the last 2 weeks doing an archaeological excavation that happened to be in a field right by an rv where we parked our cars and used the restroom, etc

Those super slides are nuts, aren't they? I've heard they are a royal PITA when new - often plagued with problems like slides that get stuck or leak. Somewhere on the net is a sort of DIY blog written by some guy with such a beast, and he has posted a bunch of photos of the workings of the slides. They are terrifying - not bearings or rollers or anything like that, just primitive wood frames and grease. I don't know exactly what I pictured in my head, but it wasn't that.

I have experienced the same thing WRT to "RV people." Largely a bunch of assholes. A gem every once in a while, but most of them wayyyyy too high strung for people who ostensibly love the open road. OTOH, I guess when you're talking about a group of people who buy giant machines which they use to cram civilization into the wilderness, I guess maybe it's not that much of a surprise after all. :|

[JoshInKC]

They are terrifying - not bearings or rollers or anything like that, just primitive wood frames and grease. I don't know exactly what I pictured in my head, but it wasn't that.

Jesus, I assumed it was bearings, rollers, hydraulics, etc. The idea of wood frames sliding on grease is f'ing terrifying.

[thesameguy]

I think they are usually driven with motors and pulleys, but I know some of them are actuated with hydraulics. But, seriously, you could build them in shop class. :D

Tangentially related, tow cars are pretty plebian.

http://bishsrv.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/1265720480_b01dd879a9.jpg

[speedpimp]

A few years back Travel Supreme ha a model that had a small garage at the rear that would fit either a Mini or a Smart Car. They went out of business a year or so later.
673

[Random]

Too much re-engineering for the MINI version, IMO. Gotta relocate the engine*.

* though VanHool's got some mid-engined transit stuff that could probably be adapted? Hmm.

[novicius]

Camper/trailer people are in general friendly, while rv people (especially the husbands, the wives are mostly pretty nice when they're walking their little dogs) can be a bit snooty.
Yeah TSG, join the Friendly Brigade! :D :up:

[thesameguy]

Screw you hippies!

[novicius]

This reminds me, I need to do my write-up over my last few adventures in the Garage...

[thesameguy]

Lacking anywhere better to put this, I'm putting it here:

Man, stuff is getting real for BRC. Got tickets, got the multipage prep guide, filled out volunteer forms, and started making a packing list. The list looks like half frat party planning and half zombie apocalypse planning. Booze & respirators FTW!

[Random]

A separate thread would be totally ok.

[Random]

694
Posted on Facebook with the caption, "Is this cheating?"

Suggestions from the peanut gallery: "Guest house." "Man cave." "Mother-in-law suite." :D

[thesameguy]

Clearly they needed more space. :smh:

[Cam]

:erm: :lol:

[speedpimp]

To make it truly interesting there needs to be a tow car sandwiched between the motor home and camper.

[thesameguy]

Last night kicked off the "Oh snap, we gotta go to the desert in a month" realization. We are going to need some stuff. Living for a 10 days in the desert is not something I've ever done before, especially not in the context of an "erotically charged 24x7 party."

There are a bunch of details to work out, but here are two things on the forefront of my mind:

1. Bad ass coolers. I have a pair of eight year old coolers that do a great job of staying cold, but only for a couple days. I gotta believe technology has advanced. What are the best coolers you can buy these days? I am looking for somewhere to primarily store ice.
2. Food. We've got ten days to stay fed, and while there are plenty of places to eat, I'd prefer to be over-prepared rather than under. I'm looking for nutritionally satisfactory, portable, compact food that requires little to no preparation. I have absolutely no taste or texture requirements. I'll cardboard if it'll keep me alive and not be annoying to store or carry. I'm gonna hit up REI for hiking supplies, but maybe folks have some recommendations?

I need to get some big ol hats, I'm thinking around 20-30 gallons of water (plus the 80 onboard), some sort of face protection in case Darude, I think a healthy supply of beer, some shitty bikes, and a bunch of LEDs. I'm told we'll need a lot of carabiners, because holding things sucks. Gonna dig up the list of tools we took to get the Fleetwood - it worked out well. I am going to look into some sort of outdoor shower, um, container. Just like being at the beach, an outdoor shower is pretty much useless because you just end up covered with sand again - except the sand in BRC is fine, fine alkali dust that you do not want stuck on you. I am not sure that outdoor shower will work out, though. It's a thought at this point.

Oh, crap tons of sun block. Definitely.

[thesameguy]

I have done a scary amount of cooler research now... seems like it's:

1. Cheap crap, <$50
2. Coleman Xtreme and Igloo Maxcold (Ultra) for a little more
3. Everything else for $250+

Cheap stuff holds ice for a day or two, Coleman/Igloo for 3-7 days (tests & mfg claims), and everything else is not actually measurably better than Coleman and Igloo - although maybe better, but at 2-10x the price you'd bloody well hope so.

I am torn between my outdated loyalty to Coleman Products and the fact that Igloo has both "max" and "ultra" in their name. That sounds pretty awesome. I'm currently entertaining the 120, 150, and 165qt Igloos - and just torn as to whether I'd rather have a few smaller coolers that be used in progression and largely kept cold (ie, use the contents of one up before even opening the next) or a couple bigger ones for an ultimate cost savings.

Ice is available in limited quantities on-site, but I'd sure like to be able to bring a few square feet of it. :)

Anyone know either the Coleman or the Igloo, or have some other recommendation?

[Random]

I never do this (because I am dumb), but you should probably check the size specs on the various coolers and make sure you have a storage location scoped out for them.

edit: dry ice is your friend for keeping things really cold for a long time. Make sure they can tolerate it, though. My Dad's carbonated potato salad in college was not a hit. The beer was damn cold, though!

[thesameguy]

I made the mistake of putting dry ice in a plastic cooler once, which is why I had to buy a new cooler. The water ice melted and the dry ice ended up on the bottom of the cooler and totally destroyed it. I don't think I will try that again.

I think all of those coolers will fit easily in the basement, which provides the advantage of not having to carry them very far. :) At least one of the compartments goes all the way across, so space shouldn't be a problem. Space isn't going to be a problem in general, actually. We have way more storage room than we could possibly need for a week and a half.

Edit: However one of my considerations WRT size is whether whatever I end up with can be easily carried in anything else I own. Having coolers that can only be transported in an RV is less than ideal. :)

[XHawkeye]

How cold/hot is it going to be?

I like the more and smaller coolers. If you plan to pack the coolers like sardines I wouldn't get anything bigger then a 70qt. They get heavy in a hurry and I've thrown out my back lifting an empty cooler.

Drain off the melted water regularly. Pre-freezing everything possible will let the ice last another day.

An Igloo Iceless Cooler is an option if you need more frig space, can/want to run the generator and it's not going to be too hot in the camper.

[Random]

High 80s--mid 90s (on average for that time of year) in the day; low/mid 60s at night, possible a tad cooler. Very dry: humidity in the teens during the day.

[thesameguy]

Another challenge: There is no way to cram a king sized conventional mattress into the back of the RV... there are so many dimensional challenges it's not funny. I looked at futon mattresses, but jeebus, a cheap king sized futon mattress is like $300. I'm not going to spend that. Final plan - a totally acceptable one - is going to be an air mattress. Anyone use one when camping? I have a ten year old Coleman queen mattress that has been just fine, but am wondering if there are newer/better options.

(In case anyone wonders why a mattress is necessary, it's because there is going to be a piece of plywood laying over the twin beds, bridging the gap between them. While I don't mind sleeping on the ground or the floor, the lady is far less into that scenario... some sort of mattress is going to be required. I considered just buying some eggcrate type foam, but a king-sized foam pad costs more than an air mattress!)

[thesameguy]

My cooler storage dimensions are going to be: DxWxH:

18x33x17
24x24x17
24x20x17
19x33x17

Looks like two Maxcold Ultra 70s will fit,

Coleman not only inconsistently provides dimensions for their coolers, but also doesn't indicate which is depth and which is height when they do. An annoying amount of googling suggests their larger coolers are 18" tall. I could make that fit, but it would be rocking them into place which sounds annoying.

Of course, the Maxcold Ultra 70 is on backorder everywhere.

FAIL.

[Godson]

Air mattresses work great as long as they don't leak.




(Most of my camping was done in a tent and sleeping bag.)

[Random]

Can you put the plywood under the twin mattresses and fill in the middle (or edges)?

[FaultyMario]

2 twin sized styrofoam pads / matresses?

IME It's no fun to sleep more than 3 days straight on an air matresses.

[Kchrpm]

I slept on one for 6 months. You get used to it.

[tigeraid]

Overstuff. I cannot stress that enough. We tried just an air mattress on top of the plywood, and it was brutal. We tried just the foam mattress intended for the camper, and it was brutal.

We now have FOUR foam mattresses stacked on each other and wrapped in a mattress cover, a bunch of extra foam rolled up on either end for head and feet, and three or four blankets and/or sleeping bags on top of that. It's quite good now.

[novicius]

Maybe we should look into that? We're just using the basic foam that came with our camper and it's *barely* adequate. But I don't want to bulk up the bed too much...

[thesameguy]

Random: Plywood is the plan, but the plywood is going over the twin mattresses. There is a nightstand between them, and while I was able to remove the top tier to make it level with the top of the mattresses, the rest of it is way too integrated to remove. So it's gonna be bedframe -> twin mattress -> plywood -> air mattress.

As for air mattresses, I've never minded them though there is a big difference between cheap ones and good ones. I don't mind sleeping on the floor as long as I've got a pillow. I've slept on the floor numerous times since the dog had her accident - so I could be next to her and be sure she wasn't licking her wounds or pulling at her stitches. An air mattress for ten days is not going to be a problem. Plus, I am guessing it's going to be more napping and less multi-hour consecutive sleep. But, if worse comes to worse it's not like we can't just deflate the mattress and sleep on the beds as intended.

I think it's going to be Coleman Quickbed, but I'm still looking. Shorter is better, since this bed is already going to be on top of mattresses. I don't want to worry about hitting my head. Heh.

[Godson]

I will agree that the nicer the air mattress the better.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Btxo9JPIAAAa9P8.jpg:large

[thesameguy]

You and George should hang out.

[thesameguy]

Huge day...

Finally found two of the 70qt Igloo coolers - the marine version, but they'll do. And they do indeed fit perfectly in two of the side basement compartments. Also found two of the 40qt versions, which fit together in a third compartment. That's 220qts of 5-day ice storage, which I think is going to be plenty for us... and we always have the fridge to fall back on.

Picked up four plastic totes, the kind with the folding/clasping tops. They were cheap at Lowes. Two fit in one of the basement compartments and the other two fit perfectly in the aisle between the two beds that we won't be needing. Dirty crap will go into the outside ones, hopefully to help keep in the inside clean and ensure we always have a place for trash to go. The other two will be for clothing that doesn't fit in the bedroom closets.

While at Lowes, bought 16' of 2x10, which I chopped up into four 4' lengths. These go across the two twin beds like slats. A Coleman Quickbed - one of a very small number of king-sized air mattresses - will rest on top. The Quickbed will totally fill the length of the room, and leave about 10" of width. We're going to build up that gap with pillows for a pseudo-headboard. That should work out famously.

Target supplied a ton of ziploc bags. Smaller ones to keep food in so nothing gets damp from melting ice or leaks into our ice, which will also be a cold water supply. Larger ones for dirty clothes to help contain dust. Also a first aid kit for just in case.

I searched Craigslist for two weeks for bikes and a bike rack and every possibility was either snapped up by someone else, or entailed so much driving it just wasn't worth it. Today was the last straw - one guy with a pair of bikes that flaked. We bought a hitch-mount bike carrier from Performance Bicycle - their house brand, but a pretty nice rack. Slides into a 2" hitch, has two platforms for bikes. Since it's a wheel-support type rather than a frame-hanging type it makes carrying a women's bike much easier, plus it means not having to heft bikes like 5' up in the air... the Southwind's trailer hitch is not exactly car height. After that, we (sadly) went to Walmart and bought a pair of Huffy cruisers. I've never owned such a cheap bike, never a Huffy, and never considered buying a bike at Walmart. But at just over $100 each, they were barely more expensive than used bikes and they were both in one place at the same time. I really would have preferred to find some cooler vintage rides, but I won't feel even slightly bad if something happens to these bikes, so that's less worry.

I placed an order with Amazon for batteries, lights, and a 30w solar panel and 12v regulator which I plan to use to charge batteries for bike lights and flash lights. The regulator will let me charge the motorhome's batteries if worse comes to worse at some point. 30w would take days to revive a dead car battery, but should get a low battery to starter-capable in less then 12 hours. I hope. :D Also coming are a few forms of eye protection, four sets of MonkeyLights, and a shit ton of condoms in a whole mess of vareties. HA!

Tomorrow we're going to hunt clothes (primarily shoes and hats) and maybe food. Still a lot on the to do list, but I feel like we made huge progress today. Maybe not exactly how I'd like to spend my 40th (ffffuuuuuuuuuuu), but I feel like the payoff is just around the corner, so it's all good.

[Godson]

Happy Belated :)

[thesameguy]

Thanks! I am clearly not above buying myself stuff for my birthday. :lol:

Today we hit up REI and a discount shoe place called Off Broadway - it's some sort of chain, but I'm not sure how widespread. I love that place. It's all last year's name brand stuff and pretty cheap, especially the clearance rack. Got some steel-toe industrial Docs - which will have a life way past this summer - along with some Merrell hiking boots and some Timberland, um, I don't know what they. Super comfy, I'll tell you that. I'll probably also take my Dickies work boots - that's four sets of very comfortable walking shoes to switch off. I also bought a crapton of socks in various styles (wicking, padded, etc.) so I can change frequently if necessary.

REI coughed up some hats, a few various types of face/mouth protection, water bottles (stainless for cocktails, plastic/filtered for water), and some nifty compact bamboo eating utensils which we plan to keep with us so we don't have to rely on other peoples' utensils.

I think purchasing is down to food and refreshments - everything else is accounted for and here or en route. I have a little prep left to do in the motorhome, work on the bikes, and if there's time markers for our camp (thinking about stealing solar powered lights from the backyard :lol:). That reminds me - I need to see if we still have folding chairs or not... I feel like they may have gotten trashed at the last Lemons. If they're gone, I'll need to get some. I also need to cram in some time to get new front tires on the motorhome. I really think the ones on there are fine, but they're making me nervous so I am just going to replace them. I didn't want to have to do that, but whatever. I'm not going to let saving a couple hundred bucks risk the vacation. I have vet appointments and a working weekend coming up, so I guess tires are next week. Hopefully the last thing I need to do.

[thesameguy]

Air mattress fits great - slightly better than I thought it would. So we're set there. The cheap LED flashlights I bought appear to be cheap, but functional. More AA batteries, but I don't expect we'll use them all that much. Solar panel seems to work quite well - it even makes 1.5v just from low household light. :up: Very happy with that thing, actually. I have a little wiring to do - adapt it to the AA charger and the 12v regulator, but that should be easy. I am blown away by how compact it is. The 15w panel I use to keep the 5-door's battery charged is like 3x the size and easily twice the weight. Ah, technology!

We're still thinking about food, but I think we are going to rely on various types of sandwiches, protein bars, and pasta salad. We have a friend who's bringing a BBQ so we might do hamburgers or hotdogs or something. I could happily live on protein bars for a week, so I'm not stressing about this. Bringing lots of water, lots of beer, probably some bourbon, some energy drinks (hybrid of soda and coffee :lol:), and some powdered sports drink (like Gatorade). Between drinking and desert dehydration is apparently a real issue, so gotta keep those electrolytes up!

Still working on plates, utensils, etc. and maybe fresh stuff, like fruits and vegetables. It's tough to balance things that are useful with trash you don't want to have. Like not bringing oranges, because they generate a lot of waste and not bringing celery because it needs to stay cold. Obviously the coolers will keep things happy for several days, so we may just switch from fresh stuff to preserved stuff halfway through. ;)

[KillerB]

Off Broadway is down here, too.

I'm mostly not sold on the voodoo medicine benefits of coconut water, but it IS full of potassium, which you'll need after nights of drinking and debauchery followed by scorching hot days of... Drinking and debauchery. :lol:

[thesameguy]

Yeah, coconut water is on the table, but keeping it requires refrigeration so it's on the list of things that could get bumped. Huge fan of coconuts and everything derived from them! :up:

[speedpimp]

If you need potassium then get some bananas.

[thesameguy]

I think I will probably just bring vitamins, TBH. :)

[Random]

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/rvs/4577896703.html
1972 Prevost bus conversion - $20000

The vinyl wrap is a cool idea, though I don't like that he convered up the stainless on the lower part of the bus.
http://images.craigslist.org/00j0j_bvE2IyWcvL1_600x450.jpg http://images.craigslist.org/00b0b_fDNTk0zxEkA_600x450.jpg

[KillerB]

Just what every motor vehicle needs... floors made from stone. :lol:

[thesameguy]

It's a new experience "packing" a motorhome. I put "packing" in quotes because, so far, what I'm doing does not really constitute packing anything. I'm basically just moving from the main house to a mobile house. I take some quinoa out of the kitchen cabinet, put it in the other kitchen cabinet. Take some beer out of the fridge, put it in the other fridge. Actually, a lot of beer. Space is not at a premium.

I increasingly feel like we are going to be grossly overprepared, but it's gonna rock. So much booze, so much food, so much... Clif bars? In an effort to keep food prep and storage to a minimum we're restricting our diet to various protein bars (Clif bars, KIND bars), a few types of sammiches, and what I think is going to be a kickass pasta salad bar. YEAH! We've got almond milk (doesn't require refrigeration til opened) and coconut water and a couple types of sports drinks (electrolytes - it's what people crave!). Wine, beer, and a lot of rum.

We're out for 11 days total, and I'm pretty sure we've got twice that in supplies. As long as the toilet holds out, it's gonna be rad. Tomorrow I'm going to figure out what to put in the other half of the cabinets. :up:

[speedpimp]

Don't forget a small shovel just in case the toilet does fail and you need to dig on.

[Random]

I like to make a distinction between "packing" and "loading." You're loading. ;)

[Cam]

MSR makes really good freakin' tents. (We have a Hubba Hubba and a Mutha Hubba.) That is all.

[thesameguy]

Tell me more about these tents...

[Cam]

This will probably read like an ad, but here goes.

Lori and I have owned a Hubba Hubba (http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/experience-series/hubba-hubba-nx/product") for several years now. We bought it for two-person backpacking and it served us well on numerous trips into the Sierras, Utah and even on Pikes Peak. It's one of the lightest-weight two-person tents out there. Because of that, it's also one of the most expensive. It's easy and fast to set up. It's been rained on several times and it kept us dry every time. It's got doors and vestibules on both sides, so you don't have to climb over your tent-mate to go for a pee in the middle of the night. It's a bit tight inside for two 6'1" adults, but it's the perfect size for us. On cool nights, condensation can build up on the inside of the fly, leaving it damp in the morning. Lori and I woke up with ICE on the inside of the fly one night on our Rae Lakes hike several years back! :lol: we loaned it to someone a few weeks back and they said a puddle formed inside the tent when it rained. I think they probably just didn't set it up right or something. We splurged on the extra ground sheet to provide a bit more protection and wear for the bottom of the tent.

Once we got Levi, our dog, we needed a bit more room to take him with us camping. Because we liked the Hubba Hubba so much, we splurged on a Mutha Hubba (http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/experience-series/mutha-hubba-nx/product) three-person tent. It's been redesigned since our model and is lighter. Price is the only sticking point. We just used our Mutha in Alaska for two weeks. We got rained on a lot. Never got wet. Felt like loads of room compared to the two-person Hubba. Again, we had condensation form inside, but I don't know how to avoid it. Doors at either end with vestibules to protect a small amount of stuff from direct rain. The two-person Hubba's vestibules seem bigger, if memory serves. That's a downer if you have three people in it. We got the extra ground sheet for this one too.

They also make a Hubba (one-person) and a Papa Hubba (four-person) tent.

We use other MSR products as well (MiniWorks EX water filter, Pocket Rocket stove and Alpine 2-Pot Set) and they make good shit. Can't say enough good things about 'em. :up:

[thesameguy]

Excellent! I assumed Alaska was in the picture, which is why I asked. ;) I have two tents - a littile Coleman (IIRC) job that is satisfactory and a nicer four person tent I got years and years ago at REI. That tent is starting to be a little worn and I'm really hoping post-RV I can get the girl interested in some actual camping. Three people sounds about us (us+dog), and I'm keeping my eyes out for ideas, so thanks!

[Random]

We're going to have a "4" (3 people not in mummy bags) person tent to pass along, when we upgrade to something that fits four people.

It's an REI Half Dome 4HC (http://www.backpacker.com/recreational_equipment_inc_rei_half_dome_4_hc/gear/details/tents/459).

Lemme know. :)

[thesameguy]

Dope! I need to dig out my larger tent and see what sort of shape it's in. You know, when I have some free time. :lol:

We got our early admittance tickets this morning - stoked about that as we don't have to fight a single living soul to get through the gate. :up:

[Random]

Win!

[Cam]

...we don't have to fight a single living soul to get through the gate. :up:
You have to fight through a horde of zombies?

[Cam]

Spotted on the North Slope of Alaska: Merc with Euro plate. :hard:

763

We also saw at least three of this type of truck with Euro-style plates.
http://www.nomadic-one.com/reflect/about-geographical-encounters

[Random]

Probably drove across the Bering land bridge...

[thesameguy]

ARE WE BEING INVADED?

WOLVERINES!!!!!!

[thesameguy]

Added 7.5 gallons of water in 3 2.5 gallon jugs and 48 24oz water bottles to cover our drinking water needs. The water bottles are being frozen to double as ice cubes short term. The onboard water will be used exclusively for showers and dookie - God willing, not at the same time. If so, hopefully someone has the good sense to call a paramedic and video it (in that order). All four coolers are pre-chilling - that early entrance pass means we can re-ice in Gerlach without fighting crowds. I'm even thinking about draining the water tank and refilling up there - but at this point I'm not sure saving ~300lbs in water weight is really going to have that much effect on anything. Still pondering.

Food is packed, refreshments packed, fuel tank filled, supplies and necessities (like LED-lit spikey rubber balls) loaded. I've got half a workday tomorrow and nothing Friday. Clothes packing Friday. Departure is schedule for Saturday AM, although I may end up feeling brave and leaving Friday night. That's unlikely... although I generally prefer driving at night, driving a motorhome at night through the mountains seems fraught with fail. I know 50 like the back of my hand, but 80 is still quite mysterious to me. I'll probably hold off til dawn, or maybe an hour or so before. Getting a little past Auburn before it gets light wouldn't be bad.

In less than 72 hours we'll be in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by weirdos.

[Random]

I saw several other sketchy-looking RVs on the road today. :D

[thesameguy]

I've passed quite a few in the last couple days, including a bunch of rentals. A lot of them, oddly, moving between 50 and 80 on various surface streets. I feel like we hit the sweet spot in terms of comfortably new and appropriately old... and given our load I also feel like 30' was just the right size for two people to pack way too much stuff in a very safe, well-balanced manner. Nothing stacked or crammed, and all the heavy stuff stowed safely between the axles.

In general, I still have some worries about tackling the mountains in a half (ish) loaded twenty year old motorhome, both from a climbing and descending perspective, but OTOH it handled the Grapevine without worry and those climbs & descents are pretty dramatic. Less twisty, though. I'm glad we're not on any sort of deadline, so if it comes down to taking a break or cooling off for an hour or two nothing bad happens. I just need to remember that so I am never inclined to push ahead in such a way that I end up needing a tow and repairs. That would blow chunks. One eye on the gauges, one eye on the road, and one eye on my cell phone so I can keep up with Burning Man related tweets 24x7.

:up:

[Random]

These guys (https://www.facebook.com/lovepotion.tranceporterii) were getting Starbucks in West Sac this morning. The bottle breaks down, so only the neck was obvious, sitting on a platform behind the bus.

[thesameguy]

It's gonna be rad. This is a sweet video from last year that was sent on the mailing list this AM.

http://vimeo.com/103975643

[Godson]

I think BM is something I should make an effort for...

[thesameguy]

I really think so. Seems like the type of experience that just doesn't exist anywhere else. I'll let you know for sure in a week or two. ;)

And that will be my last post til then... we are packed, locked down, and ready to go. Gonna catch a few hours of sleep then roll out!

[Random]

We got our early admittance tickets this morning - stoked about that as we don't have to fight a single living soul to get through the gate. :up:

This appears to have worked out well: http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/08/25/rain-closes-burning-man-on-opening-day/

[Random]

So....best week evAr, or 2/10 would not bang?

[thesameguy]

27/10 - amazeballs.

An incredible experience, and I have a lot better grasp on why people obsess about it all year. The whole thing is mind blowing. I am positive we will go back.

We got in Saturday around 1pm so the thunderstorms did not affect us. We'd only been asleep a couple hours when they started Monday, so it took a minute to wake up enough to figure out what was going on. When the first lightning strike hit and literally rocked the motorhome, we were up. That was the second time I thought, "Really glad we brought the RV." (The first was after having driven seven hours and waiting two hours in line we just parked and opened beers having nothing to set up, nothing to prepare.)

I have a headful of thoughts and reactions to the experience in general, but on topic, the RV was loads of fun and in so many ways took a lot of the edge out of our first time. A mountain of things we never had to worry about - including rain - and we were able to share it with the folks that let us into their camp, including champagne storage, a massage table (okay, a sofa bed), and a climate controlled makeup counter. We were also able to provide shade to a couple tents and with our friend's 20' trailer and a neighbor's old Sportcoach a good windbreak. There was always a clean place to pee (worth the price of admission) and a quiet, private place for some lovin'. ;) Retrospectively, we would have been 100% fine with the camping gear we have, but the RV was icing on the cake.

We did have some problems - there is an electric valve on the propane tank I didn't know was there and it wasn't working properly. It took me a couple hours on Saturday to bypass it, but after that was fine. Thursday the starter solenoid on the generator died, but I was able to work around that too. All the other systems worked great and gave zero worries. Frankly, it did better than I expected it to. Driving it up and down 80 and out into the high desert was no big deal - it definitely slowed down in places and required significant advance planning, but there was never a moment of concern, including the two hours spent in line on gate road and the two hours stuck in traffic near the summit on I80. I give 20 year old motorhome a resounding double thumbs up.

We used about 15 gallons of the onboard fresh water (leaving 65 gallons in the tank!), the rest of our drinking water was ice runoff from the coolers... I made a little system that facilitated that and it worked wonderfully. Ice cold water 24x7! We used only about 5 gallons of the grey water storage - we did dishes once per day and took towel baths a couple times per day. We didn't shower once - we kept putting it off and just came home dirty. No worries. The black water tank reached somewhere around 5/8ths full, so we didn't have the onsite people service us. We dumped at a TA in Reno... and I gotta say, holding a hose while 30 gallons of poop comes out is just gross. Not as gross as using a porto after an army of ravers, so overall a win. ;)

I was hoping to get a grasp of fuel economy, but never did. The Saturday before we left we had about a half tank indicated. I added about $95 in fuel (around 30 gallons) and it indicated full so I stopped - that was one credit card auth. When we got to Fernley, I had 3/4 tank so decided to fill up just to ensure there was no fuel crisis - but I got distracted. It pumped $100 and stopped for a re-auth. Now the gauge showed around 125%. Got to camp with slightly more gas indicated than when we left Sacramento. Nine days of running the generator 1-2 hours daily left us with slightly under a full tank of gas. We didn't stop on the way home, and now it has slightly more than a half tank. I guess I have no idea what the fuel tank size is, so I can't even begin to guess what the engine or generator's economy is. Whatever it is, we burned somewhere in the neighborhood of $190 in fuel. Whatevs.

I am not exactly sure what happens to the Southwind now. I still want to take the parents camping and we may want to take it camping ourselves, and I won't lie - we may go again next year. I'm hoping the next big trip is to Europe, but I'm not sure I can swing that time or moneywise. Now that we're essentially 100% geared up for Burning Man, the next trip entails little more than a couple tickets. I'd like the space back (a lot), but I certainly don't need it. I'm inclined to wait a few months and see how things go. In the interim, it is going to need a very good cleaning - it looks like one of those RVs those damned hippies take out to the desert every year.

[Random]

:up:

[speedpimp]

Nice.

[Godson]

Super jealous.


Super fucking jealous.

[novicius]

:up: :up:

[Random]

I'm interested in hearing the rest of the story, when you have time. :)

[Kchrpm]

:up:

[thesameguy]

Cleaning the motorhome was not so bad... I bought a "fine dust" filter for the shop vac and went to town with it and a bunch of chemicals. I'm pretty sure it's cleaner now than when we bought it. I have a little short-term maintenance to do (primarily the generator starter solenoid) and am pondering new batteries and a new solar panel - but nothing critical. Now we are re-investigating RV camping spots in NorCal for something around October. Should still be warm enough in many places and make for a fun weekend or slightly extended weekend.

[XHawkeye]

http://bringatrailer.com/2014/09/09/1941-western-flyer-rv/

http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/1941-Ford-Western-Flyer-for-sale-front.jpg

1941 Western Flyer in Linden, California for a negotiable $150k.

[thesameguy]

Man that's cool - crazy that ANY RVs that old survived (or at least enough of them to build from ;) ).

[tigeraid]

That is fucking awesome. Look at that sleeping space.

[speedpimp]

Very nice. Looks like something Sinatra would've deflowered Bobby Soxers in.

[thesameguy]

Next month I am going to find out exactly what "maximum vehicle length" means when I put a 31'8" motorhome into a 30' max length camping site. I've read that "maximum vehicle length" can refer to the distance between the parking stop and the road, the size of the parking pad, distance between parking obstructions (like trees) and road, guestimate on highway or road access limitations, or a random WAG with no significance. Hopefully if it's not some hard, physical limit. Hopefully.

[thesameguy]

Increasingly convinced the internet has all the answers.


NOTE: The Maximum Vehicle Length is determined by the access road used to reach the campsite NOT the Driveway Length. Our campground loop roads have many tight corners and narrow roadways.

I'm sure a 20-point turn can overcome a piddly 1.7' discrepancy in maximum vs. actual vehicle length.

[Kchrpm]

That's the American spirit!

[Godson]

Get er did

[thesameguy]

Gonna try. Definitely gonna try. ;)

[Random]

Retro Winnie Brave: http://www.gowinnebago.com/products/2015/brave/

edit: new-fangled moving pictures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A9FR9tSJyc

[Alan P]

Not sure if it's been on already but this is awesome.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnTnm-dJBgU

[thesameguy]

Sold some parts leftover from the XR upgrade, which resulted in moolah in my paypal account. I've been slowly buying up LEDs off the ebay to replace all the incandescents in the Southwind. Thought anybody doing some RVing might benefit.

I have three basic types of bulbs in the RV - BA15s bulbs in various wattages that are map lights, ceiling lights, and as luck would have it, tail lights and stop lights. I have *one* rigid loop bulb in the closet. I have a few E10 screw-type bulbs - that I think are 110v - in a fixture in the bathroom. I'm focused on the BA15s, since there are about 30 of them and they provide almost all the light in the coach. After trying about a dozen different LEDs for dispersion and temperature, I've found these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201057443481

to be the best replacement for spot-type lights - the map lights over the dash and the spots over the bed and couch. They are also quite good for the reverse lights. The incandescent bulbs are 15-18w a piece, whereas these LEDs are .6w each.

I used these panels:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201086212273

for all the ceiling lights. They have a good temperature (they don't turn the Southwind into an ice palace) and brightness as good or better than the lights they replaced. Those lights are 18w each, the panels are 2.4ea.

The interior has 22 12v lights, which with the old bulbs would have been 378w or 31.5a. With the new bulbs in place, it's 42w or 3.5a.

Very excited by this! The house batteries should be much, much happier now and I won't have stress about certain women leaving lights on when we leave. ;)

[thesameguy]

Out with the old -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_ledoldbulbs.jpg

In with the new -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_ledhall.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_ledbathroom.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_ledcouch.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_ledmap.jpg

Aside from the energy savings - which I am a huge fan of - these LEDs will help avoid things like this from happening:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_leddamage.jpg

[thesameguy]

Ebay thought I would be interested in this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-Coachmen-Clarion-/261814255287?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276

Another funky RV!

[thesameguy]

This is not exactly a camping component, but it seems an appropriate place to ask:

There are certain supplies I keep in the truck that always fit perfectly in the spare tire well of the '84 Suburban because it lacked a spare tire. I figured if one hadn't been needed since the '90s it wasn't worth messing with. Anyway, the '99 not only has a spare tire but a bunch of plasticky boxes lining the sides of the truck just taking up space. There isn't a great place to put Emergency Supplies. I'm looking for something that I can leave permanently inside to store jumper cables, some tow chain, the trailer hitch, and a few other, smaller and lighter things. I am looking for something sturdy that is big enough to carry this stuff, but intrudes minimally. Preferably something that can be anchored in some way - the idea of a box with 50lbs of crap hurtling through the cabin in an accident is no bueno. What would be awesome is a box the size of the rear floor that is 6" tall, but I don't think that exists. Has anyone seen anything that seems like it'd be a good fit?

[thesameguy]

This is amazing:

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p100/glenyoshida/2007/071003%20Cargo%20Box/CRW_4860.jpg

I wonder if I have the mad skills to replicate it?

[thesameguy]

Nobody? Bueller? Anyone?

Anywho, the time for Burning Man approaches and I think the last thing *I* am going to tackle is getting some better performance out of my refrigerator. For those who don't know, RV fridges don't work like the ones in your house. The ones in the house are like AC systems, where a gas is compressed and decompressed and that makes cold. That, however, uses a lot of power (though a lot less today than it did in the '80s!). RV units are absorption coolers, which work by heating and cooling a liquid. A bunch of confusing magic happens in the middle - here's the score if you care: http://www.rvdoctor.com/2001/02/rv-absorption-refrigeration-cooling.html

The problem is that having no moving parts the RV units rely on temperature differentials to do all their work. If the differential isn't great enough, nothing happens. That applies to the system that makes the cold as well as the system that applies the cold to the food. If you're "camping" (like being in an RV is camping - HA!) in a hot place, like, say, a desert, the system doesn't work very well. You get little pockets of cool surrounded by lots of hot. To address that, people make kits to put low-power DC fans both externally and internally - the former to help make more cold and the later to circulate it.

My goal in the next 30 days is to build a system that will improve performance without risking killing batteries - and it's quite possible I am unnecessarily paranoid about doing that. I think a big computer fan, like a 120mm or 140mm, will draw .25 to .50 amps, so if my calculations are right a pair of 6v golf cart batteries should run one for about 800 hours (200ahx2/.5). Heh. Still, a small solar panel could produce 1a reasily and would only need to do it during the day anyway, so that might be a good solution. Still working on that. Another possibility would be a thermostatically or timer controlled fan that worked intermittently rather than constantly. Not sure yet.

Also not sure whether I am going to focus on the external situation or internal situation or both. Last year the fridge did not work satisfactorily at all. It kept things cool at best - fine for a beer, not sufficient for milk. So, something needs to be done to increase the lazycomfort factor.

[Random]

Unrelated: http://www.ursaminorvehicles.com/campers/element-camper.html

Honda Element pop-up conversions. Saw one today, randomly, had no idea such a thing existed. Neat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJAoz99de2k

[thesameguy]

Honda should have absolutely OE'd that.

[Random]

Srsly, y0.

The one I saw was body-colored, too, so the only real giveaway were the latches and slightly taller profile. Slick.

[novicius]

Very cool!

[thesameguy]

Charging ahead with my aux fridge cooler. I modified the light switch in the fridge to use a 2-way microswitch, so when the door is open the light goes on, and when the door is closed the light goes off and the fan goes on. YEAH! I'm doing a little research on devices for controlling the fans - I was originally thinking about having them be temperature controlled, but maybe what I really need is time controlled. Like, they run 1 minute out of 5 or something. I probably need to run some tests to see what is most efficient. Sounds boring.

The fans will be in the neighborhood of .3-.5a at 12v, not much. But I think more than the solar panel I have can keep up with (it's 20 years old!). I just ordered a Renogy (middle of the road) panel which I think I can fit in place of the old one. It's about four square feet and does 50w at peak sun. It's monocrystalline so reasonably efficient, but I couldn't justify a "good" controller and went with PWM, which is only about 80% efficient. I think I can count on a good amp or *maybe* two most of the day, so that easily covers a half amp of fans and battery topping. Coolio. Literally!

I am suddenly reminded of one task that lingers from last year: Replacing the incandescent stair light with something more efficient. I got no need of 15w lamps in my house!

[FaultyMario]

I hope you still have arduino instructable from when you first wanted to change the stair lights.

[thesameguy]

Yeah I do - sadly, I have had zero brain cycles available for dealing with Arduino. :)

[thesameguy]

After a lot of looking I settled on a Renogy 50w solar panel to upgrade the 5w (I'm being generous) panel that's bolted to the AC unit on the roof. The Renogy panel is advertised as being monocrystalline, but the documentation says polycrystalline, but the panel is obviously mono (octagonal black cells). No idea what that's about. Efficiency is rated at "up to 19%," peak sun rating is 50w. It in the realm of the most efficient panels you can buy that's sturdy enough for mobile use, so whaddayagonnado? The thing is 4' square, about 8x the area that the existing panel (2304 sq in vs 288 sq in). Huge improvement, and it *just* fits on top of the AC unit - tiny little overhang in the rear, no worries.

I just picked up some metal to make some new brackets for it. I am going to reuse the wiring into the house, but I can't use the existing charge controller because it's a stupid LED with an inline resistor. Lame. I got a new 5a charge controller that I need to figure out how to mount... I have not much room and about 8" of wire to work with. It may be ugly. Whatevs. ;)

50w peak gives me *plenty* for running two or four 2w fans and topping off the battery from previous-night light usage. From what I have read I can count on 5-10w even in some shade, so that keeps the fans running. Should be cool! :up:

[21Kid]

Nice! :cool::up:




I see what you did there...

[thesameguy]

I got bogged down trying to figure out a simple system to let me control the tilt of the panel - it lead nowhere.

Now I am bogged down debating whether to build in a latch to the bracket with the idea of getting a second 50w panel that I could fold out and double the output. 100w of solar would be awesome and would not cost much. I think the roof AC could support the extra 15 lbs (5lbs vs 20lbs) but I am not sure. If I built in a glider then I could unfold and slide the thing back to center it, but now it's getting very complex for I'm not sure what... I mean, 100w > 50w, but what do I actually get? I still couldn't power the stereo, and there isn't any middle ground between "all the lights" and "the stereo" - I guess I could recover a low battery that much quicker... how many amps does it take to take a battery from dead to start the motor? :lol:

What did I do somewhere?

[Random]

Keeping the fans on the fridge running will be cool​.

[thesameguy]

Well, so far so good, phase one complete.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_fridgefan.jpg

I am very happy with the result, especially in the face of the common commercial solution:

http://acimg.auctivacommerce.com/imgdata/0/0/0/2/9/7/webimg/6436902.jpg

UGLY.

The magic of course is using an actual computer fan, as all the good research on fans is being done by computer nerds. :) Radio Shack et al only sell crappy old-school muffin fans that are ineffective and loud. They added an on-off switch to the off-the-shelf version because people complained they couldn't sleep with it on. Mine is SILENT, you can't even hear it with the door open. And, quite frankly, it looks a hell of a lot better to boot.

The fridge cools down MUCH faster with air circulating, and it seems to get colder. On "1" the thing was uniformly about 50 degrees, which is 10 degrees cooler than it would get before. I will try "5" (coldest) tonight and see what that yields. Next I will test gas - I've been using AC so far - and see how it does.

The factory "convection will take care of it" approach is clearly not sufficient. Everybody on the internet recommends the "fan mod" on absorption fridges and I'm now a believer too. I need to do some consumption measurements and determine whether I should use a Device to cycle the fan somehow, but at .1a draw two 6v golf cart batteries should be able to power it for about 70 days, so cycling it may not be an issue. All I will need is about 12 hours before the sun comes up and starts recharging the batteries anyway.

The next phase is improving the cooling on the coils. They get pretty hot and also rely on convection to cool which doesn't work so well here, either. Someone installed a Radio Shack muffin fan at some point, but it's loud and inefficient (.3a!) so it's getting replaced too. Something much larger and much more efficient.

The solar panel installation failed utterly Saturday afternoon - I broke my 1/4-20 tap off and dulled two drill bits trying to get the tap out while turning the whole piece I was working on into molten, useless aluminum. Blue Collar Supply - home of awesome metal bits - is now out of the 3/4" square aluminum and has no plans to restock. FML. Gotta re-engineer the whole damn thing. Fail. :down:

I did get all the wiring done, though, so at least there's that. In doing so, I think I figured out why the old panel stopped working:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_deadpanelplug.jpg

I love that someone thought Mate-n-lok connector was a good idea for outside use. Derp.

[novicius]

Dig it! :up:

Obviously I have the same problem on my lil' 19-foot travel trailer fridge as well. We end up loading all of the food the night before and letting it run plugged in overnight just to get the fridge cold. :smh:

[thesameguy]

I did not anticipate last year how exactly the thing performed and was sorely disappointed. It had been plugged in for 3-4 days prior to leaving, then obviously switched off for the drive up the mountains. Six hours later it was cool (at best) inside the fridge and it never got cold again.

What I learned subsequently was that with a little air circulation the fridge will stay cool. Not milk-saving cold, but at least not hot. I also learned that leaving an air channel from the bottom to top is essential, and we definitely did not do that - it was packed pretty full. I am hoping with a fan inside circulating air and a fan outside keeping the coils cool we can improve performance.

Last year we ended up using the freezer as a fridge and the fridge as more cabinet storage. It wasn't ideal, but it wasn't a problem - the only food we lost was not needed, and those bad-ass ice chests I got kept drinks very cold and made lots of chilled water to drink. We were not suffering. ;)

I am looking at these improvements and maybe some dry ice to keep temperatures down during travel we can get a few days worth of fresh food before it's all wrecked again. ;) It won't matter if that doesn't work out, but it'd be nice. Sitting in the driveway in direct 90 degree heat (similar to what we'll have in the desert) it was more than acceptable on "1." If I can get that performance on gas, I'm 100% satisfied as it's a 100% improvement. :lol:

[thesameguy]

I just ordered a pair of these:

http://www.acousticpc.com/images/a_bitfenix_200mm_fan_bk.jpg

for coil duty - 200mm Bitfenix fans.

I went with them as they have FDB bearings that should do better than sleeves. I was originally planning a 170mm fan pointed straight up, but instead I am going to try a pair of 200mm fans pointed at the base of the coil, and hope that packing the mechanical compartment with air will encourage convection to take care of the rest. If that doesn't work well, I'll move these to the top of the chimney and see if using them as extractors does any better. If *that* doesn't work, I'll go back to Plan A, one small vertical fan.

[thesameguy]

12 hours on propane yielded temperatures identical to AC, so that's positive. Interestingly but not surprisingly the boiler was substantially hotter when using gas... I can't quantify how much hotter, but hotter. Since I could touch it easily we're not talking about dangerous heat, so it's probably nothing. Simply as information, one of the problems with absorption refrigerators is runaway boilers. They can spike hundreds of degrees and spontaneously and permanently fail or even start a fire. Kinda scary!

Last night I got new tools from Amazon, so I finished the solar panel installation. The thing is pretty mighty -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_newsolarpanel.jpg

It fits absolutely flawlessly up there, I am very happy with it.

(Beyond the panel you can see the uncovered chimney for the refrigerator. Up there is one potential location for those 200mm fans.)

Tonight I will finish installing the solar panel regulator. Tomorrow I should get my fans for the chimney. All that remains is some sort of thermostatic or chronologic fan control and new rear tires. Then we pack up!

[thesameguy]

Solar panel controller installed:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_newsolarpanelcontroller.jpg

It's not perfect, but it's acceptable. It's intended to have the wires screwed down onto the bottom terminals, but I did not want exposed wires compromising my already compromised install, so I drilled a hole in the back and soldered new ones on:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_newsolarpanelcontrollersolder.jpg

:lol:

It seems to work about as expected:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_newsolarpanelamp.jpg

Just shy of two amps in bright but indirect sunlight, so I confident I will hit my requirement of 1a during the day. :up:

With the panel cranking out some juice, I did a preliminary install of the 200mm chimney fans which happened to arrive a day early.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_fridgefan1.jpg

You can see below them ye olde Radio Shacke muffin fan, which is pretty much dwarfed. The old fan draws .3a, the new fans draw .28a each. They are nearly silent, too, which is rad. I built support for both of them, but only connected one. I think one will do the job just fine, so I'll leave the second as a backup, spare parts, or aux cooler. :)

I've got the fridge turned on using gas, interior & exterior fans humming away. At 6pm I had 12.46 volts on the house batteries and the solar panel making .4a in the shade. .4a is *just enough* to run the fans. We'll see what things look like tomorrow morning when the sun pops up!

[21Kid]

Nice :up:

[thesameguy]

So far VERY good.

Batteries are up to 12.7v, so I am charging while running the fans. As far as I'm concerned, that's the ideal case since it means I can also recover from nighttime light use. That was not possible with the old panel. :up:

Additionally, it seems the chimney fan also dramatically boosts the fridge temp, as it's down to 45 degrees in 18 hours, still on the warmest setting. That is positively enormous. An energy-free 15 degree drop in fridge temp!

[Random]

Winnang!

[thesameguy]

Victory was fleeting. :lol:

Yesterday at 6pm the batteries were down to 12.4v, probably because it got very overcast in the afternoon. Fridge was back up to 60 degrees, probably because it was 95 at humid as, well, Florida.

Not worried about the batteries as it's no surprise, a little upset about the fridge. But, at least I know what I'm working with. I don't consider the efforts to be a loss - I still have batteries that recharge and a fridge that gets potentially colder than it did. it's just less reliable in the cooling department than I'd hope.

I should mention that the freezer stayed cold - at 25 degrees, it was about 15-20 degrees colder than it ever has been. it does make sense - design-wise, the freezer is the priority... "overflow cold" from the freezer is what cools the fridge. The system just wasn't making enough cold for both. I can always turn the cooling up and see what that nets. It's also possible than having some cold stuff in the fridge might help maintain temperature better, might get it over the humps. An empty fridge is an inefficient fridge.

[thesameguy]

I plugged in the second chimney fan and turned the fridge up to 2 (5 is max). After 24 hours I still have 12.4v on the battery, 20 F in the freezer and 45 F in the fridge. I think we have a winner.

I crawled up top to replace the chimney cover and was able to feel a decided hot breeze, so it sure seems like the fans are doing their job evacuating heat. I need to replace my IR thermometer as the remaining weak link is the boiler temp. I *think* it's well within reason as clearly it would be stupid to design a system that would overheat at 40% power but still... I wanna know.

Edit: Hmmm.... my multimeter has a temperature probe... I'll bet it will work here!

[thesameguy]

Temp probe isn't perfectly accurate, but workable. It said about 90 degrees at the bottom of the coils - slightly warm to the touch - which seems *excellent*. Last week with only one fan spinning it was hot. Not uncomfortably hot, but coffee (not McDonald's, mind you) hot. I would be shocked if the temp hadn't dropped 50 degrees. Considering the low temps of the fridge, a substantial improvement was definitely made.

Having done this, I have exactly no idea how Dometic or Fleetwood expected this thing to work in anything other than cool outside temps. The setup is simply unable to cope with anything over about 70 degrees ambient. Really dumb design, but at least it was an easy, reasonably inexpensive ($150-ish) fix.

I do wonder what sort of impact new variable-speed compressor fridges will have on the RV market. Seems a lot of folks have replaced their absorption fridges with conventional compressor fridges - a yet-more efficient compressor fridge could be awesome. It's idle wondering for me, because I sure as hell am not interested in relying on 120v to run my fridge. I really want to be as self-contained as possible.

[novicius]

Wow. By comparison my late 70's/early 80's fridge in the trailer will at least get frosty cold in the freezer, it just takes 20 hours to get there at first.

[thesameguy]

Could be a function of size as that plays a substantial role... do you know what the volume of yours is?

[novicius]

Nope but it's close to mini-fridge sized. Bar fridge?

[thesameguy]

Not knowing what I am talking about, I will bet size is the issue. It's like they scaled up the volume without scaling up the cooling to match. If mine was half the size it is it wouldn't have these problems. I have read that Dometic did absolutely zero R&D ever... I expected better from the Swedes. :D

[Random]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPWhbdvvJ-A

Aussie teardrop with a slide. Neat!

[thesameguy]

Man, that is *exactly* what was needed. Top notch!

[Random]

The Dutch chick that opened up this thread is a little cuter, though.

#justsayin

*ahem*

[21Kid]

We're going camping this weekend with a good ol' fashioned tent. :p

[Random]

Luddite!

[21Kid]

The kids were hilarious.

We can't bring electronics?
How do we cook dinner?
There's bugs everywhere!

:lol:


My son did end up getting bit pretty bad though. I think there might have been a spider in his sleeping bag. :(

[thesameguy]

Just think of how much more character they have now!

[novicius]

Where did you go, Kid?

[21Kid]

Starved Rock State Park (https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/StarvedRock.aspx)

It was pretty neat. The kids definitely have a new appreciation of nature and the great miracle of indoor plumbing. :lol:

[thesameguy]

Finally got the Southwind out for some "camping." A little campground up in Colfax, about an hour east of Sacramento. It was a pretty nice place - off all major roads so there were no sounds of traffic and there was a nice tree cover and a nearby lake. I think we were late enough in the season that it was pretty well abandoned, which is a-ok by me. I initially felt pretty bad about rolling into the wilderness with 32' of fiberglass, but Saturday night when an unpredicted hail storm broke out I was bloody happy I had it. We were there for only two days, so really it was just a long picnic, but it was still a nice time away and totally low pressure. We didn't know we were going until noon on Friday, and since the only thing we actually had to worry about was what we were eating packing was a cinch. Never could have packed up a car for a weekend in two hours. With a motorhome? No worries. Whatever you think you might need there is plenty room for, throw it anywhere.

Southwind did awesome - it was warm and comfortable for two people and a dog - what else do you want? Oh, I know, how about being able to go down the narrowest road in the world when the guy you're following misses the turn?

https://goo.gl/maps/Fgwo2JgTpF42

I could be mad, but he has a '94 Bounder that's four feet longer than the Southwind. I imagine we looked pretty ridiculous creeping 70' of motorhome down that road.

[thesameguy]

Speaking of the Bounder... he's on an F53 chassis with a Ford 460 and EOD with a Banks kit, which I expected to *dust* the Southwind heading up hills. It really didn't - there was never a time where I lost speed faster than he did. Could be a factor of his additional length, but I don't actually think there is a big difference in overall weight. Maybe the power difference between the 7.4l and 7.5l has been exaggerated. Just trivia, still totally happy with my GM platform.

[speedpimp]

TSG to the red courtesy phone. TSG to the red courtesy phone. (http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2015/10/22/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1976-gmc-eleganza-ii-motor-home/?refer=news)

[thesameguy]

Thirty grand! I honestly think that guy is dreaming!

[21Kid]

https://roadtrippers.com/stories/these-are-the-craziest-road-trip-vehicles-that-money-can-buy?lat=40.80972&lng=-96.67528&z=5

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CURO_RJWEAAuuB1.jpg:large

[thesameguy]

Sure, that seems about right.

[speedpimp]

Only thing missing is a tow vehicle behind the trailer.

[Random]

Mr. Two's bedtime "calm down" videos for the last few weeks have been "Top Truck Challenge (presented by Motor Trend)" featuring rigs like the one on the trailer. I did kind of wonder how they got to Hollister for the contest...

[thesameguy]

If I needed something really nice and had an extra fifty grand laying around, this is about a perfect motorhome for me...

http://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2001-Newmar-New-Aire-CLASSIC-115876427

http://cdn4.traderonline.com/v1/media/560ed255b53a223d3268f176.jpg

Didn't even know such a thing was ever made!

[speedpimp]

That was built locally in Nappanee, Indiana. The dual rear axles on such a short wheelbase gives it an awkward look.

[thesameguy]

It is a little awkward, but it's also a super short "modern" diesel pusher with no slides, which is super unusual. The only thing less than ideal about the front engine gas RVs is their poor towing rating... a limitation DPs don't have. If I were picking out the perfect motorhome for me, that thing would be it! :)

[speedpimp]

Reminds me of a weird Greyhound prototype.

[speedpimp]

1953 Kom Pak Sportsman (http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2015/12/23/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1953-kom-pak-sportsman-trailer/?refer=news)
http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2015/12/53663458-770-0.jpg