Well…I’m back to the Chevy platform. In 2014 I bought, then built the original NARV (Not A Rape Van) 1.0. A couple of years ago I sold it to move to a new Sprinter 4×4. I built that out, all vanlife style…then sold it. Having a $100k vehicle sitting in my driveway stressed me out…and I missed NARV. So here we are; NARV 2.0, ANOTHER 2008 Express AWD. I just took a 1,700 mile test drive, to bring it back from Delaware to Fort Collins, Colorado. It has 103k on it, one-owner, full service records, fully loaded, and fully stock…a rare find now-a-days. The Plans Lift – SuspensionMaxx MaxxCam2 Key, Skyjacker BUK2061 blocks, Skyjacker H7003 front shocks, Skyjacker H7017 rear shocks. Wheels/Tires – Still shopping for wheels…I really liked the Black Rhino Warlords on my Sprinter. For rubber, likely 265/70/17 KO2s Full roof rack (custom built likely), lighting, etc. Aluminess Ladder Middle Ground …keep reading …
No-Drill Shelf Solution for a Jayco 19XUD Hybrid Travel Trailer
We’ve just passed the one year anniversary of owning our 2015 Jayco 19XUD Hybrid Travel Trailer. While generally, we love it; there are a couple “shortcomings” that need to be addressed. One of which is the poorly designed storage cabinets between the door and reefer. Here, Jayco has three LARGE storage areas, without shelving. While this was likely done to accommodate installing rubbermaid shelves or the like, I truly suspect the reasoning is weight reduction. If they had installed shelves, it would be very easy for someone to store a lot of items here, which could quickly add too much weight behind the trailer axles, which would not be safe. We are now on our third iteration of organization in the camper, and each time these cabinets just get unused or under utilized for what size they are. Their location lend themselves to use for items that need to be …keep reading …
Installing a Digital Furnace Thermostat in Jayco 19XUD Hybrid Travel Trailer
There is no other way to put it – The thermostat that comes with most campers absolutely suck. If you have ever camped in the cold, you know how difficult impossible it is to get the furnace to an accurate and tolerable temperature. The good news is, that this is a simple five minute project to fix. All you need is a two-wire (ideally heater-only) thermostat. I bought mine, an Emerson 1E78-140, from Amazon for about $20. Instructions 1. Turn off or disconnect your battery. 2. Locate your current mechanical thermostat. 3. Remove cover, and unscrew from wall 4. Disconnect wires, noting where they were connected. For mine, the white connects to W and the red/white connects to the R. 5. Open your new thermostat 6. Route the wires through the back and connect them to the matching connections; White to W and red/white to R (or RH). 7. Install …keep reading …
Clark Family Campground, Deland, Florida
It has been a busy few months. Trevor leaving for basic training, car shopping and limited campsite availability has kept us from being able to take advantage of our Jayco. Luckily for us, Clark Family Campground was able to accommodate us. Lisa, Adrianna, Paul, and April all joined in on this trip. Lisa and Adrianna rented one of the small cabins, while Paul and April used their tent. They were right near one another, but I need to get a site a little farther away, to take advantage of the sewer hookup to clean out my tanks. We all arrived Friday afternoon. Jennifer rode over with Lisa and didn’t arrive until later. The rest of cooked out on the grill at our camper. After dinner, once everyone was there, we hung out and played with the “Chat Pack“, which led to some interesting, and deep discussions. That night, once everyone …keep reading …
2016-01 Introducing Airman Trevor King
Day 1 – Airman’s Run, Coin Ceremony, and Base Pass After our ordeal just a few hours earlier with travel, we were tired this morning…to say the least. We ended up only getting about an hour or so of sleep, before we had to head to the base for briefings and to get a good view for the Airman’s Run. The BMT reception center is quite impressive. And considering the number of people that flow through every week for their airman’s graduation, they manage the logistics very well. We attended the early briefing that went over the activities for the weekend. Right outside of the auditorium, there are screens which show the airman assignments to their “heritage flights” for the weekend’s activities. The board even notes changes, so we trusted it, as it “obviously” had the most up to date information….this was a mistake. Using the map layout of the …keep reading …