Car Camping / Trip Reports / Photos / Buildouts / “Overland” / Expedition Rigs Area (homeless?)

You could get tow mirrors. They're much larger and would look less ridiculous.
https://www.1aauto.com/2005-15-toyo...-Ns2HStekAaFClfgWBvrzAofKYBDigMMaAsx4EALw_wcB

 

Good to know the Navy Seals use Hilux trucks overseas

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a19663183/driving-tips-from-the-navy-seals/

 

Before/After lift, 1995 Eurovan Winnebago camper. Crappy pics, but you get the idea - spacer for the rear coil springs and adjust the front torsion bars up. Got 2" in the rear, only 1" up front, center hub to fender. The big deal was to get the LP tank more ground clearance, got 2.5" more with 16" rims.

Went from 205/65/15's to 225/70/16's, used Audi 16x7 rims and Hankook Dynapro RF10's. I talked to a local expert and 225/70/16's are the best one can do without extensive suspension mods.

It's a nice camping/glamping/overlanding unit. FWD only, but I figure it will do fine moderate offroading. I like it better than a Vanagon, Vanagon has that loooong front porch. Eurovan has a short front porch for better approach angles.

EDIT: I can get more front lift by cranking the torsion bar nuts up some more, but CV angles . . . .

 

Camping with the Vagabond Outdoors Drifter in the Mojave Desert

 

Spent some time around Fruita, CO testing out the trailer I built.

 

Those of you with a roof top tent. Let's say you are on a road trip. You pull over to camp and it rains that night. You wake up and it is still raining. Do you fold it up anyway? Take the bedding out? Stay till it stops raining and dries? What if you fold it up wet will it mildew?

 

Small world, you can all but see my truck in that photo! I was the white tacoma that slow rolled past your campsite every day this past weekend at 18 Road. I meant to come talk to you about that trailer, but the guy in the dodge/camper I shared camp with was from BC and just did 5 weeks in Baja so he kept me distracted. We were like 100 yards from each other.

 

I was out in Yosemite a few weeks ago. In snowed a lot. I brushed off the snow as best as I could and just packed up. Once home I opened it up and with all windows open to let it air out and dry. I know its not rain, but I would imagine myself doing the same thing in the rain.

 

Yah small world! I was shocked how packed it was out there. Must have been 50 vehicles in that little valley below the mail campground where we camped.

 

Thursday night when I got in was bananas. It was amazing that Friday and especially Saturday were much quieter.

 

I need to do more mudding.

 

Yah I had front row seats to the fireworks Friday night, which was kinda nice. I was just waiting for someone from BLM to come down and bust the guy haha. It was perfect weather out there, I already want to go back and ride some more trails.

 

I was thinking the same thing about fireworks guys. I had the skylights open on my tent, so it was a great seat.

It has been unbearable at work the last 2 days cuz I wanna go riding again, but it is month end close for us finance types.

Drop me a message when you want to go ride out there again, and maybe we can get a TW party going!

 

Opinions time! Looking at adding battery capacity. The question is: Dual battery Group 34s, or 1 Group 31 behemoth with a Pelfreybilt cage?

All I would be running is some camp lights, maybe the HAM a little bit. No real plans for anything rediculous. A fridge MIGHT be in the future,, but my RTIC works pretty damn well for me so far. I tend to camp with other overlandy people in a group, or am solo in decently populated places so self jumping isn't really a necessity, just would be a nice to have.

Dual battery:
PROS: More juice, self jumping capability, EAF points
CONS: Expensive, probably unnecessary for me

Group 31:
PROS: More Juice, Cheaper than DB, no extra wiring
CONS: Not as much juice as DB, taco lean enhancer, no self-jumping.

Thoughts?

 

I was on the fence about the same decision. I ended up going the Group 31 and figuring if I needed another down the line I could put another on the passenger side and tie it to the 31. I run lights (on and off) and fridge off the 31 for days at a time without turning on the truck and it always fires right up. I do carry one of those small battery jumpers on board just in case it does run dead but it has never left me stranded.

 

Yeah, those jump packs bridge the only real reason I would want a dual battery system over a 31. Considering that a full bore OGE kit with 2x Odyssey 34s is ~1200 bucks vs a Odyssey 31 and Pelfrey cage at ~500, even the #EAF part of my brain is having trouble justifying it.

 

I did a dual battery system for under 500 bucks including 2 AGM batteries. Did it to replace a group 31M battery that I had for years.

 

Go on...................

 

Totally possible with 2 similar batteries and a simple relay. You lose some automation but it will work just as well as any high end system.