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VideoGameVet
May 14, 2005

It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.
OK, the best bet appears to be this:



GM Brightdrop EV600: 250 Mile range. AWD. 120kW DC fast charging. Speculation is that it has a 178 kWh battery pack. Uses a 20-module Ultium battery, the same system as on the Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, and Chevrolet Silverado EV.

6' 4" headroom and I like the big sliding rear door.

Since Ford has the Transit EV out reports say this won't be that much more expensive and it's a dedicated build not a conversion.

Don't know about the AC Plugs on it.

Dealer is about 2 hours from me.

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everdave
Nov 14, 2005

VideoGameVet posted:

OK, the best bet appears to be this:



GM Brightdrop EV600: 250 Mile range. AWD. 120kW DC fast charging. Speculation is that it has a 178 kWh battery pack. Uses a 20-module Ultium battery, the same system as on the Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, and Chevrolet Silverado EV.

6' 4" headroom and I like the big sliding rear door.

Since Ford has the Transit EV out reports say this won't be that much more expensive and it's a dedicated build not a conversion.

Don't know about the AC Plugs on it.

Dealer is about 2 hours from me.

But what does that poo poo cost? I promise I am not looking it up I assume 65-75.

Safety Dance
Sep 10, 2007

Five degrees to starboard!

VideoGameVet posted:

I had the same Sienna, color and all, from 1999 to 2003. So excellent.

My mom bought one in 1998, same color, and I drove it through high school and part of college. Turns out if you pull the seats out, a forklift can load things into the back.

Catatron Prime
Aug 23, 2010

IT ME



Toilet Rascal

Somewhat Heroic posted:

There are a number of people in the Bean community that are using an Outback/Bean combo. One has a Meaner Bean and tows it behind their outback. I am now 1+ year into the Bean and it still is one of the most fun "toys" I have bought. I have seen a few other small trailers while out on the road. The T@G seem cool, but not as off road capable. Much larger units. I have to say...some of the smaller ones I have seen like the nucamp just seem odd/cheap? Like a small apartment looking AC unit stuck in the wall and cabinets out of your grandparents bathroom just bolted in place. The microwave is weird as hell and looks totally out of place. I don't know. For what it is worth I have been compiling some "b-roll" video clips to assemble a comprehensive review to post on YouTube since there is not a ton of user generated content. Bean has been cranking out trailers though. they are into the 600's on chassis numbers now and it was just over a year ago I took delivery of #270.


Definitely a big fan of the bean since seeing your posts and doing a lot of thinking about what I actually want. Seems to fit in exactly with how I want to get out, and a much better buy for a trailer than a lot of the other stuff out there.

Hm... saving up and placing for an early spring trip next year is probably just the right way to go altogether. Just hard to wait when I finally have a car capable of towing anything more than a utility trailer

VideoGameVet
May 14, 2005

It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

everdave posted:

But what does that poo poo cost? I promise I am not looking it up I assume 65-75.

Well, the Transit is about $45k and it's speculated that GM isn't going to make this that much more expensive.

I hope that in 2+ years there will be used ones ...

Of course I could go with the awful 2010 International eStar van. That is truly a joke.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





VideoGameVet posted:

Well, the Transit is about $45k and it's speculated that GM isn't going to make this that much more expensive.

I hope that in 2+ years there will be used ones ...

Of course I could go with the awful 2010 International eStar van. That is truly a joke.

If it's using a battery comparable in capacity to the Hummer and Silverado, and it's a bespoke body built for commercial buyers at relatively low volume, it's probably going to cost closer to $80k than $40k.

VideoGameVet
May 14, 2005

It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

IOwnCalculus posted:

If it's using a battery comparable in capacity to the Hummer and Silverado, and it's a bespoke body built for commercial buyers at relatively low volume, it's probably going to cost closer to $80k than $40k.

Well, like I said the speculation is that they will come close to the Transit EV in price. The truck is being built in Canada. The components are the same stuff GM is using in several vehicles.

I'm just happy that someone has a van that meets my requirements. Maybe in 2024 there will be some used ones.

everdave
Nov 14, 2005
I mean you are dreaming a big van with big capacity is going to be 75+

That transit EV is garbage for anything but local deliveries

VideoGameVet
May 14, 2005

It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

everdave posted:

I mean you are dreaming a big van with big capacity is going to be 75+

That transit EV is garbage for anything but local deliveries

Maybe so. That's why the IRS tax stuff is critical.

I got access to some specs and it does have two 110v outlets. Also it's much wider inside than a Transit.

83.68” vs. 70.3"

That matters a great deal.

FedEx just got their first delivery.

Oh and Kia has a van (supposedly) in the works, the Kia Mid (and large) PBV. 2025 though but rumored range well over 300 miles.

VideoGameVet fucked around with this message at 06:23 on Jun 26, 2022

Somewhat Heroic
Oct 11, 2007

(Insert Mad Max related text)



Hello RV Thread! Endure more of my postings. I was going through uploading some images to update my thread in AI and thought I would pepper a few more in here

From our earlier trip in the desert:


Decent photo from an iPhone.
IMGUR video link of the "little grand canyon" can be seen here

then scenes from our camping in the mountains when we stayed at the reservation site We went to hike around Cascade Springs. A pretty easy walk around a natural glacier spring in the mountains.



IMGUR video link of the springs; can be seen here
IMGUR video link of the river from a road we went exploring to find a future boondocking camp site. Good news is we did indeed find one can be seen here

This past weekend my youngest woke up feeling sick on Friday; we were planning on a camping trip to the mountains. My older two were very bummed at the possibility we weren't going to be able to camp after planning all week to go. My wife was noble enough to offer to stay home with the little so myself and the older kids went out. We went to a favorite spot, "Old reliable" as I like to think of it. There is a public access road that goes through private land before reaching BLM/forest land.


It is rough, steep, and narrow. This generally keeps larger RVs away. The Bean and Lexus easily conquered the terrain and this was my first time taking the Bean up to this particular spot. Pretty effortless, especially considering we were going to end up some ~7500 feet above sea level.


In this particular area there are TONS of dispersed sites and finding places with lots of trees to provide shade is quite easy. We went into a wooded area we have stayed before but found it was taken. While driving down a trail that heads out to the main road I found a downed tree that stopped our path. This made for a bit of a pain in the butt backing up the trailer and trying to multi-point turn and get out. Short trailers with even shorter couplings REALLY are hard to maneuver. I got it out and just a short distance off we found an excellent spot.

With just the three of us it made for a very quick setup since we didn't have to pop the tent.

Morning breakfast involved breakfast bagels with bacon, eggs, cheese


After clean up I noticed something that seemed a bit off.


In my haste of backing up and getting frustrated from the previous night I had run into another downed pine tree and one of the branch stubs sticking out punctured a tire. My daughter had said "Dad you hit the tree! I think the tire is hissing" but I waved it off. She was right and it does explain why it felt like I was sliding to the one side while sleeping that night.

Swapping the tire was easy and quick. I always pack good tools when off roading.


I have not purchased a tire plug kit. That is now priority before going out again. I have since dropped off the tire at Discount to get repaired though I had low expectations as the puncture was right on the corner of the tire really close to the sidewall. I have to buy a new tire - bummer is Mickey Thompson discontinued this tire. Bonus is that it was an excuse to change for the BFG KO2 like I have on the Lexus. I will keep that as the spare and maybe next year or two or next puncture I will change the other two out for the BFGs also. These are only ~1.5 years old, garaged, and maybe a 1000 miles on them. Only $200 for the tire mounted. Easy.

The rest of the day was spent hiking around and exploring. We saw tons of butterflies, found more fuzzy caterpillars



The weather was perfect, the air was pure and the clouds were fluffy.

Already counting down to the next outing. I love this setup because it is just quick/easy to get out. We generally go out for 1 or 2 nights at a time (weekenders) and it is perfect. I feel like I have plenty of space and ability to go longer and hope to work up to longer trips.

organburner
Apr 10, 2011

This avatar helped buy Lowtax a new skeleton.

Hello dear RV thread, recently I stayed a night in a cabin at a camping site and I'm pretty sure it gave me some kind of brain tumor because now I've had a hyper fixation on buying/building a van that works as something to sleep in and a daily driver. And I don't need this in my life right now but I can't stop thinking about it.
So I've been looking at this and that and found an ad for an old ambulance that I hope someone loving buys soon before I crack:
https://www.nettikone.com/volkswagen/transporter-ambulanssi/1813527

There's not a lot of info beyond mileage (in kilometers) and "seems to work, passed inspection". What engine does it have? What equipment? All I know is it's diesel and I think automatic.

I figure I could just use it as a van which would be handy for house renovation stuff (incidentally house renovations is EXACTLY WHY I SHOULDN'T loving BUY THIS) and a daily driver. I'd probably try to add in more seats as well, and then slowly over time add in bed, fridge, maybe kitchen stuff (Toilet needs can be handled in the wild).
But I need to not do this. But I'm fixated on doing this.

So pros:
A van would be real useful and if I could just switch out my current car for this things could be fine.
It's automatic instead of manual transmission which is nice for when I get stuck in traffic.
Once finished I could nap in it at work! Or use it as a guest room when visiting friends out of town or when friends visit me.
From the pictures it seems to have some kind of air conditioning unit already installed.
From a quick search the price seems on par with other transporters of that age and mileage.

Cons:
I really don't need another project right now (even though even unmodified it could help me haul so much stuff!)
I got no idea about what the car includes, does it have AC, CC, stereo, cupholders?!?
Most likely it'll get worse mileage than my current car
Getting it up to snuff would probably be a money sink.
It's missing a tow hook it seems like.
It seems to only seat 3-4 and I'd really like at least 5 seats.
No idea what shape it's in, how well ambulances are cared for etc.
I don't know if it will fit in the parking garage at work.

Someone tell me this project is just going to be a money sink nightmare or something so I can maybe get it out of my head.

Man_of_Teflon
Aug 15, 2003

I built a camper van out of an E350 pre-pandemic. Spent $3500 on the van and batteries, and at most a couple grand more building the rest of it out (solar, electronics, interior, fridge, sink, portapotty etc). Sold it for $8000 a few years later.

It was useful for camping, hauling kayaks, moving, etc, but expensive to keep in Chicago, and I didn't end up using it enough to justify keeping it. 10-15mpg would be a nightmare now too.

Maybe if you used it all the time the math would be different?

everdave
Nov 14, 2005
I would buy a tent first and go camping a few weekends. If the tumor persists then go for it

CRUSTY MINGE
Mar 30, 2011

Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur
There's a 30 year old fleetwood flair 30~ foot class A near me for $5k. In decent shape, needs generator work, pictures show a 90s as gently caress RV inside in decent condition.

How bad of an idea is this? I already know the mileage would be poo poo, it has a 454.

organburner
Apr 10, 2011

This avatar helped buy Lowtax a new skeleton.

Man_of_Teflon posted:

I built a camper van out of an E350 pre-pandemic. Spent $3500 on the van and batteries, and at most a couple grand more building the rest of it out (solar, electronics, interior, fridge, sink, portapotty etc). Sold it for $8000 a few years later.

It was useful for camping, hauling kayaks, moving, etc, but expensive to keep in Chicago, and I didn't end up using it enough to justify keeping it. 10-15mpg would be a nightmare now too.

Maybe if you used it all the time the math would be different?

Yeah I'd use it as a daily driver ideally. Since it's some kind of 2.0l diesel mileage shouldn't be too bad and I figure I can use it as is for a while before starting work on camperfying it.


everdave posted:

I would buy a tent first and go camping a few weekends. If the tumor persists then go for it

I've lived the RV life before so I know what I'd be in for. I have an inner ear issue which makes flying painful for me, so a van I could sleep in and do roadtrips more easily in has its charm.

Dangit I keep making excuses for buying it when that's the opposite of what I need.

Pitre
Jul 29, 2003

I haven't seen anything like this that came up for sale locally. Niche market but I could see this being cool for dunes camping people and such.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Atticus_1354
Dec 10, 2006

barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark

Pitre posted:

I haven't seen anything like this that came up for sale locally. Niche market but I could see this being cool for dunes camping people and such.



I've seen those referred to as crawler haulers. For your toys that are to big for a toyhauler.

everdave
Nov 14, 2005
That is pretty cool I’ve never seen one around here

VideoGameVet
May 14, 2005

It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

everdave posted:

I mean you are dreaming a big van with big capacity is going to be 75+

That transit EV is garbage for anything but local deliveries

The new best-candidate is Canoo. Walmart ordered 7500 of their van and the cost was reported to be under $40k. Their “All Purpose” delivery van is the same platform and has a huge size option. 200 mile range but can be expanded. Clever design.

organburner
Apr 10, 2011

This avatar helped buy Lowtax a new skeleton.

I'm still on my bullshit, hoping to find some reason not to buy the ambulance since some people I know seem to think buying it is a bad idea and I should instead get a smaller van. However I started looking up the regulations for registering a car as a "Motor Caravan" as it's officially called here:
"A motor caravan is a category M special purpose vehicle whose accommodation area features at least the following rigidly fixed equipment:

seats and a table which may be easily removed
beds that can be converted from the seats
cooking facilities
storage space.
A motor caravan is exempt from car tax if its unladen mass is at least 2,500 kilograms and it features an accommodation area whose indoor height is at least 1.85 metres in an area whose width is at least 0.4 metres and length at least 1.30 metres when measured lengthwise along the motor vehicle. In addition to the aforementioned equipment, the motor caravan’s accommodation area must also feature a rigidly fixed cold storage space as well as a heater for the accommodation area."

Honestly it's weird they require a heater in my opinion since most people only use RV's in summer here ime, but cars registered as motor caravans are taxed lower and a lot of people just threw in a mattress and a grill and called it done under the old rules to get them sweet tax exemptions.
So that kind of sucks. Also why is it so hard to find the dimensions of vans?!?

Hekk
Oct 12, 2012

'smeper fi

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Casita fiberglass travel trailers? https://casitatraveltrailers.com/

My wife and I are in the market for a small camper. We rented a Jayco feather lite x17z for a long weekend trip around 600 miles away to Theodore Roosevelt National Park to see what we liked and didn't like about using a camper.



I have a mid sized truck with a tiny diesel engine but is very off road oriented.



We liked being able to drop the camper off at the camp ground and go all over random service roads and trails and get away from the main crowds at the park. However, because of the 10" of travel in the shocks and the factory lift on the truck, the towing capacity is more limited than other diesel versions. So I am limited to 5,000 lbs which really means I should stick to around 4,000 lbs if I can. Truck towed the Jayco just fine but my mileage was complete poo poo while doing so. I normally pull mid 20s mpg on the highway and was down to 10mpg in places towing the trailer. I understand it's as aerodynamic as a block but wasn't expecting such a drastic change in fuel consumption. One of the people at the camp grounds had a Casita and we liked the way it looked from the outside. So I checked into what it'd take to look at one and am trying to setup a viewing with a local owner. It looks like the factory is taking orders for fall 2023 right now which isn't too far away from when we were looking to purchase.

17' with a wet bath, a decent sized bed, and a kitchen is exactly what we need. 2,480 lbs dry weight is under what we were looking to stay too. They look small enough to store in my driveway and fiberglass would probably do better in the bitter cold winters since I live in the frozen north now. They MSRP at 27k and with orders for the next 16 months backed up, I doubt there is any haggling room with the manufacturer. The price is just a little higher than what we planned on going but if it'll last longer than wood on a steel frame and the resale value will hold longer, it might be worth spending a few extra thousand.

CRUSTY MINGE
Mar 30, 2011

Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur
Check out the Scamp 16. They sell fiberglass tub trailers too. Tend to be a little cheaper, not quite as fancy finishes.

Or for a lot cheaper, KZ RV Sportsman 130RB. I've seen them around $16k. It's regular construction, boxy, but much more affordable while still being about 17 foot long.

I was looking for something my Outback could pull, so I spent a while looking at ultralights. Now I'm thinking used class C since they turn up under $10k from time to time.

Hekk
Oct 12, 2012

'smeper fi

CRUSTY MINGE posted:

Check out the Scamp 16. They sell fiberglass tub trailers too. Tend to be a little cheaper, not quite as fancy finishes.

Or for a lot cheaper, KZ RV Sportsman 130RB. I've seen them around $16k. It's regular construction, boxy, but much more affordable while still being about 17 foot long.

I was looking for something my Outback could pull, so I spent a while looking at ultralights. Now I'm thinking used class C since they turn up under $10k from time to time.

Yeah I messaged the Scamp factory since they are only 2 hours away and their lead time is into 2024 on new orders right now. The Scamp 16' is running right at 31k new which is a little more than the Casita was. The shipping on the Casita might negate any savings since they are made just south of Dallas Texas but the lead time for a new one puts it out of what we wanted to wait for.

CRUSTY MINGE
Mar 30, 2011

Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur
Holy poo poo, I didn't realize Scamps were that much new now. That's kinda surprising. I remember looking a few years ago and Casita was $1-2k more new, but I guess times are changing.

I wouldn't be surprised if that time window (for either) drops off a bit in the near future with the economy being a garbage fire.

everdave
Nov 14, 2005
Holy crap 27-31k for these small trailers?

No doubt they are great but…
Have you thought about a used Coleman or may I for 10-15k? I k ow weight is a concern and I do t k ow enough about their weights…

But a $15-20k savings is a lot of diesel

A Coleman Lantern 17b looks to be around 17k new and I see lots of availability within 200 miles of me. 3k pounds dry

everdave fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Jul 21, 2022

CRUSTY MINGE
Mar 30, 2011

Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur
If you think a Casita or Scamp is expensive, take a minute to look up an Oliver.

E: I'll save you the hassle.

CRUSTY MINGE fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Jul 21, 2022

Catatron Prime
Aug 23, 2010

IT ME



Toilet Rascal

Hekk posted:

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Casita fiberglass travel trailers? https://casitatraveltrailers.com/
I'm sort of ish in a similar boat, but here's my perspective from someone who has been looking to buy a fiberglass trailer for awhile now. I initially started looking at scamps, then settled on casitas as a next step up. I'm 6'4" and I think the casita interior height is ~6'1ish, so I wound up looking at Escapes for fiberglass trailers, and actually put in a preorder for an escape 5.0 around late 2020 (fulfillment spring 2023). I don't have a good tow vehicle though, and buying a new truck in addition to a camper just isn't my best use of travel dollars for me with the market being so catterwampused, so I wound up canceling the pre-order for the Escape 5.0. I'm bummed, but eventually if I do full time I think Escape is what I would buy, it seems like a great compromise on customization, fiberglass durability, and ease of towing. They also have a bunch of smaller trailers that would be comparable to the casitas, but much better layout and slightly larger sizes.

Currently I'm eyeballing Bean teardrop travel trailers out in Utah. Full fiberglass, made for taking down forest roads, full kitchen galley in the rear, 60 day lead time currently, and towable with my Subaru Outback. Seems like a great step up from backpacking and car camping to more prolonged trips. I'm currently planning on ordering on next spring and taking some prolonged time off work to putz around the area after picking up the trailer.

Simplicity is best imho... less time futzing with stuff and more time exploring new places.

organburner
Apr 10, 2011

This avatar helped buy Lowtax a new skeleton.

Still researching my options here, and things look kind of difficult:
I want to buy a van and turn it into a camper. I want to be able to use it as my daily driver so for that I need:
Not too big of a van. I'd prefer under 6 meters.
Reliable and pleasant to drive.
Lower than 2.4 meters so I can fit it at the work parking garage
Not obscenely thirsty
5-6 seats
Preferably under 10000€

In order to avoid tax fuckery I also need to fulfill the following:
Unladen mass of 2500kg (after conversion into RV)
An interior of 1.85m height that's .4m wide for a length of 1.3 meters.
3 beds (this is calculated by halving the passenger amount and rounding up, a minimum of 2 beds in any case) the beds minimum size is 0,6m x 1.8m and I think if you have a bed that's 1.2x1.8 it counts as two. There also needs to be .5m of space above 2/3rds of the length of the bed.
I need two windows (one on each side) in the area where the passengers sit.
I need an emergency exit that can not be on the same side as the door into the living area, so either rear, top or on the left side most likely. The entrance into the living area has to be on the right side or in the rear for... Whatever reason.
I need at least one cabinet of a height of 1.2 meters with a space of .23m^3
A two burner stove
A table
A sink
A "work area" (I think this is for cooking)
A fridge
Heating that works independently of the car
And there needs to be an open space between the cockpit and the living area. With a width of .4m and a height of 1.2m

Goddamn, that's quite a few requirements to build an RV. I'd also want to do solar power, probably only electric appliances, an AC in the living area and a dishwasher. Probably gonna order a bob dishwasher for home use so I could just bring that along when I need it.

I'm starting to think this might not be possible and I'd be better off getting a trailer but god drat do I not want to gently caress around with trailers lol. I think if I get creative with beds folding up against the wall this could be doable... Or maybe there are some other clever sleeping solutions, maybe some way of stashing the bed up in the roof somehow? Of course if I only went with four seats a double bed would be enough for legal reasons but if I bring friends along I'd prefer separate beds (though a tent would be the easier solution)

Rick
Feb 23, 2004
When I was 17, my father was so stupid, I didn't want to be seen with him in public. When I was 24, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in just 7 years.

Somewhat Heroic posted:

I have not purchased a tire plug kit. That is now priority before going out again. I have since dropped off the tire at Discount to get repaired though I had low expectations as the puncture was right on the corner of the tire really close to the sidewall. I have to buy a new tire - bummer is Mickey Thompson discontinued this tire. Bonus is that it was an excuse to change for the BFG KO2 like I have on the Lexus. I will keep that as the spare and maybe next year or two or next puncture I will change the other two out for the BFGs also. These are only ~1.5 years old, garaged, and maybe a 1000 miles on them. Only $200 for the tire mounted. Easy.

Good post!

I have never had any luck at all patching a tire out in the wildnerness, but maybe I'm just getting the wrong kits.

CRUSTY MINGE
Mar 30, 2011

Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur

Rick posted:

Good post!

I have never had any luck at all patching a tire out in the wildnerness, but maybe I'm just getting the wrong kits.

Get a basic plug kit (plug tool, reamer, glue and plugs), a $30~ air compressor, and a pair of wire dikes. Generally you need some to get a bite on whatever nail/screw/dildo punched through your tire, wire cutters are awesome for grabbing chunks of nail and leveraging out the sharp object. Don't buy the tiny ones, get a pair that's 6-8 inches long so you have leverage while prying.

Legally (in the US) you can have up to 3 plugs in the same tire, so as long as it holds air once plugged, Just drive on it. If it's a steer tire, swap it to the back axle. If your puncture is in the outside treads, the shoulders, it needs to be replaced, but plugging can limp you into a shop, save you a tow.

I've plugged so many goddamn tires this way, never needed a patch plug outside of working on tractor trailer tires. Usually the first few attempts take a fair bit of time, half hour to an hour. Also don't bullshit with the reamer, work that fucker until it practically falls out of the hole. The shittier/shorter your reaming job, the more difficult it will be to get the plug in while covered in rubber cement. Then use the wire dikes to cut off the excess, or it could snag on the road and yank out if you're bad about letting the glue cure.

Somewhat Heroic
Oct 11, 2007

(Insert Mad Max related text)



Hekk posted:

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Casita fiberglass travel trailers? https://casitatraveltrailers.com/

My wife and I are in the market for a small camper. We rented a Jayco feather lite x17z for a long weekend trip around 600 miles away to Theodore Roosevelt National Park to see what we liked and didn't like about using a camper.



I have a mid sized truck with a tiny diesel engine but is very off road oriented.



We liked being able to drop the camper off at the camp ground and go all over random service roads and trails and get away from the main crowds at the park. However, because of the 10" of travel in the shocks and the factory lift on the truck, the towing capacity is more limited than other diesel versions. So I am limited to 5,000 lbs which really means I should stick to around 4,000 lbs if I can. Truck towed the Jayco just fine but my mileage was complete poo poo while doing so. I normally pull mid 20s mpg on the highway and was down to 10mpg in places towing the trailer. I understand it's as aerodynamic as a block but wasn't expecting such a drastic change in fuel consumption. One of the people at the camp grounds had a Casita and we liked the way it looked from the outside. So I checked into what it'd take to look at one and am trying to setup a viewing with a local owner. It looks like the factory is taking orders for fall 2023 right now which isn't too far away from when we were looking to purchase.

:wave: I have spread the gospel of fiberglass trailers a bit in this thread. I have a Mean Bean trailer, and a close friend of ours has the Happier Camper HC1. I will simply share a couple links to my past postings and things by clicking on this little beauty right here

The LexusandCruiser and Mean Bean don't give a drat. Short video from two weekends ago when we camped for middle child's birthday
https://imgur.com/8fQn0JQ

*Edited reply to add video uploaded with sound

huhu
Feb 24, 2006
Hello thread - just put a downpayment in on a cascadecampers.com van. Now I just need to buy an actual van, get it insured first as a van then as an RV, and drive out to California to get it converted.

VideoGameVet
May 14, 2005

It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

huhu posted:

Hello thread - just put a downpayment in on a cascadecampers.com van. Now I just need to buy an actual van, get it insured first as a van then as an RV, and drive out to California to get it converted.

That's kinda cool. If Ford every ups the range on the Transit EV, I'm considering using this kit to convert:

https://www.vantopiavans.com

Their $12.500 kit has a very clever bathroom where you can shower without a toilet sitting in the shower :-)

Atticus_1354
Dec 10, 2006

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huhu posted:

Hello thread - just put a downpayment in on a cascadecampers.com van. Now I just need to buy an actual van, get it insured first as a van then as an RV, and drive out to California to get it converted.

Just went through their website and that seems like an awesome option. Very drivable and with just enough amenities to be comfortable without bringing way to much stuff. I feel like a lot of the van conversions try and fit to many features in to small a space and it ends up feeling cramped.

huhu
Feb 24, 2006
It happened. Still a few weeks before I try and live out of it full time but very excited.



Rick
Feb 23, 2004
When I was 17, my father was so stupid, I didn't want to be seen with him in public. When I was 24, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in just 7 years.

CRUSTY MINGE posted:

Get a basic plug kit (plug tool, reamer, glue and plugs), a $30~ air compressor, and a pair of wire dikes. Generally you need some to get a bite on whatever nail/screw/dildo punched through your tire, wire cutters are awesome for grabbing chunks of nail and leveraging out the sharp object. Don't buy the tiny ones, get a pair that's 6-8 inches long so you have leverage while prying.

Legally (in the US) you can have up to 3 plugs in the same tire, so as long as it holds air once plugged, Just drive on it. If it's a steer tire, swap it to the back axle. If your puncture is in the outside treads, the shoulders, it needs to be replaced, but plugging can limp you into a shop, save you a tow.

I've plugged so many goddamn tires this way, never needed a patch plug outside of working on tractor trailer tires. Usually the first few attempts take a fair bit of time, half hour to an hour. Also don't bullshit with the reamer, work that fucker until it practically falls out of the hole. The shittier/shorter your reaming job, the more difficult it will be to get the plug in while covered in rubber cement. Then use the wire dikes to cut off the excess, or it could snag on the road and yank out if you're bad about letting the glue cure.

I should print this post out and stick it in with whatever tire kit I buy.

johnnyonetime
Apr 2, 2010

Rick posted:

I should print this post out and stick it in with whatever tire kit I buy.



I purchased this kit to go with my Viair 400P portable air compressor for my Jeep and I've been really satisfied with the quality of the pieces and it's $40. Def cram a bigger pair of wire dikes in the plastic case. >> https://bouldertools.com/products/heavy-duty-tire-repair-kit

Somewhat Heroic
Oct 11, 2007

(Insert Mad Max related text)



huhu posted:

It happened. Still a few weeks before I try and live out of it full time but very excited.





This is really cool and I browsed through their site when you posted it. Definitely looks like a cool way to adventure!

I am prepping an update for my thread in AI but figured I would share a few photos here too. We have been out I think 10 times this season so far. I will be out again this weekend and we have at least two more trips planned this fall. Here are some places we have been:







https://i.imgur.com/KpOZKaS.mp4

Some maintenance:


I cleaned the clear PVC windows of the iKamper because they were kind of fogged/dusty and made for a terrible view outside. I went ahead and treated/sprayed the fabric with permethrin and let it dry out for day. The bugs have not been that bad though.

Atticus_1354
Dec 10, 2006

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huhu posted:

It happened. Still a few weeks before I try and live out of it full time but very excited.



Congrats. Now you get to start figuring out how you want it organized and what works for you.

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DR FRASIER KRANG
Feb 4, 2005

"Are you forgetting that just this afternoon I was punched in the face by a turtle now dead?
Welp I had my first slip-out with my hitch stand because I didn't check to see how steep the pad was AND I forgot to chock the wheels.

Small ding in my bumper and lesson learned.

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