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Hi RV thread. I am just starting my venture into car based camping and exploring around Utah. I am using a Lexus LX 470 that I picked up a few months ago (a Toyota UJZ100 series chassis) and I am systematically performing maintenance and upgrading/outfitting for my needs and wants. I have been chronicling this in my thread you can read in AI by clicking here with lots of photos and even more words. Without wanting to blow up my thread posts I will share a couple of photos: At time of purchase  Bigger tires to compensate   Roof rack and ARB roof top tent  
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Aug 13, 2019 18:13
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I realized I had forgotten to update this thread as I have been posting to my build thread but just a few pics to say that car camping is neat and it can take you some pretty great places.    Poop in a bucket. Camp in the woods.
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Oct 9, 2019 21:44
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TigCobra posted:Does the Lexus come with all the same off road features as the actual Land Cruiser? The LX470 is largely the same as the LC; the main differences being the front grill and head lights and the LX has the AHC suspension. AHC is hydraulically controlled suspension that has three modes (low, normal, high). So the spring rates are different, the torsion bars are different and the plumbing for the hydraulic lines are in place. It still has the center diff lock, low range transfer case and all. If the internet is to be believed the early model LX 470s have a limited slip rear differential too. The interior is a little more posh with *~actual~* wood trim and not some dumb faux covering. Plus most olds who buy Lexus trucks don’t ever take them off road so they are really clean and usually have good maintenance records.
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Nov 14, 2019 01:59
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TigCobra posted:I been looking for a LC to do something similar to what is shown in the picture. Also rumor mill on the internet says they are going to stop selling the LC in states. They are definitely going to stop selling the LC in the states. The Heritage Edition 200 series is available now. There will be a hiatus and likely a return with the next gen, but for now they are done. You should go read in my thread. The LC/LX are great platforms and the value of the UJZ100 (commonly just called "100 series") are the best value in LC's right now. The 200 series is a friggin masterpiece though. Seriously if you have the budget (and can find a nice one) the 200 series is such a good truck. They are not as common, and the people who buy them keep them forever. They are definition of "Stealth Wealth" too. People barely notice them or give them a second look on the road, but if you know, you know.
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Nov 15, 2019 19:38
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I have not updated this thread in a while but I am still keeping up with my own thread in AI. My grey LX 470 died at my hands a little over a year ago. I replaced it with the exact same year LX 470 and have been building it out. Here it is from this summer:  I have been extremely antsy for some kind of change in life. With what can only be described as automotive ADD I have been eyeing newer Land Cruisers because in my head the extra comfort could be more compelling for my family to get out an adventure. There are still many drawbacks and obstacles to overcome even with that "solution". So instead two weeks ago I put the deposit down to build one of these which should be the solution to "how can we get out more often to adventure and poop in a bucket?"    A "Mean Bean" model Bean trailer. Estimated delivery will be an agonizing eight months. My full post about the decision and whatnot can be found in my AI thread in this post The Mean Bean will have electronic trailer brakes. My LX 470 does have a factory tow bar thing, and the older style (4 or 5 pin?) straight connector. The Bean will require a 7 pin connector. Will I need a brake controller? I don't remember what connector I had because I valiantly lost it some time last year while doing some red rock trails in Moab (RIP). I have not done any research at all into this particular piece of the adventure.
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Feb 17, 2021 22:43
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Took delivery of our Bean on Friday! We are in love.   It is so adorably tiny. We also will continue to poop in a bucket and I am okay with that.
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Apr 26, 2021 22:56
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How many tear-droppers/fiberglass RVers are in here? 
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May 7, 2021 22:51
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I went camping with my wife this weekend in our teardrop. It was very excellent and I cannot get over how great this little thing is. Cooking with the galley kitchen might be my favorite part.     Bloody posted:Hi RV thread. I have recently been infected by some sort of brainworms about turning my truck into Camping, but Better, for myself, partner, and dog. We're both tall people (6'6" and 6'3") but our truck is an 8' bed tundra. We live in the pnw and like to play outside - I like kayaking and birding, and she likes hiking. We've had some pleasant car camping adventures, but it feels like we should be able to be substantially more comfortable without that much trouble, given that a queen mattress fits comfortably in our truck bed. Hi Bloody - I am definitely not the pro in this by any stretch but I have a thread in AI that has somewhat become the de facto overland thread? I have gone through a few things that may be of value you can check out here: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3893547 As far as favorite YouTube channels I would say Trail Recon is a real wholesome watch. The adventures and the builds are tops. Great camera work, nice narration and very informative. It is primarily Jeep stuff on the channel but still a great watch. Last Line of Defense also has some very good content but to me his stuff is not as consistent "want to watch" the way Trail Recon is. You can get deep into stuff on Instagram. Hoglundoverland is very consistent with some excellent content, overlanddad is deep into a Tremor/truck camper build that is going to be unreal when finished. Head over to my thread and have a read and then start asking around, others might have better insights.
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May 25, 2021 22:28
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cakesmith handyman posted:I've got an idea and I wondered if you guys have ever seen anything like it. When we go tent camping we carry most of our copious crap in an old gutted trailer tent chassis. I want to make a hard top for it and was wondering if there was a way to use the (mostly emptied) trailer as the kitchen when we're set up. Simple version would be just to use it as a work surface (building the top to the right height) but I wondered if anyone's seen any Overland trailers or similar set up this way? Sounds a lot like you are after the kind of storage setup made by the likes of Goose Gear. Basically sliding out rack systems that lock in place and have stuff bolted to them: https://www.goose-gear.com/collections/accessories-1 I added an upstairs to my RV  then decided to add a bigger upstairs and got an iKamper Skycamp 2.0:   It was very good and I can say I really like molded fiberglass campers. Some friends came along with us in their tiny fiberglass camper and I took a couple pictures of it.   
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Jun 9, 2021 22:38
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Update: Tiny camper is still tiny. 
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Jul 6, 2021 18:16
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Atticus_1354 posted:How are you liking it? I started following their insta after you posted about your trailer. Do you have any interior pics? Absolutely loving it. They have used a few of my photos and video clips I have sent on their feed so far  I realized after you posted I have not taken any interior detailed photos so after washing off the tree sap today from last weekend I thought I would pull the DSLR out and take some interior shots to hopefully illustrate what is going on. I have plans to eventually compile a video review/overview once I get enough content and media and experience with it so it can be of some value overall. I found that there is not much user-generated content/reviews on the Bean and I like to do that kind of thing.These were mostly shot at 20mm. The interior is very nice. The front and ceiling are upholstered with a soft touch/lightly padded vinyl. The laminate wood is precision cut and smoothed edges everywhere. It all has a nice heft. The cabinets all have a bird latch catch and they are a pass-through to the back galley kitchen, so those bins are available to inside and out. The mattress folds up to a nice little love seat, or it can have the top part folded down and tucked back further under the cabinets. The floor is nice and rugged and has tie downs. Easy to clean. The little storage cubby cover converts to a table. All lights are LED and dimmable. There is a little phone/electronics cubby with key holder and easy access to USB charging, a cup holder, 10 speed fan with remote that you can vent or change directions. The window opens, each door has a screen. There are some reading lights. The "Bean There" are backer plates for the stand on fenders to easily access your roof rack gear/accessories. It looks like I need to clean off some of the protective plastic reside from the laser cut process. The little Bean trailer etched in on the spare tire backing plate is also a nice touch. Everywhere you look you can see thought and care which makes me really appreciate it. Every little detail has been addressed from non-slip surfaces in the "attic" cubbies, the shapes of how the laminate is cut, etc.     The whole "floor" space is about the size of a queen bed. The interior height is higher than most standard tear drop trailers so it doesn't feel cramped at all especially with the recessed LED lights and white roof. Without wanting to post 20 photos in a single thing have a link to the Imgur gallery: https://imgur.com/a/qB60stP
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Jul 11, 2021 02:46
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Roughed it smoothly last week. Went as support leader for a youth group my wife is involved in. We camped at a reserved but large site in Weber County, Utah (kind of north-ish. It was East of the Ben Lomond/Willard Peak). Pretty nice site, I have not really spent much time exploring around there. It is about an hour and a half drive and is part of the dark sky coalition which would have been great except for the nearly full moon. Leveling blocks are everything.  Really nice views   wild flowers still in bloom One of the stranger things; a big pine full of turkey vultures. I was wishing I had more reach than my full framed camera with my 20-70mm F4 Zoom. This was earlier in the morning. There are eight in this tree, but they were fanning out their wings and kind of sun bathing. I had never seen this before. There were a few more circling overhead as well.  I also dragged the Bean down to my in-laws this weekend for "Pioneer Day" (the day when the Pioneer's entered the Salt Lake Valley). My in-laws place is not really big enough to accommodate all my inlaws/nieces/nephews. They live in a more rural town and have a good sized yard. It was so much easier to just have our own sleeping space and kitchen for food prep. My wife is diagnosed celiac so cooking/storing/transporting food always is tricky but not this time. A+ would Bean again. In other news; Bean announced a new level/model. The "Black Bean" and it has my loins tingly and jealous. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6hs0-42Fxg It is too tall for my garage which is why I didn't get the Meaner Bean but man this thing is awesome. Also fun is getting into it with some weenie in the comments. Best part is that he called me a "snowflake" but edited his comment and removed it after he recognized his weak burn.
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Jul 28, 2021 21:52
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OSU_Matthew posted:That is a really slick trailer! I especially like the rooftop tent, super clever way to expand your living area. Same with the flip out kitchen in the clamshell, I was pretty enamored with that on the Nucamps too. Would you have the option to take the trailer back to Bean and have them retrofit any of the new features you liked on the meaner bean? The Roof Tent is so great. Bean does offer a lot of things you can go back and "upgrade" if you want but not everything can be changed over. The frame is totally different as I understand for the suspension so I don't think I can get the Timbren on there without major surgery probably done at some fabrication shop. Other stuff like the propane heater, or instant hot water can be done. I think for the galley kitchen you are pretty well stuck with what you choose at the time of building. To be fair I did option out the Bean pretty heavily. The only thing I would consider adding would be the heater. I have a Buddy Heater though so I might give that a shot first. I don't think I will be spending much time in winter camping but who knows? Moab gets cold but stays clear most winters and I want to get down there when the temperature isn't Surface Of SunTM. My first trip out with the boys I took it up a very steep/rocky hill that required 4 low and I have taken it on some very tight trails. The photo I have posted in front of that tunnel was pretty tricky but it handled great. I need to get more practice and mileage on it before I start getting more crazy. I think an axe or hatchet is on my short list of things to add if I encounter low hanging branches or trees on some of the forest road trails. I have taken it places that a "normal" trailer cannot get and that was exactly what I wanted out of this.
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Jul 29, 2021 22:39
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I have begun camping again and it is lovely. Boondocking/dispersed a couple of weeks ago:   about 20 feet away from this:  (would have camped on the edge but smol kids can't be trusted) we played toy cars  checked out some graffiti   Met a cool greybeard that was camping in his teardrop adjacent to us from the Chicago area. Out on a 1+ month adventure. He goes hiking and picks up wood for carving. Gifted this to us and told the kids it would keep our camp safe. Very awesome.  Then for a change of pace tried a "Reserved" camping spot through Recreation.gov Originally we planned to go with our friends that have a Happier Camper but then they got engaged and are getting married this week so they backed out of the camping trip as they had more planning and prep. There were some nice views; decent toilet, kind of nice to have an easy flat space for parking. Picnic table was a nice touch. It was really close (like ~35 minute drive).   That said - it was too close to the road and too close to the entrance of the canyon and we heard cars/trucks/side by sides/motorcycles the entire night. ALL night. It never stopped. One in the morning? Two in the morning, FOUR? Seriously the whole night. I got up the next morning absolutely loathing every side by side in existence. I did not have a high opinion of them before, but after that night I hate them. So loud - and not like a good kind of loud. Think of the Harley Davidson south park meme, and then dumb it down and make it even worse. Prob will stick to boondocking OR will vet out the location of the campsite more thorough next time (this was picked by our friends). Mountains and hiking were fantastic. I will do a more thorough write up in my thread in AI when I get the chance.
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Jun 8, 2022 22:40
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Jato posted:Love this setup. When we purchased our travel trailer I had been planning to work remote while we were on the road, so having something with a dinette I could sit and work at for a few hours comfortably was a requirement. Now that I'm planning to take some time off work while we travel I'm regretting that we didn't go for a smaller teardrop like this. Completely relevant question! We use a "Luggable Loo", which is just a 5 gallon bucket and an injection molded toilet seat lid. They make special bags that have some deodorizing powder that gels down the waste etc. There are some that you can get that are biodegradable as well. We have a small privacy tent that pops up quickly like this:  Honestly it is not terrible? It is better that almost all pit/vault style toilets. A flushing toilet is great and all but a real big goal of our camping setup is as minimalist within reason and for a quick getaway. Adding extra steps like dealing with septic is something wholly unappealing to RV camping - plus those systems are not great long-term requiring a fair amount attention in the future and ew. The Bean trailer being a fiberglass trailer should last a very long time and we plan to keep it long term (forever). I think I posted an image gallery of the interior of the Bean earlier in this thread, but the mattress folds into a little love seat and a table pops up. I forgot to get a photo of the table: Here is a stock photo from the Bean site  Bloody posted:Wow, omitting the noble Shovel from the list Noble, sure but people rarely do this the "correct" way including digging a cat hole to the recommended depth and/or trying to adhere to a good guideline of "Leave no Trace"
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Jun 9, 2022 20:15
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OSU_Matthew posted:Officially gave up on trying to buy a half ton or even smaller truck anytime soon, and decided to cancel my Escape 5.0 preorder for next spring. The math didn't make sense trying to buy a new truck and spend about the same on a camper while still allowing wiggle room in my budget to well, actually do things. Long term I want to full time rv, but near term there's too much poo poo to do with the house and pets it realistically doesn't make sense for me. 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. HenryJLittlefinger posted:Now to start saving up and finding a Casita or Scamp. Anyone got experience with them or other small hard-sided campers? We're looking for something that's easy to pull behind a V6 Tacoma. This Jayco I'm selling is a little over 6' wide, 12' long, and 5' tall. It's 1875 lbs empty, so likely a bit over 2000 lbs fully loaded. I want something no heavier than that, maybe even a little longer (this popup is egregiously sensitive to any weight behind the axle, and equally simple (no toilet/bathroom, no fridge, maybe even no heater?). I also have a a thread in AI where I have posted more photos and  with relevant Bean postings starting on page 17Our friend with the Happier Camper still loves her little trailer and we are scheduled to go on a camping trip in the next month together. Casita/Scamps are a little bigger and seem to be really excellent and proven at this point. DR FRASIER KRANG posted:Wait wait why is marky mark selling campers TIL the same thing as you and I am very confused.
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Jun 23, 2022 03:55
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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.
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Jun 30, 2022 17:29
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Hekk posted:Does anyone have any thoughts on the Casita fiberglass travel trailers? https://casitatraveltrailers.com/  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 hereThe L https://imgur.com/8fQn0JQ *Edited reply to add video uploaded with sound
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Jul 27, 2022 04:46
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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. 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.
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Aug 31, 2022 22:56
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OSU_Matthew posted:Now that you've had the Bean for awhile, is there anything in retrospect that you wish you had or hadn't ordered when you bought it? I am just a month or so away from our two year anniversary with our Bean. I have bought a lot of toys and things with wheels over the years and I can say that the Bean has been my favorite purchase out of all the dumb things I have bought over the years. I had heard about how the teardrop travel trailer and fiberglass RV community are obsessive about them and figured I would be different or whatever. This is not the case. At this point all I want to do is find places to go and just go. I have been wanting to upgrade my tow vehicle for a while now that I am firmly into dumb offroading (not like rock crawler stuff but you get what I mean) I considered selling my M3. My M3 was my dream car that I have wanted since I was 16. When I floated the idea to my wife and kids that I was considering selling the M3 to buy a newer/more built up powerful Land Cruiser they vetoed the plan HARD. So last month I picked up an LX 570 that is a little more in line with my budget and will fill my wants for a better towing/off roading experience. This weekend was the SLOREX (Salt Lake Off Road Expo) and while it was boring (my first I ever attended) I expected to see a million Sprinter vans or built out Jeeps/Tacomas for overlanding. There were some, but not a ton. There were a lot of small expedition/travel trailers which makes me think that it could end up being a more popular trend in the future. There were two brands in particular I was happy to see in person - the new Escapod Topo 2 (another local Utah company) which is their first fiberglass molded trailer. The other brand was Off-Grid Trailers out of Canada. They were extremely cool, and ultimately I was happy to not immediately feel the want to sell my Bean and order one of these. That isn't saying they were not good - because they were. I think that with my specific use case the Bean fits my needs the best! Coming back around to the question of "what would my build sheet look like in 2023?" I would say the following: If the Timbren or Bean's new Cloud suspension is in your budget I would do it. I suggest this if you find yourself doing more challenging off roading OR if you find yourself running over washboard roads at a brisk pace. If most of your driving will be graded forest style roads the standard torsion suspension is probably fine. I did not get the Timbren because once the tent and rack was installed the Bean would no longer fit in my garage. The Cloud suspension was not available. I don't know if the low setting would be enough on the Cloud to get in my garage. As of now the rubber gasket around my garage door opening just kisses the iKamper when I roll it in. The upgraded suspension would just allow you to travel on those more challenging roads with a little more speed. I have not found myself wishing for more "clearance"; just smoother running. Once I get the original tires replaced with some BFGs I will air them down with regularity. The front storage box - I would definitely get this. It was not an option when we built our trailer. They only had these weird shaped storage lockers. The box would be so much nicer. As it is the standard tray suits me for now. I have asked Bean if they can retrofit to mine - they cannot  Heater - the propane unit Bean offers has slick integration and super nice but real expensive. I am working on a diesel heater project that will be great for me and I will be into it like $200 when done. I will post in my thread and here once I am done. A buddy heater will work but I think my diesel setup will be great. I anticipated only really using the trailer in nicer weather but I have been dying this winter to get out. That means heading south into the desert region, but it will still see ~20 degree nights and being warm will be necessary. Air conditioner - the adjustable MaxxFan works great but remember when it gets summer time here we gain elevation to hit cooler temperatures. If you need to be actively cooled or you are in a humid climate then some sort of AC will be nice. I have been following this little thing from Zero Breeze and saw it in person at SLOREX. It is really cool and seems like a nice option. If I find myself needing one of these then I will look into one. With the battery they offer you can expect like 6 hours of run time. Then you can tap into the 12V of the Bean or you can get solar, etc. Front window: I could take or leave it. I don't necessarily need it - plus we like to use the front of the Bean as a screen for our portable projector hooked up to an iPad/bluetooth speaker to watch movies.  Awning: just buy the one you want on your own. I have the ARB 2.5M x 2.5M awning attached to my car. A free standing awning (one without poles) attached to the Bean one day might be nice but at the same time I like the flexibility of having it on my car. The iKamper also overhangs a little on the right hand side of the trailer so there is some coverage there. The rear kitchen: buy the best one. I have the Premium Plus galley. The Black Bean has a new style galley that would be awesome to have but the Premium Plus is the minimum I would suggest. The MaxCoupler hitch coupler still rules and was worth it. The rock/step sliders are really nice but I would see if you can do the more formed step sliders they have on the Black Bean. The new steps have a better profile and perform the function of protection and easy access to roof accessories but they don't stick out so far making ingress/egress more work. Pop up table is a must. Accent light, nah. Spray port - yes! They have also started using a Curt brand stabilizer jack for the rear that will actually lift. I am going to possibly see about getting these retrofit onto my trailer. Let me know if that answers enough questions. I will continue to update here but will have much more detail in my thread in AI which will include a lot of the wrenching on my new (to me) LX 570 and has a recently updated OP.
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Mar 2, 2023 00:02
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Catatron Prime posted:That does answer so many questions... everything you've posted in here and your AI thread has been tremendously helpful, thank you! Honestly of all the stuff I've looked at over the past year or so here, the trips, thoughts, and feedback you've posted have been some of the most helpful and influential. I somehow missed this post and update but CONGRATS! That is extremely awesome and it sounds like you will have a really well built trailer! I can't wait to see photos and updates. The Bean "community" is pretty active and fun on instagram and there is a owners group on facebook that can have some helpful tips and things posted. My update is yesterday I connected the Bean to calibrate my new brake controller and to test my new tow vehicle now that it is "adventure ready" after three plus months of maintenance and updates and upgrades. I found that I am slightly pitched upwards and that is causing some wind noise above 40 MPH. My gut says it is coming from the roof tent having air going under instead of over. I have ordered a hitch that lowers 2 more inches and hoping that solves this. I don't even feel the Bean now. It will be so much nicer to have more pulling power and to feel less taxed to journey longer distances.  I am so drat happy Spring finally showed up this weekend. It is time to get out.
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Apr 9, 2023 20:47
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Catatron Prime posted:Should be ready here by July, and I've been poring through maps to string together a trip to head cross country, pick up the trailer, pop down south through Bryce & Zion over to Big Sur (with stops in Sequoia & Death Valley), up the California 1 to Redwoods & Columbia River Gorge to North Cascades, over to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, and back home through Badlands. If I had just another week or two I think we could quite possibly hit almost half the National Parks in the US on this single trip, but being realistic about time constraints of keeping overall mileage under 300 a day with a zero day at least once a week means that we have to make some tough choices to straighten out the route (the first victim of which is probably going to be Glacier National Park even though that's probably something we should prioritize sooner rather than later). Is it July yet? Finally had a free weekend and we were able to get in a quick outing. Spectacular views. Once parked we saw a total of two people who came to a hiking trailhead while we were there.    First time using the room for the awning and even setting it up. We put it on backwards (oops) but we were rushing to get it on because there were a billion gnats trying to enter every hole on your face and swim in your eyeballs.   heading out    The roads were mostly graded, but there are sections that were just slabs of sandstone with shelves that had to be climbed up or down. Lots of small culverts as well (both natural and groomed) which made for a very slow trip in/out. This was about 14 miles from where pavement ends.
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Jun 7, 2023 22:02
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Catatron Prime posted:Finally picked up the trailer! That is a legendary trip as your initial run! It looks like you specced out the trailer really nice too! I love the color choice - striking and fun! I am pretty sure I saw them post it on their socials. Last week I took three days off of work. We headed into the mountains and found a great spot. We were about 8400 feet above sea level. While the day temperature was absolutely perfect the evenings were extremely cold - dipped into the 30's. Our mornings we were met with everything covered in frost. It was cold but I loved it and actually slept pretty well. We saw a lot of deer, including a buck that walked right by our camp. Some chipmunks that were really playful and funny, some cool hawks, I saw a bat in the evening and one big fat pot gut/gopher thing.     
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Aug 15, 2023 05:56
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Somewhat Heroic posted: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. It has taken me nearly two years to come back to this, but I finally got off my butt and clipped together a review video of our Bean if anyone is interested in that sort of thing. I just sort of uploaded and posted it to YouTube and in three weeks apparently it has been worth the time of three thousand views. I have a few more ideas I am floating around for other videos to make. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjYATEHj2SE I am mostly just really missing camping and can't wait for warmer weather. I am probably 5 weeks away from being able to go somewhere tolerable. I never finished my diesel heater project but that is on my list.
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Feb 19, 2024 23:09
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Catatron Prime posted:Managed to snag an awesome campsite over on Kelley's Island for the eclipse, thought I'd share a few pics in here This looks amazing; excellent landscape photos too. I was supposed to get out into the desert for the first trip of the season with our Bean but weather bombed us out and I fear I might not make it to the desert this year. The desert last year was one of the best camping experiences I have ever had. It was so extremely cool. rufius posted:I’ve for a little camper trailer coming - Happier Camper Traveler. I’ve towed things in the past and comfortable, generally, with how to do so. Happier Camper is awesome! you will love it. I just use Google Maps for everything. If we are heading into the mountains with no/low service then I download offline maps with Google and that has always served me well enough.
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Apr 11, 2024 03:06
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