Recent content by deserteagle56

I guess we all have our preferences as to what makes a comfortable camp. And those preferences change as we age. 60 years ago all I needed was a ratty old sleeping bag on a ground sheet rolled up on the back of the bike. That changed to carrying a small tent - mainly to keep out the...

I can certainly agree that having GPS speed on the screen when traveling on the highway can be helpful. I can also certainly say I've NEVER cared about the speedometer reading/GPS speed reading when traveling some trail or dirt road or two-track. I drive according to conditions when off...

There is nothing "simple" about the Garmin Tread navigators...and Garmin designed them that way. As you say, when in the outback, why bring internet - or cell service with you? I - and one of my overlanding buddies - both bought a Garmin Tread Overlander with the built-in InReach. Mine is an...

You need to ask this question on a Polaris Ranger forum, not in a discussion of camper vans. Most on here don't know anything about side by sides.

Not even close. The Suburban! The Blazer is just a toy - and not a very rugged toy at that. I knew several people that owned those way back in the day and they were always breaking parts when off road. That classic Suburban, ESPECIALLY being a 3/4 ton, can easily be built into a reliable...

Absolutely correct...reliable/simple/easy to fix. And LOUD. So make sure you install an ear plug dispenser in that cab! (I own two Dodge/Cummins trucks!)

I drove this 1976 GMC Terravan conversion for over 32 years. Leaf springs all around. It rode every bit as good as - if not better - than my current Ford Quigley on coils.

Oh, absolutely...I owned an F150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost for 9 years. Trouble-free truck that got great mileage yet had all the power in the world. Here's a shot I took of the display on mine. 708 miles on the odometer since the last fillup with nearly 100 miles to empty - can't beat that...

One thing that hasn't been mentioned here, and may be a factor depending on how the truck is used, is fuel capacity. At least with Ford, a single cab truck gets a fuel tank of 29 gallons. A crew cab truck gets a 48 gallon tank. That's 19 extra gallons of fuel! Makes a huge difference in...

Couldn't agree more! Bought my first van (an Econoline 100) in 1972 and have owned a van ever since. Currently in a 2007 Quigley with the V-10. I own several other vehicles including a truck with a cabover camper on the back but when its time to explore the outback the van wins every time...

I'm old. I've owned a lot of pickups in my day and way back when, anything but a single cab was pretty much unknown. So I've had several single cab trucks. But after owning supercab and crew cab pickups I would never go back to a single cab. I pack too much crap with me that I want close at...

The spark plug issues were mainly in the pickups, not the vans. Pickups got a wonky spark plug with a long nose on it that would break off inside the engine when you tried to remove the plug. Different engine design in the vans. Problem with engine spitting out spark plugs was due to Ford's...

FYI...last Econoline was built in 2014. The GM vans are still being made and a good choice. But for the usage you describe I'd go with the Transit. Around here all the mines now use them for transporting their crews. I drove a GMC van 4wd conversion for 32+ years. For the past 18 years I've...

Never EVER go by the manufacturer's listed curb weight! Run the rig over a set of certified scales if you want to see what it really weighs. I own and have owned multiple vehicles and I've always found the listed curb weight to be way low. Not sure how they get that listed curb weight but it...

As someone who lives/drives/rides in a remote part of the mainland USA I always carry extra fuel. Learned long ago that those places I expected to fuel might be down for one reason or another.