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Nooooo. The GAWR front and rear are the maximums for each axle, but they do not add to find a "total GAWR". The GVWR is still the upper limit for combined weight of the vehicle. With a GVWR of 5600lbs, if you load the rear axle to the maximum GAWR of 3285lbs, then you can safely put a...

Congrats! Going to see if we should visit the in-laws and swing by the Opening.

Please see the forum rules and conduct yourself accordingly: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/forum-rules-read-before-posting.6383/

Reversing spigot sounds like a good idea until you've been in the desert dust for a few days. I've always invested in a second spigot/cap set and put in a plug fitting. Swap the caps for storage or dispensing.

Always glad when someone else finds Laura Kampf, she's one of my favorite makers and Youtubers. Her van is a pretty basic build by ExPo standards, but I'm always pro-DIY for most folks, so the series of videos she did on this should be good for de-mystifying some of the construction.

Of course they only run on 115vac, but in the context of mobile use, unless you are only using it 100% on shore power, sooner or later you have to talk about the power demands of running one with an inverter in a DC environment, otherwise it's all theoretical to the point of being meaningless.

Those ratings are 1.5 and 1.3 amps at 115vac input, which is a different kettle of fish when comparing to DC fridges at 12-13vdc. The only acceptable comparison for power between a DC fridge and an AC fridge on an inverter would be to compare the DC current draw at the inverter input.

Yeah, I drive an Astro. I forgot about aerodynamics in 2009...

There are a lot of options for hitch-mounted cargo. Harbor Freight has an aluminum one about 1/3 the cost of that one, if you're not sure you need the heavier-duty construction. Tons of steel ones too if you don't want to pay the price premium. The advantage of hitch-mounted cargo is that at...

Good note. I feel like if I was going to build a unit and wanted to emphasize security (any long-term Baja or RTW plans), I'd use a shrouded hockey-puck lock and just leave the paddle/slam latches for around camp, etc.

My 12v Truckfridge TF-49 has the same form-factor as a dorm fridge (front opening), with a small freezer compartment. With the same danfoss compressor as the chest fridges, it runs happily for 2-3 days with a safe (50%) LOD on a single 100AH AGM battery. With my 100w solar panel, I'm running...

Try that.

In this case, it was by mutual hallucination, I think. The viewing/test drive came with a whole story about ongoing remodeling expenses, etc. They were asking more than they paid since they liked the truck so much, but it had many of the "common" issues you noted in your earlier post. As much...

Others have covered the main reasons for a 2nd bunk: >2 campers, weather, stealth. Here's one more: Different sleep/wake/activity schedules. We're a family of 3, but one of the things that we appreciate about having two beds is that I'm a super-early-bird. I'm often up before dawn for...

To be fair to Provan, we only talk about problems like these because they are a bit better built than the average cutaway class-C. Most wood-framed cutaway RVs from the same era wouldn't have survived unscathed this long either, especially if used off-road the way the Provans were designed to...

This system from T-Max works as you describe. It is not very fancy, in that you cannot tweak the set-points, etc. However, the default behavior is good. When there is no "input" voltage to either battery, the relay is open. When the vehicle is running, the relay is closed (starter side.)...

All depends on how many you're cooking for. It's borderline overkill for my family of 3. When we camp with the extended family and I'm prepping pollo asada tacos for 8-10 people, it's barely enough!

Good info Paul. All your cautions seem dead-on. I observed just about every one of these issues on the one example Tiger I've actually looked at with an eye to purchase (extended-cab diesel). That particular truck was otherwise a fair (but not perfect) fit for our needs, but was priced $10k...

I ran as good a test as I could manage back in 2011. Results are posted here. I used a lab power supply, precision shunt, and DMM logging to a PC to measure actual DC current into the fridge. This was basically a "steady state" test and doesn't account for opening for removing/adding food...

Good catch!