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I used to be accused of looking coppish. Now I just look tired and grumpy. Same general effect.

I have a '98 K1500 5.7. The intake leak is a known problem on those engines, requires RTV silicone sealant at the front of the manifold. Catalytic convertor failures are also common, mine got a new pair at about 125M. Front end components and shocks are worth re-examining, but the big problem...

Simple 48" Hi-Lift mount in my GMC. This is a 48", but I did essentially the same thing in my Dodge with a 60" Extreme. Two brackets out of scrap angle iron and a few bolts and washers. Use stainless fasteners and apply anti-seize, simple flat washers on the back side to distribute the load...

Standard practice for compressors is to run longer hose rather than longer wires. There is no voltage drop in an air hose. My OBA is hard mounted near the battery, and I carry a 25-foot polyurethane 1/4" hose in back. It will reach all four tires with ease, and will reach other trucks if...

I shop at WalMart (infrequently) because the one near me is open 24/7 and allows me to grab a bunch of miscellaneous stuff at 6:00am with no lines. They may not stock everything I need, but they have a lot of it, so they save me time, and time is money. When I'm on the road to the middle of...

Slickest setup for a single awning seems to be the Hannibal, but they are scarce as hen's teeth in North America. I could not find a Hannibal, so I got an EZ-Awn Bat 270 that covers one side of the truck plus the tailgate area. Comes in both left-side and right-side versions. Cost was about...

Buy the product, not the name. I have and like the CA Innovations 26qt cooler, great value, but prices on lots of roto coolers are dropping rapidly. I have one of their cool weather bags and temperature ranges are very optimistic. Have a couple of their camp chairs and they are fine for the...

In an open bed, UV will probably kill those after the first summer.

Your truck is pretty heavy, so sinking in sand and mud may be an issue. Airing down tires will get you into most situations, but won't always get you out. If you air down, you'll need to air up. If you hard mount a compressor, even a small one, you are on the way to ARB lockers. The rear LS...

Standard/old school technique for painting galvanized is to pickle it with white vinegar after it is clean. The vinegar will etch it slightly and give the primer some tooth. In California, we used to be able to buy commercial galvanized vinyl primers that were self etching, but those seem to...

I like dual and triple batteries, but a simpler solution for OP might be a small, quiet inverter generator, such as the Yamaha or Honda 2000. Does not take much more space than a pair of extra batteries, and weighs less.

There are quite a few pretty decent cordless electric chainsaws on the market now, from Ryobi on the low end to Stihl on the high end. I have a couple of 18V Ryobis that I use for yard trimming, and they are OK. I still use Echo gas for bigger jobs, but I think Echo has a 58V cordless unit on...

Way overkill for what I wanted, which was a simple mechanical kill switch that I could use to totally disconnect the starting battery. Might also be used to immobilize the truck (redneck security system), except that with my triple battery setup the truck will start and run even if the starting...

That is a solution if you are not running a high-amp alternator. When I looked for a switch that I could use to completely disconnect the starting battery from the truck's computers and ancillary systems, I did not find one that would handle the 270 amp alternator while charging. May be...

True deep cycles are fine as a backup to your starting battery, but some here are advocating deep cycles as the primary battery. CCAs are just not comparable to starting batteries. Can you do it? Sure. Is it optimal? Nope.

I have an Indel B in the back seat of my Dodge and it has been a great fridge. I have two Whynters and they are a good value, work fine, but are bulky and loud. From what I have read of the new Dometic, it seems to be a very good value and a great alternative to the Indel B. ARBs are great...

The current Mexican Optimas seem to be fine. I have four of them in two different trucks. The first few years of Mexican manufacture were crap, but they seem to have worked out the kinks. Couple of points: 1. Most references here to deep cycle batteries should actually be referring to dual...

Technically, you don't even need a solenoid. I have a Painless Performance solenoid isolator in my truck and it is very convenient to switch things from a toggle on the dash, but a rotary switch under the hood is simpler and cheaper. AGM dual purpose batteries are the way to go because they...

The solution may even be simpler than that. With a pair of decent AGM dual purpose batteries, you can run everything off the main battery and then start the truck on the second battery. Just install a simple isolator switch (like a Blue Sea or Marinco) between the batteries so that you don't...

My Power Wagon was made in Mexico and it is, by far, the best truck I have ever owned. I bought a pair of Orcas a few years ago because I thought they were better, for my purposes, than the others, including Yeti.