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(err...title should read "ice box air conditioner".) The family is making a trip next month to visit some friends and family in New England. My wife and son are flying out and I will be driving out in the van about a week later. Then we will drive back together over 2 days with the idea that...

The rear brakes on my van have suddenly started to grind even when I'm off the brake pedal, so it would seem that the brake pistons must be corroded and are not fully retracting. The van has ~160,000 miles on the factory calipers so I'm just going to fully replace them; no time or patience to...

My buddy and I are toying with the idea of a bikepacking trip in CO that would involve riding into a fly fishing location. I have a few fly rods at home but none are suitable for packing in a backpack or on a bike (all of them are 2-3 pieces) so I'm researching a new rod. I have choices...

I have not spent much time in slide-in or flatbed truck campers. Does the flatbed design gain you a large amount of floor space? The wife and I are beginning to talk about our 1-2 year vehicle plan and I think we are leaning heavily toward eliminating 2 vehicles (my car and the van) that would...

As my vehicle fleet is aging, I'm trying to come up with a succession plan. I'm considering going from 2 cars and fullsize van to a car and a more versatile, multi-role vehicle.....namely a truck. For my daily commute, a fullsize truck would be way more than I need (I work in an office) and...

I know a lot of people install inverters for household 110v into their builds and my van came with a large inverter already installed, but as time has worn on, I have rarely used the inverter. Frankly, it has caused more problems than anything. Most mobile electronics can charge in the vehicle...

I had a 2D LED MagLite in my van but I just discovered that 1 or more of the batteries leaked and they are now fused in. I did some Googling and this is not a unique problem; I found some ideas (as well as possibly being able to do a warranty return) but that does nothing to change my opinion...

I have another thread going discussing my thoughts on reducing our household from 3 to 2 vehicles and start using the van as a daily driver and trip rig. This will mean some repairs and updates that I was holding off on will become a priority on the van. Things like brakes, bushings, belts...

I was hoping to get some thoughts from the group here. Currently we have 3 vehicles in our household: 2004 VW Passat AWD wagon 150,000 mi. my daily commuter purchased in 2005 as my sole vehicle current value is ~$1700 body and interior in great condition paid off since 2007 Avg. MPG = 24 (my...

I'm just curious if anyone knows the exterior dimensions of an Earthroamer XV-LT coach? I looked around their website and didn't have much luck; I only found the overall length of the rig and bed dimensions. I know they use the F550 platform with either a 176" (XV-LT) or 200" (XV-LTS)...

My Chevy van is a 2005 so it falls in the cohort of model years that suffer from bad paint/primer. I think 2007+ is when GM finally figured out their process. Anyway, the paint on my van is starting to flake off in several locations and it is getting to the point that I need to start thinking...

Shortly after I bought my van, I put a Kobalt bottle jack in since I really hate the OEM jacks that come with most cars and trucks. Fortunately, I have never had to use it for any roadside emergency. When doing some home improvements last week, I noticed our upper cabinets were sagging so I...

I'm wondering if anyone here owns a "add-a-room" type shelter that they use with their van and can comment on their experience? I'm looking to add standup and storage space when state park camping with the family. I have a 6-man mountain tent as well but I can only stand upright in the middle...

I'm hoping to see some van-specific bed/storage solutions to give me some ideas for giving the WhiteBuffalo some updates. Since I built my van, I'm now married, with a 2 y/o, with a house. My RB50-lite setup that mostly worked before isn't working that well anymore. Here is my current setup...

Earlier this month I went on my first alpine touring trip to one of the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association huts in Colorado. The trip was great and I mostly used gear that I already had but there is definitely room for improvement. If you are not familiar with the "huts" run by the 10th...

The last time I programmed my radios I was using an XP machine (extra laptop, had it for programming radios and but since got rid of it). Now that I'm trying to program radios with a Win7 machine, I'm having issues. After some digging, it appears that there were counterfit chips/drivers that...

When I converted my van to a camper using a Sportmobile RB50-like layout, I bought a sofa bed bench seat from a manufacturer in Indiana. The sliding, convertible, quick release framework is nice (despite take up more storage space than I would like) but have never been impressed by the foam...

When I bought my van, it had been used as a mobile office and came with a Tripp-Lite PV3000HF (3000w) inverter with a remote switch. I have used it sparingly over the years since it drains the house battery quickly if the engine is not running (battery is a Diehard Platinum PM1 Group 31). Fast...

I was hoping to get some advise on a vintage camp stove that came from my grandfather to keep in my van. Years ago when my grandfather was still alive, he handed me a Coleman 5404 camp stove. It didn't have any fuel bottles and they are no longer made (technically, outlawed as I understand) so...

I'm slowly eliminating the squealing pulleys in my engine bay and it seems that the alternator is next. The van has 150,000+ miles and think everything has been original, so it's time. It is hard to hear but I do have a mechanic's stethoscope; when I touch the bolts on the pulleys I replaced...