Copyright © 2023 RVing Today

Copyright © 2023 RVing Today

Copyright © 2023 RVing Today

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Railroad history fans will enjoy the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum next door to the campground.

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Jeff Johnston: An RV is a wonderful device. It helps you enjoy your hobby. Hi, I’m Jeff Johnston for “RVing Today.” We’re in the Tillamook State Forest, just outside of Tillamook, Oregon, at the Portland Jolly Jeepers “Back to Basics” Rally. The place is full of RVs, and we’re gonna show you what these guys do with their RVs that helps them come out here and enjoy the back roads and the hospitality of the Jolly Jeepers. And in the interest of full disclosure, I was once a Jolly Jeeper member myself.

The Jolly Jeepers “Back to Basics” Rally is a long-running annual event that combines comfortable camping and scenic four-wheel-drive trail riding in the Tillamook Forest area of Western Oregon. Many of the participants started with tents and have graduated to RVs of all kinds. A look around the campground reveals it resembles an RV park as much as a jeep trail-ride event. We asked around among the participants to collect some opinions on how using their RVs improves their enjoyment of the event.

Frank Norwood: Absolutely, absolutely. I can come back to my ride. It has a shower, has a toilet, has A/ C. It has everything you need just like a home and makes it nice and easy, particularly if you have kids that I can just stick ’em in the bathtub.

Evan Belt: This is our 2011 16-foot Scamp, and we chose the Scamp because it’s easy to care for, and it’s also can be towed behind our jeep or other vehicles. It’s about 2,200 pounds. It has a bathroom, has a bed. It has a kitchen, all the amenities of a large RV, but it’s very small, and it’s very convenient to take pretty much anywhere we wanna go, hiking or jeeping or all the outdoor adventures.

Melody Dekorte: So, the motor home allows us to get out and explore the world in a little bit more of a glamping fashion. I’m not much of a tent person, so this is definitely more my speed, especially with the hot water and the Corian countertops and everything else, so it’s really nice to have our second home with the creature comforts that we’re used to on the roadway with us, going to all the little jeep events.

Scott Weninger: The best thing about our jeepin’ experience is that, when we come back to camp, we have a comfortable place to stay. Beds are comfortable, hot shower, hot meal, and then we can rest and do it up again tomorrow, so all good.

Jeff: The rally includes a wonderful steak dinner prepared by the club, and likewise breakfast, to get the participants off on the right foot. The fun begins when you hit the trail in your favorite four-wheel-drive rig. The legal recreational driving trails are maintained by the forest service and available to the public. Not all jeep trail rides go as planned.

female: Okay, so I was drivin’ my Jeep Wrangler up the trail, following a few other people up the trail, when we’re comin’ up on a rock garden, and my axle really wasn’t strong enough to be climbing up said rock garden, and my axle broke, which means this whole wheel wanted to walk its way out, so we weren’t gonna be able to make it off the trail unless we had another axle to put in it, and we didn’t. So this log was just layin’ there, couple feet from us. Our trail leaders, Ron and Grant, had these straps and a rope, and we strapped the log into the step and to the bumper to keep the wheel from falling out so that it would freely roll, and we just slowly drove it back to a road where we were met by a trailer, and they picked us up and brought us back to camp, and it worked.

Jeff: When the trail ride is over, you have your comfortable RV waiting back in camp. That’s the way to go 

Today’s “RVing Today” quick stop is ideally located for RVers visiting historic Nevada City, California. Lots of trees and high-mountain clean air are great ingredients for a campground, and the Inn Town Campground is rich with the features that appeal to RVers. We spoke with Erin Thiem, co-owner of the Inn Town Campground, to learn more about the facility.

Erin Thiem: Welcome to the Inn Town Campground. We’re in Downtown Nevada City, Northern California, and we have 70 different campsites here onsite, 15 acres. in the forested foothills. We offer tenting, glamping, and RV hookups. We’ve got something for everyone. We’ve got tent sites that are private, we’ve got sites that are great for couples, families, vans, teardrops, rooftop tents, and we’ve got glamping tents that are all set up and ready for you– don’t have to pack a thing. Just bring your toothbrush.

And then we have RV sites, both full hookups and water-and-electric sites available for campers who wanna come bring their rigs to Nevada City.  The Inn Town Campground is super family-friendly.  We do outdoor movies for the kids on the weekends. We have a swimming pool.

We have a camp store, our communal kitchen. The kitchen is great for either tenters, RVers, or glampers, because it gives you that space outside of your campsite to use the oven, use the refrigerator, or have a nice meal. Clean up and it’s not in your space. A lot of our campers really enjoy that. And, yeah, we’ve been getting a lot of people on their shakedown, maiden voyage, so if you have a new– a rig, and you wanna test it out, and you don’t wanna go very far, we tend to be a great destination for those campers as well.

Jeff: Access roads are well planned for easy RV maneuvering into and out of the sites. Naturally, the campground store includes RVing necessities as well as snacks and souvenirs. Like many campgrounds, it’s not a cheap place to stay. Our spot for our truck and Palomino camper was in the $75 neighborhood, which is becoming more common these days. Railroad history fans will enjoy the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum next door to the campground. 

Jake: For your particular needs, I would say Solar Elite Kit is 380 watts of solar, that is, two 190-watt panels, a 30-amp solar controller to regulate that power, a 2,000-watt IC unit–  an that’s an inverter charger– that’s gonna produce 2,000 watts of AC power, as well as a 100-amp battery charger built in. You also get the DC-install kit and all the cabling to install this system on your coach.

We go to campgrounds, fix your camper. We go to your house if you don’t wanna bring it to the dealership, don’t wanna wait a day and bring it in there and tow it and everything. We come right to you. So we offer all of our services, including all the appliances, maintenance, wheel bearings, everything on a camper. The only thing we don’t do is the engine and drivetrain side.

Michelle: Now that our Go Power solar-install project is underway, let’s take a look around King’s Family Campground, the place I’m calling home this summer and fall. King’s Family Campground is located in Sutton, Massachusetts, in Worcester County, on Manchaug Pond. It has 1,200 feet of waterfront with a 20-slip power-boat marina and a small fishing dock. Most sites are seasonal, but there are a number of transient sites as well, and these sites are larger than sites at most campgrounds. Many of the happy campers I’ve met have been here for many years.

Michelle: We’re visiting with Kara and Bill. Kara and Bill are seasonal campers, so I think the nice thing about a seasonal situation is you really get to know everybody, and it is a community. You can learn more about this campground at KingsFamilyCampground.com. And now let’s get back to our installation.

Ryan: She’s gonna have a standalone inverter converter, two solar panels on the roof, hardwiring the inverter right into her 30-amp breaker so that she’ll run all the appliances right off the inverter.

Michelle: And you got help earlier, someone from the Go Power customer service. They were pretty good, huh? Ryan: Yup, they answered a few questions we had about which way we decided to wire this one, and they– Go Power, they answered the phone right away, and they said, “If you have any = questions or concerns, feel free to call us,” so they were definitely a great help.

Well, even if you have an RV that you really love that you’ve used for a long time, you may look around the interior eventually and say, “You know, it’s maybe time for an upgrade.” Maybe that beige Herculon fabric has grown a little bit thin on you after a bit. Your needs may also have changed. For example, that freestanding table and four chairs may not be quite right for you anymore. You may be thinkin’ more about a dinette that turns down into a bed so your grandkids can come along, for example. Well, fortunately, there’s all kinds of furniture on the aftermarket.

Our friends at RecPro, for example, have all kinds of RV furniture available. They have different sizes, colors, shapes, styles, and so on, and there’s all kinds of different dimensions available, so chances are you can find something that’ll fit right into your vehicle. 

To get a feel for what’s involved with an RV interior refit, we visited Dave & LJ’s RV Interior Design, in Woodland, Washington. There’s a certain amount of expertise and technical aspects of this, of course, and Dave & LJ’s has some pros that really know how to do the job, so let’s pop on into the shop. Take a look.

All different sizes and RV classes receive the Dave & LJ’s interior treatment. The showroom displays the company’s custom cabinetry and furniture such as desks, TV cabinets, and tables. Sofas, love seats, and special theater seating are also on view as inspiration for a customer’s product. Custom cabinetry of all kinds is built in Dave & LJ’s woodshop where skilled craftsmen produce furniture works of art.

The stock furniture in the project motor home wasn’t worn out, but an upgrade will be a fun interior freshening. The shop crew unpacks and inspects the furniture for any shipping-related hiccups that must be taken care of. Final assembly takes place inside the RV. A heat gun works wonders to remove any wrinkles in the fabric. The old furniture is disassembled, as much as practical, for easier removal via the RV door. It can be a snug fit, but the furniture probably came in through the door, so it can also exit that way.

Wiring may need to be adjusted, relocated, or completely new, depending on the project. Some Dave & LJ

technicians really get into their work. When the fasteners are deep inside, you do what you gotta do. Many RVs use standard furniture sizes, and that helps fit the new seating in the existing spaces. The upholstered dinette parts are standard, but a custom-sized table is required.

So when we install this dinette, it comes in a certain length. To make a bed, you have two filler cushions. We have to make the table at a certain dimension to go down and have the cushion fill that space correctly.

The new sofa bed is sized to be a trim fit in the existing space in the slide-out. This part’s a fairly easy bolt-in operation. A power lead is installed for the new motorized theater seats. All pertinent electrical codes are followed during the wiring part of the project. A pair of theater-seat powered recliners replace the original love seat. This kind of fit also depends on enough back wall clearance near the valance.

It’s not a whole house renovation, but even a few select pieces of new furniture can make a big difference inside your RV. We think it looks pretty darn good. Hey, a new RV interior may be just what you need to add that touch of finesse to your vehicle. 

Hi, I’m Mark Polk with RV Education 101. The good folks at Equalizer Hitch asked me if wanted to review and test their OnTarget Towing Tool. The primary function of the tool is to make measuring your weight distribution fast and easy. After a couple of quick measurements, you know exactly what your weight distribution percentage is. So, you can make any adjustments necessary for safer towing. Weights constantly change in travel trailers. You remove weight, add weight, and move things around. You tow the trailer with weight in the holding tanks, and you tow the trailer when the holding tanks are empty. This means your weight distribution is constantly changing, and that can affect how the trailer tows. Prior to having this tool, I had to go to the scales to determine what the current weight distribution percentage is. So, let’s see how this OnTarget Towing Tool works.

To test the towing tool, I’m using my new Ram truck and our restored 1967 Yellowstone travel trailer. The hitch that I’m using was previously set up for my ’71 Dodge Power Wagon. My new truck has never been used to tow the trailer prior to this. So, it will be interesting to see what happens. Inside the box is the tool, three AAA batteries, a protective case, the Target reflector card, and a wristband. We installed the batteries. Now we’re going to follow the instructions that came with the tool.

Read all the safety warnings, particularly about the laser beam. The first step is to park on flat, level ground, chalk the trailer tires, and uncouple the trailer without pulling forward. Next, turn the tool on by pressing the read button. The default setting is the weight distribution mode. Place the reflector card on the ground, lined up with the center of the tow vehicle’s front tire and wheel well. Place the tool at the center line of the front wheel well against the bottom of the fender, aiming the laser down. Line the laser up with the Target reflector.

Press the read button to take measurement A. This is measurement A uncoupled. Measurement B is with the trailer coupled to the truck without spring bars, so it’s the full amount of tongue weight. Make this measurement at the same place and press read to get measurement B. Measurement C is with the spring bars engaged. Take this measurement in the same place again. This is measurement C. Now the OnTarget Tool calculates the current weight distribution achieved. Equalizer Hitch recommends a weight distribution reading amount between 50% and 100%. Adjust the hitch and spring bars and remeasure C until you are in the recommended range. Then you can test drive the setup and repeat any steps necessary. Proper weight distribution provides improved steering, better breaking, and improved vehicle control, keeping you safer when towing heavy loads, driving in inclement weather, passing semitrucks, or driving in cross winds. Other functions of the tool are– it makes the job of leveling your trailer easier with the electronic level feature. It can measure how deep your campsite is, using the laser distant measuring tool, and you can easily measure your clearances in wooded areas to make sure awnings and slide outs can fully extend. As far as proper weight distribution percentages go, I give the OnTarget Towing Tool an A plus. To learn more about the OnTarget Towing Tool, visit equalizerhitch.com and click on Towing Tools.

The U K is known for it’s double decker buses and now, they may also be known for their double decker RVs..  At first look, I thought the trailer looked kind of strange, and in all honesty it does… at least to me.

But the more I look at it the more I realize that for some people, that strange look lends itself to a lot of practicality and living options. 

First thing that came to mind was, Wow! this would make a great living and viewing suite at a NASCAR race or any type racing event. Or how about when you’re parked two or three rows back at a nice beach location with no water view. With this double decker, that should be no problem. 

Anyway, these were just a couple of my thoughts.. you can give me your thoughts and feedback on our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/RVingToday/

The U K is known for it’s double decker buses and now, they may also be known for their double decker RVs..  At first look, I thought the trailer looked kind of strange, and in all honesty it does… at least to me.

Jeff Johnston here for “RVing Today.” We’re in beautiful Brownsville, Oregon, Gateway to Recreation, in the Willamette Valley, at the Rally on the River Vintage Trailer Rally. This event is designed for pre-1984 RVs of all kinds, trailers, even a truck camper or two, maybe even a motor home or two. And what you see here at this event is nothing short of astounding. The things that the owners have done with rebuilding these guys, decorating the land– the campsites to match the trailer vintage and so on, it’s really a wonderful fun part of the RV hobby. And you may be wondering what does the Seattle Space Needle have to do with vintage trailers? Well, stick around a few minutes and we’ll show you.

The vintage RV, part of our RVing community, is growing like crazy. The 2022 Rally on the River drew about 105 trailers and more than 300 people for this annual event, the first in-person in a few years due to COVID.

Dana Murray: I think what I like most about the rallies is the sense of family. So even though you’re not related to most of the people here, it feels like family. And when someone needs something, everyone pitches in to help. For example, I was at a rally and someone had locked her keys in her Silver Streak, so a guy went around to all the Silver Streaks and said, “Bring your keys, we’re gonna see if we can get in.” They couldn’t get in that way, so he said, “Do we have a small child?” And so, they went through the window and then they unlocked the door and everyone cheered and so it’s that kind of thing where everyone pitches in to help. We do pot lucks or we’ll do a breakfast. But mostly, you sit around a nice fire pit or propane fire and we chat and we get acquainted with each other again, ’cause sometimes it’s been, like, a year.

So, yeah, a lot of it is the social aspect and making that connection and feeling like you have family and friends here.

Jeff: Thanks to new suppliers of reproduction parts and a broadening network of shops and individuals working on vintage tin, it’s becoming easier to do a full restoration on a vintage trailer.  It’s still a lot of work, but more fans of all skill levels can now take part. The restored trailers are fascinating and amazing to see, and it’s the people stories connected with them that are the most interesting.

Jodi Johnson: So here we were, coming to Rally on the River and we have a 17-foot Silver Streak and we were looking for a larger one to take our grandchildren out with us so that we’d have more room and space for them. And we show up here and, lo and behold, here we have this one for sale. And so, this one will be going home with us.

Janet Mekech: This is a 1964 Kit Companion, and when I got this, I decided, unbeknownst to my daughter, that I was gonna fix it and doll it up for her. It happened to have everything that she liked in it, and we have a few collectibles and we love sharing it with our children. My daughter and myself did the work on the trailer. We painted the outside images. I painted the inside. Well, she helped me with the outside images, not knowing she was gonna be getting it as a birthday present.

Jeff: As at most RV rallies, we ran in to some interesting vendors on site. Scott Scrizzer: We are looking at ’50s, ’60s era radios and they are old tabletops that have been converted from regular radios to actual being Bluetooth speakers, and so there’s no radio connectivity anymore. It’s all through your phone or MP3 player and, basically, they all operate like they would a radio. You turn ’em on with a switch and you’ll find it on your phone and then you–whatever music that you have on your phone will come through the speaker. Instead of being

dust collectors, they are–they’re speakers that play any music you want them to. That has evolved into the drive-in speakers and these are from the ’50s. Some of ’em are from the ’40s. And same concept: they all operate as a Bluetooth speaker. They’re 100% portable so you can take ’em anywhere you want and listen to your music, car shows, rallies, your home, your backyard.

Jeff: An awning is a must during summer camping trips. LeAnne Symonds: Hi, I’m the owner of Gingergirl Vintage Awnings and I specialize in custom awnings for vintage campers and I like to work with very fun patterns, paisleys, and geometrics, and fringe and pom-poms, and I am able to do from a 2-panel awning which is about 9-feet-wide to up to a 3 -panel which it goes to about a 14- or 15-foot awning. And they do come with a storage bag, and I also make awnings for the front rock guard and I do tire covers and tent covers and all matching, so it really sets off the vintage camper.

Jeff: Pam was happy to find a camper who enjoyed dispensing delicious margaritas, a welcome break on this hot day.

Teardrop trailers were an early RV style that helped shape the RVs we have today. It’s not often you see a driver’s-side entry door on today’s RVs. Even a fold-down trailer of the right age is qualified for a spot at the rally. Duke Bossanova: We’re looking at a 1975 Apache Hardside. They only made these for a few years, obviously in the ’70s. Prior to that, they made soft sides which are your traditional tent trailer pop-ups. They were made in the Midwest, and so they’re not super common out here on the West Coast, but very much sought after and you can check ’em out on Facebook with the Apache Group if you just look up Apaches.

Well, we found this trailer up in Vancouver, Washington. The gentleman who had it purchased it in 1975 and in 1981 put it into a heated trailer unit and stored it on his property,  So it had not been out since 1981, so when we came and got it, it still had all the original tags on it. The paper on the side of it had never even been washed off from the original sale of it. So this thing was all original when we got it 3 years ago. So we’ve had to do some work on it because even time damages things and there’s a lot of plastic which is mostly PVC on this, actually, not fiberglass as most people think.

Jeff: You remember how we mentioned the Seattle Space Needle before the break? We chatted with a pro to learn its place in the vintage trailer realm. David Northcraft: Okay, so in 1962, the Seattle World’s Fair was underway and Glen Gordon who was the owner of Aloha Trailers at the time, decided that he wanted to build a trailer that kind of matched the space-age theme of the World’s Fair, and so he came up with the design of this trailer. He built 200 of these trailers and he took several of them up to the World’s Fair and he sold them, he put them on gas station lots, and he rented them as rooms because the hotels were all full. So, this trailer with its rounded front windows, its whale tail in the back, and its kind of cosmic paint scheme, matched the whole theme of the space age, you know, for the World’s Fair. Originally, there was 200 of these trailers built. There’s about 14, 15, that we know of that are survivors right now, 7 of them have been restored, and 6 of them are here today, all together. This is the first time that they’re all together, maybe since they were on the factory floor.

Doug Johnson: Okay, this 1962 Aloha 22-footer, what we refer to as the Seattle World’s Fair edition and of the 15 survivors, there’s 7 that are still on– that have been fully restored and are now back on the road. This was a full restoration, meaning we had to take it clear down to

the steel frame and axle. We put new brakes and built it brand new all the way back up from the subfloor. New wall structure, new interior panels, new exterior skin. Well, actually, in lieu of a dinette up front, which it did have originally, we chose to–because we built this trailer for comfort, my wife and I hoped to travel the country in this trailer, so we introduced a few changes, one being some swivel chairs up front. Again, for comfort. Little more comfortable than the old-fashioned dinette. And then the kitchen quite stock, really didn’t do anything in particular with that. Moving further back in the trailer, the bedroom area, yeah, we– it’s a three-quarter full bed. And then, even further back, we’ve got a full bathroom in the trailer. And one deviation from stock, the purists will probably scold me for this, but there is a heated floor in this bathroom.

Cynthia Russell: All right, so this trailer was built in Van Nuys, California, after World War II from Aero Flyte which was a World War II

manufacturing airplane and they were looking for something to do with their aluminum employees and so they began to build trailers. They began to build these kinds of trailers. The design is great, but they built them so expensive, $4,000, which was a house after–right after World War II, so not many people purchased them and they went out of business after 2 years. So there are only 2 years’ worth of these trailers around. And Flyte Camp restored this for us. We tried to keep as much original to the trailer as we could so all of

the facings on the cabinets, the wood is original. The tops of the cabinets, the wood is original. The hardware is original. The kitchen section is certainly original and unique to the kitchen, there’s a headboard that’s round and beautiful, original to the trailer. And we like to dry camp, so we had them install some wiring so we could do the Go Power solar. 

Jeff: We had a great time at this year’s Rally on the River and encourage you to check out the vintage trailer events and the fun people

involved with them.

As Jeff showed us the RPod has been a hot item since Forest River first brought them out in 2008 they have had a cult type following since then.

The overall look harkens back to what was commonly called the ‘canned ham’ look with rounded roof lines and an aerodynamic design. I must say, the way the RV industry is always making model changes, I’m glad they left the basic RPod design alone. Kind of like the old Harley Davidson theory, when you have a good thing just keep making improvements and don’t mess with it.

The model Jeff featured was a 2016 RPod 180 Hood River Edition with the back kitchen, Today, you can buy that year and model for around $13,000. to $18,000. depending on the condition and extras features it has.

The thing to keep in mind when buying anything used is ‘it’s used’, which means you will find some things worn or even broken that will have to be replaced.. But in a small trailer like this, most repairs are relatively easy.

The nice thing, which I personally like, is that you now have the opportunity to upgrade and make changes to fit your personal tastes. Today with companies like Rec-Pro you can buy virtually anything you need to fix or upgrade your RV in one place. From furniture and appliances, to a light bulbs and latest LED lighting systems they have it all. You can see for your self by visiting www.recpro.com.

Now, since a new RPod can run in the $30,000. -$35,000 range (and up), if you spend a few grand upgrading your used RPod, the nice thing is, once your done and it’s cleaned up and polished, it will look just like or better than the new one next to you.. Also… you’ll have money left over to actually travel and enjoy your ‘custom’ RPod.

We’ve all seen photos of cowboys cooking over an open fire with Dutch ovens, but these popular cooking utensils go back much further.

The Dutch started producing cast cooking vessels in the 17th century and back then they were made from brass. An Englishman, by the name of Abraham Darby, visited the Netherlands to see how they made these cooking utensils. Upon returning to England he set about to make these pans but instead of expensive brass, he made his out of less expensive cast iron. He then got a patent and called his pans.. Dutch ovens.

The unique thing about cast iron Dutch ovens and pans is they virtually last a lifetime as is evident when you see some really old ones up for auction. If you take care of them, they’ll last for generations. Now that you know the story about Dutch Ovens, let’s bring you up-to-date.

Today, you can buy various brands and models and in a variety of porcelain coated colors. These are great, but mainly designed for use on the stove or in the oven and not really intended for open fire cooking. We’ll just focus on cast iron models designed for outdoor cooking.

Dutch Ovens come in various sizes normally ranging from 6 Qt. to 12 Qt. They have an indented lid, which allows for putting hot coals on top so you have even heat in the pan. Most Dutch ovens have small legs for setting the pan on an uneven surface.

One of the important features of a true outdoor Dutch oven is the handle. A good strong handle will allow you to hang the pot over a fire or lift it off the fire very easily.

Prices vary from around $50.00 for a 6 Qt model to around $75.00 for a 12 Qt one. That’s really quite reasonable when you think about it. How many quality items can you purchase today, in that price range, that will truly last a lifetime?

When you think about rockstar life, it usually involves traversing the country on a tour bus going from one sold-out stadium to the next. Well, the next time you go to a concert in Boston, you can have a night in a luxe trailer to keep the party going—or sleep off the hangover from the previous night (we don’t judge).

The Verb Hotel has unveiled its latest offering for visitors to Fenway Park. Guests can now book a night in one of 10 custom-built trailers as a part of the Backstage experience. Each celebrates a different artist to channel inspiration from “Mama Bertha” and “Sweet Patsy” paying homage to Cass Elliott and Janis Joplin. Even the colors are influenced by music giants like “Metallic Cooper” and “Hi-Fi Green Harley.” – Read the rest of this story!

The Caracat electric catamaran is so much more than just a watercraft.

That’s because the vessel, which is made by the German company of the same name, can easily be transformed into a dedicated camper. It’s packed with all the things you need to stay out on the water having a good time—even after the sun goes down.

The Caracat has a patented design that includes two pontoons that swing out or retract. This feature allows you to use the battery-powered craft in one of three ways: as a dedicated camper when towed atop a standard boat trailer, as a catamaran and as a floating camper. You won’t find many more versatile catamarans or campers.

The Caracat electric catamaran is so much more than just a watercraft.

That’s because the vessel, which is made by the German company of the same name, can easily be transformed into a dedicated camper. It’s packed with all the things you need to stay out on the water having a good time—even after the sun goes down.

The Caracat has a patented design that includes two pontoons that swing out or retract. This feature allows you to use the battery-powered craft in one of three ways: as a dedicated camper when towed atop a standard boat trailer, as a catamaran and as a floating camper. You won’t find many more versatile catamarans or campers. – Read more here.

Hymer has actually gone and done exactly what auto lovers always want but rarely get – brought its wild, innovative concept to market, without even watering it down, according to a report at NewAtlas.com.

The revolutionary VisionVenture B+ camper van concept it premiered at the 2019 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon becomes reality at this year’s Caravan Salon. Now called the Venture S, the all-wheel-drive Mercedes Sprinter off-grid RV keeps the concept van’s look and style intact while bringing to market cutting-edge features like the rear yacht deck, interior staircase, transforming two-in-one bathroom, and inflatable pop-up second story.

As amazing a concept as it was, we never thought the VisionVenture was destined to see the light of day as a production model, especially not in three years’ time. Hymer even called it a design study at launch, and it looked solely like an exploratory vessel for next-generation features and innovations, some of which have already made it into Hymer Group products like the Bürstner Lyseo Gallery TD and Niesmann + Bischoff iSmove motorhomes.

To see the complete NewAtlas.com article, click here.

Hymer has actually gone and done exactly what auto lovers always want but rarely get – brought its wild, innovative concept to market, without even watering it down, according to a report at NewAtlas.com.

The revolutionary VisionVenture B+ camper van concept it premiered at the 2019 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon becomes reality at this year’s Caravan Salon. Now called the Venture S, the all-wheel-drive Mercedes Sprinter off-grid RV keeps the concept van’s look and style intact while bringing to market cutting-edge features like the rear yacht deck, interior staircase, transforming two-in-one bathroom, and inflatable pop-up second story.

As amazing a concept as it was, we never thought the VisionVenture was destined to see the light of day as a production model, especially not in three years’ time. Hymer even called it a design study at launch, and it looked solely like an exploratory vessel for next-generation features and innovations, some of which have already made it into Hymer Group products like the Bürstner Lyseo Gallery TD and Niesmann + Bischoff iSmove motorhomes.

To see the complete NewAtlas.com article, click here.

REI Co-op and Airstream have partnered to design a Special Edition built on the Airstream Basecamp model, introducing a wide range of sustainability attributes to the travel trailer. The collaboration comes as REI is increasing its investment and solutions to support the growing customer segment pursuing vehicle-supported camping adventures. 

The REI Co-op Special Edition Basecamp Travel Trailer will be available for co-op members to preview first at www.airstream.com/travel-trailers/. Customers can place orders beginning July 28 from authorized Airstream dealerships with pricing starting at $52,900. Read the whole story here!

 “I’ve been cooking for over 20 years, training in Napa Valley and later in Italy and Australia. Most of my career as a chef was spent in recipe testing, product development and training. The Pacific Northwest is where I call home but I’m often vagabonding around the country connecting with the community and the outdoors.   I can’t wait to share these fast, easy and tasty recipes with you.  I want you to be able to make an amazing meal anywhere you go outdoors! “

~ Chef Corso is your culinary guide to the outdoors and he’s here to put you on the path to amazing meals where ever your adventure takes you. It all started on a few of his backpacking trips into the North Cascades National Park. He noticed that most camp food was a little lacking… either freeze-dried, heavily salted or out of a bag; and you can only eat granola bars, jerky and trail mix for so long.

He knew there could be something better…

So he started testing recipes with the hiker and camper in mind. Easy to pack up, easy to shop for, mindful of pack weight and volume and amazingly tasty at camp.

From the Pacific Northwest, he’s also a classically trained chef trained in Italy and California with over 20+ years of restaurant and food development experience. But he’s chosen to take his knife to a mountain ridge rather than a fancy fine dining restaurant. Whatever outdoor activity you’re into, whatever your dietary restriction, he has you covered!

Jeff found Chef Corso at a recent RV show. He, and we, knew right away he was the one we’d been looking for! We trust you’ll agree when you meet him on the show in Season 4! In the meantime be sure to check out his website for a ton of free recipes to get you going!

Well, there’s very few days as exciting as the first day that you bring home your new or slightly used trailer. This one is a 1996 Kit Road Ranger. The owner, Dan Mountjoy, has been going around and doing a little bit of inventorying on it to find out what has to be done to it. Now, it doesn’t matter whether it’s new or used. There are things that you’re gonna have to do to a trailer before you take it out for your first run. You gotta check the safety things, you gotta check the functions, make sure everything’s working like it’s supposed to, make sure all the parts are there and up to date, and that’s what we’re gonna do with this trailer. We’re gonna go through it and show you just some of the most important things that we have to do. We aren’t gonna cover all the interior fabric and curtains and all that stuff. Mainly, we’re gonna be looking at things relating to safety and mobility because it doesn’t much matter if the refrigerator works if you can’t get the trailer to the campground and back safely. So we’re gonna take a look at those things and see what it takes and go through the process of getting this little guy ready to go.

The propane connection equipment on this is definitely original to the 1996 model. This is the pre-, you know, easy hand wheel removal ones. So we’ve got a pair of these guys that we’re gonna install to replace these, and we also have a new auto changeover regulator. This original one is an older style. It may or may not still work, but, frankly, as old as it is, it’s just not worth it to try and make this work. We can add one of these, and it’ll be good to go for a long time.

We removed the cylinders to clear up access to the plumbing parts. The old regulator came off easily, but we needed washers to make the old screws fit the new model due to slightly shallower mounting holes. After removing the optional adapter fittings, the new Acme hand wheel-equipped hoses screw into the new regulator. The red substance is thread sealer, factory-pre-applied to the fittings. After assembling the parts, we cracked open the tank valve and checked for leaks with a soapy-water solution. We only found one fitting that needed to be tighter. This completed the propane-supply part of our once-over.

Jeff: Next up was inspecting the brakes and associated hardware and repacking the bearings. After safely supporting the trailer frame with jack stands, we broke the lug nuts loose, raised the trailer a bit farther and finished removing the wheels. While the brakes are used and rusty inside, the components are still functional, so we brushed the assembly out and left it as is for now. Both the bearing races and seal surfaces looked good. After repacking the wheel bearings, probably our most important step in the trailer work process, we reassembled the unit with new grease seals, torqued the castle nut to spec, and carefully tapped the dust cap in place with a soft mallet. We’ll check the lug nuts again after a few miles on the road. It takes a while for them to fully seat and remain tight.

There’s something else kind of interesting we learned while messing around with the wheel bearings. The tires show an awful lot of tread. They seem to be in pretty good shape from a tread standpoint, but when we inspect the DOT numbers here on the sidewall, according to the numbers, this tire was manufactured in the 19th week of 1995. It’s a 1996 trailer, so it’s quite possible these are the original tires from the trailer, and to say that they have passed their age of use is tremendously understating it, plus, if you look really close here, besides the fact that they have– that the age indicates they’re too old, you check out the sidewall here, and the cracking and corrosion on the rubber is really pretty incredible, so stop at the tire shop. That’s gonna solve another major problem for mobility on this trailer.

Before we head for the tire shop is the right time to get the weight-distributing hitch properly set up. This process works best on a flat, level surface, but we may do with our slightly sloped gravel driveway. Ideally, we want the hitch head adjusted so the truck and trailer are parallel or more or less in line with each other. Okay, item number one on adjusting a weight-distributing hitch like this is to set the truck and the trailer more or less at the static-ride height where you’d like ’em to be when they’re goin’ down the road. Now, both of ’em are sitting fairly level here. We’ve adjusted the hitch jack until the trailer, you know, looks pretty good cosmetically, relative to the truck, and it’s a little tough to measure on a rough surface like this, but we’ll start by inserting the jack or insert the head in there, do a test fit on it, and see how it looks, and then, if we have to adjust it up and down, we can work from there.

We’ve removed the two large mounting bolts and positioned the head up one hole in the mount. This produced the kind of truck and trailer alignment we wanted, but further adjustments may be needed after a test drive.

Next, we cleaned and installed the spring bars and attached the chains to the frame-mounted hangers. The bars must be tight enough to distribute the hitch weight but not so tight that they stiffen the ride. You’ll need to adjust the chain hangers with trial and error. Once it’s set right, you’re good. Next up, a stop at the tire shop right after these commercial messages.

Let’s continue our look at making a few modifications and adjustments to a used travel trailer to get it ready for life on the road. Next stop, the visit to a tire shop to get some new Goodyear endurance trailer tires installed.

Final step of our project today, we’re here at Luis’ Tire Service in Oregon City, Oregon to install a new set of Goodyear Endurance Radial Tires. These are Goodyear’s brand-new trailer tires designed specifically for trailer use. Now, these are made in the United States, so it’s none of that imported tire stuff that you see on a lot of products. In fact, it’s kind of a testimony to the original Goodyear tires that were on this trailer for an excess of 20 years that we made it all the way down here to the shop without the tires going bad on us. We’ll show you what we’re gonna be doin’, including balancing the tires. Very important step.

 As you’re going about your regular maintenance procedures with your trailer, always remember to have your trailer tires balanced. Now, there’s nobody riding in the trailer to feel if it’s vibrating or shaking all over the place; however, with the tires balanced, you get a couple of significant advantages: One, there’s a lot less vibration transmitted through the axle, the bearings, and up into the body of the trailer. It rides smoother. And, number two, the tires will last a lot longer. Instead of bouncing along the ground because they’re out of balance, they’re gonna ride smoothly. The tread has a better contact with the ground. So keep in mind, balance your tires and your trailer. They’ll last longer. You’ll never regret the investment.

One of our wheels had more lateral runout than it should, so it required more weight, in excess of six ounces, to help it run true. The other tire-and-wheel combo was fine and called for approximately two ounces to balance. When you get new tires for the trailer for the ones that are on the ground, don’t forget the spare ’cause, if you got a bad tire on the spare and you get a flat, you’re takin’ a risk. Add the extra tire to your purchase. You won’t go wrong.

The new Endurance tires looked great on the trailer, and when we selected the size to use for the trailer, we bumped up one size from ST205/75R14 up to ST215/75R14. Now, the 215 tires are a little bit larger diameter, a little bit wider, but they fit the opening just fine. They fit the wheels, obviously, and they don’t contact the wheel well; there’s plenty of clearance around here. The advantage to jumping up one size like this is that the new tires have approximately 200 pounds of extra payload capacity per tire, or, in other words, we have another 400 pounds of weight-carrying capacity for the entire trailer on the axle. Now, this doesn’t change the gross axle-weight rating on the trailer. It just means we have a little room to spare, a little bit of wiggle room as far as piling things into the trailer, and there’s less chance that we’re gonna be overloading the tire. However, these are the new Endurance radials, so we have a lot more confidence in these tires than we do on some of the, oh, imported ones that you see runnin’ around on the road today. It’s a pretty smart investment for a trailer.

With a tire that’s good to go, brake lights checked, and the rest of the projects done on the trailer, it’s ready to hit the road for the new camping season. A day or two of small projects can make a big difference in keeping things together and trouble-free en route to your favorite campsites.

Buying a used trailer, you’re always gonna wind up with a certain amount of things that have to be done to it. If you’re very lucky and you get one that’s a turnkey operation, terrific. Otherwise, you may wind up with an older rig like this: needs a little bit of help along the way. Once it gets done, of course, then you can be ready for relatively smooth RV sailing and head out for your first weekend, knowing that you can get there and things are gonna be safe.

Through advanced technology, recreational vehicle and trailer companies are making their vehicles and customer experiences more sustainable. Winnebago, Thor Industries and Living Vehicle are working on electrifying the recreational vehicle (RV) space.

Advanced technologies include an electric RV, hydrogen extended-range electric RV, self-powered trailer and solar-powered trailers that extract water from the air.

Creative EVs for Hospitals, Schools and Road Trips

Winnebago is famous for making mobile outdoor lifestyle motorhomes and trailers. The company is adding advanced technologies to its RVs.

“We are really focused on advanced technologies which are coming in the next five, seven to ten years,” says Ashis Bhattacharya, Winnebago Industries senior vice president, Business Development and Advanced Technology.

Bhattacharya notes that making an electric RV is not as easy as making an electric car.

He says an electric RV requires energy management that includes many internal systems that generate, store and consume electricity. The systems include battery-systems, inverters, lithium batteries, car batteries and appliances. Appliances in an RV that need electricity are air conditioners, water heaters, induction cooktops, infotainment systems and plumbing systems.

Data and connectivity for smart products are part of the technology development process. Materials, weight, insulations and structural strength are important. The less weight on the vehicle, the more weight is available for the owner, the driver, their family and everything, says Bhattacharya. Read more here.

I’m Jeff Johnston for “RVing Today TV.” We’re here in beautiful Kampers West Kampground in Warrenton, Oregon for a truck camper owner rally. Just about every type of RV out there has gatherings for that specific type of RV, and the same is true for truck campers. So we’re here to attend a rally, a regional rally, that has a bunch of truck camper owners getting together, hanging out, having fun. Let’s go and take a look and see what they do.

Rich Bain: Okay, so we’re here in Warrenton, Oregon, for the NATCOA Rally. That’s North American Truck Camper Owners Association, and we had a good turnout at the rally. NATCOA, what NATCOA is, is a group of truck camper owners and also manufacturers, like-minded people, who like to get together, exchange ideas.

Jeff: All kinds of campers from fold-downs to high-end hard-sides are welcome at the rally. This is a great opportunity to take a look at some other brands and models and talk to the owners about their experiences. Socializing and swapping ideas with other like-minded RV owners is part of the fun of a truck camper rally. Each day, they have group activities planned, and the kids are always included.

Pam Johnston: We are taking part in the chili cook-off tonight, so I am making a white bean chili with chicken, and I threw a little bit of onions and carrots in there for color. I think people will like it. A little bit of flavoring never hurts. And for this particular chili, I’m adding a jerk-type seasoning, so it’s not really like a chili bean seasoning, but it’s a jerk, and it’ll add kinda of a nice Jamaican kind of taste to it, I think. We’ll hope for the best.

A standard rally feature is camper manufacturers or part suppliers displaying their wares for attendees to browse and perhaps make some future purchase plans. We saw this new side-door flatbed camper from our friends at Rugged Mountain

and heard a few words about it from the manufacturer.

Jesse Collinsworth: So this flatbed has a few unique features. This is a triple slide unit. It obviously goes on a flatbed truck, mounts with five bolts on each side. It’s a center island, triple slide, as I stated. A big, unique feature in this one also is the bunk bed system. So with my two kids, the wife and I still have a place to sit in the back. Great layout, dry bath, big holding tanks, It’s got it all. We’re still workin’ on a prototype so soon put it in a production unit.

Jared Sund: Hello, I’m Jared Sund with Stablecamper. My wife and I are founders of this small company. We build products specifically for truck campers, slide-in truck campers like you see here behind me. We do stability systems for when the camper is on the ground, but we also do truck camper bed kits, so we’ve partnered with CM Beds mostly for Class 4 and Class 5 trucks, for cab chassis trucks, to build out a product like you see here. We supply boxes and camper mounting systems to mount your sliding truck camper to a flatbed, creating a system like this. Our stability product here at Stablecamper is designed to use when the camper is off the truck. Many campers will rock and shimmy and sway while using it off the truck, so this product is boxing the front jack to give it stability, so while you’re in the camper, while it’s sitting on the ground instead of on the truck, it’s very stable, and it’s a simple system. We use what we call a side tube that connects the front jack back to the rear–on the camper, and then we use the front tube the connects back to the body of the jack, and that just stabilizes this front jack, and it eliminates any sway or motion of the camper, side-to-side or front-to-back. They’re also easy to use and easy to store, so they simply swing around and store on the front of the truck– or on the front of the camper for storage, and then the side tubes store underneath the wing, so it easily goes into storage when you’re on the truck.

Jeff: Camper owners have a variety of reasons they attend rallies and why they own a camper, for that matter, instead of another larger RV type.

Hi, I’m Jeff Johnston for “Rollin’ on TV.” You know, RVers really enjoy decorating their vehicles in different ways so they don’t look like any other on the road. For example, we decided to go with the full-body wrap on the side of our Palomino camper, but that left the back as a blank canvas, still white. We decided to go with an old-school type of decoration with just pinstriping, and there’s no better source for pinstriping than Herb Martinez, “The Line Doctor.”

It all starts with cleaning the surface, measuring and laying out the rough-pattern guidelines. Next, the magic begins. Herb Martinez has been pinstriping for more than 50 years. He learned from the best during his early days and rubbed shoulders with the classic pros in the business. His extensive resume includes many happy customers, magazine feature vehicles, and industry accolades. 

State-of-the-art brushes enable fine applications, and quality paint ensure the lines are durable in a motor vehicle application. While not exactly a lost art, there are relatively few people still practicing this craft. It’s a terrible cliche to say, “It takes a steady hand,” but Herb’s steady hands have been doing their thing for a long time.

Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to dress up an RV. The otherwise bland Palomino back wall now looks like something extra special.

Well, Herb, this is beautiful. This is exactly what this camper needed to be able to dress it up and, you know, make it stand out from the others, and it’s a real honor to have some Herb Martinez pinstriping on our camper. Can you describe, what do you call this particular style of lines?

Herb: This is called a rainbow feather. These are feathers comin’ out from here. This is a big, gigantic feather right there. And I’ve been doin’ those things for 45 years.

Jeff: Well, it certainly makes our camper look, in my opinion, better than just about every other camper out there on the road.

Herb: Thank you, sir.

Jeff Johnston: Greetings. Today’s tech tip for “RVing Today TV” concerns your outdoor shower. Most RVs have an outdoor shower of one kind or another, and they’re really convenient. They’re great. You’re showering outdoors, it’s a lot of fun. But when you’re doing that, what do you do with your towel, your shirts, and so on? Well, we came up with a simple solution. This is a scrap of red wood we had in our house. We added three of these stainless steel, towel-type hangers, and two aluminum material hangers on the back. We open up the door on our propane compartment. This hangs up easily, and we have a convenient spot for towels, shirts, and shorts.

Females: Woo-hoo!

Jeff: I need to ask Dan what kind of vitamins he gives those girls. Anyway, this is a really convenient way to keep your towels and so on, and you might be able to find a way to do that in your RV as well. And that’s your tech tip for the week from “RVing Today TV.”

I’m Michelle Fontaine for “RVing Today.” Several months ago, I purchased an e-bike, and I love it, so it has to come cross country with me. We considered several options, and the most logical one was putting a hitch receiver on the back of the RV. And my friend, Ray LeQuesne graciously offered to do this modification for me. So, here’s Ray with today’s story.

Ray LeQuesne: Well, looking at the original setup, evaluating it, whether it was going to be strong enough just to put a hitch receiver on the existing bumper, would it be heavy enough, would it provide enough safety? And after evaluating it, we decided, no, it needed to be replaced with a heavy wall 4 X 4 bumper, as well as the 2 X 4’s right here, one in each side, and only a foot long. Increased the wall thickness by 33% on this and as well as this, to get that strength that I felt we needed.

Doing a project like this, can we improve on the existing setup somehow, someway through location? And that’s what we decided. We said, you know, we’re gonna have this bumper off. Let’s pull it out two more inches, provide two more inches of here to here. Prior to this, it was set back almost flush with the back of the rig. So, we pulled it out two inches, and that’s considerable. We also added two inches to each end.  We added two inches, gives you a little bit more protection on your corners. So, we incorporated that improvement, still got a nice little gap between the ladder and the bumper. So, everything looks good.

In addition to the heavier wall on the material, we added another cross member about 14 inches under here, another cross member across, because we want the hitch to attach at two points, not a single point. So, we got a two-point attachment via welding, here and back in here. So, that’s going to give you a good, good strength. There’s a lot of activity back here going down some of these roads, that your assembly is trying to rock back and forth in every direction, and that puts a lot of stress on whatever is holding it.

We’re gonna talk about removing the existing bumper. And a day like today, windy, dry, Arizona– big shocker there– not a good day to be cutting outside with a torch or making sparks. So, we did this in a garage, and we were good. The first thing we do on removal is we get our fire extinguisher ready. We get a garden hose, good pressure ready to go, set aside, in place. Don’t want a fire. Because we’re cutting and we’re grinding up under here, and sparks are going. Also, equally as important, you shut your propane tanks off. Probably already have that done, but make sure they’re shut off, and bleed the line, because there is a line, band the remote line comes to the back, that you actually have to move out of the way to cut and weld. So, gotta get that propane system down.

Also, to gain access, there’s five welds from this piece to the frames, five, factory welds. And to gain good access, we had to remove the 5/16 self-tappers from the liner right here to be able to get at the welds we need to cut. Lots of room helps out. All right, so with all that removed, we get under there. We put jack stands on both sides to support it. Get under there with a 4 1/2-inch grinder and smaller grinder and chisels, and we got it out– not without a lot of work. They finally come out.

Failed to mention, with that cross member, we put it in place with the idea that it’s right under the black tank, and we cannot interfere with getting access to the black tank. So, we made that cross member removable. It actually bolts on both sides. It bolts with a good half-inch Grade 8 bolt. 

We cleaned up the frame rails where the new one’s going to attach. We got the stabilizers that we took off, and we need to get them as close as we can to the original position. So, that’s kind of a fit and go, as you assemble. So, with the underneath prep ready to go for the new one to go in, the assembly that we put together, how it’s made, how the hitch receiver actually fits in to the 4 X 4, it looks good. It gives you good welding all the way around it. So, we got it all tacked together, very lightly tacked together– the arms, the 4 X 4, the cross member that I was talking about is bolted to each end. You can see it there. So now we’re going to roll it under the rig, and jack it up, and fit it, and it looks good. We’ll put some primer and paint on some certain points that we’re not going to be able to get at later, and we’re going to remove it, finish welding it up, and get it back under there.

So, with the bumper securely in place with good, good welds running the entire length of this piece here, which only runs 12 inches, the way it fits, it fits perfectly. And now we’re looking at the stabilizers. And fortunately–I don’t know if you can tell by the pictures, but the stabilizers actually clamped under the cross member. One leg of the stabilizer clamped under the cross member, which was like yes, because that’s a heavy gauge cross member. It just supplies so much more strength to the original system. So, this system is actually, the stabilizer is stronger than the original. I know that with certainty. So, I was really happy They’re about 2 inches off of where they originally were, but there’s no interference. They work fine, and they’re stronger, so we’re really happy about that part of it.

The big question is weight, always sensitive of weight. Spending weight on safety and things like that is a good value versus adding weight for just a comfort feature that you could do without. Weight for safety is a no brainer for me. So, we, basically, we took off 50 pounds, and we added 98 pounds. So, it’s a net gain of almost 50 pounds, 7 gallons of water, 6 1/2, 7 gallons of water, the equivalent of.

You’re getting more protection because of the setback. You’re getting better protection for your corners, and you can haul two e-bikes on that rack without even– with no problem whatsoever. Relocation of the spare tires, the second modification. We no longer want it on the back. So, she could carry it in the back of her truck, or we can figure out where to put it. So, we looked at it, evaluated it, and tried to come up with clever ideas, practical ways of doing it. And her Tacoma, her spare tire mounts right here

in the back like a lot of pickup trucks do. I think most do. And you gain access by taking the tools supplied by Toyota in through–somewhere down here, is an insert, and you lower your tire. Well, that device that lowers the tires are readily, easily obtainable replacement part, not only from Toyota but from other places. And they’re not that expensive, and they work really slick. So, we’re gonna get one of those, brand-new, and we’re going to mount it under here, and she’ll be able to use this same tool for her truck, as her tire, but first she’s going to try to call the tire people to come save her, but sometimes that’s not gonna happen.

We’re going to need to install a couple more cross members, and they’re probably going to be on the scale of angle iron, an inch and a half by 1/8 inch– give you an idea of what kind of material we’re talking about, not big stuff–over the top, and that’s where that device I was telling you about is going to mount. That’s one that actually lowers and raises the tire. It’s going to mount on those two cross members, and she’ll gain access from probably right under here. And so, it’ll all be the same. Yeah, it’s gonna be about 50 extra pounds, so actually that’s going to offset the 50 you gain back there, and it’s going to transfer it here. So, that’s almost going to even out, but it’s going to be a little bit more weight here, because your center, your wheel base center is not halfway down the rig. It’s more towards the back. So, 50 pounds back there would be the equivalent of maybe 40 pounds here because of the location of the axle weight distribution. So, but we’re down to 10, 20 pounds difference, so move some pots and pans around.

Michelle: Thanks so much, Ray. Well, the bike is in place and covered with a heavy duty bike cover. This is Michelle Fontaine of “RVing Today,” wishing you safe travels. And maybe I’ll see you on the road.

Dawn Polk: I am excited to reveal the interior and exterior of our completed van conversion project. We’ll start on the inside. When you open the side door, you see the finished floor, and Mark added an LED light at the step to help when it’s dark outside. There is a switch here, or you can turn it on using a small remote. Then you see the fold-down table that covers the area below the sink, and it gives me counter space when I need it, or I can use it as a table to work at. Next, we have the beautiful quartz countertop with a great sink and faucet setup. You’ll also notice that the small farmhouse shelf Mark made–then you’ll see our “adventure” sign, which we cannot wait for all the new adventures in the van. And the backsplash above the countertop– we have our small microwave and coffee pot. All of this is on the industrial style cabinet frame. We have our industrial storage locker mounted on the wall and our full-size bed at the back. You have access under the bed to get to all the stuff Mark will talk about in a minute. On the opposite side, there is the industrial style TV cabinet with a farmhouse wood top. We have our 28-inch, 12-volt, 120-volt TV from RecPro on a mount that conveniently swivels to view from anywhere in the van.

The cabinet also houses our Dometic portable toilet for those occasions a bathroom is not available. You can also access it from the outside when it needs to be emptied at the dump station. Up front, we have our new used seats from a Sprinter van. They move forward and backward, and they swivel, and they recline. In between the seats, we have our removable farmhouse style table. We added new carpet, and we got the center console cover from a Class C motor home at the junkyard. Mark repaired and painted the old steering wheel and upgraded the dash and all the controls to a modern-day vehicle. There is a backup camera, functional oil amp and temperature gauges, a USB charger, and 12-volt power outlets. He installed switches for the backup camera, the dash fans, and the radio when we are camping, and there’s a digital battery voltage gauge light right here. That is a preview of our van camper interior. Now let’s look at the exterior of the van, and then the heartbeat of our off-grade conversion project.

♪♪♪

Mark Polk: The first thing you notice on the exterior is the paint job. My goal with the paint was a clean and classic finish. We used boulder gray paint with black highlights and a slightly darker gray middle stripe. I also added some painted-on pinstripes to separate the colors.

Then we added our “Ram Camp” logos at the rear of the vans and our “Ram Camp 4X4” emblems. I painted the entire hood in old school functional hood scoop black. And here’s our old school grill with “Dodge” highlighted in black in the center. To finish the front, we have our bull bar, our 12-volt wench; and at the rear of the van, we have our functional cargo tray with a generator, a fuel can, and a water can. Below the tray is our high lift jack to help get us out of any jams. Now we can look at the heartbeat of the “Ram Camp.”

♪♪♪

Mark: We had lots of help on this build. And in no order, I’d like to thank Dometic, “Go Power!” by Dometic, RecPro, WIPCO, and Steele Rubber Products. This build started with our two 190-watt solar panels, a charge controller, a 250-amp lithium battery, and a 2,000-watt inverter, all by “Go Power!” We added a WIPCO power center with auto detect technology and a second 2,000-watt inverter. We also have a small generator as a backup electrical system. We have our powered cooler, Penguin air conditioner with heat strip, portable toilet, and portable lithium battery all by Dometic. For the water system, we installed a RecPro fresh water tank, a 12-volt water pump, gray water holding tank, and an outside shower. We also installed a 12-volt water heater. And to help support the weight over the rear axle, I installed 5,000-pound rear airbags.

From start to finish, this 4X4 van conversion project took 5 months. There was a lot done to the van that didn’t make it into these six episodes. First and foremost, I wanted the van to be safe for travel. When you start with a 40-something-year-old vehicle, there’s a lot of mechanical work that needs to be done. Then we got to the fun stuff: making a functional off-grid vehicle that looks good, too. It was a fun project, and now we get to use and enjoy our weekend getaway vehicle.

♪♪♪

Dawn: Thank you so much for following us on this adventure. And if you want to learn more about using and maintaining your RV, visit our popular RVonlinetraining.com site.

What do you do if you’re looking for the perfect RV to fit your needs but can’t find exactly what you’re looking for? If you’re WanderBOX CEO Mike Barnwell, you design a vehicle that meets your exact specifications and launch a new company to build it. The result is the Outpost 35 4×4, a mobile office and living space well-suited for boondocking, according to a report by RV Magazine.

Barnwell’s dream RV included the luxuries of a Class A model and the off-road capabilities of an expedition vehicle. On top of that, he wanted something that would allow him to live off-grid for an extended period of time without sacrificing comfort and amenities. Disappointed with the options that he found already on the market, he elected to create his ideal motorhome himself.

Built on a Ford F-600 Super Duty chassis, the Outpost 35 is a legitimate boondocking beast. The RV comes with a 200-gallon fresh water tank, which can be refilled from a lake, river, or stream using the vehicle’s onboard filtration system. The motorhome also includes a 125-gallon Greywater tank and a 75-gallon black water tank. Read the rest of the story here.

We just heard from our Care Camps Super No Bo 2 winners Mark and Susan Glodfelter and they’re finally out enjoying their first adventure with the Forest River ‘No Boundaries’ travel trailer.

With winter behind them, Mark took a little time debugging the unit along with adding some additional personal items they wanted.

These photos are from their first camping trip to the Desoto State Park “Fall Creek Falls & Little River Canyon” not far from their house. As we can see in the photos, The Super NO BO 2 Looks great… and Mark and Susan, along with their granddaughter Macy, look like they are having a great time.

They’re getting ready for their next trip (coming up soon) to Myrtle Beach, SC. We wish them the best and we’re sure they will have years of enjoyment with that custom No Boundaries trailer.

In January, Margaritaville opened its latest RV resort in Auburndale, Florida.The hospitality empire wants to open up to 50 RV resorts over the next five years. See what it’s like staying at the new RV park complete with cabana cabin tiny homes and two pools. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville empire is growing and diversifying faster than the time it takes to find your lost shaker of salt.

The brand inspired by simple Jimmy Buffett lyrics now has a portfolio that includes nearly every aspect of the hospitality industry, from resorts to cruise lines to retirement communities.John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville Holdings, has said the company may be the “fastest-growing hotel brand” in the US. But there’s one particular Margaritaville segment that seems to be expanding its footprint faster than the rest: its “casual luxury” RV resorts. The hospitality empire currently has three RV resorts: one in Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.

Read the rest of this story and see lots of photos of Margaritaville RV Resorts here!

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Living Vehicle, a luxury electric travel trailer with impressive off-grid capabilities and more solar power than most homes, debuts its ergonomic “Creative Studio” – making working anywhere a reality, even in demanding creative industries, according to a release.

With this addition and Living Vehicle’s self-sufficient technology and enduring, sustainable power, editors, producers, animators, architects, developers, and all creative professions in between can seamlessly work on the road without being beholden to brick-and-mortar studios, for ultimate freedom and creativity.

The Living Vehicle Creative Studio is outfitted with state-of-the-art technology from Apple. These products allow modern professionals, who are heavily reliant on powerful hardware, to perform their job at a high level, and to do so from anywhere – whether it is arriving at the family ski vacation early without working late or editing footage on location in real-time from the comfort of a Living Vehicle. Living Vehicle is the only off-grid trailer with the power and devices to run a technologically reliant business from the utmost remote locations – from the snow-capped mountains of Montana to the arid desert of Moab – harmoniously, without compromising on equipment or location. Read the rest of the story here.

This week we introduce you to Steve and Bonnie Gibbons, full-time business people and full-time RVers. So how do they manage to combine their love of RVing, kayaking, and travel into a dream lifestyle?

Bonnie Gibbons: We are a full-service kayak shop. We do sales, rentals, instruction, tours, and just about anything else people want and desire. We also do stand-up paddleboards. We originally, about six or seven years ago, just started traveling south in the winter because we close the kayak shop down, and finally we decided we needed and wanted

to buy some sort of RV to travel in, you know, so we could camp out and stay in remote places and we decided on the Airstream because we’ve always been kind of old school and liked the Airstream, the way they looked, and also the fact that they are probably one of the best RVs to travel in, great on mileage, easy to haul. They’re just awesome.

So when we’re here at Scappoose Bay Kayaking, we built this little deck and we can just back right in here, back our Airstream in here, and it’s real nice ’cause the step is even with the deck and I have my little Buddha statues and all of my flowers that I still love to take care of, and it’s nice and homey that way. And then if you come on into my little house, this is my little house right in here. And so, Steve and I live in here. We’re full-timers and we’ve redone a few things. We took the old grandma fabric off of the valences and there’s nothing wrong with grandmas, I am one. But I just didn’t like the old-fashioned kind of stuff that was going on. So we put leather and leather on all the valences. We used to own an art gallery so we put some of our art from our art gallery up here and had a new bedspread made that was a little nicer than the one that they had on there. So yeah, this is our–this is our little crib, so to speak. And we love living in here and it’s very comfortable and homey and we’ve simplified our lives by moving into an RV 

Ray LeQuesne: Good morning. They asked me to show you this little space heater. This type of space heater is very popular with the hunting community. Outdoors only. A lot of carbon monoxide poisoning potential with this, but it’s only outdoors. Does a wonderful job.

Hooks up to a propane tank, 20-pounder, 30-pounder, 40-pounder. They’re all universal right here. This will come in a single burner, two burner, or triple burner, on a manifold. The single burner simply connects to the internals right on the bottle. The multiple burners, they’ll actually clamp to the lip of the tank and then there will be a hose that would connect.

They’re incredibly efficient. Throws a lot of heat. BTU rating, not quite sure on these, but typically at the 100,000 BTU consumption is one gallon an hour on your propane.

So the hook-up is quite simple. If anybody’s ever hooked up to propane or acetylene tanks, a flammable material, you know the thread is typically a left-hand thread. Finger-tight is always good, all right, and we are ready to fire it up. So, you have a control knob here for different levels, different settings. Zero, white, on this particular unit is off, and then you go 1, 2, and 3. So we’re gonna go to the maximum. For the ignition, some systems will have a little red button. It’s called the piezo button, creates a little spark, the igniter. But this one does not have it. This is very basic system, so you gotta light it. So you turn your bottle on and then you do have a button you do need to hold on, depress. You can hear it. [gas hissing] You can hear the gas coming out. When you hear that, hold the button down, side hole, and it’s on. And you gotta hold the red button in for a few seconds and it’ll stay on. And it’s starting to radiate some nice heat. Then to turn it off, you simply just turn the gas off, the bottle off. And don’t forget, you get this control here, you can go back off with it. And give it a few minutes to cool off.

Now, transporting this unit, when you’re not using it and you’re transporting it, they are bulky, a bulky item that can be easily crushed. There’s not a lot of structure. They can easily be crushed, damaged. Sensitive parts down in here. Safety, if it gets tipped over, the safety device will shut the gas off. So there are some safety features built in that you need to protect. There’s a little bit of a switching going on here. So it’s good to have a good sturdy cardboard box with a padding around it for transporting. Always just have that with the unit. That’s part of the unit, a storage container for protection in transportation. 

So, one, outdoor use only. Two, transport protected. It can be easily damaged. But if you take care of it, it’s got some– a lot of good heat, quick heat. So that could be very important. This little burner here, I’m guessing and I might be wrong, is probably a 15, 16,000 BTU per hour, so you could get 5, 6 hours on a gallon of propane with a unit like this. 

Today’s “RVing Today” quick stop covers three fun locations on the southern Oregon coast. Hi, I’m Jeff Johnston. We’re here at beautiful Shore Acres State Park on the Oregon coast, just south of Coos Bay. This is arguably the most spectacular spot on the Oregon coast for watching the waves. That’s a real popular thing here in Oregon, especially during bad weather. Now, we’re here today on a beautiful nice-weather day. It’s also low tide. There’s still some fun action going on out here, but it’s nothing like when you’re here for a storm. And over my left shoulder there, kind of off in the distance, you can see sort of an observation point that has a little bit of a railing out there. If you’re standing by that railing on a really wet stormy day, you’re gonna get wet from the ocean. It’s possible we might right here too, but not today. In any case, Shore Acres State Park is a great place to visit, southwest of Coos Bay, Oregon.

Park walking trails wind through majestic spruce and fir forests. Parking is abundant, but even the designated RV spot gets crowded on popular weekends. The park includes a botanical garden that was closed the day of our visit but is well worth the exploration. Bay Point Landing campground is a terrific lodging option in the Coos Bay area.

Dakota Likewise: We’re right on the bay here in Coos Bay, Oregon, and we have a modern luxury camping resort, so we’ve got 160 luxury RV sites, full hook-ups on everything, 30-amp, 50-amp, cable, great WiFi. Besides that, we also run a camping resort, so we have four styles of cabins. We also have Airstream rentals and so those are great to enjoy and kind of camp in style, whether it’s your first time or whether you’re looking for a resort experience. One of the great things about Bay Point Landing is amenities. We provide deliveries throughout the park, whether it’s from our food service, firewood, bottles of wine, chocolate, anything in our general stores. 

We also have a great indoor heated saltwater pool, fitness centers, activities rooms, both for adults and kids, and we do have an event center which is– doubles as a dining room. For big groups we also have a beautiful pavilion that’s great for events and we rent out privately. There are some other outdoor amenities: community fire pits, horseshoes, bocce ball, and a nice playground for the kids too. We are open year-round. We actually do invite monthly stays, October through June 1, and look forward to all our summer guests, our peak periods being June through, basically, September. And we have a lot of folks coming out and enjoying the waters and so, you know, we do have motor home designated sites, waterfront. We also have back-in sites waterfront dedicated, and we’ve got a variety of sites. We’ve got some pull-throughs for both styles, nice and convenient, and sites up to about 75 feet. We’re at www.baypointlanding.com. We should be easy to find, and we’re just nestled right on the Cape Arago Highway, right by the state parks and all the attractions of Coos Bay, North Bend, and the southern Oregon coast.

Jeff: While you’re out on your central to southern Oregon coast adventure, if you feel like eating something a little bit different, stop in here at the Blue Heron in beautiful downtown Coos Bay. Blue Heron is an authentic German restaurant. We don’t have

very many of those. This is what they call the Oktoberfest. Holy cow, it’s got schnitzel, it’s got sauerbraten, it’s got knackwurst and German potatoes and red cabbage, and it’s a spectacular array. And I really hope that I’m hungry ’cause it’s a big meal. Their menu includes just about anything German that you might like to have. Stop in, give ’em a shot. It’s worth the stop.

The Blue Heron Restaurant, Bay Point Landing, and Shore Acres State Park are just three of the great places you can visit during your Oregon coast adventure.

Hi, I’m Mark Polk with “RV Education 101.” Today, I wanna discuss a topic I think is important for all RV owners. That topic is RV living on 30 amps. Typically, RVs come equipped with either a 30-amp electrical system or a 50-amp electrical system. The majority of RVs are equipped with a 30-amp electrical system. Using the 30-amp electrical system in your RV is different than using a 200-amp electrical system in your house. Let me show you what I’m talking about. Before we get started, it’s important to review some very basic electrical formulas. If you understand these formulas you’ll begin to understand why a circuit in your RV or at the campground is overloaded.

These simple formulas can be used to answer questions based on what information is available. If you have two pieces of information, you can solve any electrical equation dealing with your RV’s electrical system. You already know the RV has a 120-volt electrical system and labels on appliances identify the wattage and/or amperage of the appliance. An example would be attempting to use two 120-volt appliances at the same time that total 2000 watts. The formula is 2000 watts divided by 120 volts equals 16.7 amps, so if both appliances were used on the same 15-amp circuit in the RV, the circuit breaker would trip. Another example would be determining the maximum wattage capacity for an RV with a 30-amp, 120-volt electrical system: 30 amps times 120 volts equals 3600 watts. If you exceed the total 3600-watt capacity, or the total 30-amp capacity, it is highly likely the 30-amp breaker in the RV or the 30-amp breaker at the campground pedestal would trip. You can go one step further by looking at the power distribution center in your RV. You will notice there are several different circuits identified by the individual circuit breakers. 

Let’s take a 15-amp circuit, for example: 15 amps times 120 volts equals 1800 watts. A 15 amp circuit that is used solely for electrical outlets in the RV is based on the premise that you will not use all of the outlets on that circuit at the same time or use appliances that will exceed the amperage rating. If, for example, you attempt to use a coffee pot and an induction cooktop at the same time, the 15-amp breaker in the power distribution box will probably trip; here’s why. The combined 16 amps times 120 volts equals 1920 watts, which exceeds the 1800-watt rating of a 15-amp circuit. For devices in the RV that require more amperage, you will notice larger-sized circuit breakers in the power distribution box. For example, the roof air conditioner is on a separate 20-amp circuit breaker. Let’s say your roof air conditioner is drawing 13 amps, you start the microwave and it draws 10 amps, and you put some bread in the toaster, drawing another 8 amps. In this situation, you did not exceed any of the individual circuits in the RV but you did exceed the campground’s 30-amp service, resulting in the 30-amp circuit breaker tripping.

This topic gets a little more complicated when you factor in things like GFCI circuits, the RV power converter that’s used for 12-volt devices, and if there are any wiring-related problems at the campground or in the RV. But if you understand and apply some of these basic formulas, you are well on your way to understanding RV living on 30 amps. 

Now, let’s join Michelle as she shows us how easy it was to install her new Global Link lock system. Michelle Fontaine: This keyless entry lock is easy to install and it can be opened and locked three different ways: the standard two-lock key entry, your personal four-digit code, or using the Global Lock app, which I’ll talk about a bit later. And now, let’s install.

Remove the existing lock. Simple Phillips-head screwdriver. Okay, four screws. These are tighter. Still, very doable if you don’t have a drill. Pull this in, give it a little… and look at that. Insert the new lock into the same footprint. Add the plate on the end. There’s a few things that have to line up behind here. First of all, this sits down, okay? And, see how this works right here? So by this thing down, it goes over here into this slot. Make sure the slot thing is down so this is over here this way, and it’s gonna fit into that hole. That, and in addition to this flat piece matching up with the round flat piece here and the plug being out of the way. Okay, finally got it. That was tricky. So, again, just make sure this is down and it’s all lined up, and get those screws in there. Literally, this took me about 20 minutes to line it up just right. So have patience.

This new plate is exactly the same as this plate, so I don’t really need to change it, but this one’s a little beat up, so we’re gonna go ahead and put the new one on. It closes.

Now, we want to put the battery in so we can get the Global Link app working. Press and hold any key to wake up the keypad. I’m going to try to add my personal PIN. Press and hold 9-0 for three seconds. Enter the factory default PIN. Enter the new PIN you want. And do it again. Yay, all right.

Now, I’m gonna go finish setting up the app now that I did this part. I downloaded the Global Link Connect app, made sure my Bluetooth was on, and paired it.

All right, we’ve got a keyless entry lock installed. I’ve got the app downloaded.  Let’s say you’re inside your RV. It’s nighttime, you’re settled in into your bed, you’re reading Facebook, whatever, and you decide to go to sleep. And you think, “Oh, is the door locked?” All you need to do is press on your Global Link app. It opens up. It shows you the status of your lock. Did you hear that? Now my door is locked and I can go to sleep.

So this works within a short circumference of your RV too, so if you’re outside at the picnic table, you want to unlock, the kids want to go in or you’re in your car or truck getting ready to leave your RV for a bit and you wonder, “Hm, did I lock it?” Easy peasy, just lock it.

One of the most significant things about RV locks is that over 75% of them use the very same key. Chris Carpenter of Global Link expresses this very well. So, Chris, take it away.

Chris Carpenter: We always like to mention the most popular, the CH751 key. I would guess if you have that 751 key on your keyring, if you’re sitting around a campground with ten other guys having a cold drink, nine of ’em will have that 751 key on their ring as well. And that’s mainly the cam locks, the little round silver locks, and they’re all keyed the same.

We used to– I’m an older guy, as you can tell, but in the old days we only kept beer and firewood in there. We didn’t care. Now, we have $1000 batteries and $1500 satellite dishes and $200 sewer hoses; it’s a lot more important. So what we offer is an option to either take those cylinders– now, on those 751 cam locks, you’ve got to replace the lock, but we’re talking $15. You can replace the lock, and if you happen to have a Global-branded entry door lock with a G300 key code, we can key to that G300 number as well. The whole idea is to get one key on your keyring that fits everything on your RV. The convenience is wild. One of the other issues we have when you have two entry doors, chances are they’re not keyed the same.

Michelle: As Chris mentioned earlier, over 75% of RVs use the CH751 lock. Usually it’s a cam lock, the small silver lock on our cargo bays. Mine used the CH751, so, because I installed a keyless entry Global-branded lock on the door, I was able to get the matching keys on my cargo bays. So I have one key that opens everything.

Earlier, I mentioned that I thought the door opened too hard and shut too hard, so I’ve asked my friend and colleague Jason Ciastko to take a look. It wasn’t the lock, it was the striker key; and Jason took on the challenge.

Jason Ciastko: What I’m gonna be doing here is I’m just using a small center punch to actually put a dimple in there before I drill the hole so the drill doesn’t drift and run out away. We can get it in the center. Now I’m gonna take my drill and I’m gonna put a couple of small pilot holes in here. Now I’m gonna remove one screw at a time, put it in the new hole. I am not gonna tighten these down fully just yet until I have ’em both in line.

Jason: It wasn’t closing quite the way Michelle wanted to, so we need to bring the plate a little farther outboard of it. So right here is a little bit of a lip from when I cut the hole. It’s a good idea to take my take my Moto tool here, my Dremel, and just take a little bit off of here to be able to pull it out. There isn’t a lot of meat left cause I got it close to the edge, but I think just by moving it about 1/16 of an inch, we’ll be able to get it.

Not even a 1/16 of an inch. Just to get a little bit more play coming out, so here we go, we’ll try it again. Michelle: Better. Jason: Just like that. Michelle: Very nice.

The Mars Space X Air is a hard-wearing Australian-designed off-road camper that inflates into a comfortable, well-equipped base camp, according to a report by New Atlas.

Mars steps further into fully automated camping by installing fold-out lids, inflatable frame tubes and folding stabilizer legs that all operate at the push of a few controls on a dedicated setup panel. The convenience continues at camp, where the Space Air X offers indoor and outdoor entertainment, a double-sized outdoor kitchen, sleeping for a family of six, and a large al fresca lounge for up to eight.

In designing an inflatable version of its Space X dual-fold camper trailer, Victoria-based Mars Campers decided to make it even more convenient than the average inflatable. That meant automating not only the inflation process but as much of the setup as possible. Read more here.

Mark: Welcome back to part 3 of our camper van conversion dubbed the Ram Camp project. Today the plan is to insulate the interior of the van, install the walls, ceiling, and floor. Let’s get started. Prior to starting on the interior walls, ceiling, and floor, I had to finish all the welding on the interior of the van. I already welded sections of square tubing in that will support the bed’s plywood base, and I welded the brackets in to support the gym locker that will be used for our overhead cabinet. Towards the rear of the van, there is a section where the metal ribs are spaced further apart, so I welded additional metal bracing in on both sides. This gave us more metal to attach grip to so the finished walls are securely attached. Then I welded a small section of channel iron on the floor upside-down to route and protect the 12-volt, 120-volt wiring going to the base cabinet located behind the front seats.

The only welding left on the interior of the van is to fabricate a roof support system for our Penguin II roof air conditioner by Dometic. Standard RV roof air conditioners require a 14X14-inch opening in the roof. We had to determine where to cut the opening in the roof and make sure there’s sufficient room on the roof for our solar panels. After I cut the opening in the roof, there is no turning back. I mark the roof opening with masking tape and cut it out using a jigsaw. Next, I needed to fabricate the roof support system for the AC unit. I thought it would be better and stronger if I used square metal tubing welded in between two of the factory roof braces. I cut, grinded, and welded the metal roof bracing in. And after test fitting the piece to make sure it fit, I welded it in the van. With the bracing for the air conditioner finished, it was time to install the AC unit on the van’s roof. We needed a lightweight, low-profile, high-performance air conditioner, and this Penguin II by Dometic is just what we we’re looking for. This model also has a heat strip that will take the chill off inside the van in colder temperatures.

The first step was getting it up on the newly painted roof without damaging it, us, or the AC unit. We decided to leave the air conditioner in the box, so we don’t damage the gasket getting it on the roof. The air conditioner has a thick gasket that is centered around the frame opening. We already have our 120-volt wiring routed to the AC unit. Our ceiling for the air conditioner unit is between 1.5 and 2 inches, so we needed to cut the duct divider according to the instructions. Next, we installed the ceiling plate and the duct divider. Now we can hand start and tighten the four bolts that compress the gasket and give us a good seal at the roof opening. Just follow the installation instructions to properly torque the bolts. This is all we need to do with the AC unit for now.

Now we can install our solar panels on the van’s roof. We need to route all the wiring through the roof and down to the floor at the rear of the van prior to installing the walls or ceiling. The first step was determining the best placement for the two solar planes on the roof. We used the cardboard box the panel came in to help decide the best fit. With the placement figured out, we installed the feet on the panels and carefully positioned them on the roof. After drilling the holes, I used butyl tape on the bottom of the feet and bolted the panels to the roof. Next, I connected the two panels together with the quick connects. Then it was time to route our positive and negative cables through the roof and down to the floor in the van. After drilling the hole, I filed the rough edges, and we pushed the cable through the roof and routed it to the van’s floor. I put electrical tape around the cables, where they went through the roof as added protection. We will seal the cables and the hole in the roof when we get our roof plate.

Dawn Polk: Before we insulate the wall, ceiling, and floor, we need to install furring strips that we can attach our wall and ceiling panels to. We are using 1X2 boards as furring strips, so we will attach the furring strips to the metal ropes using screws. The walls and ceiling will attach to the furring strips with a staple gun. One concern is that all the wiring and plumbing is protected from any damage by screws, staples, or sharp edges. So, we will keep a close eye on that.

Mark: The next step is to insulate the walls, ceiling, and floor. For the insulation, we chose this Havelock Wool product for several reasons. One reason is for moisture management. We know there’s going to be condensation in the van. And unlike other insulation, wool can naturally absorb moisture and retain its high insulation properties. The 2-inch wool backs have an R value of 7, and Havelock Wool is excellent for sound absorption. It’s also a renewable, sustainable product, and it’s easy to use. You just measure, cut, and install the wool insulation. We can insulate the entire van with 2.5 100 square foot boxes of Havelock insulation. 

We installed the insulation on the walls, the ceiling, and as much as possible on the floor. A Ransom thin gauge wire through the ribs on the walls and the ceiling to help hold the insulation in place until we got the finished walls and ceiling completed. Dawn made sure that not one inch in the van was without insulation.

Dawn: With the insulation finished, we are going to install a plywood underlayment for the finished floor. We’re using plywood, and we will install it from the back of the van to the front where the cab carpet ends.

Most campers need camp furniture of one kind or another. Now, like most of us who have been doing this for an awful long time, we’ve been through a variety of chairs that some are more comfortable than others, some last longer, some fall apart while you’re sitting next to them at the campsite, which of course is hilarious for all of your camping buddies. But we kind of like a chair that’s a little more reliable than that these days. And we ran into this new line that we’re really impressed with. This is by GCI Outdoors. They make a wide variety of chairs of all kinds, standard chairs, rockers, low profile recliners, and so on.

This one is called their slim profile director’s chair. Can see it folds up fairly small, which makes it easier to store in a rig. And most of all, it’s also very easy to deploy. But first, it’s got a built-in handle. And it’s a little bit heavier than some because it’s made out of steel, it’s not aluminum. And the steel gives it, of course, great strength. One of the things we really like about this line is how easy it opens. And that’s it. So, you sit down, and I’m 260 pounds, and I have a very dirty knee. I’m 260 pounds, and this thing feels really good. Plus there’s your little tray on the side with your drink holder. This makes a really nice camp chair. It’s comfortable, it feels like it’s sized right

for a full size adult.

And when you’re ready to go, one of the things we like about it, being of somewhat of a certain older age, is having these arms like this means it’s easier to get up out of the chair. And when you’re ready to bug out, all it takes is lift it up and you’re done. We’re gonna have them with us from now on.

Folks, if you’ve never heard of the Gypsey Lite camper, you are not alone, writes Christian Curmei at AutoEvolution.com. After combing the internet for details, I could find out that it was once built by Jurgens. These days, on the other hand, brands such as Jurgens, Sprite, Gypsey, and a few others are under the manufacturing control of Leefek, a crew established back in 2019. I’m not sure how that may have happened, but one of the trailers they build is the Lite.

While there are plenty of travel trailers on the market, there are certainly a few reasons why I chose to bring to light an RV from South Africa, and one of them is price. Believe it or not, what you see in the gallery can be found on the market, priced at around 165,000 ZAR, which is roughly $11,355 (at current exchange rates). This, of course, depends on the dealership you use and the features included, but you get the idea.

Already you can start to imagine and understand that just as its name would imply, this camper is light, apparently, both in weight and features, but that just means there’s plenty of room for you to decorate the RV as you wish. Since you’ll be towing around a camper with a GVM of 750 kg (1,653 lbs), you won’t need the most powerful whip in your driveway to get things moving. To see just what sort of lifestyle you’ll be able to enjoy, I invite you on a journey through my imagination. Read more here.

Welcome back to Part 2 of our camper van renovation series, dubbed “The Ram Camp Project.” In Part 1 we finished all the mechanical work on the van, making sure it was safe for travel. Today, we’re gonna start on the van’s interior by roughing in our 12-volt and 120-volt wiring and our hot and cold plumbing lines. It’s important we get this right because after the walls and the ceiling are installed, it would be difficult to add more wiring or plumbing. So the first thing we did is decide how the van’s interior will be laid out. After we knew where everything was located, I made a basic schematic of the wiring and plumbing for our Ram Camp Project. As you can see, I made a few revisions as to what will go where in the van, but I think we finally have it figured out. Let’s get busy.

To help determine where things will go and what wiring and plumbing requirements we have, I purchased an inexpensive computer program that allows you to design the van’s interior and exterior. After several different scenarios based on measurements, we had a floor plan. Then I moved it from paper to the van to make sure everything would fit. I wanted to finish any welding on the interior of the van prior to running any wiring or plumbing. I welded some extra bracing in for the walls and I welded part of the bed frame in the van.

We’re gonna use this old gym locker as the overhead cabinet in the van. First step is to sand it and prep it for paint. Then I’m gonna weld a couple brackets on the back, weld the other brackets on the ribs that come down the walls on the inside of the van so we can mount it, and then I’ll put some screws into the ribs to attach it permanently so there won’t be any movement while we’re driving down the road.

Now, if this was the exterior finish on an automobile, you would continue sanding with a lighter grit sandpaper. You would use some Bondo to fill in any small dents or scratches. You would do a final sanding, then you would prime it, sand it, and paint it. But since it’s just gonna be some overhead cabinets in the van, I’m sanding it with 120-grit sandpaper, and then I’m gonna prime the areas where you can see metal through the paint so we protect that surface until we can paint it with the final color.

After that, I welded the brackets designed to support our overhead cabinet on both the cabinet and the upper wall, and I welded a rear brace in to level and attach the cabinet to the van wall. With that completed, we started on the wiring. When you start a wiring project like this, you first need to determine where the 12-volt and 120-volt wires need to be routed, and then determine how many circuits there are and what the load requirements are. This is necessary so you can select the proper sized power center for the job. We reached out to our friends at WFCO to help ensure the loads are calculated properly and to make sure we get the correct equipment. Our plans also include an inverter with solar for dry camping. Our friends at WFCO showed me the proper method to determine the correct converter size. The first step is to determine the total 12-volt and 120-volt amperage requirements for the project which, for ours, adds up to 50 amps. The first 20 amps is calculated at 100% for a total of 20 amps. The next 20 amps are calculated at 50% for a total of 10 amps. And the remaining amps are calculated at 25% for a total of 2.5 amps. That gives us a minimum required converter output of 32.5 amps. We rounded that up to a 35-amp converter. To determine the power center size, you look at how many 12-volt and 120-volt circuits there are, but you must also consider the inverter. We wanted to have two or three 120-volt outlets available with the inverter, so WFCO recommended either the WF-8945AD or the WF-8955AD power centers. We decided on the 8955AD because it will charge the battery faster than the other model.

Speaking of batteries, we have an awesome 12-volt 250-amp-hour lithium battery from Go Power. Yes, I said 250-amp-hours. Unbelievable. And speaking of charging the battery, a great feature with this converter is WFCO’s new battery-charging technology called Auto-Detect. Auto-Detect is a new patent-pending technology available from WFCO. It detects lead acid or lithium ion batteries and automatically changes the charging profile according to the type of battery it is. Lead acid, AGM, and lithium-type batteries all require different charging requirements.

Dawn: So we’re good to go with charging our huge lithium battery when we’re plugged into electricity. When we aren’t plugged in, we have this Eclipse 190-watt solar kit with a second Eclipse 190-watt expansion panel to handle charging the battery. And we have this 2,000-watt converter from our friends at Go Power.

Mark: We have lots of wiring to do on our Ram Camp Project van. I have two concerns about the 12-volt and 120-volt rough-in wiring. One is to make sure we run wiring to all the correct locations and don’t forget anything. And two is keeping the wiring protected from any possible damage. To deal with my first concern, I made a list of every 12-volt and 120-volt component going into the van build. Then I took a Sharpie and tape and wrote the approximate location of every 12-volt and 120-volt component inside and outside the van.

Michelle Fontaine: With the influx of new RVers, and campgrounds feeling a little crowded, and a desire to find some kind of cost-effective camping, people are turning to boondocking, or dry camping.

Today, we’re visiting with our friends, Michelle and Jody Brown, in Sedona, Arizona, on BLM land. I asked Michelle’s mom, Gloria, what her camping experience was like 50 years ago. Gloria Hart: Well, one thing, we didn’t have GPS to go by. We had to use the old paper-type maps and so we would just go along, plan out our day each day, how far we’d travel, where we wanted to stop, and we’d get to the spot and I’d usually run up the road to make sure it was clear, if there was enough room, because we were traveling the Alaska Highway so it was very scarce for gas stations or camping spots. And then, if it was clear, I’d come back and get in the truck and we’d go down and dry camp.

Jody Brown: We’d never even hiked or done anything, and my brother has been to Glacier every year since 1996 and he finally got us to go up there in 2009. We fell in love with the outdoors and the wild and then we continued to go up there a lot. We’ve been to Glacier eight times since then. We came across people living in their RVs full-time and me and Michelle started learning and decided, “Hey, you know, we’re not that far away from retirement.”

We got to do what a lot of people don’t. We lived in this while we were still working so we could learn a lot more. And then we’d take it out to Colorado for a couple weeks’ vacation each year until we retired full-time in January of 2020.

Michelle Brown: We ended up purchasing the Heartland Gateway 3810 RLB. We looked for several years. We went to RV shows, we went to different states, we went to dealers, we looked extensively, researched, and we definitely wanted a bunk room. We have three kids and then with my mom.  We always joked that it was her bedroom. But we wanted people to be able to come and enjoy our journey with us, so it was very important that we had a bunk room and a half-bath so that they felt comfortable and they had their own area.

And then another thing that was important to me was the kitchen. I wanted a separate kitchen where I wasn’t looking at the TV through an island. And that was just a preference for me, so this one checked off those boxes.

Jody: I wanted a residential fridge. And we had good seating in there and just, obviously, we had to figure out the truck size for pulling the weight of it and we wanted a lot of storage ’cause it was our home.  When we first started, it’s like, you don’t know what you need to take with you and what you need to put in storage back home.

Michelle: And a washer and dryer was very important to me because I did not wanna have to go to a laundromat all the time. I wanted to be able to throw a load of washing in and dry it,

Michelle Fontaine: I asked Jody to explain the solar system they developed to provide enough wattage to live a comfortable life in their home off grid. There’s lots of detail here and you can see the full unedited version right here.

Jody: On the roof we have four threaded 90-watt panels and at 1,560 total watts, 600-amp-hour batteries, and I actually, last year, found an extremely cheap way to run air conditioning. Well, most of your air conditioners on your RVs are 15,000 Btu or 13,500 Btu, which take about 3,500 watts to start, but once they’re running it’s only 1,500 watts. I got a 3,000-watt inverter, which wouldn’t be able to start it, and most people do. There’s very few people with 4,000-watt inverters. So, my engineer friend told me to go to a plumbing supply warehouse and get this can called a hard boost, which is a booster capacitor. It was only $10 and you just hook it to your capacitor and it brings your wattage down to about 2,200 watts to start.

When we were traveling back from Glacier, Montana, across Nebraska in August, we have cats in the back and it was getting too hot in there so we would just drive with our air– one air conditioner on. You can only run one air conditioner at a time. They’re set up to go throughout your whole vehicle. As long as you run it midday or afternoon or whatever, when you have full sun, it won’t even draw on the batteries.

Michelle: So some of the things I’ve done, I’ve just tried to make it feel more like a home. I’ve been able to hang pictures on the wall, glass, framed pictures, and figured out Velcro strips that I can do that with, and they stay up great. I painted the walls. I’m still in the process of doing that, just taking it slowly, a little bit at a time. I put wallpaper in my bedroom. We took out a counter and added a butcher block wood table, pushed it against the wall. Gave us additional storage.

We’ve cut a hole in the wall that gets to this outside storage unit, and we put our kitty litter out there and our cat food.

We took out the jackknife sofa that was in the back that was totally uncomfortable to sleep on, and we built a bed that can pull out and do two twin mattresses if we need it to, to be a king-size bed or, if not, it just pushed in and it’s a twin. And we have storage underneath that.

Michelle Fontaine: With a 40-foot rig, let’s find out how they find accessible spots to dry camp.

Michelle Brown: And I have two boondocking RV groups that I’m a member of, and a lot of people will post areas that they’re in and they’ll give coordinates. If I know we’re gonna be in an area and I see something interesting, I will take a screenshot of it so then I can give it to him and then he can see if it’s something that is accessible for us or the area that we’re gonna be in, and then he takes it from there.

Jody: Yeah, I use Campendium probably 98% of the time. What I really like is that you get a lot of reviews from people. A lot of ’em are recent. Michelle wanted to leave here and go up to Grand Canyon for a few days; well, I checked and the camping spots that we wanted to stay, everybody was talking about how muddy it was and how there was– it was inaccessible and stuff. So we’re gonna have to scrap that and just head mainly for home now.

But I really like Campendium, how it tells a lot about the cell service, which is important to us. It tells you dump stations. And a lot of information people will give you on there is where you can get water, where you can dump your trash.

Michelle: When we are out for two weeks, we’ll go to a campground for a day or two and we always park at the campground, wash out tanks. I start laundry and then we go to where we’re gonna be boondocking ’cause we try to get a campground near

where we’re going to be, our next boondocking spot, and we always scout it out with just his truck. We drive the road. Can we turn around? You definitely have to take extra precautions when you’re as big as we are, because you can’t just turn around at the end of any road.  So we have very seldom just blindly go into a spot.

Gloria: The United States has a lot of beautiful country, if we just stop and look at it. Everybody wants to go somewhere exotic but, to me, the United States is beautiful.

Michelle Fontaine: Most BLM land is in the western part of our country. I wondered if Jody agreed.

Jody: There really isn’t, honestly, you start getting into Kansas, Nebraska, and everything east of there, it’s hard to find boondocking. There just isn’t the land that there is out west. Out west, pretty much every state has a lot of public land, BLM land, Bureau of Land Management is what that stands for. BLM land, they have their own website that you can go to and see where you can actually camp, and that was some of our best campgrounds we stayed in, which were sort of half boondocking, half hookups, because they didn’t– some of ’em really didn’t have any hookups at all, and then we’d come across some that, for $5, you could have electric too.

Michelle Brown: Sometimes, our boondocking consists of staying in casino parking lots too. Like, or when we were in Glacier Park, Montana, it’s all reservation land where we stay, so we dry camp in a campground, so we don’t pay for hookups.

So there are many ways to boondock. You might be in a parking lot but that’s what we had to do to see the redwoods in California. We stayed at a casino for three nights.

Jody: And that information is also on Campendium. Not only does it do boondocking, it does non-hookups, some hookups, cost. There’s farms, there’s– where’d we stay at? Blue Heron, which is in Tillamook, Oregon, that was really neat to stay at. Just out in their field, you can stay for free, you know? All kinds of neat places other than public land.

Michelle: We have a ten-and-a-half-year-old Great Dane who travels with us and we have two cats. We always see the vet right before we go out on the road again, get him his checkup. He is on some maintenance medication. We get that at Walgreens. When we leave to go hiking or do whatever we wanna do, is it gonna get too hot in the fifth wheel? And so we were getting concerned about that so we got– it’s called Temp Stick and it’s through WiFi. You do have to have Internet, but I can check the temperature inside the fifth wheel at any point. So then, if it starts to get too hot, and it will alert us. We installed better fans to turn on when we leave to suck out any hot air. And then, I bought him boots to put on his feet so, especially out in the desert, with the cactus and all the rocks. And then, for emergencies– we just had one a couple weeks ago. He cut his leg. We called several local vets. They told us about an emergency hospital and so we went there and they got him taken care of. They are a little bit more expensive, but they were amazing, and, you know, it’s just something that you’ve gotta do. You’ve gotta make sure that they’re okay and well taken care of.

Michelle Fontaine: Well, this has been a true pleasure. Thank you so much for sharing your lives with me today.

Do you ever find yourself wanting to travel a few hundred miles in one day and wishing there were a cool place that’s easy on/off the highway to break up that long day?

Hi, I’m Michelle Fontaine, and if you’re traveling on Interstate 80 through Nebraska, I’ve got the perfect spot for you. The Great Platte River Road Archway monument is the first and only museum to straddle a US Interstate highway.

The Archway’s parking lot was designed with large pull-through spaces. Exit 275 is an easy off-ramp and, while the interactive museum is the highlight of this area and charges a reasonable ticket charge, there are many free amenities as well. There’s a 10-mile paved bike and hiking path. There’s a very nice picnicking pavilion, and many outside exhibits to enjoy. You can even fish and kayak in their pond.

The Archway tells the story of pioneers, innovators, and adventurers who built America. The Archway is the vision of Governor Morrison, and the initial plans for the monument were unveiled August 28, 1996. The engineers in charge of building the Archway were faced with the challenge of erecting a 1500-ton structure that would eventually be suspended above one of the most heavily traveled highways in the Midwest, and doing it in a way that would not impede the regular flow of traffic. How’s that for a challenge?

Let me show you a bit of the inside of this entertaining museum. This is a self-guided tour, so you can take as long as you want, and I spotted several children who seemed really quite absorbed in these narratives. The Archway’s exhibits include 21 life-sized characters that are actually cast human figures. In a process similar to making dental molds, entire figures of real people who match the exhibit designer’s vision were cast to provide a level of realism that can’t be achieved using mannequins. The figures are surrounded by murals depicting the Oregon Trail, the Lincoln Highway, and the night scene on the Transcontinental Railroad.

The Oregon Trail was an early American wagon route, roughly 2000 miles from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon Junction, Oregon. This arduous and dangerous passageway was used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers. As the western migration scenes end, we’re welcomed onto the Lincoln Highway, known as the Main Street of America. As we move into this area, it feels

more like modern nostalgia for some, to our parents or our grandparents, and to the youngsters’ great-grandparents. I hate to age myself, but I can remember drive-in movies; can you?

The mural in the diner was painted by Kenneth B. Gore and provides a summary of the 180 years of history shown in the Archway. Many of the faces of the people in the mural are said to be those of craftsmen who worked on the Archway’s building and exhibits. While you’re in the diner, you’ll most certainly be drawn to the window, which shows the current traffic on Route 80 underneath you.

As we head down the escalator, there’s more history to be discovered, but we’ll let you discover that. There’s also a very well-stocked gift store, and I was able to find some pretty unique gifts for my grandkids. So as you can see, there’s enough entertainment and relaxation for an hour or half a day.

Calaveras Big Tree State Park is located just 3 miles north of Arnold, California, on Highway 4. The park is a magnificent display of the largest tree species alive today. The giant sequoia, closely related to the coastal redwood, is well-named because it’s big and it’s the largest living organism on the planet. A quiet walk among these sun-dappled glades can soothe the soul and awaken the senses to this superb part of the natural world. Time spent casually wandering here is time well spent. A full-feature visitors center is on site to answer any questions about the facility. Tourist visits started here about 1850 and the park is as popular as ever today.

Well maintained trails and boardwalks make for easy walking access. There are numerous trails  of varying difficulty, including wheelchair accessible, located throughout the park. Handy trail guides are keyed to numbered posts along the way so visitors can match the guide information to trailside features.

The big stump, for example, was once used as a dance floor during the mid-1800s. The original tree was more than 280 feet tall and the stump was close to 25 feet wide. A fun walking path leads through the center of one of the fallen giants. It’s definitely cooler in here on a warm day.

The park’s two campgrounds feature 120 sites. Many are tent only but there’s also room for RVs up to 30 feet long. Plan on making reservations well ahead of a visit.

The Minimalist Travel Trailer Costs Less Than $6000!

A German company called Kleox is on a mission to make RVing as accessible and affordable as possible. The manufacturing start-up has introduced a minimalist teardrop trailer that is so light that it can be towed behind just about any vehicle. Better still, the camper is very affordable—provided you don’t expect too many amenities.

With its no-frills design, the Kleox Shelter was built to be more of a tent replacement rather than a direct competitor for a traditional travel trailer. However, the towable’s fiberglass shell gives it a leg up on a tent, effectively keeping wind and rain at bay. The Shelter’s elevated floor also keeps campers off the ground, providing a more comfortable place to sleep.

The floor of the Shelter measures 82 inches by 49 inches, which is enough to comfortably sleep two. The walls of the camper are lined with a soft felt-like fabric that helps to keep the interior warmer and quieter, while a rear hatch provides access to the cabin. The liftgate can be left open for improved ventilation, with a zippered tent flap maintaining privacy. Two side windows further assist with airflow while simultaneously allowing natural light to illuminate the space. For more info and images, click here.

Dr. Fitz: Welcome to “RVing Today’s Paws on Board.” I’m Dr. Fitz, and this is Georgie. Is your dog panting and restless whenever they’re in the car, or does your cat meow for the entire trip? If you’ve seen these signs, your pet likely has travel anxiety. Some animals struggle primarily with longer road trips, but pets can also be anxious during the short rides as well. Some animals struggle primarily with longer road trips, but pets can also be anxious during the short rides as well. So, how can you tell if your pet suffers from travel anxiety?

If you have a cat, you know that they can be very subtle when it comes to body language and communicating with their owners. But look for a cat that’s restless, can’t get comfortable in its carrier, is meowing repeatedly, and may even urinate or defecate in the carrier.

Dogs, overall, are a little less subtle. You may notice panting, drooling, restlessness, repeated whining or barking, and even urination or defecation in the car. Some owners even have difficulty getting their dogs into the car in the first place. It’s important to note that some of these signs are very, very similar to motion sickness. In a season one episode of “Paws on Board,” I discussed pet car sickness, some ways to prevent it, and possible treatment options. So, check out that episod bif you think your pet may be carsick instead of anxious.

Travel anxiety can be reduced in several ways. One of the most important methods is positive reinforcement and training. Medications only get us so far, and working your pet through some of the anxiety can be immensely helpful. For example, make the car or the carrier a positive place for your pet to be. Allow your dog to get in and out of the car, even if you don’t actually go for a ride. Give them treats or play with a toy after they’re in the car. And for cats, leave the carrier out at home and feed meals or treats near it to get them acclimated. Making sure that your pet is in a comfortable position in the car can be helpful as well. Cat carriers or crates should face front and have comfortable bedding inside. Dogs should be in a crate or belted in with some ability to change positions easily.

For long trips, also make sure that your pet is able to relieve themselves regularly. We stop at rest areas when we travel. Our pets should have that same opportunity.

In spite of positive reinforcement, anxious pets generally need some type of medication to keep them calm. There are many prescription medications available, but there’s also nutraceutical options for our pets. There are even some calming pheromones available as sprays or collars. As always, not every medication is appropriate for every pet, and some pets need more than one medication to keep them calm and happy. Before giving your dog or cat any medication, consult with your vet to find the best treatment option for the situation. Let your vet know how you’ll be traveling and how long the trip will be. This helps us to develop a plan that can keep both you and your pet happy on the trip.

For more information about traveling safely with your pets and for more pet health information visit our Paws on Board section.  I’m Dr. Fitz, and this is Georgie. Thanks for watching ‘Paws on Board’.

Today’s pickups are typically well-equipped for camper hauling duty. Even with the correct-sized pickup, when you plan to haul a slide-in camper, there are a few items you can add or improve on to further enhance your rig’s highway manners. A camper’s high center of gravity means the truck will be affected more during some driving maneuvers, and some select accessories can make a big difference. We took on a project to equip our 2021 Ram 2500 truck for a modest-sized camper hauling duty. First up is a mandatory accessory: the tie-downs that secure the camper to the truck. Other hardware may be optional, but every camper setup needs these, and different models are available.

The Torklift brand of frame-mounted tie-downs cannot be beat. These are heavy-duty steel, plated for corrosion resistance. And most of the installs involve using the factory stock holes that are already in the frame. So, it’s usually a bolt-on installation; once in a while it may need some drilling, but most of them are bolt-on installations, and they’re available for a wide range of pickups, 1500 size models all the way up to 3500 and more and all years and so on. So, when you’re normally driving down the road without the camper, you have just this part on the frame, and you don’t even see it outside the body. When you go to put the camper on, you slide this extension tube in place, and you have the tie-down loops on the outside here, and these are the part that sticks out beyond the truck body. So, this can be removable. This part stays with your truck. With the tie-downs mounted to your truck frame, you have to figure out a way to attach the camper to the tie-downs. For that, we once again turn to a Torklift product. This is called their FastGun Tiedown. The top end hooks onto the loop on the camper. The bottom end goes into the end of the frame-mounted bracket. You attach it, and then you clamp this down. That adds a little bit of tension to it. And there’s a spring-loaded feature in here so that when it’s clamping, it has a little bit of spring tension on it, so it isn’t exactly a solid mount, but it has a little bit of flexibility. They’re available in several different finishes. This one happens to be poly-stainless steel. It’s also available in a kind of a gray gunmetal and in a black– kind of a wrinkled finish. Again, done for corrosion resistance. You can see why it’s called FastGun. Hook it in, clamp it down, and you’re good to go after you put in your safety pin.

To help support the camper weight, we chose SumoSprings, solid rubber suspension aids. These are an interesting alternative to standard airbags. We went to B&G Automotive in Eugene, Oregon, where shop foreman Brandon Evans tackled the installation. SumoSprings look like airbags. They’re kind of a little rubber donut-looking deal, and this fastens to the rear suspension and the front suspension. And what these are is instead of being inflated, they’re solid rubber. They’re more or less urethane with air impregnated, you know, tiny bubbles like a big sponge, only a lot stronger than that. And the principle here is that you never have to inflate them or care about whether they’re inflated to the right pressure or not. That means that you have a little less adjustability, but you also don’t have to worry about something going underinflated. For this 2500 series Dodge Ram, for example, they’re available in anywhere from 1500 pounds up to 5000 pounds. Now, this one is the middle of the range – 3000 pound capacity. We’re going to be hauling a fairly lightweight camper on this, so we didn’t need the maximum capacity. Now, this one is designed in two pieces. This part fastens to the axle. This part goes on the frame. And the principle here is while it’s not loaded, when you’re just running around solo, the axle is free to move relative to the frame, and it doesn’t really provide any change in your ride or handling. Now, as the weight goes on the vehicle, the springs come into effect, and they help to support that weight and provide cushioning and a little bit of support and, you know, help keep things a little bit steadier, maybe even. So, this is something we’re gonna give a try. We’ve never done the SumoSprings before. We thought we’d give them a shot on this truck.

Now, the front springs go on the front axle, because there is some of the weight, of course, that’s carried on the front axle, even with the camper in the bed. So, these guys, more or less, replace the original bump stops on the front axle. And installing them, you simply pry your old bump stops out, pop these in place, and you’re good to go. The installation could not be much easier.

Every new vehicle comes equipped with shock absorbers. Some of them are upgraded performance models. Most of them are just kind of run-of-the-mill shocks that do what they’re supposed to, which is damping out road oscillations. Fortunately, upgrading your shock absorbers is one of the easiest things you can do

when you’re outfitting a truck for camper hauling duty. And it’s hard to recommend anything better than Bilstein Shocks when it comes to upgrades like this.

We’re nearing the home stretch on our camper hauling upgrades for our Ram truck. The Torklift camper tie-downs and SumoSprings are in place, and next up is finishing the Bilstein shock absorbers. So, let’s get back to the project.

Bilsteins are engineered in Germany, so they’ve got that going for them. They’re a monotube design, the gas pressure chamber down at the bottom, and what this does is help to prevent cavitation, or foaming of the oil, so to speak, when the product heats up a little bit. Bilsteins are available for just about anything with wheels on the road, including all kinds of trucks, tow vehicles, and so on; motorhomes, even. Each shock is specifically valved and engineered with performance characteristics to match the type of vehicle. You’re gonna need a different shock for a 2500 series pickup as opposed to, say, a family car. So, we’ve got Bilstein shocks that are going on the truck, and this is one of the easiest things you can do to improve your ride handling, tire life. Apparently, it helps to improve your tire rubber mileage because it helps the tires to stay on the road a little more effectively, and it’s one of those things that can make a, well, pretty fair difference in the way your vehicle rides and handles, and they last a long time. So, we’ll take a look at the installation.

Depending on the setup, you may not need to remove the wheels and tires for this job. But Brandon pulled them for a convenient access. Most Bilstein Shock installations are easy, bolt-in operations. The worst part of the job is getting access to the fasteners due to the crowded engine compartment or chassis spaces. The stock shocks come out and the new ones go in. It’s a not-too-complicated process. Snug down the fasteners to the recommended torque, and the Bilstein installation is finished.

Last, but far from least, is the replacement upgrade rear anti-sway bar from Roadmaster. The stock truck comes with about a five– or 7/8-inch diameter bar. This one is 1 1/8-inch diameter. It doesn’t seem like much, but it doesn’t take much diameter increase to dramatically increase the amount of roll stiffness. And they call this a sway bar, but technically it’s an anti-roll bar, because when the body of the truck goes around a corner, where you get a crosswind, then the body’s gonna rock around a little bit. The bar helps to resist that because the bar is mounted on the axle. The ends are mounted to the frame. So, it resists that twisting and helps to keep the body more straight and level, but it doesn’t affect the suspension or ride because it still allows free vertical movement of the suspension. Now, the kit includes new end links, new mounting components with urethane bushings, which are a lot stiffer and less squishy than rubber, so they hold things a little stiffer,

and, of course, a pile of parts. Now, in the event you are going to be hauling something like a really big hard side truck camper that’s tall, heavy, wide, and is going to present an awful lot of sway or roll, Roadmaster does have a larger diameter bar that will work for that. But our fold-down truck camper doesn’t present that much of a top-heavy load, so this 1 1/8 inch will do the job. So, let’s install it.

Once again, we turn to our friend Brandon at B&G Automotive in Eugene to perform the sway bar installation. This job on this truck is truly a bolt-in operation, using the same mounts and so on. The stock sway bar and end links are removed and set aside. The new Roadmaster end links are much stronger, and the new hardware fits like a champ. Brandon had some advice regarding the bushing grease included with the kit.

Brandon Evans: So when you’re doing this, it’s really kind of a “less is more” kinda thing. You put way too much grease in there, all that dust and grime from the road, it’s all gonna collect on there, and it’s gonna foul up the bushing, and then you’ll have dirt and grime in there, and that’s gonna wear your bushings out faster. So, definitely, less is more.

Jeff: Installing the new sway bar was less than an hour’s job, including pauses for setting up video angles. With the new Roadmaster sway bar installed, we had no bad effects on ride quality and more control in corners and on the road. We call that a winning combination. A few select pieces of hardware can make your camper hauling time safer and more relaxing on the road.