TL;DR - I have been extremely happy with Cooper S/T Maxx tires over the last six years. I would not hesitate to recommend them as one of the best tires you can run for the type of exploring that I do.
Fantastic tires.
1 CommentCategory: Product Review
Reviews of products used, and links to those products.
TL;DR - The scheel-mann seats I bought two years ago are the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in and continue to work as designed. The only thing better would be Toyota OEM seats that were built/upholstered to provide the same support but with a slightly less bulky form factor.
Without a doubt, quality seats.
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Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you that I'm reasonably careful with my things, treating them purposefully, and knowing that by doing so, they should last a long time. I try to be the same way with my camera equipment, but for some reason, I continue to break stuff. This time, I may have (definitely) crashed my DJI Air 3 drone into the ground at 45 mph. The same people who tell you that I'm generally careful with my things will also tell you that I am able to learn - albeit slowly - from my mistakes. As…
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TL;DR - It's finally time to replace my front brake pads on the left (driver) side, and I've been so happy with the Toyota OEM pads I've been running that I'm not even looking for other alternatives.
TL;DR - the ride on the Chevy 63s is great, but I have a little too much lift, so I'll be removing a single leaf.
Not even fully flexed out, it's nice to see the tire easily drop down to - essentially - the bottom of the wheel well.
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TL;DR - After installing my second LutzAuto Speedometer Correction Device, I've started having trouble - the speedometer jumps randomly from 0 - 130mph - with it again. As such, I'm removing it and I'll just do math to correct my odometer readings for MPG averages.
This device has such promise.
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I've very much enjoyed my Alcan leaf springs. The first set I had was near as perfect as I could ask, and working with Lew - the new owner in 2020 - on the second set was a pleasure, even if the end result wasn't as perfect as I could have hoped. Rather than go for a third set of Alcan's - which I am 100% sure would solve my problems - I'm going to try something a little different in the hopes of finding a solution that gives me a ride that is a little softer - but that…
19 Comments
December 31, 2023. Another year in the books. Unlike previous years, there weren't any big changes to the way I planned for trips or the gear that I brought along. Rather, it was a year of small tweaks, with most of my energy going towards exploring and enjoying myself in the outdoors. Taken with the Rig Reviews, this series of posts give a good sense of what's working and what's not with the setup. So, without further ado, let's dig into what's on and in the truck at the end of 2023! Additions for 2023 are marked in red. Items…
22 Comments
There are more powerful chargers out there, but at least for now, this one seems perfect.
TL;DR - I found a compact, 65W USB A/C charger that can be used for my laptop, camera, drone, flashlight, phone, and just about anything else, and it charges faster than the dedicated chargers for those devices. Fantasticly amazing.
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The DJI Air has allowed for shots I would have never been able to capture previously!
TL;DR - I've enjoyed taking still photos with the drone, but I've not enjoyed trying to shoot videos as my piloting skills leave many things to be desired. I've also got several more things to add to my like/dislike list, which I'm sure will continue to grow.
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So far, the Dometic is working out.
TL;DR - After switching over to a Dometic Fridge, things have been working "just fine." I think I still technically preferred the ARB overall, but the Dometic has a few nice features the ARB did not. And, most importantly, it's actually cooling.
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"Seems ...Unsafe."
TL;DR - Having the Tacoma in Las Vegas is by far the best thing I've done for exploring, ever. The convenience of not having to drive forever at the start/end of a trip is worth it alone. Icing on the cake is that it's been even cheaper than I originally estimated (which itself was cheaper than driving).
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September 1, 2023 Change has been great My journey in photography has closely coincided with my adventures. I picked up my first "real" camera - a Canon 80D - on a whim a year or two before I started exploring, but I never used it until I went on that first trip with a bunch of guys I now call good friends. At the time, I assured them that my Google Pixel (yeah, the very first version) was just as good as their DSLRs, if not better. Its lack of zoom was a benefit as it required more attention to…
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May 21, 2023 When I showed up in Las Vegas for Three Days of R&R, I followed my usual procedures, picking up the Tacoma from storage, turning on the various systems, and then heading to the grocery store to provision my ARB fridge with a few days' worth of food. My ARB Fridge Bites the Dust As I was stopped for gas on my way to Utah, I happened to glance at the control panel for the fridge and noticed that it hadn't gotten any cooler than when I'd turned it on a couple hours earlier. No bueno. Thinking that…
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Costs pretty much the same.
TL;DR - having the Tacoma in Las Vegas and flying back and forth for each trip is one of the best things we've done for the setup in a long time from a quality of life perspective. It doesn't save any money though.
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December 31, 2022. Another year in the books. Unlike previous years, there weren't any big changes to the way I planned for trips or the gear that I brought along. Rather, it was a year of small tweaks, with most of my energy going towards exploring and enjoying myself in the outdoors. Taken with the Rig Reviews, this series of posts give a good sense of what's working and what's not with the setup. So, without further ado, let's dig into what's on and in the truck at the end of 2022! Additions for 2022 are marked in red. Items…
8 Comments
A few years ago, I wrote a post about how I got started adventuring out into the middle of nowhere all by myself. I went into a bunch of details about my experiences growing up, and how those experiences shaped me into the traveler I've become. Still, one of the things I mentioned not being fully prepared for was a bodily injury or "now-we're stranded" problem with the Tacoma. It was about six months ago that I acquired a Garmin inReach Mini. I wrote about it only briefly as part of the Hiking Saline Valley trip that spurred the purchase…
24 Comments
If I've learned one thing over the last several years, it's that bumpy roads are a lot of fun. The problem - as anyone who knows them can attest - is that in time, all good things get destroyed by bumpy roads. It is a conundrum. The key of course, is to replace the good things before they are destroyed. Preventative maintenance. The easiest kind - or the hardest, depending on your outlook. Anyway, after nearly five years of service, I successfully bounced, rattled, flexed my heavy duty Alcan Spring leaf pack to death - breaking my first leaf on a…
10 Comments
December 31, 2021. Another year in the books. After a crazy turn in 2020 with COVID-19, I'd say that we got through this year with a pretty good rhythm - though, still not the same as pre-pandemic years. My biggest takeaway this year was that - since @mrs.turbodb and I mostly went on trips solo - food stuffs really got simplified for us. Essentially, we traded variety for ease of preparation and cleanup. For us, it was a worthwhile change, though I can see how it would get monotonous for some folks. Taken with the Rig Reviews, this series of…
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