I just got done camping in one spot for three days. Temps were in the high 80's, the ARB 50qt fridge was set to 35ºF, and the 175W inverter was running much of the time charging various electronic devices. The whole time, I didn't start the truck once. A couple…
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For two years now, my A/C hasn't really worked. At some point - 17 years after it was originally installed - it developed a slow leak. As spring turned to summer in 2018, I noticed that - as Nelly might say - "it's getting hot in herre," even as I…
Leave a CommentNote: Several places in this story are redacted. If you recognize any of the places shown in the photos, please help to keep them special by not mentioning their names or locations. The next couple of days flew by faster than I think any of us expected - or wanted.…
4 CommentsAny other year, a trip to Icicle Creek near Leavenworth, WA in early June would be our second or third visit of the season. But with everything going on this year, the Forest Service delayed opening of the road - generally used to access campgrounds and trailheads until after Memorial…
2 CommentsMay 24, 2020. Our last two trips have both been to the Owyhee area of southeastern Oregon and western Idaho - Into the Owyhee Uplands and Owyhee Redux. The truck performed well on each trip, but as always there are little tweaks I want to make to the setup, so…
Leave a CommentWith canyon walls around us, and clouds in the sky, I didn't even set my alarm when we went to bed - so sure was I that sunrise would be a non-event. But, as often happens, my internal alarm woke me at just the right time. A quick peek out…
16 CommentsAs the third rain shower of the night hit camp, we all decided it was time for bed, and the fire got put away as we retired to our respective perches to the pitter patter of raindrops - which, along with the nearby gurgling of the creek, lulled us to…
7 CommentsBy some stroke of luck, our hope - that it wouldn't rain any more after we climbed into our tents - was realized and then some. A strong breeze blew all night, not only keeping the tents free of any dew, but also helping to dry out the roads -…
2 CommentsWe'd just been to the Owyhee area, but when the opportunity presented itself to get together with Mike @Digiratus, Zane @Speedytech7, Ben @m3bassman and Kirsten for Memorial Day, we knew we had to go back - the lure of getting together to enjoy the outdoors with friends, greater than the…
Leave a CommentTL;DR - I need to replace the evaporator core inside the cab of the Tacoma so we can get cold air again. I'm not sure why this hasn't been in past rig reviews, but it's definitely been an issue for over a year. I took the truck in to get…
Leave a CommentTL;DR - I wish it were easier to hear podcasts, and that the long stretches on the highway were a little quieter. On long trips, @mrs.turbodb and I often listen to podcasts, music, etc. as we tick away the highway miles. Sometimes, we have to turn these up reasonably loud…
Leave a CommentTL;DR - I've really liked the ST Maxx tires, but they are on their last legs. Time to start a search for replacements. I put a new set of Cooper ST/Maxx 255/85R16 tires on the Tacoma a little over a year ago when I switched to 4Runner 5-spoke wheels. They've…
Leave a CommentTL;DR - no trouble on the last couple trips. I don't know if this is really solved, but I'm going to say it is. Because, I'm not doing anything about it.
Leave a CommentTL;DR - I threw away the leaky bottle and got a few used bottles to fill and use on future trips. I hate the idea of throwing things away after a single use. So, if you have a need for propane, I recommend filling bottles yourself - from your own…
Leave a CommentTL;DR - The (warranty) replacement battery is working great! Not much more to say about that - here was the write-up where I replaced the faulty battery. Props to Mike over at GPCarAudio for great customer service.
Leave a CommentTL;DR - The spherical bearings are doing OK, but I think that's temporary. With a new set of spherical bearings from ADS installed just before the first Owyhee trip, the bearings seemed to do just fine through the two trips. However, after chatting with a few folks, I'm convinced that…
Leave a CommentWhere did we leave off? Oh yes, ...as we pulled out our Kindle Paperwhites and snuggled down in the comforters, I looked at @mrs.turbodb and mentioned to her that if the cloud cover brought rain during the night, we should probably get ourselves out of bed and make a run…
15 CommentsIt was nearing 9:00am when we pulled out of our sheltered camp spot on the southern edge of the Jordan Craters lava flow. As we started back on the windy road to the south, @mrs.turbodb suggested an addition to the day's itinerary - a visit to a small ghost town…
7 CommentsRefueled and windows cleaned, we left Jordan Valley, Oregon - heading west on on Highway 95. Our destination was Jordan Craters - a 3,200 year young lava flow - one of the youngest on the continent. We'd visited Coffeepot Crater - a large, breached cinder cone that is the source…
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