Byron's new toy...

[BruteForce]

From personal experience, ensure you're running at least 8ga wire to that compressor with a 30+ amp fuse or you will blow the fuse regularly. I installed a compressor in my Jeep and my RAM 3500, but went with like 10ga wire and it would get HOT and then blow the fuse.

[kiwi_outdoors]

My adult niece says that leather seats are easier to clean than fabric (and she has 2 small kids)

[Byron]

From personal experience, ensure you're running at least 8ga wire to that compressor with a 30+ amp fuse or you will blow the fuse regularly. I installed a compressor in my Jeep and my RAM 3500, but went with like 10ga wire and it would get HOT and then blow the fuse.

It's powered by the Upfitter relay box in the engine compartment...the power and ground coming off the compressor is 10 gauge and the up fitter box has six leads (all switchable from the cab) 4 25amp and two 40amp...the 40s have 10 ga and the others look to be 14 ga.

I'm running 11 feet between them and figured the distance would be functional with 10 all the way. Were you running more than 12'? Also, this little ARB only sucks up 35 amps at full tilt...

[Byron]

My adult niece says that leather seats are easier to clean than fabric (and she has 2 small kids)

Oh absolutely! It may cost a few more bucks to get them, but leather seats is the only way to go. You just have to make sure the sun isn't blasting them all day long.

[BruteForce]

It's powered by the Upfitter relay box in the engine compartment...the power and ground coming off the compressor is 10 gauge and the up fitter box has six leads (all switchable from the cab) 4 25amp and two 40amp...the 40s have 10 ga and the others look to be 14 ga.

I'm running 11 feet between them and figured the distance would be functional with 10 all the way. Were you running more than 12'? Also, this little ARB only sucks up 35 amps at full tilt...

I was probably running ~10 feet from battery to the compressor. It was a pain to re-wire again. Jeep's pre-wired AUX wiring is 30amp max on two switches, so I couldn't use them. I have a VIAIR compressor and it too hits about 35amp max.. inflating 37's will keep that thing running for a bit!

[Byron]

Well there ya go! The tires on my truck now are 33 1/2...I'll likely keep them on until they wear out and then decide to stay with the "stock" size or move up to 35s. I can't put 37s on it because I'll have clearance issues with the bottom of the flatbed. Plenty of room right now for articulation, but those big tires would be pushing it. If I went that big I'd have to put a lift on the truck...and I bought the one ton hoping the stock suspension will be adequate without having to super size it all.

The stock tires are E rated...80 max, so I'll likely only be able to air down to around 45 in the rear, maybe 40 in front...on the highway it'll be 75 and 65. If I change over to 35s I'll likely get D rated that'll handle the weight. A lot of guys go with the twin ARB, but this singe gets kudos as well if it's only being used for tires. We'll see...but I may just run that 8 ga just to be on the safe side.

[aporyste]

What tires are those? Any plans on installing aftermarket rims and shocks? Or adding nerf bars? Checking out more mods (for my truck too) on 4wheelonline.

[Byron]

What tires are those? Any plans on installing aftermarket rims and shocks? Or adding nerf bars? Checking out more mods (for my truck too) on 4wheelonline.

The tires are Goodyear Adventure. I like them, nice and quiet. I'll only upsize the tires and replace the rims, shocks, etc...if I deem it to be necessary, but quite frankly I suspect this truck will be able to go anywhere I've taken my stock F-150 for the last 17 years...even with the camper on it.

Nerf bars?...nah, I don't plan on smashing it up. Why don't you post a picture of your truck and detail the mods you're considering? There's a few guys around here that would likely give excellent suggestions.

[Byron]

Here's the F-150 I was talking about. Not too bad for an '04, eh? I take care of my kids! However, now that I have this new truck and camper, along with a work van that will be seeing less and less use, I've got to consider if I'm going to keep this truck or sell it.

I'll make that decision after one year...this truck costs virtually nothing to own. Insurance and registration is dirt cheap and it runs like new...never had any problems with it. But if it's just going to sit in the garage and collect dust then it might be a good idea to pass it on to someone that'll actually drive it. Even though it looks and runs like a new truck (interior is nearly pristine and I even clean the engine and frame!) it really isn't worth much...maybe 15 grand. These trucks are really a dime a dozen but you don't see many this clean and well kept.

One year....we'll see.

[Byron]

Alright...another new toy to add to the big toy. Too bad Beech isn't around, as I'm sure he'd throw down the seal of approval. Then again, maybe he is?

So I figured to buy a drone to scout ahead on trails...better campsites up the road, what's in the vicinity of where I'm camped, etc...generally just a "recon" device and I really didn't have any notion of making videos or taking super duper photography...but considering I just paid $1500 for what you see here I reckon the photo and video stuff might be rolled into the equation.

So when I looked into drones, it became clear that the cheap ones are just toys you fly around a park and if you want something that will cover a lot of ground and give really good video resolution then DJI is really the gold standard. For about $700 you can get the drone with the basic controller and one battery (batteries are good for about a half hour) but double the price and you'll get a whole bunch of goodies, including two extra batteries and the "smart controller". Seems like a lot of cash for a scout "vehicle"...but I learned a long time ago to just go ahead and get the "good stuff"...no sense in wasting money on junk when you're likely to be moving up the line anyway. Kinda like mountain bikes...buy the one you've really got a hard on for.

Now that smart controller is pretty awesome...no need to attach a phone or tablet, no cable to run, no bluetooth, etc...just power it up and start flying. The screen is also top end with brightness...you don't need to hide under some shade to see what's going on. I reckon never to own a phone any bigger than the smallest one you can buy so this made sense.

I never got into "gaming", so I was a bit nervous about the learning curve...operating the joysticks. But let me tell you, it's SURPRISINGLY easy to fly. I took it out for a half hour today and had it zipping around, flying in figure 8s, circling around me as I made it go up and down. It's totally badass, I love it. I can tell the "trick" to this is flying it when it's completely out of sight...you'll be relying on the camera. So I'll fly it around my local park to get it down like second nature but probably won't fly it way "out of sight" until I get out to the desert.

Fun stuff, gentlemen. If you've kinda been "thinking about it"...

[BruteForce]

I now have two of the Mavic Air drones. I crashed one into the hill near Helper (later recovered) and had it repaired. In the interim, I went out and bought a 2nd unit. I too bought the drone originally as a recon device for my ATV exploring & adventures.

[Byron]

I now have two of the Mavic Air drones. I crashed one into the hill near Helper (later recovered) and had it repaired. In the interim, I went out and bought a 2nd unit. I too bought the drone originally as a recon device for my ATV exploring & adventures.

Nice!. Included in the price I paid was the one year crash replacement insurance. I figured if I'm going to beef it it'll be while I'm learning to fly.

Jeez...I remember in 1978 trying desperately to save up for my first good skateboard. About $150 for a Logan deck with Tracker trucks and Kryptonic wheels, German bearings, of course. It was like a king's ransom...took me two months of slave labor for whoever would hire me...but I'll never forget when I put it together...how proud I was. It was the first really nice thing I'd ever bought on my own. It was the first really nice thing I'd ever owned, period.

Now I can crash $700 into a friggin' rock?

[aporyste]

Nice choice of drone.

[Byron]

Alrighty then, tomorrow is the big day! I finally get my camper loaded on my truck. I set the wheels in motion back in the middle of September and that seems like forever ago.

By early Monday morning I'll hit the road for a six week trip. I haven't rode my mountain bikes since last July so Moab is first on the list, backpacking in the Escalante after that then some canyoneering. I'm ready for a break.

The process of loading the camper is an all day event, as there is a lot of orientation involved (it's literally a small house on wheels) so when I get back tomorrow night I'll slap up some pictures. This thing I bought is kind of like the "king of the crop" when it comes to pop-up truck campers.

[Byron]

Well here it is, after long audieu...the camper. Pretty much the top dog...it really is nicely built. I put up some pictures of the interior tomorrow, as I ran out of light. It weighs 3000 lbs as you see it and the suspension on the truck is fine for highway, but I certainly have to upgrade it for even moderate off road use. Even though it's an F-350 with the "camper package" (upgraded springs) it's not up for prime time.

So that means, if I could go back in time I would have bought an F-250 with the same drivetrain and the stock tires and just swapped out the suspension, tires and wheels immediately. I went with the 350 in hoping it would be beefy enough to handle it...it isn't. Not to say the truck is useless....as my goal was to have it go anywhere I've taken my smaller pickup truck and this thing actually will do that, but it's gonna be a wobbly ride!

More pictures tomorrow...

[Byron]

Here's the inside. I chose the fabric color as I had in mind the carpet in Vegas casinos...they're always mid tones or dark with lots of busy patterns...hides the dirt better. The cabinets and tabletop are bamboo, as I wanted the lightest colored wood. It's really quite modern with the power...a steady stream of water with the water pump and the furnace is a fancy German model...Truma. Lots of lights and the propane burners are excellent with the even flame control and super low steady simmer. I'm loading it up tomorrow for a big trip. I'll give an assessment of how the whole thing worked out when I get back. Before the end of this summer the suspension is going to get redone.

[Byron]

Just got home...had a great time. I was out for 6 weeks biking, backpacking, canyoneering and climbing with a couple dozen friends. I'm the only "non-liberal" among them...but I made damn sure they got a good look at my "mask" as it is whenever they toured my new camper. Most are pretty cool about it but a few shit their pants. Some interesting conversations but overall they are largely unified pre-programed clones when it comes to the virus or politics. Funny thing is, they all know something is terribly wrong, but they don't want to face it or even speculate. I'll post up a trip report within a few days.

When Trump was prez they didn't want to talk about politics at all, which suited me just fine...but now it's all about being a member of the "virus flock" as I call it and expressing deep hated for Trump. They have no understanding whatsoever of people that don't see things they way they do. None of them ever wore a mask, but it kinda bummed me out that they are all marching in lock step. Not one of them is thinking outside the box...or dare to acknowledge it.

The fun was great, but when it came to "serious talk" it was quite dissatisfying...not a single rebel among them.

[Byron]

Up on top of Mt. Hillers in the Henry's. Tough climb...about 3200 feet on nothing but scree, but the views are fantastic.

[Byron]

Here's another shot from up on top of Mt. Hillers. When you get within 500 ft. of the summit most of what's underfoot is that incredible, aged volcanic rock. Looks pretty groovy, huh? Well let me tell ya...those slabs slide around like they're on top of greased ball bearings. Here's another couple shots of the camper in various places while I was out. I'm waiting for my friends to post up all the pictures that were taken before I fire off some trip reports.

[Byron]

One more...waiting for the ferry at Powell.