On-Board Air Update

A while back, I'd gone through the effort of fabbing up some brackets so I could sling a Viair 2.5 gallon tank under the slider-door sill area.  

However, not long after that project, I realized how heavy my rig had gotten, so I started questioning all my life choices.  Eventually, I bagged that project and embarked on a more holistic pursuit of putting the van on a diet.  I have, however, followed through on mounting a compressor.  My justification is that I'd be carrying a portable compressor anyway, so this was a worthwhile trade-off for a supreme convenience.

Now-abandoned OBA tank

I have been using a Viair 400p since our first American Adventurist Desert Rendezvous in 2012, and found it to be more than adequate for my ~30" tires.  A few years ago, I scored a good deal on a used 400c (the fixed-mount version) at another American Adventurist gear swap, and I figured a one-to-one exchange would work out well.

Made in the Shade - Awning Bracket Upgrade

 Of all the creature comforts on Vandalf the Beige, the one that is the most valuable, and most consistently used, is our ARB 2500 awning.  Our "living room" is defined by the space under the awning, next to the van.  Whether it be sun, rain, or bugs, the awning (and accessories) helps protect us and make our time outdoors more enjoyable.

But all was not perfect in awning-land.  We were in desperate need of an upgrade.

Photo courtesy Martin Meyers

Water System Upgrades

It's time to revisit one of the oh-so-sexy topics of van and camper building: Water Supply.

Management of your water stores is not something to be taken lightly.  You simply must have it.  Moreover, the fact that it's heavy and fluid means you really to make sure you've done a proper job of securing it.  Lastly, you don't want upkeep and usage to be a hassle.

The fresh-water system on the Gandalf-the-Beige has gone through a couple of evolutions that I've failed to document.  Since I just did a little cleanup on that system, I figured it was a good time to finally pen an update. You can catch up on the original installation here.

Retro Post: Our Portable Firepot - Roadii Fire Grill Clone

This past weekend I undertook some upgrades to the portable firepit system we often use when camping.  When I started writing things up, I realized that I hadn't really ever documented the original construction and use.  So before I cover the upgrades, let's back up slightly and talk about how we do campfires.

Bespoke Luggage for the Discerning Overlander

A careful reading of this blog will generally confirm one overriding theme:  Wherever possible, I try to optimize every facet of our overlanding experience.  Usually, patience and careful "spec-shopping" nets me a low-cost, lightweight solution.  Sometimes iteration is required, and I work from a coarse solution to a finer one.  The end of that trend-line, though, is that at a certain point, if things are going to get any better, I need to go custom.  And usually, that means making it myself.  This project follows that arc perfectly.

Off-the-Shelf vs. Custom

Chuckbox 102: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

As I have mentioned in my previous post Chuckbox 101, gear storage is a "continual improvement" process for me.  I'm constantly refining how I pack, store, and use my gear to improve my experience and gain efficiency.  Things have changed enough that rather than simply update old posts, it's time to present a whole new write-up.

Two factors drive the most recent change:  First is that small organizational changes as noted in this post have let me reduce (or at least relocate) the volume of gear in my kitchen kit.  Secondly, I'm on a larger push to put the rig on a diet to ensure we stay under our GVWR.  This involves lots of steps such as the recent roof reconfiguration.

Cutting to the chase, here's the new package.  Read on to see how I built it:

Solar System Upgrades and Roof-Diet

We've been rocking a hybrid roof-top/portable solar system for several years now.  Having the flexibility to either use the panel fixed on the pop-top roof, or to unlock it and move it for better sun exposure has been excellent.

With our original 60w panel and an inexpensive PWM controller, we had a great budget solution, but it struggled to keep our house battery fully charged when the loads were high. (Usually hot days in the desert when the fridge works hard)