09-09-18: Fixing the water leaks in the Nomad. Previous owners had used PVC. We replace it with Sharkbite and PEX. Pressurized for 30 mins. Dry so far. The drain valve on the water heater blew. Replaced it, too. The Camco 3/8” has 1/4” middle that comes out and fits.
We flushed about a cup of calcium deposits out of the heater while the valve was off. 😲
I love this photo I found on 9GAG.
They labeled it with the caption:
If you take care of things they will last.
But, they didn’t tell us anything about the couple, who they are or the true story behind them. I tried to do a little more research, but all I can find is people linking to the 9GAG site over and over. Who are they? Where did they come from? Are they still alive today?
I DID find THIS photo, which makes the 9GAG photo look as if they had cut out the camper.
It’s pretty obvious that it’s a photoshop job, though, especially since the Airstream has a shine on it that doesn’t match the lighting in the top photo. This was the first photo that I saw of this couple and it amazed me that they would have BOTH the car and the camper. I would LOVE to hear that story, though.
I saw this image on Pinterst and it looked like a really good idea:
I don’t have a full bed like what is shown there, but there are only three of us, so I thought I could do something like that in the Tangerine Turtle. It worked out really well.
I cut the shoe organizer, just like the picture showed, but the edges were a little frayed. I then took a lighter and singed the edges so they wouldn’t fray anymore. I screwed it into the wall with small screws on all four corners. It worked really well for us.
Here is how it looks from a little further away.
Our camper is so small that we were tripping over the pile of shoes in it. There really was no place to put our shoes except “in the way.” This organizer really helped keep things tidy and less tripping. If you have a tiny tent trailer, try this and see if it helps. It sure helped us.
Every two weeks, a camper flips on I-15. This week, the unfortunate souls were traveling from California, heading home after the Independence Day weekend. Thankfully, none of the passengers in the truck were injured, but their camper looks like a total loss.
These photos from STGnews show the damage to the camper after it had been put upright. You can see a video of the damage on the STGnews website.
As wonderful as our campers are, they can’t withstand the forces of wind from turning them topsy turvy. A little bit of sway can turn into a lot of heartbreak. Seeing the sides of this camper ripped out as if they were made of paper reminds me of how fragile they are.
This was my biggest concern when I worried about getting a bigger camper. Having a tent trailer, means that it’s almost impervious to wind. It was even better than my teardrop camper in that respect.
When I see a fifth wheel or huge bumper pull camper being pushed off the road like a toy by the wind once or twice a month, I remember why I put up with popping the trailer every time we camp and I’m grateful.
Photos via: Trailer flips on I-15, spills contents into roadway; STGnews Videocast
When we went to breakfast at The Egg and I a few months ago, I saw this awesome tiny motorhome.
It’s a Chinook and a highly efficient one. The cab is perfectly sized for exactly two people and they have to be short and physically fit people.
The summer sun in St. George is oppressive, but we were in the winter, so I don’t know exactly why they had a shade up unless it was for privacy in the camper.
I’m so used to seeing the doors of campers and motorhomes on the passenger side of the vehicle that I was surprised by this because the door was at the rear.
We never saw the owners of the camper, but I would have loved to talk to them and loved to see the interior even more. The camper was only slightly longer than the typical car, but I’m sure there was room for two to sleep. I wish I could have seen more of this camper, but in the end, it continued on its journey without us.
I love this old advertisement for Winnebago that I found in the April 1970 issue of National Geographic.
It reads:
Exciting Winnebago “motor homes” are not to be confused with those other vehicles called “mobile homes.” We make a self-propelled, self-contained, fifty-two week funhouse on wheels. We make them in 10 different models, 5 different lengths, 7 different floor plans and from standard to luxurious. And we make them for people like you to go places and do things and have a downright good time while you’re at it. Like touring. Vacationing with your family. Taking the gang to the ball game, or your cronies out duck hunting. You could even supply the ski lodge on your next Aspen outing. Or provide the warming house for any winter sport. It’s your lounge, your kitchen, your dining room. Your shower and bedroom. Plus your transportation. You see, a Winnebago motor home is anything you want it to be anytime you want it to be. Find out more about the Winnebago fifty-two week funhouse on wheels and what it can do for you.
I love how they tell you all the things you can do with a camper. They didn’t even get the full list.
Sure, that’s what I get from my camper when it is being used, but I also get so much more from it.
All of these aspects of owning a camper only come when you buy a piece of junk and make it awesome. That feeling of finally camping in a camper that you have worked so hard to make great is beyond anything that I could ever get from buying a brand new camper. I think that’s why I’m always on the lookout for a new project.
This video knocked me off my feet! I can’t believe the ingenuity of Jola and Justin, who have built a castle on wheels!
Here is a picture of the truck all folded up and ready to drive on the highway.
Here it is unfolded and livable.
Some of the amazing innovations are the clothing storage that lies under the bed turret.
Here is the upper observation deck.
Their Yin and Yang toilet area with a composting toilet.
And even a full-sized bathtub on the roof.
The design and architecture that has gone into this home on wheels is absolutely amazing! So impressed!
Living so near Zion’s national parks, I see a lot of different campers in the parking lots of Costco, Cracker Barrel and Walmart. Lately, I’ve been seeing these cute little green and purple camper vans from Jucy Rentals.
I saw this one in the Cracker Barrel parking lot a few months ago and I loved it!
It looked like what I have talked about doing for a long time by putting a popup tent on the top of a car and building a galley out the back.
After I saw this camper, I looked them up online and they originated from New Zealand and have just barely came over to the States. They truly have a brilliant design. Here’s a video that shows you all the features of the camper. Skip to the 2:11 minute mark to see the camper features.
When I was at Lake Mead a few weeks ago, I saw two Jucy Rentals.
The reason why I am seeing so many of them lately is because Jucy has a rental location in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I never saw the campers, but the top beds looked like they were pretty roomy and comfortable.
Ironically, seeing these campers everywhere doesn’t make me want to rent them. It makes me want to make a camper van of my own.
Of course, renting them is really reasonable.
When it costs nearly $200 a day to rent the smallest of motorhomes from Cruise America, $70 a day sounds pretty good. When what you’re renting is a cute little van that’s hilariously easy to drive, even through a fast food drive-thru, then you’ve got yourself a deal!
I saw this video on Facebook and I about jumped out of my seat. I didn’t read the headline. I didn’t turn on the audio, it just started automatically playing. All I saw was a motorhome just driving into the water and sailing away.
It drives 80 mph down the freeway and 7 knots on the lake. You can’t take it out on the ocean and I certainly wouldn’t take it out on a windy day, but holy cow! That’s cool!
REALLY cool, until I found them online.
The price of that baby is 1.2 MILLION dollars! I KNOW motorhomes regularly cost that much. I KNOW that yachts regularly cost that much. I realize that is a perfectly acceptable price tag for a vehicle that traverses land AND water.
It’s just…
My beloved little camper only cost us about a thousand bucks.
And that boat that we got last year that is still in need of a good motor, well, it cost us about the same amount.
Sure it needs a new motor and the Tangerine Turtle needed a plethora of little fixes and tweaks to make it perfect, but for less than 1 percent of the cost of the Terra Wind, I can have a fully working boat and camper. LESS THAN ONE PERCENT!!
I LOVE the idea of a fully amphibious recreational vehicle. I understand that technology like that COSTS money. I just can’t get myself to even dream about spending that kind of money on something so frivolous, especially when I can find suitable replacements for less than one percent of the cost of it.
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