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This is really two safety/convenience hacks, but they go together. We recently shared a small site with my son and daughter-in law who were tenting. In addition, we had both the side tent and galley canopy set up. Needless to say, it was tight, and there was zero ambient light. In the dark I...

As much as the CampInn provides acres of prep surface with the tables and extensions, sometimes you just want more. Such as a place to be able put groceries/food if you are loading or unloading the cooler on the side table, without impinging on the galley surface, which may be in use. This one...

There have been some lively, lengthy discussions on the forum in the past about coffee. The Aeropress, which I have and use at home, gets a big thumbs up all 'round from forum members. However, not much mention of portable, real, espresso. After blowing out the seals on the Handpresso...

The GFCI in the galley wasn't tripping, and it tested OK for me. But a visual inspection from the outside (I didn't take it apart) showed some corrosion, particularly at the ground. I installed a new one. This one has a green indicator light (not very obvious in the pic); it lets you know you...

Our 11lb squatty tank timed out at 10 years and couldn't be refilled. Sourcing a direct replacement was difficult and/or extremely expensive as it's a bit of an oddball. This, and the fact that an 11-pound tank will last us many, many trips, got me looking at the 5-pounders that are ubiquitous...

I've recently been "playing" with a lot of gas stuff (auxiliary heaters, C-I stove, a vintage cooker) and some of the problems I have run into have been pressure-related. Diagnosing some of these issues might have been a little easier if I had had this on hand...

In a couple other posts about the C-I stovetop I mentioned that I acquired a vintage Griswold cooker in an attempt to retrofit it to the trailer. It didn't work, as it was sized too differently. But I was able to to tear it down, refurb it, and turn it into a dual-fuel cooker, that can be be...

There's been a couple posts about what to do about rusting burners or a cooktop switchout: Rusting burners.... What to do to fix? and Stove - " Carolina Cooker " Switch-out Problems I've just attempted what I believe to be one of the few (sort of) practical, partial solutions to the problem. If...

This is a continuation of sorts of this thread: Spare Tire, Ceiling Fan ...which contains lots of information on the current heretofores and whys of installing a replacement fan to the Fantastic. Our Fantastic was still working as it should. But wasn't so fantastic: 1) It is loud. Even on the...

This is a continuation (of sorts) of a couple of my previous posts in this section and a companion piece to Sweeney's highly detailed how-to post of an OEM charger replacement: Charging Upgrade I won't cover his same ground (which was very useful guidance for my attempt) but thought I'd post...

I have recently installed a Renogy DC-DC charger and a Victron SmartShunt and have been playing with both, getting used to their apps and idiosyncrasies. And they're both working great. Or at least, exactly as I expected. However, the shunt readings have provided me with some data that bring...

I recently installed a DC-DC charger in an effort to regularly obtain a “fully-charged battery”. Subsequent to this installation, I began to understand the fallacy of relying solely upon open circuit voltage (OCV) as a means of determining the trailer battery’s true State of Charge (SOC). This...

Several others have installed the Victron. Victron Smartshunt Bluetooth Battery Monitor My install location was a little different so I thought I'd post separately. After putting in the DC -DC charger, and getting wilding disparate open-circuit voltages from a variety of devices, at a variety...

I'm finally getting around to putting in the Renogy 30A DC-DC charger. I have the unit location and wiring runs figured out (right side bin into the foot of the mattress and a hidden loop back in to the battery compartment). The Renogy has a number of other wired connections such as temperature...

I'm a sucker for any kitchen gear that is under-sized, compresses, folds, lays flat or collapses. And allows you take even more stuff to fill up the same space to the brim that you were trying make more room in. This works very well and has decent ergos, given its small size...

I've seen lots of solid teak or heavy rubber mats on Van Life sites etc..., but none that don't take up an inordinate amount of space for what they are. Or they are ridiculously costly. I got four foam kids play mats in a set for $15 I used only one as they are 24" x 24". If you cut it in...

Ok... this one's sitting a little bit out in left field, but... I have been kinda bothered by how much waste we generate on the road. (This is underscored by how little we actually generate while at home, being dyed-in-the wool recyclers, grow-yer-own gardeners, and traditional composters.) I...

I found a few more worthwhile mentions amongst the pile: Stove Top "Espresso" on a iso-butane stove: https://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-Express-coffee-maker-Aluminium/dp/B07XK6NLSQ We've had a lot of pack-up mornings where we didn't want to make a real breakfast, and even the prospect of...

None of these are earth-shattering, nor deserving of their own thread. In the interest of emptying the drawer I'm throwing out these finds which are the culmination of several months of poring over RV, van-life, and over-landing sites to find some "eureka" goodies. Maybe you'll find something...