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| Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=66294 |
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Yeah, and I probably need to tack on at least 500 more miles to accommodate for all the side trips. |
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Thu Jan 31, 2013 9:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
The A/C filters can get dirty fairly quickly. A dirty filter causes a loss of air volume which in return causes the evaporator coil to ice up and not blow cold air. The owner’s manual recommends replacing or cleaning the filters after two weeks of use. They are fairly easy to clean; you simply wash them out with a mild detergent and let them air-dry. The manual recommends that you carry spare filters. 
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
I added a few hooks inside the RV storage compartment to help organize the tools that won’t fit in the storage containers. Instead of searching for the tools, I have them in a handy place to grab. I also added a LED light to each side of the storage compartment. 
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Our dogs get really excited when we are gone for the day and return to the camper. The result of this excitement comes in the form of scratching on the screen door. As you can see in the bottom pic, they have managed to destroy part of the door screen. To remedy this problem, we purchased a metal door screen saver that was universally designed for RV’s. The screen saver was a little too wide widthwise but was an overall better fit. It would have fit lengthwise using the adjustable brackets but would have left a few inches of space between the frame and screen saver. I wanted a nice fit, so I decided to discard the brackets and cut down the screen. I drilled out the rivets and removed one side of the outer frame. The screen was cut at the desired width using tin snips. I then reattached the outer frame, drilled the new holes and made the final test fitment before mounting. Everything checked out good, so I aligned the screen saver to the inside door, drilled pilot holes, and screwed it to the door. Now we can leave the screen door open during the summer months and not worry about the dogs scratching on the screen.  
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Our Atwood hot water heater has a nylon/plastic drain plug that fits into an aluminum thread. I’ve read that the plug can eventually wear out causing leaking. Anyway, I decided it might be good to carry a spare drain plug. The package came with two replacements, which makes me believe that these plugs can and will go bad. 
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Sun Feb 17, 2013 2:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Our factory RV battery was dead, so it was time to reevaluate the electrical system. Good battery power is important, especially when boondocking for multiple days in a row. We plan on doing more long-term boondocking in the future. I did a little research and decided to upgrade to the largest maintenance free AGM RV/Marine battery that we could find (DieHard Group 31). This battery weighs 75 lbs! In order to get this battery to fit, I had to replace the small factory battery box with a larger box.  I drilled mounting holes through the new battery box where the old box was mounted to the frame. I then used the existing hardware to mount the box. I also drilled a hole on all 4 sides of the box for water drainage.  The battery is mounted and fits nicely in the new box. Sears DieHard Marine/RV Group Size: 31M (AGM) Amp Hours at 20 Hour Rate: 100 Capacity Amp Hours at 10 Hour Rating: 92 Reserve Capacity (RC): 205 min. Height (in.): 9.5 Length (in.): 13 Width (in.): 6.8 Item Weight (lbs.): 75 Free Replacement Warranty Term: 3 Year  The factory battery had some corrosion on the positive terminal that spread to the battery cable. I made up a quick 50/50 baking soda/water mixture and cleaned the cables. The battery is used to power the slide, water pump, lights, heater fan and other miscellaneous electronics. |
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
We added the IQ4 Smart Charger to the DLS45 charger. The IQ4 is an automatic 3-stage (Bulk, Absorption, and Float) charger that plugs into the existing DLS RV battery charger. In essence, it will prolong the life of the battery and decrease the amount of time it takes to charge the battery, which is nice when using a generator. The IQ4 Smart Charger also keeps the battery from overcharging, which is good since I oftentimes leave it plugged in during long term storage. The LED indicator lets you know the status of the battery and the charging time.  I had to remove a drawer to get to the charger.  The IOTA wasn't where I thought it would be, but I did locate the dual voltage jack on top of the DLS charger.   I wasn't sure where to mount the charger. The LED light informs the user of the DLS charging state and the status of the battery charge. In addition, the LED light will indicate overvoltage and let you know if it goes into fault mode. I didn't want to install the charger inside the cabin since the LED light could be annoying at night, although, I would like to be able to monitor the charger, so I decided to mount it inside the storage compartment. In this manner, I could at least visually inspect the light periodically.  
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Sun Feb 24, 2013 6:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
I like to monitor indoor and outdoor temps for a variety of reasons, so we added an indoor/outdoor thermometer to the RV. The only thing I regret is not buying a camper with the thermal package (equipped for 4 season use). Our previous RV had the thermal package which means that there was extra insulation in the floor, walls, and ceiling. In addition to extra insulation, the fresh water tank, holding tank, grey water tank and waterlines were also insulated and tucked inside the cabin to eliminate freezing. The extra insulation made the camper easy to heat in the winter and keep cool during the summer. Since our current travel trailer is small, heating and cooling isn’t a major issue, but a similar sized camper with the thermal package would be more efficient and easier to maintain temps. Anyway, the indoor and outdoor thermometer will be helpful for monitoring the A/C unit and furnace in extreme temps. Indoor/Outdoor thermometer Outdoor Temps (-40*F to 158*F) Indoor Temps (32*F to 122*F) Wireless Range (165 feet) 
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Sun Feb 24, 2013 6:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
To eliminate trash and the need to carry throwaway items, we are trying to do the green thing as much as possible by washing dishes instead of using paper plates, plastic cups, plastic silverware, etc. We picked up a mini dish drainer and a microfiber drying mat.  When not in use, the bottom of the drainer is also used as the lid which creates a nice storage area for dish soap and dishcloths. Then the mini dish drainer gets stored away in one of the kitchen cabinets during transport. 
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Tue Mar 05, 2013 8:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
We added a 17” X 19.5”stove topper/cutting board to help increase counter space. It’s 100% hardwood with large juice grooves and fits nicely over the 3 burner stove. The topper has a non-skid backing that keeps it in place during transport. It also came with a 11.5” X 15” flexible cutting mat 
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| Author: | Greenwing7 [ Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Looks like we will be headed up there this summer in a 26' Born Free RV with the 7.3L diesel. getting it soon I would reccommend the book called THE MILEPOST. It seems to be the goldstandard guide for making the treck north. |
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:40 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Greenwing7 wrote: Looks like we will be headed up there this summer in a 26' Born Free RV with the 7.3L diesel. getting it soon I would reccommend the book called THE MILEPOST. It seems to be the goldstandard guide for making the treck north. Fantastic! You should post a trip report when you return.  How far are you going? Yeah, we have the 2012 MILEPOST.
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| Author: | Greenwing7 [ Sun Mar 17, 2013 4:43 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
We are planning on working in anchorage. I have already been researching Denali NP and staying at I believe Wonder Lake or there abouts. You can tent camp for around 20 bucks a night. The lodges are about 550 for single occupancy and 800 for double occupancy. The new budget lift that JBA and tommudd put out is on my list now too but we'll see. Anyone have any info on other scenic drives or reputable fishing guides out of Anchorage? BTW I really like some of the custom ideas you've come up with in your trailer to take advantage of any little space that's available. Really makes it your own. Cheers! |
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| Author: | ihatemybike [ Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:14 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Jayme's flight for this summer's adventure has been booked, which means I'm planning once again to drive up acquire her, cruise around a bit and bring (more like drag) her home. Grumpy still needs a bit of work and I'm planning on taking Nemo with. I have 3 1/2 months to get things ready. Yikes. |
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:58 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
ihatemybike wrote: Grumpy still needs a bit of work and I'm planning on taking Nemo with. I have 3 1/2 months to get things ready. Yikes. SWEET! Keep us posted on Grumpy's status. Are you guys planning to go all the way to Deadhorse? |
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Mon Apr 22, 2013 1:04 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
After spending some time on the RV forum, I’ve learned that monitoring hub temperatures with a thermal gun is an effective method for checking the condition of the hubs. If the hubs start running a little too hot, then it’s time for new grease and or bearings. Since I have E-Z lube hubs, I have yet to repack the bearings. I simply grease them approximately once every two years. Thermal guns are cheap and this particular model had good reviews. I’ve also been told that the thermal gun comes in handy for taking sidewall tire temperature. Hot tires offer some data as to when they are beginning to wear out. 
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Mon May 27, 2013 12:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Well, I didn’t need to make this purchase, but the custom socket for the stabilizer jack makes the job faster and easier. Our Jayco uses the BAL screw stabilizer jacks that are designed to be hand cranked. The custom socket requires a 1/2" drill chuck. Now I can lower or raise the jacks in a matter of seconds.   
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Sun Aug 11, 2013 3:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
We replaced the OE ball joints with the best ball joints made for these trucks. The Carli ball joints come with a lifetime warranty. 
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| Author: | kingjeep [ Sun Aug 11, 2013 3:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
i was there in june the tempterse range greatly form day to day we were expecting cold weather but tempaters got into the 90s and stors and busses had no ac |
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| Author: | dieselenthusiast [ Thu Apr 10, 2014 7:35 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Alaska Bound - What preparations are you making? |
Since we do not use the microwave, we are going to remove it and cover the vacant hole with a matching door to expand storage space.  Below is a picture of the cabinetry to the right-side of the microwave. From the measurements that I have taken, this exact door should fit. Jayco can build me the same door and send matching hardware so it will look like a factory install. Here's what I will need: - Door: 0187426 DOOR, FLAT PANEL MANCHESTER OAK NATURAL TOUCH ASH FOURWOODS 21-3/4X15-1/2 SQUARE CORNER 1-3/4 RAIL COVE EDGE CO1 - Hinge: 0175409 HINGE, CABINET SATIN NICKEL H78SN (in stock) - Knob: 0180124 KNOB, DRAWER SATIN NICKEL SMOOTH (in stock) - Catch: 0057633 CATCH, ROLLER DOUBLE WITH STRIKE (in stock) 
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