Death Valley - December 2009

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Lady Ski3pin & I left here early Dec 26th in a small snow storm, made it over to the east side, breakfast at the Hays Street Cafe in Bridgeport, winter mountain driving conditions until we got to the Mammoth turnoff on 395, and a stop in Bishop to check out the Lady's favorite thrift stores and the shoe sale at Wilson's. The Big Pine Road to Eureka Dunes was fairly clear over the Inyos with a few long patches of packed snow and ice in the shady spots. We had our spot picked out at Eureka Dunes at 2:00 pm, set up camp, donned the packs and just hiked, watching the light change and the world get dark. This was our home base for two days.

The dunes are an amazing place. We climbed, hiked, explored, but many times just sat and looked at all that was around us.

There were three fly bys by pairs of hornets, all coming in from the south at ground level. We were just coming off the top of the south high point heading south when the third pair was coming through. I was concentrating on getting a panning shot of the plane below us when Lady Ski3pin said, "Watch out!" His partner was coming right up the spine of the dunes less than a hundred feet above us. We hit the deck as I pointed the DSLR skyward and fired off several frames. Didn't get the shot. The Lady's only comment was. "That was really loud."

You've got to love the signs.

The next night we stayed at Homestake Dry Camp south of the Racetrack Playa. Our evening hike was up above the camp where we could look down into Saline Valley. We watched as one vehicle drove down Lippincott.

The next morning was overcast and then gradually cleared as we circled and crossed the playa. What an amazing place. The early part of the morning we had the playa to ourselves.

We spent our fourth and last night in the north end of Panamint Valley. The next morning, New Years Eve, we enjoyed the last sunrise of 2009. This was our second voyage with our camper and it is really feeling like home.

The Lady said, "We're earning our BS degree in pop up camper living!"

The Shake Down Trip – November 2009

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After cleaning up after the Thanksgiving feast, the Lady and I decided to just take off. We had to do it. We had put so much work in the rebuild/remodel of the used Ranger II camper we bought in late August. It was loaded on the truck and as anxious as we were for the maiden voyage.

We awoke at four Friday morning feeling like excited twelve year olds unable to sleep. "Let's have breakfast at the Hays Street Cafe in Bridgeport and ramble around the east side of the Sierra,” the Lady suggested.  Sunrise on Monitor Pass was as awesome as ever. We fed on the Hays Street Café cinnamon roll as we continued south of Bridgeport on highway 395. Friday afternoon found us in one of our favorite places, the Alabama Hills.

It was a gorgeous late fall afternoon.

We took an evening walk over to the climbers camp.

It was a cold beautiful evening with an approaching storm. Being able to stay here, among the granite formations, under the eastern escarpment of the High Sierra; this alone was worth all our efforts on our camper project.

The storm arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning. With rain and snow hitting the camper and us parked full broadside to the wind, the Lady asked on our first night sleeping in the camper, "Do you think this could blow the truck over?" We were going to find out  but there is almost nothing better than a storm blowing through.

More of Saturday morning.

We headed back north and up into the volcanic tableland area north of Bishop. More wind and snow but a promise of clearing overnight. Our remodel worked very well in "real life".

We headed toward home on highway 120 with new snow and long stretches of icy road.

It was a great inaugural trip and we hope for many adventures to follow.

Post script November 4, 2013 - These were the first two nights in our first camper. Over the course of almost four years we totaled 236 nights, nights well spent, in our home away from home. Our last trip in our first camper, and the last two nights, was the last weekend in October 2013. We traveled to Upper Summer Meadows.

Our First Camper

 

 Update October 2013 - BIG NEWS! We are getting a new All Terrain Camper! Here is a link to information on Wander the West:

We Are Getting a New Camper!

Update November 2013 - BIG NEWS! Our current camper has already found a new home!



I added an update below - May 2013

We have always been hikers, backpackers, back country skiers, and mountaineers. That remains our focus. Car camping or the social aspect of campgrounds or large groups holds no interest for us. Getting to a trailhead or end of the road is the start of our adventure. We seek out places far from any sights or sounds of modern man. Quiet, solitude, and the natural processes of untrammeled wilderness feed our souls and refresh us.

Our current camper accommodations are a tool that we use and enjoy.

We first saw a Four Wheel Camper at a nearby lake. It was a base camp for a float tubing fly fisher. Later we saw one in a grocery store parking lot. The owner was kind enough to give us a quick tour. We thought it was a great idea, a relatively light weight pop up camper with an aluminum frame. The amenities were spartan compared to how some Americans look at "camping" needs, but just right for us. We started looking around and doing our homework.

One website that was a huge source of information was Wander the West. We found the people who posted and shared information helpful, respectful, just nice people.

We started watching craigslist, looking for a possible deal on a used camper. We discovered the good ones go quickly. They have a very good resale demand.

Then we heard about All Terrain Campers in Sacramento California. This is a small company started by craftsmen who were once associated with the original Four Wheel Camper Company. I cannot say enough about the service, helpful advise, and quality of these folks' work. They have a wealth of knowledge about these campers.

If we hadn't found a good deal on craigslist, we would be proud owners of an All Terrain Camper. Actually with all the help they gave us on renovating and remodeling the camper we bought, we feel that we are.

In August of 2009 we brought home a used 1994 Four Wheel Camper Ranger II model.

It was in fairly decent shape and definitely worth what we paid. But, as we dug into it, and also inspired by some of the modifications we saw people on Wander the West had done, we figured now was the time to make it the way we wanted.

We gutted the sucker.

We pulled out the sink, stove, and cabinet style 3 way refrigerator. Then the cabinets went.

We had the guys at All Terrain replace the sideliner (tent) material, repair a couple of problems with the roof, and replace one of the inside roof lifting panels.

We then replaced all the cabinets with our own design, got a new countertop and table top made, and ordered a new SMEV sink and propane stove. We also redid all of the wiring, plumbing, and propane lines.

It was a learning experience but also rewarding. It has the added benefit of us actually knowing where everything is and being confident about taking on repairs down the road.

And, I again thank the guys at All Terrain Campers for helping with information and needed materials.

By the middle of Fall 2009, our camper was about ready.

There are some luxuries that we like, such as the nice stove and sink, but we also like to be simple with one item doing more than one job such as no cushions because our pillows work just fine. Also this is a small camper with limited storage space so out went the refrigerator - that uses energy on the road - and that space went to storage. Our old reliable Coleman ice chest sits on the floor under the cab window.

There have been a few changes and improvements that we have made over the last couple of years. We are contemplating a couple more. But, our priority is using our camper, not working on it.

We have been really pleased with how our truck and camper have served us. I believe that is reflected in the wonderful adventures we have enjoyed.

 

Update May 2013

After getting an incredible amount of use out of our camper, we have made a few improvements. We built our own "Arctic Pack" liner for the inside of the vinyl sideliner material. This adds a dead air space that helps hold in heat in the winter and keep out heat in the summer. It also helps with condensation on the inside of the vinyl. I posted how we did it on the Wander the West forum. You can find it by clicking here - Arctic Pack  

After using our old Coleman ice chest successfully, we did find a couple of downsides. We found it increasingly harder to find block ice (especially in Death Valley, of all places!) when our frozen water jugs melted. A bag of ice cubes only lasts a day. This was problematic for planning our longer trips. We decided to go with a high efficient/low amp draw 12V portable refrigerator. The good ones are expensive but worth it. The issue is battery drain, you want one that uses only a small amount of power. We went with a 51 liter chest style refrigerator with a danfoss compressor from Truckfridge. This is an Indel B refrigerator. It sits on the floor in the same place our old Coleman did.

Since we were dependent on our camper battery for food storage - the new refrigerator - we went with a larger amp hour deep cycle battery. We started with a 55 amp hour blue top optima. We replaced it with a 100 amp hour die hard platinum deep cycle. Buy Sears batteries when you find them on sale, and they usually go on sale.

We added a 100 watt solar panel to the roof and installed a simple solar charging system. It is light weight and has worked well keeping our new battery fully charged. Here is a link to how I did the wiring - Wiring For a Solar Panel Roof Mount.

For leveling out the truck suspension with the weight of the camper, we initially went with airbags. These can be filled separately to raise the height and adjust for uneven weighting side to side. These campers tend to have most the weight on the driver's side and that is also were the truck's gas tank is located. Concerned about possible failure of this system in the remote and rugged areas we visit, we decided to go with a new custom set of progressive rear leaf springs made by Deaver Springs. The truck preforms very well on rough roads and we have a great deal of confidence in its ability to get us to the start of our adventures.