Thank you. It was a bit of a learning curve, but I'm getting the hang of it.

Wow. That's my worst nightmare. So glad you bounced right back and into a new rig.

Love that song. Sang it in my junior high choir.

Thanks. Must be the camera but I'll happily take the complement.

I'll check it out! Thanks.

They are squares of horse mat that we cut up. They are quite heavy but they don't break.

25k

Thank you! It's a trip of a lifetime and I hope yours is wonderful.

Awesome. I was wondering the same thing. I think just easy finger foods/snacks and whatever you like to drink. People never eat as much as you think they might.

@@FromShetoMe Thanks for the suggestion. We look forward to seeing you and John tomorrow.

we just arrived from San Diego. We’re actually at the far northwest Inn in the parking lot by the Jack-in-the-Box. Not sure if we went too far. We should zip around and see what parking there is by Sea legs.

Thanks Patrick. We've been fans of yours for many years and were thrilled to meet you! The chassis upgrades are now complete and we are enjoying our new rig.

Great walkthrough Patrick!

I thought about coffee grounds as well. Let me know how it works for you.

Sorry about that: www.amazon.com/dp/B0948WBX9L?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzfromshet-20&creativeASIN=B0948WBX9L&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.MZPF9YWCIT1V&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin&th=1

It gets easier as you go and so satisfying.

Yes, they told me they would. But we have found other places that can work on vans such as Rogue van company in San Diego.

Yes, it is hard to know and in some cases we will just have to find out on our own. One way we have used in the past is to use our bikes to check out a route. In some cases you can get information from reading comments about a dispersed camping area. And we have even reached out to other KZbinrs (Venture 4WD) to ask about a specific road. When on public land, then we can contact USFS or BLM office for information. Bottom line is no easy way that I know of.

@@FromShetoMe A few thoughts in reply: (1) FS and BLM employees, assuming u can find someone to contact and who is knowledgable will not be helpful in any event bc they r risk adverse and once u say RV they will say "don't do it"; (2) we had a 22 PW Plateau which AO uplifted with a RIP kit, AT tires and a compressor and we soon learned that it was not at all off-road worthy. Of course, your van is 4WD which makes a huge difference but your achilles heal is low clearance which was not our problem. We got stuck across the street from Peg Leg at ABSP and it cost about $300 to get winched out; (3) skid plates (and a rear locker) are helpful wrt to rocks but not sand and the skid plates slightly lower ground clearance; (4) someone in another comment mentioned Maxtraxx recovery boards which we have and r high quality and r gr8 for recovery from sand but I'm not sure they will support the weight of your RV and u will find them a pain to store; (5) off-road conditions can change quickly particularly if it rains. If u can safely traverse only 98% of a trail that is often not good enuf; (6) make sure u know where the recovery points r on your van in case u get stuck and need recovery; (6) ultimately to alleviate our insecurity about taking our Plateau off-road we purchased a Jeep Rubicon and then highly modified it to make it extremely capable off-road. We soon discovered we love to off-road and to challenge ourselves by taking risks and getting out of our comfort zone. We r in our 70s and understand what we do is not for everyone. Our channel which I cannot link here shows what we do. U can search for Jeep 4 Dirt and u will find it; (7) if I can be of any further help (making the conceit that I have helped at all) let me know. BTW we found the South homestead absolutely mesmerizing and probably spent 2 hours there just soaking it in.

​@@jeep4dirt I guess our experience has been slightly different. We usually stop at one of the visitor centers in the area that may be manned by employees or volunteers and for us they seem to be forthcoming with information. You've probably heard Matt at Matt's Off Road Recovery say that if MaxTrax get you out, you aren't really stuck. The only thing we may consider adding to our van is a wench. But for now we are good and may do what you did, rent a Jeep to explore further afield. Thanks and I will check out your channel.

You could make that a feature of your channel; rate the trails for the various vehicles. I'm curious, have you given up on the van or do you use it as a base camp? Do you drive two vehicles or tow the jeep?

@@FromShetoMe last year we purchased a PW 2024 XLTS which is gr8 other than PW stubborn refusal to include a Bluetooth module in the Spyder panel. We use the XLTS as a base camp and then off-road in the jeep or drive the jeep to a trailhead and hike. We will be at ABSP the week after thanksgiving and likely will stay at Peg Leg. We drive separately but together and communicate through GMRS radios. Fran loves driving the XLTS and I loving driving the Rubicon. Although I have heard of Matt’s I have never watched his channel. If his point is that recovery boards r not ever helpful I would submit that his opinion is shared by no one else knowledgeable about recovery. The minivan in your video stuck in Blair Valley likely could have been recovered by using recovery boards. Although sometimes a winch is necessary, recovery boards are safer to use.

George recorded a tour that will be posted on New Jersey Outdoor Adventure soon. But I don’t have a date.

I scoured the internet looking for videos from others who had one and it was pretty thin pickings. The listed power draw is 3.78 amps which is similar to the Isotherm we had in our other van.

@@judyimmel6194 I think we just might miss the storm.

@@yvonne6530 It’s a long fall from that pedestal. A step stool is more my style but thanks for the confidence inspiring compliment.

Most state passes don't really add value if you are just driving through. The exception may be Texas but I doubt you are taking the southern route. Typically out of state residents are charged more. South Dakota is one that may be helpful but only if you plan to spend any length of time there. Occasionally I will check out the costs for a particular state but overall you are better off looking for BLM and USFS campgrounds (in the west), or Army Corps campgrounds in the east/midwest. What we have found is an absolute bargain are some of the small town campgrounds that provide small campgrounds and are often free or nearly free. And sometimes these small towns have reasonably priced campgrounds at Fairgrounds. I find the All Stays App to be extremely helpful for finding a variety of spots; it is rare that a campground isn't listed in their app. Of course, if you are over 62, then nothing beats the US Interagency pass for seniors.

Thanks. People like you keep me motivated to continue.

Thanks. We do have an in Reach but quit the subscription when Apple added the ability to send a text via satellite. So we never really feel like we can't get help. However, we would reserve it for a real emergency rather than an automotive issue where it usually is just a matter of time before someone will drive by.

Thanks for the tip.

I wondered why John was laughing this morning until he read me your great idea. I like it and of course, he will use the toilet if he absolutely needs to. He calls it, "declaring an emergency."