Valve Stem Additions

November 18, 2012

While our new Rickson Truck Wheels were round and true and reversible from front to rear, there was a major problem that should have been taken care of before they were powder coated or certainly before I mounted five new Michelin XZL 335/80R20 tires. These new wheels absolutely had to have valve stems on both […]

New Rickson Truck Wheels

November 13, 2012

For years we had suffered with our Stockton Wheels on The Turtle V. They were never true, and because we had gone from dual rears to singles, the offset was different from front to rear, meaning we could not swap the rear or spare to the front. Rickson Truck Wheels came up with a compromise […]

Air Conditioning Fix

November 6, 2012

Back in the days of our 1967 109 Land Rover, (https://www.turtleexpedition.com/vehicles/turtle-i-2/), we had two vents under the windshield. We called that AC. Funny how we’ve become addicted to the luxuries of air conditioning, power steering, power brakes and cruise control over the years. Our AC had been malfunctioning off and on for months and recharging […]

Brake Line Failure

November 2, 2012

Driving back from Chico, the traffic was heavy. I stepped on the brake and it went all the way to the floor. Hummm! That’s not good. I managed to limp home and stop with the emergency brake. Turns out there are three brake lines running forward from the master cylinder to an ABC device under […]

Oil on Tap

October 27, 2012

On an extended expedition like our upcoming Trans-Eurasian Odyssey from Lisbon, Portugal to Shanghia, China, the only thing worse than major health problems would be an engine failure. Even with our Amsoil Dual Filter Bypass system, we need to carry an adequate supply of quality oil for occasional filter changes and normal consumption. Quality synthetic […]

Footware on the Road

October 13, 2012

When The Turtle V stops, our primary means of transportation will be walking. During our 28-day John Muir Trail trek,, we discovered La Sportiva boots, and Superfeet Insoles. No more blisters and no re-occurrences of the painful Plantar Fasciitis that can quickly ruin any hike. Unlike even the best out-of-the-box insoles, the Superfeet can be […]

Van Dyke Storage Box

October 9, 2012

Storage in a small expedition camper like The Turtle V is critical. Clothes for four seasons, medical supplies, camera equipment, computers, tools and spare parts, food—it’s a long list, whether it’s for three days or three years. In addition to the Weatherguard box on the front rack, we needed more storage for light equipment and […]

The Big Move #4

October 5, 2012

Some things would never see a flea market. With an acre of property, there are plenty of places to hide stuff. Pallets, dead dishwashers, paint buckets, wine barrel rings—a 13-year collection that tipped the scales at the local recycle yard just under 1/2 a ton.

The Big Move #3

October 1, 2012

It is positively amazing how much really valuable “stuff” you can accumulate in 13 years. (Yes, that’s how long it has been since our three-year Trans-Eurasian expedition across all of Russia and around the World.) This was good stuff. The local flea market was the answer. For eight hours we bargained with the masses wanting […]

The Big Move #2

September 27, 2012

Moving from one house to another house is difficult, but you mark a big box “kitchen”, fill it, move it to the new house and unpack it in the kitchen. Moving a fully furnished home into a pile of boxes for what may be three to five years is interesting. Our “home” is now rented. […]