Friday, July 29, 2011

Antibiotic cream is your friend at camp

Tom decided to repair the rusty trailer step this evening. An on the go repair just wouldn't be the same without a small injury to remember it by... 
Oh, I'm typing this via the Blogger android app.


Enjoying a few cold ones @ the Beacon on the lake. Bill is diggin on the Sweet Home Alabama.

Here we are in South Lake Tahoe with Debby & Bill @ the Beacon at Camp Richardson.
It's a cute little place right on the beach with a live band called "Cash Only" on the stage.
Bill is diggin' on the Sweet Home Alabama in this pic...moments later the tune mashed into the Kid Rock version from last summer.
There is a bachelorette party going on here today...the bride just stepped out of the lake in her swimsuit and (waterproof?) veil.
It's an absolutely picture perfect California lakeside day.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Classy Folding Camper for "Glampers"

Thanks to NuRVer, Kev, for posting this link to a swank pop-up option:

Does this design look familiar?


This classy "Opera" trailer design was inspired by the Sydney Opera House!



On the road, it looks like any other pop-tent trailer (well, a really nice and neat one!)


Open it up and enjoy the portable, chic "glamping" option:


How much for all this chicness? $50,000+ !

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Roy prepares to spiff up the K-SVERT servers

The servers that run K-SVERT need some love. Computer whiz, Roy, will clean and beef these up with sata cards and put "ginormous" drives in them for maximum playa tunage capability!

Firing Up the Genny! TrailerLuvTv

Time to break in the new generator! This 3500 watt Champion will power our campette. We're teaming up with a TrailerLuv pal, Roy for a campette inside the larger Camp Nomadia at Burning Man. 

This is a brand new genny so we have to prime it and run it for about ten hours prior to taking it out to the playa:


It's a bit louder than we'd like (and that our fellow campers would like)...so, we'll be building a "quiet" box to go around the genny. It''ll have four sides but no top so exhaust can ventilate.

Friday, July 22, 2011

K-SVERT facade "artist rendering"

Beautifying the facade of the new K-SVERT Mobile Broadcast Center is another project we're working on...here's a look at one possibility...artwork by Tom Sherry (nice job, baby)

Here's a big, fat art project: Wanna help? We'll need to cut wood to size, do lots of painting, attach the facade and figure out how to hang curtains around the side and back.

Burning Man Project: Work Day 2--Turn this tent trailer into a Mobile Broadcast Center

The guys are just about done with the demolition part of the process and are starting to build in the K-SVERT mobile broadcasting elements, including the all-important battery/charging apparatus. Mike contemplates adding the antenna and Tom is reworking the tent trailer's former kitchenette into an outdoor kitchen that we will use in camp, complete with a propane fridge, a mini-sink and storage. We'll add our camp stove and grill to the equation and will be able to cook up yummy treats anytime day or night.


Thursday, July 21, 2011

"Generating" buzz for Burning Man

How do we "generate" enough juice to keep our trailer's air conditioner running for a bit during those hot desert daze at Burning Man? Say hello to our newest little (well, not that little) friend, a 3500 watt Champion generator: 


It "only" weighs about 100 pounds so these wheels will come in handy:


Tommy, the Deal Dog, found this kit on clearance for a mere $2.07! We likey the pricey!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Burning Man Project Update: New Photos as work continues...

Tom & Mike are back at work on the tent trailer to become a mobile broadcast center for K-SVERT at Burning Man. In previous years, K-SVERT has lived in a single location, most often on the "Esplanade" aka The Main Drag.

This year, the plan is to take K-SVERT out onto the playa, wherever the action is! Today, the guys have removed the tent trailer's kitchen, which we'll use in camp...and they've connected the batteries & inverter so that we'll have power to run the station while it's mobile.

Here's Tommy makin' a kitchen:


And Mike's making sure the power will be on when we need it out there in the desert!


A few technical finishing touches and this baby will be ready to broadcast. Next step: some trailerluv beautification, bewitchery and costumery. in other words, we gotta spruce this thing up visually!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Controversy in Quartzite?

Got this link from RV fulltimer, Debby:

Burning Man Project: Turn this tent trailer into a Mobile Broadcast Center

One of the things we do at Burning Man is broadcast on K-SVERT, 106.5. This year, the plan is to make it all happen from a Mobile Broadcast Center. This means we can move the broadcast center to "where the action is" and bring it to you "Live from the Playa!"

So, among the other projects we have going on at our house this weekend, the guys(K-SVERT founders, Tom & Mike) are starting demolition on this unassuming tent trailer to turn it into the mobile broadcast center that Burning Man Dreams are made of...

Making New Curtains!

The old curtains in the Mean Green Love Machine were pretty worn and ugly. Tom said, Hey! You can make some new ones, right?
Uh, um, yeah, sure. I have a 35-year-old sewing machine, haven't sewn a thing in, oh, maybe 20 years or more...but, sure, I can make some new curtains! 
Oh, the old curtains have drapery pleats? And the drapery hooks need to work with the existing drapery track? Yeah, sure, no problem. I can figure it out, right?

Let's see how it turned out:


ed note: I bought this fabric at Beverly's on Hillsdale in San Jose, Ca. It was kind of expensive, at $10 a yard but had the little trailers on it, which was exactly what I was looking for: a little funky, a little retro and definitely warm and inviting!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Want to head out on an adventure in a true American Classic? Only 500k on ebay!

This 1939 GM Futurliner was a part of GM’s exhilarating “Parade of Progress.” Of the 12 originally built, only 9 remain. 

Still snowing in Lake Tahoe...too chilly for camping?

We spent my birthday weekend at Lake Tahoe ...thinking about where to camp. It was still snowing in April...so we delayed our next TrailerLuv adventure. But we hope to be camping in South Shore in the next few weeks and meet up with RV fulltimers, Debby & Bill!


trailerluv: Airstream Love ♥

trailerluv: Airstream Love ♥

Airstream Love ♥

Here's a lovely blog with inspirational Airstream photos.
Check out the Airstream interior that's been transformed into a bowling alley!

Airstream Love ♥

Someday, we want an Airstream...and these photos just make us want one even more!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Guest blog from the sweet little three-legged pooch, Abby Noodle Bumskooter, who just spent a weekend in Black Rock Desert for 4th of Juplaya





We went camping in the little rolling house this weekend. I was very sad because
I saw mommy packing stuff up and thought she was going to leave me. But then my
Mike showed up and mommy put me in his truck, and put all the stuff she packed
in the little rolling house.

Then I got to sit on mommy's lap for a really long drive. We stopped in a place
called 'mountains' for 'gas' and I got to run around and do my business. It
smelled really good there.

Then we got back in the truck and drove some more and stopped in 'parking lot'.
We all went in the rolling house and I got to sleep with mommy and my Mike. Then
they tried to take me into a place called 'store' but a man told them I couldn't
be there so mommy put me in the rolling house. I cried and cried but they left
me there all by myself.

I was so relieved when she came back because I always want to be with my mommy.
We drove some more and it was really hot and we went to a place mommy calls
'playa'.

we stayed in the rolling house all weekend and it was nice. But there were big
booms, and it made me scared, and I couldn't stop shaking. Then Auntie Laura
shoved something down my throat, which I didn't like, but then I felt better and
not so scared.

The next day we went to 'hot springs'. Mommy took me in the water which I don't
really like so i got out and ran around. I tried to get food from some people,
but mommy grabbed me and took me back into the water.

Auntie Laura shoved something down my throat again, and I still didn't like it.
I got really tired and she had to carry me back to the car.

The next day we packed everything back into the rolling house and drove back to
a place called 'Reno'. Mommy and my Mike moved things around and we left the
rolling house there. I ran around and pooped and it was really hot so I sat in
the shade. I was sad to leave the rolling house. I really really like living in
it.

I hope I get to stay in the rolling house again.
ed note: Thanks for the guest blog, Abby...with an assist from the beautiful Wendy and hearty Uncle Mike

The RV World of 1937

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

RV Beach Driving - Not A Good Idea!

West Coast Airstream road trip - Sunset.com

Thank you, Jody, for this link to Sunset Mag's article on a west coast airstream road trip:
West Coast Airstream road trip - Sunset.com

Boondocking, Dispersed Camping and Stealth Parking

How do you camp for free?

That's where boondocking, dispersed camping and stealth parking come in. I've learned that most people use the term "boondocking" when it comes to free, no-hook-up overnight camping...but according to my research, there are differences in the above terms.

If you're stopping overnight in a Walmart parking lot, for example, that is technically "stealth parking." It's best to call ahead, though, to make sure the Walmart you're heading to allows overnight parking. It seems that this very popular practice has experienced some changes over the past couple of years...with some Walmarts now prohibiting the overnight campers/parkers.

I called the Milpitas, Mountain View and Chico, California, Walmarts to check and see what their policies are...and the answer was "no we do not allow overnight camping." In the case of Chico, the manager said that it's a city ordinance that keeps the overnighters out. Further research indicated that some municipalities have enacted these kinds of rules for a variety of reasons, including keeping local tax-paying RV parks happy-- If you're spending the night for free in a Walmart parking lot you're not spending money at the RV park.

Stealth parking also refers to finding a place to park your rig and spend the night just about anywhere in an urbanish area while you try not to call too much attention to yourself and your tent, trailer or RV. If you are tent camping, it's pretty hard to be stealthy once you whip out that tent. Travel trailer campers usually want to stay hitched up to the tow vehicle and RV's keep their slideouts "in" to reduce unwanted attention.

Why do you want to reduce unwanted attention? Well, who wants to be awakened in the wee hours by a security guard or the police who are sometimes all too eager to give you a ticket for unauthorized overnight parking? Can you say "municipal revenue stream?"

As for boondocking and dispersed camping...these are all about "getting away from it all." National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands or another type of public land are the best bets. There are many options here, most free, some with a small $5-10 overnight fee. Here is the BLM link to recreation: http://www.recreation.gov/recFacilitySearch.do?agencies=126

And a subsidiary site on California camping at recreation.gov:  http://www.recreation.gov/campgroundSearch.do

We have boondocked on BLM land in Nevada's Black Rock Desert (home of Burning Man) and in Quartzite, Az. The Black Rock fees are apparently included in the price of your Burning Man ticket and the fee in Qz was $40 for two weeks.

To really boondock, you gotta be pretty self-sufficient because you can't hook up to a park's water, electrical or wi-fi services. Having an indoor bathroom is key for me. Last winter, Tom re-plumbed our trailer to include a hot water heater so we can shower and wash dishes without hookups (for at least a few days.)

I'd really like to see more options for solar power in lieu of electrical hookups. We currently have decorative solar lights but would like to be able to use solar for all our power needs.