P4trol

That's a fair lead time! Last Friday I had my jet tent zip (flyscreen zip) replaced. The bloke couldn't match the original size 6, and so I had him put a size 10 zip in. Cost me $150. So the tent had perhaps 45 unpack and pack up events, probably more. It started to fail on the month long Cape trip last year. The kids would probably be the main cause of zip failure. By the end of the trip they were putting the tent up and down unassisted. I would just fit the bag and lift it into the trailer. (eldest is 9).

A similar problem is faced by those with Toyota troop carrier. Ie mine sites etc. Kids can't travel sideways, and the mines have safety first policies. The mines fit them so they have a total of 2 seats in the front, and the Middle row has two, and the back one has three. rows of three - forward facing. A third door is installed for access. Google troopcarrier 8 forward facing seats for pics. The seats are available in a couple of formats. A row of three, a row of two, and a single (and maybe a separate single seat that folds forward. What is good about them, is that they have a seatbelt incorporated, with a child seat anchor behind each seat. The only installing skill is picking the right spot to bolt it to. Now it isn't really that hard, because you need to pay a licensed installer to do it for you. Something like that might help you. Start with a google of tech safe seating. I think they are the parent company. From there, they will be able to point you to a local installer. For an example of costs, a three seater bench and a single, and extended seat rail for front passenger seat was $5200, including supply, install, and engineering. The vehicle was a Toyota troopcarrier. Let us know how you go.

I can't believe how expensive the codan units are. Then you program a couple of frequencies into it, and you can't use anything else or tune around. When I hit that money tree, I'm just going to get an amateur HF radio, and allow full slather TX (I'm aware where I can and can't TX). This way I get maximum utility, maximum buttons to twiddle, and something a bit different. One thing I've always planned is to make a tuned lenth longwire antenna as part of the kit. I came across a rolled 4WD (a bit after the fact) and marvelled at the fact that they couldn't call for help, as the autotune antenna base had broken (and the car was upside down). With a tuned lenght you can disconnect the HF whip, and roll the longwire out. Hey comms!

Perhaps. I would prefer one of these to a 'cheap chinese' one. Incidentally the tag says "made in china" Please understand mine is thrown into the back of the box trailer with everything else, and driven down dirt roads. This may account for the wear. I'll put up some pics when I'm cleaning it. The only way I justified buying a new one second hand, was that it was the equivalent of three nights motel accommodation for the same trip.

Bit of an update: This month it has been erected and put away nearly 30 times. Some small rub holes have appeared, and sealed with silicon. One zipper at the entrance is on the brink of being useless. The bag is falling apart. The upside is that the kids are nearly able to set up/pack it up. I will be able to fix the holes and possibly the zip. The bag... I need to find out whether they sell new ones, or I need a canvas replica.

So, you have built in a way to put two wheels up on a gutter, and still have a level table! Nice idea. How did you secure the strap to the door?

Quick update: With a bit of practice I am able to fit it all back in the original bag. So proud of myself! I can put down a few hints it if people would like. Have a few tiny holes due to stuff rubbing through (were placed on top of bag). I have found it works best for me if I set up the fly and windows when I get there. Being in the NT means windows are always rolled up unless it is raining. The windows have three positions: rolled down, rolled up, and a gusset so they can be open, but no rain can get in. In the third position, the windows are held out from the tent by guy ropes. Install these with the pegs, even if you then leave the pegs in the ground and roll them up. Heaps quicker when it buckets down. Still haven't worked out the front flap. It comes with two poles. I just rig it so most of the water runs down away from the tent. The insides have six mesh pockets to store keys etc off the floor. Pretty handy, and found a torch left in there from just before Christmas!

So given the area is being sealed off, do people clean up any rust up in there before they seal? Is there any chance water could get in?

No, you'd have a special lure for the fishing rod - magnetic.

Epic posts Glort! #bad parents #phone addicts Sent via tapatalk

Attach magnets to plastic with araldite. Magnets stick to metal body of car. This would be great if you have a 'free' source of strong magnets - like the magnets out of computer hard drives.

You need a dummy account, even if you don't have it under your own name. A link to the photo would be tops.

Still haven't found out why they are originally there. I'm loathe to modify the tent. Rear quarter chop or scratchy trees no worries... But not the tent!

No weld - pop riveting? Crimping?

So a few experiences with the jet tent: still working on my packing up techniques. It came packed so small in the bag when new. Will take practice. It's the fitting it into the bag that takes time. You can set it up with one person. Six pegs for the floor (I have the f25x, anything with the 'x' has an annex sort of thing) and fold out the frame. The pole for the annex slides through the easiest I have seen for a tent. It is the fly that takes a bit more work. Still not sure what to do with the flap at the front. Used the poles and guys to make a shelter one night. The wind blew it down, then it started flapping around. Tucked it away, but then the rain ran down and a stream (and the rain) ran down the door across the zip. This resulted in several large bodies of water inside. Then explaining to the kids they didn't have an accident. The rest of the tent kept the water out well, and dried quickly. I'm a fan.

Just bought a jet tent. I'm impressed. More words of meaningful description to follow. Ps keep a watch on ebay for a cheaper jet tent price.

For reasons unknown the previous owner just paralleled the batteries together. Yep, two cranking batteries. I can start it with them reading down to 9.2v Tipsy-tap

Even the natives don't use this anymore. They go to the nearest park shelter when it rains. Tipsy-tap

Did you find the stainless bracket on ebay for about $18? Tipsy-tap

Big day today... Put the rear work lights back up (they came down to put up the awning) Finally finished the rear door table with dimmable LED strip above. Descriptions to come. Tipsy-tap

OK, I know a rear door table isn't something new; however I thrive on borrowed ideas and necessity. The thing I love is that it is cheap to do these mods, practical, and no-ones going to sweat about a few holes in the car. There are a thousand pics of door tables on the net, but here's mine. I've seen quite a few others, taken good points and bad points. Hope it gives people some good ideas for their own. Aim: Functional, maximum shelf space, to use mostly stainless steel Materials: 2 or 3mm thick stainless steel from the tip shop $8 A fair amount of stainless fittings. The final ones were not too dear. The amount I bought anticipating it would work, is amazing. (I'm sure the local hardware now see me as competition with the amount of fittings I now have. Marine carpet scrap I was given by the local trimmers (Thanks guys!) LED self adhesive light strip $20 approx 12v dimmer Click on pictures to enlarge. Some pictures may be too dark to make sense on eg tapatalk. This is the finished product. A full length hinge was used to strengthen the table, instead of glueing a backing or bracing on. Put a twist or half twist in the supporting cable so the cable twists in as it folds up. The table folded up. Closeup of the fittings used to support the table. This part caused me much thought and trouble. When I initially planned it in my head, I needed to see it before going further. When I actually got this far, I found several shortcomings in the work so far. I knew I wanted to suspend it on a cable, but how? How to keep it up when folded? Spent quite a while browsing online marine shops, google images etc. Finally went to the local show, and someone was selling stainless steel bits. I could wander, fit bits together etc. Side view of table folded. Sorry about the not-rotated pic. The edge was rolled - a tricky task. If you choose stainless steel, it is hard to work without a workshop. The rolled edge gives it a bit more strength. To best view this pic, make sure no-one is looking, then tilt your head to the side. A daytime view of the LED strip. Quite unobtrusive. Here is the LED switch and dimmer knob -off. The dimmer came with it's own box, the knob on the box. I opened the box, and there was enough length in the ribbon cable to cable tie the box near the variable resister (unseen part of the knob) mounted near the switch. Here is the switch and dimmer - on. I love that switch. Ebay jobby, and it sits almost flush with the trim. The LED can be wired so it is always on, only on with the switch, or off when the switch is on. Polarity doesn't matter! Detail of the top of the table surface and support. Boring pic - I meant to show how dim the LEDs would go. Literally if you are really steady with your hand, you can dim them so they are visible, but don't give any usable light. An example of how dim the LEDs go. Minimum practical lighting. If you once again turn your head on the side, and imagine the pic taken facing the end of the RH rear door. Facing the table, with minimum practical lighting. Of course it is a bit hard to compare the pics directly. They are taken on the phone. The phone tries to make everything the same lightness. Maybe in a few weeks when I get the DSLR back up and working, and set it to manual. Maybe not - it's not a headlight comparison! Maximum brightness. Maximum Brightness. In this one, you can see where I have muffed some polishing I did. I have some polishing attachments for a drill. Unfortunately the fine cotton wheel was slightly out of round, and I didn't clean off the rougher polishing grit. So it roughed instead of polished! My humble pieces of advice: Stainless steel is hard to work with. Wood is easy to work with, and provides easy options for support, bracing etc. Do some browsing around for ideas/inspiration If I was to do it again: I would fold down the edges of the table and braze/weld the corners. The sides would allow somewhere to mount the cable support.

I do my best to give them a healthy dose of reality. Make my coffee while they do the whole powder supplement thing. Tipsy-tap

Work with some people going to a comp (sculpting, not weights) within the next two weeks. They are eating 1kg of kangaroo mince a day. After the comp, they will have 1 pizza. If they make it to the next level, two weeks later, the diet continues. And it's all for looks! Not even to be able to do hard work. Tipsy-tap

Was about to say I've tried prejuiced hopes, but it doesn't have the desired effect. Have read about people that go the juice as a cancer cure too. Tipsy-tap

Re mounted the front swaybar bar... Upside down. This makes it feel halfway between having one and not. Would love to say it was on purpose, but no. Having it off was good, but as it gets warmer the shocks get warmer, and don't damp as well. Tipsy-tap