Road Tripping for Vacation

#1

Road tripping for my vacation time this year, Rental car I reserved, they didnt have any in, next step up, none available, next step up, drops 10mpg hwy rating but better ground clearance and 4WD. Guess it will do.

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Now to equip it with the accessories I have constructed for the trip.

Got my control switches mounted

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Due to the snow storms, I leave tomorrow instead of today, got a lot more to do to prep this vehicle. Wire up some more electronics and install the added gear.

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Got a warning strobe light on top, light bars, chains, solar, battery backups. Tenting gear, emergency foods and water, my portable furnace system, and much more
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I have general destination plans but along the way, nothing planned so if I see anything of interest, freedom to explore…

Anyone else do road trips with their vacation time?

#2

Said to the tune of Higgins from MAgnum P.I. (Magnum…what have you done…to the Ferrari?)

What have you done to the rental car?

Nearly all of my days off are spent on mountain day trips on two wheels or at the race track on two wheels. I can’t remember the last time I had a week of vacation that wasn’t working!

2 Likes
#3

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8hrs in, almost 450 miles, through the snow and ice roads mostly, now just going south through Nevada staying ahead of the freezing weather.

Got my Alexa Dot with external speaker, designated cell for fm transmitter for music. Designated cell for GPS live tracking plus hotspot, second device picks up hotspot and puts it on ethernet where it feeds a high powered router that the car connects to plus wireless security cameras. Dash camera system, independent 4g tablet provides gps trip tracking and full trip analysis.

Cars inboard inverter feeds my power stip in my tool box that uses a smart charger to charge my battery bank and independent charger tops off the solar generator that runs the wifi cell and internet hardware even when the vehicle is off.

Battery bank feeds power to case up front for power box. Since charger can charge at 15v, a 13.8v 10a stabilizer is used to feed power to 8 12v sockets and duel usb port plus 6 port smart usb charging hub. Additionally, power from battery bank feeds my cupholder switch system which can turn on my 2 magnetic mount roof light bars. One of the 12v sockets on the case is for a pattern changeable amber warning light on top and another for the bluetooth fm transmitter.

Inside the case I also have a smart charger for lipo batteries and more.

#4

I gotta say I had to look up most of what you were talking about in my corporate catalogs and you have some cool kit. I’m still trying to gut my way through a 3G alternator swap on my 77’ Ranchero as it requires an extra crank shaft pulley or a conversion to a serpentine belt. I’m building her to be a 500hp road trip car so somewhere the interior will meet the muscle under the hood. Yes I’m planning cut outs so that I can hear myself think in “Stealth” mode and will shake windows in LOUD mode.

So how do you make the car get a jiggy with the wireless thing? Air card or some such device?

Cheers,

Craig6

#5

@Craig6

I have multiple cell phones and tablets on my cellular account. My personal phone can do 5gx the rest of my phones 4g, one tablet is 4g, and one tablet is 3g.

Not including my work phone, I brought 4 cell phones and 2 tablets. 1 cell is off and ready for emergencies, the rest serve various functions.

I’ve been stuck on the side of the last 7hrs as no service vehicles around to visit me and my flat tire.