Looking those little things that can't be left out of an exop rig.

[slickrock]

I have a 07 FJ Cruiser that is my DD, but I make an annual trip up to my cabin on a little island between the main land and Vancouver Island in Canada. I usually pound through the drive and can make it to the island from Central CA in 2 days (have to make 3 ferry connections- leave 4am Monday get onto island at 7pm Tuesday). My son is 7 years old and I want to turn this into an exploratory camping trip before we get to the island. We will probably take a week or more to get there. Instead of I-5 the whole way, we are going to zigzag across the CA, OR, and WA by hitting HWY 1, back to I-5, then over to some of the eastern, northern routs like towards Lassen Volcanic area.

There will be 3 of us plus two medium sized dogs (me, my son, and best friend…wife is staying home to teach summer school!) so inside space is limited for storage. The back end will be for the dogs. I will not do trials harder than mild stuff so I don’t need suspension or tire changes at this point. We will camp off the trails, but I can get pretty far back with the locker. I will change my tires out to 285/70/17 trail tires and I am building a new front bumper in December.

Since my FJC is a DD I can’t go to crazy with the build, but I am always looking for the little things that make the journey a bit more enjoyable. I am not looking for camping stuff (I have just about everything needed for total comfort around a camp fire.)

Anyone have any toys I might want to think about adding before this trip for my FJC? I have an itch to buy something for the trip that I need to scratch.


List of things I have added:
WI-FI
Dog cage
Laptop and mount with Delorme Topo / DVD player for son
Sirius
Roof Rack
Fog light / roof rack lights / back-up lamps / area lighting
Fabricated a sun/rain tarp off of roof rack
CB
Will be getting a HAM
Nuvi highway GPS
Full camp kit (chairs, stove, tent, light, cots etc)
Radar detector
2, 5 gallon gerry cans (mounted roof rack) + automatic siphon
5 gallon water can
4 water proof boxes for the back of roof rack
1 large plastic roof top carrier for gear.
Building a rear drawer system for storage

What can I add to make this trip more enjoyable or some little gadget I need to get.

 

[Jan-78FJ40]

Throw out all the electric gadgets except the GPS. You want the kids to interact, not surf the net.
Forget the gas-cans, you won't need them in the continental US, and you should not have that much (flammable) weight on the roof anyway.
Take more water, 5 gal is not enough for 3 plus 2 dogs.
IMO you have way too much already, size down, not up.
Take some fishing poles.
have fun,
J

 

[slickrock]

I need the gas cans for the island my cabin is on. No gas unless you are in a boat. Need the cans to lug down to the dock to fill up.

We will be on the toad 6-8 hours a day. He is 7. There is only so much reading and discussion we can have before boredom sets in and I need to net to communicate with my wife. We video conference so my son can see her face. Do you have any idea how much a phone call everyday costs form a little island in the middle of nowhere? It is huge so the net and 3G is the way to go. Those things are non negotiable.

I can add another water container, but 5 gallons usually lasts for a 3 day camping trip. We will be by lakes and streams most of the time for cooking and water for the dogs.

 

[BreckenridgeCruiser]

Uh, Besides a fridge, I think you got plenty! Only thing I have that you don't (while you have a ton more stuff than I have on mine!) is I mounted an eye into my hard top side to hang a hammock off of. All I need is one well placed tree!

 

[chet]

which island is your cabin on? Sounds like a nice place up here!

 

[D'Animal]

X - 2 on the electronics stuff staying home. Migth be fun teaching you son to read a map and figure out where you are and where you have been.

You are already taking more stuff than I took when I went to the ACT 2010. I packed heavy on the trail spares and tools.

 

[slickrock]

Dan and all, I need the computer and wifi while in my cabin so might as well utilize it while on the road. It is the only contact with the outside world since about two years ago a storm blew down the phone line and it didn't bother me that it didn't work so never fixed it. Phone company only services the line up to about 100 yards to the cabin, the rest is my responsibility.

My wife would be very pissed if I wasn't able to get in touch with her so she could talk to her son and me every few days so those are staying since believe it or not, Verizon has 3G from the mainland to the western coast of Vancouver all the way up past Prince Rupert. My son likes to use the ecam to talk to his mom and she uses the one at home so they can see each other while they talk.

I also have Delorme topo for exploring back roads along the way and I will need that when we get to Eastern Oregon and Washington since I haven't been there yet. Not only that, but I need to be on top of the weather on the island and the best way to do that is through the net. It can go from glass on the water to 10 or a lot more foot seas in a matter of minutes, not hours up there. Some days I am 20 miles away from my cove in front of the cabin and it isn't a straight shot. I have to weave through different islands and inlets. My boat is only a 19 footer deep V with a 150 HP motor so it does handle the chop well but it isn't fun trying to ride the top of the waves home to beat a good nor'wester or having to find a cove on the leigh side of the storm to hunker down in for a few days. The boat has a little sleeping area so it is comfortable enough, but the storms can last a day or two so weather reports are key.

Not much in the way of TV on the island for news and I get a better picture from online weather reports than the Coastguard report on the FM bands.

I was considering a fridge, but damn they are expensive. I may need to go that way and buy one or borrow one since I will have fish that I will bring home that needs to be frozen and a fridge /freezer is perfect or I have to dry ice them. The rest is smoked so that stays without cold storage.

As for the island my cabin is on, sorry but the less the world knows about it, the better. PM me and I'll let you know.

I will have my camping trailer attached which holds all of my camping gear, so the inside will be empty except for the dogs in back and the 3 of us in the passenger area. I may not need the roof-top carrier since I can put most of our clothes in the trailer, but the roof rack will have at least 3 waterproof boxes, 2 jerry cans. I can transfer the water to the trailer.

Sounds like I have about everything I could possibly need, except for a fridge. Since I have a 12V outlet in the rear, maybe I can go with a small dorm style fridge if I can find one for cheap enough at a garage sale. They can probably stay cold enough between when we stop for the night and start in the morning to make it to the island.

 

[Ozdunc]

My only thought is it might be good to put the water into 2 containers. That way if one gets punctured, you still have the other one.

Sounds like a cool trip.

 

[slickrock]

Good idea. The FJC has such a small gas tank (295 miles on best tank) that I almost need to have a secondary tank for longer trips but one isn't made for it yet. Maybe in the future. I could get away with not carrying the extra jerry cans, but unless I get gas down at the dock, it is about 35% more expensive to have it pumped up to an auto gas pump. @ 2.00 a liter, that adds up quick.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Make sure that whatever HAM radio you get has WX. All of my HAM radios not only have WX ability but also have an alert function that will let me know if there are any severe weather warnings.

Keep an eye on Compact Appliance they have some good sales. The Edge Star fridge / freezers have been getting pretty good reviews on the overland forums.

 

[slickrock]

THansk for the info. I think a xmas present from my wife will be to get a HAM radio from the wife. I'll keep the WX in mind. I was considering gettting a handheld so I can move it between my FJ40, FJC, and boat, but I can make hard mounts in all the rigs to transfer a nonheld between the three.

Every time I see you Avatar I laugh. Nothing like seeing a happy Condom in the morning.

 

[rusty_tlc]

THansk for the info. I think a xmas present from my wife will be to get a HAM radio from the wife. I'll keep the WX in mind. I was considering gettting a handheld so I can move it between my FJ40, FJC, and boat, but I can make hard mounts in all the rigs to transfer a nonheld between the three.

Every time I see you Avatar I laugh. Nothing like seeing a happy Condom in the morning.

An HT is a nice accessory but you need a hard mounted mobile unit IMHO. I started with an HT and think it was a mistake. They are hard to program and operate especially when driving.


The AV is actually the mascot of a regional light bulb vendor. Get your mind out of the gutter.
























































Actually my first thought when I saw it was WTF? why is a light bulb company using a condom as a mascot?

 

[slickrock]

I agree a hard mount unit will be my best option.

 

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

Good idea. The FJC has such a small gas tank (295 miles on best tank) that I almost need to have a secondary tank for longer trips but one isn't made for it yet.

Man-A-Fre has an aux tank for the FJC's. It's a nice unit, my father has one in his TT Edition.

 

[Combat Chuck]

Every time I see you Avatar I laugh. Nothing like seeing a happy Condom in the morning.

Actually my first thought when I saw it was WTF? why is a light bulb company using a condom as a mascot?

All this time, I thought it was some kind of friendly ghost... What a lame afterlife, being a happy condom.

Slickrock: I know exactly what your list needs: more cowbell!

But, seriously, which version of TOPO USA are you using? I'm running 7, and often go mano-a-mano with the thing trying top program routes into it to upload onto my Earthmate. For whatever reason, it worked great one time, but now every time I enter in some directions, it wants to connect the third via to the start. Which version are you running, and do you have the same issues?

 

[sirenmoses]

...I can add another water container, but 5 gallons usually lasts for a 3 day camping trip. We will be by lakes and streams most of the time for cooking and water for the dogs.

Have you ever traveled w/a dog that has giardia? It makes for a Very Long Drive home.

Or you could filter/boil then cool available water. You clearly feel yr water needs are being met, tho my desert dwelling self is uneasy w/less than 1 gallon/ea per day.

Please show pix of the 'dog cage': is it a rear barrier, and for what type of dogs? My 2 dobers wouldn't fit well into the back of an FJ, much less w/a dorm frig plugged in.

 

[Combat Chuck]

My 2 dobers wouldn't fit well into the back of an FJ, much less w/a dorm frig plugged in.

I think he mentioned stowing the possible fridge in the trailer, and running 12V out there to it...

 

[shovelbill]

how about an onboard air system and maybe an under hood welding setup like these:

::Kilby Enterprises::

www.*premierpowerweld*er.*com

 

[80nick]

4 titanium sporks! you will misplace 1...

build your water storage into your bumper that you are going to build.

get the fridge. i have had one for about 5 years now. infact, i'd buy two small ones and run 1 on freeze and 1 refrigerate. or, one of the new dual zone ones. we use it everyday, wife keeps it in her volvo wagon. nice to go to farmers market and get things and not have to worry about rushing home. nice to use at kids baseball games. there are many uses beyond just camping.

 

[slickrock]

Which freezer/fridges do you have? I can't justify spending 500 for one.

As for oba, I have an MV-50 that is hard mounted in my 40, but I'll take it out for the FJC. Good thought.

4 titanium sporks! you will misplace 1...

build your water storage into your bumper that you are going to build.

get the fridge. i have had one for about 5 years now. infact, i'd buy two small ones and run 1 on freeze and 1 refrigerate. or, one of the new dual zone ones. we use it everyday, wife keeps it in her volvo wagon. nice to go to farmers market and get things and not have to worry about rushing home. nice to use at kids baseball games. there are many uses beyond just camping.