Recent content by Lh303

We met Phil when we picked up our 550 Ultra #423 in May of 2011. As a woodworker I got the chance to compliment him on his exquisite craftmanship. God speed Phil you will be missed.

I tow my 550 ULTRA with a Toyota RAV4 V6. Plenty of room in the back for gear and good mileage and power,even at my location of +5000'. New Rav4s have 4 Cylinder, not sure what the ratings are for that model. The only thing that I have to be careful of is not exceeding 75MPH since I hardly feel...

I am contemplating the purchase of a Mr. Buddy Heater for those cool mornings. I noticed that these heaters are not rated for altitudes above 7,000 feet due to the O2 sensor shutting off the heater. We are at 5300 feet and a lot of our camping is done @ 7 to 10,000 feet. Has anyone used this...

Kodachrome State Park is our all time favorite park in that area. The scenery is awesome and the campground is first rate. One word of caution about camping in Southern Utah in the spring is a little no-see-um called the cedar gnat. This little gal needs blood before it can lay it's eggs and...

Once at a gas station the attendant asked "Where do you put air in it"? When I asked him to explain the question a bit further he stated that this couldn't possibly sleep anybody so obviously it had to be blown up in order to turn into one of those fancy silver Airstream trailers. We laughed all...

Having hauled two mountain bikes all over the Southwest including dirt roads,the heavier/beefier the rack is,the better, in that it provides extra stability. Avoid extenders in that they will cause additional sway. We have a bumper on our 550 and our rack clears it just fine. We always take...

while we vets remember the sacrifices that were made by us as well as our families, there is a special bond that those of us who have served in combat remember with fondness, and that is the friendships that develop in extremely adverse conditions. I remember very well when I landed in Vietnam...

Christopher, Prior to picking up our 550 back in may of 2011, we used to live for Sunday night since that is when the pictures were posted. We used to study the pictures to the point where we knew where every screw went. Once you start getting your photos you know you are close. We spent that...

Rick you will find that this will prove to be one of the most memorable purchases you will ever make. We too purchased sight unseen based on the CI website and the Forum. We have had our 550 Ultra for 15 months and passed the 50 night mark 2 weekends ago. We have camped in tents, RVs, and even...

Silverstreaker, Speaking of bug spray you will need it in not only Alaska but also in Utah if you go in the spring and early summer. Southern Utah is home to a no-seeum called the Cedar Gnat, It is a very tiny insect that has mandibles that it uses to saw a hole in your exposed skin or scalp...

If you can spend the time, factory pickup is the best option. You get the tour which in itself is almost worth the long drive, then best of all you get to camp on the way back, this maidenrun kind of reinforces all of the tips that you got from Cary at the factory. As to the expense, you get...

As Jenn and AlCat pointed out, the campground is different than the home front. In a lifetime of camping, including tent, rv, and now a teardrop I have never been ripped off. There is a camp ethic out there that you just don't rip off your fellow travelers. Maybe everyone knows that there is a...

I work for a large electrical distributor and our yard typically carries $100 to $500,000 worth of copper. We used to get hit once a month despite cameras and alarms. We got two Dobermans, Al and Bruno put signs on the fence stating "Our Dogs Can Make it to the Fence in 2.5 Seconds, Can You...

Many of us store our trailers in the garage, and while that is a great option from a security standpoint there is still a possibility for a thief to get into your garage. About 3 months ago my vehicle was broken into late at night while parked in the driveway. On the visor I had my garage door...

This bang it or drop it technique works with any and all hitech electronic gadgets. I first started using it with my parents b&w tv. Now that I've grown up to be an electrical engineer I use it all the time, the hammer is also an excellent tool to use just in case banging it or dropping it...