Gladiator Expedition Rigs

[Mules]

Here's a great article on using Antigravity Lithium batteries in Overlanding vehicles.

https://www.exploringoverland.com/overland-tech-travel/2021/2/21/lifepo4-batteries-worth-the-cost

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[Mules]

Cleaning out the aircraft hangar and found an old dirty box covered with stickers. Took it home, cleaned off the stickers and dirt.

Turned out to be a nice Pelican box! This will be great for my overlanding gear.

 

[Mules]

The Pelican 1650 case fits perfectly on top of the passenger back seat. It leaves room for the back passenger seat behind the driver or the fridge there.

 

[RubiNewbCB]

https://toolguyd.com/makita-cordless-microwave-xgt/


Here's a piece of gear to consider testing.

 

[Mules]

https://toolguyd.com/makita-cordless-microwave-xgt/


Here's a piece of gear to consider testing.

How cool it that!!! A battery powered microwave!

I want one!

 

[Mules]

This is definitely one of those "Why the hell didn't I think of that" days.

So I've camped about a half dozen times in my rig, and without fail, I have to get up in the middle of the night to take a whiz. I don't want to clean out the porta potty, so I put my shoes on, go outside and do my business. I've stopped bringing the porta potty, since I don't use it.

So today I was talking to one of my pilot buddies, who also camps in his 4x4 van and has the same issue. Simple enough, he just uses a milk jug!

Walgreens has something better than a milk jug for a few bucks.

No more leaving the camper at night! If you have good aim, you don't even need to get out of bed

 

[chorky]

This is definitely one of those "Why the hell didn't I think of that" days.

So I've camped about a half dozen times in my rig, and without fail, I have to get up in the middle of the night to take a whiz. I don't want to clean out the porta potty, so I put my shoes on, go outside and do my business. I've stopped bringing the porta potty, since I don't use it.

So today I was talking to one of my pilot buddies, who also camps in his 4x4 van and has the same issue. Simple enough, he just uses a milk jug!

Walgreens has something better than a milk jug for a few bucks.

No more leaving the camper at night! If you have good aim, you don't even need to get out of bed

I used those a bunch when laid up in the hospital for a few weeks after brain surgery. They work good enough but they clip onto the side of the bed so that the mouth faces up. I dont know that I would trust it in a tent with me..... the lid does 'snap' shut, but it's not super duper secure. better than a milk jug since the mouth is wider and easier to well not spill drops. But a milk jug seems a lot more secure to me. Just thinking from my hospital use.

 

[Mules]

I used those a bunch when laid up in the hospital for a few weeks after brain surgery. They work good enough but they clip onto the side of the bed so that the mouth faces up. I dont know that I would trust it in a tent with me..... the lid does 'snap' shut, but it's not super duper secure. better than a milk jug since the mouth is wider and easier to well not spill drops. But a milk jug seems a lot more secure to me. Just thinking from my hospital use.

These are what my buddies use in aircraft. Probably a bit more secure.

 

[Rusty PW]

How cool it that!!! A battery powered microwave!

I want one!

I have a buddy who will be all over this. He loves Makita tools. Think he has at least one of each tool.

 

[TexasOverlander]

Buy a bottle of Tropicana orange juice. Enjoy the juice, then remove label and/or mark the bottle to ensure no mistakes.....
instant, sealable urinal with a wide mouth top. .....Been using these for years.. when the rinse out stops working, BUY more OJ !

 

[Mules]

On a different subject, I've been thinking about taking a dirt bike along instead of my mountain bike on camping trips. I would mount it on a trailer hitch mount on my Gladiator similar to my mountain bike. Ideally it would be street legal, light weight with enough power to do some short highway trips.

Here are four bikes I found at my local big motorcycle dealer. Some Dual Sports and Adventure Bikes.

The Kawasaki KLR Adventure is definitely a great deal for a bigger touring bike, all rigged out for $7-$8K. Definitely big enough for me at 6'2" and 210 lb. Just too heavy and big for my trail riding and trailer hitch.

The KTM390 Adventure is the coolest bike in this price range around $6K. Feels a lot more like a street bike than for trails. Too short on the suspension for my trails, and a bit heavy.

The Kawasaki KLX300 is my winner for best value, street legal trail bike for your trailer hitch rack. Light enough for me to pick up (300lb), water cooled, fuel injected, low maintenance and runs around $6K. Tall enough for me, with plenty of suspension to hit the trails, and just enough power for highways. There's also a cheaper KLX230 that is air cooled.

But....

Here's the one that wins over my heart. How can a 500cc Dual Sport KTM weight less than the Kawasaki KLX300 at only 250lbs?! The KTM 500 EXC is hands down the best performing street legal dual sport there is. The only problem is the price tag at $12.5K! Ouch...

I'm keeping my eye out for a used KTM. Don't tell my wife I looking for another toy.

 

[Mules]

I like these guys ideas.

 

[FitfulGoat]

That GS on the back of the defender has got to put them overweight… those start at over 500lbs empty.

What hitch mount would you go with? Would you be taking it on trails fully loaded(the Jeep that is)?

 

[Mules]

That GS on the back of the defender has got to put them overweight… those start at over 500lbs empty.

What hitch mount would you go with? Would you be taking it on trails fully loaded(the Jeep that is)?

I was thinking about an MX Hauler and a bike around 300lbs. The trick is to get the bike heigh enough for a departure angle on the truck.

At 300 lb. for camper, 400 lb. for a couple people, 300 lb for the bike, 50 lb for the rack, and 200 lb for gear. That's about 1,250 lbs. I should have more than 1,500 lb capacity on my Gladiator with EVO lift.

I'll be able to get to my base camps with that much weight, but I wouldn't do any serious 4 wheeling with a dirt bike on back. The bikes really get tossed around hard, and I've seen one break the mount. Hell, I even broke my mountain bike rack, last time I went 4-wheeling with it on back.

 

[HooliganActual]

Doesn't anyone use a jet boil and camp stove anymore?

Electric to heat is not a very efficient use of limited electric power.

Not a JetBoil here but definitely THE camp stove. To paraphrase Charlton Heston. they'll have to pry my Partner Steel "from my cold, dead hands". LOL

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