Recent content by sephson

Also, a car's starter battery will have 6 to 8 duty cycles. This means that you can only drain the battery 6 to 8 times before you need a new battery. The battery doesn't drain while you're driving because your car's alternator is constantly charging the battery whenever the engine is running...

That depends on whether you're visiting California in a vehicle that's registered in another state or if you're trying to register your FJ Cruiser with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. If you're just visiting California and your vehicle is registered in another state, you're fine as...

I wish I could have made it out there this year. Unfortunately, issues at work kept me away. Well, there's always next year.

Cammalu touched on this point earlier, but as I too am one of those "evil" landlords, here's a bit of the landlord's perspective. I own three rental properties. I pay the mortgages, taxes, insurance and association dues for those properties. The rent does not cover these expenses. Now add...

I only met mike in person twice at two different RTR's, but he and I had some great interactions here on the forum. I'll miss his presence here and his wit most of all.

It's an Alligator Lizard. They're pretty common where I'm at in Southern California. They're quick and mimic snakes when they move. They will bite if provoked and while their bite is not harmful, they don't let go. Several years ago, I saw an Alligator Lizard fighting a Garter Snake. They were...

I had a visitor at work yesterday. An Alligator Lizard decided to stop by the amphitheater and look around yesterday afternoon. For a frame of reference, that wall section to the lizard's right is 12.5 inches wide. I figure that places this lizard at about 15 inches long.

I use a two room shower tent. It only takes up a little more room collapsed than a single room tent would. and allows me to have a wet side and a dry side. I set up my toilet on the dry side and I shower on the wet side. I also get dressed on the dry side.

While it's not quite the same, I road trip in my 2012 Kia Soul. There just might be enough similarities that you could get a few ideas from my build thread. Who knows? A little of what I've done might actually work for your Mazda, https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=9848

Weather could be an issue. If it rains, that moonroof won't keep the water out. Rain guards for the windows are relatively easy to install and allow you to crack the windows for ventilation while still keeping the rain out.

I'm not a full timer, but I travel in my 2012 Kia Soul when time and money permit. I chose the Soul for my road tripper back in 2014 because it was the vehicle I had at the time. I had been thinking about purchasing a van for traveling, but simply could not come up with the money for one. So...

Welcome to the group! I'm also in the So Cal area, though I'm not a nomad at present. You'll find a lot of good information here along with quite a few helpful people who are happy to answer questions. Best of luck to you in your upcoming travels!

Thank you AeroNautiCal! So far, I've had my Soul for nine years. I've had it set up as a road tripper for six years. There are still a few changes and additions I'd like to make to my setup, but the broad strokes are done. What's left is details. On the whole, I'm happy with how everything...

I travel in Kia Soul, so I needed something small enough to store in a very tight space. I got a Helinox Sunset Chair. https://www.rei.com/product/158003/helinox-sunset-chair It wasn't cheap, but it's surprisingly comfortable and collapses down to a nice, compact package for storage.

Welcome to CheapRVLiving Amber! I road trip in a 2012 Kia Soul as time and money permit. Based on your intro, it sounds like you're looking to take a different direction with your build than I did with mine, but here's a link to my build thread. Who knows? You might find some inspiration for...