Search results

Purchased a Garmin inReach Mini for our trip to AK and got a lot of use out of it. We purchased it specifically for emergency situations in dead zones but found it useful for other purposes as well. The device itself is expensive but the cheapest base plan ($15/month after paying a $35 yearly...

There are a number of reasons your phone may not be compatible with Visible. An IMEI # on your phone indicates you are running on the GSM band which uses either AT&T or T-mobile network and towers. (Tracfone has agreements with all major carriers so a GSM phone could have been using the T-mobile...

Great job, eDJ! Your alterations moved the needle from not liking the decal at all to finding it much more appealing and indicative of van "living".

We not only have a Chevy 1500 but a 4.3L engine so also have to be very cognizant about weight. I didn't realize that anyone could use the commercial CAT scales. Our county dump has one and were able to use that to keep an eye on the weight with our additions and gear but good to know there are...

Coincidentally, I just watched a Gone w/Wynns video a couple weeks ago and they mentioned that that were holding off on Starlink bc they were predicting a cost increase for service, which they believed would be attributed more with the astronomical increase in usage and demand than anything...

Thanks for the caution. Believe me, I'm extremely paranoid about that and anytime I feel that 3rd gear and pumping periodically is NOT keeping speed down, I'll be putting it down to 2. The rotors hubs purchased are built to dissipate the brake heat but I certainly still don't feel comfortable...

UPDATE: We went in to the office to speak with the trans-shop owner when dropping off van to describe in more detail what my concerns were. He told us that he wouldn't be able to help us with that problem because what I described was inherent to that transmission (precisely what that bulletin...

VanFan - we do sound like kindred spirits only I don't want to know how much we've put into this vehicle. Would love to see your van if you have a link to your build. FlipperFL - ITA that a reman is a sound investment and have decided not to spend any $$ on a rebuilt unless we find ourselves in...

Ugh, I hadn't thought of that. Good point, HC. I had a friend when we first moved to the area 20 yrs ago who swore by the owner of this very same trans-shop, stating that he was the most honest mechanic they had been to. We took a vehicle there shortly thereafter and met with the owner but we...

Hubs likes to do it himself so the drain plug would have made it less messy to drain first before taking off pan. Also, if he were to try the slow exchange method, it makes things much more challenging. Not impossible, but challenging.

A little update: the oil was checked again and there is absolutely no hint of a burnt smell...just a very faint whiff of petroleum product. I looked at the paper towel again today and the oil spot is now a large (it spread very well on the paper, so thin viscosity) clear, diluted tea-colored...

CrabbyJerry: (love the username btw): You expressed my husbands exact feelings perfectly! He doesn't even trust the ATRA accredited shops since he ran a healthcare facility and dealt with meaningless accreditation organizations. And he especially distrusts transmission shops. HappyCamper: THANK...

I wish we would have just changed transmission oil when we purchased the van because we had absolutely no symptoms and the oil looked great. I know there is much debate about that topic in the mechanic world but it seems lately the consensus is shifting to change the oil in stages over a period...

Our van does not have a drain plug. Not sure if Chevy added them in later years---if we do have transmission serviced, we were thinking of having a pan installed with a drain plug included. But for now, we would have to drop the pan at every change. I'm with you, Bullfrog. I don't understand...

I purchased one of these for our van to avoid drilling any additional holes or having to rewire the inside...

JonyJoe: Yeah, hubs was concerned about the diff fluid when we bought the van so that was one of the things he changed immediately after purchasing.

He said he didn't think to smell it but told me he still had the paper towel that he used and to take a whiff (I have the blessing/curse of having the nose of a bloodhound). No burnt smell whatsover on that but we will definitely go out tomorrow and get a better sample to smell. Sorry if I...

Oh! Forgot to mention.... Hubby checked fluid and wiped dipstick on a paper towel. Fluid is translucent and reddish brown. There was black streak where the edge of the dipstick was wiped as if the dipstick itself was dirty.

That is encouraging! Now that you mention it, there is an AAMCO nearby with excellent reviews (we do take online reviews with a grain of salt but at least we can't find horror stories among them). Looking at their website, they only do remans, no rebuilds. That's good news for us...and it's a...

Love that suggestion -- in addition to the sob story to tempt him to do it, we'd have to pay for his transportation and housing since he is basking in the glory of retired life somewhere down south.