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Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge. Maxwell, NM. Just off I-25 but very quiet. Pit toilets and 5 (free) campsites. Only ones here

Deb and I are trying wintering in Florida this year for a few weeks. We couldn't get into state or federal parks in the southern half, due to all the snowbirds who've planned further ahead than us. If you're near where we're staying, drop us a message and maybe we can meet up! Eggs 'N S'mores Rally at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park near Live Oak January 15-20 Blackwater River State Park January 20-26 Fort Pickens January 26-31 A couple of nights at Best Western in Tallahassee to stretch out January 31-February 2 Salt Springs Recreation Area February 2-12 Retro Reno in Jacksonville February 12-13 A four night Carnival Bahamas Cruise for a change of pace February 13-17 After that, we'll wander north, with possible stops in Savannah GA and/or Columbia SC, depending on the weather.

Just retraced the route from Oklahoma City into California 2 weeks back. It was pretty chilly at nights on that whole route. From our 2022 adventure: https://4-ever-hitched.com/route-66-2022 Craig

Just watch out for that "flat bed Ford"!

Here is a Jason W. post related to the Mother Road. Also perhaps a PM to Coy would find a bunch of information since I know that he has done it in the past. And, there is a KYD (Keep Your Daydream) entire series documenting their travel on 66 - see THIS. Bill

One time we camped close to Rt. 66 Winslow AZ, Homolovi State Park. https://azstateparks.com/homolovi Nice SP and happened to be a car show on Main Street @ Winslow on Rt. 66. Just off of I40, too. Very enjoyable day.

@jd1923, I seem to recall from past reads some time ago that the Micro-Air EasyStart ‘Breeze’ Soft Starter was recommended for the Atmos 4.4, and that the ‘364’ model would not work. I installed the ‘364’ on the Dometic and had hopes of saving some bucks by installing it on the Atmos, but ended up having SDG install the SoftStartRV brand they use.

We have the Oliver front storage basket, and use a Rubbermaid Action Packer 24. There is extra space around this, as it doesn't completely fill the basket. We'll sometimes stuff wet tarps of carpets in there rather than inside the trailer or SUV. RollerCam, the best in the business, and made for continued use in the sun. They started out in the rafting industry, and expanded into other fields. https://www.rollercam.com We use one across the ActionPacker, and if leaving the trailer unattended for short times, we also use a bicycle cable lock.

My comment on the blue straps is their plastic ends. I am not familiar with this strap buckle. But it looks like just a loop through type. If it is metal and is rated well stronger than the burst strength of the quality strapping, then again more credit to Joe. GJ I am not familiar with this strap buckle

To each their own. If I was going to replace the front basket, I would consider paying extra for Made in USA quality, good point. It must fit when turning, steering full-cocked, and be careful when backing up, as the angle can get tighter and even hit the smaller OEM basket. I know, as there's a crease in my rear bumper, whoops! I don't travel with gas cans, period, for the spills and smells alone, let alone safety reasons. Everything we need is connected to the two OEM installed 30# LP tanks. If you must, consider a safety container, one that has less chance of exploding in an accident. Not sure of the safety rating of the gas can above, and I'm not recommending these brands, but this link will give you the idea: 5 Best Off-Road Gas Cans for Overlanding and Wheeling - Adventures on the Rock Then there is also the issue that ethanol-based fuel should be used within 30 days. Learned recently that Stabil doesn't really work. You can buy ethanol-free fuel which lasts somewhat longer. Maverick sells it in our area. LP tanks can be filled and kept in storage for as long as you would need. I'm of the mindset of going high-end inverter, MORE AHs and solar wattage, and leave the ugly (sounding) generator at home! It's not worth the weight and they're heavy, so is the extra fuel. As @Patriot noted, 42 days out west without the need! I imagine he uses LP, but if he carried gas, it would be bad by the time they got home. I'm always emptying the fuel tanks of our dirt bikes, within a few days of returning home, and my yard tools before winter, pouring the left-over gas into my son's old truck (he appreciates it)! Do this in time, or not at all. I also keep a 5-gallon steel gas can for old gas and use it to clean auto parts for my restoration projects. Kerosene or Diesel is safer, but I use what I have. 3 trucks, 2 cars, 3 dirt vehicles and 8 gas-powered yard tools, the last thing I would need is another 1-2 gas cans!!! I understand those who live SE and need to run A/C all day either need shore power or generator. Our remedy is don't travel during summer months. Our usual travel season is late September through May. Next year we will travel early summer, only to visit family in MN and northern states to and from. Chris doesn't like summer, so we stay home where she plays pickleball indoors 3-4 times a week! Me only 1-2 times weekly, since I'm always working on something! If our 720W solar (with Renogy 400W suitcase) will not keep our 600AH LiFePO4 batteries up to par after a week of boondocking, we find a spot with hookups for the night! Next year, after I install the efficient Atmos A/C, we will be able to run the A/C for a couple hours a day off-grid. Food for thought and best wishes to all. JD

This long awaited swap-mod is now checked off my to-do list! Like many, I tolerated the noisy Dometic Penguin ll long enough; so glad I was finally able to take decisive action with this install. After a couple years of mulling over the various replacement models being marketed, a unit emerged that caught my attention; the newly available Atmos 4.4 seemingly met all of my expectations. I will forego the removal of the Dometic, here is how I proceeded forward: First and foremost, all AC and DC power sources were turned OFF! Scaffolding and equipment/supplies were then staged for Dometic ‘liftoff’ and subsequent Atmos ‘lunar landing’ (only appropriate since I live a couple miles from the NASA Mission Control Center in Houston). Roof area in need of cleaning. Notice the raised fiberglass landing on my year model and that the former condensate drain tube was simply disconnected rather than cutoff. Roof area throughly cleaned and prepped. I decided to adhere the square self-adhesive foam roof seal directly onto the fiberglass and then apply non-leveling Dicor around the cutout perimeter to further ensure the best seal possible. In positioning the foam seal, care was taken to center it as evenly possible, thereby allowing about 1/4-3/8” of exposed fiberglass to lay a bead of the Dicor and finger smooth to finish. Interior view of the Atmos being positioned over the roof cutout. Note the use of the mounting bolts as a guide, as recommended by SDG. Because the ‘rough cut’ edges of the layers of fiberglass (inner and outer hulls, and spacial filler) were inconsistent, I used the foam seal as a reference to accurately center and align the unit; distances measured to each respective bolt. Initially, installation instructions were followed by adhering the supplied straight piece of self-adhesive foam onto the bottom of the unit as a rear support, but it did not make contact with the roof due to relief of the aforementioned fiberglass landing. Alternatively, the foam piece was cut in half and each adhered onto the fiberglass, in like manner as the square seal, along the outer edges of said landing. This adaptation proved very effective in application and purpose, as the last of the next three pics demonstrates. Now that the exterior unit is properly positioned and supported, it’s back inside to further installation. As a side note, I made use of a portable a/c to buffer the heat and humidity of the day! Although my son helped with the heavy lifting and positioning, I cut him loose and completed the remaining tasks solo. Before proceeding, I used foil tape to treat the end of the aforementioned condensate drain tube and secure it to the side. Next the installation of the fabric air plate duct subassembly was started (provided Dreiha Atmos 4.4 Manual details the process). Note I used foil tape on both the upper (at Atmos bottom) and lower (at mounting frame) duct plates, even though most installs viewed applied to the mounting frame plate only. Between the upper and lower duct plate installs, the ceiling assembly mounting frame was bolted in place and hand torqued using a screwdriver only (torque specified in Manual). The AC power connection was very straightforward. The ceiling assembly’s junction box cover was removed, a strain relief fitting installed at one end (the other end had a preinstalled protector) and respective wires routed inside. I reused the Wago Lever-Nuts from the Dometic install, but first tinned the stranded wires of the Atmos lead for optimum assurance in application; electrical tape was used to further secure the Wago connectors. Ground wires were secured per the Manual. The junction box cover was then replaced, DC thermostat wire bundle loom wrapped and tucked away for future use, and ceiling grille fastened in place. . I’m very pleased with this mod, quality of the Atmos and ease of installation! I should mention that SDG preinstalled a SoftStartRV. I will provide an update once the furnace wiring and thermostat mount is completed. A special shoutout to @rideadeuce for forging the way with his install of an Atmos!

I’m starting to think about and plan a Route 66 trip. Does anyone have Route 66 experience or have any advice? We’ve done a lot of I-40 but never took the time to deviate on to the old highway where it still exists. Any recommendations for maps/guides? Mike

If there’s a girl, my lord, in a flat bed ford slowin’ down to look at me, I’m sure Carol will handle it! I’ll just take it easy. 🤣

I definitely want a picture of me/us standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona, such a fine sight to see!

Our refrigerator has an external cooling fan as standard equipment. If yours is similarly equipped, then you should hear that. Ours is loud enough to drown out the sound of the propane flame. If the propane flame fails to light, then the error code will reappear within a couple of minutes. A side comment: the factory cooling fan isn't adequate for Texas summer heat. Like several others have done, we've added an auxiliary fan from Beech.

What refrigerator do you have? When we ran out of propane running our Norcold it could be switched to AC or DC without displaying an error code. When the propane was refilled and the stove burners, hot water and furnace were working, the fridge still gave an error code on propane. After turning the fridge off and then back on, then the propane worked.

Likely not a fair competition! Ron has only had 4 years with his Oliver, me a poor little 18 months now. Steve is the original Oliver Pioneer! 😂

I'm guessing that ScubaRx might take this as some sort of challenge. I'd also bet that he'd win. Bill

That said.... I like your mounting concept. But in an adverse situation the short height will foster spilling contents out of the storage basket. This is a major reason that the OTT box and all the options above have height enough to ensure stuff in the basket stay in the basket. If you were to:: Match the size and shape of the Oliver Box foot print, this would mitigate the Basket/TV interference damage issue somewhat. Ditch the hanging fuel containers outside the basket. Reduce the fuel load and mount a fuel container inside the frame of your basket. Would require vertical tang. Ditch the blue straps and get some STRONG ones. These plastic strap ends will fail under impact. The larger picture below seems to indicate that the blue straps are run up and to the flanks of the generator handle. IF this is the case, a better solution would be to "X" them on the front and back big sides of the generator, running them through the handle. I would also increase the bottom width distance to help reduce movement port/starboard directional movement. Or add another strong strap port/starboard also passing through the generator handle. Combined the above would significantly mitigate the situation. GJ

Joe: Several of us share similar safety thoughts about your storage solution. Realistically, the backing damage hazard to your storage box and/or TV likely would not incur a liability concern. But a more disasters event, such as postulated above, certainly would. Please be aware that many forums contents are searchable on the Web. Should a worst case scenario happen, the plaintiff's attorney would likely present this thread as evidence. He/She would present that you were duly warned about the safety issues of your design. The attorney would then press for a determination that you were grossly negligent. With such a determination, it generally results in triple damages. Your insurance would likely not cover any claims or liabilities as a result of a courts assessment of a grossly negligent act by the policy holder. In short, you are hosed. So IMO as well, it's just not worth the risk to you, you family or other's. GJ

Agree 💯%, sorry did not mean to sound like I criticized your post! I also was just putting the more affordable option out there. Like I said the Amazon box works just fine for our needs.

Perhaps this excerpt by a contributor to the sprinter-source.com forum will provide answer to your question: “The need for a soft start on an RV air conditioner isn't a new problem, this is the case with all 13.5k and 15k BTU air conditioners I've encountered. RVers have always known they experience air conditioner operation problems at low voltage campgrounds, particularly in the high temperature high current demand times of summer camping. The air conditioner compressor won't compete for power, it just doesn't run. The air conditioner fan runs but the compressor won't start if the shore power voltage is to low, because it can't get enough current. Issues with air conditioner high LRAs have become more apparent with the popularity of Lithium batteries and inverters. Folks want to run their air conditioner off Lithium batteries and a 3000w inverter, but dampening the LRA is the only way to do that. The Atmos LRA is 48.5a, Dometic Penguin ll LRA is 52a, and the Truma LRA is 58a. Micro-Air was the first company to realize the RV industry needed a solution for reducing air conditioner compressor LRA, which is why they created the EasyStart. Micro-Air had this market cornered until just a couple of years ago when SoftStartRV started producing a similar type of soft start device. Both the EasyStart and SoftStartRV dampened the Dometic Penguin ll's LRA to around 24a. The lower the LRA the easier for the RV electrical system to run it (shore or generator power or Lithium battery/inverter). All us LTVers have added EasyStarts or SoftStartRVs to our Dometic Penguin lls. The Truma technicians I interviewed at the Tampa RV Super Show made it clear their air conditioner needed a soft start and the if you wanted to use Lithium batteries and a 3000w inverter. They also were very clear that a 3000w inverter was the minimum sized inverter to operate their unit. I believe the SoftStartRV is the only unit that is compact enough to fit inside the Truma Aventa. Based on my observations of the Atmos running off my Xantrex 3000w and 1 of my Lithionics 320ah Lithium battery and then 2 and 3 batteries, I suspect it doesn't really have a soft start. The Atmos brochure says it has a "Low voltage startup function." The marketing for these Gree manufactured air conditioners are quite misleading, using the words low voltage startup, soft start, and inverter compressor in vague terms. I'm installing a SoftStartRV on my Atmos tomorrow to see if it improves upon some of the concerning behaviors I've been seeing. The Truma and Atmos have the identical Rated Load Amperage (RLA) of 10.5a at 120vAC or 136.5a at 13vdc (Lithium battery voltage). The Dometic RLA was 12.9a. The RLA is considered a maximum normal steady state operating current. Air conditioners can run on lower RLAs, as low as 70% under their RLA. In my testing of the Atmos I see it is using less RLA, which is very good. The Atmos heat mode runs about 20-30a more for heat mode. The Atmos brochure says cooling current is 11a (143a at 13vdc) and heating is 10a (130a at 13vdc), but I suspect those numbers have been accidentally reversed, because heat mode definitely takes more current and runs slightly louder in decibels than the Atmos cooling mode.“

You’ll have to stretch your imagination a bit, hopefully you can visualize in your mind’s eye the approximate location. The control box occurs in the void between the bottom of the roof unit and the top of the new mounting frame plate, that space being the depth of the cutout measured from roof surface to ceiling surface. In the first pic (Dometic) the box would occur in the vicinity of the white label seen over the drain line. The second pic (Atmos) is a bottom view of the mounting frame plate with the box being situated on its’ topside, nestled up against the duct, a couple inches from the top right mounting bolt and faced outward along the downward angled edge of said plate. Looking closely at the third pic you can see the threaded bolt to the left and duct plate immediately right of the control box. The forth pic shows the three wire thermostat cable. The last pic may be of interest, wiring diagrams for the control box and thermostat. Hope this helps.

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Any chance you have a picture of the SoftStartRV installed? I have one installed in our Dometic P2 and would reuse it if possible, given it's in working condition. Another question: why is soft start necessary for this more efficient A/C? I understand you have a 2KW Xantrex. Would it be necessary with the 3KVA Victron MP2?

As previously indicated, my Dometic furnace is ‘good to go’! I will preface the following by saying this task was not as difficult as first perceived, perhaps because my DPll 11,0000 BTU unit wiring setup was unique. When installing the Atmos I did not take time to mess with the furnace wiring and thermostat dilemmas, one hurdle at a time. Having watched several install videos on SOBs and closely followed @rideadeuce’s experience with SDG, I remained uncertain regarding the furnace apparatus; wiring configurations varied and In all instances the existing thermostat was abandoned. While dismantling the DPll I found all AC/DC wiring involved a plug&play box, specifically a control box as part of a Dometic single zone kit to include a thermostat and wiring harness, as well (PNs: control box 3313191.000, thermostat 3316410.700). I didn’t think much of it at the time, since the Atmos junction box was all needed to connect AC power. However, in the days following the install my thoughts focused on the furnace and then it occurred to me that maybe the control box could be retained, making use of the existing DC harness and stock thermostat. First some afterthought matters to address: When installing the Atmos A/C wiring I did not utilize the inherent strain reliefs within the junction box, so it was opened, wires further secured, done. I decided to better seal the fiberglass edges of the ceiling cutout to inhibit potential unwarranted air draw (from within/between hull walls) given the higher operational CFM of this unit. In particular where the wires entered, a piece of closed cell foam was cut to size and shoved into the opening followed by an application of foil tape around said cut edges, to the extent possible, done. Onward! Here is how I proceeded forward: The ceiling grille was removed, mounting frame plate bolts loosened to free the loom wrapped DC wire bundle tucked away at initial install and ensure clearance of the control box within the void of perceived securement, DC wiring harness connected to the control box and all staged for an operational test of the furnace/thermostat. With AC/DC powers restored, I was pleased to find the Dometic thermostat operational, but had to chase an E5 code on the display. Although specific to the a/c, the freeze sensor wire needed to be plugged into the control box to clear the code. In order to test the furnace the Atmos was first used to drop the interior temp to 73.8° with the thermostat ‘FURNACE’ set to 77°. Voila! Following a second successful test of the furnace, the mounting point of the control box was cleared of an adhesive stock piece of foam and box prepared for installation. A self-adhesive strip of Velcro was applied to the leading edge of the box and subsequently affixed into position. The foam piece was then positioned against the box and pressed in place to help stabilize it. Next, corresponding wires were connected in respective ports, wire loom secured with tie wraps and tucked away, mounting frame plate bolts retightened, cover grille reattached and decorative screw covers placed for a final install, YAHOO!

This is Red Canyon campground just outside of Bryce Canyon NP. It's a FS campground.

New Mexico State Parks will be implementing a new fee structure beginning January 1, 2025. For those who have been following this topic this is not news. If you have not been following, the rate increases can be substantial, particularly for non-NM Residents and may come as a surprise. Most notable is the increase in fees for the non-Resident Annual Camping pass from $225 to $600. Passes purchased in 2024 will be honored til expiration in 2025. If you are a non-Resident and plan to purchase the Annual Camping Pass for 2025 you may wish to do so yet this month so you will not feel the impact from the increased rate until 2026.