mountainborn

Very cool, thanks. How important is having the metal roof of a vehicle for a reflective plane ? The roof of our Jeep wrangler is fiberglass and even weak signals from global positioning satellites are readily recieved inside by hand held electronics.

Actually it is easier ! Or so it seems to me. Here is a link to a thread of discussion on these forums where the subject is covered. The video link gives an actual look at it.

Here is a paste of the Mapquest driving directions from Brownsville, Tx to the area: 1: Start out going NORTHWEST on E WASHINGTON ST/US-77 BR N toward E 12TH ST. 0.0 mi Map 2: Turn LEFT onto E 12TH ST. 0.1 mi Map Avoid 3: Turn LEFT onto E ELIZABETH ST/US-77 BR S. 0.2 mi Map Avoid 4: Turn LEFT onto INTERNATIONAL BLVD/US-77 N/US-83 N. Continue to follow INTERNATIONAL BLVD. 2.3 mi Map Avoid 5: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto E 14TH ST/TX-4 E. 0.2 mi Map Avoid 6: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto BOCA CHICA BLVD/TX-4 E. Continue to follow TX-4 E > Don't forget, The Boca Chica Highway ( Tx 4 ) runs into the ocean !

Wondering what those pushpins are that show on the map that I posted ? They will likely not be on your Google Earth map. They are an interactive KML patch that is applied to the Google Earth software that shows the locations of Geocaches in the area. Yep, you can even spend a bit of time Geocaching while you are there, if the urge strikes ya' ! There is even a cache located near the shipwreck. The coordinates are: N 25* 58.528 W 097* 08.917 Since we ain't been there yet, and if you get there first, or have already been there, please post a update here !

Here is the Google Earth View of the same area: > > Want to go there and zoom in on areas that may intrest you ? Just type in Port Isabel Texas in the Google Earth search window and look to the SouthEast. The nearest small community is labeled on Google Earth as Kopernick Shores. But local residents have aparently renamed it Boca Chica, Texas. But because of the confusion over the name should you type in either name the results may be misleading.

Those that have been there estimate the size of the shipwreck at aproximately eighty by twenty feet in it's present condition. Here is a map of the area: > > The straight Blue line that runs on a diagonal, is the Brownsville ship canal that seperates the Boca Chica State Park from South Padre Island. The yellow line that parallels it is the highway from Port Isabel to Brownsville. When looking South from South Padre Island it is easy to mistake the ship channel for the Rio Grande river, and assume that everything to the South is in Mexico. The Rio Grande is the squiggly line to the bottom of the map. The road going out to the beach is Texas 4 and it is paved right to the edge of the ocean. Warning signs tell drivers to slow down, that the road ends in the ocean.

The shipwreck near by the boondocking site is the MEXICAN GUN BOAT MONTEZUMA, April 30, 1843. Here are some photos as the wreck looks today: > > >

Sometimes you find a real sleeper. I think this may be one such boondocking site. It has all of the cool ingredients of a great campsite for those that enjoy boondocking. No hookups. Free. Remote. Located on the beach. It is about as far South as you can go for a great winter snow bird experience. Then there is the bonus, a ancient shipwreck that you can walk to ! Keep in mind that we have never been there, but you can rest assured that we are absolutely itching to ! First, here is a bit of the history of the shipwreck, a paste from a historical site: > The Battle of Campeche by Fred Toler Courtesy San Jacinto Museum of History The Battle of Campeche was one of the worlds most historic battles in the annals of naval history. First, the Republic of Texas was at war with Mexico. Yucatan was the most rebellious state of the Centralist Government of Santa Anna in Mexico City. The adjoining State of Tobasco ran a close second in its displeasure with their national government. Yucatan entered in to a contract with the Republic of Texas under the presidency of Mirabeau B. Lamar where Yucatan was to pay the Republic of Texas $8,000 a month for use of some its ships to defend their ports from being blockaded by the Mexican Navy and to defend them against their own government. She was Texas� only ally that actually joined in the fight, much to the embarrassment of the Centralist Mexican government. Had this disruption not held the main force of Mexico�s army putting down their uprisings, Texas most surely would have been invaded by a much larger force, again commanded by Santa Anna and the course of Texas retaining its independence and eventually becoming the 28th State of the United States of America might never have happened. During the Battle of Campeche the Mexican Navy had two steam vessels in their opposing fleet, the MONTEZUMA and the GUADALOUPE along with several sail vessels. The Texas Navy had only sail vessels, the schooner of war AUSTIN and the Brig WHARTON, and while the battle lasted several days. They were aided at the beginning of the battle by the small fleet of the State of Yucatan under the command of former Texas Navy officer Captain James D. Boylan. The Mexican Navy had a distinct advantage over the Texas vessels, powered by sail alone. To make matters worse, as can been seen by James Moore�s minutes above of the conflict, there was little or no wind, giving the Mexican navy an even greater advantage as they could maneuver at will and the Texas Navy was at the mercy of the elements for power. This also gave the Mexicans the advantage of staying just out of reach of the Texas Navy�s canons. As can been seen by the minutes below, the Mexican fleet suffered a large amount of casualties, while the Texans losses were minimal. The Mexican�s withdrew from the battle during the night of the 16th of May, but they struck a medal for their navy proclaiming a �Great Naval Victory for Mexico�. See the end of this page for a picture of the medal. Historians have been arguing about this sea battle for years, and I am sure it will continue far into the future. But, the fact remains, this is the first and only naval victory where two sail vessels of the Texas Navy, and a �fishing boat navy� of Yucatan, prevailed over the superior steam men of war of Mexico! Admiral Walter Nass >

Good report. Those Fantastic fans will really move the air alright. Thanks paul !

I can just see it now . . . . . . . It is midnight and the moon is full . . . . . Camo thong flashing in the multi colored lazer disco lights, the brass pole making small squeaky clean sounds as the rubber grips slide in the lime green colored sudsy hot tub water. Sixty miles per hour out on the interstate highway with traffic backed up for miles . . . . . . . Lime green suds splattered on the windshields of all the cars trailing along . . . . .

Now that I have finaly gave up on my old dependable Motorola E815 cell phone and replaced it with a pocket personal computer/cell phone, I am starting to think. Now that is a dangerous thing in it's self. Our laptop is mounted in the Jeep. If we cable tether our PPC with unlimited internet to the laptop and to a cell amplifier/repeater, would it be more useful ? Example: extended distances of internet access to bring up gas prices, ect.. If the amplifier/repeater is in the Oliver, a cable tether is not feasable, and a bluetooth tether may not be possible because of distance. Question: Will cable tethering the cell phone to the laptop & the amplifier increase internet line speeds versus an RF tether via bluetooth ? Advice please, before this old redneck mountainboy gets in over his head ! Or am I already ?

Now, that is lookin' ever so good ! I'll bet you guys can hardly wait !

Thanks, Tom. We have a couple of cards that I don't like as well as I did when we first recieved them. You know how they buy each other out all the time and their policys change. For example, I feel that having a card with a company or bank is actually a relationship. A business relationship. But none the less a relationship. Should they do things that are not in my best intrest, for example, fund a terrorist group, either foreign or domestic, I will dump them as soon as I learn about it. We will be leaving for Fort Benning the first week of August. Maybe we will have that thrifty card in hand by then !

WooHoo ! The super secret spy photo did it ! Just faxed Robert my order. Leaving for Hohenwald at first light. Will camp on Olivers door step till' delivery.

Oh GEEZE ! You guys done gone and got me started ! Butcherknife has already slapped me on the back of the head.

Now, that is just aweet ! I dont care who ya' are, that is just SWEET ! I talked to Robert and we are finalizing plans for Our new Razorback Red tub out on the rear sundeck in our new OliverXL. The only hold up at this point is that Butcherknife wants the Stripper Pole done in Brass and moved out on the rear sundeck also. The Former location of the stripper pole will be the site of our new 12 volt programable, with remote, mirrored disco ball. It is the new multi colored lazer strobe modle 78000, with full gyro function and stabilization. To go along with the XL theme, the sundeck hand rails will host a hidden clothes line that can hold up to six pairs of size 50 XXL camo overhauls and six XXL Tee shirts in the camo patern of your choice ! WooHoo, when we go to them football games this fall, we will be a' tailgatin' in style !

Please feel free to post links as you find them !BOONDOCKING RESOURCE LINKS: > http://www.rvtravel.com/blog/rvfreebies/index.shtml > http://www.rvtravel.com/blog/casinocamping/index.shtml > http://www.freecampgrounds.com/ > http://www.boondocking.org > http://www.rv-links.com/boondocking.htm > http://www.rv-boondocking-the-good-life.com/index.html > http://telusplanet.net/public/waters/links.htm > http://www.gypsyjournal.net/free_campgrounds_and_overnight_p.htm

Doug, let's move over to the Bondocking forum so astrocaster can get his refrigerator forum back on course before we totaly Hijack it. I have posted a Google earth view of the La Jara campsite there.

Welcome to the Oliver Forums Barringers !!

Doug, there are sites that deal with boondocking/drycamping locations. We usually look along our planned route for such places that have been posted. Then there are certain givens, like BLM, USFS, ect. Google earth is a powerful tool in a campsite search.

Tom, we do that sometimes. Especially when leaving a boondocking site after a extended stay. We will turn off the fridge to save a small amount of propane just incase it takes awhile to find a fill.

DougI, good info. We tend to put the refrig on propane to cool it down before loading it with grocerys for a trip, maybe as much as eight hours before. We almost always travel with it on propane. It cools down more rapidly on propane. Should our departure time get a setback, We boondock and dry camp with it on propane. On those occasions that we are in a built up campground with hookups, we switch to elevtricity, particularly if it's going to be an extended stay, yea for the geezer pass ! We think that we can shut down the house and stay at the lake cheaper than we can stay at home, thanks to the geezer pass !

Herm said: I'm considering keeping the trailer plugged in at my home to keep the batteries at full charge during periods of non-use. Any reason NOT to do this, other than the cost of electricity? As a compromise, maybe plug in for one day every couple weeks? What are the rest of you (without solar panels) doing, if anything? > Our Ollie is a earlier 08' with the smaller charger/inverter and a outboard charge wizzard, with the optima batterys. It works well for our use. We boondock or drycamp most of the time. We leave it plugged in all of the time we are at home. Most of the time the charge wizzard has put the battery in "sleep" mode and the voltage stays up around full charge. In a few short months it will be a year since our Ollie came off of the assembly line and there is no sign of battery/voltage problems. It seems to work well for our use.

The upper outside cover to the refrigerator gives access to the curved air flap ( a name I made up for lack of a better word ). A bit of regular household insulation placed behind it nearly eliminated the heat conduction to our interior. We don't have one of the cooling fans, but have wanted to increase our cooling efficiency of the refrigerator with one. A computer cooling fan is very low in power consumption, 12 volt and quiet. I see where they are being used for that purpose on other forums.

Oscar, your blog just gets better n' better ! Tell Pete we said hey ! P.S. Pete there aught to be lotsa' cool stuff washed up out on the barrier islands, but watch out for washouts. The returning storm surge can really make some cuts in the beach.