Author: rexplex

With a bachelors degree in history, I turn wrenches for a living. I’m most at peace when I hear the wind in the trees or the gurgle of a brook. I’m a believer in the Renaissance Man, as epitomized by DaVinci engineer, artist, soldier, statesman. As Heinlein said, “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

Rear Hatch

The rear hatch on the Excursion is…. complicated.

Three panels, electric and manual locks, washer, wiper and defroster.

When I bought Fessick, none of the above worked.

The key cylinder was a rusted lump of metal of various alloys. You could put a key in, but it wasn’t turning anything.

The lock actuator didn’t actuate.

The wiper didn’t wipe.

The washer didn’t wash.

The defroster didn’t defrost.

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Transmission pointer calibration.

Can it be this easy?

Video instructions

Before and after pointer calibration
A 30 second fix.

Yes it can.

Literally took longer to re-install the fuse panel cover than to adjust the pointer.

Legal jibber-jabber

  • As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn commission if you purchase something linked from this page.
  • Product reviews – unless stated otherwise, I have purchased all reviewed products with my own money.
  • “Manufacturers claims” are exactly that. Their claims. If my text says “manufacturer claims” it means I haven’t checked it and I probably don’t have a way to check it. Hydrostatic ratings, R-values, Temperature ratings, etc.
  • Follow these instructions at your own risk. I’m not a professional anything. I’m just some random human you encountered on the internet. I may or may not have any idea what I’m doing. I certainly have no idea what you’re doing. I accept no liability for injury, property damage or any other direct or indirect damages you may incur from anything on this page or any other pages I may or may not have authored.
  • Copyright Reserved Creative Commons – Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike . If I’ve inspired you, link back to this page. Don’t steal my text or photos. Feel free to modify my designs in any way you see fit. Don’t try to make yourself money from my ideas.
  • Comments will be moderated. Those that add to the discussion will be allowed. Those that add nothing will be deleted. If you don’t agree with my decisions, get your own website.
  • DON’T PANIC

Sleeping Platform (pt.1)

Every year, one of my friends hosts a pig roast for the Fourth of July. Cooking the pig is an all night endeavor, so about a half dozen of the guys come over the night before. We take shifts cooking and sleeping. Last year, he had a full house & I volunteered to sleep in Fessick.

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How to pack for a camping trip.

It’s been 11 years with the yurt. We’re still improving the yurt and the rest of of campsite. Also working on getting more efficient at pitching and striking camp.

The first few years, we had to unload both vehicles into a pile and then dig through the pile to find the bits we need. We can now be fully setup and enjoying our vacation about 90 minutes after arrival.

Probably the biggest mental hurdle was learning to pack the truck in the opposite order.

Continue reading “How to pack for a camping trip.”

Fail to plan, plan to fail

So yeah, what exactly is the plan here?

Given the number of roles that Fessick has to fill, and my thin wallet, I need to be careful with how I go about the build. I don’t want to install something and learn later that I need to remove it because it interferes with another thing, or because I started cheap and later find I need a capability that I hadn’t prepared for.

Continue reading “Fail to plan, plan to fail”