it's one of Canada's greatest road trips too eh Buddy!

 

What's this "Canada" thing you speak of? I really kind of meant North America.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and feedback. I started this build in late 2012 with a specific purpose and direction in mind; a nomad/overland lifestyle. The 4,900 mile NH to AK roadtrip is only a means to an end. So when I hear some of you folks tell me that Im over thinking the trip I want to chuckle. So many more trips are in store as well as many offroading/camping adventures.

Parts and accessories are either harder to come by and more expensive in Alaska vs in the lower 48 states. Shipping costs also add up quick. So the more **** I get squared away before I move up to AK the better and cheaper it will cost me.

Camping at your local walmart would surely attract unwanted attention and would defeat the purpose behind my experiment. I found 3 really nice yet isolated spots where I can set up camp in peace. So far the experiment is going well and Im starting to get more comfortable with things. Still working on a efficient "system" for maintaining a organized yet easy to set up/put away camp setup. The space heater and small solar panel allow me to keep warm and my small electronics charged without the need to start the truck and burn through gas. The driver side storage bin broke so Im thinking about removing the bin and using the empty space to store a 5 gallon nato water can. I downgraded from 4 jack stands to just 2 plus a bottle jack; jack stands also serve as a portable stand for my 2 burner stove. The 2 toolboxes will be thrown away and replaced with those roll up tool organizers and if I cant find a buyer for the second row seats then Ill store them at a relatives place. Candle lighting saves battery power and makes the cabin smell good plus they are dirt cheap. Irving gas station/truck stops offer showers for $10. Bio-degrable rv/marine toliet paper + a small shovel come in handy when nature calls.

 

Living the dream!
Now I see why you needed those extra jack stands!!

 

My new job on the lobster boat is going well but we are always at the mercy of Mother Nature. When the seas get really rough we cant go out. My boss owns 3 boats one of which is in the shop getting built. Guess we are going to help him work on it on days when the weather is bad so that should keep the $$$ flowing. He owns about 800 lobster traps and on a good day the 3 of us pull up 250-300 traps, collect the lobster, change out the bait and reset the traps. We also occasionally go Tuna fishing. If we catch a legal Tuna then we get a small percentage of its value probably $300 per helper.

 

LOBSTA'........Now you have my attention!
Moving from New England to the center of the country makes a man really miss his Lobsta'......
Nice update, winters coming and you have hurricane Mathew heading your way next week, rough sea's ahead for sure!

 

Hopfully the hurricane will miss us... If not all the fishermen will be out there scrambling to pull up and relocate all the lobster traps before the storm hits... Pain in the ***. My boss has a project to keep us busy should the hurricane hit

 

The other day I installed the EBC brake pads. Rotors have minor scoring so Ill be replacing them before I leave. In a week or two Ill be ordering a new front drive shaft. Probably from Lucky 8 llc. Wanted to upgrade to a Tom Woods multi double cardan shaft but decided it can wait until next year when I swap out my 2 inch lift for a 3 inch kit. Does Lucky 8 still have that sale going on for their druve shafts? Anyone care to comment on the quality of their drive shafts?

Speaking of quality... Ive been a long time customer of Rovers North and have spent thousands in new parts and accessories with them. Unfortunately the quality of some of their parts are not acceptable. The icarsoft handheld diagnostic computer is very unreliable, the genuine coolant expansion tank that was installed in late January 2016 has 2 cracks in it, front o2 sensor was bad from the box, an axle shaft seal failed immediatly etc.

In light of my seasonal occupation I really dont put many miles on my truck as of yet. The truck has been stored at my mechanics shop for most of 2016 plus a good chunk of 2015. For the coolant tank to already have 2 cracks in it and leaking coolant is just absurd, especially seeing how I purposely ordered the genuine tank to ensure I had a quality part. Grant its only leaking a tiny amout of coolant just above the seam it still pisses me off. I have no idea if the coolant tank had cracks prior to installation or if the cracks appeared thereafter because I had all the cooling parts shipped to the shop and had my mechanic install everything along with the Turner block.

 

Whooooooooooo doggy.......Boats looking good, but there's like 7 months of work to go on that bad boy.

Bet you didn't know I used to be a pirate.....

 

Looking good Julian!
if there's anything that you want to store in my shop before you head north feel free to leave stuff here in seattle. I still have that ACE equipped, EAS black on black D2 if you decide you want a rust free platform for a future build and to swap your goodies onto. It's just sitting in the back of my shop looking disheveled with a failed head gasket at the moment and will be for the foreseeable future.

Quick note on ebc pads.i had a set of ebc drilled and slotted rotors and EBC pads on my truck. The pads wore down to 40% within 10k miles and the rotors were hopelessly warped. I've gone back to OEM style rotors and pads. Although I miss the stopping power and bite from the brakes, the level of wear was unnaceptable.