Been adventuring around the tri state area. We have rescued two amazing dogs that will now be adventuring with us on our travels. Unfortunately our teardrop couldn’t handle all four of us. We sold our teardrop to a family in Richmond. So for the time being we have been using our VW bus for our trips. Starting to sketch up plans to build a bigger teardrop. Stay tuned!!
I didn’t think any other national park would impress me the way Glacier did until I got to Grand Teton. The Grand Teton mountain range is so surreal looking. With it’s rugged outline, snowy passes and lakes that surround it, it was near impossible to look away from. Jess and I met a cool kiwi in Zion. He had a 1969 Ford Econoline Camper Van and I couldn’t resist asking him to check out the inside. After having a few beers together that night we exchanged contact information and parted ways. We were fortunate enough to cross paths again in Grand Teton. Dan had some friends with him, a kiwi couple - Jen and Lloyd, two genuinely nice and cool humans. We shared a campsite together, after hiking all day we’d sit around the fire and laugh all night. It was nice to hang with like minded people and exchange laughs and stories with people from across the world. I hope that we may meet again, friends. I also hope I find myself gazing up at the Tetons again sooner than later.
The first two days at Big Sur have been amazing. The morning fog washed away by the afternoon and Jess and I took a trail down the cliff and made our way to the water. We rock scrambled our way up and down and explored the coastline for a few hours. After we got some lunch in our stomachs, we headed to Pfeiffer beach for a few hours which is a cool sandy beach spot ( 10$ - ouch.) Today we will be exploring a few waterfalls and taking a couple of trails within our campground (Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park). The trails lead you through the big beautiful alluring coastline redwoods. The redwoods are unlike anything I have ever seen and truly make you feel pint sized. With the morning fog and the large redwoods rising up hundreds of feet surrounding you, it truly feels as if you are in a dreamland.
The Pacific Coast Highway truly is America’s most beautiful scenic highway. The winding road along the cliff face overlooking the lightly colored greenish blue ocean is surreal. The landscape is so charming and I can safely say Big Sur has me lured in. The only downfall I see and I must write this because it really is unfortunate. I pulled up to a gas station yesterday at the price was 6.77$ a gallon! That’s highway robbery, no pun intended. French toast at a local restaurant that Jess and I went to check out was 19$! I understand raising prices because of the touristy area, but the prices here are absolutely disgusting. I don’t mind paying for good food and I never complain about gas prices, but that is ridiculous. Otherwise the natural beauty certainly makes up for any downfall.
Tomorrow we head to Yosemite National Park, I am so excited.
We left The Great Smoky Mountains National Park around noon on Wednesday. As you can see our route changed a bit. Some of our reservations were cancelled in Arizona due to fires. So, we high tailed it to Colorado stopping only for fuel and food. I didn’t get any sleep and drove the entire day Wednesday, Wednesday night and most of Thursday. Jess hopped in for a few hours here and there giving me a few breaks. You also might notice there is a picture of Jess driving and not me. That’s because Jess slept most of the time :) . Luckily I had some good driving tunes and coffee to keep me awake. We did get to stop and check out Cadillac Ranch outside of Amarillo, Texas which was a cool piece of art.
We got to the campsite late Thursday afternoon and went to sleep pretty early last night. We did get to meet our great camp neighbors who are from Minnesota and travel the U.S. every chance they get on their motorcycle while pulling a trailer tent. They have been doing it since 1990 and had some great tips and ideas for camping/the camper and cool recommendations for areas in the U.S.
Jess and I woke up at at 4am to hike around the Sand Dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park. For the first hour as the sun was coming up we were the only people in the park, that we could see at least. The Great Sand Dunes in Colorado are the tallest dunes in North America. Such a surreal natural beauty.
We started our journey yesterday and already it has kicked ass. We stayed at Cosby Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Very quiet, shady and beautiful campground. Our campsite was next to a creek, which made a great backdrop. We stopped at a veggie stand on the way in to buy some local produce. We broke out the cast iron skillet and made some badass veggie tacos. On the way out of the campground we stopped at Ozone Falls. Great photo op and swim spot. The falls drop 110’ into a cool little swimming hole. Summertime vibes.
The camper was designed in the early 60’s and was a Golden Hammer winner featured in the January 1965 issue of Mechanix Illustrated. Purchased from the original owner and builder. The builder was an interior designer for the aircraft industry for many years, which influenced the well thought out design of this camper.
The camper is complete with a full-size bed, gas stove, sink, built-in fridge, fishing pole holders and a porta-pot. The camper uses a built-in air lift system to raise the top an additional 24". The car is equipped with air shocks/bags to handle the extra weight of the camper. The engine is a 429cid that runs excellent.
HOWEROVERLAND | BASECAMP sailboat joinery building techniques and industrial lifts offer high load capacity and short set-up time
Highlights
made of premium materials and sailboat joinery for lifetime ownership
high roof weight load capacity and ability to still raise and lower top while fully loaded
60 second camp setup time at the push of a button (electric scissor lift design)
6’6” standing roominside
comfortablequeen size bed - always available
production models will offer such options as solar power and hot water to further increase the self sufficiency of the camper
The “Basecamp” is the is the prototype for the 2018 production model going on sale June 1st 2018.
Constructed with Okoume and Ash wood for lightweight, strength and durability, the cap was then assembled using sailboat joinery and marine grade epoxy. Of interesting note: you will not find a single nail or even a screw in the Basecamp! And, clients may choose their own wood combinations for a truly custom look.
A scissor lift mechanism (similar to designs used in industrial equipment) offers a significant mechanical advantage and lowers the force needed by the powering winch and motor to make a smooth lift and allow for larger overall roof weight load capacity.
Designing out of experience and necessity: Colin has spent 10 years in the outdoor industry from a raft guide, climbing guide and professional dirtbag. He has built out the back of his Tacoma with a bed platform and rooftop tent and he has built out enclosed trailers to be off grid residences.
In the summer of 2017 Colin and his wife Chelsi drove 20,000 miles from West Virginia USA to Northern B.C., Montana, Colorado and back to Oregon, USA. They spent roughly 150 days in their rooftop tent and out of that experience the began creating what they wished to see in the current adventuremobile marketplace. After their trip Colin and his father, a graphic designer, began work on the current prototype.The Howeroveland Basecamp rooftop tent camper has been the culmination of years of adventuring and we look forward to seeing this design at future Overland Expos. The company is also working on designs of a full slide-in model and flat-bed edition.
After traveling almost 12K miles and spending 42 nights in a row in the tent, I know I picked the right one. Not once was I frustrated with the tent, and every morning I woke rested and ready to go. — @basillynch
The couch and lounge area provides ample space for relaxing, eating dinner or playing games with guests, but also transforms into a pull-out bed at night. The camper is equipped with its own propane cooktop and grill, its own water tank and faucet, and a refrigerator for keeping consumables cold and a ready supply of ice for that cocktail at the road’s end. The fridge, lights, fan and stereo are all powered by the engine while underway and by an adjustable rooftop solar panel while camping.
