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I don't know how long this will last, but it seems like a great deal for anyone considering LiFePO4 batteries: Battery Hookup These are from a fairly reputable company and have a communications port, which is a big plus for larger systems.

They would also have a significantly reduced life. It is funny on the forums there is a lot of discussion of not discharging LiFePO4 batteries all the way, not storing them fully charged etc. However the biggest factor in LiFePO4 (and lead acid) lifetime is the operating temperature (see the...

In terms of safety, I don't think this is a real issue. This doesn't sound as bad as the conditions the starting battery under the hood experiences, particularly under similar weather conditions. This will significantly reduce the lifespan of your batteries though, at temperatures around 40C...

If you are happy with your existing light fixtures, you can add a 'CTO Gel' to the lens to make the color appear warmer and less harsh. I added these to the FWC linear LED fixtures. Previously they were operating theater bright and fairly harsh. With a layer of 1/2 CTO they are slightly...

I think you hit the nail on the head with the last comment - the best way to avoid this is to provide a solid low resistance path to ground through the 6AWG cable. Trying to electrically isolate two mostly metal objects that are physically in contact is going to be tough.

I am curious what your motivation is for an isolated ground is? There is a potential to run into problems with this configuration, even without considering the running lights. There is pretty good chance you will have an 'incidental' ground path between the camper and truck, which is...

A good option is to use a fender mount NMO bracket, something like one of these: https://cometantenna.com/amateur-radio/no-holes-mobile-mounts/antenna-mounts-and-brackets/ https://www.americanradiosupply.com/fender-mounts/ With older vehicles the panel tolerances are pretty loose so you could...

The 'No motorized vehicles off designated roads or trails' is the same rule that applies even without fire restrictions. I am not sure why they are reiterating it, but I guess it can't hurt. Maybe there is increased danger from hot exhaust/catalytic converters in long grass so they want to...

Driving on unmarked/non-numbered/non-designated trails is almost universally illegal on most federal lands. However on roads/areas open to dispersed camping (check the MVUM) you are allowed to pull one vehicle length or 300' from the centerline of the road (depending on area) to camp...

If you are only using one breaker it must be in the engine bay next to the battery, otherwise the run of heavy gauge wire the length of the truck is unprotected. If you want to add a second breaker it can be in the camper near the DC-DC converter.

In general because either battery (truck or camper) can provide current to the wire, so in the event of a short you want to be able to interrupt the circuit at both ends. If you have a DC-DC converter in the camper you don't technically need the breaker at the camper end (as current won't...

I think the risks of lowering the tire pressure may be being a bit overblown. I am not arguing that lower tire pressure does not increase the heat build up in the tires, but what we are describing here is well within the limits the tires can sustain, which is supported by the anecdotal...

The BMV-700 will work fine with your lithium battery. If you want bluetooth, you can add the VE.Direct bluetooth adapter: https://www.victronenergy.com/panel-systems-remote-monitoring/ve-direct-bluetooth-smart-dongle

If I am going to be on dirt roads for more than a few hours, I typically reduce tire pressure from street pressure of 50/55psi front/rear to 30/35psi. It makes the ride more comfortable and reduces the stress on the vehicle and camper. I drop the pressure with a set of Coyote deflaters (2...

I have been using my 150Ah DIY lithium (with 120 cylindrical cells) for going on 4 years now and it has worked wonderfully. If I were to do it again, I would use the 120Ah prismatic cells that are currently available at very competitive prices. These were not cost competitive 4 years ago...

It seems there has been a lot of discussion of these problems of late. I am sure it is partly that truck manufacturers are trying to optimize the weight of the truck beds, meaning they are really not designed to withstand lifting point loads. It sounds like the issue is almost exclusively...

The issue is usually the evaporative emissions system. As diesel is so much less volatile than gas that an evaporative emissions system is not needed for diesel thus an aux tank is much easier.

Good on you for taking action on your ideas! I am great at spit balling around the (propane) camp fire, but when it actually comes to putting pen to paper I usually fall short.

I think this is a great idea, but also doubt it would be possible or wise to make it mandatory. Maybe there could be some sort of incentive - do a year of service and get some sort of educational benefit (like the GI bill or Americorps) and a leg up on college or trade school admissions...

It is hard to see how increased wildfire danger is not going to become the 'new normal'. Speaking of which, NOAA just updated their 30 year 'normals' from 1980 - 2010 to now be 1990 - 2020. It is pretty easy to see why wildfire in the west is becoming a large problem and will continue to...

Gaia can do this. For road based trips, you can plan a route on google maps then export it as a .gpx file which you can open on gaia or also export to your Garmin devices using basecamp using tools such as Maps to GPX Converter For hiking, creating routes in the web based Gaia interface on...

Gaia does this: https://help.gaiagps.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003640568-Create-and-Measure-Routes-on-gaiagps-com But where is the fun in actually knowing where you are going?

If you plan on taking the camper on and off, then the airbags may be better - you can reduce the pressure in them to soften the ride with the camper off, then increase the pressure to compensate for the weight of the camper. If you are happy with how the camper rides with the super springs...

If you are still on the original struts/shocks at 13 years and 130k miles, you are probably due for replacement front and back anyway. The camper will just make that even more evident. $150 per shock seems a bit high for 4600 series shocks, all 4 can be had for ~$300, or about $150/pair for...

With a battery charger, the tail current is what tells the charger the battery is fully charged and to switch from absorb to float. This is not very important for LiFePO4 as unlike a lead acid battery, they don't really need much of any time in absorb. A lead acid will switch from bulk...