Stargazer's Garage

"#Moon + Venus" from #Vancouver 2012 Jan 26, 17:00 #iPhone4s

2012-01-26T22:44:00.001-08:00

Taken at Starbucks

Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2

2012-01-22T11:09:00.003-08:00

Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 is a video that shows how much fun skilled drivers/riders with capable machines can have on a twisty, closed-circuit road. After watching this my heart was racing and my foot and wrists were twitchy. I didn't know if I felt more like getting back into my Subaru Impreza WRX STI or Suzuki Burgman 400c scooter.

By the way, the road in the video is the Maryhill Loops Road in Washington. It's closed to public vehicles, but available to rent for special events. Too cool.

Drive safe!

My #GMC #Denali from earlier today. #snow #iphone4s

2012-01-14T20:48:00.002-08:00

Clickfree Automatic Backup Transformer SE = Awesome!

2011-12-06T14:29:00.007-08:00

I was at Fred Meyer on the weekend and bought the Clickfree Automatic Backup Transformer SE. It's a small USB device that allows you to convert any external hard drive (or any iPod/iPhone) into a Clickfree drive. I bought it not so much for the backup function, but mostly for the "Bonus Feature" listed on the back of the package that says "Automatically copy the music from any iPod to your computer." I thought that this would be very handy in case the music on my desktop was ever lost. I'm so happy with the way that this worked that I had to write a review.

When I first plugged the Clickfree into my computer, the program opened up and asked me to plug in the hard drive or iPod. However, when I did that, the software did not respond. I went to the Clickfree website for customer support and they had a page that showed very clearly how to update the Clickfree Transformer to the latest version. Once I updated to the latest version, I started over and everything went very smoothly....

When you connect your iPod to the Clickfree Transformer, the program starts automatically. There's a 30-second countdown timer that shows to allow you to choose options before it starts to back-up your data. One of the options on the screen is to copy music from your iPod. When you choose that option, you are given a choice of copying All Music or selecting only the playlists that you want. You can also select the directory on your computer where you want it to be copied to.

The most impressive thing is that it copies the songs and playlists and adds it to your iTunes Library automatically. There is no extra work that you need to do. I know they advertised it as being easy, but I didn't believe that it would be that easy!

The fact that I was able to buy the Clickfree Transformer SE for only $10 makes it extra sweet. I saw it for sale at that price earlier in the summer and I think that Fred Meyer is trying to get rid of old stock. There were only a couple of them left on the shelf on the weekend, but I'm surprised that they weren't all snapped up sooner.

2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali - 39803 km - Silvania Silverstar Headlamp Bulb

2011-11-28T23:26:00.004-08:00

From 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali

The driver-side headlamp on our GMC Yukon XL Denali burnt out on the weekend. It's such a pet peeve of mine seeing cars with only one light that I went out and bought a pair of Silvania Silverstar bulbs and installed them as soon as I could. However, I also had to mutter under my breath at the GM designers who made the simple car maintenance task of changing a light bulb such a pain in the neck. Basically, on the Yukon you need to loosen the wheel liners, grille and front bumper in order to get access to the headlamps. But there was no way I was going to pay the dealership to change a light bulb for me.

I originally wanted to buy Silverstar Ultra bulbs which are supposed to be 50% brighter than stock bulbs but Canadian Tire didn't have the right size (H13/9008) in stock. I had to settle for the regular Silverstars which were $10 cheaper but only 30% brighter. My initial impression of the Silverstar bulbs is that they are definitely an improvement over stock. After being used to the European-spec HID headlamps in my 1999 VW Passat and the stock HID headlamps in my 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, I never liked the quality of the lighting in the Denali at all. The Silverstar bulbs give a noticeably whiter light without any hint of blue common in cheap aftermarket bulbs. The biggest problem with high performance halogen bulbs is that they have a much shorter lifespan. Silvania states on the package itself that they are expected to last only 1/4 the life of a stock bulb. However, I will gladly pay for better performance even if it becomes an annual cost. I also disabled the DRL to see if that will help with how much used I get out of these Silverstar bulbs. They do come with a 1 year warranty. Besides, now that I've changed the headlight bulb on the Denali once, it will be much easier--and less time consuming--the next time....

And the next time will definitely be sooner than later because the marker light in the driver-side headlamp is also burnt out and I'll need to buy a new wedge bulb to replace it.

The Sewer Solution

2011-10-16T21:25:00.003-07:00

We were camping in our Keystone Premier 31BHPR one weekend when our neighbors in the next site mentioned that they had something called The Sewer Solution. The way they described the way it worked interested me, so we decided to buy one for ourselves while we were in Orgeon to save having to pay sales tax. I have to say, I totally love the system. It definitely makes dumping our tanks a much nicer experience....

From Bullet Mods and Accessories

The Sewer Solution works by using water pressure to force waste down through the narrow hose. That means you need to run an extra water line to the sewer valves. Because we always stay at campgrounds with full hook-ups, that's never a problem for us.

From Bullet Mods and Accessories

After you turn on the water jet, you open the valve and the waste gets pushed into the campground sewer system. When the black tank is empty, close the valve and open the grey tank. After it's all empty, what remains running through the hose is fresh water. You never have to worry about drips or bad smells. It's very much like dumping and rinsing all in one step. It makes one of the sometimes unpleasant tasks of RVing much, much cleaner. I highly recommend it.

VW R32: Wash and Wax

2011-06-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I washed and waxed my R32 using Einszett Glanz Wax. It doesn't last as long as sealants, but I like the results and it's easy to apply. I've been using Einszett for several years, now. This was actually the 2nd wax of 2011. I'd polished (Einszett Metallic Polish) and waxed only a couple weeks earlier, but for various reasons (okay, only one) I'd felt like waxing sooner than originally planned.

Click below for more pictures.

Vancouver International Auto Show 2011

2011-03-31T09:37:00.006-07:00

#Audi R8 Spyder @VanAutoShow #VIAS11 #cars
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

I visited the Vancouver International Auto Show earlier this week on opening day and got a chance to get up close and personal with a lot of amazing vehicles.

Continuing my habit of only carrying my cellphone, I took as many pictures as I could while the battery lasted. When that died, I took out my iPod and continued taking shots:o) All the pictures have been edited on the iPod (using only free apps because I'm cheap) and while the editing process is slow, you can see the set as it grows here:

Flickr: Vancouver International Auto Show

Spring Break Weekend #1

2011-03-29T10:13:00.002-07:00

Debriefing Notes: The campground was much busier this time with neighbors all along the row with us. It was nice to have other children for our kids to play with. When we arrived the power tongue jack on our Keystone Premier 31BHPR was not working. I suspect that it might be a loose ground like it was before. I'll fiddle with it more our next trip. Didn't have the manual crank with me so I just left the trailer 1" nose up. It wasn't an issue sleeping inside.

Overnight temperatures were around 5 C. Bought a couple of vent opening pillows to put up at night to reduce the amount of heat loss through the ceiling in the evenings. Tried it Saturday night and the furnace seemed to run less constantly. Need to find some way to warm the 16 oz propane bottle for our table-top patio heater. With these cold temperatures, the bottle ices up quite quickly and pressure drops so much that the heater turns off even when there's still propane left. Keeping the bottle warm would allow more efficient use of the propane. Most commercial products I've seen so far are for 20 lb tanks. At least temperatures are warm enough now so no more winterizing required at the end of our stay. Yay!

Road Trip 2010: Low Octane

2011-03-25T15:00:00.004-07:00

We averaged about two gas stops per day on our road trip in the GMC Yukon XL Denali and Keystone Premier 31BHPR. We did one stop in the morning and one in the afternoon. A full tank cost just under $70 depending on where we were in the country. I took this picture while we were in Montana because they don't have such low (85.5) octane fuel where I live. It's strange to me because no vehicle I've ever seen before required anything LESS than 87 octane for optimum performance....

Even with fuel in Blaine, WA now costing nearly a dollar MORE per gallon than it did last summer, it's still cheaper than it is in Canada so traveling in the US always saves us money.

Road Trip Day 3: Bozeman, MT

2011-03-21T22:33:00.002-07:00

Our stop for the night on day 3 of our 2010 Road Trip was Bozeman, MT. In the late afternoon, we could see dark clouds on the horizon and we followed the outskirts of a heavy thunderstorm eastward on the I-90. The timing couldn't have been better because when we arrived in Bozeman, the clouds parted and the sun came out. We stopped at the Walmart to pick up some food and supplies (including a disposable water filter for our Keystone Premier 31BHPR) and saw that the thunderstorm had left behind some flooded streets.

We stayed at Bear Canyon Campground just outside of town. We had pull-through site #4 with water, electricity, and sewer. No fire pit. The campground was pretty and the location convenient (just off the I-90) but the pull-through sites, while long, were very narrow. With a playground for the kids and an inviting pool (which we arrived too late to use), it was good for passing through on a one night stay but not for anything longer because the neighbors were too close for comfort. There was a picnic table at each site, but not much room for walking around or setting up anything else.

Montana truly is Big Sky Country and we were treated to a beautiful sunset that I'm sorry to say was hard to capture with a cell phone camera. I guess you really have to be there to experience it! It was the first of several memorable Montana sunsets during this trip.

Click the link below to see a couple more pictures of our pull-through site....

Road Trip Day 3: I-90 East

2011-03-21T11:21:00.002-07:00

Day 3 of our 2010 Road Trip in our GMC Yukon XL Denali and Keystone Premier 31BHPR travel trailer had us traveling from Spokane, WA to Bozeman, MT, and according to Google Maps, covering a total distance of 645 km (400 miles) with an estimated 6 hours of driving. To tell the truth, this leg of the trip was the one that I was most concerned about because we were passing through the Rockies and over the Continental Divide with an elevation of 6393 feet. I've driven this route several times already in a passenger vehicle but never while pulling a trailer. I didn't know how the Denali would handle pulling the Keystone's 7600 lb GVWR for extended climbs.

Our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali has a 6.2L engine with 380 HP @ 5500 rpm and 417 lb-ft torque @ 4400 rpm. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic with full-time AWD and it's never had any problems keeping up with traffic when pulling a travel trailer. I'm happy to say that it was no different in the high mountain passes. Near the top, the engine was working hard for sure, but I was quite impressed with its ability to climb the steep grades and maintain a safe speed. All of my concerns rapidly disappeared, like the accumulating miles behind us. I also have to say that the ProPride hitch also played a large role in my relaxation and peace of mind because despite the trailer's 35' length, the entire setup handled as steady and solid as a locomotive through all the winding mountain roads.

The picture below shows us stopped for lunch at a rest area east of Superior, MT.

Our afternoon fuel stop was in Deer Lodge, MT. Although we were only passing through eastbound, on our return back we planned to stay a night at a local campground. Little did we know that it would end up being much longer than that!

Road Trip Day 2: Spokane, WA

2011-03-20T20:24:00.006-07:00

We arrived in Spokane, WA, the final destination after our first full day on the road, shortly after 16:00. At Trailer Inns RV Park, the sites were the shortest we encountered during our entire road trip. The total length of our GMC Yukon XL Denali and Keystone Premier 31BHPR travel trailer is about 55' long (the ProPride 3P hitch adds an extra foot), longer than the available pull-through sites, but the manager was friendly and helpful in guiding us into our spot. This is an urban RV park but there was a nice playground for the kids to play while we setup for the night.

One item of RV gear we discovered that we needed was a water filter. Living in Metro Vancouver, we were not used to the hard water we found in Spokane and luckily we had enough fresh water in our tank to last the evening. I picked up a disposable water filter at our next Walmart stop and it worked well for the rest of the trip.

When we pulled in to our site, our Keystone Premier attracted attention and questions from fellow RVers right away...
...a trend that continues even now each weekend we're out RVing. The Premier's full-body paint definitely makes a difference, but the outside kitchen is what most people want to see and ask questions about. It was fun chatting with people across the country about how we used the setup with the outdoor grill and sink. Most appreciated the fridge and many were surprised to see the swing-out TV. Although the outdoor kitchen was not a selling point for us when we bought our RV, it has grown into one of my most favorite features.

Our full-body paint, however, paled in comparison to what pulled into the RV park later that evening. This Jelly Belly combo was probably the most colourful rig combination we saw :o)

Road Trip Day 2: Lunch

2011-03-20T09:38:00.003-07:00

This is a picture of our GMC Yukon XL Denali and Keystone Premier 31BHPR travel trailer parked at the Winchester Wasteway Rest Area near Moses Lake, WA. Its name notwithstanding, we stopped here for lunch on the second day of our 2010 Road Trip. Because it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, this location was very quiet compared to the bustling Indian John Hill rest stop we made earlier in the morning. There were still people coming steadily through, but everyone seemed to be in passenger cars coming in only for a quick pit stop and zooming back on the road right away. There were not very many RVs and no tractor trailers at all. The wide open parking lot allowed us to put out the slides and have a very relaxing lunch. This is one of the great benefits of RVing and hauling around our own portable hotel room!

Road Trip Day 2: Indian John Hill I-90 Rest Stop

2011-03-19T22:09:00.011-07:00

We pulled over for our first stop in the morning at Indian John Hill Rest Stop at about 10:00. It's was a very busy location with lots of people coming in and out but I was able to pull our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali and 35' Keystone Premier 31BHPR travel trailer into a nice central parking spot. This rest area was large with nice grassy areas, picnic tables, and plenty of tourist information. The view is very nice, too, with the Stuart mountain range in the distance.

Unfortunately, there was one dog owner who didn't follow the signs and had their large dogs loose outside the designated dog area, so I couldn't let our 2-year-old play in the grass. It was too bad because he really needed to work off some energy.

We're lucky all our 5 kids travel really well. We've done extended road trips in the past, including driving to...
...Washington, DC, (see Road Trip 2007, Road Trip 2008, Road Trip 2009) and we generally find that leaving not too early, having a morning break, an extended lunch, an afternoon break, and then the final stop for the night not too late in the afternoon worked out to be a good routine for us. Each break was never rushed and we encouraged the kids--especially the younger ones--to run and play as much as possible. It usually works out to be around an easy 6 hours of actual driving each day: 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. For this particular trip, we decided to do some 7-8 hour driving days so that we could spend an extra day or two not driving at all.

Having satellite radio and a rear DVD entertainment system with an iPod Touch in the Denali is magic because time passed very quickly. The kids were able to read, watch a few episodes of their favorite shows, and listen to Radio Disney in the morning, and then watch a movie after lunch. After a little more music in the afternoon we'd be at our destination. We were never worn out at the end of each day and at the end of 27 days, we wanted more!

Road Trip Day 2: Sunrise at Camping World

2011-03-19T16:59:00.006-07:00

The first full day of our 2010 Road Trip opened with blue skies and we were happy to put the previous evening's border glitch behind us and get on the road in earnest. The goal for today was to reach Spokane, WA, and seeing the sun appear from the mountains behind us was energizing....

Since we had arrived at Camping World in Burlington pretty late, all the spots in the back lot were full. We ended up parking on the side lot and left around 07:00 hoping not to impact workers arriving in the morning too much.

Road Trip 2010: Day 1

2011-03-18T09:34:00.008-07:00

In August 2010, our family of 7 went on a road trip in our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali and 35' Keystone Premier 31BHPR travel trailer. From Vancouver, Canada, we drove over 7500 km (4650 miles) through the United States taking the I-94 East to Thunder Bay, Ontario and the I-90 West back home from Minneapolis, MN. We spent nearly 30 days on the road living out of our trailer and had an incredibly great time. However, the journey was not without its bumps (including the first night when we found ourselves in the wrong lane at the border crossing and a flat tire in North Dakota), but every "wrong turn" we encountered happened at the "best" possible time to NOT ruin our trip. Even the bent axle that forced us to spend an extra 3-days in Deer Lodge, Montana, did not put a dark shadow on our vacation, because it allowed us to explore and make a special connection to a place we had no idea existed. As a result, we saw a very beautiful part of the country that we will always want to return to. And we can't wait until we can start our next adventure. Can you tell we love road trips?

With our 2-week spring break starting next week and my mind drifting away from work, I decided it was time for me to finally post up pictures of our trip. This is the first in the series. (Sorry for the poor quality cellphone picture.)

Day 1: We decided to start our 3-week road trip one day early. We left after work and stayed at Camping World Burlington that night. We arrived a little later than we expected because the NEXUS lane at the Peace Arch border crossing was closed and I didn't know that until it was almost too late....

I had to backup the trailer a few feet so that I could turn into one of the regular lanes. In doing so, I drove the right-side wheel of the trailer over the curb. This may or may not have implications in our major break-down at the end of our trip thousands of miles later.

VW R32: Venture Shield update

2011-01-30T10:43:00.001-08:00

Back in the summer of 2009 I had some Venture Shield clear sticker installed on my R32. Admittedly, I don't drive the R32 as much as I used to, but I'm still happy with how it's held up. No yellowing or discolouration whatsoever (knock on wood). You can see in the picture that it's barely visible even a short distance away.

The only nagging concern I have is that my installer was just as impressed as I was at exactly how well the Venture Shield had held up, giving me the impression that yellowing or discolouration will be inevitable some time down the road.

Anywhoo, I've pretty much made all the modifications to my R32 I'd wanted. Though recently I wish I had a compass built into my rear view mirror. The dashboard compasses you can purchase from stores like Canadian Tire never seem to work right for me. I suspect it's not as straight forward as a simple swap of rear view mirrors, though.

VW R32: Recall Notice #28F3

2011-01-30T10:25:00.000-08:00

Late last year I chanced upon a Volkswagen recall notice (ID #28F3), that was originally dated 29 October 2009, to "Inspect, and if necessary replace Ignition coils." What I found puzzling is that I only learned of this recall in December 2010 when I was testing out the recall notice look-up tool on VW of Canada's website. It would have been nice if my dealership had mentioned this when I took my R in for the moonroof service action (60A7/S9) back in May 2010, or a simple e-mail. Oh well.

Actually, on further thought, I have a vague memory of my mechanic back in the United States mentioning he had replaced the ignition coils, which would explain why VW didn't have a record of it.

Lunar Eclipse 2007

2010-12-21T00:46:00.002-08:00

Mid-lunar eclipse
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

This is a hand-held shot taken through the eye-piece of a 10" Dobsonian telescope from the west coast of Canada, August 28, 2007.

Lunar Eclipse 2007

2010-12-21T00:43:00.003-08:00

Lunar eclipse
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

The lunar eclipse that occurred tonight on Winter Solstice was not visible in Vancouver because of cloud cover. The picture above was a handheld shot taken on August 28, 2007 through the eyepiece a 10" Dobsonian telescope.

West Coast Customs HP Denali

2010-12-04T01:15:00.002-08:00

IMG087
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

A custom GMC Yukon Denali by West Coast Customs was on display at the grand opening of the HP Store in Vancouver, Canada on 3 December 2010. It's an amazing vehicle and the paint work on it is even more incredible in person. It was fun being able to sit inside and play around with some of the equipment including an HP Slate mounted in the dash in front of the passenger seat.

Invisibility Cloak with Xbox 360 Kinect

2010-12-02T17:57:00.001-08:00

This a very cool effect using the XBox 360 Kinect. More details can be found here: Kinect Camouflage Hack.

MY11 Nissan GT−R 0-100km/h time 3.xxx!!!

2010-12-01T16:38:00.001-08:00

Awesome. The Nissan GR-R takes off like a slingshot!

The Black Keys - Tighten Up [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

2010-11-26T20:54:00.002-08:00

I heard this song by The Black Keys on 94/7 Alternative Portland today. I like it.

Sir Mix-A-Lot - Carz

2010-11-23T22:46:00.005-08:00

Kinda catchy, really.

Remembrance Day 2010

2010-11-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

I received an email a few weeks ago from someone in Australia:

I am the acting coordinator of History Services at Marrickville Council and we are running a special 'Remembrance Day' event in November. I sumbled across your ANZAC day presentation and would love to show it at our small event.

Marrickville Council
PO Box 79 Marrickville NSW 1475
www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au

It has been 3 years since I first posted this video clip to be played at a school Remembrance Day assembly and I had no idea that it would continue to hold interest after all this time. I was truly honored to know that they wanted to use it and I will be thinking of all the men and women around the world who have sacrificed so much for the rest of us.

Kwong Eats ....: Pacific Northwest Cuisine @ Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

2010-09-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

Kwong Eats ....: Pacific Northwest Cuisine @ Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

My wife and I spent our wedding anniversary this year on the road in Montana. It wasn't as romantic at that sounds because we had a breakdown on the highway that morning and it was an overall stressful day. We decided to celebrate properly once we got back to Vancouver. There were very many restaurants to choose from and with lots of recommendations from friends it was a difficult choice to make. We finally decided on going to the Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown and this post on Kwong Eats shows exactly the things that I myself would order. My mouth is watering already!

Road Trip 2010... Completed!

2010-09-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer for us. It's been a GREAT summer for us. We completed our longest trip ever with our travel trailer going from Vancouver to Thunder Bay, Ontario via the USA with extra stops in Minneapolis and the SPAM Museum. The trip included over 8000 km of driving through 27 days and all sorts of wonderful sights and beautiful locations as well a flat tire, a worn out tire, a bent axle, and a wheel bearing failure.

It all worked out well, though, and despite all that, we're really happy with our 2010 Keystone Premier 31BH and I'm quite impressed with the way our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali performed during the entire trip. Also, I can forget the ProPride 3P hitch: it was great and I was really, REALLY happy we had it especially when we hit the 50 mph wind gusts in the Dakotas.

I'm uploading some of the pictures I took along the way to my Picasa album. I'll also post up some thoughts of our RV adventures here when I can....

Most of the pictures were taken with my cellphone, an LG EVE GW620. It also performed reasonably well, and I love the Android phone, but it's been less than reliable for me and is AGAIN currently out for repairs. At least it lasted through our trip!

Grandy Creek KOA: Jul 16-18

2010-07-20T12:37:00.003-07:00

We took our Keystone Premier 31BH travel trailer RV out for the second time this past weekend. We went to the exact same pull-through site at Grandy Creek that we went on the Victoria Day long weekend a couple of months ago. Leaving on the Friday night after dinner was really nice. Traffic was light and smooth and we arrived at the campground around 9 pm. This time, I packed it with more gear and supplies to see what it would be like to tow during our extended road trip later this summer.

I'm getting more used to the new towing setup now and found that it towed even better than before. The biggest difference was that I inflated the rear tires on our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali to the maximum 44 psi as shown on the sidewall and I raised the weight distribution bars on our ProPride 3P hitch to 8 inches. It felt very smooth and the forward/back tugging sensation that I felt on our last trip had disappeared. I think it has to be due to loading the RV differently with more balanced weight than to the change in tire pressure. I least I hope so because....

There was one problem with setting the tires to 44 psi. When we were about an hour away from our destination, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) on the Denali warned me to check the rear tire pressures. I guess they were approaching 50 psi. Now, that's understandable because the psi naturally rises when the tires are driven on. However, it was a relatively cool evening that night. I'm worried that extended driving on hot pavement in the intense summer heat in the east would cause the tire pressures to rise even more and even though I know I didn't inflate the tires more than the max, I'm just not comfortable ignoring the warning messages.

On our trip home, I lowered the tires to 40 psi, but the TPMS still gave out a warning part way through our drive. I'll probably set it closer to the 32 psi recommendation and leave it like that.

2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali: Front Brake Pads Replaced 43711 km

2010-07-15T18:40:00.011-07:00

I noticed a faint squeaking from the front brakes as well as a different feel on the brake pedal, so I knew I needed to get the brakes checked before we went on our road trip later this summer. I stopped at a prominent independent shop because of the celebrity-endorsed TV commercials I had seen. They told me that the front pads and rotors needed to be changed and gave me a variety of quotes comparing different qualities of parts.

The cheapest were around $700 and the most expensive with OEM performance were over $1000. Concerned about towing our RV half-way across the country and through the Rockies, I opted for a slotted performance rotor and got a final quote for $1200. They also mentioned that they noticed that the front shocks were leaking but that might be covered under warranty and recommended I check to see if I was still covered. I was scheduled to get the work done later that evening but they called to tell me they couldn't get the right rotor in time.

Because of what they said about the front shocks, I made an appointment with my GM dealership to get it checked out this morning. When I found out from them that my vehicle was no longer under warranty, I called the independent shop back to ask them for a quote. They told me that a lot of labor was involved and it would cost between $800-1000. Yikes!

Even before they looked at the shocks, the service advisor told me that very often the shocks "sweat" and that makes it look like they're leaking but it's not really a problem. And that's what it turned out to be. They told me they would clean it up and then check on them again at the next service. Good news!

The other bit of good news was that they said that the front brake pads needed to be replaced, but the rotors could be machined. They gave me an option of going with OEM parts or a cheaper (noiser) alternative. I went with OEM and it cost me ONLY $400! Incredible! With a little bit of luck with parts unavailabilty, I was able to save over $600--not including the another $1000 that the other shop would have charged me!

The one bummer was....

The dealer performed a GM recall notice on our heated washer fluid. It had already been recalled once for a fix, but I guess the fix wasn't reliable so they decided to disable the entire system all together and send customers a cheque in the mail for loosing that particular feature on their vehicles. It's a bummer because I really liked the heated washer fluid and never had a problem with it.

RV Stablizer Jacks Replaced

2010-07-07T14:30:00.004-07:00

Thanks to other Keystone Premier 31BHPR owners at RV.net I knew to check out the stabilizer jacks on our travel trailer even before we went out on our first trip. The problem with the jacks from the factory was that the stop nut that prevented the rods from backing all the way out when you retracted the jacks was loose. Ours suffered from the same problem and all four stabilizer jacks were replaced after we returned from our maiden voyage....

The hardware on each of the new jacks definitely look beefier than the originals. It was interesting that all four were not replaced with the same brand. The ones in the rear were branded Husky (as shown in the picture). But even though the hardware looks the same, the ones in the front had no name. The only conclusion I can make is that they are NOT Husky stabilizer jacks.

Thetford Toilet Valve Leak

2010-07-07T14:11:00.002-07:00

During our first trip with our 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR, one issue that came up was a leak from the RV toilet. After investigating a little closer, I discovered that clean water was coming out of the top of the valve in the rear when the foot pedal was lifted up to fill the bowl with water. You can see in the picture, where the water was coming out.

When I went online to research the problem, I found that other people at RV.net had the same problem and that this was a known issue. The good news was that Thetford was aware of the problem and their customer service department was doing an excellent job taking care of it....

When I dropped the RV off at our dealership to look after some other warranty items, they could not replicate the leak. So I called Thetford's 1-800 number today, gave them the serial number on the Aqua Magic V toilet as well as the VIN number on our Keystone and they told me they would send the part out to me right away. Now, that's great customer service. Since we'll be on the road for 3 weeks, if the leak develops while we are away, I'll be able to replace the part myself.

Our First Geocache: Westwood Raceway

2010-07-03T16:55:00.001-07:00

I decided to start Geocaching with the kids this summer. Instead of buying a separate GPS device, I downloaded a free geocaching Android app for my LG EVE GW620 smartphone. It works reasonably well. We started close to home and found this one near the old Westwood Race Track.

You can find more information about geocaching here: Geocaching.com

ProPride 3P Hitch: Second Impressions

2010-05-29T16:39:00.007-07:00

I took our Keystone Premier 31BH out of the valley and brought it into town last night so that I could get some service done. I was able to adjust the ProPride Hitch and get another impression of it since my first time towing with it last week. I set the weight distribution bars to 7.5" and I think it's the right setting because the forward/back motion--which I learned is called "chucking"--is minimized and the steering feels good. I might also try 8" again next time just to confirm. Also, after towing again last night I'm confident that my installation was correct because the whole rig pulls nice and straight.

My previous complaint about it being tedious to raise and lower the WD bars with a ratchet socket has been nullified after I realized that I had a speed wrench (like the one used for the stabilizer jacks) that I could use. It's much stronger than the one for the stabilizer jacks so there's no worry about breaking it and it makes the process of raising or lowering the WD bars a breeze and it takes no time at all.

The more I use the ProPride 3P the more I appreciate the whole system.

My only problem now is that I have to remove the hitch so that our dealer will be able to fix the defective stabilizer jacks. They can't move the trailer with the ProPride hitch in place.

LG Eve GW620R Android - Factory Reset

2010-05-27T22:04:00.005-07:00

My LG Eve GW620R Android smartphone hasn't been very reliable since I bought it back in December. First it got bricked when I tried to update the firmware and the entire mainboard had to be replaced. Then about a month ago the system software got corrupted and I lost half of all the function on my phone. Online technical support didn't help and when I went to Cellcom at Coquitlam Centre for help, the person there was COMPLETELY UNHELPFUL so much so the guy turned me away and basically said he would not help me at all. I just about gave up on getting my phone fixed at all.

Today I tried one more time and with the help of telephone support I was able to do a factory reset by pressing the VOL Down, Menu, and Camera buttons at the same time while the phone was on. I thought I had tried that already, but this time it worked and I got full function on the phone again....

I have to thank William at Wireless Wave who seemed really to care about helping and directed me to the correct solution. Also, telephone support was really quick and efficient and I had no wait time despite the recorded message warning me that there may be at least a 15 minute delay.

ProPride 3P Hitch: Impressions

2010-05-26T10:18:00.005-07:00

We just completed the trip with our new 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR travel trailer. It was also my first experience towing with the ProPride hitch. However, because I couldn't complete the entire installation in one day, I have some doubts my own setup. I need to remove the hitch anyway so that our dealer can work on the trailer, so I'll be able to reinstall the hitch and make sure I do it right. Here are my initial impressions on towing with the ProPride hitch....

It's definitely easy to hook up with no effort--the Denali's backup camera makes it simple. But it's time consuming having to raise and lower the WD bars with a socket wrench whenever I want to hitch and unhitch. My cordless drill doesn't have enough torque to turn the adjustment screw, otherwise I would use it.
After hooking up and adjusting the weight distribution bars, the trailer was nose-high. I wasn't able to fix it right away, but after we got to the KOA I was able lower the hitch bar one more notch to the lowest setting to get it down a bit more. It's still a little high, but only by about an inch or so.
I wasn't sure at first how high to bring up the WD bars. I started at 7" but after checking at the scales, I raised it up to 8". It seemed to tow OK on the I-5 southbound at 65 mph but when turned off on Hwy 20 and cruised at about 55 mph I noticed some forward and back tugging. I wasn't sure what was causing that feeling until I checked into the campground. The ranger pointed out right away that I was nose-high and asked if I was getting that that forward/back motion. He said that being nose high would cause it. I learned something new!
Coming home, with the WD bars still adjusted at 8" but the hitch bar lower, the forward/back motion was less but still there. While we were stopped at Camping World, I adjusted it down to 6.5" to see what would happen. That eliminated the forward/back tugging, but it made the front of the Denali too light and steering was compromised. I made another adjustment to 7.25" and that made it more stable. I think next time I'll try it at 7.5"

Keystone Premier 31BHPR: Shakedown Trip

2010-05-26T09:53:00.008-07:00

We just completed the shakedown trip for our 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR. Because the 35' trailer doesn't fit on our driveway, we had to keep it at the storage lot. That made setting things up a lot harder. In fact, we didn't get all the final pieces into place until the morning that we left.

Luckily, it didn't take us too long to get on the road and even with taking our time to stop at a weigh scale, Hagen's of Blaine to pick up a couple of items, and a rest stop to make some minor adjustments, we were able to get to the campsite by about 3pm.

We decided to go to this KOA for our shakedown trip even though it's farther away from home because we came here lots last summer and are very familiar with the facilities. Getting a pull through site made things that much easier. We found that we actually like the pull through sites a little bit better because they back onto the very large open field where the kids can play while we watch them.

Overall, it was a good weekend. Too short, but it was still nice to be able to sit around and not do too much on Sunday. The weather was a bonus, too. The wind was cool but it only rained Saturday night while we slept and the sun came out after that.

Distance Traveled: 300 km ( 186 miles)
Concrete / Grandy Creek KOA
Site #104, pull through, full hookup, fire pit, picnic table, playground, swimming pool, giant bouncy pillow
Nights stayed: 2
More pictures on Picasa.

Here are some things we learned during this trip...

Con: The warning in the outside stove top owner's manual about not using over-sized pots and pans was true, We bought a double-burner griddle from Costco that we thought would be very handy. But because it was too big to fit properly, it caused a little bit of the plastic label on the stove to bubble up from excessive heat.
Pro: The burners on the outside stove are extremely wind resistant. When kept on high, the flame would not blow out even in strong gusty wind without the wind shields in place.

Con: The toilet leaks at the top of the connection when you try to fill the bowl with fresh water. There is no leaking when you flush. We'll need to ask the dealer to check it out.

Con: The storage bag for the air mattress in our sofa bed is torn at 3 of the anchor points. We'll ask the dealer to order a new one for us.

Con: One of the wood stoppers that prevents the trundle bed from coming out completely came off. I could probably hammer this back in place when I get some time.

Pro: The outside kitchen is very easy to use and setup.

Con: When turned to MAX cold, the outside fridge will start to freeze canned pop solid in about 24 hours. By the way, frozen cans of pop explode violently but are relatively easy to clean up.

Con: The 3-step ladder bought from Costco was too short for me to see what was on top of the slide out roof.

Pro: Lynx levelers are truly multi-purpose. I was able to stack 5 of them together, put them on the wide top platform on the step ladder and see above the slide out roof. That made spraying off the pine needles and other debris really easy when we were packing up.

Con: Stabilizer jacks cannot be repaired. The nut that prevents the entire bar from coming out is loose. The dealer already said that they would replace all four, but I wanted to see if I could do something first.

Pro: The Lynx levelers saved the day again at the end of the trip when I we were back in Canada. We made arrangements to park our TT on a farm for storage, but when I tried to back TT into a dirt area so that I could turn it around. Because the ground was moist from rain, the tires sunk and I got stuck. With a little bit of digging, I was able to lay down a track of the Lynx levelers in front of each tire and drive away. Whew! The Lynx Levelers have been a great investment!

Pro: We tried out a couple of fire logs to see how they would work. We like to cook over the fire so we don't normally use manufactured fire logs but we thought it would be nice in the evening when we're sitting outside. Saturday night, since we cooked on the grill, I used up a 15+ year old Dura-Log that took a little extra effort to light, but worked. I was most impressed the next day with a new "Green" fire log we bought from the Real Canadian Superstore that was made out of coffee grinds. It's a 2-3 hour log that was easy to light and burned very robustly with no effort. It cost only $4 and I simply put it on the fire after we had finished cooking dinner and marshmallows.

Pro: The cheap sewer hose holder I made to fit on top of the bumper worked great.

Con: The propane tank regulator makes a high pitched whine when propane is being used.

VW R32: Service Action 60A7

2010-05-19T15:40:00.002-07:00

I learned today that VW currently has a service action out (described to me alternatively as “S9” or “60A7”) for the inspection of the 2004 R32's moonroof drain. According to my invoice the dealership modified the moonroof drains; whether that entailed installation of new parts or modification of current parts I don’t know. As it was free, I suspect the latter.

FYI, latest TSBs for the 2004 R32 from the NHTSA.

Since my 50k miles scheduled maintenance was more than a year ago, I took my R in today expecting to have the “60k miles” service done, despite only having 54k miles on the odometer. To my surprise the dealership told me all I needed was a “55k miles” service which was simply an oil change. I was surprised because according to the information on VWoA there is no “55k miles” service for the 2004 R32 – it goes from 50k directly to 60k. Odd.

Type rest of the post here.

ProPride 3P Hitch Installed

2010-05-18T20:32:00.006-07:00

From Bullet Mods and Accessories

I did a lot of research over the past year about different kinds of hitches and although we never had a problem with our Reese HP Dual Cam system, the thought of towing a 35' trailer very near our limits across the Prairies this summer made it easier for us to upgrade. We the same trip a couple of years ago on the tail of some severe thunderstorms and I know how strong the winds can get.

After reading information and comments from owners and non-owners of variety of hitches including the Equal-i-zer, Dual Cam, PullRite, Hensley Arrow, and ProPride 3P, I decided the ProPride 3P Hitch was the best one for us. I'm really glad I did, too, because customer service has been top notch and beyond what can usually be expected from "average" companies.

I completed the install of the ProPride myself. It was fairly straightforward. I didn't bother to take any pictures of my progress because I found that Restcure.ca is a great resource with an excellent Flickr gallery of pictures of the install. It helped me get prepared for what to expect.

We're heading out for our maiden voyage in the Keystone Premier this week so I'll be able to post some impressions after we get back.

ProPride 3P Hitch Is On The Way

2010-05-14T23:41:00.004-07:00

We're another step closer to getting on the road with our brand new 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR travel trailer. The ProPride 3P hitch I ordered several weeks ago was shipped 11 May 2010 and is making its way from Grand Blanc, MI to the west coast. It left Hodgkins, IL this morning. I can't wait!

UPDATE: 14 May 2010

The hitch is now on the West Coast!

View ProPride 3P Hitch Journey in a larger map

Can you tell I'm excited?

Past journey as of 12 May 2010

View ProPride 3P Hitch Journey in a larger map

Keystone RV: How To Winterize Your RVs water system

2010-05-13T21:50:00.003-07:00

I'm really glad I found this series of tips from Keystone RV Company on YouTube. They are great because they help me understand our new Premier travel trailer much better. This video explains how to winterize the RV's water system.

Keystone RV: Proper Lug Nut Torque - Requirements and Maintenance

2010-05-13T21:45:00.004-07:00

This is another helpful video from Keystone RV. This information is explained in the Keystone Owner's Manual, but it's nice to have the pictures to correspond. This video explains the proper way to apply the proper lug nut torque on the travel trailer.

Keystone RV: Override Your Slide Out Mechanism

2010-05-13T21:35:00.007-07:00

I just happened to find these very helpful videos from Keystone RV. These service tips are great because they are specific to Keystone RVs and will really help with our new Premier. This video shows you how to manually crank the slide outs in case of power failure. Good to know.

A Song For My Wife On Mother's Day

2010-05-09T23:42:00.003-07:00

All My Days by Alexi Murdoch

Now I see clearly
It's you I'm looking for
All of my days
Soon I'll smile
I know I feel this loneliness no more
All of my days

Lynx Levelers: Christmas in May

2010-05-06T21:01:00.008-07:00

From Bullet Mods and Accessories

When we first bought our Pacific Coachworks Tango travel trailer last year, one of the first accessories that I bought were Lynx Levelers. I didn't want to bother with heavy scrap pieces of wood to level the RV and I really liked the bright orange colour of the Lynx. They are very easy to use especially since the Hoppy bubble levels that I mounted tell us how many inches to raise the trailer, and each of the Lynx Levelers are about 1" tall. There was never any guessing to how high to build the stacks.

During the off-season I used the Lynx Levelers under the trailer tires to keep them off the frozen pavement. As it turns out, we had one of our warmest winters on record. So in March when we took the RV out on the first trip of the year, I noticed that the levelers bent out of shape from the weight of the tires on the soft asphalt....

...Even though it was just cosmetic and they worked just as well under the stabilizer jacks, I still thought about buying a new set. I was pleasantly surprised when at the end of the weekend, the bent levelers had all come out straight again--just like new. Impressive!

Another thing I was happy about was the performance of the Lynx Stop 'N Chocks. I had sold my BAL Deluxe Wheel Chocks because the Keystone Premier has extra wide axles so they would not work any more. I bought the Lynx chocks because they connect with the levelers and provide safety even when the tires are raised. I discovered that even without the BAL chocks the trailer was very stable and had very little movement.

One last thing about Christmas in May: This week Tri-Lynx sent me a box of additional levelers and chocks as well as a few other products shown above and wrote a very nice letter in appreciation of my business. Now that's really impressive!

RV Mod: Bamboo Gutter Extensions

2010-05-03T21:37:00.004-07:00

From Bullet Mods and Accessories

Last year when we were shopping for our first RV, a Pacific Coachworks Tango, we noticed clothes pins clipped on each corner of the travel trailer. We had no idea what it was for until the dealer explained that it helped the water running from the gutters to fall away from the sides of the trailer. This would reduce the black streaks that occur when the trailer sits outside in the rain. We were skeptical at first, but....
...when it rained, we could see that it really worked. It's cheap, too, so as homage to the little red-neck inside of me, I promptly placed four brand new bamboo clothes pins on our 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR.

The Bullet and Tango Hotel

2010-05-01T20:28:00.007-07:00

From The Bullet

We signed the papers for our 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR today and did the walk through. It was a little sad saying good bye to the Tango because we had such a good time with it last year. But seeing the new shiny Bullet right next to it made it easy to be excited.

It's going to take some time to get used the new layout and figuring out exactly where we should put everything but there was one pleasant surprise: the laundry chute. At first, we didn't think it would be good for anything but when I put our laundry hampers in place, we realized that it would work out quite well. In the Tango we had to take up floor space for it. In the Bullet, it is conveniently out of the way.

From The Bullet

One thing I was disappointed in was the plastic toilet. The one in the Tango was porcelain. I suppose we have to make some sacrifices to reduce weight.

The Premier Arrives--Finally!

2010-04-26T20:41:00.002-07:00

From Keystone Premier 31BHPR

We finally got a chance to see our 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR on the weekend. It had arrived at the dealership earlier in the week. We had placed a deposit on it back in February when we saw it at the Earlybird RV show in Abbotsford but what was originally supposed to be a 2 week wait ended up being much longer.

It was nice seeing it in person again and it reconfirmed that this was the right RV for us.

Torque Multiplier

2010-04-18T13:24:00.006-07:00

I'm planning on installing the new ProPride 3P hitch by myself when our Keystone Premier 31BHPR trailer arrives. It seems straightforward enough, but some of the bolts need to be torqued to 250 lb-ft. That's not something easily accomplished with everyday basic tools. I have torque wrench but it's rated only up to 150 lb-ft. I could not find any torque wrench rated above 250 lb-ft, but my searching led me to find something that I had never heard of before, a torque multiplier:

From RV Mods and Accessories

Restcure.ca has a great explanation of how a torque multiplier works as well as some very helpful pictures and information about the ProPride hitch. So I went out and bought the torque multiplier today which was on sale for only $70 (regularly $110).

The 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR travel trailer we ordered waaay back in February should finally be arriving soon. Apparently, on top of all the other reasons for delay that we heard through other owners (slight specification change and high demand), according to our salesman, the factory had trouble finding enough drivers to deliver the trailer up north. We are now "at the top of the list" so hopefully it will be here soon.

ProPride 3P Hitch

2010-04-17T18:44:00.005-07:00

Since we were upgrading our travel trailer to a 2010 Keystone Premier 31BHPR, I thought we should also upgrade our hitch to a ProPride 3P. There's lots of talk and debate about high performance hitches, but going through as much information and research that I could find, I decided that the ProPride was the one for us. I've placed the order and hopefully it will arrive within a few weeks. The video below basically demonstrates why trailer sway is eliminated with this style of hitch....

GMC Yukon XL Denali Summer Tire Swap - 38920 km

2010-04-10T22:09:00.003-07:00

Despite having one of the warmest winters in history this year, spring time temperatures have still been in the single digits. This past week we even had some wet snow. That's meant I've had to keep the winter tires on our GMC Yukon XL Denali a lot longer than normal.

The forecast has finally changed and I took the opportunity today to switch back to the 20" chrome.

Let's hope the weather stays warm!

Waiting for the Premier

2010-03-15T17:02:00.006-07:00

It's been about a month since we first saw the Keystone Premier 31BHPR at the Earlybird RV Show. The dealership said they ordered 4 of them and we were 3rd in line. The picture on the left shows the outside kitchen which features a refrigerator, sink, 2-burner grille, and a swivel-mounted LCD TV. We were told that it would take about 2 weeks for the new travel trailer to arrive, but it's been about a month now and it's looking less likely that we will get it in time for our Spring Break trip at the end of March.

I've read comments on the forums and there have been a couple of rumors why there might be a delay. One reason is the incredible popularity of the unit and the large number of recent orders. Another is that Keystone RV made some design changes and they were incorporating them into the new RVs.

Whatever is causing the delay, we've taken advantage by removing almost all of our gear from the Tango. It took us three trips of filling our Denali XL up to the roof to do it. It's surprising how much was packed in there. Now with the campsite already booked for our first trip of the season, we'll probably need to de-winterize the Tango and pack it with the bare minimum to take it out.

Stay tuned for more.

Keystone Premier by Bullet Ultra Lite Travel Trailer

2010-03-09T20:58:00.002-08:00

We saw the Keystone Premier 31BHPR in early February at the Early-bird RV Show in Abbotsford. We fell in love with the floor plan and decided to trade in our old travel trailer after only having it for less than a year. With the good weather we've been having and spring break only a couple of weeks away, I'm starting to go a little stir crazy trying to find as much information and pictures about the Premier to carry me through until when it arrives. This video gives a little glimpse at the new trailer.

2010 Premier Ultra Lite 31BHPR

2010-02-07T21:04:00.016-08:00

We were at the Abbotsford Tradex this weekend for the Earlybird RV Show and saw this spiffy looking 35' travel trailer in full body paint. It's a brand new Premier Ultra-Lite made by Keystone RV. We love our 2009 Tango but the seven of us just needed more space. Because the Premier is an ultra-lite, we can have a quad-bunk configuration with dual-slides and a second kitchen (outside) and STILL be within the towing capacity of our 2007 Yukon XL Denali. It was something we could not pass up.

I posted some general specifications and floor plan:
Premier Ultra-Lite 31BHPR RV Travel Trailer

Vancouver City

2010-02-03T08:19:00.003-08:00

This is an amazing timelapse video of the city of Vancouver home of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The opening ceremonies are only a few days away on 12 February 2010.

I Will Possess Your Heart

2010-01-26T22:06:00.001-08:00

Anthem for stalkers? Well, I still think it's a great song!

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain

2010-01-14T21:49:00.001-08:00

Haunting song from the latest episode of House: "The Down Low" aired Jan. 11, 2010.

AT&T Pre-paid SIM Card for LG Eve GW620

2009-12-23T14:55:00.007-08:00

I went across the border to Washington state yesterday to buy a AT&T pre-paid SIM card for my unlocked LG GW620 Eve Android phone. I did some research on different carriers and found that AT&T was my best choice for a GSM network with 3G data access for pre-paid accounts. Despite the Verizon advertisements that like you to believe otherwise, coverage was actually better than some other carriers I checked out. (Verizon is not GSM so I didn't consider them at all.)

On eBay, you can buy a AT&T pre-paid SIM card for just under $10. I decided to take my chances and stop at a kiosk at a mall since I was going down to the US to do some shopping anyway. I was pleasantly surprised that the SIM card was free. All they asked for was my first and last name (no ID required) and they scanned my phone for the IMEI number. And that was it. No charge, no fuss. They told me to buy minutes at the Radio Shack in the mall. I bought $100 because that would give me 1 year before it expired.

Once the minutes were added, I had phone access right away. Data access did not come as easily. I found out that I need to add a data package for $5 for 1MB (or $20 for 100MB) before I could access the 3G network. That was simple enough to do, but I still could not download any data. Since the LG GW620 Eve is currently sold only in Canada, the AT&T support could not give me specific help. I found the Mobile Networks settings on the LG GW620 and discovered that it was still trying to connect to a Rogers Access Point. When I called 611 again and asked for the Access Point Name (APN) I was transfered to 2nd level Tech Support, but after 30 minutes, they still couldn't find the info I needed. I'm sure they were trying to run an emulator to find the settings on a similar phone, but of course there way no other AT&T LG phone similar to it.

Lucky for me, I discovered that there was a AT&T store close to the Best Buy I was parked at. I went in, showed them the screen with the info I needed, and gave the clerk my phone. He knew exactly what to look for, punched a few buttons on his keyboard and entered the info into my phone. I had 3G access as soon as he handed the phone back to me! Whoo, hoo!

We travel in the US during the summer quite frequently so the pre-paid AT&T card will be much more economical than paying Rogers' outrageous roaming fees for voice and data.

Unlock LG Eve GW620 Android Phone

2009-12-21T09:31:00.011-08:00

After many years of resisting, I recently jumped into the world of cell phone ownership and purchased the new LG Eve GW620. It's the first Android phone from LG and Canada is one of the first countries in the world to receive it. I'm not a big talker, but I wanted the phone for the 3G data access and the ability to run different apps.

I already own a 32GB iPod Touch so the natural transition would have been to get an iPhone 3GS. However, restrictive Apple policies (regarding their products and App store) as well as the high cost of the iPhone ($300 for the 32GB, even with a 3-year contract) turned me off.

The LG Eve GW620 cost $50 with a 3-year contract but I got it basically for free because it came from Costco with a $75 gift card and a car charger as a bonus. Rogers has a current promotion right now selling the Eve for $0.99 with no activation fee and a $50 gift card. A much better value than the iPhone where no bonuses or deals are offered.

The Android market isn't as extensive as the the App Store, but I see the potential with open source and the power of Google. I've been able to find an app to suit all my needs and I like how the phone can run multiple apps at the same time.

It comes installed with Android 1.5 but there are people who have already figured out how to root the LG GW620 and are now working on getting Android 2.0 running on it. They're making good progress and I can't wait to see what they can do. The LG GW620 will be released in the Czech Republic in early 2010 January, and in the Netherlands and the UK in late January which means even more potential for the phone.

So far I'm very pleased with the LG GW620. There was a bit of a learning curve making the transition from iPod Touch user interface. I'm not patient enough to read the owner's manual, but after some quality quiet time playing with the phone I was able to customize it the way I wanted. I really like the way apps can be organized on the phone much better than the vast mess of pages that are on the iPhone. The LG Eve GW620 has a slide-out keyboard with a very solid feel. It also has a 5.0 megapixel camera with a built-in flash and facial recognition. For some reason, though, it still seems to take blurry pictures. I'll have to take some shots under good conditions to see how the camera performs. The screen is smaller than on the iPhone but it's acceptable. I miss the ability to double-tap on the the web browser to zoom in and out of sections of the page.

I bought an unlock code off of eBay for $6 and unlocked the LG GW620 because I'm planning on buying a pre-paid SIM card when I go travelling in the US. The procedure to unlock the phone is really easy:

Find the phone's 15-digit IMEI number by pressing *#06# on the dialer.
Submit the IMEI number to the seller to get the unlock code.
When you get the unlock code, enter 2945#*620# on the dialer.
You are allowed 10 attempts to unlock the phone. Enter the unlock code and when the phone reboots it is unlocked.

To confirm that the phone is unlocked, the next time you enter 2945#*620# on the dialer, the phone will say "Your phone is not personalized."

Nice and simple! My favorite app right now? Foursquare :0)

Subaru Pulls Out Truck

2009-12-19T23:06:00.003-08:00

This is what makes a Subaru, a Subaru!

Thanks to Tijmen Fongers for finding this awesome video for me :0)

Winter Rims Mounted - GMC Yukon Denali 30743 km

2009-11-14T16:27:00.002-08:00

Winter Rims Mounted
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

I put the winter tires back onto our 2007 GMC Yukon Denali XL this morning. It wasn't the ordeal it was last year, but it was snowing/hailing lightly while I was doing it. I don't know if we'll see the record snowfalls again, but the local ski hills and Whistler Mountain have all opened their season early.

Remembrance Day 2009

2009-11-11T00:01:00.001-08:00

Our Duty Done, originally uploaded by istargazer.

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

2009-10-31T16:29:00.002-07:00

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

This is my Halloween costume this year. I made the mask to go with my grim reaper robe so that I could be the Blue Screen of Death. I also made an "Any" button prop that I could dare people to press :0) Of course, after I finished making the costume Thursday morning, I got an email from admin that we wouldn't be allowed to wear masks at work. Bummer.

VW R32: Cute

2009-10-22T17:06:00.002-07:00

I'd heard the description before, but the other day was the first time I'd heard in person my R described as "cute".

I wasn't at all bothered or anything, merely taken back for half a second, thinking to myself, really?

I just don't see it. But that doesn't matter, does it? Cuteness is in the eye of the beholder.

I wonder if anyone's described a STI as cute....

2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

2009-10-18T00:35:00.002-07:00

2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

I was just looking at the stats on my Flickr account and discovered something interesting. For some reason, this particular picture--out of all the 900+ pictures I've uploaded--has the most views of all. As of this post, it has been viewed 26,787 times (not including myself). I wonder why that is because it hasn't generated as many comments or favorites as some of my other pictures.

Version 2: Was it a dream?

2009-10-18T00:09:00.003-07:00

Version 2: Was it a dream?
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

I watched an episode of Test Drive on the Speed channel this afternoon on the new 4-door Porsche Panamera. I've seen it a few times now on different shows and being on the Porsche mailing list I've seen the official literature on it, too. The look is growing on me, although I do like the view mostly either full-frontal or directly from the rear. The side profile has some nice aspects, but the overall look definitely takes some getting used to.

For some reason, it made me really, really miss my 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

Thanksgiving Camp

2009-10-16T20:08:00.005-07:00

Thanksgiving Camp
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

We left home after I got off work on Friday to go RVing in our Tango trailer. It would be our last trip of the year before putting the RV into storage for the winter and would mark the 29th night of camping in 2009. A pretty good number if I say so myself!

It took us almost an hour to get over the Port Mann Bridge, but traffic was pretty smooth after that. We got to the campground after dark and I had the hardest time backing the trailer. I could not see a thing back there and because I didn't remove the trunnion bars, I was paranoid about turning too sharply and breaking them off like I did earlier in the summer. It was actually my first time doing it in the dark and after a couple of failed attempts, a couple of neighbors, Mark and Steven, helped guide me into position. Without their help it would have been a very long night for us!

The weather for the weekend was clear and sunny but cold because of the arctic air that came in from the north. Overnight temperatures were near freezing but the fire kept us warm when we were outside and the furnace did the same when we were in the trailer.

Of course the swimming pool was closed for the season so we spent our afternoons shopping at Target and Walmart. We even went to an awesome party supply store for the kids' Halloween costumes. They had just about everything you could think of. I bought myself some "X-ray Vision" glasses for the next time the school has a crazy-glasses day. The jumping pillow at the KOA was free and the kids were able to work off some energy at the playground after we got back from shopping. It was our first Thanksgiving away from home and it was nice spending it by the fire.

Ballet Nouveau Colorado: Intersection

2009-10-04T19:13:00.001-07:00

The orange ribbon of an early morning sunrise
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

I was honored to receive a request that my photos be used in a contemporary ballet called Intersection that will be performed in Denver, Colorado area later this month. Very cool!

Dear istargazer,

I would like to request the use of your photography under the Creative Commons license you have applied to your work.

My name is Garrett Ammon, and I am the Artistic Director of Ballet Nouveau Colorado. I am currently in the process of creating a new contemporary ballet, in collaboration with Poet Michael J. Henry, entitled Intersection. The ballet will be an evening length work incorporating poetry, music and dance, as well as projections of photographs, video and text. The ballet will be presented in the denver area from October 30 through November 8, 2009.

Your photography will be incorporated into projections that will be displayed across two screens above the stage and/or on a television that will be utilized during the performance.

Your screen name (and your full name if you would like) and the URL(s) of your photography will be printed in the program. I will also be maintaing a growing collection of flickr galleries that will include all of the photographs that will be appearing in the ballet.

www.flickr.com/photos/garrettammon/galleries/

All I can offer in return is my gratitude and thanks for your generosity. I would also like to offer complimentary tickets to a performance of Intersection, if you happen to be in the Denver area at the time of the production.

With great appreciation,

Garrett Ammon
Artistic Director, Ballet Nouveau Colorado

To learn more about me and Ballet Nouveau Colorado visit:

www.bncdance.com/

To learn more about my collaborator, Poet Michael J. Henry, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop visit:

lighthousewriters.org/

mjhenry.wordpress.com/

You can see a photo gallery of my previous collaboration with Michael here:

www.bncdance.com/when-the-power-goes-out/

2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali Fuel Consumption: July '09

2009-08-18T21:13:00.003-07:00

These are my July fuel consumption stats for our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali. Sorry it's late. Click the thumbnail to see the full view.

Dynex® - 22" Class / 720p / 60Hz / LCD HDTV Model: DX-L22-10A

2009-08-18T20:49:00.006-07:00

It's hard to buy local when Gordon Campbell's BC Liberals continue to deceive its citizens and increase taxes with things like the proposed HST. Because of that, I will be spending my tourist dollars outside of BC.

We took an extended trip down to Oregon and took advantage of no sales tax to save a lot of money on a basic TV for our travel trailer RV. I originally bought one locally here at a Best Buy in Canada. It was a 19" Insignia (another Best Buy brand) LCD TV that was $200, which I thought was reasonable. Plus, I had some Reward Dollars saved up that would have made it cheaper to buy up north.

However, after trying it out on our next camping trip in Washington state, I discovered that it lacked a digital tuner. Having no digital tuner made it useless to me because the US switched over to digital-only broadcasts earlier this year. I checked the other products in stores in Canada and anything with a digital tuner cost significantly more. On top of that the BC government charges a recycling fee to the cost of any TV--in this case, $25. I also wasn't happy with the size because it looked as if there was space for a larger TV. The 22" Dynex was on sale for $220 USD, no sales tax and no levy made it a super killer deal.

VW R32: Sharan antenna

2009-08-04T20:15:00.002-07:00

One of the first things I changed on my R was the stock antenna -- it reminded me of those long metal wires sticking out the top of old trains and buses that connect to overhead electric cables. The problem with installing a different antenna, though, was that most that caught my eye ended up touching the rear spoiler when the hatch was open.

For a little more than 5 years I made do with a S2000 antenna lookalike and an angle adapter. Still, in addition to being difficult to line up properly, with time the adapter became floppy and no longer performed the purpose for which it was intended -- preventing the antenna from touching the spoiler.

See below the fold for more and pics.

Back in the day I'd considered the VW Sharan antenna, but it was always out of stock at Hillside Imports. Why not order it from a dealership? First, the Sharan isn't sold in the U.S. or Canada. Second, I believe there's some sort of modification required with the threads to make the Sharan antenna fit the antenna base of a 2004 R32.

Anywhoo, a couple weeks ago I discovered the Sharan antenna was in stock.

VW R32: VentureShield

2009-08-03T19:45:00.003-07:00

I decided it's much cheaper to install clear sticker on the R than having to have it repainted. I had some VentureShield clear sticker installed on the front of the R. It covers the front part of the hood, the HIDs, front bumper, and part of the front fenders. So far I'm pretty happy with it. As a bonus, the sticker makes washing off bugs pretty easy.

I like how the HIDs look with sticker, removing the need for the Lexan covers; I'm still not entirely comfortable with it, though. I just have some slight difficulty wrapping my mind around the notion that a piece of flexible plastic sticking directly to the HIDs is as or even more protective than solid plastic sitting in front, not against, the HIDs.

Click below the fold for pictures.

The arrows in this first pic indicate the edges of the clear sticker.

The VentureShield is invisible a short distance away.

VW R32: Front Repaint

2009-08-02T19:45:00.003-07:00

A short while back the cornucopia of rock chips on the R's front reached my personal I-will-pay-good-money threshold. Being new to the area, I went with a local dealership's recommendation for a good paint shop.

My entire front bumper was like this:

This OEM spotted bumper was painted and installed at Karen Radley VW (under warranty, which was another issue) in Virginia. Actually, the dealership sent the bumper to a local shop to be painted. I still blame Karen Radley VW, though, for using a shop that produces such pitiable work.

See below the fold for the "after" pic.

I think everyone would agree it looks much better, now, after the paint job at Ontario Auto Collision CARSTAR:

2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali Fuel Consumption

2009-07-20T21:48:00.004-07:00

I found a great iPhone/iPod Touch app at the iTunes store for keeping track of fuel consumption and automobile expenses called Road Trip. One of the best things I like about it is that I can enter either gallons or litres and whether or not I fill the tank and it will keep track of all sorts of stats and show me my fuel consumption in either mpg or L/100 km. You can then export all of this data into a spreadsheet through email. I find it easier to simply take a screenshot on my Touch and upload it here, which I plan on doing on a monthly basis from now on. This particular screen shows all the accumulative data since I first bought the Denali back in August 2008.

Click the thumbnail above to see the full stats. You can see that the fuel consumption is not great. On the highway I was able to get an average of around 14 mpg, but in the city where I do most of my driving I get around 10 mpg. Such is the cost of living at the top of a mountain. You can also see that on my last fill-up I averaged only 8 mpg. That was the fuel that I used to go on our camping trip to Concrete, WA with our 30' travel trailer. Such is the cost of having fun!

The most surprising stat to me was how much fuel the Denali costs me since I've owned it: almost $9 per day. And that includes the days that I'm not driving!

Trip Report: Concrete/Grandy Creek KOA

2009-07-20T20:35:00.005-07:00

Concrete/Grandy KOA: 2 nights, Site #91

Coming back from Everett, I had the urge to get out on the road again and thought it would be nice to go for a couple of nights before the weekend. There was nothing available at Sunnyside so we took a chance calling the KOA campground in Concrete, WA. It's only about 2 hours away from our home and we had heard good things about it....

This trip started out a bit differently because the trailer was actually in storage. Since the trailer was already equipped with just about everything we needed, we thought it would be simple to just pack the clothes and food we wanted into the Denali, load up at the storage yard and leave from there. It didn't go quite that smoothly though, because that morning after stopping at the Costco in Port Coquitlam for fuel, I realized that I had forgotten the RV keys at home. Luckily, we were only 15-minutes away. In the end, we wereg only 30-minutes behind our original schedule. There was a 90-minute wait at the Peace Arch border crossing, but with our NEXUS passes we were able to breeze right through. There was a bit of a tight turn after the checkpoint, but I was able to make it with the trailer.

One of the great advantages of having the trailer is having a clean, comfortable place to rest and relax where ever we happen to be. Our first stop was at the Custer Rest Area just south of Blaine. It's the first rest stop after the border and we stopped there for lunch, just like we did on our Everett trip.

Concrete, WA is just east of Burlington on Highway 20. It's a very nice campsite with large full hook-up spots, as well as a swimming pool, playground, and jumping pillow that the kids had fun with. What was nice about this stay was that this really was an exploration for us to venture somewhere strictly for the campground amenities. No shopping, no tourist activities. It was great. We're going back again for 3 nights next time--without a sewer hookup. Hopefully, that won't turn out to be too adventurous!

VFD Bikers for Burns Ride

2009-07-19T22:07:00.002-07:00

VPD Motorcycles
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

My wife and I went on this charity bike ride at the end of June. It was a great day and marred only because I thought I had lost one of my memory cards. Luckily, I found it just the other day and have been busily uploading the pictures.

This is a picture of the Vancouver Police motorcycles. The VPD were really great because they gave a police escort for the group of riders all the way through Vancouver, onto Highway #1 and across the Golden Ears Bridge. It was a weird feeling not stopping for red lights!

Trip Report: Lakeside RV, Everett, WA

2009-07-13T19:19:00.009-07:00

Lakeside RV Park: 3 Nights
12321 Hwy 99, Everett, WA 98204

Talk about contrasts! From our very first camping trip into the lush forests around Cultus Lake, BC we went to our next destination of urban pavement: Lakeside RV Park off of Highway 99 in Everett, Washington. To be fair, after first impressions of the "neighborhood", the place was quite livable and suited our goal of being close to shopping. In fact, we got a water-view "lake" side spot right next to the fishing pond. We did lots of time at Camping World, Walmart, and Target as well as doing a little shopping at an outlet mall, and I was able to install and setup a few more things on our travel trailer.

Click the thumbnail below to see more photos.

2009 Everett

I got to climb up on top of the roof of the travel trailer for the first time to install the MaxxAir II vent cover. It allows us to keep the vent open without letting water come in through the opening. I'll need to get up there a few more times because I'd like to get another vent cover for our bathroom vent.

I'm glad to say that the Denali handled the extra load quite well on the I-5. It had no problem keeping to the speed limit of up to 70 mph and had passing power when needed. It drove like a big rig, but never felt unstable.

As for trailer life, there were several things I learned this trip. It was our first pull-through site and I learned that I could even mess that up! In my excitement I forgot to make a wide enough turn into our spot and I ended up brushing some trees on the left. Back when we were off-roading in the Sequoia, we would brush against trees and shrubs as we drove down narrow trails. We proudly called them "BC pinstripes." On the trailer they're just embarassing! Luckily, I was able to rub them out when I got home.

The other thing I learned was because of where the hookups were, we needed an extension to our 15' sewer line. It was nice that Walmart was so close and they had a good collection of RV accessories for us to use. It took me a while to get the hoses connected because our rigid Rhino hose didn't mate well to the flexible extension that I bought. Even though it worked fine, I went back to Camping World to buy a 10' Rhino extension for us to use the next time. I also bought some Lynx Levelers from Walmart that I needed for our Cultus Lake trip last week. For the most part I think we're setup for just about everything now.

Trip Report: Sunnyside Campground Cultus Lake BC

2009-07-06T10:07:00.012-07:00

Sunnyside Campground: 2 Nights

The maiden voyage in our Tango RV travel trailer was a great success. There were a lot of "firsts" for us and the kids, but we all had great fun--despite my returning home with a minor concussion and whiplash! More on that later.

We left home on July 1st, Canada Day holiday morning. It took me a while to get hitched up again after only doing for the first time over a week earlier. We finally got on the road around 10:30-ish and went over the Port Mann Bridge to the commercial truck scales to weigh ourselves. After a brief stop in the empty parking lot of an Abbotsford church for lunch, we arrived at Sunnyside Campground in Cultus Lake early in the afternoon.

Despite waiting an hour so that we could get "Twilight" admission to the Cultus Lake Water Slides (4 hours of playtime from 2:30 to closing) it still cost our whole family over $90 to get in. To me, it wasn't worth it because most of the time is spent waiting in lines, but the kids loved it. I went on the Valley of Fear with Kendra and when they told me to keep my chin down and butt off the bottom, I leaned backwards and hit my head going down. I had a headache for the rest of the night and the next day my neck muscles were so sore I could barely turn my head!

Camping at Sunnyside was much more fun. There were lots of trees and a fire pit for us to roast hotdogs and marshmallows over. The kids playground was modern and the local store had just about everything a camper would need. After the water slides, we walked down to the private beach and had a swim there. It was very enjoyable and I can see us going back some day.

It was very interesting walking through the camping area and seeing how different people set up their sites. It gave us ideas for what we wanted to get for our next trip out. Some of the things we want to get is a small axe (for making kindling), a sewer hose support system (to keep it off the ground and angled in the right direction), and some leveling boards because I could not level the trailer without lifting the wheels. I specifically did not buy them for this trip because I knew they were much cheaper in the USA, but I didn't realize the importance of them until we arrived at our camp.

7th Annual Vancouver Firefighter's Bikers for Burns Ride

2009-06-28T23:17:00.002-07:00

DSC_0259
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

My wife and I took part in the 7th Annual Vancouver Firefighter's Bikers for Burns ride today. It started in Vancouver at the Flying Swan Cafe and followed a route that included going over the new Golden Ears Bridge and continuing on to Harrison Hot Springs where there was a motorcycle stunt show to end the day. There were over 270 motorcycles and it was a great ride. What was really cool was that we got a police escort all the way to Maple Ridge. We got waved through intersections and the VPD even did rolling road blocks for us on Highway 1! On top of that I won a t-shirt and a hat registration prize!

The only damper to the day was the discovery that I had lost one of my SD cards. It had pictures from the first half of the day including pics of the Burgman and the Vancouver Police Motorcycles. I do have some video footage that I'll upload soon.

Barker VIP 3000 Electric Tongue Jack Installed

2009-06-24T17:32:00.005-07:00

From RV Mods and Accessories

An electric tongue jack seems to be a very popular modification especially with the larger trailers. The idea of cranking the jack up and down didn't appeal to me and after doing it the first day we towed the trailer I could say that I had "been there, done that." The Barker 3000 offers a 3000 lb lifting capacity as well as a built-in LED light (for hooking up at night) and a bubble level. I have to tell you, being able to lift and drop the trailer with the tip of my finger is a true pleasure.

A few additional pictures are available here.

Digital Programmable Thermostat Installed in RV

2009-06-23T23:09:00.007-07:00

From RV Mods and Accessories

When I found out that it was possible to install a regular household thermostat into the RV travel trailer, I knew it would be one of the first mods I would attempt. At first I didn't want to get a programmable model, but the selection available at RONA was very slim. The non-programmable ones were actually more expensive than the programmable ones. This particular one was one of the cheaper ones but it has a bonus of having a humidity display as well as separate temperature and programming displays. In fact, it's much fancier than the digital programmable one I installed in my home 9 years ago!

Full details of the install in our travel trailer is posted here: Tango Hotel Mod: Digital Programmable Thermostat

Tango Hotel: Tango 289BH RV Travel Trailer

2009-06-22T21:59:00.003-07:00

I finally had our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali setup for towing and got some time on Friday to pull home our new 30-foot travel trailer--which I nicknamed "Tango Hotel." The original plan was to keep it for one night and bring it back the next day, but our schedule was so busy that instead of rushing the next day, we decided to keep the trailer for the rest of the week. It actually worked out well because we were able to sleep in the trailer for two nights. It allowed us to get familiar with how everything worked in the trailer and start to setup everything the way that we wanted. I got a chance to complete some modifications and one of the first things I did was replace the old fashioned RV thermostat with a modern digital programmable thermostat.

I've got a few more mods that I want to do before we live for our first trip next week.

Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller Installed: 20700 km

2009-06-17T10:55:00.004-07:00

Our RV dealer initially installed the Tekonsha P3 brake controller under the dash to the right of the steering wheel but there's not much clearance there in our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali. With it angled up and my seat moved back a little, there was just enough room so my leg wouldn't rub against it. But I didn't like it. If there unforeseen forward movement, the Tekonsha would be firmly embedded in my shin. Besides, I couldn't see the display nor could I easily reach the manual control on the bottom of the P3. On top of that, they used the permanent bracket mount. There is no switched power in the Denali. Everything is on all the time. Even though the P3 has a built-in power-save mode, after the battery troubles I had on the Denali, I didn't want to risk it. So I removed the permanent bracket and installed the second bracket provided by Tekonsha to the left of the parking brake release and solved all my problems. It is now easy to see, easy to access, and easy to remove. Since Tekonsha provides a carrying case for the P3, why not use it?

One of the neat features of the P3 is that you can change the LCD screen colours to match your vehicles interior. Too bad the Denali has old-school green dials in the dash.

Reese Weight Distributing Hitch with Trunnion Bars and Dual Cam Sway Control

2009-06-16T21:23:00.005-07:00

I had a weight distributing hitch installed on our travel trailer today. It looks like a fairly simple setup to use. I'm anxious to try it out but our schedule is so busy right now that we'll need to wait a few more days.

In the meantime, we've bought a few things to equip the trailer including some wheel chocks and a power tongue jack that I'll need to install. I have a list of other things I want to get, but with prices in Canada about double the price it is in the US, it's hard to make purchases.

We've planned our second camping trip for south of the border so that we can pick up things that we need.

The Wiki @ Stargazer's Garage

2009-06-08T21:51:00.001-07:00

The Wiki @ Stargazer's Garage

I created a wiki to better organize the information posted on our blog. It is an archive of the specifications and modifications of the different vehicles that have occupied Stargazer's Garage as well as the experiences of ownership. I think it will be easier to have everything like mods, links, and resources all in one location rather than in separate blog posts all over the place.

I'll still be posting my most immediate updates on Twitter and I'll use the blog to give more detailed information. The wiki will be used as an archive to gather all the info from the blog posts.

The Shakedown: Sunnyside Campground Cultus Lake

2009-05-28T19:03:00.003-07:00

Sunnyside Campground Cultus Lake BC

The date has been set. Our spot has been reserved. The destination for our very first RV trip, the "Shakedown" trip, will be a campground within walking distance of the Cultus Lake Waterslides. A tip that I've read in every RV book and website is to take a short 2-3 day trip in the RV at the beginning of the season before you head off for a long trip. That way you can make sure that everything is working and deal with any issues close to home before you hit the road. The is commonly called the shakedown trip. Having never been RVing before, I feel that we still have a long journey before we get to that point with our new travel trailer. Wish us luck!

2009 Tango 289BH Travel Trailer

2009-05-26T20:26:00.006-07:00

We jumped through another hoop today and the financing has been approved for our new 2009 Tango Travel Trailer. We're another step closer to parking this behemoth on our driveway.

Overall, we must have looked at over 25 different RVs over this past month. This particular Tango happened to be the very first one we saw when we started this journey. On that first day, it was shown to us as a high-end trailer with high-quality materials throughout. But the $33000+ CAD list price was a lot of money.

The sales person showed us different trailers and configurations (even used ones) until we reached an entry-level double-bunk model with slides that was very reasonably priced. We left the lot that day with a handful of brochures and our heads about to explode.

We went to other RV dealers and looked at many more models and realized that there were certain things we liked and didn't like....

Click below to read more.

Some things just seemed to be standard issue so we didn't concern ourselves with items like a refrigerator, microwave, stove, oven, air conditioning, shower/toilet, awning, stereo/DVD player, and dinette.

Likes/Wants

Queen bed for us
bunk beds for the kids
sofa bed
comfortable shower and toilet
lots of well organized storage areas
must feel open and spacious with or without a slide

Didn't Likes

70's era decor
old-fashioned looking aluminum sides
cheap looking material and finishing
having to use the dinette as a sleeping area

Of course, everything that we wanted also had to come under our maximum towing capacity of 7800 lbs.

We even got to look inside some legendary Airstream trailers. Those were truly beautiful with modern airy interiors and thoughtful designs. Unfortunately, even the smallest of Airstream trailers were reaching our towing limit. Oh, yeah, they also listed at over $70,000!

Tango brand trailers are built by Pacific Coachworks in Riverside, California. The quality of materials and construction and the abundance of storage areas as well as the large bunk area really drew us back to the Tango. Also, we decided that we didn't want a slide because it would add additional weight to the trailer and we wanted to be as compact as you could possibly be in a 30' trailer.

So at the Coquitlam Center, when we saw that the Tango had been further reduced in price and after seeing all the other trailers at a higher cost even though the materials were inferior and the decor was beyond retro (venturing into grand-motherly), it was easy to take the step towards ownership. The Tango trailer also comes with exterior speakers and a power awning.

Here are a few pictures of the interior taken from Pacific Coachworks' web site.

Main living area showing the kitchen, dinette, and sofa:

Close-up of the sofa with the bedroom behind:

Queen bed:

Miserable Failure

2009-05-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, once again there was a pathetic voter turnout in the May 12 BC provincial election and the referendum for proportional representation failed miserably.

Talking to some colleagues afterwards, I found out they voted "No" because they didn't completely understand what it was about. Kinda sad, really.

I don't see voter turnout in BC improving any time soon or in the distant future because without proportional representation, my vote in this riding is pointless.

A New Addition to Stargazer's Garage: Tango RV!

2009-05-24T21:29:00.013-07:00

This has been an exciting weekend for us because we just added a new member to our (virtual) garage: a 2009 Tango Travel Trailer. (Being 30-feet long, it doesn't fit in our real garage.) While the idea of getting into RVing has been with me a long time, taking it seriously and acting upon it didn't start happening until about a month ago.

Since we had missed the spring RV shows, we stopped at our local RV dealership a few Saturdays ago for a look and we got a very informative and educational tour of different types of travel trailers. Our 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali is the most tow-capable vehicle we've owned, and I wanted to see what a 7800 lb. trailer looked like. The sales person spent a lot of time showing us the entire spectrum of RVs from modern upscale to affordable entry-level. We learned about GVWR and towing limits, as well as about slides (not the ones we're used to that you find at playgrounds!), outdoor showers, and saw that there were almost infinite variety of floor plans available. The trick was to find something that suited our large family of 5 children with room to grow and still keep within the limits of our Denali's towing capacity.

The next weekend, we went out to the Langley By-pass to check out another RV place. While no salesperson was available to show us around, armed with the knowlege we gained the week before we were able to take a peek into some different trailers with different floor plans and make comparisons with what we liked and didn't like. We even got to explore the massive Class-A tour-bus-syle RVs and dream a little.

In that particular area of Langley, there is a cluster of RV dealers side-by-side and across from each other so in between dropping off and picking up our kids at various birthday parties we went back and visited 3 more RV places looking at even more trailers. While every single trailer we looked had the same basic features like a queen bed, dinette, kitchen, sofa bed, bathroom and bunks, each one also had unique way of arranging everything within the 26' to 32' lengths that we looked at. We even saw one with a triple-bunk. I thought it was quite coffin-like myself, but I imagine the kids would have loved something like that!

By the time this weekend came, I was almost RV'd out. I thought we would just leave it for awhile and think about tow limits and cargo capacities and sleeping arrangements... But Saturday morning after picking up one of our girls from a birthday party a Koko's in Port Moody, we drove by Coquitlam Center and saw they had an event with mulitple dealers displaying, cars, motorcycles, boats, and RVs. We just had to stop.

So now you can see the result. It's the end of the weekend and we spent our Sunday afternoon borrowing books about RVing for beginners and idiots like ourselves and taking measurements of every overhead cabinet trying to plan how we would be filling up and personalizing our very own portable hotel room.

I'll explain why we chose this Tango 289BH Travel Trailer by Pacific Coach Works over all the others in my next post. Having never ever pulled a trailer, let alone something this big, it's going to be quite an adventure this summer as we learn about the world of RV vacationing. There definitely will not be any "staycation" for us this summer because we're going to try to hit the road as often as we can while my wife and I both have this summer off. But before we go anywhere, I'm going to have to learn how to get this rig on the road without running over any small animals, shrubs, or light posts. I'll definitely keep track of my progress online. Wish me luck!

Photosynth: Torin Black Jack Low-profile Floor Jack

2009-05-11T19:13:00.008-07:00

I was at a professional development work session today and someone showed us a video clip demonstrating some very cool technology called Photosynth. It's built with the technology of Seadragon and has the ability to create a model of reality built from the photo memories of the collective whole--very Borg-like! The individual members of the collective benefit by creating something more complex and rich than would have been very difficult if not impossible to do by themselves. One example shown was using photos found on Flickr to create the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Here's my simple attempt at making a synth of a floor jack I bought at Costco for R32Argent:

Click below to check out the TED video and see the demo yourself:

Jaw-dropping Photosynth Demo

VW R32: O.Z. Crono HT Installed

2009-05-10T20:33:00.005-07:00

I purchased some 5-spoke O.Z. Crono HT wheels for my summer tires a short while back. This weekend I finally installed them.

Click below the fold for pictures.

First, for easier comparison, this first picture is with the stock Aristos:

Now, the last two pictures are with the O.Z. wheels:

Me likey! I think the O.Z. wheels make the R look cleaner and a little more aggressive than the Aristos.

BC-STV Proportional Representation--Vote YES for Fair Results!

2009-04-27T23:07:00.006-07:00

We have a chance to change the electoral system in BC on May 12 by voting YES for proportional representation. It is far superior than the traditional "First Past the Post" system where it's possible for a political party to win a majority government even without a majority of the popular vote.

With BC-STV Proportional Representation, people won't have to feel that their votes are "wasted" like it is now with the current system. May 12--Vote YES for fair election results!

Check out http://stv.ca for more information.

ANZAC Day: April 25

2009-04-24T16:49:00.002-07:00

It's been almost two years since I first uploaded this video, The Band Played Walzting Matilda by Eric Bogle. I have to admit that I didn't know very much about the Battle of Gallipoli at that time. I've learned more since then especially after reading people's comments about it I've grown an even deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by everyone.

420 Day: April 20

2009-04-20T22:18:00.002-07:00

420
Originally uploaded by istargazer.

I took this picture almost 2 years ago shortly after I had the RCE Sport springs installed on my 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The location is a Park and Ride station and I thought it was an interesting spot. I had no idea the significance of "420" until someone posted a comment.

I had to google it to find the meaning to educate myself--LOL!

Anyway, there was a huge crowd in downtown Vancouver today commemorating the occasion.

2009 Lincoln MKZ - Shiny Toy Guns - Major Tom (Coming Home)

2009-04-20T21:42:00.003-07:00

This song, a cover of Major Tom by a group called Shiny Toy Guns is played on a commercial for the 2009 Lincoln MKZ which you can see here.

This is the latest song to make it into my collection, but my iPod Touch went wonky this afternoon and became unreadable by iTunes. I had to restore the factory settings and am currently waiting while everything gets gets transferred from the backup. I don't know why what happened but I did notice the last couple of days that more apps were crashing on it. Hopefully, this will cure the symptoms, but right now I'm going through a little withdrawal from the iPhone apps :-P

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Now playing: Shiny Toy Guns - Major Tom (coming home)
via FoxyTunes

VW R32: Importing a vehicle into Canada from the U.S.

2009-04-20T16:02:00.012-07:00

I've posted previously that I imported my 2004 VW Golf R32 to Canada from the U.S. when I relocated to the Land of Tim Hortons; here I want to provide some of the details on an initially daunting but ultimately straight-forward process. It goes without saying (though I'm still saying it) that I'm describing my own experience with importing my R32 -- and my memory is already hazy -- and anyone planning on importing a vehicle in to Canada from the U.S. is advised to visit the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) and the U.S. Border Protection Agency (BPA) websites for the latest information.

Read more beneath the fold....

First things first: visit the RIV website for the link to the latest list of admissible vehicles, hosted by Transport Canada. The list will tell you what if any modifications to a stock vehicle are required for importation, and whether it can be imported at all. This list does get updated. For the first few years a 2004 R32 wasn't admissible, but now it is.

It's not necessary to make any modifications prior to importation but once you import the vehicle you have roughly 30-45 days to pass all inspections; hence depending on what's needed you might consider having everything done prior to importing the vehicle into Canada. Caveat: a stock R, despite what RIV computers say, does not require any modifications.

Assuming the vehicle is admissible, then find out which land crossing near you handles exporting/importing vehicles. Not all crossings do. You need to know this ahead of time because the U.S. BPA requires that when exporting a vehicle from the U.S. you need to fax them at least 72h prior (weekends and holidays don't count) a copy of the title. You can also ask for a fax confirmation receipt, which I didn't need but others have found handy. I went via the Queenston-Lewiston border crossing in Ontario.

Before crossing you will also need a Recall Clearance letter from the vehicle manufacturer dated not more than 30 days prior to the importation date. I ended up having to request two letters because my schedule was delayed. VW of America takes 5-7 business days to mail the letter. Also make sure you have the original title. If there are any liens then you will need letters from each lien holder stating that you can export the vehicle. Have the bill of sale and any related receipts ready in case they ask for them at the border.

So... now you have all the documentation you need. In addition, it might be nice to have an idea of what the resale value of the vehicle (eg. from KBB or similar) is in case the particular model is not in the CBSA computer system. My R was not.

Head to the appropriate border. You have to first stop on the U.S. side at the BPA office to which earlier you faxed a copy of your title. All the U.S. officer does is verify that the VIN on the vehicle matches the VIN on the title. No line-ups, it took less than 5 minutes.

Enter Canada.

Stop at the CBSA customs office. Bring in all your documentation. I had to pay tax and duties on the value of my R above $10,000. They accept credit cards. You will fill out a Form 1 and make sure you don't lose it (keep it in the car until you get Canadian tags). You need a Canadian mailing address to complete Form 1. Everything here took me 15-20 minutes.

Whew. Now you're in Canada, free and clear of the border. Mail, courier, fax, or hand deliver the Recall Clearance letter to the RIV office. I went to their office in person to move things along. Once RIV confirms payment of the processing fee (I paid online) and receives the Recall Clearance letter they will issue you an inspection form (Form 2) and a letter stating what if any modifications are required. Inspections and any modifications must be completed within 45 days. You can pick up the Form 2 when you drop off the Recall Clearance letter in person, or they will e-mail, fax, or mail it to the Canadian address you provided on Form 1.

According to the RIV letter my R needed a child safety restraint system installed -- my R already had them. Anywhoo, you need both safety and emission inspections. Safety is where they also check to see whether you've made any required modifications. You need to have done so to pass. I went to Canadian Tire for both inspections with Form 2 in hand. Safety is free, emissions cost me around $100 (?), maybe more. Once you've passed both tests the inspectors are supposed to fax the completed Form 2 to RIV themselves. Make sure you retain your copy.

When RIV receives the completed Form 2 they will mail you a sticker you need to place on the driver's door or door jam.

Once I received my RIV sticker I could now go and get Ontario tags. To get Ontario tags I first needed to get an Ontario drivers license. This took me one beeping hour standing in line, more money, driving records for the past 10 years and my Maryland driving license, which they confiscated.

Next I went to a CAA (Canada Automotive Association) office with my Ontario driving license, title, completed Form 2, proof of Canadian auto insurance, virtual cash in the form of credit, and after 30 minutes in line I walked out with a pair of Ontario plates. My R was now a Canadian citizen.

Whew.

I think I've written all the important points up there. Nevertheless, just as the R was first inadmissible and then not, it's certainly worthwhile to obtain the latest information from official sources.

New Volkswagen Golf VI Commercial: "The Fight"

2009-04-14T20:15:00.002-07:00

Nice moves. Catchy song.

Zinga Warriorz - The Gun

2009-04-14T20:08:00.002-07:00

I was searching YouTube tonight for a couple of songs I heard on some TV commercials when I happened to find this song: The Gun by the Zinga Warriorz. I'd never heard of them before and this is from a live recording they did in May 2007 at down 2 earth studios in Birmingham, UK. Pretty catchy and now living on my iPod.

VW R32: O.Z. Crono HT

2009-04-11T19:14:00.003-07:00

The stock Aristos on my R32 have been relegated to winter wheel status. In preparation for the other three seasons I purchased 18x8 O.Z. Crono HT wheels. I haven't installed them yet as it still hasn't been consistently warm (it snowed 6 days ago) in the Land of Tim Hortons.

I went with 5-spoke wheels because no matter how much I like how they look the 15-spoke Aristos are a pain to clean. The Crono HTs are also lighter at 19.5lbs a piece, compared to the hefty Aristos' 28-29lbs.

See below the fold for a picture.

I'll post more pics once I get these wheels installed.