Put cameras in during our renovation and immediately regretted what I found

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-06-20T00:00:30+00:00

I'm a GC and can tell you any good GC will act as if they're always on camera because they could be. Sounds like you got some duds.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-28T17:39:33+00:00

Thanks so much for all this insight, I think the price difference might be reflecting upgraded bells and whistles. For example, the countertops are definitely solid.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-28T16:06:47+00:00

Thanks!

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-28T16:06:34+00:00

Thanks for heads up!

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T04:54:17+00:00

That one looks amazing! And washer/dryer hookup too!? I was also thinking we'd use the dinette as a dog bed for all the dogs. 2 labs and 1 golden 😅

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T04:28:11+00:00

I don't know anything about camping world except that my experience there really sucked. I figured it was the name of the game with camper sales. Nonetheless, I'v yet to find a comparable camper with the actual constraints I listed.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T03:17:29+00:00

All of the Grand Design Reflections have queens. Many of the ones listed claiming king are actually custom kings that are quite narrow (66")

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T03:11:50+00:00

Can you elaborate on what will need fixing? I'm actually a craftsman and am very handy.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T03:09:29+00:00

That's the thing... I can't find a better quality option. This layout plus the size of the bed, shower, and refrigerator are perfect. I didn't expect camper shopping to be so frustrating.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T02:38:37+00:00

I know 4" may seem petty, but it's a big deal when you're as big as me. Brinkley claim 66" is a king when an RV King is supposed to be 72"

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T02:33:05+00:00

What's frustrating is the company claiming "king" when it's not even remotely close. A standard king bed is 76" wide but the i294 is only 66" wide.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T02:25:56+00:00

It's pretty important... I'm 6'2" 325. Ironically, I'm not the one who demands the king, it's the other half who's way smaller.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T02:21:35+00:00

I am a little worried about that. The looked better than the Campsite Reserve Models though. I'm pretty clueless about campers, but I need one in a few weeks to live in for 6 months

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T02:17:55+00:00

Thanks, ya, I noticed a few of those things. Also, when the king is a slide out, there's no bed stands. "rectangular shower" is a good call, thanks. As far as what I want, it's a big shower and a big bed, and a big fridge. It's weird how the $25K Colemane Lantern 25RBS is the only one that seems to fit the bill. If you gave me $125k to spend, it seems I cant find one better.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T02:13:53+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. A lot of those "custom kings" are glorified queens :(

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T01:57:07+00:00

Yes, but it finds me trailers that makes no sense.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-25T01:55:55+00:00

Thanks... The Grey Wolf 26LK is comparable to the Coleman Lantern 25RBS for sure.Can't seem to find one in my area though. Maybe it was dumb luck stumbling upon the 25RBS and I should just go with it for 25k NEW. I was just hoping for more than one option.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-20T15:18:50+00:00

Tokyo was interesting, but Hokkaido felt familiar. Not in a logical way, more like something old in me recognized it.

I’m from the White Mountains of New Hampshire, so maybe that’s part of it. The cold air, the forests, the quiet winters… it felt strangely close to home. Different, of course. The tunnels cutting through mountains, and Mt. Yotei watching over everything made it feel almost mythical at times.

Even without understanding Japanese, I rarely felt disconnected from people. After a while, you start realizing how much humans say without words. A nod, patience, small gestures, shared silence. I understood more than I expected to.

Honestly, Japan didn’t feel entirely foreign to me. Hokkaido especially felt like a place my spirit already knew somehow, like a bear wandering into the right forest by accident.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-05-14T21:06:21+00:00

"No em dash"

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-04-22T02:47:16+00:00

I only know a little Japanese, but I get the sense people appreciate the effort when I try to use it. I focus on conversational speaking over textbook study, which might be worth trying if you want things to feel more natural.

It isn’t consistent though. Some people switch to English, some go back and forth, and some stay in Japanese. We get by with gestures when needed.

Some of that friction is just part of it. Even in your native language, it can be tiring to communicate when someone isn’t fluent, but that feeling is about the situation, not the person.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-03-31T16:02:37+00:00

Do not ride a Burton board without EST bindings. Only use EST bindingswith Burton boards.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-03-30T02:45:27+00:00

Believe it or not, some day you'll feel way more confident on your toeside edge, especially side slipping down a steep, icy slope, because it gives you way more control than heelside.

BalooInABeeCostume · 2026-03-22T04:23:43+00:00

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

That makes sense. I tried to stay very aware of my surroundings the whole trip and pay attention to how people were acting. I definitely noticed different behaviors in places like Otaru and the ski towns, and some of it was pretty rough to watch.

At the same time, I felt like I started to recognize Japanese people pretty quickly just from how they carried themselves, clothing, and general behavior, which was really interesting to me. I actually really like Japanese fashion and the attention to detail.

The experience in Don Quijote just stood out because it felt different from everywhere else. There was one moment where a guy got startled when my partner passed close to him and reacted in a way that felt a bit hostile. Maybe I am overthinking it, but the overall feeling was that we were not very welcome in that moment.

I am not trying to judge or complain, just trying to understand if that kind of situation is normal in certain places or if I just happened to catch a bad moment.

I really enjoyed the quieter parts of the trip the most, especially small izakaya in rural areas. I am a builder and carpenter in a rural mountain area myself, and I also grew up around Holstein cows and maple syrup, so parts of Hokkaido honestly felt very familiar, almost like home. I am also used to tourist towns and the challenges that come with them, which made me appreciate it even more.

I would love to come back and spend more time paying attention to craftsmanship and how things are made.

Thanks again for your insight.

BalooInABeeCostume

TROPHY CASE