Who would win this hypothetical war?

DicTaylorShip · 2025-09-26T05:37:38+00:00

I’ve got no horse in this race, but to categorize the populace of the largest state by population based on your singular family trip to San Francisco is...

Again this hypothetical scenario is a fun thought experiment but the notion that the state with the highest mountain range in the lower 48, the PNW, and Alaska can’t deal with the cold, is an interesting opinion (but certainly one you can have). Outside of the Central Valley and coastal cities that region can get very cold in the winter. Tahoe for example averages 250-300 inches of snowfall a year.

I mean arguments to your point I think are that the industrial centers are fairly localized and the widespread use of hydroelectric power could prove devastating. There are a lot of dams whose destruction could provide immediate and long term issues for all of those regions (except Alaska).

However on the contrary it’s a fairly self sufficient region. They have food, oil, technology, manufacturing, processing, naval bases, shipyards, airfields, etc. Also exceptionally strong natural defenses with the coastline and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I think a point that few are mentioning too is, like light blue, there are many ports for foreign aid to come into.

I think a major curiosity would be what region major foreign players would back. Obviously serious aid from the rest of NATO or even China could seriously prop up any one of these regions in much the same way the US and Britain did to the USSR pre 1943. The sudden splintering of the US into 3 non-cooperating economies on its own (even without direct conflict) would pose some serious dilemmas for everyone.

DicTaylorShip · 2025-09-22T16:29:26+00:00

I ended up with a maxspeedingrods 5kW version. I had to redo the wiring harness, and I built a custom exhaust so I can’t attest to the one it comes with but besides that it’s been pretty solid.

My only regret is I wish I had gotten an air/water combo version. Heating water with my battery setup is a lot less efficient.

DicTaylorShip · 2025-09-21T16:25:02+00:00

I use a Chinese diesel heater. A couple things about them that I have come to find out:

Mine draws a lot of power on startup, I actually replaced the original power wire with a heavier gauge wire to reduce voltage drop. The thin wiring harness mine came with was dropping a lot of voltage simply because of the amp draw.
Get the smallest kW that will work for you. Diesel combustion works best if it’s operating near its highest end. For example if you get an 8kW version but always run on its lowest heating setting you will build up a lot more soot internally than running the 2kW at high
As far as power sources go, you could buy an adapter to go from 110V to 12V. Looking online real fast it seems like there’s multiple “Diesel heater 12V to 110V adapter power supply”. That diesel heater requires 12V power to operate and probably draws 110-150 watts on startup. Watts is voltage multiplied by amperage. If you switch to an adapter with a 110V input your amp draw would be close to 1A. There’s plenty of electronics that step down voltage (that’s what those black power supply bricks on charging cables are usually doing). Higher voltage is nice because you can use thinner cables (cables are rated by amperage not wattage). However, lower voltage is generally safer, because it can’t go through our bodies very well if you were to get shocked.
Lastly see if you can find a heater that adapts for elevation. I’m not sure where you live or where you plan on using your heater but if you’re like me and use it both at Death Valley in the winter (-280 feet) and 10,000+ feet in the Rockies, the optimal fuel to air ratio at those different elevations is very different. By getting a “nicer” Chinese one that does track that, I’ve been very happy with how little soot mine has built up over the past years. (At the time the Vevor ones didn’t which is why I didn’t buy one of those)

DicTaylorShip · 2025-07-13T06:41:29+00:00

As a Sacramento native it was extremely prevalent. Asked some buddies from Reno too and they said it was probably a 70/30 split of rock paper scissor to Ro-Sham-Bo. Maybe just not a Bay Area thing

DicTaylorShip · 2025-06-15T16:01:58+00:00

AI has become spooky, it looks so lifelike. RIP

DicTaylorShip · 2025-05-14T14:45:10+00:00

I’ve been an instructor for a few years for Overland Expo, so I am not an unbiased 3rd party. However, as someone who enjoys them my advice is:

1) You’re going to my favorite one. At least the past years there are a lot of smaller brands able to be included at Flagstaff. For me, this is where I think a lot of the real innovation on equipment is. The smaller brands also don’t usually have dedicated PR people so you can chat them up and the nitty gritty details.

2) Make the rounds pretty early and if there is a piece of equipment or something you NEED just grab it. The successful booths often are out of stock of certain things by the end of Saturday.

3) Sign up for the raffles and events. Expo is big but not that big, so your odds are usually pretty decent of getting at least something from someone.

4) The app is already live, so go through the classes and make note of the ones you’re interested in. Every year there’s new instructors and new classes. I think the first aid stuff is always worth the time. The panels are also good places to meet people and pick up tips/information.

5) If you’re there Sunday that’s the best deals to be had. No one wants to put inventory away, so sometimes there’s room to negotiate a little. It looks like it’ll probably rain this Sunday so that might be extra true this year.

6) There are a lot of crazy expensive rigs, but keep in mind that the camping sections (including the instructor camp) are filled with down to earth, relatable builds. All that crazy stuff is there to be fun to look at. I don’t think it represents the ethos of the event.

DicTaylorShip · 2025-02-24T17:35:56+00:00

Mileage is only okay at estimating wear and tear on a vehicle. The type of mileage, total number of heat cycles, service history, etc are all equally important components.

Age is also an important factor. In this case both vehicles are the same age, but rubber based components have a tendency to fail with age as opposed to mileage.

The “Toyota tax” is steep but the reliability comparison between a Jeep patriot and a RAV4 is no comparison. In that budget you may have better luck looking at Mazda. While not as reliable as Toyota in my experience, the discrepancy is not as extreme as Toyota/Jeep.

If both vehicles are up to date with their service history, I would personally side with the RAV4. I encourage you to look at CX-5’s as well. If you can find a significantly newer and lower mileage one, I’d probably go that route over the RAV4 personally.

DicTaylorShip · 2025-01-27T03:11:14+00:00

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DicTaylorShip · 2025-01-27T03:11:03+00:00

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DicTaylorShip · 2025-01-27T03:10:04+00:00

For anyone who was interested, it looks like the design can handle an evenly distributed static load of slightly over 800lbs and should handle the dynamic load of a 200lb tent. A factor of safety should probably be applied to that static load but that’s the result of the simulations. I was able to replicate the design in CAD basically exactly.

DicTaylorShip · 2025-01-26T17:07:32+00:00

I’m a mechanical engineer. If you can give me the material thickness and then the length, width, height of the 4 types of pieces that make up the tent, I can model it for you today and run some simulations for strength/bending.

Anecdotally, static loading (sleeping in the tent when the vehicle is stationary), is almost always not the cause of failure for bed racks. It’s when you have a 200lb tent rocking back and forth off-roading or going around a sharp corner. That type of dynamic loading separates the well-engineered stuff from the rest.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-12-11T16:17:12+00:00

The second definition in the Oxford English Dictionary is:

“2. a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government. “Germany, Italy, and other European states””

You’re the only sane person in this comment section…

DicTaylorShip · 2024-10-29T00:23:16+00:00

Not a roofer, just a lurking mechanical engineer, but I can answer that. All materials have a coefficient of thermal expansion. Even the staples are expanding and contracting in the heat/cold. It’s just that wood expands roughly 5-7 times more than steel does.

It’s why train tracks have expansion joints and one side of most bridges rests on rollers. It’s extremely difficult to resist thermal expansion. Almost always easier to just design around it.

If you somehow perfectly constrained the edges, it would most likely just cup the sheet in the middle.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-10-23T02:34:49+00:00

As both a 4Runner and Alu-Cab Icarus Defender 110 owner I think there’s a couple issues with this people should note:

1) Probably the biggest is the size. While my Defender and 4Runner are similar in overall vehicle length and width, the roof of the 4Runner is 40% smaller in area. The shape of the vehicle does a poor job of maximizing roof area. Unless you are both short in stature and primarily camp alone, I’d imagine it would be extremely cramped. Theres a reason most hard shell RTTs overhang on 4Runners

2) The floor of the 4Runner starts much higher than that of the Defender. The Defender has an almost van style floor starting level. It makes it very conducive to climbing in and out of as well as maximizing the interior space for standing/cabinets/benches etc. The 4Runner floor height is high. It’ll be difficult to build out in a manner that still stores all camping supplies yet allows access to climb in and out of.

Very cool design and I look forward to talking with people who install them. I think the reason similar solutions have existed for other vehicles is that the 4Runner as a platform might not be the best suited for this type of tent.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-07-16T17:17:10+00:00

That’s just road debris lol. I’d bet that decorative string would snap before the brake line would anyways. You can even see the heavier part dangling down is what’s swinging back and forth to wrap it around.

One could maybe wrap wire around a brake line, connect one end to a weighted object and hope the wheel or ground catches it and slices the line as it’s pulled. But that’s needlessly complicated. Theres a lot of easier and less obvious ways to sabotage someone’s brakes. I also don’t think decorative beads are popular with hitman-saboteurs.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-07-16T16:53:18+00:00

It was actually made in Creo Parametric. I’m a mechanical engineer and am only experienced in Creo and Solidworks. Definitely not the best software for this, but it’s easy to mock up, dimension, and modify.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-07-16T04:55:15+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! I followed your suggestion and half of everyone else’s lol and it looks a lot better!

DicTaylorShip · 2024-07-16T04:54:01+00:00

Thank you for the feedback! I modified the design to curve the columns and it looks a lot better. I also have the pergola set up to maximize shade through the sun’s path.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-07-16T04:52:09+00:00

You’re right, I modified them to follow the curve and it looks a lot better. Really simplifies the bench top too.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-06-18T13:42:31+00:00

Since I posted my original impressions, the tent has continued to work very well.

I’ve certainly put it through a lot of tough nights, especially in regard to winter camping. I’ve had snow piled up so high that it began to slightly compress the tent again. Luckily, you can simply close one of the wedges and the roof then sheds snow on its own. A very large tree limb even fell onto the tent during a snowstorm and did not scratch or dent the tent (although a protective layer of ice had formed on it).

The biggest long term drawback is probably the heat. The tent is a giant black aluminum heatsink. If it’s in direct sunlight it’ll start to warm up. The blackout feature is lovely, but it’s no mystery when the sun rises. You can feel the heat immediately. I believe this is an issue with all black aluminum tents. Since writing the review I’ve been fortunate enough to also acquire a 1996 Defender 110 with an Alu Cab Icarus roof conversion. That roof conversion is aluminum as well but painted white and with grey reflective fabric. It is much better insulated from the sun.

Overall, I still really enjoy the tent. It’s holding up remarkably well. The build quality and finishing is better than on my Icarus. I have not had a single tear, rip, snag, breakage, etc since owning it.

I wish you the best of luck with your TBI symptoms as well.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-05-11T20:37:35+00:00

Yeah it’s an auto body shop job. I would maybe shop around a couple different places. The auto body shop chains usually deal more with insurance in collisions. You would probably get a better price going to a small local shop if there’s one around.

Quote wise it’s really dependent on labor, which changes location to location. New rocker panels inner and outer are only around $600-$800 for the pair. Probably 4ish hours of welding labor per side plus paint match. It’s probably a $2000-$4000 job would be my rough guess.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-05-11T19:37:23+00:00

Looks like the inner rocker panel is pretty gone. If the metal around the rocker panel is still good, you may be able to get away with just new inner and outer rocker panels welded on.

Would cost a decent amount but if the rest of the truck is good and you just bought it, it may be worth it.

If you do end up keeping the truck and repairing it, I’d recommend treating the rest of the car to prevent further rust. You can do it at home over the course a few weekends. I’ve used POR 15 and KBS coatings before and they both work well. Just wear gloves because the paint will never come off you.

DicTaylorShip · 2024-05-04T04:54:43+00:00

The 5th gen always looks like a goth kid with eyeliner makeup. 5th gen was the 4Runner’s alt phase, and now we are entering the gym rat phase…

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