Cheap “Tips” and “Tricks

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

4 furniture tacks from the hardware store securely anchor my dash pad to the dash. Carefully placement hides the pinholes if I remove it (no stick on Velcro adhesive mess).

Creative use of conduit clamps can help you mount just about anything to your roof rack.

I like both tips, very useful. Thanks

 

[CubbyRunner]

Here is another one...

when storing your water containers for extended time: Point the spout down and leave the cap slightly unscrewed to allow the container to drain and breath, while keeping out bugs, spiders, and dust.

to clean the container use 1 tablespoon of bleach for every gallon of water. Slosh the water around and let sit in the sun for several hours before emptying the container and storing as posted above.

Nice one!
Chlorine bleach is a state approved food contact surface sanitizer. Really you need 50-200ppm for a one minute dwell time to properly sanitize and no rinse required. This will keep food-Bourne illness away and keep our camping fun and not sick time. Ammonium chloride (multi-quats) are also state (Oregon) approved at 200-400ppm. Quat is nice because the chemistry is more stable, safer to handle and will not dangerously react with other chemistry. Both of these solutions are perfect for sanitizing water jugs, dishes ect. Nice tip Mike

 

[Sparksalot]

Awesome Mike! This is a fantastic thread!

OK - here is a couple quick ones:

1. A simple magnet makes a great versatile mount for small flashlights and other equipment.

View attachment 152292

I did the same thing with a magnet to hold my phone, the expanded the idea for flashlights and a morale patch. Of course I have a steel console.

 

[Sparksalot]

During lockdown garage cleaning I found an old windshield mount phone holder. I’ve been thinking about a GoPro, and thought this might give me a taste. I used it last weekend. The only drawback is the suction cup in the corner of the images and video.

 

[Matthew Reed]

Sleeping in your truck saves a lot of time since you don't have to set up a tent. One downside is that you need to figure out ventilation, and many of the "mesh bag over the window" and "hold it in place with magnets" solutions don't seal very well.

Instead you can use scrap 1/8" plywood and screen door material (basically free) to create inserts that fit into the window track and are shaped to match the curve of the glass. You just put these in the track and close the window until it holds it in place.

This is more or less what I have for my truck. They work for the rear windows in most vehicles pretty well. Mine are a little more complex but you can make them with a hole saw just fine.

If you have the time making a DIY for those peoples that are intrigued but have no idea how to get started. They look professional from the pics.

It may be worth a DIY write up. The front plates were cut out with a water jet I believe. Then the front plate is riveted to the wire mesh in the rear. Theres a thin rubber strip on the bottom and then it just sits in the window track. They are super easy to make and if you don’t have access to any kind of professional equipment a hole saw works just as well to accomplish the same task. You could also use a Dremel to make some kind of design, the only limit would be how accurate you are with the tool.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I did the same thing with a magnet to hold my phone, the expanded the idea for flashlights and a morale patch. Of course I have a steel console.

View attachment 152767View attachment 152768View attachment 152769

Your ammo boxes were a good tip as well. :-)

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

REALLY GOOD THREAD, thank you Michael. I'm sure this thread will generate many good tips as we go forward. I'm looking forward to reading more ideas as I am sure there are hundreds !

 

[slomatt]

They seem like pretty big holes for ventilation, you don't notice a lot of heat loss when it's cold?

I've slept in the truck using this setup down to about 17F. It was definitely cold, but given that the glass windows aren't a great insulator I don't think the vents were a big contributor. That said, it would be interesting to test it out. My main goal was to reduce condensation and make sure there is fresh air in the truck.

If you have the time making a DIY for those peoples that are intrigued but have no idea how to get started. They look professional from the pics.

I think you were directing this to Matthew Reed, but you can make a simple set by using a piece of cardboard to make a template, transfer that to some 1/8" plywood, and then use spray adhesive to attach screen door mesh to the back. I spray painted mine to add some weather resistance and they are now about 10 years old and have been used probably 30+ nights in various weather conditions including rain and snow. Alternatively you could cut them out of 1/8" plastic and they'd last even longer.

 

[Kilo_17]

Wow lots of good stuff...

I'll throw down on "para-cord" or "5-50 cord"
I have personally used 5-50 cord for a wide range of things over the years
- hoisted an engine( 2.0 4cyl) out of my car
- towed a car for bout 10 miles through back roads ( about 5 loops worth @ 8' between rigs)
- tied down a ridiculous amount of things without ever losing a load or gaining slack
Etc, etc
It's relatively inexpensive for the footage you get, the real deal 5-50 cord also has several strands of smaller cords inside and can be undone to go even smaller.
Camping, rec, survival, emergency, your imagination is small list of uses.
AND it's light weight and tough as nails, but it is prone to melting as a down side.

 

[Sneaks]

Free section of Craigslist can be your friend. Chaffing dish as a sink:



Old bed frames harvested for the angle iron for a roof rack:



ATF & acetone makes great penetrating oil.
A block of beeswax will last forever and is a great non-petroleum lube for hinges, seat rails, wheel studs, etc. as well as a water-proofer.
Magnet in an old tuna can holds loose fasteners.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Free section of Craigslist can be your friend. Chaffing dish as a sink:

View attachment 152847

Old bed frames harvested for the angle iron for a roof rack:

View attachment 152849

ATF & acetone makes great penetrating oil.
A block of beeswax will last forever and is a great non-petroleum lube for hinges, seat rails, wheel studs, etc. as well as a water-proofer.
Magnet in an old tuna can holds loose fasteners.

Man, your giving away all your secrets LOL

 

[johnspa]

Ive heard of this and finally found a good instructionable video on it.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Ive heard of this and finally found a good instructionable video on it.

I cant remember that much info guy's. Kinda reminds me of my boy scout day's. It works if you can find the poles and carry a sledge hammer to pound posts and a tree to tie the rope too. Not knocking the idea, it's great under the right conditions. LOL

 

[Cabin Fever]

Sleeping in your truck saves a lot of time since you don't have to set up a tent. One downside is that you need to figure out ventilation, and many of the "mesh bag over the window" and "hold it in place with magnets" solutions don't seal very well.

Instead you can use scrap 1/8" plywood and screen door material (basically free) to create inserts that fit into the window track and are shaped to match the curve of the glass. You just put these in the track and close the window until it holds it in place.

I was going to post about using screen and magnets to cover a window for ventilation. Now I realize how lame it is as compared to your elegant solution. Nice job!

 

[M Rose]

I was going to post about using screen and magnets to cover a window for ventilation. Now I realize how lame it is as compared to your elegant solution. Nice job!

Screens and magnet strips work awesome for another low budget trick... nothing wrong with it... wish that would work for the tailgate of my Bronco... but my top is fiberglass.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Top shelf vodka is cheaper than most middle shelf whiskey and mixes with almost anything , so if you need a campsite drink you can mix at home and bring for your journeys you can’t go wrong with a potato vodka . I like mixing mine with 100% cranberry juice with no sugar , makes you sip and enjoy it .

 

[JimBill]

If you buy new bedsheets, usually they will have a nice storage bag. Once the sheets are removed they will never fit in the bag again...… This linen bag is perfect for protecting your pans while stowed in a mess kit. Below is a GSI 10" pan in a bedsheet bag. Protects the pan from metal to metal contact when nested, eliminates rattles, and keeps the dust off when laying on the table between camp meals. Great for pans, metal plates, and the like. Not a bad use for something that is usually just thrown away.

 

[RickR]

I am loving this thread.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

I am not sure if this classifies as cheap. But I was shopping around for a mount for my tablet. I peiced together some ram stuff for 130 bucks Cdn and got the dash mount from amazon for 31 shipped. Not a bad deal since this is for two rigs. I can move quickly from one rig to the other with our nav/entertainment kit now! Pictures coming as soon as It all arrives.

 

[Brewbud]

Use a Yeti or similar vacuum insulated metal bottle to store ice for mixed drinks in your portable fridge. Wide mouth bottles work best. Make sure the bottle is dry before loading the ice and make sure the ice hasn't melted any before loading. I use ice straight from the ice maker in my house. I have had ice last a week but I expect it could go longer.