Love Your RV!

The Trek North Begins! Campbell River to Forward Harbour – Boating 2026

Ray — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 19:22:13 +0000

We have started our northbound trip toward the Broughtons, and in this video, I have some footage from a couple of hops we took. First, we left Campbell River and headed straight up Discovery Passage, then anchored at Charles Bay in Blind Channel. We stayed there for a day because of the rainy weather. The ... Read more

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Visit to Gorgeous Big Bay, BC – Dangerous Tidal Currents & Eagle Viewing

Ray — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 23:03:44 +0000

Well, another great stay in Evans Bay, but today we’re heading out since the winds have finally calmed down. We’re making our way up to Big Bay on Stuart Island to tie up at the community dock. Anne is hoping to photograph the eagles feeding on the fish run there, so we’re excited to see ... Read more

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High Water Bilge Alarm Installation & Demo

Ray — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:34:29 +0000

In the video, I installed a high-water bilge alarm from Johnson Pump as an extra safety upgrade on the boat. This little unit sits just above the normal bilge pump level and alerts us with a super-loud buzzer or a light if water gets too high, in case the pumps fail or we have a ... Read more

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Em-Trak B954 AIS Transceiver Installation & Initial Tests

Ray — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 22:51:04 +0000

In this video, I install a new safety and navigation aid called AIS on our 34-foot CHB trawler. The AIS (Automatic Identification System) will use our VHF antenna to send and receive information about us and other boats in the local area. We chose the Em-Trak brand – B954 model. While anchored in a nice, ... Read more

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DJI (Power 1000 Mini) Portable Power Station Review

Ray — Sat, 30 May 2026 22:01:33 +0000

I’m back with another DJI product review (Link to my DJI Power 2000 Review), this time on their new Power 1000 Mini. They call it the smallest 1,000-watt-hour power station on the market, and it really is compact at just over a foot long, 8 inches wide, and 8 inches tall. Inside is a 1,000 ... Read more

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First Leg of the 2026 Boating Season – Shakedown Cruise over to Campbell River

Ray — Thu, 28 May 2026 14:30:33 +0000

In this video, we head out for the season from our home base in Lund, BC. First stop is Gorge Harbour to make sure the anchoring gear is working well after I overhauled the windlass this spring. Then over to Campbell River’s Fisherman’s Wharf Marina for what turned into a 1-week stay on the dock. ... Read more

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SideShift Bow Thruster 24V Motor Upgrade Installation

Ray — Sun, 24 May 2026 15:57:47 +0000

I’m back working on the boat, and today’s project was installing the new 24-volt motor for its SideShift bow thruster. The existing 12-volt unit is about eight years old and has developed a squeaky prop from a hardened seal that let in some water. The company liked my lithium battery experiments from last year, so ... Read more

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Splashing “Vestri” – Our 2026 Boating Season Begins!

Ray — Mon, 18 May 2026 14:39:31 +0000

After a month staying in a nearby RV park and prepping the boat, the 2026 boating season begins. About a month earlier than last year. Our truck and trailer replaced the boat, and it got a trip on the boat mover down to the water for launch. We spent the night on the boatyard dock, ... Read more

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SideShift Bow Thruster – Squeaky Prop Repair

Ray — Tue, 12 May 2026 00:22:53 +0000

In this video, I disassemble our 8-year-old SideShift bow thruster motor to clean corrosion out and replace a worn-out seal. I recently noticed that when spinning the prop, one side squeaked. It looks like some water had worked its way past the old dried-out seal and was beginning to corrode things inside. This older 12V ... Read more

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Portable Suitcase 12VDC Winch Review – Rugcel Tank TK4500

Ray — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:34:08 +0000

This year, I picked up a simple mechanical rope winch as a backup for our boat’s anchor windlass. With 30 meters of heavy chain and a 44-pound anchor, retrieving everything by hand is tough if the motor or gearbox fails. I figured I could hook the winch at the stern and pull from the bow ... Read more

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Maintenance Teardown of our Anchor Windlass – Maxwell RC-10

Ray — Sat, 09 May 2026 22:57:43 +0000

In this video, I pull apart our Maxwell model RC10 anchor windlass for a good cleaning and re-lubrication. Since we bought the boat three years ago, the anchor has worked well, and I have done a yearly clean and regrease of the top section of the windlass. This spring, I decided to change the gear ... Read more

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April Update: Busy Prepping “Vestri” for Summer Boating

Ray — Fri, 01 May 2026 14:07:43 +0000

Another summer boating season of cruising the BC coast of Canada is on the horizon. First, we have to prep our 1976 34-foot trawler, Vestri, for the upcoming launch. We keep it on the hard at a boatyard in Lund, BC, so that makes it easy to do maintenance and upgrades each spring. In this ... Read more

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Bluetti Elite 300 Power Station Review – Big Power in Small Package!

Ray — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:19:28 +0000

I’m back with another review for Bluetti, this time on their new Elite 300 series portable power station. I’ve previously checked out their smaller AC70 and Elite 100 models, which are great for easy carrying, but this one packs a serious punch. It’s the smallest unit on the market with 3,014 watt-hours of LiFePO4 battery ... Read more

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RV 12V Fresh Water Pump Repair – Replaced Faulty Microswitch

Ray — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:44:05 +0000

In this video, I diagnose and repair my faulty RV 12VDC freshwater pump. Turns out the microswitch, part of the water pump’s pressure switch assembly, was intermittent. A new inexpensive microswitch solved the problem. Installation was straightforward, only requiring unscrewing 4 screws to access and replace.

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Haloview Wireless Trailer Axle Temp Sensors – Install & Demo

Ray — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:27:56 +0000

In this video, I’m checking out a new product from Haloview, the same folks who make the wireless rear monitoring system and cameras I use on my RV. I’ve tested several of their models, including the BT10 model, but I really prefer the BT7 with its square design over the long rear-view-mirror style. One cool ... Read more

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Renogy’s New ShadowFlux “anti-shading” Solar Panels

Ray — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:47:48 +0000

This month, I’m testing a new Renogy solar panel called the ShadowFlux. It’s designed for better shade tolerance with 16 bus bars and 28 bypass diodes, plus it offers higher conversion efficiency, longer lifespan, and improved performance in hot conditions. I’m really interested in how it’ll work on my boat, with the mast and rigging ... Read more

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