Love Your RV!

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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RV 30A Power Connection Upgrade – SmartPlug Combo Plug/Receptacle

Ray — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:24:23 +0000

Today, I’m upgrading the 30-amp power inlet connection on the RV to a SmartPlug. I’ve been wanting one for a while. I already have one installed on our boat, and they’re so much safer than the old twist lock style you see on a lot of boats and RVs. Recently, my twist lock arced, so ... Read more

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DJI Power 2000 Portable Power Station Review

Ray — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:26:15 +0000

In this video, I’m checking out a new power station from DJI, the company famous for drones. They have the Power 500 and Power 1000, but this is their new Power 2000. They asked me to review it. I’ll split it into a few videos. This first one covers the main features and tests the ... Read more

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Crimping DC Lugs for my RV & Marine Off Grid Power Systems

Ray — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:43:05 +0000

In this video, you will see how I put together my cables for my off-grid systems in the RV and especially on the boat. I’m crimping some common sizes today, 2/0 gauge and 6 gauge, using my new hydraulic crimper that makes a nice clean hex crimp. It’s fast and does a really solid job. ... Read more

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Thunderbird RV Park on Vancouver Island – Winter Stay Review

Ray — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 17:24:47 +0000

We’ve just wrapped up our five-month winter stay at Thunderbird RV Resort in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, and I wanted to share a quick review. It’s one of our favorite spots. We’ve spent many summers here over the years, and the off-season is especially peaceful with friendly neighbors. We had a great site right ... Read more

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Cool New Gadget! VFLEX Universal USB-C Power Adapter Demo

Ray — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:43:53 +0000

Werewolf (Tundra Labs in Green Bay, Wisconsin) sent me their VFLEX gadget to test. It’s a small USB-C adapter that lets you program the output voltage to power devices, like, say, for example, 12V gear common in RVs and boats. Fair Disclosure: I received a free review sample of the product The starter kit included ... Read more

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BougeRV Portable Propane Camping Shower Review

Ray — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:16:28 +0000

In this first video, I go over the main features and demonstrate a new, lightweight, portable, on-demand propane camping shower from BougeRV. I think this little unit is going to be quite handy aboard our boat this summer. After using it for a while, I’ll be back with a full review video. Built-in constant temperature ... Read more

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Historic CorilAir Mail Flight Out of Campbell River, BC

Ray — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 23:33:17 +0000

On a lovely March day, Anne and I took a thrilling ride aboard an iconic De Havilland Beaver floatplane out of Campbell River, BC. Located on Tyee Spit, CorilAir offers ride-alongs aboard its historic mail flight, with stops at several remote little post offices scattered across the scenic Discovery Islands. This past December, CorilAir offered ... Read more

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