Seemed like a good idea . . .

Mount a massive (5,000 pound dry weight) overhead camper with an eleven-foot-long floor and multiple slide-outs on a short-bed truck. Then hang a motorcycle off the back.

The owners claim Ram should be responsible for the very expensive repair, saying the stated load capacity of the 3500 truck is 7,680 pounds. It appears, first, that they specced the wrong truck, looking up a regular-cab, long-bed 2wd 3500 model. The capacity of a crewcab 4x4 is significantly lower.

But that’s nearly beside the point. It doesn’t take much thinking to realize that a pickup is designed to carry its stated load in the bed, not six feet off the back. The leverage applied to this truck’s chassis must have been stunning over mediocre Baja roads. I’m on the side of the giant corporation this time.

Full story on MSN here.

How not to do a winch fairlead

I counted at least three things wrong on this winch mount I noticed in a parking lot in Tucson. First and worst, the chamfer on the edge of the fairlead opening is far, far too sharp, and will exert too much stress on a line dragged across it under load. Additionally, the owner has cranked the thimble and hook against the opening, visibly gouging the aluminum. These gouges will play hell with a synthetic line drawn across it. Finally, the sloppy installation of the cotter pin, with only one end bent over, not only compromises the security of the pin but has scratched the finish of the (poorly designed) fairlead. Both ends should be bent all the way over so there are no sharp bits sticking out.

While there is nothing wrong with the hawse fairlead in concept, a roller fairlead is a better choice for synthetic line, persistent myths to the contrary. The only caveat is to install a new fairlead if you are switching from steel to synthetic line, as the steel cable will have scored the rollers.

OutdoorX4 subscription deal for Exploring Overland readers.

I’ve been contributing a regular column and frequent features to OutdoorX4 magazine since its inception, and have watched it mature to excellence. The coverage is well-rounded, and the editorial philosophy is genuinely conservation-oriented, unlike some publications that merely pay lip service to the idea.

Editorial focus leans toward the real-world and attainable in terms of both travel pieces and vehicles. Few destinations or “builds” are out of the reach of the majority of us, which enhances the appeal.

Frank Ledwell, the publisher, has offered readers here a ten-percent discount on subscriptions. The coupon code is exploringoverland, and there is no deadline, so if you read this, you can secure the discount. Help support small publishers . . . and freelance writers!

OutdoorX4 is here.

Quad Lock phone mounts

A few years ago, bicycling on one of Tucson’s spectacularly potholed neighborhood streets, I let my attention wander and clipped a nice deep crevasse, which sent me and the bike straight down on my left shoulder. One result was a broken collarbone; the other was the immediate sight of my iPhone cartwheeling across the pavement.

The phone, in its protective case, survived, but I was less than impressed with the Ram Mount clip that had held it with a single spring-mounted tab. Nevertheless I continued using it out of thrift. That early iPhone finally died last month, and I took the opportunity to upgrade the mount.

After a bit of research I landed on the Quad Lock system, which employs a four-way locking cruciform clip secured by a spring tab. You match up the phone’s fitted case tom the mount, press in and rotate, and it locks. The advantage to this is that even if the spring tab is depressed by accident, the phone would still have to rotate through 45 degrees before it came free. It’s significantly more secure than the old mount.

In addition to handlebar mounts (for both bicycles and motorbikes, of course) Quad Lock makes a kit for vehicles, using either a suction-cup windshield mount or an adhesive-backed dash mount. The windshield mount is next on my list.

Quad Lock advertises the security of their mounts by deploying them in sponsored Baja race trucks. But have you ever seen how those things float over terrain on three feet of suspension travel? I’m willing to bet a bicycle ride in Tucson is a tougher test.

Quad Lock is here.

Prometheus Design Werx DA Hoodie (yes, a hoodie)

If you’d told me a couple years ago I’d someday be photographed wearing a hoodie I’d have laughed at you. Even the so-called “technical” versions struck me as barely a step up from neighborhood perp wear. Give me my Barbour Beaufort with a pile lining, or a sweater under my Country Innovations double Ventile jacket, thanks very much.

Then Patrick at Prometheus sent me one of their DA hoodies, fortuitously just before we were to head for the northernmost point in the U.S., Utqiagvik, Alaska.

I had to admit it was significantly thicker, denser, and definitely better looking than virtually every other example I’d seen, in a very handsome olive-ish color. So I packed it—and I was glad I did. The DA’s Polartec WindPro poly fleece shrugged off the stiff 40-degree breeze blowing in off the Beaufort Sea, above, with nothing but a shirt underneath. As a single-layer piece of outerwear it was extraordinarily versatile. As with all fleece, it’s a bit of a struggle to don over a flannel or wool shirt, as the two fabrics try to Velcro themselves together, but that’s a first-world problem. There’s a draw cord at the bottom to seal out updrafts, two handwarmer pockets and two interior bucket pockets, in addition to the upper sleeve pockets. And, of course the de rigueur Velcro swatches for your favorite tactical patches. (The current version of the DA also includes a zipped “hunter’s pocket” across the back.)

$189 for a sewn-in-the-U.S. garment like this strikes me as a very good deal. My DA (Do I have to say it again? Yes) hoodie is going back up to Alaska next week, this time to keep handy in our cabin. Very well recommended.

PDW produces many other high-quality products, here.

Christmas books . . .

There is still time before Christmas/Hannukah to get one of the 30 remaining copies of the overlanding bible, the Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide, directly from Tom Sheppard in England. He’s offering shipping for £19. Given the current bonkers exchange rate, that makes buying a VDEG from England a bit cheaper than getting it directly from us (before we ran out). Email Tom directly and first (!) to arrange purchase and shipping. [Click here to Email Tom.]

We have an ample supply of Four-by-Four Driving, the globally recognized standard manual on the subject, used to train special forces units in both the U.S. and the U.K. (I contributed the sections on winching and jacks for this book.) Have a copy on your desk in a few days by ordering here.

An excellent, inexpensive folding coffee filter holder

A long time ago I concluded that the best way to make coffee in camp was with disposable paper filters and pour-over—see here. There’s the niggling issue of the one-time nature of paper filters, but the water saved compared to what you need to clean, say, a French press, is worth it, and the filter can be burned.

For years I used the collapsible Ortlieb filter holders highlighted in the linked article:

However, sadly, they are no longer made. So I’ve been on the lookout for a suitable replacement, and recently found one on Amazon, for $16.95. It’s stainless steel, and opens in different permutations to accept either Melitta-style or basket filters.

The Kikkerland holder is a little heavier than the Ortlieb, and doesn’t fold as flat. On the other hand you don’t need to support it with utensils or twigs as with the Ortlieb, and it’s usable with different filters. So it scores at least as high—especially since it’s available.