Eclipse Milan 26RLS Travel Trailer — 10 Year Review

Travel Trailer,

I just paid our yearly state registration fee for our travel trailer and realized we have had it for 10 years. Ten years of use for any piece of equipment, backpacking or camping gears is my threshold for a thorough product review.

This model is no long made. On the other hand, many companies make very similar trailers, so a review might be valuable for those in the market for a new travel trailer. Especially important is the fact that most of the components used by trailer manufacturers are sourced through just a handful of vendors — often just two or three vendors.

So here are some of the things we like about our trailer and some things we do not.

Continue reading Eclipse Milan 26RLS Travel Trailer — 10 Year Review →

How to Repair a Leak in a NeoAir Mattress

Backpacking Gear,

My Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite developed a leak a while back on a backpacking trip. Finally got tired of having to blow it up a few times during the night.

This is the first time I have ever needed to repair an air mattress, other than the warranty repair Therm-A-Rest did for me three years ago. The repair was straightforward, but there are a few tips I would like to share.

Continue reading How to Repair a Leak in a NeoAir Mattress →

Camco Awning Anchor Kit

Camper Mods, Camper Upgrades, Travel Trailer,

This isn’t a review. It is just a first impression.

As I shared yesterday in my 20+ year review of the Camco Awning Hold Down Kit, I have been happy with the product. However, there are two things I don’t like about it:

  1. The strap that runs over the top of the awning can be difficult to set-up and usually requires the use of a step ladder and often assistance from Joyce.
  2. The strap applies force on the rafters, somewhat twisting them. Of concern is potential damage to the plastic pieces that lock the rafters into place.

The Camco Awning Anchor Kit solves both of these problems.

Continue reading Camco Awning Anchor Kit →

Camping And Doing (almost) Nothing

Camping,
Milky Way taken with a DSLR camera on a tripod. 15 second exposure. Taken several hours before the full moon appeared in the sky.

We’re back from a two week trip to the Sequoia National Forest, which is in California’s Southern Sierra Nevada.

Our only goal was to leave the 120° F days in Palm Springs. Other than this, we had no plans, goals, or agenda. Sometimes doing almost nothing on a camping trip is the best kind of camping.

Continue reading Camping And Doing (almost) Nothing →