Yes, despite any number of delays, we are actually leaving. We will be driving away from our home in Nevada City, California on April 11th and head east to Baltimore where our truck and camper will be shipped to Germany on April 29th. Last minute packing is in progress as we figure out what we’ve […]
Camera, Action! Yesterday morning at Ken Imler Diesel Performance, the Channel 31 (CBS 13) Good Day Sacramento News Crew caught up with us for a quick interview. The two morning segments were “Live” to a possible viewing audience of 1.5 million. A longer version was slated for the 12-noon and 4:00 News broadcast. If you’d […]
Like a good first aid kit or a winch, we hope we never need chains, but we know better. In snow, packed ice or mud, chains are often mandatory, even with our aggressive Michelin XZL tires. From experience, we know that chains on the rear wheels are often enough to move forward, but in very […]
While The Turtle V looks ready from the outside, before we head east to ship to Europe, we wanted to know what was going on inside the engine, differentials, transmission and transfer case, as well as the coolant that not only cools the engine, but also heats the camper and our FlatPlate hot water system. […]
As our departure date gets closer, we made a quick trip to San Francisco to pick up Gary’s special 6-month visa for the EU/Schengen countries at the Swiss Consulate. It has been our tradition, whenever we go to San Francisco, to buy a fresh crab at Fishermen’s Wharf, a loaf of sour dough bread at […]
Whether you travel in a car, SUV, pick-up camper or expedition motorhome, it’s easy to overlook one of the smallest parts of the drivetrain. When you think about it, all of the power in our big engines is channeled through the transmission and back to the rear wheels (and front wheels if you have four-wheel-drive) […]
Many of you have been wondering why we have delayed our departure from California, and others have asked about my recent surgery. Here’s the scoop on both questions. Forty years ago, in South Lake Tahoe, CA, I tore the bottom of my left middle finger off while installing a winch cable on our Land Rover […]
In the process of replacing the water pump belts and hoses at Ken Imler Diesel Performance, we took care of a couple of other problems. Plastic is convenient for lightweight manufacturing, but it doesn’t last forever under a hot engine compartment. Our overflow tank was deteriorating and the plastic brackets were cracking. The fan blade […]
An equally important part of the cooling system is the serpentine belt that powers the water pump as well as power steering, alternators and the fan blade. During a recent demonstration video shot at Ken Imler Diesel Performance in Sacramento, we installed the new Gates Heavy-Duty FleetRunner® Belt that provides twice the service life compared […]
One of the most critical components of our truck’s diesel engine is its cooling system. In preparation for our three-year Overland Expedition following the Silk Road, every component had to be checked and if possible, replaced with something better than factory. First, perhaps most important, was the water pump itself and the thermostat. The experienced […]
