Since back in the early 80s when we met one of the founders of K&N Air Filters, Ken Johnson, we have used K&N High-Flow Washable Air Filters in all of our expedition vehicles. From the silt bed traps of Baja California to the Atacama Desert in Chile and across the frozen Steppes of Siberia, K&N Air Filters have protected our engines through some of the harshest conditions in the world. Their ability to be cleaned and re-used gives them a life of hundreds of thousands of miles and saves us a huge amount of critical storage space that would ordinarily be needed for extra filters. As we prepare for the Trans-Eurasian Odyssey we will not even carry a spare. K&N recently posted an interesting article on their website.Type “Turtle Expedition” in the Search Box to find current and previous articles. http://www.knfilters.com/news/knews.aspx

In our preparation for The Trans-Eurasian Odyssey, every system on The Turtle V must be tested and retested. While not a serious winching job, moving a huge boulder in front of the new garage driveway was a perfect opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the Warn 16.5ti Winch, (www.warn.com), mounted in the new Buckstop Bumper, (www.buckstop.biz), and the Viking Dyneema® synthetic winchline, (www.vikingoffroad.com). Drawing on two Group 34 Odyssey Extreme Batteries, (www.odysseybattery.com), we didn’t even bother to start the engine for this short pull.

With our departure this upcoming Spring for The Trans-Eurasian Odyssey, (driving from Lisbon, Portugal to Shanghai, China following the legendary Silk Road), we are starting final preparation on The Turtle V. All systems are being inspected at Ken Imler Diesel Performance in Sacramento, www.imlerdiesel.com, and anything that might be a problem in the next 50,000 miles is being replaced and upgraded. Recently we installed a new Gates heavy duty water pump along with new Gates hoses, thermostat and belt tensioner, www.gates.com. The new Gates Green Stripe FleetRunner Micro-V belt is expected to last at least 100,000 miles under severe conditions. Coolant was drained and refilled with Fleetguard ES Complete Ethylene Glycol, www.cumminsfiltration.com, the same we used in Siberia where temperatures were often below minus 70° F.

Gates Rubber (www.gates.com) recently shot a commercial video training tape showing the Gates Solution Kit for 7.3 Power Strokes that eliminates the need to remove the top radiator hose to change the serpentine belt. Part of the video will include an interview with us and clips of our Trans-Siberian Expedition. The finished video will be shown on the web sites of Napa Auto Parts, AC Delco, and Gates Rubber, and will be used at this year’s SEMA (www.SEMA.org) and AAPEX Shows in Las Vegas. It will be on YouTube as soon as editing is complete.

Gates Rubber Company (www.gates.com) , suppliers of all our cooling and heater hoses, serpentine belts, belt tensioners, and HD water pumps, recently paid a visit to Ken Imler Diesel Performance (www.imlerdiesel.com) where The Turtle IV is on display, and where current preparation on the Turtle V is underway. A training video was shot showing the Gates Solution Kit for 7.3 Power Strokes that eliminates the need to remove the top radiator hose to change the serpentine belt. Part of the video will include an interview with us and clips of our expedition across Siberia. The finished video will be shown on the web sites of Napa Auto Parts, AC Delco, and Gates Rubber, and will be used at this year’s SEMA (www.SEMA.org) and APEX Shows in Las Vegas. We will have it on You Tube as soon as editing is complete.

Starting a 7.3 Power Stroke engine requires turning the engine at a speed high enough and long enough to raise the oil pressure to 450 psi to open the fuel injectors. Especially in cold weather, the factory starter really had to work. The MPA (Motorcar Parts of America) Xtreme HD starter (www.Xtreme-HD.com) is a direct bolt-in replacement. Each starter is fully bench tested using MPA’s T3 Testing system using computerized equipment simulating actual vehicle requirements. The X17802N starter has 4.0KW power compared to OE’s 2.5-3 OKW. Other features include offset gear reduction design for improved torque and durability, torque limiter to prevent ring gear/drive train damage during initial engagement, an inline solenoid and clutch for smooth engagement, sealed heavy duty ball bearings, oil-impregnated bushings, synthetic lubricants for improved easier cranking, and specially coated wiring to protect from heat. First impression was clearly audible: It spins the engine like a top.

After replacing our Seaward marine hot water heater with a FlatPlate (www.FlatPlate.com) double wall brazed plate heat exchanger that takes heated coolant from our Espar D5 Hydronic coolant heater (www.espar.com), we saw an unexpected problem. It works too well. Even after running the D5 Hydronic for 3 or 4 minutes, the water out of the kitchen tap could exceed 160°F to 180°F; scalding! The simple solution was to install a Watts Thermostatic Water Temperature Mixing Val (www.watts.com). After setting the desired temperature, the Watts valve adds cold water to keep the hot water at a constant temperature between 80° and 120° F. Using John Guest Speedfit (www.johnguest.com) connections made the install super easy.

Any type of refrigerator produces heat as it cools, including the Norcold compressor unit in the Tortuga Expedition Camper. The faster that heat can be removed, the more efficient the cooling system is, and the less energy it will use. We upgraded the Nicro vent fan to a larger model with a three-way switch: solar, 12-volt, and OFF. Designed by Marinco for the harsh marine environment, the Nicro Vent Fan moves 1,000 cubic feet of air/hour or 24,000 cubic feet of air/day, effectively sucking out warm air from the refrigerator coils out, and keeping the camper cooler at the same time. Its design prevents any rain or wind from blowing back in.

Exploring some backroads around Northern California, we found a good place to take some photos for SEMA NEWS. Sporting our new Buckstop bumper, The Turtle V will be on display in the Specialty Vehicle Area at this year’s SEMA SHOW in Las Vegas, November 1 thru 4, 2011.

Introducing the all new Buckstop Bumper (www.buckstop.biz) for The Turtle V. Fresh out of the paint booth, you can see some of its interesting features; left and right locking weather-tight storage compartments, dual 2” receivers, vertical bars to protect the headlights, custom mounts for PIAA (www.piaa.com) HID driving and 510 Series Xtreme White SMR Fog Lights, Warn (www.warn.com) 16.5ti Winch loaded with 100 feet of Viking (www.vikingoffroad.com) 7/8” Synthetic Line hidden beneath a locking cover plate, all built into and around a Buckstop Outback foundation that will keep cows, burros, kangaroos and “Bucks” out of the radiator. Protection against rhinos and moose are subject to further testing. This will be the face of The Turtle V as we embark on The Trans-Eurasian Odyssey, driving from Lisbon, Portugal to Shanghai, China through 26 countries and following the legendary Silk Route.