Custom GMC RV Motorhome Rebuild!
Pimp My Ride-style shows can cost the participants tens of thousands of dollars, apparently, even though the shows say they put in up to hundreds of thousands in work on the vehicles. That’s what I just read checking out this GMC recreational vehicle rebuild that a couple took part in.
Not to say people don’t benefit from the thousands of dollars a show puts in, but it suprised me a little to learn that it would cost them tens of thousands as well.
Here’s what I’m talking about.
The couple signed up their RV to get overhauled in the vehicle overhaul and custom tv show, Rock My RV, hosted by the wrestler Brett Michaels.
They put out an ad on gofundme in order to raise around $30,000 or more — their cost they expected.
In order to get the motor home out to LA where the show was, they had to get it to a place on a flatbed to install a new motor, tranny and final drive, with some other work. Adding in the cost of the flatbed transport of their motor home, this would cost them aroudn $10,000 or $11,000.
Then they would pay for the taxes on any work/custom items added to their motor home by the show. So, they calculated, if the show put in $100,000, they would pay around $30,000 for those taxes.
Kind of an interesting piece of information though. To think of the value of the GMC motorhome, even after the build. Could it ever be resold for $130,000? If anyone knows, comment on this please, as it is an interesting point of information.
Peterbilt Cabover… What An Amazing-Looking Vehicle!!
Is this not an amazing-looking vehicle? Just a rectagle at the front of a chassis and belt. It really catches the eye.
Its a Peterbilt Cabover.
So simple, too, visually. Not any room to lay down, so you wouldn’t want to take this on trips or even use it as your personal truck, but the look. Rectangles on rectangles.
Is this a custom model?
We’ve written about cabovers here before.
The cabover is abbreviated COE, for Cab Over Engine. They’re also referred to as cab forward and forward control (in British English). They’re flat-faced and the cab sits atop the front axel.
The other form of truck has the cab behind the engine. These are called Conventionals.
There’s quite a lot of debate over which is better, which is more streamlined, and other comparisons. What do you think about the two types? What are the strengths and weaknesses?
We’ll look over the responses in the Comments section, and put the strong arguments into an article (and attribute the statements to the commenters, of course, you guys)!
RV that flies!? A New Era in RVing? A flying RV!
This winged Winnebago may take RVing to new heights.
This flying RV design could be very useful, couldn’t it? In places like Alaska, from what I hear, everyone already uses planes to get around everywhere. I hear there are man y, many personal planes up there.
What we’re looking at here is a recreational vehicle design that flies. It has a camper and it flies. It also floats — or boats!
Quite versatile, right?
It’s an MVP Aero, a “Triphibious” plane. It can land on most of the world’s surfaces: water, snow, earth. It needs the right landing gear for each of these, though.
It’s certified as a Light Sport airplay (S-LSA).
It’s reportedly bound for the market within around 5 years.
How much will it cost? Under $200,000 new. Some might be available for less than others, but they’re still up over 150,000 dollars.
Apparently the company doesn’t have one that works yet. Just designs and a physical mockup to show what it might look like when it’s tangible.
The canopy is retractile. So’s the instrument panel, reportedly. It has a pedestal seat that can be outfitted to the front of the RV for fishing and water-borne activities.
The sleeping platform is 5 feet wide and around 9 feet long. It seems it will come with an air mattress.
The List of Celebrities Banned From China… And WHY?!
More celebrities are banned from China than any other country. The number one reason: Tibet. Celebrities have spoken and acted in favor of Tibet, and China has banned them.
Included in the list of banned celebrities:
Brad Pitt, Richard Gere, Harrison Ford, Sharon Stone, Martin Scorsese, Bjork, Oasis, and Bob Dylan.
– Brad Pitt, banned for the film Seven Years in Tibet, which is a film considered sympathetic to the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is considered a terrorist criminal by China.
– Richard Gere, banned for advocating human rights in Tibet (he was also banned from the Academy Awards in 1993 for denouncing China over Tibet).
– Harrison Ford, banned for speaking in support of Tibet at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
– Sharon Stone, for quipping that a 2008 earthquake in China may have resulted from karma over China’s occupation of Tibet.
– Martin Scorsese, for directing Kundun, a film about the early life of the Dalai Lama and the 1950 invasion of Tibet by China.
– Bjork, for calling for Tibetan independence during a Shanghai performance, and chanting, “Tibet! Tibet!”
– Oasis, for participating at a concert staged to raise awareness about China’s occupation of Tibet, the Tibetan Freedom Concert.
– Bob Dylan, because, according to news reports, the Chinese government became wary of foreign performers after Bjork’s call for Tibet at her Shanghai performance.
NOTE: Miley Cyrus was also banned from China, but not for voicing concern about Tibet. She was banned after photos were leaked of her making facial expressions considered by some to be racist against East Asians.
Some other things banned in China: Facebook, Instagram, Yahoo, Bing and Google and all products like Gmail, Maps, Docs, Encrypted, APIs, G+, YouTube, Yahoo, Vimeo, Wikipedia, Twitter, Blogspot, WordPress, Dailymotion, SoundCloud, Nico Video, Archive.org, Dropbox, Flickr, and Badoo.
News sites like the New York Times, BBC, Bloomberg, The Independent, several Japanese newspapers, Epoch Times and several Chinese language newspapers, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Australia, Tibet Post, Reporters Without Borders, and… Amnesty International.
Words like Falun Gong, Tibet Independence, Xinjiang Independence, Taiwan Independence, Dalai, Dalai Lama, Chinese Democracy Justice Party, Tiananmen Mothers, and the names of dissidents have been/are banned in Chinese search engines (the only search engines allowed in China).
Similarly banned are the words democracy, human rights, dictatorship, despotism, anti-communist, genocide, oppression, Red Terror, Reeducation through labor, evil, exile, Sino-Russian border, Tiannenmen Square Massacre and Chinese Democracy Movement, Dongzhou protests of 2005, and Beijing Wenshou Market.
All these celebrities and musicians are this strongly opposed to China’s occupation of Tibet, and many others (Google the list of musicians who took to the stage just for the Tibetan Freedom Concert), yet no world leaders ever speak about Tibet. Why is this?
Comments: For example, the phrase “Tibetan freedom movements, asking for human rights and democracy, are punished under the same oppression as those who speak of Taiwanese freedom, Xinjiang freedom or Falun Gong religious adherents who wish to practice on the site of the Tiannenmen Square Massacre,” might look like this:
“XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX, asking for XXXXXX XXXXX and XXXXXXXXXX, are punished under the same XXXXXXXX as those who speak of XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX or XXXXX XXXX religious adherents who wish to practice on the site of the XXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXX.” (8 banned words used)
How To Fend Off An Alligator!
“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.” Mahatma Gandhi
The proverb above may have a different meaning but according to what a Florida alligator expert says, if you are already a target of an alligator and you are likely to become it’s meal, fight like your life depends on it because it surely does. The ultimate weapon you will have is your will to survive.
This is the main advice of Frank Mazzotti from University of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, a wildlife ecology and conservation professor and an expert in gators.
“Unprovoked” alligator attacks are very rare as per Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation. It’s roughly one in 2.4 million. One of the reported alligator attacks recently was when a tour boat captain allegedly fed the alligator illegally and it bit off his hand.
If you are the “lucky one” of 2.4 million chances of encountering an alligator, you might want to remember these reminders below. Most importantly, don’t feed it. You don’t want to know if the gator you’ll feed is smart enough to know if he’s munching the food you are giving him or if it’s your whole arm already!
Common sense dictates that if there’s danger, avoid it above all else. When you think you’re in a gator’s territory, avoid the thought of swimming or going anywhere near it. These are territorial animals and they don’t usually welcome guests, especially when they are hungry.
When you are on land and can no longer avoid an alligator and if you think you got it upset, running in a straight line like it will be your last will be your best chance of survival. This is one of Mazzotti’s advice. He also strongly disagree about the myths or hearsay that running in a zigzag line will save you because gators can only run fasts in short distances. So if you are a fast runner that might save your life!
Last but not the least, fight! If you can no longer avoid the gator and its going to be a fight for your life, then don’t hesitate to give all you’ve got. Alligators have thick skin so it’s best for you to target their eyes.
We learned about this neat piece of information here: How To Fend Off An Alligator
How To Fend Off A Shark
Every time I hear the word shark, the first thing that comes to my mind is this vicious, dangerous, flesh eating fish. Thanks to the Hollywood movies Jaws and Deep Blue Sea, it brought us fear of the sea because these predators might decide to add us humans as part of their meal.
But the truth is that only 20 species are known that pose threat to humans. And sharks don’t like the taste of us humans. It’s just a tragic story of a mistaken identity. They think that its either a sea lion or just some fish. The most known and dangerous is the great white shark. Give credit to the movie Jaws as it took our fear of sharks to a whole new level. The hammerhead, mako and tiger shark are equally dangerous as the great white as well. There are reported shark attacks by the gray, blue, lemon, sand and bull sharks.
There’s no specific time of the day when they eat. They feed day and night. So the best way to protect yourself is to know what to do in case you are in that scenario.
When you are in the water, it’s best to swim in group because it increases the chances of survival in case of a shark attack. Sharks can be a loner predator when they hunt for their food but in most cases filed for shark attacks, there has been more than one shark preying on the poor victim or victims. Make sure you have your clothing on, if possible include your shoes. Most cases of shark attacks first the people whom have barely any clothes on and they begin with their feet. These also protect you from possible cuts if the shark tries to attack you. You will not want to bleed in the water for it might just invite more of his kind that are nearby. Save your strength and stay alert. Their eyes and gills are their most vulnerable part. If you don’t have anything to protect you, use your bare hands to punch the gills and eyes. If you can blind them that will be much better and the shark might just swim away. In any case, never give up! Remember when you’re under attack it’s either eat or be eaten, so try to go with the former!
We learned about this neat piece of information here: How To Fend Off A Shark
Make a hammock from scratch! DIY!
Summer is approaching, and with it there are so many outdoor fun activities that we can do like biking, camping, attending art classes, playing court sports, golfing, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, retreat, rock climbing and of course, the most common activity during summer swimming. Does this sound expensive? Well, you can still enjoy the summer and not spend too much. Try to make a hammock from a scratch DIY. A hammock is a sling normally consisting of one or more cloth panels, a woven network of twine or thin rope. A hammock is useful especially during summer. If you want to breath fresh air while sleeping under a tree, then it’s the solution to your desire. Be guided by the tools needed and the proper ways on how to make one as per combined research.
Tools:
2 metal rings 2 to 3 inches in diameter
2 hardwood support bars measuring 1-1/2-by-1-1/2-by-33 inches each
1 netting shuttle
600 feet of rope should be sufficient
Tape measure
Scissors
Directions:
Step 1. Cut a 20-feet long length of rope for 24 strands.
Step 2. Knot its end together leaving about one foot of rope ends hanging from the top of your knot.
Step 3. Leave two feet of space between the larger knot you’ve just made.
Step 4. Wind netting shuttle full of twine and tie the free end of the shuttle cord to the starter loop, using an overhand knot. Repeat it again and so on.
Step 5. Take the gauge stick in your left hand and place it behind the shuttle cord, right up against the starter loop.
Step 6. Draw the shuttle up in back of the stick, pass it through the starter loop, then bring it back down in front of the stick.
Step 7. Pull the twine taut, and pinch it against the stick with your left thumb to hold it in place.
Step 8. Now, pull the twine down in front of the gauge stick, letting go with your left thumb and tightening the half hitch as you do so.
Step 9. To begin the end make a pair of three-cord braids. Tie the three ends together with an overhand knot, braid the cords, and thread the untied ends through the outside hole in one hardwood bar.
Step 10. Make a loose knot in the end of the braid and weave it in all out through the outer meshes of the net.
Step 11. Undo the loose knot, thread the braid through the outside hole of the bar at the other end of the hammock, and make a tight overhand knot to hold it in place. Repeat this process on the other side.
Step 12. Look for a comfortable place where you want to hang the hammock. Attach it’s ends to two trees. Have a happy and enjoyable rest time!
How To Make Wonderful Triple Bunk Beds
As we all know, a family is a form of society where it is composed of the father, mother and their children. In these tough times, a father whose earnings are barely enough for their family needs always tries to think of some possible ways on how to maximize their budget. Having two or more children is enjoyable especially when they are all girls or all boys. Parents, specifically the mother, usually prefer her children who have the same gender to share a room. If they are sharing a room they should have some great spring mattresses like these. However, she doesn’t forget that space should also be considered in the room preparation. Space is important in a room that allows the children do some bonding such as playing. Parents might want to make a triple bunk bed. Having this in a room gives more space because it allows multiple beds in one area. As an assurance, children will get many years of enjoyment out of this huge structure that they will share nightly as they go through their childhood. For some additional information, you can search online for some hints or tips on how to make a triple bunk bed. For example, a great tutorial for triple bunk beds you can head over to Thehandmadedres where you will learn how to make the triple bunk bed. You might want to try doing it and you’ll see that it is really a great space-saving solution. And further more if you wanted a great place for beds then you could always check out Revival Beds, they’ve been invaluable for this project.
You may also look for home improvement, designs or home decorations, kitchen and remodeling, woodworking, and for all the garden lovers landscaping and tips on gardening. When it comes to tips and space saving ideas, you can always look for it over the internet, or ask someone who do you think knows it well. Or better yet, you may do it all by yourself in order for you to practice you creativity skills. By doing this, you’re not just discovering new interesting and helpful things but learning as well.