Ruby Jewel the Harley Hauler
KOA COSTANOA WINTER CAMPING
Driveway Surfing at WishRanch
Nomadic Keto Kitchen
Freedom “Enjoy the Rides
BellsRides Swag
Creating new designs using products from USA for my BellsRides Swag.
BellsRides Swag
https://teespring.com/shop/bellsrides-hoody
The link above also has cool sticker too.
Enjoy the Ride
CampChef
In 2004 we sold our Alpenlite fifth wheel and when we did, I agreed to throw in my husbands Camp Chef stove. Since then every chance my husband gets he gives me shit. Finally, we recently purchased a new Camp Chef stove for our RV. I thought for sure Andy would stop hard timing me about it, that would be a big negatory.
Last week we were camping at the coast and my brother in law was showing off his Christmas present (Camp Chef https://amzn.to/2VzU3Mo ) from his son. Andy then say’s, have you heard the story how my Camp Chef was given away. Me; A Giant Eye Roll..
When we were outfitting our new toy hauler we got a slightly upgraded version of our old Camp Chef, yet the hard timing ensues..
Here is the upgraded toys
The old one didn’t have the fold out side tables or folding legs. And we didn’t have any of the accessories.
With all the gadgets and the upgraded Camp Chef he still teases me.
Winter Camping at Lawson’s Landing and Exploring Local Brewery
Fox Performance Shock Kit
Dometic 12 volt Fridge/Freezer
Mechanically Inclined For A Girl…
 AS WITH MOST PEOPLE JUST STARTING OUT ON THEIR OWN MONEY IS SCARCE, SO I’M NO DIFFERENT THAN MOST. I WAS SEVENTEEN WHEN I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND MOVED OUT ON MY OWN.Â
 WHEN THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH MY CAR I DIDN’T HAVE THE MONEY TO TAKE IT TO A SHOP TO BE REPAIRED. SO WHEN IT DID HAPPEN I WOULD GO TO EITHER PEP BOY’S OR GRAND AUTO (I probably just aged myself) AND ASK THE COUNTER GUYS WHAT THEY THOUGHT THE ISSUE MIGHT BE WITH THE SYMPTOMS I DESCRIBED. ONE TIME IT WAS A STARTER AND ANOTHER AN ALTERNATOR. I TOTALLY GUESSED ON THE STARTER AND LUCKILY I WAS RIGHT. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL POS AND I WAS BROKE AS HELL, SO I WOULD BUY ABSOLUTELY CHEAPEST PART I COULD FIND. I WOULD ASK THE COUNTER GUYS A TON OF QUESTIONS AND GO OFF TO MY APARTMENT AND INSTALL IT (AGAINST APARTMENT RULES OF COARSE).Â
 HINDSIGHT, I REALLY ENJOYED WORKING ON MY CAR EVEN THOUGH I WAS STRESSED ABOUT IT BEING BROKE DOWN, BREAKING THE APARTMENT RULES AND NOT HAVING THE PROPER TOOLS.
FAST FORWARD A FEW YEARS:
 BEING A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER MY INCOME WAS BETTER BUT I STILL ENDED UP WORKING ON OUR CARS. MY FIRST HUSBAND WASN’T MECHANICAL AND HAD NO DESIRE TO LEARN. ON TOP OF THAT, MIKE HAD A HARD TIME LETTING GO OF A DOLLAR. DON’T GET ME WRONG, I’M NOT TRYING TO BE DISPARAGING TOWARDS MIKE, HE WAS A NICE GUY JUST NOT THE RIGHT GUY FOR ME.
 OUR TOOL COLLECTION WAS STILL LACKING TO SAY THE LEAST. WHEN THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT ON THE CAR I DROVE TO MY NIGHT JOB, IT WAS UP TO ME TO REPAIR IT. THE TOOLS CONSISTED OF PLIERS, CRESCENT WRENCH, PHILIPS SCREWDRIVER, FLAT HEAD SCREWDRIVER, HAMMER AND A FEW SOCKETS.
 I CHANGED THE ALTERNATOR WITH A CRESCENT WRENCH AND PLIERS WITH A WHOLE LOT OF BAD WORDS. THIS MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY I HOARD TOOLS AND GET DOWN RIGHT GIDDY TO BUY A NEW TOOL. I THINK THIS MIGHT BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR OF WHY MY HUSBAND “ANDY” LOVES ME SO MUCH.
 YEARS LATER WHEN I WAS BUILDING MY BUSINESS, I HAD A OLDER CASE 590 SUPER L BACKHOE. IT SEEMED I HAD TO REPLACE A HYDRAULIC LINE EVERY OTHER WEEK. I LIKED THE WRENCHING BUT HATED THE HYDRAULIC FLUID. I HATED THE SMELL AND IT GOT EVERYWHERE. ONE TIME A WELD ON THE DIP CYLINDER FAILED AND I GOT A PIN HOLE RIGHT WHEN I WAS LIFTING THE BOOM OUT OF A TRENCH I WAS SPRAYED RIGHT IN THE FACE WITH SCALDING HOT HYDRAULIC FLUID. I SAID A LOT OF BAD WORDS ON THAT ONE. I STRETCHED THE BOOM OUT SO I COULD REACH THE CYLINDER FROM THE GROUND. I WRAPPED A RAG AROUND THE CYLINDER AND HELD IT ON WITH DUCT TAPE TO FINISH THE LAST TWO HOUSES I HAD LEFT TO DIG. I CALLED MY LOCAL CASE DEALER TO PRICE OUT A NEW CYLINDER. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT PARTICULAR CYLINDER WAS TOO BIG FOR ME TO CHANGE OUT BY MYSELF AS IT WEIGHED MORE THAN I DID. SO AFTER I FINISHED THE LAST TWO HOUSES, I LOADED HER UP AND HAULED HER TO WESTERN EQUIPMENT FOR REPAIR. THE POINT OF THIS IS, SOMETIMES TO BE MECHANICALLY INCLINED IS TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FINISH THE JOB UNTIL IT COULD PROPERLY BE REPAIRED.
NOW A DAYS, I DON’T WORK ON THINGS OUT OF NECESSITY BUT FOR FUN.
 MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE MOTORCYCLES AND WE BOTH LOVE TO TINKER ON THEM. A FEW YEARS AGO MY HUSBAND WENT TO THE FBI LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
 I DECIDED TO START A PROJECT TO KEEP ME BUSY SO I WOULDN’T GO CRAZY MISSING HIM. AT THE TIME I HAD A 2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON, STREET GLIDE. SHE “JEWEL”. WAS BEAUTIFUL WITH HARLEY’S CUSTOM PAINT, PURPLE WITH FLAMES.
 I FOUND A USED, VERY HARD USED TOUR PACK. IT HAD A LARGE CRACK ON ONE SIDE AND THE LID WASN’T ATTACHED, SOME OF THE HARDWARE WAS MISSING AND WAS CRACKED ON THE SAME SIDE. MY GUESS IT WAS FROM A CRASHED BIKE, BUT IT WAS PERFECT FOR THE PROJECT I HAD IN MIND. KNOWING A LITTLE ABOUT ABS PLASTIC FROM MY CONTRACTOR DAYS, I THOUGHT I COULD REPAIR IT EVEN WHEN THE HD PARTS GUYS SAID I COULDN’T. THEY WERE CORRECT IN A WAY BUT I WASN’T PLANNING ON USING THE TRADITIONAL BONDO METHOD AS USED FOR REPAIRING BODY DAMAGE. WHEN INSTALLING ABS BLACK SEWER PIPE A SPECIFIC ABS GLUE IS USED. IT DOESN’T WORK AS REGULAR GLUE DOES BY ADHERING TWO PIECES OF PIPE TOGETHER. IT ACTUALLY MELTS THE TWO PLASTIC PIPES TOGETHER TO CREATE ONE PIPE. WHEN I STARTED THE PROJECT IT WAS JUST A THEORETICAL PLAN. I APPLIED MOST OF THE ABS GLUE TO THE CRACK ON THE INSIDE OF THE TOUR PACK AND A VERY CONSERVATIVE AMOUNT TO THE OUTSIDE, TO MINIMIZE SANDING AND BONDO TO THE PAINTED SURFACE. IT WORKED BEAUTIFULLY, JUST LIKE THE ABS PLASTIC PIPE I USED TO INSTALL.
 AFTER ALLOWING IT TO DRY I SANDED THE INTERIOR OF THE TOUR PACK THEN PAINTED THE INTERIOR WITH SEVERAL COATS OF RHINO LINING. THIS STEP I TOTALLY PULLED RIGHT OUT OF MY BUTT, I WAS CRUISING THROUGH THE PAINT ISLE AT HOME DEPOT AND A CAN OF RHINO LINING CAUGHT MY EYE. MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO LINE IT ONLY WITH CARPET OR FELT. PAINTING IT WITH THE RHINO LINING NOT ONLY DID IT MAKE IT LOOK BRAND NEW AND PRETTY BUT ALSO THINGS WOULDN’T SLIDE AROUND AS MUCH. I MOVED ONTO THE EXTERIOR, SURPRISINGLY THERE WASN’T A LOT OF BONDO WORK NEEDED BUT IT STILL PRESENTED A CHALLENGE. I OBVIOUSLY WANTED THE PAINT TO MATCH BUT HARLEY DOESN’T SELL THEIR CUSTOM PAINT TO THE PUBLIC. I WAS PISSED BUT DETERMINED TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. I FOUND A GUY WHO CAN MATCH PAINT BY EYE BUT THEN TEST IT WITH A COMPUTER FOR ACCURACY. I PAINTED THE TOUR PACK A SOLID PURPLE. A PERSON NEEDS TO KNOW THEIR LIMITATIONS, THERE IS NO WAY I COULD PAINT THE FLAMES AND GET THEM TO MATCH THE FLAMES ON THE BIKE.
MY LATEST TOYS I TINKER ON IS MY KLR 650 AND MY PICKUP I’M TURNING INTO A OVERLAND RIG.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
ENJOY THE RIDE
BELL
FRUSTRATED HUNT- OVERLAND BUILD
The Hunt is on for Rock Sliders or also known as Rock Rails, for “Bertha Mae” my 2017 F-150.
I recently decided to do an Overland build using my existing truck instead of buying an old Land Cruiser or Jeep.
We took Bertha Mae on a test to see how she will do at 100% stock, which allowed me to make a list of modifications.
This list was broken down into two categories.
Primary Category: Must Haves
Sub-Category: Want to Have
The Primary Category, ie; The Must Haves is where the issue lay. The Must Haves are fairly simplistic, suspension and armor.
The suspension is uber easy to source, everybody and their brother sells leveling kits for my specific truck and every other truck there is on Amazon.
(Side note, one of the things I love about Amazon, I can shop while on the road and it’s usually waiting for me when I get home.)
Anyway, Armor for my truck consist of a metal skid plate for the gas tank, as the stock skid plate is plastic. I know, kind of dumb in my opinion too, to have a plastic skid plate on a 36 gallon plastic fuel tank. My cutie pie husband sourced this one out in all of five minutes. Cool part is because I have the plastic skid plate as part of my Off Road Package, the existing mounting hardware can be used for the new Aluminum Skid Plate.
The Rock Rails/Rock Sliders is a whole story in itself.
I have been to all the four wheel specialty stores in our area, along with all the stores I deliver to and I have searched online and they all have one thing in common “buyer be aware”.
I thought I found the perfect set but on closer inspection of the goods, they were simply Nerf Bars. Don’t get me wrong if Nerf Bars is what you are looking for, go forth and conquer.
A true Rock Rail/Rock Sliders are mounted to the frame and NOT to the rocker panel. Otherwise they are either steps or running boards.
And to be perfectly honest it pisses me off for a supplier to try and sell a product under pretense.
The Differences between Running Boards, Nerf Bar and Rock Rail/Rock Sliders
Running boards- Simply put Running Boards are flat board shaped steps for easy cab access. Usually mounted to the rocker panel (sheet metal) and can withstand the weight of a person.
Nerf bar- Nerf Bars is also a step for easy cab access but shaped tubular or oval. And is usually mounted to the rocker panel (sheet metal) and they too can withstand the weight of a person.
Rock Rails/Rock Sliders- Are made with thicker walled steel and are mounted with either bolts or welded directly to the frame of the truck. They are designed to withstand the weight of the entire truck. Thus not damaging the body.
If you were to put the entire weight of your truck on either Running Boards or Nerf Bars at best you will bend them at worst you will bend them up into your rocker panel and/or rip out the mountinghardware.
White Knuckle out of Apple Valley, CA makes a pair that can withstand the weight of the entire truck. I watched two separate demonstration and reviews of EXTREME TEST.
I was so excited I not only emailed them but because I am at times impatient I called to get a quote (which was a formality because I wanted a set) BUT they don’t make them for my truck. Bummer, right??
The Hunt Continues…
Enjoy the Ride
Bell
Here are some products that might work for your Overland Build.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
ORCA ROCKET BEER HOLDER-Â Â https://amzn.to/2O5W7Hl
BEER-Â Â https://amzn.to/2MidSTbÂ
I ORDERED THE 2″ LEVELING KIT WHILE ON THE ROAD AND IT WAS WAITING FOR ME WHEN I GOT HOME.
2″ LEVELING KIT-Â Â https://amzn.to/2LThlvqÂ
NERF BARS-Â https://amzn.to/2OcbPASÂ
SOME OTHER COOL OVERLAND STUFF.
BULL BARS- https://amzn.to/2O48YJS
X-BULL 12V 12000 LB STEEL CABLE WINCH-Â https://amzn.to/2KrN0ypÂ
Disclaimer: The links included here are from my affiliates. Should you choose to purchase the listed products or any other products while you are there, I will receive a small commission. Your purchases are confidential and I am not privy to who purchased or payment method. Thank you in advance if you do purchase through my links.
Bell
BEER
Anyone who knows me or happens to follow me in some form of social media, knows I love BEER.
I will be the first to admit I’m a little bit of a BEER snob, not that I won’t drink mass produced BEER it just needs to be of quality. That being said, there is a time and place for nostalgic BEER drinking with some PBR. This is where I should apologize for my next statement but I’m just not sorry. Bud, Bud light, Coors, Coors light just doesn’t fall into the category of “Quality”. Any of those BEERS are fine for Red BEERS, AKA Bloody BEERS but that’s about it. That’s the extent of my BEER Snobbiness (Yes, it’s a real word you can look it up in President Bush’s dictionary).
I personally have a broad palate and enjoy BEERS across the board, to name a few I like a crisp Lager, a fruity Radler, caramel or brown sugar Brown and Amber Ale, a heavy Stout, a chocolate/coffee Porter and a pungent IPA.
Some BEER drinkers have an incredible sensitive sense of smell and they simply can’t get pass the smell of a IPA to enjoy the flavor. I have heard IPA described as smelling like “Cat Pee” and to be perfectly honest with some IPA’s I have used the term as well.
One of my favorite forms of entertainment is to find a great tap house or brewery, have a couple incredible BEERS and people watch.
There is a cool brewery in Lodi, CA called Idol Beer Works. On one our visits I met the BEER maker, super cool dude. They have a BEER called “Training Wheels”. Don’t let the name fool you, it isn’t for the newbie BEER drinker who is on the fence if they like BEER or not. When I asked about the BEER name he told me it was named “Training Wheels” because of the low alcohol content. He also said it was the most difficult BEER on the menu to make because the alcohol content of 4.3 %. He explained to get the flavor he wanted to achieve he had to use a lot of sugar, the more sugar the more fermentation the higher the alcohol content. 4.3% alcohol content is relatively low for the amount of sugar in it. The flavor is what got me, it has subtle hints of banana, gloves and orange. This is a good time to add a disclaimer.
WARNING: BEER IS NOT KETO…
Here is my take on drinking BEER as a Ketonian, I live a Keto lifestyle 99% of the time, I can drink Beer 1% of the time.
“BEER is proof God loves us”
Benjamin Franklin
Until next time
Enjoy the Ride
Bell
Essential Tools:
RESULTS ARE IN: The Full Size Overland Test
The Mission: Overland Road Test Stock F-150
My duties- Spotter and Document
Andy’s Duties- Drive and make me laugh
The test site was El Dorado National Forest. We were to head out early morning on Saturday but our refrigerator had other plans for us. My handy dandy husband dove in head long to fix the refrigerator before we headed out.
We hit the road about 11:30 am and stopped in town to get lunch supplies and ice before heading east farther into the mountains. We are fortunate enough to live in the foothills of Northern California and we don’t have to travel far for an adventure in the forest.
We took highway 50 east to Silver Fork Rd and headed south to Pack Saddle Pass. Heading deeper into El Dorado National Forest.
The scent of pine trees and little critters running across our path was exactly what I was looking for to put my Full Size Overland Rig to test. We bombed around on dirt roads in search for a spot with a view for lunch before picking up Cody Meadows Road where the real test will begin.
We found a secluded camp site on a mountain ridge with large pine trees, a giant granite out cropping and a view on three sides. In the solitude we enjoyed a Keto friendly meal and each other’s company. We talked and laughed about how the campsite from this day forward was claimed as my husbands campsite. We talked about the up coming mods on the Overland Rig, we even got mushy and expressed how lucky we are to be with each other.
After lunch we continued on to Cody Meadows Road with slightly more technical challenges for the rig. The road is not much more then a trail. Still nothing too aggressive with some technical areas with rocks ranging from eight inches to about twenty inches. The washed out ruts was my favorite, it allowed me to me to visualize first hand the clearance of not only the under carriage but also the air dampener used for fuel economy. Only on one occasion the air dampener scraped but I spotted it before damage occurred and directed Andy to change his approach.
The trail also offered a nice 7% to 9% grade which gave a good example of traction the stock tires has to offer. Next test of the trail was for the rig size. On the ridge the trail winds through the pine trees. It was tight pretty much this entire stretch and there were a couple times when clearing a tree at the front corner of the rig, the back corner of the rig was a mere inch or two from another tree.
After clearing the pine trees the terrain took on a high desert look where we came upon an abandoned vehicle with a date on it, of the same date. We thought we would come across the owner and offer him/her a ride off the mountain but no such luck.
Still slightly in the middle of no place we came across a clearing with about ten or fifteen cars parked. We were like, what the ???. One of the owners was standing next to his vehicle when we rolled up, we asked what special event was going on. With great pride on his face he said it was a Boy Scouts Ceremony at Cody Lake.
Then about a half mile down further down the road, our fun dissipated a bit with paved roads.
Final Conclusion:
The 2017 F-150 FX4 Off Road is a great platform for an Overland Build. The mods don’t need to be over the top drastic. I will be starting with a simple two inch leveling kit, (already on order and on the way) and rock slides. The rock slides will take slightly more research but I am convinced I will soon be able to find a functional set. Then deciding on a Rack System or Canopy to mount a roof top tent. And of course rubber, eventually better tires.
Stay tuned for the Overland Build Updates and until next time,
Enjoy the Ride
Bell
Present and Future Mod Products:
Two inch leveling kit-Â Â https://amzn.to/2MamZoMÂ Â Â 
Rock Slides-Â https://amzn.to/2vot6yFÂ Â 
Roof Tent-  https://amzn.to/2LWvjvw  
Full Size Overland Test
Full Size Overland Build Rig
Orca Rocket Beer Holder
ORCA ROCKET BEER HOLDER
When you enjoy a good craft beer but frequently waste a lot of it because it get’s too warm too quickly. Then if you are lucky enough to have a sweet husband who surprises you with an
Orca Rocket https://amzn.to/2KNq7ts  you get to enjoy the entire beer. My husband said he got it for the RV, but I’m guessing we will be getting another set for The Grudge Lounge at Wish Ranch. Especially, after taking it for a spin with some excellent craft beer, it kept it ice cold. And the designers thought about everything, it fits long neck and short neck bottles plus cans. It has a bottle opener on the bottom outside and another opener on the bottom inside for the twist off caps. Another handy feature it has is a ring on the top to carry it with you where ever you want to take your beer.
Happy Independence Day
Mosaic Stone Tile Backsplash
