Sprinter Van Owners

ShiverMeTimbers

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Mar 21, 2006
8,317
956
113
Gig Harbor
www.peistcharters.com
What do you have in mind?
More bigger-er. We ordered it 3 weeks ago, they start building it in October.



Afoaf, we'll be able to do the San Juan trip with the boys no problem! Just hope the coronavirus thing is over by next summer. This new rig is going to be great for charters.
 

afoaf

Duke status
Jun 25, 2008
49,119
22,652
113
More bigger-er. We ordered it 3 weeks ago, they start building it in October.



Afoaf, we'll be able to do the San Juan trip with the boys no problem! Just hope the coronavirus thing is over by next summer. This new rig is going to be great for charters.

OHHHHHH SNAP!!!
 

Firebird

Gerry Lopez status
Jun 5, 2010
1,117
1,076
113
OC
More bigger-er. We ordered it 3 weeks ago, they start building it in October.



Afoaf, we'll be able to do the San Juan trip with the boys no problem! Just hope the coronavirus thing is over by next summer. This new rig is going to be great for charters.
Well, I'll definitely be needing to get a hold of you next time I'm in Kitsap County!
 
is the Earth Roamer built out with hollow/composite cabinetry?!?!
The rear cabin is balsa core with polyester resin and glass... Boat-like... The interior is all standard solid or ply cabinetry and trim... The wall panels in the Sprinter and upcoming utility trailer conversion have wall panels assembled exactly the same as my surfboard skins... Masking tape and fiberglass/epoxy... I have been working with www.homegrowntrailers.com and www.roambeyond since their inception.... Some of my designs are the exterior skins: 1/8" poplar bending ply over wood frame... Attached with adhesives and copper nails, then glassed... The shower panels are the same as surfboard skins and I'm pressing and shaping the wood fenders as one would if building skatebords, sort of... and finishing them with FG & epoxy...


(above) Shower panel...
 

donuts

Tom Curren status
Jan 23, 2005
12,237
1,775
113
@ the fun house
Ok, let me try to sum up without writing a book.

Been 3x. Last trip was 8 days and nearly drove around entire island. The only place I didn't cover was the West Fjords northwest of Huna Bay. Ran out of time. I took Highway 1, starting from airport and went counter clockwise. Also split off from '1' many times to drive out to the fjords.

1. First and foremost, for the love of god, make sure you have a PIN number for your credit card. This fvcked me on one of my trips. My CC's don't have pin numbers. Instead, they have usual zip code. But there, you need PIN number or it won't work at gas stations. Then you'll be forced to buy a gas card at an upped rate. Gas is already $8-9 per gallon, so a trip around the entire island will cost you a ton of money in gas, especially if you have to buy the gas cards. If I recall correctly, my last trip where I rented a car, I spent over $600 in gas in 8 days. Each fill up was roughly $110 (for a car!).

2. Don't run out of gas. There are some stretches where you can go a ways before you see the next station. I actually rolled into a gas station one time on empty. It was not a good feeling. This must happen often because at the car rental counter, they have maps that show where all the gas stations are at. Get that map.

3. Consider a sleeper van. I've not tried one yet but saw them all over the island. Very popular choice. You can pretty much pull over anywhere and go to sleep. https://www.kukucampers.is/ You can also AirBnb your way around entire island. Seems like almost everyone there has turned their house into an AirBnB. lol

4. When you rent, get gravel protection. Roads are all made from crushed volcanic sh!t that can rekt the underside of the car, and much of the roads that looked paved on the map are not. They will give you some trumped up bs charge if you do not get this 'protection' insurance.

5. Tell your CC company you will be traveling to Iceland. Make sure they allow purchases in that country. Many CC's auto block foreign countries for security against scams, etc. If you have layover in another country, be sure to tell your CC to allow that country as well.

6. Go during summer solstice and you will get to see the sunset at midnight, and then watch it come up again about 1.5h later. Depending on weather, it can create the most awesome sunset/sunrise/twilight you will ever see in your life. I'll have to dig up some pics of my last trip.

7. Plan for little sleep. The crazy thing is you can pull up at a glacier or waterfall at midnight and you can see everything in the twilight, and there will be other people there too. You can hike at night. You can do everything at night. There are no parking lots closed. Everything is just pull up and there is something spectacular in front of you. I tended to go to sleep around 2am each night, and woke up around 7:30 or 8.

8. Buy food at Nettó: https://rb.gy/pmhqpd Big grocery store with everything and better prices than the airport grocery store (yes they have full on grocery store in the airport). Buy for as many days as possible. Many times I found myself traveling through little towns after everything had closed already, so plan ahead with food.

9. Bring your best rain gear, from head to toe. Weather is insane. It can downpour rain at any moment, and be sunny the next, just like Scotland. It's not cold in summer, but damn you can be soaking wet hiking on the trail. My last trip, I wore board shorts every day, but constantly switched in/out of my rain gear from Walmart, that I got for about $40. Cheap jacket and pants did me as good as $500 setup from Northface but my feet and hands were soaked.

10. See it all. Entire island is mind blowing. Like nothing else I've seen in the world. Sensory overload and almost end-of-world- spiritual in a way. Hard to describe. 7-8 day trip would be ideal. By the time you lay eyes on the 1000th waterfall, you'll be like, ok I guess I can stop saying 'Wow, look at that waterfall!'. I'm not joking, there are over 10,000 waterfalls.

So, how much time do you plan for?

Goddamn, I should just change my name to Rick Muthafuckin Steves.
:jamon: never been, hoping to check it out next year - have saved your post!
 
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r32

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Apr 1, 2005
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:jamon: never been, hoping to check it out next year - have saved your post!
Sweet. Some additional notes.

I recommend going to grocery store first. Load up. Then hit the highway going counterclockwise. Mind blowing stuff all the way around the island but the south half is even more mind blowing. And try to get the desert too. Yes, there is a desert in the middle of Iceland. Are you fvcking kidding me? No, I am not. It's so nuts. Dettifoss waterfall. Mind blown.

Make a list at the stops you want to see. You can take all the offshoots (dirt roads) to the fjords and less visited (but equally awesome) waterfalls, more trails, more amazing sh!t, but everything eats up your time. And many roads that seem paved on maps are actual gravel/dirt.

Map the Netto stores around the island. East coast is desolate. Northwest fjords are even more desolate.

Hesistant to post this but you are my ocean brothers and I know everyone is dying for a real trip after covid. So here you go. A trip of a lifetime. These are my personal travel notes and discoveries from my trips to Iceland. FYI, I will probably delete this post later so make a copy.

Land, get baggage
Walk outside airport
Walk down road to rental car place at airport
Rent car (pre book vehicle rental; they sell out fast)
Drive to Netto in Reykjanesbær and load up on food
Take 41 to Reykjavík (save this city for last)
Take 41 to 413 to 1
Take 1 to Selfoss (top off with gas)

At Selfoss you need to make a decision. Do you want to see the Golden Ring? Various awesome sites around a loop road that goes up the mountain to Gullfoss and back. Or continue on 1?

If you want to do Golden Ring
Drive from Selfoss to Gullfoss, stopping at sites like Kerid Crater, etc.

At Gullfoss, you need to make a decision. Do you want to see Haifoss?

If you want to do Haifoss
Drive from Gullfoss to Haifoss
Take 35 to 30 to 344 to 32

After Haifoss, you need to make a decision. Do you want to see Porisvan?

If you want to do Porisvatn
Continue on 32 to 26 to F26

After Porisvatn, I recommend heading back to via Hella
Take F26 to 26 to 271 to Hella

Continue on 1 and stop at following sites in order

Seljalandsfoss
Skogafoss
Svartifoss
Jokulsarlon Iceberg Lagoon + Glacier

Glacier Lagoon is a good turn-around point if you're on limited budget and have only a few days. If you want to continue, get AirBnB in Hofn. Top off with gas.

Take 1 to Egilsstaðir
Take 93 over the pass to Seydisfjordur
Stop at various waterfalls and main Vista on way to Seydisfjordur.
At Seydisfjordur, take road on west side of fjord to waterfall trail.
Park at 65°17'01.8"N 13°58'28.6"W and hike up.
Thank me later.

Now you're on East Coast and you need to make a decision. There are so many fjords to see but they can eat up a lot of your time driving out to each one on mostly gravel roads. Seydisfjordur is one of the best of the best, so that's why I recommended that one. Nearby, you can find Lindarbakki where there are rideable waves at a couple spots. But long trek to get there and nothing much else happening on that fjord.

I recommend going from Egilsstaðir to Selfoss/Dettifoss.

Take 1 through the desert to 862 (west side of river)
Take 862 to Dettifoss, then hike to Selfoss (20m)

After Selfoss, you need to make a decision. Go north or south? North goes to Húsavík coast but takes a long time to get there. South goes to big lake. I recommend going south to Reykjahlíð.

Take 862 back to 1
Take 1 to Reykjahlíð
Top off with gas/drinks
Stay the night if you're tired

From Reykjahlíð, take 1 to Goðafoss
Take 1 from Goðafoss to Akureyri
Get gas, load up on food
Rest

In Akureyri, there is a nice mall called Glerartorg. Great place to rest, clean up, use the clean restrooms, and grab some food. Stay the night if you're tired.

From Akureyri, you need to make a decision. Do you want to see the West Fjords? It's really desolate out there, so have full tank of gas and food with you. Amazing sh!t where you will find some spiritual connection deep inside you that you didn't know existed. But if you're tired and running out of time, I suggest heading to Grundarfjörður. Amazing sights along the way too. Watch out for sheep and weird looking horses.

To Grundarfjörður
From Akureyri, take 1 to 68 to 59 to 60 to 54 to Grundarfjörður
Stay the night, have pizza and beer at only place in town
Take 54 west to Kirkjufellsfoss
There is good surf in this zone so keep an eye
Travel further west on 54 to Snæfellsjökull National Park
Hike the National park

From here it's back to Reykjavik
Stay 1 night in Reykjavik
Check out the crazy church
Check out Grotta Lighthouse. You might pay special attention this spot. ;)
Check out a local pub.
Check out how wide their street signs are for names.

There is more good surf in this area, but you must seek the proper points and beaches. This is a minimal hiking kind of trip. I'd have to type up entirely different set of notes for the more adventurous. For that, I might as well write a book already and start doing my own tv show. Welcome to World Travel, with your host r32. Today we're setting off on a fantastic adventure to Iceland, an island full of wonder, and enchantment. Let's go!





West Fjords


West Fjords - don't drive off the cliff in the rental


Selfoss in the desert


The desert highlands
 
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Mr Doof

Duke status
Jan 23, 2002
24,835
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San Francisco, CA
I hope Mr. Doof's house appreciates though.
:cheers: So far, I am still up from when I bought the place in '97...even after the overbudget stair replacement project.

Home next to me sold for 1.7 million two years back (finished ground floor...mine isn't so our home would be worth less). Paid cash, if you believe the PhD on the other side of them.

So, on paper I am doing ok, but when I look in my wallet, all I see is more Top Ramen, so come on GE!
 
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Autoprax

Duke status
Jan 24, 2011
68,085
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Vagina Point
If home prices in SD through COVID are any indication “pretty“ places will always be expensive.

SF is “pretty” and, (no) thanks to tech, has high paying jobs. Now that jobs aren’t tied to the locale it’s just another “pretty” place worth living.

rent is dropping but from a pretty ridic level above the norm.
Winder is coming
 

r32

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 1, 2005
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Cambria
R32 what time of year did you go? We wanna see the Aurora borealis
I've been there beg of summer, mid summer, and late summer. Incredible to have 20hrs of daylight, and it never really gets dark. I recommend a summer trip during the time of summer solstice. See my previous post on this timing.

If you want to see the Aurora, you have to go between Oct-Mar. This is an entirely different trip. Only 4hrs of daylight or less depending on when you go. Temps in the 0 to -30 range so obviously proper clothing is a must. Getting around can be difficult or impossible during storms. You'll probably want to pay a guide to drive you as the roads will be slick as hell and many of the highways have no guard rails. And you have to hope the skies are clear when you go, so you can see it.

The capital of Reykjavik is known as the Aurora capital of the world but any part of the island you can see the Aurora very clearly. During the day, you only have a few hours to see anything, hiking trails are covered in ice walking trails around waterfalls are covered in snow/ice, so you really have to be prepared.

I'm planning a winter trip when I get older.

Aurora from Grundarfjörður which I mentioned as a stop.
 

PRCD

Tom Curren status
Feb 25, 2020
12,445
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I've been there beg of summer, mid summer, and late summer. Incredible to have 20hrs of daylight, and it never really gets dark. I recommend a summer trip during the time of summer solstice. See my previous post on this timing.

If you want to see the Aurora, you have to go between Oct-Mar. This is an entirely different trip. Only 4hrs of daylight or less depending on when you go. Temps in the 0 to -30 range so obviously proper clothing is a must. Getting around can be difficult or impossible during storms. You'll probably want to pay a guide to drive you as the roads will be slick as hell and many of the highways have no guard rails. And you have to hope the skies are clear when you go, so you can see it.

The capital of Reykjavik is known as the Aurora capital of the world but any part of the island you can see the Aurora very clearly. During the day, you only have a few hours to see anything, hiking trails are covered in ice walking trails around waterfalls are covered in snow/ice, so you really have to be prepared.

I'm planning a winter trip when I get older.

Aurora from Grundarfjörður which I mentioned as a stop.
That is basically the Bifrost that connects Nilfheim to Midgaard.