Ahoy from a new member

[Clyderigged@yahoo.com]

An introduction:

New member here… Several days ago, my wife and I purchased a 2014 Ranger RT. We are eagerly anticipating our first adventure with our new land yacht. This is the first class B camper van I have owned... at least I am well versed with 12 volt systems, holding tanks, shore power and such from my sailing career. It is comforting knowing we will not sink mid-Pacific . Looking forward to learning from the experiences of others and meeting new folks along the asphalt seas.

I have no prior RV experience, but hope my traditional and tall ship sailing experience will help my transition into the RV adventure I am embarking on, now that my wife and I are new owners of a 2014 Roadtrek Ranger RT.

My traditional rigging and sailing career began in the early 1980’s on the 51' gaff topsail wooden schooner, ATLANTAS, in Southern California. Since then, I have sailed over 30,000 miles on square-rigged & traditional vessels and spent over 7 months filming aboard BOUNTY sailing as 2nd mate. BOUNTY was built in New Zealand and used in the 1984 Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins version of the telling of the mutiny on the Bounty tale. As a fun aside, I was the lead rigger on the two Pirate of the Caribbean movies.

In 2010, I became director of the 1877 iron barque ELISSA in Galveston, Texas and held that position from late 2010 to early 2016. After leaving ELISSA I held the position of master rigger on the 1885 sailing ship WAVERTREE during her $13-million hull and rigging in New York City. Before becoming director of ELISSA, I was historic ships rigging supervisor for San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park for 8 years. In 1998, I was master rigger on the 1896 sailing ship GLENLEE rigging restoration in Glasgow, Scotland for almost one year.

My motto is "Let your dreams set sail, and then sail beyond them". I enjoy cinema, especially UK, Australia, and New Zealand independent productions. My favorite authors are Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville, and Michener with "Tales of the South Pacific", "Lord Jim", and "Moby Dick" being my three favorite books. In college I was a philosophy major and enjoyed studying the pre-Socratic philosophers and thinkers of that Golden era. My taste in music ranges from Beethoven's sublime third movement Symphony No. 7 to Peter Gabriel era Genesis and Jethro Tull to Sea Shanties.

I enjoy traveling and sailing, but most of all I enjoy meeting new people and learning about their own journeys and what I can glean from their travails in my own journey around the sun. I am married to a wonderful woman who was a lawyer for over 20 years and has gone back to her artistic roots. She gave up the law and is a practicing artist in oils and watercolors... and a very good one!

I was born in Santa Monica, CA and grew up in Palos Verdes, CA the son of a bikini manufacturer...but that is a two-beer story...

Fair winds and sunsets… I hope to cross wakes with others in this group along the asphalt seas.

Jamie White

[rowiebowie]

Welcome to the forum!

Quite a varied background you have.

I like the Ranger RT and would have sought out one had I not stumbled upon my current rig (Airstream Avenue Suite). If you got the 3500 Express chassis (some were built on the 2500), you will be very happy with the reliability, MPG, and power of the big 6.0L V-8.

If you imagine your floor plan with the galley and bath sides reversed, then you have my Avenue floor plan. A nice layout for a small class b in my opinion and also similar to the Roadtrek 190.

Learn your rig and then enjoy many happy travels!

[mkguitar]

suggest "practice camping" learning the systems in the driveway


where you have access to tools, internet and time
take all your manuals with you when you travel
and a good flashlight



nothing like trying to figure out where a circuit breaker is when you have no light


BTW DC circuit breakers often have a reset tab on the side, it may be black or red- and definitely small


in many vans the GFCI in the head may also control AC outlets in the galley or outside


Many of the fasteners in your van are likely Robertson- R1 and R2 size used for cabinetry and electrical.
a "square drive may work, but real Robertsons will match the taper as well as being square



cheers, Mike

[Rlum]

Originally Posted by Clyderigged@yahoo.com

An introduction:

New member here… Several days ago, my wife and I purchased a 2014 Ranger RT. We are eagerly anticipating our first adventure with our new land yacht. This is the first class B camper van I have owned... at least I am well versed with 12 volt systems, holding tanks, shore power and such from my sailing career. It is comforting knowing we will not sink mid-Pacific . Looking forward to learning from the experiences of others and meeting new folks along the asphalt seas.

I have no prior RV experience, but hope my traditional and tall ship sailing experience will help my transition into the RV adventure I am embarking on, now that my wife and I are new owners of a 2014 Roadtrek Ranger RT.

My traditional rigging and sailing career began in the early 1980’s on the 51' gaff topsail wooden schooner, ATLANTAS, in Southern California. Since then, I have sailed over 30,000 miles on square-rigged & traditional vessels and spent over 7 months filming aboard BOUNTY sailing as 2nd mate. BOUNTY was built in New Zealand and used in the 1984 Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins version of the telling of the mutiny on the Bounty tale. As a fun aside, I was the lead rigger on the two Pirate of the Caribbean movies.

In 2010, I became director of the 1877 iron barque ELISSA in Galveston, Texas and held that position from late 2010 to early 2016. After leaving ELISSA I held the position of master rigger on the 1885 sailing ship WAVERTREE during her $13-million hull and rigging in New York City. Before becoming director of ELISSA, I was historic ships rigging supervisor for San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park for 8 years. In 1998, I was master rigger on the 1896 sailing ship GLENLEE rigging restoration in Glasgow, Scotland for almost one year.

My motto is "Let your dreams set sail, and then sail beyond them". I enjoy cinema, especially UK, Australia, and New Zealand independent productions. My favorite authors are Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville, and Michener with "Tales of the South Pacific", "Lord Jim", and "Moby Dick" being my three favorite books. In college I was a philosophy major and enjoyed studying the pre-Socratic philosophers and thinkers of that Golden era. My taste in music ranges from Beethoven's sublime third movement Symphony No. 7 to Peter Gabriel era Genesis and Jethro Tull to Sea Shanties.

I enjoy traveling and sailing, but most of all I enjoy meeting new people and learning about their own journeys and what I can glean from their travails in my own journey around the sun. I am married to a wonderful woman who was a lawyer for over 20 years and has gone back to her artistic roots. She gave up the law and is a practicing artist in oils and watercolors... and a very good one!

I was born in Santa Monica, CA and grew up in Palos Verdes, CA the son of a bikini manufacturer...but that is a two-beer story...

Fair winds and sunsets… I hope to cross wakes with others in this group along the asphalt seas.

Jamie White

Welcome to the group. With your background, I suspect your transition from sea to asphalt should be an easy one. We purchased our first and only class B 4.5 years ago. It has been a learning experience. I do not believe RV systems are near as robust as the marine ones. Besides if you get into a jam, you can get out and ask for help. Not so much in the middle of the ocean?