Our Excellent Adventures

Too hot to drive right now with Spare the Air and all that so, I’ll opt for a place where I have been and recommended by others. Sufficient parking, trails to hike if you bring family, easy on and off the freeway, and hopefully fairy centrally located (except for the North Bay :^(.

The Baylands, 2775 Embarcadero Road, in Palo Alto, http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/csd/parks_and_open_space/preserves_and_open_spaces/
the_baylands.asp  will be the spot. Here is a map of the area http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=6117 and we’ll plan on parking in the area outlined in red on the photo.

Questions? You can email me: keithmessinger@comcast.net or call me 925-997-9289 (cell) but don’t call during cocktail time!

This is a totally non-official, off-the-cuff, ill-planned chance to put some names with faces. If you want something to drink bring it. Same with food.

I’ll be there about 11:00 with a metallic silver Sprinter. It is a SMB but pretty stealth.

I have invited all bay area Sprinters, don’t have to be a SMB and all area SMB, don’t have to be a Sprinter. If you know someone who would be interested please invite them. Families are ok, what ever you want is ok.

If you are coming, please post here and tell us what you will be driving.

The June 7 Bay Area Sprinter Gathering is still on. As soon as the weather cools a bit I will check out the 2 bird refuges and let you know the place.

Hope you marked it on the calendar! This won’t be an all day deal. Probably 2 or 3 hours at the most . . . of course some of us can make a party out of anything! So go for a hike, listen to a ball game, tell a few lies, show off your rig . . .

The invite is open to any SMB vehicle, Sprinter or no; any Sprinter, SMB or no.

See you there!

Here is how the building progressed on the Sprinter. Sportsmobile did an excellent job.

PS. I am looking for some good slide show type program or widget for WordPress. I am not satisfied with this one but it is the best I could find so far.

Here are some photos of the finished Sprinter. Just some housekeeping things left to do. The folks at SMB West were great to work with. I had total control on the design right down to where the Sportsmobile logos went. Designing took a month and we made a couple of changes after it went on the line. Their advice was essential in the process and motivation was not profit driven but the desire to put a totally usable, unique design with a happy client on the road.

 A little better view of the solar panels. We have two Kyocera panels side by side that output 130 watts with maximum output 7amps each controlled by Blue Sky controller. The energy is stored in an AGM 4D battery and distributed by a 2000W Trip-lite inverter/converter.

 Now we can haul the grand kids around. The gaucho is covered with the same ultra leather as the driver and navigator seats use. We’ll use some colored pillow here to splash a little color around.

 The flush mount stove and microwave. A one piece counter top made of a corian type material and a pull out pantry shelf (foreground) adds to the usability of the galley.

           Cabinets above the galley were purposely kept narrow so we wouldn’t be tempted to store too much up high. The sliding door has two stops, one even with the counter and open all the way so the “cheftress” can look at the campsite while preparing our culinary delights.

 The door on the refrigerator will be reversed so it opens away from the galley. This is a 110v unit. We will not have to worry as much about being perfectly level as with our previous gas model. The counter top matches the galley and can be used for a lap-top, TV or stereo. There are no view blocking walls in the cockpit or galley area.

 Storage above the marine toilet. This is an open area with room on the right side for ice coolers, fishing poles, etc. The floor in this area does not have a carpet over-lay and there is a drain in the floor so, if necessary we could shower back here. I call this area the back porch.