Toads

[Don Bradner]

Which of the jeeps are you considering?

We towed a Hyundai Santa Fe (Front-wheel drive 5-speed) for 4 years, but about 2
years ago we got into geocaching, so 4-WD became somewhat important. Both my
wife and I like the overall look of a Wrangler, but it had some negatives for
us. First was space inside - got to fit the Golden Retriever and whatever we
need to bring back from shopping, at a minimum, and more is better. Second was
on-road ride, which my wife found harsh for her not-so-great back. On the first
one we considered one of the new 4-doors, but I think that ruins the visual
appeal of a jeep, and the ride wasn't any better.

We settled on an '07 Liberty, bought last December once I knew what color the
Bird would be Been pretty happy with it, except we had an intermittent
shudder that took a long time to pin down. Finally the dealer came up with a TSB
that said it could be the torque converter, and once they changed that out it
was fine.

We have a Limited with Selectrac, so there's full-time 4WD as well as part-time,
in an automatic. Stick the transfer case in Neutral and the transmission in Park
and tow it away away. I haven't tried to remove the steering wheel lock, so I
have to have a key in the unlocked position, but there doesn't appear to be any
power draw to speak of in that position. I had a key made that does not have the
security lockout, so it can be used to turn the key on but not start the
vehicle.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

On 8/27/2007 at 3:13 PM Leroy Eckert wrote:

>Thanks to all that replied. I'm giving some thought to selling the
>trailer and going to a toad.
>Leroy Eckert
>1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>Niceville, FL
>Royale Conversion

[dspithaler@...]

Pete: If you find a good antenna post it because I'm going with the Verizon
USB and heading to AZ this winter
Don
89 SP 36'
Butler, PA

I, too, need to work on the road with good Internet access.
Essentially, the three ways to get online are (1) WiFi, (2) Aircard
(EVDO is the better system, used by Verizon and Sprint), (3) Satellite.

WiFi is "iffy" ... it's far from universally available, often as not,
it's got a service charge to get online, and there are some questions
about security when using pubic WiFi hot spots. The last would not be
a comfort for your tax preparation clients.







************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at
http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Leroy Eckert]

Don,
I am in a very unique and complicated situation in that I have given the
responsibility of rearing my 3 beautiful Step-Grandchildren from three different
fathers at going on 65. Perhaps you can put that together in some format. We
have permanent custody. I have not so respectfully advised the non-child support
paying familes where to stick it. The children are 10 months, 5 years and 9
years. I did not plan on that so significant adjustment are needed. I have been
draging a trailer around with my wife's 92 Z-28 Camero Convertible 25th
Anniversary Edition on it but that is a PIA, and where ya gonna put 5 folks in
that thing. It is a collector car with 33,000 original miles. Gonna sell it on
ebay.
So, I am looking at 2000-2001-2002 Grand Cherokee's used because I know hauling
the kids around will use the vehicle up over time. As well, I am trying to teach
the children the benefits of RVing so that when they grow up perhaps one of them
can haul me around, if I live long enough. For the last 10 years I have been
jacking around in the tile and stone business just because I enjoy the business.
This week I completed my continuing education requirments to reactivate my CA
CPA certificate which has been on ice since 1992. My idea is to perform tax
return preparation, build a client base and perhaps use something like data
storm to perform the preparation if on the road. I have yet to conclude if that
will work. We will see. If not, I will open an office and do it somewhere.
Thanks for the help, it appears that Jeep Cherokee's for the most part are
towable, if there is an N in the transfer case shifter.
This post is not all BB stuff, but I learned long ago good advise requires
facts. Otherwise, it's a problem.
Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL
Royale Conversion
----- Original Message -----
From: Don Bradner
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 4:41 PM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Toads


Which of the jeeps are you considering?

We towed a Hyundai Santa Fe (Front-wheel drive 5-speed) for 4 years, but about
2 years ago we got into geocaching, so 4-WD became somewhat important. Both my
wife and I like the overall look of a Wrangler, but it had some negatives for
us. First was space inside - got to fit the Golden Retriever and whatever we
need to bring back from shopping, at a minimum, and more is better. Second was
on-road ride, which my wife found harsh for her not-so-great back. On the first
one we considered one of the new 4-doors, but I think that ruins the visual
appeal of a jeep, and the ride wasn't any better.

We settled on an '07 Liberty, bought last December once I knew what color the
Bird would be Been pretty happy with it, except we had an intermittent
shudder that took a long time to pin down. Finally the dealer came up with a TSB
that said it could be the torque converter, and once they changed that out it
was fine.

We have a Limited with Selectrac, so there's full-time 4WD as well as
part-time, in an automatic. Stick the transfer case in Neutral and the
transmission in Park and tow it away away. I haven't tried to remove the
steering wheel lock, so I have to have a key in the unlocked position, but there
doesn't appear to be any power draw to speak of in that position. I had a key
made that does not have the security lockout, so it can be used to turn the key
on but not start the vehicle.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

On 8/27/2007 at 3:13 PM Leroy Eckert wrote:

>Thanks to all that replied. I'm giving some thought to selling the
>trailer and going to a toad.
>Leroy Eckert
>1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>Niceville, FL
>Royale Conversion





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Don Bradner]

Wow! I agree you need something different than that Camaro. A Grand Cherokee
should be an excellent choice, and probably the best of the jeep family for the
job.

As far as working on the road via the internet, that is being done by a lot of
people these days. Probably more using WiFi and AirCards, and staying where
those work, than those that use satellite, but when you want to go everywhere
and still be connected it is hard to do without a dish. These days a lot of
people I know use all three interchangeably, whichever is best where they are.

If you haven't already browsed the datastormusers.com forums you might want to
do so, to get an idea of what people are doing.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

On 8/27/2007 at 6:13 PM Leroy Eckert wrote:

>Don,
>I am in a very unique and complicated situation in that I have given the
>responsibility of rearing my 3 beautiful Step-Grandchildren from three
>different fathers at going on 65. Perhaps you can put that together in
>some format. We have permanent custody. I have not so respectfully
>advised the non-child support paying familes where to stick it. The
>children are 10 months, 5 years and 9 years. I did not plan on that so
>significant adjustment are needed. I have been draging a trailer around
>with my wife's 92 Z-28 Camero Convertible 25th Anniversary Edition on it
>but that is a PIA, and where ya gonna put 5 folks in that thing. It is a
>collector car with 33,000 original miles. Gonna sell it on ebay.
>So, I am looking at 2000-2001-2002 Grand Cherokee's used because I know
>hauling the kids around will use the vehicle up over time. As well, I am
>trying to teach the children the benefits of RVing so that when they grow
>up perhaps one of them can haul me around, if I live long enough. For the
>last 10 years I have been jacking around in the tile and stone business
>just because I enjoy the business. This week I completed my continuing
>education requirments to reactivate my CA CPA certificate which has been
>on ice since 1992. My idea is to perform tax return preparation, build a
>client base and perhaps use something like data storm to perform the
>preparation if on the road. I have yet to conclude if that will work. We
>will see. If not, I will open an office and do it somewhere.
>Thanks for the help, it appears that Jeep Cherokee's for the most part are
>towable, if there is an N in the transfer case shifter.
>This post is not all BB stuff, but I learned long ago good advise requires
>facts. Otherwise, it's a problem.
>Leroy Eckert
>1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>Niceville, FL
>Royale Conversion

[Pete Masterson]

I, too, need to work on the road with good Internet access.
Essentially, the three ways to get online are (1) WiFi, (2) Aircard
(EVDO is the better system, used by Verizon and Sprint), (3) Satellite.

WiFi is "iffy" ... it's far from universally available, often as not,
it's got a service charge to get online, and there are some questions
about security when using pubic WiFi hot spots. The last would not be
a comfort for your tax preparation clients.

I elected to get an EVDO aircard USB modem from Verizon. It's about
$60/month if you have a Verizon cell account. The modem was $100 or
so... the "free" one doesn't have the features you'll need for use in
an RV (but they're fine for the airport travel crowd). Mine connects
to an external antenna -- a help. I almost always can get online,
though sometimes the connection speed is a bit slow ("national
access" they call it). In most larger cities, you get a true
broadband connection, but in more remote places you only get the
slower national access. I discovered that in Texas there's a fair
number of Verizon dead spots. I'm leaning toward getting a signal
booster amplifier and a larger external antenna. (The claim is these
will connect to a tower as far as 50 miles away.) You can access the
Internet even while in motion so long as you're in range of cell
towers -- great for maps, etc.

The third choice is satellite. The speeds are about the same as the
broadband access EVDO -- and the service is available so long as you
have a view of the southern sky so you can acquire the satellite.
Monthly cost is also about the same as the EVDO card/modem. Unless
you spend lots of $$, you must aim the dish manually -- and aiming
can be twitchy -- but most manage to get the set up down to 10 or 15
minutes. No in-motion service. The 'send' antenna must be aimed quite
precisely, and it doesn't work in motion.

I decided to go with the EVDO due to the much lower equipment cost
with the thought that I'd move to satellite if the EVDO didn't
satisfy me. So far, I'm relatively satisfied with the EVDO.

Neither EVDO nor Satellite have the security issues inherent with
public WiFi connections. Of course, all radio-based Internet
connections are inherently less secure than wired systems and
adequate security for your clients must be maintained.

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
El Sobrante CA
aeonix1@...



On Aug 27, 2007, at 4:44 PM, Don Bradner wrote:
<snip>
>
> As far as working on the road via the internet, that is being done
> by a lot of people these days. Probably more using WiFi and
> AirCards, and staying where those work, than those that use
> satellite, but when you want to go everywhere and still be
> connected it is hard to do without a dish. These days a lot of
> people I know use all three interchangeably, whichever is best
> where they are.
> <snip>
>
> On 8/27/2007 at 6:13 PM Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
>> <snip> This week I completed my continuing
>> education requirments to reactivate my CA CPA certificate which
>> has been
>> on ice since 1992. My idea is to perform tax return preparation,
>> build a
>> client base and perhaps use something like data storm to perform the
>> preparation if on the road.<snip>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Travis Martin]

Permit me to offer a thought on this. I have a Newell and not a BB so
I generally just "lurk" here, but I have recent first-hand experience
setting up mobile internet for my business so thought I'd pipe up.

Have a look at a product by Top Global (topglobalusa.com).....their
model MB8000 is the one I went with. They used to be pretty pricey
but have come down a lot recently.

It is a wifi router that has a card slot for the PCMCIA access card
you're referring to in your number (2) and then makes it available to
your own private network by way of standard 802.11b wifi. It provides
for WEP secure connections so should satisfy your needs there. I'm
sure that NSA could hack it but most casual users will find it
impenetrable. It also has a standard ethernet connector if you want
to hardwire your bigger stuff like a desktop computer or printer for
example.

I bought mine from a seller on eBay who didn't supply a manual (but
it was cheap!) so I had to do a lot of research to get it going...now
I should be able to help if anyone gets one and has problems.

I am quite pleased with it. I can flip open my laptop and be
connected within one or two seconds. Most modern laptops have built
in wifi so there is nothing sticking out and no wires. The AirCards
will work in one laptop without the router, but you can't share the
connection plus it sticks out from the laptop and may not work well
in certain locations. My biggest gripe using the AirCard in the
laptop was that everytime I opened the laptop to use it I had to
wait 30 to 45 seconds for it to connect...with the router, it stays
connected so I can use it almost instantly. I mounted the router out
of the way and installed external antennas for the wifi and the
AirCard so I always have good service with no hardware showing.

Look into it; it should work for you except in remote locations.
Pretty much anywhere you have cell service, you should have internet.

Travis



On Aug 27, 2007, at 7:26 PM, Pete Masterson wrote:

> I, too, need to work on the road with good Internet access.
> Essentially, the three ways to get online are (1) WiFi, (2) Aircard
> (EVDO is the better system, used by Verizon and Sprint), (3)
> Satellite.
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Mike McMahan]

Leroy, I have owned Jeeps since about 1987, CJ-7s, Cherokees, Grand
Cherokees and Four or five Wranglers. My grand Cherokee was a really
nice car, probably only one not towed behind an rv but I have no
reason to think it would not be as good as the others. Over the
years I have used every contraption known to man to tow a vehicle
from a chain, tow strap to an enclosed trailer. Towing my Jeeps with
a tow bar is the easiest way to take a vehicle with you. My Cherokee
was sold with 192000 miles on it and the girl who bought it was still
driving it the other day. I think you will be happy with this
setup. I do not even use the expensive tow bar setup(too much of a
PITA) but I don't know what is available for a Grand Cherokee.

Barbara and I (no children of our own) raised my niece from when she
was 10 until she got out of school. I admire anyone who can take on
the responsibility of raising three. Hopefully we will see you guys
this year. We are talking about going down to the Keys for New Years
this year instead of South Padre. Maybe we will see you. Mike &
Barbara McMahan 89PT40


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Leroy Eckert"
wrote:
>
> Don,
> I am in a very unique and complicated situation in that I have
given the responsibility of rearing my 3 beautiful Step-Grandchildren
from three different fathers at going on 65. Perhaps you can put that
together in some format. We have permanent custody. I have not so
respectfully advised the non-child support paying familes where to
stick it. The children are 10 months, 5 years and 9 years. I did not
plan on that so significant adjustment are needed. I have been
draging a trailer around with my wife's 92 Z-28 Camero Convertible
25th Anniversary Edition on it but that is a PIA, and where ya gonna
put 5 folks in that thing. It is a collector car with 33,000 original
miles. Gonna sell it on ebay.
> So, I am looking at 2000-2001-2002 Grand Cherokee's used because I
know hauling the kids around will use the vehicle up over time. As
well, I am trying to teach the children the benefits of RVing so that
when they grow up perhaps one of them can haul me around, if I live
long enough. For the last 10 years I have been jacking around in the
tile and stone business just because I enjoy the business. This week
I completed my continuing education requirments to reactivate my CA
CPA certificate which has been on ice since 1992. My idea is to
perform tax return preparation, build a client base and perhaps use
something like data storm to perform the preparation if on the road.
I have yet to conclude if that will work. We will see. If not, I will
open an office and do it somewhere.
> Thanks for the help, it appears that Jeep Cherokee's for the most
part are towable, if there is an N in the transfer case shifter.
> This post is not all BB stuff, but I learned long ago good advise
requires facts. Otherwise, it's a problem.
> Leroy Eckert
> 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> Niceville, FL
> Royale Conversion
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Don Bradner
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 4:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Toads
>
>
> Which of the jeeps are you considering?
>
> We towed a Hyundai Santa Fe (Front-wheel drive 5-speed) for 4
years, but about 2 years ago we got into geocaching, so 4-WD became
somewhat important. Both my wife and I like the overall look of a
Wrangler, but it had some negatives for us. First was space inside -
got to fit the Golden Retriever and whatever we need to bring back
from shopping, at a minimum, and more is better. Second was on-road
ride, which my wife found harsh for her not-so-great back. On the
first one we considered one of the new 4-doors, but I think that
ruins the visual appeal of a jeep, and the ride wasn't any better.
>
> We settled on an '07 Liberty, bought last December once I knew
what color the Bird would be Been pretty happy with it, except we
had an intermittent shudder that took a long time to pin down.
Finally the dealer came up with a TSB that said it could be the
torque converter, and once they changed that out it was fine.
>
> We have a Limited with Selectrac, so there's full-time 4WD as
well as part-time, in an automatic. Stick the transfer case in
Neutral and the transmission in Park and tow it away away. I haven't
tried to remove the steering wheel lock, so I have to have a key in
the unlocked position, but there doesn't appear to be any power draw
to speak of in that position. I had a key made that does not have the
security lockout, so it can be used to turn the key on but not start
the vehicle.
>
> Don Bradner
> 90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
> Eureka, CA
>
> On 8/27/2007 at 3:13 PM Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
> >Thanks to all that replied. I'm giving some thought to selling
the
> >trailer and going to a toad.
> >Leroy Eckert
> >1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> >Niceville, FL
> >Royale Conversion
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Leroy Eckert]

Don, Ernie, Travis(with Newell) Mike and Pete. Hope I didn't miss anyone.
Thanks for the input. I would like to talk about this more off line of course.
For now, I appreciate the input and will move forward. As usual the Forum is a
great resource for knowledge, not just BB stuff. Wireless, whether it be WiFi of
Satellite may be iffy for what I would like to do because of confidentiality
requirements between a CPA and the client.
Mike. Key West is great in the Winter. If you folks go that way be sure to stop
in a Sunset King Lake Resort, DeFuniak Spring, FL on the way. It is 3 miles N of
I-10. It is a 5 star family resort. When in Key West be sure to visit the Hogs
Breath Saloon," Hogs Breath is Better than no Breath at All". The Founder, a
friend of mine is now gone but the widow is carrying on. It is a great place to
have fun .
Regarding the rest of the story on page two, Ernie, it was said in the Military
many times, "get your $%$* together, if you cannot pick it up push forward and
keep it in front of you. lol. Thanks again for the help. Back to BB's
I would appreciate input for wireless communication at jwasnewski@.... when
anyone has time.
And Don, I have my password somewhere for Datastormusers.com somewhere. I think
it is in my maintence folder. Over and out.
Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL
----- Original Message -----
From: Don Bradner
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 6:44 PM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Toads


Wow! I agree you need something different than that Camaro. A Grand Cherokee
should be an excellent choice, and probably the best of the jeep family for the
job.

As far as working on the road via the internet, that is being done by a lot of
people these days. Probably more using WiFi and AirCards, and staying where
those work, than those that use satellite, but when you want to go everywhere
and still be connected it is hard to do without a dish. These days a lot of
people I know use all three interchangeably, whichever is best where they are.

If you haven't already browsed the datastormusers.com forums you might want to
do so, to get an idea of what people are doing.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

On 8/27/2007 at 6:13 PM Leroy Eckert wrote:

>Don,
>I am in a very unique and complicated situation in that I have given the
>responsibility of rearing my 3 beautiful Step-Grandchildren from three
>different fathers at going on 65. Perhaps you can put that together in
>some format. We have permanent custody. I have not so respectfully
>advised the non-child support paying familes where to stick it. The
>children are 10 months, 5 years and 9 years. I did not plan on that so
>significant adjustment are needed. I have been draging a trailer around
>with my wife's 92 Z-28 Camero Convertible 25th Anniversary Edition on it
>but that is a PIA, and where ya gonna put 5 folks in that thing. It is a
>collector car with 33,000 original miles. Gonna sell it on ebay.
>So, I am looking at 2000-2001-2002 Grand Cherokee's used because I know
>hauling the kids around will use the vehicle up over time. As well, I am
>trying to teach the children the benefits of RVing so that when they grow
>up perhaps one of them can haul me around, if I live long enough. For the
>last 10 years I have been jacking around in the tile and stone business
>just because I enjoy the business. This week I completed my continuing
>education requirments to reactivate my CA CPA certificate which has been
>on ice since 1992. My idea is to perform tax return preparation, build a
>client base and perhaps use something like data storm to perform the
>preparation if on the road. I have yet to conclude if that will work. We
>will see. If not, I will open an office and do it somewhere.
>Thanks for the help, it appears that Jeep Cherokee's for the most part are
>towable, if there is an N in the transfer case shifter.
>This post is not all BB stuff, but I learned long ago good advise requires
>facts. Otherwise, it's a problem.
>Leroy Eckert
>1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>Niceville, FL
>Royale Conversion





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Don Bradner]

As far as security goes, satellite is one of the most secure that exists, during
the satellite transmission portion. Of course it comes back to ground and goes
out on the public internet where it is the same security as any wired
connection, ranging from insecure to very secure, depending on protocol. Next
generation satellite (bird launched August 14th) will allow companies to have
office-to-office direct satellite without a ground component, and companies are
reportedly lined up for that one purely for security reasons. Not likely to be
much used that way for mobile users.

That does not mean that security of WiFi is a big issue for people working with
sensitive material, even though WiFi itself is the least secure carrier. Put SSL
encryption on at the client computer and it remains essentially unbreakable no
matter what the carrier is, all the way to the receiving https server. Corporate
users are often required to use VPN tunnelling, which provides equal protection,
even when using a WiFi in a coffee shop.

On 8/27/2007 at 10:24 PM Leroy Eckert wrote:

>Don, Ernie, Travis(with Newell) Mike and Pete. Hope I didn't miss anyone.
>Thanks for the input. I would like to talk about this more off line of
>course. For now, I appreciate the input and will move forward. As usual
>the Forum is a great resource for knowledge, not just BB stuff. Wireless,
>whether it be WiFi of Satellite may be iffy for what I would like to do
>because of confidentiality requirements between a CPA and the client.
>Mike. Key West is great in the Winter. If you folks go that way be sure to
>stop in a Sunset King Lake Resort, DeFuniak Spring, FL on the way. It is 3
>miles N of I-10. It is a 5 star family resort. When in Key West be sure to
>visit the Hogs Breath Saloon," Hogs Breath is Better than no Breath at
>All". The Founder, a friend of mine is now gone but the widow is carrying
>on. It is a great place to have fun .
>Regarding the rest of the story on page two, Ernie, it was said in the
>Military many times, "get your $%$* together, if you cannot pick it up
>push forward and keep it in front of you. lol. Thanks again for the help.
>Back to BB's
>I would appreciate input for wireless communication at jwasnewski@....
>when anyone has time.
>And Don, I have my password somewhere for Datastormusers.com somewhere. I
>think it is in my maintence folder. Over and out.
>Leroy Eckert
>1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>Niceville, FL

[Pete Masterson]

Check out Wilson Electronics at
<http://www.wilsonelectronics.com/>. They make a number of antennas
and cell phone amplifiers and have referrals to local dealers or
online sources for their products.

I haven't selected one for myself, yet. My EVDO USB/modem was
purchased with a small, 6-inch tall, magnetic base external antenna
from Verizon. When reception inside the coach wasn't as strong as I'd
like, I'd just open the nearest window and stick it to the side of
the coach and push it up as far as I could -- that was usually
effective.

I met one fifth-wheel user who preferred an antenna/amplifier from
"digital something or other" -- but I didn't get the name clear
enough for me to sort out exactly who she was referring to...

However, you may want to try the 'stock' system first before
investing in something more potent. Because of the 'holes' in Texas
coverage, I think I'll get an amplifier/antenna combination before
returning there ... but you may not have any problems in other
locations.

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
El Sobrante CA
aeonix1@...



On Aug 27, 2007, at 8:11 PM, dspithaler@... wrote:

>
>
> Pete: If you find a good antenna post it because I'm going with
> the Verizon
> USB and heading to AZ this winter
> Don
> 89 SP 36'
> Butler, PA



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]