radin2son

Dealership name? Add it to the positive service experience thread, even though it took forever to resolve this. It seems service is dependent on the competency of the service manager. Hope he stays put, or if service managers move around a lot follow him.

It's funny, but the '30s red "jammers," touring buses, are 25' long. (Yellowstone has yellow and black jammers, as in gear jammers.) I doubt Glacier monitors restrictions... A good campground in Grand Teton NP is Signal Mountain. From the campground there is a nice hike to the summit. Black bears in the area but we didn't see any. Bear spray? A volunteer at a cash register in one of shops/visitor centers in Yellowstone had a bear spray canister on his belt. The guy in front of me asked, "See many bears in here?" This will be the first time for us at Glacier.

This is not the most efficient forum for searches, compounded by our tendency to morph original posts. Running rails, racks and av posts are here, but not in accessories and modifications topic. You will have to surf each topic title, but you should be able to find what you want.

It will depend on the ranger or volunteer. After Labor Day, it might not be monitored at Glacier on weekdays. I would start out with the mirrors extended, then fold them in. We may end up folding them in when we encounter on coming traffic. Full size pickups will have the same problem. Edit: Looked at some Glacier NP videos, and I don't think there will be any problem driving this. Their shuttle is a high top Sprinter, albeit narrower than a NV. Also saw a new Transit, that looked like an extended bed. There is a tunnel in Glacier but it looks like a lane and a half, so honk or yield. Maybe not honk, because there is a sidewalk. Most people enter Glacier from the west (35+ miles to Logan Pass, while the east entrance is about 18 miles to Logan Pass). Unfortunately there is road construction... Looked at the average temps. Should be 38 to 66* in September, or it could be 18 to 95*. Normally a good chance for rain. Welcome to the west if you haven't been... When we see "No RVs" signs we ignore them because we are a van. No one has questioned this. We do pay attention to length limits in case there are no or tight turnarounds etc. Zion will be monitored and folding in mirrors will not work, but when allowed and you pay the $35 fee, or whatever it is, you will be fine. '30s roads are picturesque but not build for NVs.

We were looking at the Glacier NP web site and found that there are vehicle restrictions On Going to the Sun, as in 21' long, 10' high and 8' wide including mirrors. Our tow mirrors make it 8'6". Unless someone is measuring vehicles this shouldn't be a problem. Just don't hang anything on the front or back... Another vehicle restriction to watch out: Zion NP has a tunnel at the east entrance and they do monitor vehicles. NVs are too wide. There are certain times of the year where an escort vehicle will take you through the tunnel for a fee. They stop traffic and it becomes 1 way. You have to use the west entrance to enter and leave, which adds a long detour to get to Bryce NP or the reverse if coming from Bryce. Nice roads, however... You are right about not seeing many NV camper conversions. We saw one just like ours in Grand Tetons NP a year ago and a home build at a campground near White Sands NM this past April. A park ranger in NC looked at ours, said he had never seen such a thing and decided it definitely was west coast. We have a lot of educating to do...

Last fall we met a couple towing a brand new 16' Airstream Bambi Sport with a 4x4 Nissan Frontier.it was a nice set up, but didn't offer much more room than our SMB. We see very few Airstreams probably due $$$$. We looked at at couple of videos of Airstream walk throughs, 16-27'+ and one said 3k and the other 3-5k. Assuming $$$$ or after market gets you quality bearings, your experience says repack bearings when they need it or if you are conservative, new owner, do it when you get home from a 5k+ trip.

We will be watching the weather to see if we should leave just before or after Labor Day. Even in good weather, it looks like things shut down around mid-September. Maybe whitebread250 can give us some tips... We also want to see Mount Rainier and North Cascades, both missed 2 years ago when returning from AK. A return to the Olympic Peninsula is also planned. At this point, we are just beginning to think this through. Meeting somewhere in the area could be work. Have you previously been to the areas you plan to visit? Bought a road map for Mexico. This is a trip that will take some planing... rad

I had no idea what a NVP MSRP was, so I checked "build your own" on Nissan. I couldn't pull up a tow package, so I'm not sure if this is standard on the SV V8. If it is included, the price you were quoted is not much less than MSRP. This isn't necessarily a bad deal if dealers can sell every NVP they can get their hands on in your area. Without going back to the site, it looks like there may be a $500 cash back offer in effect. This would cover the $300 dealer fee if that isn't negotiable. You also may want to PM Chris at Scott Clark Nissan and Capital Nissan; both post here from NC. Buying out of state adds a few steps and costs, but if the deal is right, go for it. Our experience is that Nissan service departments don't care where you bought your NV. Speaking of service, I would avoid quick oil change businesses and doing your own and only use Nissan to keep records easy to access and accountability easier to prove if there ever was a major problem. Think reliability and you will be fine. If NVP owners who tow similar trailers don't respond regarding the extended warranty, PM them. At worst, you will find out that some do and some don't... You can also find out the frequency for service. (I had no idea that TTs need wheel bearings repacked every 3 to 5k. Where do you get that done?)

I mainly use the mobile version, which doesn't enable reporting spam. It is easy enough to switch to the "full version."

When I look for NV camper blogs etc, Google inevitably brings up Nevada. Pair this with "lounge" and you get a Russian with disco fever!

Curious, Where and how do you secure the bed pad/panel/platform when you have your bike in there? Did you considermaking the platform in several pieces rather than one? We will be going to Glacier in the fall and hope "Going to the Sun" road will still be open. Mid-September is the typical cut off date. Last June, it was still closed due to a snow storm. I saw a short video of 2 cyclists riding it. Absolutely breath taking!

I've used edmunds.com and motortrend.com in the past. They should give you invoice for the van and invoice for each available option. You can play around with this to price your van/options. You should be able to do better than the average price paid, but probably not by much for a NVP. Check them as well regarding service plans. I personally trust the reliability of NVs more than dealer offered service warranties if that is what you were offered.

Have you used any of the pricing tools that give the average price paid for the same vehicle in your area plus any incentive programs for buyers or the dealer? These can be helpful, plus you can check other areas near you. The 100k warranty should protect you as long as you stay on top of any issues and document everything with Nissan. It is a pretty tough truck! Regarding the service contract, you have to make sure it covers any and all work done at dealers while away from home. Also check to see if there are any restrictions on towing. Otherwise, I would save the $4k for travel. Regular, dealer service has not been that expensive at home and on the road. We have shown up with and without calling and received great service. The warranty road service will get you towed to a NV dealer no matter where you are. (Has anyone tested this from the middle of nowhere?) the regular warranty will cover fixing whatever mechanical got you towed. What is expensive is fixing things you break, parking sensors for one or bashing a rear bumper even with the sensors. I've done both. Replaced the sensor and fixed, not replaced, the bumper at my expense while under warranty.

Based on your plans, you don't need solar. You have your lighting covered as well as starting your van if you run the battery down. Regarding solar, I meant the small solar chargers for phones, cameras and string lights that are available for backpackers and anyone else away from a power source for long periods. Can't see adding this weight and bulk to a pack, but there is a small solar lantern/flashlight that sort of makes sense. We mainly look at this stuff to see if it can be adapted for something else. Usually not... Came across a neat lantern idea that uses a headlamp and clear, full water bottle. Wrap the lamp, shining in, around the end of the water bottle, hang it and the water disperses the light.

You will need the NV window visors to keep the rain out and the windows slightly open. Also, skeeterbeaters will scream "camping" if you try stealth camping with these in place.

Except for MN and most of IL, this is a familiar travel grouping of states. Lots to see and do... If your budget can handle this and you are interested in dual functionality, think "backpacking and base camp" and look at folding tables, chairs, solar charger for LED lighting, multi-burner stove etc from REI or whatever store you like. You will want to able to spent time outside of your van, which will get very cramped as the weeks go by.

Skeeterbeaters work well except when windy and can blow off; you can adjust the window on the windward side to prevent this. Reasonable $. CR Laurence makes awning side windows that also work well; quiet when driving. Expensive. Look for a 12v plugin, clipon fan that can move the air around. We have one, never used, so I don't know how annoyingly loud it might be. Cheap.

Chris, maybe you can convince John E to pick up the GT-R that was in your showroom. It would look great on his car trailer, as well as on the road and track. John, post a photo of your NV and 356.

A thermometer might measure a difference when parked in the sun, but you wouldn't. Same for driving, but your AC may work better when recirculating cabin air. I think the white roofed Flex is Ford's idea of style not thermo dynamics. If I were going to do it, I would have an auto paint shop paint it, not attempt it yourself or use a commercial roof coating. It would kill the resale value if not done right. Speaking of resale value, we saw an old Dodge camper van that had bed liner paint up to the door handles all around, then painted tan. This was toughness over style and resale. Don't remember if it had a white roof...

They won't email you, but may call if you asked for phone confirmation. It will take 2 weeks to the day to get your check. Curious about what you think of the 2015 card and how it compares with your 2012 card. Ours is a 2011 version... Maybe next year. Any progress getting your NV in for diagnostics?

How does a 100 gallon tank capacity sound? A 4x4 NV in AK has this. Can't imagine the cost of filling this, plus it weighs 800+#.

I met someone with a NV 2500 who put in slider windows he purchased from a "pod" trailer manufacturer. His choice was based on price. You may want to call manufactures or look a TTs on lots. Another option is to look at European NV conversions. The new VW California, not bound for the US, appears to have large side slider windows. There also are 2 posts on this site that relate to NV camper conversions. You can PM them to get more info.

I received a survey questionnaire from Nissan Consumer Affairs based on my "question or concern." It is car based, of course, so many survey questions do not relate to commercial use. The car based side of consumer affairs actually is quite good. Unfortunately, you will be transferred to the commercial site once they realize you own an NV. Actually, they will attempt to transfer you... No one or the message machine will pick up on the other end. RICK, you will in 50 words or less be able express yourself...

True, but NVs are also discounted. NVPs are a better value even when you add 4x4. Armada was never on our radar. In January, we met a couple who had a brand new Armada and were camping in it; sleeping in the back and cooking etc. out side. It was a great vehicle to explore the area. When TT did a long term test report, I was mainly interested in mpg. The last test pointed out it "was not a truck." With NVs it is all about being a truck, function and space, no matter what the intended use.

Ask as often as needed. Our van is mostly empty right now so if you need pictures (interior, plumbing, electrical etc,) let me know. Some earlier posts may answer questions as well. Jon Nelson is doing a 4x4 build, but he mainly posts on expeditionportal.com. You can PM him on the NV forum. Both lower sections open out. If I understand you correctly, you have rear door and sliding door glass. Driver's side? The upper window would give you a view when stading up. With the pop top, we have 5 screened windows counting the front canvas that covers the front screen. Great ventilation and view when standing up. Yes, we have a bed there. If you can fit your finger under the vent visors and there is a quarter size of exposed metal, the magnets will work. Skreenz are like a pillow case, so they may fit over the visor. Don't know if he ever got around to making a template or if he resumed making side door screens. Call both... I think both are in NC. Skeeterbeater sells screen material and magnets so you can make your own side screen. It is wide enough to fit the width of the side door and sold by the yard. Still have oem tires. Think I covered it...