Zero Knievel

Darn right, I do. My B3000 has jump seats. Only intended for rare use. Not spacious or comfortable, but it's also an extended cab, so it's not sized to fit anything more than a small child behind the front seats. They market these "Crew Cab" designs as if you get the same rear space as a typical compact car...but it's complete hit or miss as to if you could comfortably put normal sized adults back there for a long trip. Maybe they are making the rear seats too big so that you have minimal leg room. Maybe they're making the cab only as big as needed to technically say it seats 3 people in the back row. Keep in mind I have dogs, so you want them to be comfortable sitting in the back row. Also keep in mind that I take YEARS to pick a vehicle. I wanted the RS for about 3 years before I went and bought one. I was looking at replacements for the B3000 (for a daily driver) for a couple of years before deciding on the Prius...and I passed on the 2012 year because it just didn't click for me.

Rarely, but if you’re going to make a 4-door pickup truck, the rear seat should at least be comparable to a compact car.

I'll pass. Not looking to buy right now...considering options. I'd also have to check one out in person to see if I like it or not.

I'd like to get down to one vehicle rather than have two in the garage. I love the Prius, but I'd accept less MPG to have the capacity to tow and also gain a free bay in the garage. It took some shopping around, but this might fit the bill, and I'd like thoughts on what anyone knows of this make and model. So far, my research indicates it's a solid product. It took some math to calculate the towing limits of my B3000 (2,750 lbs. based on rear differential and the math in the owner's manual). This only will tow 1,750 lbs., but a utility trailer is 500 lbs. That leaves 1,250 of load (enough for two motorcycles on a trailer). At worst, I'm sacrificing 1,000 lbs of towing capacity...which I likely will never need. I looked at the Tacoma (similar to what I have), Rav4, Highlander and Tundra. The Tundra is crazy expensive, and IMHO, too big with lousy MPG. The new Highlander is about as big as a Tundra. It has better towing capacity, but almost $50K for the version that gets 35 mpg. Tacoma has essentially no back seat room...even on the Double Cab. It's fine for more cargo, but not for people to be somewhat comfortable. The Rav4 actually is slightly smaller than the older Highlanders. So, it's as roomy as my mom's 2005 Highlander with maybe a tad less cargo space (37.5 cu. ft. vs. 39.7 cu. ft.). Price wise, this costs about the same as a Tacoma with the options I want. 2025 Rav4 w_options.pdf

First see if the needed parts can disassembled. If the top part comes off, you could find a replacement jack and just replace it's top part.

Okay, not an expert on what’s currently out there, but when I had a similar situation, external video cards were limited. In my case, I wanted a double monitor setup on a cheap office Dell that has a PSU too small to support a card with dual monitor capability. There was an external USB unit that did the job, but I regulated it to the more “static” display of the two. The GPU slot is next to the CPU to minimize lag in data transfer. So, unless an external unit plugs into the GPU slot inside the case, it likely won’t outperform an internal graphic card.

He probably doesn’t use them and won’t now that he has a whole house generator. I keep mine because I have corded yard tools that need to be near a power source.

If they came from a retail store, yes. Maybe if you bought them in bulk….

Sounds about right. Don't know if mine came with free shipping or not...but businesses get better rates.

Yeah, but so long as the instructions let you know....

It’s a recent thing to prevent poor wiring. Every switch or outlet I’ve bought of late has different colors for hot, neutral and ground. The instructions tell you which one is which. Smart move. Easier than using a marking on the back you can barely read to tell you which terminal is which.

I had a Pro-Oiler. Never minded the mess. First, if there's a lot of oil, you may have it set to oil too frequently, but I found that spray on lubes themselves would fling off, so I had to clean chain and wheels regularly anyhow. I suppose it was easier with the black rims...not as noticable.

The difference is that everything you buy in the store is harvested before it's fully "ripe" (for lack of a better term). What you grow in the garden is picked when it's ready.

Never if Big Pharma has anything to say about it.

Try telling that to mom. 😜 I wouldn’t mind closing in the floor in the basement area, but there are things to do before that is an option. We also need the driveway serviced…and that’s a higher priority. I have to budget the costs of things. It’s not like I have a pot of money to pay for things.

Fiberglass batting is the standard for floors, ceilings and walls. In invariably holds dust, can foster mold, sheds fibers. Maybe not right away, but inevitably. Especially if you have allergy issues. You don’t want exposed fiber material. It’s also an eyesore. Insulation panels aren’t as effective but can come in handy for small projects.

Now for the abuse. Mom complains that it's too cold because the basement perimeter was never insulated/finished. This is just an issue during winter, and I don't think it's worth the $$$ for the few months one even would notice. So you can picture this, our basement/garage (lower level) is "underground" on three sides (the side with garage doors is open to the air). From the where the ground ends (just below the basement windows) to the upper level, the only insulation is the brick face on the outside wall and material of the walls themselves. Arguably, where the cinder block ends and the upper level begins (the floor joists) is where there is the least thickness of material (just plywood and Tyvek). We never got around to finishing the basement. Mom wants to at least insulate the perimeter, but I do not want any exposed insulation because it WILL invariably pose issues with air quality and make doing anything in the basement problematic. Even the "allergy friendly" insulations are just LESS allergenic...not allergy-free. Pictures will follow, but I can't find any insulation that is sealed by itself. It would still need to be "finished" to seal it in so it doesn't affect air quality. I don't know if any such product exists. One guy suggested spray on insulation for mom's needs, but again, I don't want exposed insulation. At the very least, it will be an eyesore. Doing the whole basement would eliminate the issue, but that's a larger project, and I would need to see that electrical (additional outlets and put basement and garage on separate circuits) and plumbing projects (replace all emergency cutoffs with better models as the ones we went with are crap) are completed first so done first so when the ceiling is put in place, it's done.

Well, thanks to the Oracle that is YouTube, I saw how easy it was to disassemble the unit without having to pull whole housing out of the ceiling. I’ve spent over an hour cleaning all the dusted crud out of all the parts. The next step is to reassemble it and see if it runs better than it did beforehand

That may be a problem. I see replacements for the exhaust fan but not the heater fan. After 30 years, I suppose the, motor is weakening…although you’d think the exhaust fan would wear out first.

We installed NuTone Heat-A-Ventlite in both bathrooms (QT-9093). They are starting to show their age. I thought of just replacing them, but I can’t tell if the model is completely discontinued. AliExpress has them, but I don’t know if that’s a reputable source. What we currently have. If I must go with something else, a comparable unit with the hole already in the ceiling would work best. The ceiling-side calls for a 14” diameter hole. Not sure how to search for a replacement one. The existing model has exhaust fan, forced air head, light and night light functions. I was hoping this model was still kicking around so rewireing would not be needed.

Hmmm. This could solve everything if I only care about the lights coming on and turning off with the truck. https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Motorcycle-Automotive-Circuits-Terminal/dp/B0BM9WFJKL/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=21IH4CX800TFC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wfxNZSFh-D-aymq1qF9AOT_aDpxu48pzDqk8Bk1d6AY.dcOfjabBZhRPuWfcJntW__iTtkhIuu457pSphbYKM2I&dib_tag=se&keywords=fuzeblock+fz-1&qid=1735828524&sprefix=Fuzeblock+fz%2Caps%2C916&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Someone posted this on a Ford forum. Odd bit is that the parts list call for 15A fuses but the diagram says 30A. Oversight?

And it’s entirely possible to pull the key and walk away before realizing it. There’s no auto off for lamps after shutting off the motor. As it stands, I run the lights when trailering for added visibility, but I’d prefer something more noticeable along the lines of a young woman working her way through college by demonstrating she has daddy issues.

I like the added safety of DRLs. I’d like to instal a DRL kit to the ‘98 Mazda pickup, but when I try searching, I find bulbs but not entire kits. I’d figure someone makes a kit with the relays needed so you just wire it in and it comes on when the engine is running (or at least when the car is on). Any suggestions?

Buy welding equipment and start making miniatures to sell at craft fairs.