We work hard! We play hard! And, this is us now . . . It’s about keeping the eight fingers and two thumbs we were each born with while undertaking our latest property rehab project. It’s about building and renovating using wood from our own logs, sawn with our own mill, while maintaining, everything from fence lines to feeding stations, animal shelters, shallow wells, and everything else. This is where you’ll hear about our adventures with everything from chainsaws to nail guns. Its about what works and what doesn't with GRK screws, or how to put a track back on a mini-excavator, do a bridge rebuild, and why we prefer truck and camper over a motorhome or travel trailer. If you want front-row seats to the show as we dig ourselves a succession of holes, fall into them, and then tunnel our way out - stay tuned! Here's with heartfelt thanks and appreciation for being part of our journey! Howard & Coral of 82 Maple at Kettner Creek Farm.
You are correct. She asked all the right questions and came back with a saw so that we didn’t miss a beat in the new deck construct. She knows how to motivate my inner carpenter. Hahaha
Howdy Howard. Great video, I'm pleased to see your Digger Driver Extraordinaire also excels on the John Deere, amazing skills. Does she just keep you around to do the commentary? Was Kenton speaking about the strawberry bed or you when he said, and I quote, "Looking really good on a really low budget? Just wondering. I learn something from every one of your videos like now I know where bacon comes from. I always thought it comes from the supermarket. Wow! Watch 82 Maple and learn stuff. Keep em coming bro, (and sis).
You've definitely figured us out. Coral has so much energy that it's all I can do to hang onto the camera and follow her around all day. And definitely "looks good on a really low budget". Pigs - how did we get such a magical animal. Ham, pork & bacon - all from one animal! Crazy. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7BZDZyRaGa8.html Here's hoping that your October is terrific!
Oh wow! That does not sound good! Definitely something serious going on there. Have not heard of that before. Now you've got me very curious. Would love to hear what the final diagnosis and fix is . . .
Hey Howard, is there any reason you went with Milwaukee rather than Dewalt? I went with Dewalt and I don’t know why now. I’m just wondering if I’m looking at the grass is always greener type of situation here.
I can't take credit. One of my sons tracks this sort of thing more closely than I do and felt that Milwaukee had a bigger vision than just power tools. And he turned out to be right. I now have the Milwaukee mower, weed eater, etc. - which means everything I have in terms of yard maintenance and power tools are all on the same charging system. Only items outside of that are my Stihl electric chainsaws. I couldn't wait for Milwaukee on that. haha I always appreciate your questions and observations.
there ought to be a way of using your camper jack to lift those probane tanks for you. Something that wouldn't take a lot of gear or use something you already keep with you.
I'm ok lifting them at this stage of my life, but not all buyers/users (including my wife) would be. Fortunately, folks at propane refuelling outlets are always willing to live a hand - and typically I put two full tanks onboard before loading the camper. The reduced height makes a huge difference as you might imagine. Thanks for tuning in!
super dargestellt :) ich dachte zuerst ich benötige den creator Mount, aber geht wohl auch so via USB-C. Schöne Grüße aus Deutschland. (ich sehe dein Familienname ist auch deutsch )
Thank you for tuning in! You are correct. Family origins - both mother and father's side of the family are German. Sadly I never learned to speak the language. Somewhere on the channel there is a video about Coral's and my trip to watch the NFL game in Munich a couple of years ago. We spent 3 weeks touring the area and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. All the very best.
@@howardkettner I thank you sir :) nice to hear. but German is also very complicated and not that usefull in these days :) oh that sound great, I live in Munich and I think its one of the best areas here in this country. wish you all the best sir :)
Instead of a big estate to divide I decided to spend my savings on a new truck and truck camper and hit the road with my dog. My children seldom came to visit at a permanent residence anyway. Now they won’t know where to visit.
God some of these john deere zero turns are the stupidest designed mowers ive ever seen. Same with the tractors. I had one that need new cables. Had to disassemble 3/4 of the zero turn and lift up the tank battery tray to get to a bracket blocked by the frame rail. Or the tractors that need to be 3/4 disassembled to change the drive belt. Ill keep my 98 445. They used to make nice products. Now your spending 15000 to get a decent garden tractor.
I hear you. Tractors, autos, none seem to be repair friendly. Everything jammed so tightly together - for what purpose. Manufacturers will only wake up when we vote with our wallets and make better buying decisions.
Thank you in advance. We've got a lot of trees down due to helene. Can I cut my trees into cants, stack and saw later? Swamped with trees but don't want to lose them!
Not sure what wood exactly in those fallen trees but rather than cutting the trees into cants, what I would do is just cut them to length and saw later. Every time I've cut green wood into cants, I've had to recut it because as it dries it will bend or twist - and even a modest bend or twist needs to be corrected (with re-sawing). I cut my wood generally into 16'6" lengths, so that I can get a 16' or two 8' pieces. When you deck the logs just remember to paint the ends with a sealant. There are some pricey ones out there, but I just buy the cheapest latex I can find and paint the log ends at least once a year to keep the ends from "checking" (which renders the ends useless for construction). I've stored logs for >4 years before cutting. PS - just remember to also make sure you have deck logs at 90-degrees underneath your log pile so that none of your future saw logs are in contact with the ground. Hope this helps.
Howard, thank you for these videos. I'm working on purchasing a new AF and trying to decide on the model 1150 or 1140. The problem is that I can't find either in the Salt Lake City, Utah area to physically look at. What are you using to haul it with? What's your payload numbers? Have you weighed it?
Ahhhh - sorry to hear that there are no 1140's or 1150's for you to view in person. We haul with a Ford F350. I'd personally go F450 if I was doing it again. The stock F350 had a bit of roll when cornering. Had to beef up the springs and torsion bars - something I'd not have needed to do with an F450. And the F450 has a tighter turning radius I believe. Technically, the stock F450 has slightly less payload, but by the time I modified wheels and suspension mine now weighs the same as an F450 empty. The gross weight with food, gear, some propane, etc is definitely pretty much at the limit (14,000 lbs). I weight the unit on the inaugural trip every season. What helps keep the weight within an acceptable limit is that we put any heavy items (packsacks, extra supplies etc.) in the little jeep that we tow. Hope this helps. All the best in your quest for an AF you can view in person. Thanks for tuning in.
What would happen if you didn’t ease into drive but just started forward like you normally would on flat land? (note, I say normally with zero experience… I just bought a new Miva VA15 1.65 US Ton (1500kg) at auction and pick it up next week)… Almost hate to tell you that I got it an a package of 9 attachments, including a quick change, as wellness as a hydraulic thumb for $4800 US including all auction fees and taxes. Will cost me about $130 in diesel to pick it up and bring it home so just under $5000 “out the door”.
Wow! You got a sweet, sweet deal. Congratulations! Nicely done. On your question, I did try that and it just had zero holdback. The drive motor replacement (see subsequent video) cured that completely. Thanks for tuning in.
@@howardkettner Thanks for responding to a comment on an old video, but just to clarify, if you start stopped on a flat area and then move forward before going downhill but maintain the forward drive down the slope without pausing on the slope does the holdback issue apply?
@@inmyimage1081 you’re most welcome! Yes - the holdback will work to a point but then goes into total release at a point that the slope steepens to something like 8% or 10%. However the new drive motors are rock solid under any conditions.
@@howardkettner Good to know. I found a FB group for owners chinese excavators and skid steers and people with my particular machine say they’ve never experienced this so hopefully it won’t be a problem but I’ll have to be super cautious the first time I try going down my private road back to my property because it has a fairly steep hill. Will just move it up and down with my trailer until I get quite a bit of seat time though so my instincts can kick in if there are problems.
@@howardkettner Excellent, thank you! Are there any part numbers stamped on the valve block on top of the motor? I wonder if that block was added onto the motor itself.
@@Dustball460 It would appear that the block was added to the motor itself - and therefore we might speculate that it is the block that contains the magic that provides the holdback feature for downhill situations. I thoroughly checked the block and could not locate any numbering or other identifying codes or otherwise. Sorry.
It definitely can be - and we've done that several times - however, for whatever reasons, many RV campgrounds now clearly state that taking the camper off the truck and leaving it is strictly forbidden. Apparently it's not a state or federal law - but more likely a condition of that RV parks insurance. One should definitely check a particular RV Park's terms and conditions before booking. Lots of interesting restrictions - two of which we've run across are: - no units over 10 years old, and - no pickup trucks with truckbed campers allowed . . .
To the best of my knowledge that province in which I reside does not permit that. I have seen that done however (multiple units being towed) in some states. Got a photo or two somewhere. However there is a difference between IMO between what is permitted and what is practical. One of the units I seen was a boat behind a travel trailer that had a hitch mounted on the rear bumper. As best I could tell the rear bumper of the travel trailer was not reinforced, and I just don't think those rear bumpers are built for a hitch mount. Thanks for tuning in.
I'm retiring, and being single guy now. You have selected the same model of Arctic Fox as I have after years of research... Your videos are the best in every way... As a Truck Driver with 2M miles... I've seen where a Semi-Truck driver decided to take a long hot shower and eat a long dinner without moving out of the way. He was really surprised when his truck was was hooked up to a Semi-Tow Truck. Being taken away... Hint... If you call the Truck Stop's Fuel Desk they will take immediate action. They get real excited when that sort of thing happens.
Thanks so much for tuning in. Don't hesitate to let me know if any other questions about the Arctic Fox. And - thanks for the tip about calling the Truck Stop's Fuel Desk . . . Good to know!
I just picked up a Chinese Mini skid steer and honestly, couldn't be happier. I can't justify spending over $50,000 on a Bobcat MT100 when I was able to buy a Chinese one that'll do the same job for $4200. "Not a production machine" honestly, I think this is maybe half true. Take a look at Home Depot, they rent out Boxer machines using gas engines (mini skid steers). They're basically the exact same as the Chinese machines you can grab at auction, like, almost identical. Will they be as durable as a Bobcat? Of course not. Are they far easier to repair with generic off the shelf parts? Yep.
All great points - and no 'right to repair' issues. Now you've really got me thinking. Hmmmm - perhaps there is a small Bobcat style machine in my future . . . :)
That's a great idea! So far the latches on the fridge have proven far more effective than other makes of RV that I've had, but sounds like a great precaution. The issue we had was the overhead cabinet doors where we keep our dinner flatware. I have to use a heavy duty rubber/wire twist tie to keep those shut. Thanks for tuning in!
On our 990 arctic fox from 2008. We had to put machine bolts all the way through many of the door hinges on the cabinets. They use a press board covered with vinyl contact paper which they drive. The screws into the screws will eventually come loose
On our 990 arctic fox from 2008. We had to put machine bolts all the way through many of the door hinges on the cabinets. They use a press board covered with vinyl contact paper which they drive. The screws into the screws will eventually come loose
Maybe tension rather than shear is their application. 16 penny nails would probably work. I bought ($110) of FastenMaster stuff today.....They need a proprietary bit to drive them. Can't use Torx. What a joke. Can't even buy the drive bit from HomeDepot. No one makes what the consumer wants. I repeat...No one makes what the consumer wants. NO ONE meets the consumers needs anymore. NO ONE. My dollars will remain in my pocket until this changes.
I would agree with you - likely a tension application rather than shear. You and I have had the same experience. Bought a box of non-GRK screws and had to visit my Snap-on Dealer for a bit. Couldn't readily find it elsewhere. Thanks for tuning in.
Surprised John Deere isnt suing because their techs couldnt come out and use their proprietary software to scan the computer to determine the cause of the problem... you violated their intellectual property 😄 🙄hoping farmers get the relief they need from those predators
It's a 35hp diesel unit, great deck, etc. and very capable of dealing with deep growth areas. Meant to be worked. It does get cleaned at end of day. This occured mid-day. Seems like the tweels are good at picking up rocks (i.e. when crossing gravel roadways) and launching them into spots where they impede good operation. If this becomes an ongoing issue, I can easily make a guard to prevent recurrence. Thanks for tuning in.
Mine is a 2008 model. We now have a leak in the roof somewhere and there is crunchy wood underneath the rubber wondering why they put a material under the rubber that would deteriorate if any moisture got under I understand that it is a aluminum frame with foam the manufacturer should’ve used a material that would not deteriorate in case the roof leaks, give you before you have problems as a comparison we have a 1990 Chinnook, which is built as a big fiberglass unit. No rubber on the roof that will cause problems in the future. Had I known when I bought the Arctic fox I would not have purchased itto sell it to someone that wants to repair the issues such as the plastic and the river roof we are looking for offers. 2008 arctic fox 990 with slide. We paid 22,000 used
Great case study in issues with RV roofs generally. Thanks for tuning in and sharing. You defined the solution (one-piece fibreglass roof) - and here in the area that I live there was a manufacturer in the 70's and 80's that had that as an option on their Class C motorhomes. Not sure what the issue was and why we don't see that in the marketplace. Price point?? Something else??
I am so silly. We have been using a gen set, solar panels, 100ah batteries, and just no I got the bright idea to use M18 batteries. Took me long enough. But we also use our Starlink for our security cameras and to let people know that we are in contact with our friends when we are camping out of cell service. People who may otherwise cause us grief leave us alone when they realize the CTV cameras are broadcasting live to the cloud.
Brilliant. We did the same (used Starlink for CCTV connectivity) till we got highspeed internet recently. So good - being able to keep eyes on key parts of the property and have the video stored on the cloud when away. It's not perfect, but its more of a deterent than would otherwise be the case.
Great vid , I gotten the same ones from temu too , mines went through customs and I could tell that the boxes were opened and they must've repackaged it then somewheres along the way the boxes were probably tossed around cause the boxes weren't in good shape but the RC's still work though so I'm happy about that
@howardkettner I apologize for being misleading. When small rocks get trapped in the tracks sprocket It can't seem to get over it or crush it. I've had to dead pull it or chisel the rock. I was less than impressed. I have no idea why the 230 and up never had this issue.
It’s almost as if cleaning and maintenance of equipment isn't incredibly vital. If you don't take care of the equipment it's not gonna work well for you
Then you need the big Milwaukee blower. I use it for snow, leaves, rocks and sand that the dogs drag onto the porch. Thanks for tuning in and commenting. You've given me the needed push to do a quick video on the big blower. It's amazing! I literally clean gravel off my creek bridge with it. Again - huge thanks.
Haha - the 'customer' in this impromptu little hobby farm skit is my wife, and she's not at all demanding - and she brings me my coffee every morning. PS - that rock popping up there as she crossed a driveway was very real - and likely the result of those tires . . . All in a day's work.
Thanks for tuning in. We bought it to use it. Great little unit. Probably looking a little worse for wear tho because while we clean it after use, this occured after a couple hours of use knocking down dry grasses and weeds.
you could just cut down some hardwood and insert it into the those two channel loader bars and make it one inch higher. scew a self drilling screw through the side. wood would be better than steel, less chance of damaging the rail. easy fix!
