Fitz’ 2016 Sprinter 4x4 RB 150S Build

[SCTN]

Hi Tim, your recent posts on having a torx socket for extended tows is a really good tip. I didn’t have that in my “oh crap” kit. Have you posted a list of all you carry on your tool kit?

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by Sloya

Hi Tim,
Today was a down day for me and spent the whole day ready your forum. I had read bits and pieces but today was start to finish. As always pickup something new every time.

Sam,

You must have been bored, that's a lot to wade through! I haven't posted much lately, it seems as if life has kept me overly busy in other areas...hoping to be able to slow down a bit once 2020 is in the rear view mirror.

Happy Thanksgiving to you & Sharon and to all others here on the forum!

Tim

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by SCTN

Have you posted a list of all you carry on your tool kit?

I have not, but i keep a list and it won't be hard to do. Let's consider it a 2021 goal!

[Fitz]

2020 Year-In-Review Stats...no longer working full time as of mid-December...

How to describe the year? I think it best to let each of us fill in the blanks for ourselves, as I'm sure we all have our stories to tell...

62,616 - 44,431 = 18,185 miles and 79 nights spent in 2020 (vs. 10,950 and 30 nights in 2019.)

COVID-19 dictated the year once it arrived, for me that initially meant working from home 6-7 days a week. Once Laura figured out that life pretty much consisted of me sitting in my home office working she did the wise thing and loaded up Flint and went on a self-isolation geological tour. That's one of the great things about Flint, Laura is more than comfortable driving it on her own and so she did a grand tour visiting all of the out-of-the-way places a Geologist in the West particularly loves. Between this trip and her trip to Pakistan, Laura put on some miles, both on the ground and in the air, this year!

As for me, lots of work in 2020 culminated in a most disappointing way when the refinery I worked at was forced to close. (COVID-19 market destruction of the refining industry is the catch-phrase that was often used.) My last day was December 18th and I consider myself one of the lucky ones as I am able to transition into early retirement and begin the next phase of whatever life has to bring. Bring it on!

We got to use the van quite a bit on a series of short trips over the last quarter of the year, but for now Flint is going to be pressed into more of a "normal" use pattern as we work to prep, sell and buy a new house as we strive to "downsize". Children and grandchildren dictate that we will stay in the area, I'm thinking that the next 6 months will be filled with all of the activities required to re-settle before we get time to really put Flint out on the road again. But then off we will go!

Hopefully next years update will be filled with van travel and project updates. The BFG KO2's were replaced with Falken Wildpeak A/T3W's early on in the year and with almost 20k on them I can say I much prefer them to the KO2's.

Wishing you all a happy and safe 2021....

Tim & Laura

[Sloya]

Happy New Year and welcome to semi retirement...!!!

A funny thing happened while I was reading your post, I noticed I was wearing the same long sleeve shirt. Ha ha...

My nephew was working at a refinery in Martinez that closed. He is moving back to Clovis and going back to being a MillRight.

Currently in Vegas picking up a new pup, going to see him for the first time.

More later.

[eddyturn]

Well happy semi-retirement Tim. Sucks but you'll make the best of it. Happy trails.

[mikemikemike]

Great report, and congrats!

Please say more about the Falkens...

[Beached]

Hey Tim, sorry and happy to hear of your early retirement. We didn’t come close to 79 nights out, but hoping for more this year. Looking forward to meeting up with another geologist (and you) when conditions permit.

David