1. The Sportsmobile Forum (aka SMB forum) is a fantastic "home" for camper van / rig owners, enthusiasts and learners. It's an awesome community of passionate souls who graciously share so much valuable information about their rigs, systems, trips, etc. I have made many great friends through the forum, and I treasure the respectful, polite and giving nature of the forum. Check it out!
2. Yeah, my FIL was a super cool dude. You'll definitely be moved reading about him here. Be sure to grab your tissues (guys included)...
3. This does not include my many years of experience in ocean crossings and extensive long-range off-shore cruising. Additionally, I've spent decades  tinkering with and fixing all kinds of cars and all things related to homes. This collectively provides a great background to diagnosis and fix all kinds of problems in a myriad of rigs and trailers.
4. References available upon request.
5. If the link doesn't work, go to the Forum, and in the nav bar, find "search" and search by member (1der).

Hi!

I am 1der, the co-owner of this website and a very active member on the Sportsmobile Forum.

Our first rig was a gift many years ago from my father-in-law: his 1976 Chevy C-30 cargo van with a 4x4 Pathfinder conversion that he used for skiing and adventures while living in Tahoe. He was certainly waaay before his time in so many aspects...

That van was the beginning of this awesome journey that 1derGirl and I are on, and over the years, we've continually worked on, improved and upgraded our vehicles.

I have more than 30 years of experience (am I that old??? 😱) in the camper van world, and I have dedicated a lot of hours researching and building out ours and others' rigs. We've also taken trips in several other rigs and spent a lot of time in ours in different environments for extended periods (like spending months living in and traveling around in Beastie during the winters on our ski bumming adventures).

These experiences have given me / us a lot of perspective on what it takes to be comfortable, compatible and thrive in environments that are often not climatically comfortable (or plush) and don't come with quick-fixes or services when things can and do go wrong.

I have also helped many people and forum members with their needs. In addition to consulting by phone and video, I am also honored by the trust people have placed in me to work on their rigs and trailers to make improvements and installations ranging from PopTops to solar / electrical / heating / plumbing systems, etc.

As anyone who knows me personally or has read the thousands of posts I have made on the forum (1derGirl calls it my other home), vans / rigs are my passion.

If you are interested in my consulting services, my rate is $50 per 30-minute increments. We'll start with an initial 30-minute consultation, which will then determine the approximate amount of time needed to discuss your project in detail.

To make our initial meeting more efficient, please complete the form below. Once this initial "purchase" is made, I'll contact you to set up our first discussion and get you on your way to creating your ultimate rig.

I look forward to connecting with you!

1der

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