Korey Atterberry’s Idle Chatter

I recently got a new truck (a 2007 Toyota Tundra) and wanted to come up with a way to carry my bikes in the bed of the truck when going camping. There are lots of options out there available for purchase, but I had some pretty specific requirements.

I’ve written up a page about my simple DIY bike rack. It’s nothing earth shattering, but hopefully it will give someone an idea and help save a little cash!

For a couple of weeks now I’ve been using an online to-do list called “Remember the Milk.” Now that I’ve got a couple of weeks of experience, I’m going to recommend it. To sign up, just visit http://www.rememberthemilk.com/. You can separate your tasks into separate lists (work, finance, hobbies, etc.) and set priorities. You can also import your tasks from Microsoft Outlook if you want. My favorite feature is the ability to integrate into your iGoogle page. Finally, you can send tasks to another user, which I haven’t tried, but could be neat.

There are a lot of reviews of Remember the Milk and iGoogle, so I won’t add yet another one. I just wanted to cast my vote for this setup as a workable system. It’s not a perfect setup, but it’s been treating me better than paper lists, and unlike Outlook, I can access it from anywhere! If you’re interested in setting it up and have problems, let me know.

During a recent trip to a theme park, I discovered that a couple of the nickel metal hydride batteries that I brought along for my digital camera didn’t work for more than a minute or two. Preferring not to be in that position again, I decided to test the capacity of all my rechargeable AA’s so I could demote the bad ones to less critical applications.

I wrote up a page describing the simple device I built using a couple of resistors and a wall clock. It looks kind of like a bomb, but works great! Check it out!

After a lot of deliberation, we decided to trade in our old truck on the new 2007 Toyota Tundra. We got a 2WD SR5 Double Cab with the 5.7L V8. For options, the one we chose has the rear sliding window, an upgraded audio system, heated mirrors, and some other minor things.

There are lots of reviews out there, so rather than repeat them all, I’ll just list the features that made this truck appealing to us. Some of them aren’t immediately obvious considerations, but it’s clear the designers thought a lot of things through.

• Lots of power, but the engine is very quiet and smooth
• 6-speed transmission, and the ability to select each gear individually for downgrades
• Down Hill Assist Control (they don’t market that feature enough)
• Front bench seat - center seat has lots of storage in the seat base and seat back
• Cup holders that can fit Nalgene bottles
• Aux-in port for iPod, etc.
• Well-designed back seat that can fit a car seat in all three positions - the Dodge Quad Cab’s center position won’t work
• Plenty of space under the rear seat for stowing bags, etc.
• Transmission temperature gauge is standard (great for towing!)
• Tight turning radius - seems same as my Dakota, despite the wheelbase being a foot longer
• No sharp inside corners in the bed, meaning no spots for dirt, gravel, etc. to get stuck!

We haven’t found any real downsides yet, other than the added width and length making parking a little more challenging. The best surprise so far has been the gas mileage. The first tank, which was about 250 miles total, including 80 on the highway, yielded 15.7 mpg overall. For comparison, the overal average mileage I got out of my Dakota was 13.6 (ugh…), and the best tank I ever had on that truck was 15.5 mpg. I’m guessing the mileage will also improve after the break-in period.

I took our popup camper (2500 lbs) for a spin, and it pulled it effortlessly, which wasn’t surprising. We’re hoping to upgrade to a small travel trailer eventually, so I don’t forsee any problems with towing so far.

All in all, we’re really happy with our new purchase!