Torklift Blog

Do you ever get that feeling while towing or hauling when your mental brakes kick in and the weight of your truck is not stopping with you?  Those teeth clenching, heart racing, toe-curling seconds can seem like minutes. I looked up the word for this affliction and it’s called agoraphobia.  It’s the phobia of losing control, of not being able...

I imagine boondocking will be a camping experience like this. I pull into the most picturesque, secluded camping spot I can find.  Through the deep, dark woods right on the edge of the lake.  But, something seems just too perfect about it.  Come to think of it, I hadn’t passed another vehicle for miles. Oh well, I enjoy my afternoon...

What’s black, grey and sometimes potable? No, not a lead in to a bad joke, these are all very important distinctions to make when moving up to camping with plumbing. Thanks to this new knowledge, I will never be able to hear that lovely, little Southern rock ditty by the Doobie Brothers the same way again. Black water is the...

I am told that this is not as complicated as I am making it. Usually, I am a very adventurous person, but in the area of camper electrical systems I’ll admit I have a great fear of the unknown. I have seen the warning labels, the ones that say that this could result in something blowing-up, electrocution, dismemberment or death...

“Don’t!” Camping is great fun for the whole family.  Including the four-legged ones. So, it was time to let Ivy, my cat, enjoy the freedom of truck camping and a new second home on wheels.  Why not? Dogs love to swim, explore all the new smells of the great outdoors, sneaking dropped camping goodies, and the thrill of hunting big...

I’m not referring to basketball. Fishing this weekend netted me a big zero on my state angler’s punch card.  So, I had some time to think about what the word “net “really means. Net, a device to entrap fish and also a financial term that means what you get to keep. So, in terms of netting nothing, maybe I’m more...

Rain is no excuse to postpone a camping trip. It is inevitable for people living in the Northwest, so here are some hints for looking on the bright side and thinking about all the great things about camping in the rain. 1.  The wet dog smell- A familiar fragrance in the NW, popular on canines and humans.  2.  The relaxing sound...

Forklift Jen Beep, Beep…here I come. No, not really.  I’m actually not Forklift Jen, Tork lift Jen, Torquelift Jen or even Dorklift Jen. It’s a common mistake when you have an easily rhyming name, and I don’t take it personally. With all of the new ways I am learning to get around here at Torklift, I hope I eventually have...

Looking back to my humble beginnings of truck camping there were many learning opportunities and tips that I should have picked-up on in regard to all this truck camping stuff. I am reminded that all I really needed to know about truck camping, I learned in kindergarten. Like coloring, stay between the lines on the highway and go a little...

I’m making a splash … literally. I put myself on assignment this weekend and hauled some boating stuff up to the lake.  In my mind, this was a professional outing, so I geared-up and had hyped myself into being a rather important researcher. Then I learned the real meaning of “splash.” With all my enthusiasm I jumped into the little...