Van Life in Tahoe: Bear Encounters & Van Fixes/Maintenance

How's it going everybody? I'm Nikki Delventhal and these are my dogs, Rodney and Camper Delventhal. For over three years we lived in a Toyota Prius, but now we're in a 4x4 Sprinter. And we're here to take you along on the wild ride. So fasten up your seat belts and let's have some fun. Don't forget if you like what you see, like, subscribe, comment, share with your friends and turn on notifications. We would be so thankful. Good morning everyone! Uh, so we are about to spend who knows how long in the shop starting this evening, so we're gonna start our day with some movement and take a hike. Right over there, I think that's a bear. Oh yeah, that is a bear. Bears are out of hibernation. We gotta check this out real quick. Hang on boys, I'll be right back. All right, for the boys' safety, we are gonna see which way this bear is going and make sure he's not on the trail. I do not recommend approaching a bear. Never approach a bear. Just stay calm and don't surprise them. Make sure they know you're gonna be there. So we're gonna make a little noise here. We're coming, bear. Could always pull a parent trap too. Bear, I'm coming! I'm right here, bear. I'm right here. Hello, bear. All right, that's a bear coming right at us. Hi, bear. Okay, we're leaving. Don't worry. Just seeing where you're going. We're good. Nice and calm. All right, he's going over the ridge. Let's go back and just leave a little bit. All right, that was cool. I think we're gonna give it, like, 30 minutes before we actually do the hike and let him get far away. So there are a few different types of bears and they're all to be handled so differently. The bears here in Lake Tahoe are black bears. You will see them all over the place on hikes and trash bins and, like, literally everywhere. They're more afraid of you than we are of them, but there are rules to abide by, right? Do not approach these bears. Do not touch them. Do not feed them. I mean, you see tourists around here doing some of the craziest stuff. Pretty much our negligence leads to their death. It's really, really sad. I get so fired up about wildlife and L&T ethics, so, yeah. Anyways. I know you saw that guy. Not yet, okay? Not yet. Let's get ready. In the meantime, let's get this bag packed and water filled. You guys want some treats for the ride? I know I do. Oh, yes, please. All right. Snacks, water, water filter for at the lake. I'm also gonna bring my SOS device and satellite messenger. I feel like if you're gonna be hiking, I'm definitely the best person to hike with because I'm overprepared. So I always bring, like, little mini first aid kits, stuff like that. Toilet paper, hydration tablets, lightweight backup leashes, poo bags, dog snacks, camera gear, jacket, charger, extra socks. For the big boys, lead stuff. You're looking handsome, Rod. You're like a dog version of Michael Jackson. Yo, Ma, do I have to wear this thing? This right here is a predator vest. Essentially, it's to keep Rodney safe. Especially in the Lake Tahoe area, it's really common for small dogs to get snatched up by coyotes, and they're here all year round. So, better safe than sorry. All right. I think we're finally ready, boys. Oh, can't forget a hat. Today's hike is about seven, eight miles along Angora Ridge Road. Now, during the summer, this road is open. Right now, it is not. So, the seven, eight mile hike could be about one and a half, but this is my favorite time of year because no one's here, and most people don't want to go that far. So, hopefully, we have it all to ourselves. So, if you hike the ridge where a lot of mountain bikers will go, instead of the road right here, you'll get views of Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe almost the whole way. It's incredible. You can see the road still intersecting over here, but about two, three miles in, they diverge. So, let's get there. We hit snow. Have you ever seen a happier dog? Nope. Good boy. I should probably mention, if you're going to do this, you're climbing pretty much the whole way, but we're almost at the halfway point where the trail and the road intersect at Angora Ridge Lookout. Ice Age glaciers, Sierra Nevada mountains. It doesn't get much better than this. We're going to continue on the pavement here to the parking lot and then onwards to Angora Lake. I don't think I told you guys where we were going, but these views are incredible. We're pretty much on a ridge line. You could drive this in the summer with views of the mountains, the lake, the birds, the wildlife. The national forest around Lake Tahoe is like no other. All right, we made it to the parking lot, which means we've officially hit the three-mile mark. During the summer, it is so busy, and I think it's like $10 to $20 to park. I've only tried to come once, and it was wild. But yeah, there's not too much snow. Let's see if we can get to the lakes. All right, that is hip high. Wow. Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this because I am like major adventure explorer gal here, but we might have a hard time keeping on a trail here. We're just going to try to do this. This stuff is deep. It's kind of like walking through sand, but uphill, and your feet get wet. We made it to running water. Oh, we might be on the lake. Hold up. Let's check Google Maps. All right, safety first. We got a camper over here. That actually looks like a good route. See, and yep, packed down good. We really are trailblazers. Look at us go. Excuse me, is anyone home? All right, thanks. We're going to use your deck. Ladies and gentlemen, Angora Lake. One for you, and one... Oh, camper. Really? These are your favorite. Here, for later. It'll be right here, camp, okay? Honestly, you guys, it does not get much better than this. Beautiful view all to yourself, your dogs, private deck, amazing. And this sandwich, nothing like a sandwich after a hard hike. We have got an egg, avocado, cheese, and greens on fresh sourdough bread that I baked myself. Oh, I'm so excited. All right, you guys, we're going to enjoy this beautiful view, maybe jump in, but we'll see you all back at the van. We made it back to the cars. That was absolutely amazing. But I just realized we're going to do another quick transition because I don't know if you guys remember Justin from previous videos, but before we leave town, we're going to head on over there. And out of respect for him, we're not going to show you the drive because not everybody needs to know where he lives. So let's head over there. I'm so glad we saw Justin before we left. While we were here, we made some delicious homemade pizzas. There she goes. We're having a pizza-off on who can make the best pizza. Mine is loaded veggie, four cheese, and meat sauce. I think mine's better. Yeah, it looks a little bit better. Cheers, but don't get the hot sauce. It's close to me. Cheers. We even got to celebrate Rodney's birthday with some of his best friends. Happy birthday. Justin even made the boys custom meat birthday cakes. Happy birthday, Rodney. And of course, you never leave town without taking advantage of laundry, unlimited hot water, and a good shower. When Justin isn't making the boys custom birthday meat cakes, you guys know that their nutrition is a priority. And when we're on the road, I'm always choosing the best quality food available. So I am super excited to announce today's video sponsor, Sundae's, a food that I can truly stand behind. As you guys have heard me talk about many times before, I'm all about ditching the kibble and really giving your dogs human-grade quality ingredients. And as you guys have seen in the van, I have a limited fridge space and even more limited freezer space. I will always have a healthy air or freeze-dried option right in here that keeps consistent with the quality food that they're used to, but it's more easy to store and feed. Sundae's is air dried and does not require refrigeration or preparation, making it easy to feed your pup top quality food even on the go. Every order ships right to your door, so you'll never have to worry about running out of food again. Even better, you guys can get 50% off your first order. All you have to do is go to sundaesfordogs.com slash Nikki or use code Nikki at checkout. All right, load up. Okay, so we have been at Justin's for about a week, a week and a half now, and I have got to say one of the hardest things of balancing a relationship and life on the road is, for me, not losing everything I own, but the constant in and out. Now that may sound a little bit silly to you guys, but hear me out, right? It just makes everything more of a process. Although I will say that the toilet, running water, showers, it's a nice trade-off. Although running water and not having to do your dishes has been absolutely amazing, we are dying to get back in the wild and on the road. So first stop is Truckee, California because we have to go to the van shop, but also because we are not morning people and we have an appointment super early in the morning. We will explain why in a little bit, but first, let's get there before the sun goes down. All right, based on the amount of sprinters, I think we're here, guys. Let's go ahead and back in. I upgraded my van so I could also have this on on the highway. It is epic. Thank goodness it's after hours and none of these guys can see how bad I am at parking. Well, then again, I guess there's probably a few hundred thousand of you who can see how bad I am at parking every day. All right, home sweet home for the night, boys. Let's get back there. Oh, gosh. I have the cutest doggies on the planet. You guys want to snuggle? You guys want a snack? I'm gonna have to kill you. Okay, okay. So despite all of the things that I have to do with the van, fixes, maintenance, all that, I am so very, very glad that I got it. If you've been following along for a while, you know I was in a ton of different vehicles. And yeah, this pass-through option, there's nothing like it. But not just the pass-through. Here we are getting ready for bed. We got our closet. We could make dinner. Before, even like this, I might not feel as safe because I would have to get out of my Prius, get out of the truck to get everything from the front. I would say this is the most convenient type of vehicle for full-time. If it wasn't full-time, things might change. Actually, this just gave me an idea. Next week, I'm gonna go over all of my regrets, all the things I love, all the things in this vehicle. So if you have anything that you want me to address, throw it in the comments. But yeah, it's been like a year in this van, a full year. It's about time. But until then, the sun is going down, and it's time for us to start getting ready for bed. All right, we're all gonna brush our teeth together. Camper, you want this? Enjoy. Come on. Okay, so I guess it's good that I'm at a shop in case I need any help, but usually I don't for this. My heat's not working. Okay, so the air is coming out, but it's coming out cold, which means that for some reason the burner is not igniting. Okay, you guys ready to snuggle up tonight? Come on, camp. Oh, I don't even have pajamas on yet. I think we're gonna match. All right, go ahead, camp. Come on. I know what you want. You hear that? I think the heat just fixed itself. That is a really good sign. This is the first time I have tried to run it since I semi-broke it myself. So hopefully it works itself out. I'll let you guys know in the morning. All right, good night, my boys. Good night. Good morning, good boys. Good morning. All right, which one of you guys is gonna make the coffee and which one of you guys is gonna take yourself out to pee? All right, big drop. Good morning, Sierra Adventure. All right, boys, go potty. Stick together. Honestly, it smells like bacon out here. Oh my gosh, who's picked breakfast? Look at my good boys doing their business. All right, you guys hungry? Come. Come on. Oh yeah, speaking of cold, the heat pretty much started working itself out, so that was amazing. Let up. Come on, let up. Good boys. Yep, it's a Wednesday miracle. It worked. As usual, we are running a little bit behind for the morning, so quick coffee setup. Let's go. Oh, too much water. We are here for a few things. Thankfully, not the heating system, and that worked itself out. Yes. So one, the electrical system's been on the fritz for quite a while, so figured we'd pile that in with the list of things to look at. It's a very expensive system, so you really want someone who knows what they're doing. Second, we are changing out our tires. The KO2s have ran like a dream on pavement, off-road. They are amazing, but BFGoodrich is letting us be one of the first people who get to test out the brand new KO3s, and I am so stoked. Okay, and last but not least, I'm sure, because there's always something, locking differentials. I have to get an oil change on that. They require maintenance, just like a lot of other things, regardless of how much you use them, which has been once this year. Test them out, not to get me out of any weird situations, because I have a winch, and I've aired down. Yeah, anyway, we'll talk about that this week. All right, I don't know how that turned off. We need to change. We are always running late when it's before 9 a.m. Probably keep it simple today with some navy blue. A little bit of goat's milk and warm water. Oh god, one day he's gonna learn. Camper. In case you're new here, both of my dogs were found on the streets, and we took them in, and it took Camper like two years to eat this slowly. He is like such a good boy, so Rodney is gonna be a work in progress. All right, so my electrical system is right here under the bed, so we don't want our bedding to get all nasty, so we're gonna cover that up right over here, and hopefully that doesn't fall. All right, we're gonna finish this coffee, head on inside. Cheers. Good morning. Hi. Mickey Delventhal dropping off the van. Yay. All right, we got everything pretty much figured out. The electrical system is going to be honestly kind of trial and error, because it could be a few different things, but feeling really good about where we're at. So let's go find a place to sleep, because that was an all-day affair. You ready to go, dude? Yes, you are. Usually you can walk around over here, but looks like they barred it all off, but this is a beautiful lake when it's not covered in snow. Thanks for being here. We love you all. See you next week. Bye.