About

I'm Mike, an industrial maintenance technician. My job is fixing equipment when it breaks, which means I see what fails, why it fails, and which gear holds up to real abuse.

Outside of work I've remodeled two homes over the last twenty years, and I go camping in a fifth-wheel trailer pulled by a diesel one-ton truck. Between the shop and the campground, I've learned a lot of things the hard way. This site is where I write them down.

What you'll find here

• Tools: what's worth buying, what isn't, and how to make it last.
• Trailer Life: upkeep, upgrades and gear for towing and camping with a fifth-wheel trailer.

How I write

Every article tells you up front whether it's hands-on (I own and use it) or a researched guide (built from specs, owner reports and my trade experience). I won't pretend to have tested something I haven't.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. That never decides what I recommend. See the affiliate disclosure.