·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Cordless Impact Driver for Tire Changes
A flat tire on the side of the road can turn into a 43-minute ordeal if you're wrestling with a factory lug wrench.
Gear
Gear Guides (29)
·Morgan - The Gear Gatekeeper
Portable Power Station for Car Camping
The market is absolutely flooded with 'portable power stations' these days, most of them glorified battery packs dressed up in a plastic shell.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Car Window Deflectors for Camping + Road Trips
Cracking your window 10mm in a rainstorm without soaking your sleeping bag isn't a luxury; it's a necessity for car camping.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
"affordable and Huge Dashcam Parking Mode Battery" Ecoflow River 2
The dealer wanted $240 for a new battery on my 2018 Accord, claiming 'parasitic draw' without bothering to find the source.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Dash Cam for 2026 Volkswagen Camper Van
The dealer wanted $350 to install a dash cam in my buddy's 2026 Volkswagen Camper Van, claiming 'special wiring requirements.' That's a 20-minute job with a $15 add-a-fuse kit and a few zip ties.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best SUV Camping Dash Cams: Tested & Rated
The dealer wanted $120 to 'diagnose' why my buddy's dash cam kept losing power.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Dash Cam for Volkswagen Tiguan
Trying to pick a dash cam for your Tiguan? I've seen enough fried wiring harnesses and garbage video footage to know that most of what's out there is pure junk.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Blackvue Dr750x-2ch Plus Car Camping Setup
Car camping with a BlackVue DR750X-2CH Plus dash cam means you're trying to balance surveillance with battery life.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Blackvue Dr900x-2ch Dash Cam Review
The BlackVue DR900X-2CH is pitched as a top-tier dash cam, boasting 4K resolution and cloud connectivity.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Garmin Mini 2 Dash Cam Camping Mount
The Garmin Mini 2 is a tiny black box, about the size of a car key The Drive.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
70mai Dash Cam Pro Plus A500s Review for Car Campers: Parking Mode and Power Solutions
The 70mai Dash Cam Pro Plus+ A500S claims 24-hour parking surveillance and 2.7K resolution for around $80, which sounds great on paper for car campers.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Car Camping Tents for Suvs
The dealer wanted $350 for a roof rack on my 2020 Subaru Forester, claiming it was 'optimized for aerodynamic efficiency.' That's a joke.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Dash Cam for Kia Soul Camping
A Kia Soul, loaded for camping, is basically a rolling brick with a surprisingly useful cargo bay.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Dash Cam for Suv Towing
The dealer wanted $300 to install a basic dash cam in my buddy's F-150, claiming 'complex wiring.' That's a 12V constant and a switched 12V line, maybe 20 minutes with a trim tool and a multimeter.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
VW Tiguan 2026 Dash Cam: Top Picks
The 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan rolls off the line with a perfectly clean windshield, but give it 30 days and you'll want eyes everywhere.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Dash Cam Hardwire Kits
Forget the cheap USB car charger that wiggles out of the cigarette lighter socket over every pothole.
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Portable Power Stations for Car Camping
The dealer wanted $120 to 'inspect' my auxiliary battery system, claiming a 'faulty charge controller.' Turns out, my buddy's cheap knock-off 12V cooler was pulling 5A straight from the battery, by...
·Jake - The Dirtbag Engineer
Best Portable Toilets for Car Camping
The dealer wanted $300 to install a 'luxury' sanitation system in my van, which was literally just a bucket with a lid.