Why no pics of the revised configuration?

You may be wondering why I've not yet shown any of the revisions that have been made since we got back from Yellowstone.  You will need to be patient a bit longer.  Right now I have almost everything that was inside pulled out.  The main reason was that I needed access to build and install the slide mechanism for the freezer.  I finished that yesterday and am starting to reassemble things today.  It will take a few days to get everything back in because there are some other things I need to build.  None of them are as complicated as the slide for the freezer so, hopefully, I'll be able to get some pics up pretty soon.  It is going to be really cool when it is done.

Cruise control

Cruise control was not an option on the 2005 xB.  Fortunately, there is an aftermarket kit made by Rostra:

It has really good instructions and I thought I might be able to install it.  I probably could have, but it would have taken me days.  I made a good decision in hiring someone off of craigslist to do the install.  Joe was great.  He had done this type of work before and he really knew his stuff.  That came in handy when there was a problem that wasn't covered in the troubleshooting section of the manual.  He made a call to tech support and had the problem solved soon after.  I have been using it for nearly a week and it works perfectly.  It will definitely come in handy on the long trip to Alaska and back.

Bug Deflector

The Scion xB is known for getting rock chips and cracks in its windshield.  With the stories of things that happen on the ALCAN, that was a concern.  Then there was the fact that our windshield was thickly covered with dead bugs on our way back from Yellowstone combined with the stories we hear about the bug situation in Alaska.  So the bug deflector was a no brainer.  AutoAnything had a good price and the install took under one minute.  It seems to work well (very few bug hits locally) and it looks pretty cools as well.

Various electronics

I've always been pretty dumb when it comes to electricity, but I have learned so much during the process of setting up the xB that I am no longer as dumb as I think I am (and certainly not as dumb as I look).  I figured out how to install a Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) that automatically keeps the two batteries separated when the car isn't running.  I also installed a 50 amp ammeter between the two batteries so that I could monitor the charging of the auxiliary battery while driving.  There is a kill switch in that circuit that allows me to turn off charging when the main car battery is run down (so the alternator isn't overly taxed).  There is also a selection switch for the fridge so that you can run it off of either battery or both batteries.  This allows you to charge the auxiliary battery completely while running the fridge off the alternator.  Then there is the sine wave inverter that gives us 120 volt power for the sleeping bag heaters and for Strikers cat condo.  Add to all of that a bunch of 12 volt outlets; two charging centers for everything from cell phones, to camera batteries, flashlight batteries, and specialty batteries for Carol's heated gloves and vest; voltage monitors for both batteries; etc; and you would actually start to think I might know what I am doing.