What are /r/vandwellers' favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

My partner and I have been living out of our ProMaster for the last three months, I have a roof mounted 4xLTE antenna, three LBR20 modems (1 for Calyx Sprint/T-Mobile, one for an AT&T Unlimited Elite plan, and one for a Verizon 150gb plan), and one raspberry pi running Speedify, dnsmasq, and iptables.

Speedify is a channel bonding VPN and when ever we start moving and we need consistent internet, we enable that to get the most reliability. There is overhead to it, so once we stop for the night I do basic speed tests and switch out data source connection to one of the direct links. As soon as I get a gps module set up on my homemade router, I’ll script it so that as soon as we start moving it’ll switch to Speedify

As a full time software engineer, internet is vital for me, and while nothing will be perfect, this is working exceptionally well

Along with a fire extinguisher, everyone here should have a seatbelt cutter/window hammer (this one is only $7). In case of fire, if you can’t get the seatbelt receiver to release the buckle, you could cut the belt or smash the window.

Good ideas. I'm nearly 2 years in and support all this. However, #3 is far and away the most important. If you are engrossed in what you are doing with your life, you don't get lonely, you don't care where you are (though thus lifestyle allows you to be anywhere, so might as well be somewhere inspiring). There's a reason Viktor Frankl- a psychologist who spent years in the worst conditions imaginable, Nazi concentration camps- titled his book Man's Search for Meaning. Having something outside of yourself to live for trumps all other things. This is generally the welfare of other people/the common good, so ties into your social points, but you don't necessarily need social connection to make it happen.

Do not use goo gone! That oily mess of a thing should never be used if you ask me. replace it with goofoff it is a solvent based not oil. If you use this or any solvent like acetone make sure to have a well ventilated area with no chance of spark. The fumes are SUPER flammable!

driving gloves!! not really necessary, I just saw Drive once and decided they'd make me look cool. don't remember the exact brand but something like these

Just a heads up those instant propane heaters produce large quantities of CO. I have one in my van and am only willing to use it with the window wide open and the exhaust fan on 100%.

Could be worth grabbing a CO monitor with a ppm readout like this one https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-Battery-Operated-Monoxide-KN-Copp-B-LPM/dp/B004Y6V5CI

Milliard 6-Inch Memory Foam Tri-fold Mattress with Ultra Soft Removable Cover with Non-Slip Bottom - Twin https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DJ8HX96/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4YuXBbVX6YFQ3

I've had this saved for a while as an alternative to a bed, it might work for you

FBI surveillance van on offerup. Really good deal too - $6200 for a 20k vehicle. I wouldn't want to tear everything out tho.

https://offerup.com/item/detail/860879430/

Best hundred bucks you'll spend. Easy peezy.

https://www.amazon.com/SereneLife-Portable-Indicator-Traveling-Roadtripping/dp/B07218B4DQ

I have a 20 liter kayaking bag that I put my dirty clothes in. When it starts to get full, I fill it with water and soap and hang it in the van when I'm driving around that day, that washes em, then I do the same thing twice as a 'rinse cycle'. Free washing machine!

I was getting tired of pumping my foot 15 times for a glass of water, and I knew this thing would be less laborious way to get water, but its actually much faster than the foot pump too! I just got mine today, but I got the idea because my mom had one of these on a water cooler jug in her house. I asked her about it, and apparently she only has to recharge every 6 to 8 weeks with regular use.

Not a sponsor or anything like that, just love this thing. Here's the link if you're interested:

https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Charging-Automatic-Dispenser-Universal/dp/B07KW4TPNG

Sure man this is what I bought I specifically didn't link this earlier because I didn't want people to think I was trying to sell these or something lol.

Right Angle Clamp, Housolution Single Handle 90° Aluminum Alloy Corner Clamp, Right Angle Clip Clamp Tool Woodworking Photo Frame Vise Holder with Adjustable Swing Jaw - Silver Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078S4C6BQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_9VTT2T5T0PP4AK7R8ZG2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This is a great reminder for us. In honor of this gentleman's life (and his pup) I will order and replace my 2 older separate propane & CO alarms with this single unit: <strong>MTI Industries 35-742-WT Safe T Alert 35 Series Dual LP/CO Alarm - Flush Mount, White</strong>
.
This single unit will cut my 12VDC current draw in half too! (lower house battery drain)

Consider an extra couple holes at the top. One for a vent, and one to fit a tube with a bulb siphon in it. Ensure the tube is long enough to reach the bottom, then when it's time to empty it, you give the bulb a few squeezes, then move on with your life.

• Go to the library, borrow the DVDs and rip them using handbrake, then return the same day.
• Go to the mall and walk around without buying anything. "Steal" some climate control.
• Go to the farm supply store and buy some decent rain gear. It sounds like you don't have any.
• Go to a park with a covered pavilion so you can be outside and get some elbow room without dealing with the rain
• Learn an in-demand skill. I'll recommend learning Python because it's general purpose, widely used, and easy to learn. Tones of youtube videos, free online resources, and library books on the subject.
  
• Squander the entire day on Reddit.

^(edit: fixed spelling, add link)

Honestly no haha. See my comment in this thread:

"We have a Craftsman blower that we keep in the van. At least once a day we open all of the front, rear, side doors and just fucking blow everything away. All the cup holders, corners, seats, bed, shelves, everything. It's super powerful and works really really well. Gets rid of all the sand, crumbs, dog hair, everything. If it's not put away in it's proper spot, it's getting blown out the back door lol."

We've also been on the road for less than two weeks so we haven't had a chance to accumulate a lot of stuff or make the van REALLY messy yet.

Congratulations! If you roll your clothes it saves a lot of room. There are YouTube videos you can watch to save the most room for storage. You can get milk crates and stack with the opening facing you, then ziptie to hold together then get the fabric drawers to store things in. You could store food and toiletries on the bottom, clothes in the other level. You can buy this thin plasticstuff to put on the top so your stuff doesn't fall through the holes. For emergency potty issues, Amazon has https://www.amazon.com/Cleanwaste-Toilet-Bag-15-Pack-D415W15/dp/B07SC9JRNT these, best value I have found.

It is quite wide but we haven't tested it too much yet. We got a curved 42&quot; Nilight. I will try to take a long exposure on an empty back road tonight to show the beam and report back.

This is smoke grey, it still allows some light in. But it’s impossible to see from the outside in.

https://www.amazon.com/HIDBEA-Non-Adhesive-Reusable-Colorful-Removable/dp/B082HVRC38?ref_=ast_sto_dp&amp;th=1&amp;psc=1

If I were to do this again I might got for black out. Sleeping in the city let’s a lot of street light flood the cabin. Sometimes I wake up at 3-4am thinking it’s sunrise.

Edit:

I’m actually former LEO. And tinting just a fine. As long as it does not hide the driver side, passenger side front seating area.

Think of it like a moving truck. Or a moving van. Many do not have windows in the back. And if there is an issue. I can just pull it off with no residue left behind.

Here you go. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-6-Gal-Water-Jug/16537207

I also highly recommend this water faucet pump if you aren't going for a full plumbing set up. It's great and I just extended the line into one of the jugs. Only needs charging once a month. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H4WMK37/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_6TKZP3959APJC3ZZDPEE

I bet, that van looks like an old man's baby to me. Its in great shape.

This is what i use, it's not a ceramic wax but it's good enough (and cheap at walmart)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07NW9X6BX/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_track_package_o0_img?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

This is the best rated stuff on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Shine-Armor-Fortify-Quick-Coat/dp/B07LHB3B2Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=ceramic+wax&amp;qid=1571072383&amp;sr=8-2

Just search on amazon for "{model number of device} car charger". I just did a search for "Toshiba laptop car charger" and this came up. https://www.amazon.com/CHARGER-Satellite-PA3467U-1ACA-PA3714U-1ACA-PA3917U-1ACA/dp/B003WVML9M/

If you can't find a car charger for the device and you are a little adventurious you can make your own by ordering a step up / step down voltage regulator. I've used a couple drok voltage regulators i've gotten from amazon to convert a LCD TV and monitor to be powered by DC. The regulator I used steps 11-15VDC up to 19VDC which is what the TV needed.

If the porta potti is worth $1000, find someone to sell it to. Or, if you can get $1000 instead, get the $1000 and spend $100 on a Thetford Porta-Potti Curve. Your sawing it off plan sounds (frankly) crazy. And it would probably turn out incredibly ugly.

https://www.amazon.com/Porta-Potti-Portable-camping-healthcare/dp/B006WPQNB2

By the way, the bed table I’m using, which I wish would have been more visible in the pic, is this nearpow unit. Highly recommended! Also works to turn our counterspace into a standing desk! Laptop Bed Tray Table, Nearpow Adjustable Laptop Bed Stand, Portable Standing Table with Foldable Legs, Foldable Lap Tablet Table for Sofa Couch Floor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J3NKBVM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_FA1VG3eIA16Vf

> 6.2 diesel

As a former owner of multiple 6.2 diesels. I'm sorry. gutless wonders. On the plus side, easy to work on and they will almost always start. Just don't overheat it. They have a tendency to crack heads. IF you get cranks but no start situation, it's almost always the fuel shutoff solenoid. Just by one and have it handy. It's not a matter of if it will fail but when. Usually, they will start cold, but won't start once warmed up. Fuel return lines tend to leak/break with age. Save yourself the headache and replace them now. You can get a kit from Amazon for $18 Don't bother with trying to get the bulk line at a parts store. It's an oddball size.

Here it is:

https://www.amazon.com/Improved-Eva-dry-500-Renewable-Dehumidifier/dp/B00BD0FN8A/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?keywords=eva+dry+dehumidifier&amp;qid=1574373708&amp;sprefix=eva+dry&amp;sr=8-11

They claim 3-8 weeks before needing a charge, unless my memory is wildly mistaken, I didn’t get anywhere near that length of time. But it’s in a small closed space with one to two mouth breathers...it did the job just fine for me though. Rarely woke up with moisture on the windows.

One option may be mass loaded vinyl (mlv). It's not super cheap (~$3/sqft), but it's very dense so the sheets are super thin and it's flexible so it should be easy to fit to your van.

It's often used between the passenger cabin and engine compartment for sound proofing in cars. I used it in my engineering senior design project to soundproof a box around some ~90dB air jets and a quarter inch of it reduced sound by about 10dB. You can get rolls of it on Amazon, here's a link to one option: TMS Mass Loaded Vinyl 4' X 10' (40 Square Feet) 1 Lb MLV Acoustic Barrier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008JHE1P6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_O5rqAbCEJD5H3

I follow your friend on IG! Get her this: National Geographic Road Atlas 2021: Adventure Edition [United States, Canada, Mexico] https://www.amazon.com/dp/0792289897/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Y6wxFb09RD1BJ

Two 5m strips of 2700k LEDs. They’re wired in parallel thru a dimmer switch and when they’re both on 100% they maybe pull 1.5 amps total. They’re so bright though I normally use them at ~50% and that pulls something ~0.6 amps.

I built a small recess for them by finish nailing a 2 inch wide piece of my cedar wall paneling on to a 1 inch wide piece of 1/4 inch ply with the ply flush to one edge of the wall paneling. This left half of the wall paneling covered and half exposed. Then I finish nailed that entire construction to the ceiling, plywood first, essentially creating a shelf that was 1 inch deep and a 1/4 inch tall. The LED tape is just stuck with its adhesive back inside this shelve.

I can’t exactly remember which lights I bought, but I believe it was these or something equivalent since they were the warmest color I could find.

Additional I have 4 recessed puck lights in the ceiling and those are about comprable in their energy usage to the LED strips.

You may benefit from a contour gauge then! Lytool Contour Gauge with Metal Lock - Profile Gauge Duplicator Precisely Copy Irregular Shapes Adjustable Ruler for Corners, Edges, Angles, Curved and Odd Shapes 10 inch + 5 inch (2Pcs) (ABS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VJCR74S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JR4TV8EMY3YHWAPTRDKS

Don't wasted your money. Need to buy a true 12v fridge. I got one for around $400 a year ago. Looks like they run around $460 now on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/EdgeStar-FP430-Portable-Compact-Refrigerator/dp/B0012EGZ9S. Works awesome and hardly draws any amps.

Get some Poo Powder and double up heavy-duty trash bags in the bucket and you can dispose of the waste in regular trash.

We used a single 175W panel that is currently $180 on Amazon.

Our cost breakdown (work in progress) shows some more of the components you will need. It adds up quickly.

So yes, it is connected to a separate battery inside the van. The light bar is wired to our alternator and powered by the main van starter battery.

That's crazy. Good thing it was just a tweaker and not a total psycho. Ford Transits are super easy to get into. Pop off the plastic lock shroud and turn the entire locking mechanism a few times and the door unlocks. You would have noticed that though. Maybe he used a wedge and a slim jim or something like that.

Get a simple blinking red light fake car alarm. Place it in a good spot that doesn't give away the whole show of course and tweakers will think twice about trying to get in. To prevent your ride from getting stolen though, find a clever spot to put a kill switch. Even then they are easy to bypass, but thankfully most thieves will move on to the next car pretty fast if they encounter some difficulty.

https://www.amazon.com/D-yun-Motor-Alarm-Wiring-Flash/dp/B00PBQN9OC/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521584284&amp;sr=1-5&amp;keywords=fake+car+alarm

BIGCARJOB Car Seat Protect Covers 2pcs Set Wolf Print Universal fit Front Car Seats for Car Auto Automotive Truck SUV https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y3CXJLF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_N69QF9W17WGYRTVSCJEG?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Not at all, it's this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDVTMM6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

The second one, I pull it out and set it up when I need it. I'm never doing work while the van is moving, only while we are parked.

Get a $35 Butane/propane cooktop.

https://www.amazon.com/GS-3400P-Portable-Backpacking-Emergency-Preparedness/dp/B01HQRD8EO/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1540204781&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=butane+propane+stove

They are much more versatile, the fuel is so cheap that you never recover the amount you invest in your electrical system.

Yes you can use them inside. No they don't produce much poison (on Butane) .

Further you can take the stove outside to a picnic bench when you got good weather and have friends over. With the induction cooktop you are always inside.

&#x200B;

The microwave should be OK to run from the alternator. I'm running a 700w coffeemaker from a 1000w inverter 215ah battery and 200w solar. Every day and my alternator charges the battery always when I'm driving

If you need regular clamps, I use these and really like them.

IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Clamps, One-Handed, Mini Bar, 6-Inch, 4-Pack (1964758) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DSY4QO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_G7T0B1V8X7590AV8K4TC?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Crimp on self adhesive shrink connections.

A: crimp on takes vibration well

B: shrink tube

C: adhesive

All these work together well. The adhesive and shrink tube work really well to help support the joints. The crimp connections hold up to vibration better than solder.

They are not cheapest, but not bad, bulk packs on Amazon are around $30.

They take a fair bit of heat with a heat gun to melt together but make a very strong water resistant connection.

Edit : these are the ones I'm currently using. Under $20 125pcs Wire Connectors, Sopoby Heat Shrink Wire Connector Kit Waterproof Assorted Crimp Connector Electrical Set, 22-10GA(50Red 50Blue 25Yellow) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DPS3ZBE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_nm-PybEB3BFMP

Hap!

First, I want to wish you Happy Thanksgiving!

You've reminded me of a time, a long time ago, when I needed to live in my '75 Mustang. :-)

Enough of all that; I want to refer you to a writer that I believe will show you, directly, how to take care of any social anxieties you may currently be experiencing.

Marcus Aurelius:

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Penguin-Marcus-Aurelius-2005-02-01/dp/B01JXUSTHS/ref=sr_1_1/144-5328508-6478126?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1542861564&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=marcus+aurelius+great+ideas

You will see tons of translations of this 2-thousand-year-old text. But, I've read a couple (I have a nice local library) and the one I listed on Amazon is the one I found most personable.

(I just realized you have a mail delivery issue. I'd definitely go to the library then. They can be warm and interesting places anyway, eh?)

Luckily you basically don't need to know anything. They have kits on Amazon for literally everything you need. Just plug everything in and you're good to go. Example.

Oh cool, I haven’t seen it anywhere. I like to think it calms people while driving haha. Here’s the link if anyone want one off amazon. awesome sticker

Get a Prius v (wagon). Tell your grandparents that the Prius is literally one of the most reliable cars on the road today. Look it up and show them. http://www.consumerreports.org/car-reliability/10-most-reliable-cars/ Most Prius setups (including mine) will leave one seat in the back open, and the front seat open (although the front seat will be pushed all the way up to fit a bed ~75 inches long). And of course, you can't beat the ability to use a/c and climate control running off the hybrid system all night - which may or may not be a big deal depending on where you live.

My wife and I live in a mini-bus. One of the most valuable things to us has been a little flashlight that's powered with AAA's. We both use a Streamlight MicroStream and love them. We always keep them handy--mine stays in my pocket. You could buy some batteries to go with if you'd like.

Here's a link to something very similar to what we use. (Streamlight 66318 MicroStream C4 LED Pen Flashlight https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00143JZ08/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_x8hLub0SNSHQK)

I like your Idea for the tea kettle, but if you want a different Idea get him a might-D-Light.... probably the dumbest looking flash light that i have used every day. It has a magnet on it so you can just stick it to your fridge(if he has one in his van) or a door panel and it will light up the entire van. It super handy! https://www.walmart.com/ip/Might-D-Light-LED125B-Might-D-Light-Rechargeable-LED-Work-Light/47073871

Agreed, the energy is likely how much has been used. This monitor is popular on Amazon and can be hooked up in different ways. There’s also a reset button. I just bought this one recently:

4-in-1 DC Electricity Usage Monitor,DC 6.5-100V 0-100A LCD Display Digital Current Voltage Power Energy Meter Multimeter Ammeter Voltmeter with 100A Current Shunt

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KXCF8F8/

I kind of love one * reviews on that screen: "the minute you get on the highway it blows away" , lol. No shit.

It's still not as funny as Q&As on another inventive product: "does it come with a seatbelt? No. I don't think you're supposed to use it while in transit."

Some really good ideas in here! Saved it on the Wayback Machine, in case anyone wants to reference it in the future: archived page

When would you plan on sleeping though in the desert? Tonight in Las Vegas, the hourly temps are as follows:

8pm: 100 degrees; 9pm: 96 degrees; 10pm: 94 degrees; 11pm: 92 degrees; 12 am: 90 degrees;

https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/USNV0049:1:US

It doesn't even get below 90 until after midnight, which is the norm in the SW from May-September. Its 71 at Mt. Charleston now with high of 76 at 3pm. 67 degrees by 9pm. 60 by midnight. I prefer that! :)

I had a multi-monitor setup at my workstation at my last job, but lately I just use a 15" laptop for all my development. I know this is a personal preference thing, but I've become convinced that you can work just as efficiently with a single monitor than with multiple monitors as long as you have decent screen resolution and develop the right workflow. I use the i3 window manager (my tiling WM of choice) with emacs as my text editor for almost all my development, but any sort of keyboard-driven environment that provides an efficient mechanism to switch between different applications and window layouts is at least worth consideration.

I've never missed the 2nd monitor--in many ways it's actually been more convenient and comfortable for me without it. In practice it takes me less time to press a hotkey or whatever than it would for me to physically turn my head to a 2nd monitor.

Anyway I don't know if that's helpful at all. Just trying to provide some alternative perspectives :) I used to be all about these really complex and fancy setups but now I follow some kind of "less is more" philosophy.

Good deals pop up frequently for yearly VPN services. I also use privateinternetaccess but any decent one will do.

Edit: here's one https://stacksocial.com/sales/private-internet-access-vpn?aid=a-qdg54o31

Edit again: I just saw this deal today posted on techdirt (looks like an affiliate link FYI, but not mine and Techdirt is great) $69 for lifetime subscription: https://deals.techdirt.com/sales/lifetime-of-purevpn?utm_source=techdirt.com&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=lifetime-of-purevpn

If you've got $770 to spare somehow you can pick up one of these micro AC units. You need to build your own enclosure (but you're obviously pretty handy, no?) and locate it somewhere the condenser can see open air for cooling, but apparently they draw between 1 and 8 amps at 12v. If it's pulling 6A, you should be able to run it 6PM-6AM on 200ah with no problems.

Having a large bed was one of our favorite parts. I've slept better in that bed than any other bed which was pretty incredible for the price ($167 on Amazon).

I use a "Simple Shower" that I bought through Amazon. It screws onto most water or soda bottles.

If I pull into a rest area and see a bathroom stall with a floor drain I'll take a quick 2 liter shower and then leave the stall better than I found it. (Usually after midnight, so I minimize the chances of creating any distractions for other travelers.)

I'm a girl with oily hair that has to be washed every day. This works well for me.

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Camping-Shower-Simple/dp/B00DVXXIQQ

Can't go wrong with a bucket, cheap, easy and effective, plus its always around when you need it for other things. They even make toilet seat lids for a standard 5 gal bucket to make life easy.

https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-9881-03-Luggable-5-gallon/dp/B0000B13MT

Use these

And it won’t be a bad idea to get rid of that electrical tape and use some of this.

Deosn’t have to be these exact products from the source but you het the idea.

I just installed this last weekend. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S4KXN9F?psc=1&amp;ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Worked well on conversion van pop out windows and a skylight, even with curves where I didn't put in the corner braces. Did 4 little windows with one "frame" purchased.

(Installed on inside)

Two of them would be even better

Corner Clamp,AFAKE 90 Degree Right Angle Clamp for Woodworking,Aluminum Alloy Square Clamp,Adjustable Swing Jaw,Carbon Steel Threaded Rod Wood Working Jigs for Metal Welding,Photo Frame,Cabinet,Drawer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCV3JWG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TJF2KM1FC2VBM1RAT4G8?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

I have done this! I don’t believe I have a pic of my van on here but I used the Raptor brand tintable liner. You can go to any paint store like PPG or Sherwin Williams for the automotive paint and get any color you want. I will paste a link to the stuff I used. In the pictures there’s a 1974 Chevy Van that’s painted 3 different colors, it’s mine and I left a detailed REVIEW HERE on how to use it. I’ve had it over a year and it still looks the same as the day I put it on.

If you have any questions about it I'll be more than happy to help.

Here are some IMGUR PICS of my van if you aren't able to find the ones on Amazon. I need to add my build to it but I'm kinda lazy, lol.

We have a Craftsman blower that we keep in the van. At least once a day we open all of the front, rear, side doors and just fucking blow everything away. All the cup holders, corners, seats, bed, shelves, everything. It's super powerful and works really really well. Gets rid of all the sand, crumbs, dog hair, everything. If it's not put away in it's proper spot, it's getting blown out the back door lol.

This is the stuff right here. I still have about half of what I bought and both my screens are double layered, about 50" by 55" https://www.amazon.com/Zonon-Mosquito-Barrier-Hunting-Protecting/dp/B07WWY9CC8

I'm sorry to hear about your depression and don't know about your situation, but I'm not sure this is a book you'll be able to write until you actually live in a van yourself. There's only so much info we can give you, but no amount will be as much as personal experience. Without doing that, I fear the writing will be glaringly inauthentic.

Not only would it help your writing, but it could very well help with your actual life, self esteem, etc... Again, I don't know your situation, but it seems fair to say that a large proportion of mental/emotional issues these days seems from a sense of existential meaninglessness. The cure to this is simply to create some meaning for yourself. Something to put your creativity and energy towards, ideally (perhaps even crucially) to the benefit of others. Your writing goal may be for this exact reason, but as I said it will be difficult to write this particular plot (or any plot, for that matter) without the requisite life experience to draw from.

It's a difficult process to find, build and live in a van, but it's fulfilling every step of the way and teaches you a huge amount of useful skills, gives you something to be proud of, saves you a massive amount of money, and just teaches you about life in general and the meaning of "enough".

You'll also have a lot more feedback if you come here asking for help with your own build process than just interviewing for tips. Either way, good luck with everything.

One book that might help you is Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. He was an Austrian psychologist who was able to (quite successfully) test his alternative theories of the mind on himself and others while spending many years in Nazi concentration camps. He found that essentially all our anxieties come down to a lack of meaning and are almost immediately cured by taking responsibility for ourselves and creating meaning. It's been translated into a gazillion languages and changed countless lives.

Try looking up their email address.
It could be one of a varieties of scams. It is generally advised to not give personal details and to use the system messaging.

Craigslist is reporting no errors

The most similar type of thing we have in the UK is probably something like the talbot express, which is not nearly as sexy :( https://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/talbot-express-camelot-fiat-ducato-camper-van-4-seats-low-mileage/1202567351

You could host your website on https://pages.github.com/ for free (if you decided to go that route). It's super easy to make a barebones html/css website with all the resources and templates now-a-days.

I have one of these and it's worked out great. Moved out around 3 months ago and have been living in it since with my cat. What I did is I pulled the seats and put them in storage, got a plywood sheet cut to size for around 20.00 and put four storage containers underneath and secured the plywood sheet with cable and cable camps with holes I cut through the cup holders on each side to support my bed. I use a Thermorest XTherm air mattress that retains heat when it's cold out and gives me the option to adjust stiffness in the mattress for ideal sleeping. I rigged it with blackout curtains in light gray on both sides and back and front held up with cupholder hooks and installed grommets on the curtains to prevent tearing. Here's a link to my interior with the curtains up.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO4e8ST8IpImqUJkEZY0mK-_3isgr0yJFVEdEpm8MyNMROyWS8Meo7tgt8gG6gzQw?key=OEE0UzdXeUR2SDBlVEVYSm90bU9qVy1LQUsteVhB

Pretty restful space. The pics were taken a bit over 7am and even with full daylight it's nicely dim inside. Today I went over to Home Depot and picked up a roll of reflectix and cut it to fit the windows on the sides and rear. Now that it's getting into summer I want to make sure I keep out the sun as much as possible when I can't park in mall parking garages on the really hot days.

I've actually seen some of these that have been converted to living spaces so I think people are catching on that this is a cheap way to get into vandwelling while keeping a really low profile appearance.

I'm glad it has tinted windows out of the factory, helps with keeping the heat and prying eyes out and makes it easier to rig curtains and keep them from standing out as they would if the windows weren't tinted.

The fridge doesn't even make a dent. It was rated the quietest and most efficient on Amazon (for its size and cost). We have 3 100W panels and a 100mah battery chained. I just ordered an AC unit from Walmart today so we'll see how that works out.

Here is a link to the exact fridge if anyone is wondering: Midea WHS-121LB1 Compact Single Reversible Door Refrigerator and Freezer, 3.3 Cubic Feet, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JXQ4PFS/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_G4b7yb1ZCZ4M5

Run times are less than 1 minute, and it hardly ever kicks on... Maybe twice an hour if it's shut? Not exactly sure but it's been hooked up continuously for a month and a half now and we've had no issues with it draining the battery.

That Amazon linked product has two heater elements that are 1500 watts each. You need an inverter that will provide 3600 watts, 20% more than the actual load to avoid problems. Amazon's cheapest over 3600 watt inverter is $360.

https://www.amazon.com/POTEK-5000W-Power-Inverter-Outlets/dp/B01MT76XMF/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1540938655&amp;sr=8-17&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=inverters+12+volt&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51jp-QOpmDL&amp;ref=plSrch

The 12 volt input to the inverter will be 20% more than the output to make up for loss in the inverter. To get 3600 watts at 12 volts you need 300 amps. That would seem to indicate a 300 amp hour battery. At extremely high discharge rates the Peukert effect causes a greater effect on the battery than the current might indicate. That means you need 400 amp hours.

For good battery life you should limit discharge to 50% of the battery capacity. That means you need 800 amp hours.

To get that capacity at low cost you should get 4 pairs of golf cart batteries. Sam's has them from $90 to $180 each. 8 x $90 = $720.

The solar panels to produce 300 amp hours per day will cost a small fortune. What you need depends on your latitude. 1000 watts might do it. Home depot sells a 4 pack of Grape Solar 300 watt panels for $1650.

The high voltage panels require MPPT charge controllers. Without actually researching you'll need about four $100 controllers.

That total is $3130. At Walmart a 2 burner Ozark trail brand propane stove is $30.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-2-Burner-Camp-Stove/54500726

Buy bigger wires.

You may not want to, but err on the side of caution and future-proofing.

Trust BlueSea. https://www.bluesea.com/resources/1437

EDIT: It sounds like you're expecting to be able to save money by buying the EXACT wire gauge and length you need, and probably not realizing that buying a 6 different gauges of cable is going to be more expensive than using 2 or 3 that are larger than needed in a few spots of your system. You'll end up have 6 different spools of leftover wire. I use 2G for heavy current and 10G for any other loads. You may have to adapt the device's manufacture's provided wire, which are typically the bare minimum (and often inadequate) able to handle the load in order to save money. I use terminal boards for this, but some just use butt connectors and solder/crimp them together. I like TBs because I can easily disconnect things later. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CLY5N9T)

EDIT EDIT: And yes I realize some places sell wire by the foot. You're STILL not going to save money in the long run. It's vitually impossible to get the lengths exact enough to never need to return to the store and get more wire. Then you're into wasted gas and whatnot. Don't try to be clever or reinvent the wheel. It's more costly.

If one can afford it, I would strongly recommend paying for VPN services when using any wired or wireless network you don't own/control, ensuring that your traffic is encrypted and not being intercepted by bad actors.

I use ProXPN, and it's reasonably priced. I pay for a full year at a time.

Free VPN services aren't trust-worthy.

A van (or anything else material) won't make a difference unless you start working on yourself. Sure, the wanderlust and travel will be fun for a while, but I guarantee that its really just a distraction and it'll fade. Anyone who has traveled for an extended period of time (without a specific underlying purpose to keep them going) will say this. Then you're back where you started - lacking any real meaning in life.

By all means, get a van, start living frugally, work less, do whatever else you want. But what you want and need can only be found through uncomfortable self-reflection. You need something to live for, as well as self-confidence in general.

Some other people said stuff about getting a therapist - save your money and time because you don't need one. You may feel lonely or depressed or whatever, but there's nothing wrong with you. You simply have a meaningless life (like most of us) and need to find a purpose.

My advice:

• stop looking at instagram, facebook, etc... It'll just make things worse.

• Get a van if you like - it'll save you money so you dont have to work as much and can focus on what's important. But don't expect the van itself to fix your problems.

• For that, get yourself copies of "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl and "On the Shortness of Life" by Seneca. They'll set you on the path towards self-improvement, which is really the only way to live a contented, fulfilling life.

• Start spending time alone, without cell phone, books, anything else. Just be a human. Confront your thoughts. Figure out what you need to live a good life. Forget about your own happiness and find a way to combine your skills and passions in a way that helps make a difference in the world somehow. Happiness will come automatically.

"Those who have a why to live for can bear almost any how" - Friedrich Nietzsche

Some bus dwellers made an app called US Public Lands the works quite well. It's a few bucks I think - well worth it to save you the hassle of finding places on various sites.

Here's the android link, I'm sure there's an iphone version too. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.twostepsbeyond.uspubliclands

You got health insurance ? Uninsured motorist ? Any of those ?

Depending on the severity of the impact you might have whiplash injury to the spine. Let the docs check it out. https://www.webmd.com/g00/back-pain/neck-strain-whiplash?i10c.encReferrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8%3D&amp;i10c.ua=1&amp;i10c.dv=14

Would be helpful when you post from which direction the crash did occur since both vehicles could still move - it shouldn't be to bad after all.

Start writing down what happen ! Today ! When, where, what, who, etc. You will forget half of it by tomorrow.

3. Collect Information

• Gather information from others involved in the accident.
  • Drivers and passengers: names and contact information
  • Vehicle descriptions (make, model, year)
  • Driver's license numbers
  • License plate numbers
  • Insurance companies and policy numbers
  • Eyewitnesses: names and contact information
  • Accident scene location and/or address
  • Police officer's name and badge number.
• Take photos of all vehicles involved and the accident scene, if it is safe to do so.
• Do not sign any document unless it's for the police or your insurance agent.
• Be polite, but don't tell anyone the accident was your fault, even if you think it was.

Phones and laptops don't need this much power by a longshot. My phone charger uses 5W, my Laptop 60W, so unless you are planning on powering an electric heater or a kettle, a cheap 12V Inverter like this should suffice. Just make sure to turn the engine on once in a while to get the battery to recharge, especially in rural areas. I drained my battery once this way, despite the inverter having an alarm for when the battery was close to empty.

A cheap battery gauge might help in this respect as well.

Agreed. Switched from Outback to Volvo XC70 because it's longer. Purchased baller pad to save headroom. No platform necessary.

Forecast says cat-4 at landfall. FYI---that is the same as Katrina was. Anyone saying "if you are in the path just find a parking garage and grab a bucket of water" is fucking crazy.

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/florence-strengthens-as-it-heads-for-east-coast

https://slickdeals.net/f/9903008-at-t-zte-mobley-unlimited-4g-lte-20-per-month-ymmv-like-a-hotspot

http://4gcommunity.org (Uses Sprint)

And get the Verizon unlimited phone plan, and use a tether hack to bypass the 10gb tethering limit.

Having unlimited on 3 carriers means you can pick the best one in that location. I have very little trouble running voip, video conferencing, online games, HD video streaming, etc over LTE wherever I have good signal.

The cheapest way to test it would be getting started with it would be getting a second sim with a 4g dongle from a different provider and something like https://speedify.com/ that you use with your phone and dongle.

But it's probably best to just buy a router that supports it with 2 sim, top of the line and still affordable would be Teltonika.

TL;DR: You probably don't want to mess with pissy suburbanites.

My little upscale neighborhood has legions of bored house fraus that live on nextdoor.com. If anyone parks on their street and does the window blocking thing they light that place up with "stranger danger" posts and 20 minutes later an annoyed and harassed looking cop is there rousting them along.

I'm sure a certain percentage go all curb side lawyer with the cop but they all end up motoring off.

Despite also getting "Amazon Review paralysis", decided to try one of these Weize 12V 100AH Deep Cycle AGM... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SW353M8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

After ~ 4 months a 2nd has been added to ease the anxiety of drawing it down too low

Make sure not to mistake RCA (reserve capacity amps) on chain store combination batteries for AH (amp hours) on true deep cycle batteries. The weight of an AGM battery speaks for it's real capacity.

Being unable to come to grips with the low temperature / LIFePO4 technology relationship was the deciding factor in choosing AGM.

There are these springs you can set up for this orientation of load, i'm not super familiar with them but i'm sure with some trial and error you could find something that assists without snapping.

https://www.etrailer.com/question-256435.html

ETA: you can just get the springs and barrel hinges on amazon too btw: https://www.amazon.com/Pair-Spring-Springs-Heavy-Trailer/dp/B08BG9V4H5/

Why bother buying big-brand to begin with? Alpicool has more fridge for less money, brand new, with dual zones:

https://www.amazon.com/Alpicool-Temperature-Control-Portable-Refrigerator/dp/B08GC8VW5W/

> I would like to fix the system so the van Alternator charges the deep cycle battery.

charging from the alternator

> I would also like have a switch to turn on the stereo so I can run it on the RV system, or the Ignition system when the vehicle is running.

It would be simpler to get a small radio for the RV side. I love this little booger. Also gets shortwave (strong signals at least).

I have one of these and it is great. The good thing is after you jump yourself you can just plug it into your 12v USB port and top it back off. And you can still jump other people too.

Next comes the mold! Don't use a mr. buddy heater like that. Get a chinese diesel heater, they're cheap and effective. All you need is 12 volts to run the heater it takes about 130 watts (10 amps) to run the glow plug at first, but then drops to about 20 watts of draw for the fan and pump once it's running.

The heat from these is dry, and will keep you far more comfortable. Not to mention you just fill it's fuel tank with diesel or kerosene.

https://www.amazon.com/SUPERFASTRACING-Diesel-Heater-Thermostat-Trailer/dp/B07KMPH5GN/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&amp;keywords=parking+heater+2kw&amp;qid=1614090955&amp;sr=8-5

Ink bird 12v digital and 100amp relay found on amazon/ebay

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Fahrenheit/dp/B00OXPE8U6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1484277440&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=inkbird+thermo

https://www.amazon.com/Support-Heavy-Split-Charge-Relay/dp/B012N09BFE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1484277516&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=12v+100+amp+relay

It's a telescoping from Amazon

I bought a 50000 mAh (185wh) battery pack on Amazon. Ppl will say that it's not actually 50000 mAh blah blah blah, but I'm able to charge my laptop 3 times with it. Then I just bring it to work and charge it the next day.

https://www.amazon.com/MAXOAK-50000mAh-Portable-External-Notebook-Most/dp/B00YP823NA

I got the 3W warm white pucks off amazon. I like them! These ones https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012ZOI44C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B012ZOI44C&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=java230-20&amp;linkId=2625a800161fc08a9b4b4fd88b58f3cf

That’s a foot pump that you see on many boats. I lived aboard for a while, and these are brilliant. I’m always surprised I don’t see them more in vans and tiny houses. Fully manual, no electricity needed. Search Amazon for “galley foot pump”, or go to your local chandlery (don’t go to West Marine unless you have too. They are super expensive)

Sea Dog 517060-3 Galley Foot Operated Pump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077TYBZL5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BEu1CbBST2AHA

I had this in my boat: Baby Whale Foot Pump W/Quick Connects https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXVAY2B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mGu1CbXXXFN5C

For like $20, you can set it to use a programmable external temp probe, so you can just turn it on, and let it go. Control it with the relay button then! Easy-peasy, if you're handy at all! (I haven't researched the fridge, but I'm presuming it's AC. DC is just a different relay.)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KVGWT4

EDIT: Removed probe... it comes with one.

Cabinets are the SEKTION line from Ikea, all reinforced with 3/4" ply. Handles are from Amazon.

Public wifi is in general not very secure. It isn't a main concern for businesses. If you are truly worried, disabling all local network sharing on your PC and tunneling through a VPN will provide some extra security. I pay $6/mo for Private Internet Access(a company)

This seems to me to be a very common mindset these days and it breaks my heart. Boredom and aimlessness is arguably worse than misery or suffering, because at least those recognize there's a problem and thus have a conception of what is worthwhile.

Furthermore, travel won't, in and of itself, fix anything - wherever you go, there you are.

Check out Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl and On the Shortness of Life by Seneca. Both available online for free.

OBD 2 is great.

I bought a $10 OBD 2 Bluetooth adapter that plugs into my van and it connects to my cell phone using the "Torque" app.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque

It shows real-time and average MPG.

OBD 2 is only on 1996 and newer vans.

I work on a desk that I can adjust the table height and seat recline:

https://www.notion.so/vanlifecoder/Work-Area-743c3bf97158489cb6fc46022b405589

I hear the rock climbing tip I bouldered all of 2020 will probably jump back into it

Coverings for your windows for privacy - from the inside, roll window down, loop end over top of car door, back inside, roll up window and close door. Large towels or curtains work. Sheet or small blanket, stick it down in the plastic liner seal along the top.

NUWAVE PIC.

THIS litter - we no longer have our cat but we did during 11 mos living out of our Expedition. Our cat had a ridiculously strong spray even after he was fixed and no litter worked at all. I was changing it every day and the box, nothing worked. It was horrendous.

I was broke as hell one day but we were out of litter and I saw a bag for 99c at Walmart. I blew it off as useless - nothing that cheap would work...but the 99c litter was curious so I bought a bag and tried it out. It turned out to be the best litter I've ever found. It really covered the smell completely, it lasted way longer and was affordable enough to pick up a couple bags at a time for the month.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kitty-Diggin-s-Fragrance-Free-Cat-Litter-7-lb/21268937

Read the reviews - this works...and while this link shows 2 bucks, in our neck of the woods it was 99c - you might can find it that price in a smaller city or town. We kept the litter box in the vehicle and it was perfect. No smell. It really was awesome.

BOX. Box = cat. Every time. Find a small cozy kind of box, put a blanket in, put it on the floor on one side and if possible, the water/food on the other side in another box lined with plastic in case of spills.

If you're in an area the cat can roam, let it go outside to use the bathroom - free. We also were surprised to discover - when we ran out and before I found the above litter, that in a pinch, fill the litter box with sand or light weight dirt...they will use it and cover it up as usual. Keep track of when it usually goes to the bathroom and let it out about those times...then use the 99c litter as a back up. No smell. Money saved. Happy cat gets to be a cat.

>The sticker could be stealth

Trace the letters "RT" in the surface dirt on lower left corner of the rear of the vehicle, at about the same level as the license plate.

The letters "RT" stand for "rubber tramp".

Simple, subtle, looks like the work of some kid, and gives the whole thing a hobo symbol vibe.

Most vandwellers shower frequently.

There are several 24 Hour Fitness gyms in the Portland, Oregon area.

A 2-year membership is available for $369 which is only $15 per month:

http://www.costco.com/24-Hour-Fitness-2-year-ALL-CLUB-SPORT-Membership-E-Certificate.product.100070476.html

For vandwellers who consider themselves to be "homeless", Portland has a new daytime resource center with free showers:

http://www.homeforward.org/development/property-developments/bud-clark-commons