For the vandweller on a really, really, really tight budget...
This guy made a travel camper out of election campaign signs (finally they were put to good use) that he can pull with his bike. Yes, it crunches "minimalist" to its limits, but it definitely shows the nomad mentality of what do...
K... I guess it all depends on the kind you have. I know my cheapy propane burner is definitely not approved for indoor use; I wouldn't trust it. But if yours is good enough, rock on. One less piece of equipment taking up space.
Does absorptive material act as a moisture buffer? I know a lot of people prefer all smooth surfaces inside for cleanliness and odor control, but it seems to me that would be a lot of surface for condensation to collect on. Maybe go the tapestry route, with fabric hangings on the walls that...
Do you mean using the cookstove burner as a heat source? If so, that sounds like a really bad idea. An open-flame cooker is a very inefficient burn with lots of CO. In an enclosed space... yikes. In a well ventilated van you can get away with the brief times needed for cooking, but the...
LOL I remember the Mythbusters where Jamie and Adam teamed up with Alton Brown to cook a complete multi-course thanksgiving dinner in the engine compartment & exhaust system of Jamie's convertible. Came out a success, except the gravy was way too thin since it was cooked in a closed container...
How much tilt is necessary to show a significant power gain? I drew up a 2-axis mount that could allow the panels to be tilted in both side-to-side and front-to-back directions (to accommodate times when choices in parking orientation are limited.) Basically the simple tilt frame johnny...
Solar panels, yeah, but rooftop vents... maybe not so much. I've seen plenty of work trucks that have fans and vents installed because they operate mobile shops in them (locksmiths are the first example that come to mind) or carry a lot of paints/solvents/whatever that generate fumes.
Best reviews I've read were for Monstaliner. It's a liquid truck-bed liner that doesn't have to be sprayed; you can roll or brush it on. Tough as nails and looks good; comes in a lot of colors and it doesn't have crumb-rubber in it like some other brands so it goes on more even and smooth...
Yeah that makes sense; didn't think of that. Most break-ins are goal-oriented, not just malicious fun... if they break a window, they're gonna break the one that yields the best return for the least work.
I wonder about windows not from a stealth perspective so much as security... has anyone had their van windows smashed by thieves or vandals?
Insulation and blackout can be addressed internally with panels so no problem there; I'm just concerned with having structural weak spots in the shell...
As for painting the windows, if I had windows I wanted to block out I'd suggest painting them with Plasti-Dip, then if you change your mind or sell the van you'd have a light-tight paint job you could cleanly peel off of the glass in one sheet. On YouTube I see videos of people painting their...
While Bozos and finger-pointers will exist in every demographic, I would think that a people whose lifestyles are based on self-reliance would be overall more conscientious of their own personal responsibility. Or at least open to the possibility that "Maybe the problem here was YOU" when...
I've seen some decent deals on larger vans but often they're conversion or passenger vans with tons of windows. I see this as a liability in several areas -- insulation, stealth, and security. There's a lot of shops out there that will open up a van's panels and install windows, but does...
Microgreens are pretty simple as long as you're not trying for anything really exotic. Lots of dense nutritional content and a LOT more flavor than sprouts. Safer, too.
While I certainly wouldn't try to use it as a substitute for eating real food, I can see its value as a supplement to stretch out food stores in emergencies or as an "extender" when on the road and unable to prepare a full meal. It's just a sport shake.
And people, please, enough with the "I...
Seems to me any marking would be detrimental to stealth... any identifying features that stand out can be remembered. The Grey Man is featureless and passes out of people's memory as soon as he passes.
The ultimate technology would be the SEP Field (it was in one of Douglas Adams'...
OAI -- The key to efficient heating is concentrate on heating the person, not the air. Have you researched thermal mass at all? Back in the middle ages caravan travellers had something called the "iron pig", a large sealed black iron container full of oil that they heated in the fire and kept...