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I got the valves fixed, the mechanic also spotted a loose vacuum hose that the dealer service center didn't tell me, that could have been the cause on its own. I tried doing the drive test today but I couldn't get the evap monitor to complete the testing (but every other monitor finished...

A mechanic told me that California has the toughest requirements.  I don't know a whole lot about other states though.

My 2000 Ford E-150 Conversion van (bought in 2013) can't pass smog because of a broken evap system, I paid $260 to the dealer for an inspection and they told me about the vent valve and the purge valve needing replacement.  The dealer was going to charge me $720 but I felt it was too high and I...

Would waterproof duct tape be good enough to tape down a flexible solar panel? Also, there's still the issue of getting the cord inside the van...

Anyone coming know how to cut through fiberglass? I've always needed a window or hatch or something to let off heat in much of the year.

The Renogy looks nice but unfortunately I spend most of my time in cities. If not solar then probably the only thing I can do is route power from the alternator or battery into a second battery.

I have a high top conversion van that has a fiberglass roof and a fancy roof inside (that is separate from the fiberglass roof.) I'm wondering if it's worth it to try to get some help and go through the hassle of trying to install one of the larger (but better value) solar panels on top. My...

And a few more notes on conversion vans: As much as it sucks for me to find a parking garage that allows me to park a high top conversion van inside, the high top IMO is worth it as it makes the space feel a lot bigger and much more like a liveable space. If your looking to buy a conversion...

I'd add one: - Get a van that doesn't have the paint worn down. You can have the shine restored via detailer, but it will get bad easily again, vs a van that still has a good paint job. Getting a good paint job done is expensive, likely more than the cost of the van. I did that tradeoff to...

^ Seems that the gallon is a better value at $25 online compared to the 32 oz bottles which could be $15 at truck stops. I have a conversion van with a high top, my only guess is the weight of the high top, a marine battery, and possibly the bed as putting significant weight on the van...

^ I've used that occasionally, I don't really see a difference in mpg. I was driving a mix of highway and street and downtown streets in San Diego, got 10 mpg average. I was also in L.A, so having to deal with traffic drives the mpg way down. L.A. traffic lights don't usually have a left turn...

I'm still trying to figure out why I get such poor MPG in the city (about 9 mpg) on a 2000 Ford E150 van (with a 5.4L V8 engine) that's rated at 13 mpg city / 18 mpg highway. The thing is that I do get about 17 to 18 mpg on the highway, so the highway mpg matches the ratings. My opinion is...

Doing mechanical work is not childs play, it's more complicated and hinges more on skill than anyone alone could do. Also, I don't want to work on my vehicle only to screw something up and have it towed to a mechanic to fix things, or worse, have something fail on me when I'm driving because I...

I was looking at how much of my money actually goes to the technician who is doing the work. In a dealer that charges $105 to $120 an hour, the actual technician is really only getting maybe $20 an hour. So the rest is fluff, goes toward the company for operating expenses and profit.

I wish someone would've told me that BEFORE I bought my van. I kinda miss cardwelling in my Honda CRV.

I can never seem to find a reliable mechanic. I've gotten burned at least with smaller mechanics ever since I bought my van (before on my Honda I'd have everything done in the dealer, and it was very reliable.) For instance, I had a mechanic that was referred from churchgoers from my mom's...

I'm still resistent to having to do this, but I didn't prepare because I didn't know I'd be hit with such taxes. I bought my van last year but haven't gone vandwelling yet. I move to California (to move my mom and sister out of Arizona) and we move pretty far from the Arizona border (650...

I think one should assume that the most hostile environments for vandwelling are where people are more invested in something. We have to assume that property owners, being permanent residents that pay property taxes and vote, will always have a lot more power and respect than us. We should...

It seems that Van Tramp has plenty of reasons to hate California, but these reasons are based on personal experience for the most part. It doesn't mean that everyone's experience is the same. For that matter, I had a mysterious gastrointestinal illness, I was suffering with it for months in...

Actually there are reasons beyond cost savings why I'm into van dwelling. First is that a part of my spirit is rebellious. I just don't want a society that doesn't deserve respect to have control over me. Neither society nor anyone who I live with. If I want to live in an apartment, it's my...