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Any type of tool or insurance or safeguard--and a water filter is all three--will be seen by some as necessary to secure and maintain, and by others as an unnecessary luxury, even an odd encumbrance. Some carry weapons, others say, "I've been walking the mean streets for 47 years, and I've...

Thanks Curtis and idn88 for your responses. Yes, I'll keep in mind the better diagnostic abilities mechanics have with vehicles '96 and on, and the distinction between whether I'm planning to drive a lot or more or less live out of it while staying fairly local. (As to gut feeling and intuition...

Thank you Van-Tramp, Willy, and Slowday for your responses. <br><br>I will, indeed, get a pre-purchase inspection on any vehicle I'd buy...and for this vehicle&nbsp;there aren't records or receipts for the maintenance or repairs...and I'll also keep in mind the likelihood of long idling hours...

Thank you for the feedback so far, Kayaker, Fantym1, Avidcamper, Slowday, Zil, and Yesican. <br><br>And yeah, the video shows the exact "nightmare" scenario of buying an old vehicle and depending on it in far-away places...even when everything seemed to have been lining up&nbsp;just right in the...

A little background: Today I went to see a&nbsp; 2001 Ford 15 passenger 350 (extended)&nbsp;van, which looked good outside and inside...but it had 206K on the odometer.<br><br>The guy was ready to sell it to me for $3,500. I was excited.<br><br>But I spoke with my "practical" uncle, and he said...

Thank you Sunny for the mushroom book recommendation, and for the additional pictures.<br><br>And thank you Sheryl for the info. on roses and the list of edibles, etc.<br><br>I've been sick with one of those winter chest/head colds/bronchitis, so am mostly hunkered down waiting for it to take...

Sunny, thanks for posting those pictures. There's nothing quite like a big color photo to learn from. <br><br>By the way, this past spring I tried henbit for the first time, and found it tasty with a nutty/greens flavor. Just a couple of weeks ago I chewed on some ripe hips of a wild rose bush...

Update: 'Just got back from seeing the vehicle (in person), and there was prominent rust on too many places inside and outside the van--plus obvious signs of water damage to walls, celing, doors, etc. <br /><br />So I won't be getting that van. But it was a good learning opportunity to directly...

Thank you Living Free, Bruce, and Lifey, for your thoughts and suggestions. <br /><br />I agree that offering 2,000 cash would be a fair and respectful offer, and worth seeing if the seller would accept.<br /><br />On the mechanic thing: Undoubtedly, you're right, getting it checked by a...

Hi everyone,<br /><br />I'd like to call upon your collective wisdom in helping me think about this van. It's a 1994 Chevy, high roof, with only 75,000 miles. (I don't yet know if it's a 1 ton or 3/4 ton.) Supposedly the engine and transmission are in good condition. I do want the high roof, and...

Area51: I add my voice to those of others extending to you and your wife our deep condolences. <br /><br />In the close aftermath of such a loss, no words can make much of a difference in speeding up the healing that can only come slowly with time. But it can't hurt to&nbsp;know that&nbsp;your...

Caseyc: Thanks for the idea of using a small coffee maker to heat water. I, too, was wondering how to get hot water with relatively low electricity drain.

Bob, thanks for sharing the benefit of your experience.&nbsp;When I do manage to break away I may very well follow your example of snowbirding,&nbsp;so&nbsp;what you've found to work&nbsp;will&nbsp;be important for me to keep in mind.&nbsp;

sl1966:&nbsp;'Never did trust them squirrels. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

TKK: Thanks for the links. Yes, from what I've been reading...even when canned food is less tasty, it doesn't mean it's necessarily lost nutrition value, and even when it's less nutritious in some respects, it doesn't necessarily mean it's spoiled or bad to eat. I appreciate your responses...

sl1966: 'Appreciate the additional idea of a frozen gel pack (presumably in the cooler). I'm sure there's a way to make&nbsp;that work, though I'd&nbsp;be a bit concerned about introducing extra moisture to the equation...though the gel pack is far better than ice, of course, for that reason.<br...

Audoni, yes, that's a good point: If a vent with a fan were installed, and&nbsp;set up to run even when I wasn't in the van, that could be a big part of the solution. Thanks. I imagine having a solar setup to run the fan would work.<br /><br />Rollin, I apprecite your input: Yes, I'd also read...

Good tip, sl1966, I guess I could get an extra cooler or two (as space allows) and use, without ice, for food storage. It would prevent rapid temperature changes, and would also help&nbsp;keep out bugs and rodents from the boxed potato flakes, etc.

VanGirl and TKK, thanks for the responses. <br /><br />VanGirl: To clarify a bit further: Though I admire those with homesteading skills, and&nbsp;if I were to keep a house I'd want to know how to independently preserve food, at this point I'm not practiced with canning/bottling my own food, and...

Hi everyone,<br /><br />Does anyone have experience with storing food in their van-home? <br /><br />I don't mean food that needs to be kept cold. I mean things like canned chicken, canned vegetables, or boxes of instant mashed potatoes, etc.<br /><br />Did the extreme heat of summer in the...