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  1. tamino

    How I use those window vent shades for ventilation, but *using no adhesives*

    I have been using this technique for the last year and it has served me well, so I figured I would share it. Like many of us, I use a Wave 3 propane heater in my van, and it requires ventilation. I don't have any roof fans (and for my personal reasons don't really want them) but this is how I am...
  2. tamino

    How I developed some intuition about how much oxygen a Wave 3 consumes

    The Wave 3 heater comes with both a paper instruction manual, and also a printed label stuck to the unit itself. Both have guidance about ventilation requirements. Some of it is ambiguous depending on how you read it. Some of it is phrased in language like "It is good practice to..." At first I...
  3. tamino

    Belated hello... and a vehicle-choice conundrum.

    I actually really like the feeling of being... cradled in a place where I am absolved of the responsibility of trying to figure out what the random sounds I hear are. It's a comforting feeling. I am safe in my little hole, I don't have to change anything or be anything or figure anything out. I...
  4. tamino

    What worked for me: adjusting the mirrors on Chevy Express

    No guarantees that this way of doing it will work for anyone else, or on anyone else's vehicle. Everyone should of course use their own best judgment about their own mirrors. But the following is a record of my own journey in learning to adjust mine. I was used to driving a regular car before...
  5. tamino

    How to build it right, the FIRST time!

    One of the things I didn't anticipate until I actually got my van (Chevy Express) was just how curved the sides are. I was thinking of everything in terms of rectangles. I knew the measurements... but I was assuming (naively) that I would have that many square feet, extending in a straight line...
  6. tamino

    What replaces oil?

    I tried this. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to be using the regular (sweetened) kind. The unsweetened kind was sweeter than I was expecting. Apples aren't even that sweet! Go figure. I had to add almonds (not shown in the picture) in order for my brain to perceive it as something tasty and...
  7. tamino

    What replaces oil?

    That's another good idea!! When balsamic vinegar gets that thick and viscous, it sticks to the leaves all by itself. So I think that satisfies all the criteria I listed, too.
  8. tamino

    What replaces oil?

    I think if you were to buy fat-free dressing at the store, they'd use carrageenan instead of the oil, but I didn't suggest that at first because -- yeah -- it doesn't really fit in the same category as all the rest of the stuff in your picture. (All good stuff!!) My feeling is that salad...
  9. tamino

    What replaces oil?

    First reaction when I read this: Shucks, a little oil never hurt anybody. :-) Second reaction: what if you switched to a creamy style instead? something based on yogurt? Third reaction: Applesauce. You can get applesauce in an unsweetened variety where it's just the natural sweetness of the...
  10. tamino

    Options for maintaining car insurance with no physical address

    Me! I can't speak for the OP. What I am expecting to accomplish is: 1. mailing address can be truly permanent, domicile address may change. I expect to still have the same Escapees mailing address in 10 or 20 years. Who knows if I will want to be domiciled in Maryland for that long, or if I'll...
  11. tamino

    Are vans even close to being a viable option at campgrounds / RV parks? (esp. on the east coast)

    From the research I've done so far: yes, some of them do close down, and there are certainly fewer amenities available like showers. And some of the ones that are year-round, are also the more expensive ones per-night. I'm counting on the fact that there are also fewer people who want to camp...
  12. tamino

    Maryland domicile: not so great, but here's what I went with

    I'm trying to document the process I go through trying to get this stuff started in Maryland, since I don't usually see much about the east coast and I'd like to at least make sure that the next person who does a forum search for "Maryland domicile" has at least something to go based on. For...
  13. tamino

    Are vans even close to being a viable option at campgrounds / RV parks? (esp. on the east coast)

    So, ok, I'm being careful about what I post on this thread because I know the mods want things to stay strictly on topic. Anything relating to actually what I'm doing with the van I bought, I might post about in a different thread. This one, I will keep for stuff related to "van vs travel...
  14. tamino

    Are vans even close to being a viable option at campgrounds / RV parks? (esp. on the east coast)

    I was looking at Boondockers Welcome earlier today actually. I think maybe there's some strategy here like: Identify a cheap campground in an inconvenient location, that's always gonna have space and that I can always use as a fallback. Then try to opportunistically spend as much of the time as...
  15. tamino

    Are vans even close to being a viable option at campgrounds / RV parks? (esp. on the east coast)

    Thanks everyone for the suggestions and ideas. I picked out a 21' travel trailer I wanted, but I needed a vehicle to tow it, so I bought a truck, and now that I have the truck, I was going to go buy the trailer I had chosen, except now I've hit a new wrinkle: Apparently all the private...
  16. tamino

    Are vans even close to being a viable option at campgrounds / RV parks? (esp. on the east coast)

    Karleesto, yes, I've been finding similar stuff, and thanks for letting me know the same thing from a different angle. I think all the resources for stealth parking you see on the web are probably 100% correct, for folks in the west, especially the southwest. I'm sure nobody wants "the knock on...
  17. tamino

    A de-lurk, and hoping to verify a couple of assumptions

    Thanks to all who replied here too. I want to respect what the moderators pointed out about how this probably wasn't the most appropriate forum to post this in! But I appreciate everyone's thoughts, especially the general sense I've been getting from folks that maybe I discounted stealth parking...
  18. tamino

    Are vans even close to being a viable option at campgrounds / RV parks? (esp. on the east coast)

    I'm absorbing everyone's replies. Thanks to all! WanderingRose, thank you for the pointer to AllStays. Having one "reasonably complete" place to check is a lot easier than having four or five less-complete ones. It helps. Jim D, working nights does sound attractive. I think I'd be way less...
  19. tamino

    A de-lurk, and hoping to verify a couple of assumptions

    OK. Thanks to you both. Tx2sturgis, I posted on the Vans board and it's totally fine with me if you want to delete this post! Bullfrog, what that is making me think is, I should renew my lease on my apartment for 6 months, and try the van thing, but not "all at once", more "a little at a time...
  20. tamino

    Are vans even close to being a viable option at campgrounds / RV parks? (esp. on the east coast)

    Hi! I'm very new at this. I'm still in an apartment right now, but trying to figure out how I can make this work. I don't have the ideal lifestyle for being able to go out to someplace remote for 3-4 weeks at a time. I'm not retired, and my employer wants people in the office physically 3 days...
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