Comfort and Convenience and the lifestyle, my way.

[wrcsixeight]

I chose to become a Van Dweller 11+ years ago, &nbsp;but there were certainly times since where not being one was not an option either. &nbsp;Now I am kind of spoiled, as I find the notion of paying rent for a stick and brick dwelling to be unthinkable. &nbsp;Sure there are some conveniences I miss, like a steamy hot shower whenever, a very nearby flushing toilet or having a couch, some place for friends to crash when they come into town, but the rest of it has fallen over the precipice into the ridiculous for me.<br><br>Working to just to pay somebody else's mortgage, or finance their keeping up with the Jonses' lifestyle? &nbsp;No thanks.<br>Working just to pay the power company?<br>The water company?<br>The Cable company?<br>Renter's insurance?<br>Just to have a place to display my Stuff, a location to place newly acquired stuff? &nbsp;Ever see that George Carlin Skit on having Stuff?<br><br><br><br>Somebody has to fund the consumer economy. &nbsp;Not me. &nbsp;Let the Jonses' and those trying to keep up with them do that.<br><br>Roomates!!! &nbsp;I still shudder at the thought of my last Roommate. &nbsp;I lasted all of 2 months before I got another storage unit and moved back into my Van. &nbsp;Just made my decision, &nbsp;put my prorated portion of the rent on the coffee table and was gone with all my stuff in an hour, and was hundreds of miles away the next day.<br><br>While there are certainly Negatives to this lifestyle, no point in dwelling on those. &nbsp;I am rather amazed how much comfort and convenience I am able to carry with me in my Van. &nbsp;I love being able to go park next to the ocean in the morning, having everything with me I could possibly need, with a million dollar view to boot and stay though the sunset, saltwater in my sinuses.<br><br>Here's some things that make me comfortable in my rolling Man Cave.<br><br>Mechanical soundness:<br><br> &nbsp;I've owned this Van Since June 2001, and went from paying a Dodge dealer to check the oil pressure in '01, to being able to diagnose wiring issues, or replacing interior engine components like a camshaft. &nbsp;The Only thing on this Van that has not been rebuilt are the rear leaf springs, and they are now supplemented with airbags. &nbsp;I have confidence I will either be able to most fix things myself, or prevent any disasters from happening through awareness. &nbsp;Last thing I paid to have done by others was to have new bearings put into a junkyard acquired rear Axle, in '08. &nbsp;Well, I had new tires mounted too, and an alignment done after I rebuilt the entire front suspension myself.<br><br>The Electrical system. &nbsp;Sure when I started out I used a headlamp under my covers to read a book and a cooler under my bed, and that was all that was needed, but .... Well you know the butt's.<br>&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;2 house batteries below my floor with 198 watts of solar to feed them with battery monitor to see where they are at.<br>Upgraded alternator charging circuit for minimum recharging times to ~80% SOC.<br>8 ciggy plug receptacles wired with 10awg to a fuse block in addition to other higher power connectors distributed around the interior.<br>All LED interior lighting, some retrofit bulbs, some fixtures designed around LED's<br>13 inch TV and High Gain homemade Antenna which attaches to spare tire carrier and exceeds 12 foot tall.<br>Wifi Antenna on roof.<br>Rarely used 800 watt inverter.<br>12 volt on Demand water pump.<br>++** 12V DC compressor fridge **++ &nbsp;This is the big convenience, comfort bonus. &nbsp;I did the cooler thing with block ice for 6+ years. 1 years worth of block ice and the gas to go get it every 4 to 5 days, cost more than a 12 volt Fridge. &nbsp;Not dealing with cooler water infiltrating ziplock baggies of perishables....priceless.<br>Modern Sony Stereo with MP3 input jack. &nbsp;6x9 Kenwoods in the front doors and some homemade speaker enclosures &nbsp;hanging in the rear corners. The speakers themselves were pilfered from an old portable stereo wasting space in my storage unit. Sounds surprisingly good. &nbsp;A remote is Key. &nbsp;Changing volume from the back, or the campfire, is a huge bonus. &nbsp;I can easily plug my TV or laptop into the Stereo. &nbsp;Streaming movies laying in bed with a crisp sound system is way beyond reading a book below the covers, &nbsp;and well beyond my first 12 volt 4 inch b&amp;W TV I bought, in '03. &nbsp;The rear speakers are movable, upto 20 feet from the Van, for placing next to the campfire without disturbing others, or using more battery power than needed for amplification purposes.<br><br>Ventilation:<br>Many Computer Muffin Fans and variable speed ones at that. &nbsp;Intake, roof exhaust, interior circulation, I can turn my Van into a wind tunnel and not consume too many amps to do so. I can cook pasta inside in most weather without fogging the windows. &nbsp;With my custom made reflectix tightly fitted window shades in the front windows, and fans on, and white paint job, My lightly insulated interior will only exceeds ambient temperatures late afternoon, even in sweltering summer heat and sun angles. &nbsp;Up until 2 pm or so it remains cooler inside than out. &nbsp;This is without doors or windows opened, just the small screened slider open on one side, fans on. &nbsp;No flying insects get inside.<br><br>All my fan switches are reachable from my bed. I can also switch my inverter off and on from bed for when I am using a heating pad on my sore &nbsp;neck or back and do not want to get out of bed to shut it off. &nbsp;I have 3 ciggy plug outlets accessible from bed as well as a 120v household outlet.<br><br>The Throne:<br>My third captain's chair swivels freely. &nbsp;My front two captains chairs have well lubricated swivel bases too. &nbsp;From my third chair I do everything. &nbsp;Cook, clean, work, hang my pecker into my P bottle, you name it, I can, and do do it in my third chair. &nbsp;Right now I am sitting in the throne, my bare feet are elevated on my mattress, under my covers. &nbsp;The mattress heating pad is on low. &nbsp;Above my Laptop rests my TV. &nbsp;It is on a triple hinging 4 foot long Oak Swing arm whose main pivot point is near the back of the Van. &nbsp;I can angle and position the TV/DVD player in almost any orientation in a 4 foot radius. &nbsp; I can lay in bed and on the roof above me, is the TV. &nbsp;I have a locked driving position for it as well that keeps it out of the way and safe. I have a cord to attach it to my Stereo when desired, located on the swing arm, paralleling the RG-6 co axial and power cables.<br><br>Cooking/kitchen/Washing/Hygiene:<br><br>Over my fridge, I have a 'cutting board' &nbsp;made of 1/2 inch 11 layer quality &nbsp;sealed plywood which slides out over my thighs when sitting in the throne, and recesses fully. &nbsp;Very convenient for all sorts of different uses. &nbsp;I keep one of those thin plastic flexible cutting boards on it. &nbsp;It slides back with the plywood itself. &nbsp;While I used to have a dual burner Coleman stove, I found I rarely needed two burners, and storing the stove when not in use was a PITA. &nbsp;Some travelling Australians gave me their single burner stove which rests on the little green bottle on their way out of Baja, and I found it much more to my liking. &nbsp;It rests on the floor, under my roof vents when in use, though I am on the second replacement of the gifted stove. &nbsp;The newest model has a spark start I am very happy with. &nbsp;Very good simmering abilities too.<br>&nbsp; &nbsp; A small cast iron Skillet about 6" diameter is one of the best gifts I've ever received. &nbsp;After cooking something, I pour a teaspoon of salt into it and wipe it clean with a Napkin. &nbsp;Most other utensils get wiped of food with a tortilla and then a napkin wetted in 91% rubbing alcohol. &nbsp;My water in my 7 gallon tank is filtered drinking water. &nbsp;I do not wash with it. <br><br>The rubbing alcohol is one of the better Van dweller accoutrements. &nbsp;I use it to sterilize my cutting board, kitchen knife, hands, Apples, P bottle mouth, remotes, laptop buttons, cell phone. &nbsp; Hand Sanitizer is great as well. &nbsp;Wet naps have been replaced with hand sanitizer and napkins in my world and there is no going back.<br><br>I long ago found Napkins go much further than paper towels. &nbsp;I buy a 500 pack of Napkins for $3.50 and get around a month out of them. &nbsp;I tape over one edge of the packet, so the original plastic wrapping cannot tear, and cut a slit which acts nicely as a dispenser. &nbsp;As the amount inside diminishes I push the napkins forward in the container, and use a paper clamp to keep the pressure on them so they dispense one at a time. &nbsp;I rest these on one of my surfboards I have strapped to my ceiling and works nicely as a shelf.&nbsp;<br><br>&nbsp;If I need to use water for washing dishes, I use my SunShower bag hanging on the front passenger seat, though I can store it behind my sink lid as well. &nbsp;I have a round pan originally designed to catch used motor oil. &nbsp;This simple piece of plastic is overwhelmingly useful. &nbsp;I still use it for its intended original purpose, but also when properly cleaned it is a dishpan, or a wetsuit holder, and I will stand inside of it when removing my wetsuit in a sandy parking lot after a surf session. &nbsp;I made a special wetsuit hanger and have a hook to hang it, and then place this tray under the dripping wetsuit. &nbsp;I will direct a fan onto the suit as well. &nbsp;I've also been known to place this pan under my sink drain. &nbsp;I've driven over it twice now. &nbsp;It is creased, but still holding up like a champ. &nbsp;I think it is as old as my ownership of the van.<br><br>Speaking of the Sunshower, it is a quality one with a screw cap. &nbsp;I will place it on my Black Dashboard and it warms up nicely and fairly quickly if the sun angle is right, and I park so that it usually is. I can also hang it in front of the side windows, or even back window for heating, but the dashboard is preferable. &nbsp;If the sun has not been adequate, I will heat up water over my stove and use a funnel and a coffee cup to refill the bag with heated water until it is 95 to 105 degrees F for when I desire a good hot shower.<br><br>After Surfing, I have a hook on my fiberglass roof &nbsp;over my side doors to hang the shower bag. &nbsp;I can also bungee my side barn doors together to form a shower stall for when a full,semi private soaping of all crevices is called for, but rarely do this.<br><br>The barn doors have shelves that can swing out, though I have not used them for years in this purpose. &nbsp;Mostly they are now for keeping the contents of the doors inside, as I use them for storage.<br><br>I have a sink with a 99 cent store dish rack in my sink that fits nearly perfectly. &nbsp;The drain just lets loose to the ground below, but rarely do I use the drain. &nbsp;Mostly the sink is a depression for storage or for filling a water bottle, as the faucet is low. &nbsp;The single burner stove fits nicely inside the sink. I do actually let washed dishes air dry in the sink.<br><br>I usually buy a 3 pack of scrubbie sponges at the 99 cent store. &nbsp;I will cut each sponge into thirds and if i do not want to waste the water rinsing them when they are older.&nbsp;<br><br>The Bed:<br><br>I have a 48" x 65" x 5" medium firm mattress with a tight fitting denim cover over it. &nbsp;I have 2 sets of fitted sheets for it, and a 12 volt mattress heating pad pinned to it in the winter time. It is very comfortable. &nbsp;It rests on a flat plywood platform designed for maximum storage underneath.<br>2 large sliding plywood boxes fit tightly below the bed. &nbsp;One houses all my hand tools and spares. The other is a food storage box. &nbsp; I keep them from sliding forward under braking with a long Hardwood wedge &nbsp;inbetween the boxes to press them firmly against the &nbsp;attached wheel well storage boxes. &nbsp;The platform above them is removable with 4 screws. &nbsp;I can then slid in 4x8 sheets of plywood, but the interior contents need to be unloaded. &nbsp;As this is not convenient, I made some removable feet to add to my roof to carry sheets of plywood &nbsp;securely without damaging the solar panels.<br><br>The Bed platform has 2 Piano hinges across its 42" width &nbsp;Leading or trailing edges are re enforced with oak or Angle iron. &nbsp;These panels tilt up front or back or both at once for better access to things underneath. &nbsp;I employ various methods for holding them upright I won't go into here. &nbsp;I also have a method to hold just the mattress up to allow the underside to dry out or to use the platform as a work table. &nbsp;This &nbsp;hinged platform rests on some storage boxes I built over the wheel well mounds. &nbsp;They have removable access hatches, and are painted white inside as are the sliding boxes to keep contents from successfully hiding for too long, though they try their damnedest. &nbsp;The back of the hinged portion of the bed can be raised vertically or any angle between for more storage behind/ under, or just for a backrest if the bed is to be used as a sofa, though this is rare, and 3 large Adults using it as a backrest would no doubt cause something to give with possibly disastrous results. The mattress also does not like to bend to the backrest and would try to to slide forward with no one on top.<br><br>The cabinet which houses my Fridge and electronics, behind my driver's seat also contains more removable boxes for storage, and a narrow closet to hang clothes. &nbsp;These compartments lock. &nbsp;Under this cabinet I have a hatch through the steel floor where my batteries reside inside a steel enclosure open on 2 sides. &nbsp;Not the easiest place to check the water level, but no longer having them inside the living compartment was one of the best upgrades I have done. &nbsp; &nbsp;Next to the sink, I have a removable wooden hinging locking laptop enclosure, and two sliding junk drawers underneath that. &nbsp;Total height about 7 inches. &nbsp;These drawers are just mounted on felt pads and slide easily and get an overwhelming amount of use. &nbsp;I use a little wooden wedge between these drawers to lock them &nbsp;under the laptop compartment, though they could not slide off the countertop completely without being lifted upwards 1 inch first.<br><br>There is a window behind this cabinet, the regular type of conversion van window with the sliding lower window. &nbsp;I riveted some louvered vents over the frame of this opening window and painted them black. &nbsp;I used the old sofa bed actuator motor and rigged it so it can open or close this window via the original switch that I can reach from the driver's seat. &nbsp;Everything about the fridge portion of this cabinet is all about maximizing the insulation of the fridge walls while also making sure that cold air is sucked from below, through the condenser once, then &nbsp;across the compressor and controller, and then out the window, or into the next compartment in cooler weather, for maximum efficiency. &nbsp;The next compartment also has a low power fan to exhaust this condenser heat or heat from the electronic portion of the cabinet, or just radiated heat from the tinted window, painted black inside.<br><br>The driver's seat area and dashboard has a few added bells and whistles. &nbsp;I removed the useless Ammeter and installed a tachometer (rpm gauge) in its place. &nbsp;I have various switches for added fog lights pointing forward, and backwards to aid backing up. &nbsp;I've added a mechanical oil pressure gauge as the stock one is little more accurate than an idiot light, and probably less effective in the event of sudden oil pressure loss. &nbsp;My original gauge still works, as does the idiot light, but it is very slow and imprecise if not outright inaccurate a good portion of the time. I added another Ciggy plug outlet up here, and switches for 2 more muffin fans by the feet, to aid in summertime airflow, or to aid the just drying of my hanging wetsuit. &nbsp;Also a higher power &nbsp;quick connector for my Air compressor, or even my portable battery charger, anything upto 25 amps. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>I made a new lighting center up front out of Walnut. &nbsp;This has various LED lights, Some of them red for minimal nighttime interference, some dim ones which turn on with the doors, and some very bright adjustable ones too. &nbsp;I made an Oak enclosure for a movable task light, on a goose neck attached to a 2 inch Steel spring clamp with padded feet. &nbsp;While it originally supported incandescent bulbs and reflectors, it now houses some powerful &nbsp;MR-11 LEDS and is an excellent task light I can clamp wherever needed and equivalent to 2 20 watt halogen bulbs(bright!). &nbsp;Aimed at my white roof and it is an excellent ambient light. &nbsp;Most of my other LED lights are more like weak reading lights or very localized task lights. &nbsp;I do have about 5 feet of LED rope light on my Ceiling. &nbsp;This is very nice late at night when I need to empty my bladder into my black spray painted gallon Gatorade bottle. &nbsp;The red light does not tell the brain to wake the body up like bright whiter light does, and allows me to fall back asleep easily. &nbsp;The red light is also less noticeable when stealth dwelling, if any light makes it past my curtains. &nbsp;I have some more of this same red rope light in the back I can read by, switched separately, and is like taking a strong sleeping pill. &nbsp;I never make it long after reading by these.&nbsp;<br><br>I have the raised fiberglass roof, which I gutted of all the frou frou conversion company crap from for maximum storage and access. &nbsp;3/4" plywood make up some strong shelves front and back 1/2 inch of foam board insulation was adhered to the fiberglass. &nbsp;White plastic sheeting is held to that and the walls by recycled oak and stainless steel screws. &nbsp;These shelves mostly house clothes, work, dirty, clean and otherwise. &nbsp;I made the shelves strong enough so they re enforced the van walls and the whole body. &nbsp;The conversion company left a small portion of the original roof up there. &nbsp;The supports were hideously flexible, and pulling down on a shelf would bend the sides of the van inward. &nbsp;Slamming the side doors would also flex the whole side of the Van. &nbsp;The plywood I added is beefy enough &nbsp;and attached securely enough that this is no longer a concern. &nbsp;Behind the front shelf, I have a oak curtain rod, and a thick curtain for behind the driver's seat. &nbsp;When driving I place this curtain so it hides the electrical cabinet behind my head from sight, and overnight very little light can make it past along the edges. &nbsp;If I choose to go through the effort, no light whatsoever can make it into my Van during the day, and back when I used to drink, many a hangover was dealt with in total blackness.&nbsp;<br><br>So that is how my Van has evolved into a people mover into this Van dweller's &nbsp;semi paradise.<br><br>In all actuality, I can spend all day and all night, comfortably, in my Van, and too many days I choose to do just that, but the lack of accomplishment is not good for my head. &nbsp;Thankfully I also have a private level parking spot, with bathroom and electrical grid access for a mere pittance, located a 1.5 from the great Pacific ocean which is my primary energy source.<br><br>I should increase the amount I travel. &nbsp;A man cave on wheels is pointless if the wheels do not spin often enough for long enough.<br> Anybody know of a single surfing woman who wants to fund a trip along the coastline? &nbsp;I've done it alone more times than I can remember.<br><br>Didn't think so. &nbsp;A man's got to have dreams though.<br><br>Perhaps what I wrote above can help someone else figure out a system, or modify a system to their needs.<br><br>Or perhaps I just wanted to type a Novella.<br><br><br>

 

[akblack10]

Wrcsixeight, thanks for the wonderful write-up. &nbsp;I know what you mean about stuff.... for some people, there is never enough stuff to acquire. &nbsp;I do like the `Carlin piece on "stuff..." &nbsp;I agree that doing things for yourself gives great satisfaction. &nbsp;I think the more things one can do for him or her - self, the more options we have in life! &nbsp;I wish you well....<br>-AK.

 

[mockturtle]

Nicely described!&nbsp; Some pictures would be nice, too!

 

[cyndi]

If someone wasn't already convinced that this a perfectly valid and easily managed&nbsp;lifestyle, that post should do it!&nbsp;

 

[CrossCountryGal]

Lots of great helpful details in your post - thank you! &nbsp;Would you mind sharing some pictures of what you've described as well? &nbsp;The written word is great - visuals are the icing on the cake!

 

[psytechguy]

Thanks for taking the time to post this! <br><br>I'm in the middle of a long drawn out period of getting rid of stuff and doing repairs so I can sell my house and take up the "on the road lifestyle." Reading posts like yours gives me a nudge when I'm feeling overwhelmed.

 

[bk2valve]

I agree with the pic wanters...If you have any pix, it would very good to see what you did with the build....i tend to fade out after the first couple of paragraphs....short attention span....<br>Bri

 

[bpeck]

Awesome post, loved the Carlin video. &nbsp;You seem like you've got a lot figured out. &nbsp;Where abouts on the coast are you?

 

[ccbreder]

Thank you for all the information on this post and the earlier one. Your&nbsp;craftsmanship&nbsp;is to be proud. I found my 89 Dodge 300 to be the better vehicle than Ford or Chevy. I was surprised by one&nbsp;crisis. The rear spring shackles bolt to the sheet metal floor&nbsp;beyond&nbsp;the&nbsp;chassis&nbsp;frame. One side pushed through the floor to sag the van. Not something I thought to inspect. rust. I repaired with a cross the van to both shackles with a 4x1 inch&nbsp;channel&nbsp;steel beam. fit great under the rear barn doors.&nbsp;Wider&nbsp;would have been better to fit the shackles with out welding. Thanks again for your time to post all this.

 

[caseyc]

<p>Hi wrcsixeight,<br><br>Thanks for your post, interesting read!&nbsp; Can you elaborate more about your "Wifi Antenna on roof" setup?<br>What type of antenna is this? Does it connect via USB cable to your laptop on the other end?<br>I'm interested in getting an unencrypted&nbsp;wifi signal for my laptop (or tablet if possible) from nearby coffee shops a few blocks away.<br><br>Thanks,<br>Casey</p>

 

[wrcsixeight]

Hi Caseyc.<br><br>I bought this several years ago. &nbsp;Perhaps not this exact model. &nbsp;I think mine is only half a watt:<br>http://www.amazon.com/Alfa-AWUS036H-802-11b-Wireless-network/dp/B002WCEWU8<br><br>Mine is only 802.11 b/g, not N<br><br>The Antenna is removable, and I'd bought another antenna on a ~10 foot cord. &nbsp;It has a magnetic base.<br><br>http://www.amazon.com/eForCity-Boos...2683083&amp;sr=1-41&amp;keywords=wifi+antenna<br><br>I used a rat tail file to file a groove for the wire in my roof vent. &nbsp;I seal it with surfboard wax. &nbsp;As my roof is fiberglass I cut the bottom out of a can of Altoids and epoxied that to my roof so the magnetic base will stick.<br><br>The Alfa requires 2 usb ports as it takes that much power. &nbsp;The provided USB wire with the 2 plugs is only about 6 feet long. &nbsp;Using the included antenna and placing the Alfa unit on the roof itself works better than having an external antenna mounted 10 feet from the Alfa. &nbsp;Loss though the cable, and more wire to receive interference. &nbsp;The antenna on the roof works better than the antenna on the Alfa inside the Van though<br><br>This is primarily for my 10 year Old laptop which had no wireless card. I have not yet put the drivers to run the Alfa on my Newer laptop, as my The 802.11N router penetrates my Van's walls well enough, I have not actually used the Alfa, or my older laptop, for months. &nbsp;I'm going to update the laptop and put it in storage as I am trying to get rid of all excess weight. &nbsp;I can simply carry too many things, and my around town MPG is simply horrible in this land of hills and long traffic lights.<br><br>There are likely better products out there now. &nbsp;My wifi aquisitions are at least 4 years old now. &nbsp;

 

[caseyc]

Hi wrcsixeight,

Thanks for your reply. You are one of the most do it yourself kind of guy on this forum! I'm thinking of getting the C.Crane wifi antenna below. Might you have any opinion on this? If you had to redo this again today, would you do anything differently for a setup?

Thanks!
Casey


http://www.amazon.com/Crane-Super-USB-Wifi-Antenna/dp/B004UR72IM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&
qid=1362712864&sr=8-1&keywords=c.crane+wifi+antenna

 

[wrcsixeight]

'Do it yourself' might be a synonym for being too cheap to pay others. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br>&nbsp;I like the wifi roof antenna I have because it is very thin and presents no wind drag and goes unnoticed often. I've parked close to water, and the nearest house was 3/4 mile away, and picked up a fair to good signal before.<br><br><br>There are directional antennas for when you know where the signal originates, or care to experiment and search.<br><br>Sorry , can't help further, I have not kept up with the technology but google 'war driving' or start a thread the more tech savvy will be likely to see and contribute to.

 

[wrcsixeight]

A day in the Life of this Vandweller.<br><br>So I earned several hundred bucks last week building something. Using my Van as a Work van.<br><br>&nbsp;I quickly spent a hundred on some van improvement parts having to do with my exterior lighting, &nbsp;and spent 2 days installing a new headlight harness and cleaning up a bunch of underhood wiring. &nbsp;Now My headlamps see voltage within .3 volts of my alternator charging voltages, before it was ~2 whole volts.<br><br>Much much brighter headlamps, almost properly aimed, mission accomplished...........<br><br>Anyway, I find myself in between lucrative ventures, but with my low overhead lifestyle, I could go at least 6 more weeks, if I have to, without work.<br><br>Today, a little later than I'd prefer, I drove down to a favorite surf spot, where I can get a front row parking spot, overlooking dozens of miles of Pacific coastline.<br>The wind was calm<br>The westerly swell was strong and consistent.<br>The crowd was thin.<br><br>I made myself some breakfast....... Egg, carrot, onion, &nbsp;green, red and yellow pepper all fried up into a frittata in my cast iron mini skillet and thrown on a whole wheat tortilla.<br><br><br>With Hot sauce. &nbsp;Mmmmmmm hot sauce and eggs.&nbsp;It is one of those great food combinations like beer and Pizza, or ginger snap cookies and earl grey Tea with honey.<br><br>With my Meal, I wash down the Vitamins that mom sends me which I promised to take, while watching the surf pump through my front windshield.<br><br>Knowing that I will have the last song I heard stuck in my head whilst surfing, I make sure it is a good one, that fits my mood, which might match the conditions. &nbsp; I keep forwarding ahead on my MP3 until:<br><br><br>I pull my surfboard from my roof, attach the legrope and run a bar of wax over the deck to insure adequate traction. &nbsp;I pull out my wetsuit, pull it on, grab my earplugs, lock my steering wheel, valuables in my locking cabinets, put my shower bag on my Dashboard and exit my Van as quickly as I can and lock the door.<br><br>It is a pretty safe area, but I don't want to advertise the fact that I am going surfing and here are all my valuables for steal.<br>Perhaps a Belgian Malanois on my front seat would ease that anxiety.<br><br>I get to the sand, and do some stretching. &nbsp;I come as much for the stretch as i do for the surf is what I remind myself often, otherwise I get overexcited and paddle out and pull something. &nbsp;Besides, a good stretch helps balance.<br><br>I think of a friend who passed away. We used to surf this wave together. &nbsp;I often think he is there directing energy to me. &nbsp;Often I see a cormorant, or a duck at this spot. &nbsp;They are all named Larry. &nbsp;I speak to them every time, ask how the fishing is. &nbsp;I don't care if others hear. &nbsp;Usually right after a sighting of Larry, a beautiful piece of energy comes right to me.<br><br>Thanks Larry!<br><br>I could go on and on about the waves which greeted me today, and how much fun I had, but most surf speak is unintelligible to the neophyte.<br><br>So I will keep it brief.<br>Positioning is critical.<br>California surfers are crowd dependent<br>Currents wash most of these sheep away<br>I can meet the energy in the right spot before it unloads<br>Soon, others sense this, but I remain unchallenged and smiles abound.<br><br>I am wearing a Wave magnet&nbsp;<br>I am in Rhythm<br>On one inclined racetrack,<br>I achieve warp speed, and throw the board on rail as hard as I can,<br> grunting with the effort of redirection.<br>Cutback completed.<br><br>I laugh, and a hundred yards later and &nbsp;after several more slower, slightly less satisfying redirections, I kick out<br>and shout <br>"Thank YOU!!!!!!!!!!!"<br><br>Never take such a gift for granted.<br><br>On my paddle back out, punching through several lines of roiling whitewater, I see a pelican swoop down in front of a large breaking wave.<br><br>Inches above its moving surface. &nbsp;Sure, it is a free ride south, but there is no doubt it is more than just a free ride.<br>I hooted for the pelican as it raced by a dozen feet in front of me.<br> &nbsp;I swear it was smiling. <br>&nbsp;How could it not?<br><br>I had to duck dive the wave the pelican was riding, but after going through the spin cycle I came up, and looked south, and the pelican rocketed up from the wave, banked &nbsp;ocean ward, than back downward to align itself for the next line of swell.<br><br>Which I now had to duck dive.<br><br>The wind slowly came up from an unfavorable direction, I waited for and took a large final one in.<br>I depart across the sand, climb the bluff, and return to my Van. &nbsp;<br>My rolling home, my Man cave.<br><br>I hang up my shower bag by my side doors, and rinse off, I hang my rinsed wetsuit off my side mirror.<br>I return my surfboard to my ceiling<br>I make some earl grey tea with lots of honey, and warm up.<br>I wonder how many people on earth just had as much fun as I had.<br>I place that number at one in 6.XX billion.<br>But I might be off by a hundred or two.<br><br>Ha!<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

 

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Great info mate,</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">&nbsp;I'm looking at the same ocean but from the otherside tonight. go and&nbsp;enjoy&nbsp;that last wave before dark.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Geoff</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[wrcsixeight]

I enjoyed your side of the Pacific greatly. I never made it much farther north than Sydney(north narrabeen) on the east coast, where I sold the '73 Kingswood I bought in Perth, and flew to Aotearoa.

 

[caseyc]

Hi Wrcsixeight,<br><br>I will be receiving the C.Crane wifi antenna probably tomorrow. &nbsp;Will let you know how that goes! &nbsp;Thanks for your previous input!<br><br>Casey<br><br>

 

[WanderingRain]

Thanks for the wonderful write up and the inspiration shared!&nbsp;<br>Your post made me remember and miss my very own Great White even if it wasn't as well equipped as most vans on here.<br><br>May you surf many more waves and travel to even more places.<br><br>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Thanks for sharing a bit of your life with me and the music.