Chilly overnight temps here in Seattle. Off to a slow start just packing up orders to take to the post office. Then I will be busy getting a start on securing the fiberglass trailer shell to the new frame. It is a two person job and my friend and his dog have just arrived to help with that task.
Good morning
- Thread starter Dean and Buster
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travelaround
Well-known member
Still very early morning here.. cold... 30, but should get up to 60 later today. What's on my mind: an incoming snow storm and where to park to get through that without getting stuck in the snow. It will be somewhere in town... hope law enforcement lets me sleep. I may talk to them about it in advance. Small town; why not? Storm starts Tuesday and snow on Wednesday.
SheketEchad
Well-known member
Clear and crisp this morning in the high 30s before dawn, and at 42 now. Hoping the rain is done and the wind neck to normal. TGIF y'all ?
SheketEchad
Well-known member
Greetings from Quartzsite! Many thanks to abnorm and his lady for the flashlight guidance upon my tardy arrival as usual! No wind this morning!
travelaround
Well-known member
Happy to read you're in Quartzsite, SE.
I'm in front of a barn in a gulch in the Klamath Siskiyou Mountains... in a partially insulated van ... 36 degrees... storm expected next week. My daughter is moving into a cabin I rented for her here and should arrive from North Idaho next weekend. Her spouse will be my fire builder this winter... I'll still be sleeping in my van while they occupy the cabin, where I get showers. Church this morning. More insulating activities during the coming week... I'm almost to the part where I make insulated curtains on a sewing machine set up in my cargo trailer, which is blessed with electricity.
I'm in front of a barn in a gulch in the Klamath Siskiyou Mountains... in a partially insulated van ... 36 degrees... storm expected next week. My daughter is moving into a cabin I rented for her here and should arrive from North Idaho next weekend. Her spouse will be my fire builder this winter... I'll still be sleeping in my van while they occupy the cabin, where I get showers. Church this morning. More insulating activities during the coming week... I'm almost to the part where I make insulated curtains on a sewing machine set up in my cargo trailer, which is blessed with electricity.
I've been monitoring this thread, but not butted in so far. On very cold mornings, I would turn the 1-burner propane stove on for a few minutes in the van, and temps get up to 50F range quite fast. (and say hi to Dean & Buster once in while).
It was a sunny day here. We got most of the bolts put in for securing the fiberglass trailer shell to the new frame. But 4 of them were a little too short so I will go shopping for those. Oh well I was hoping to be done with that phase today, close but no gold stars.
I just found out a next door neighbor took her own life yesterday. Somewhat surprising but she did have a lot of emotional ups and downs however I had no idea she was feeling suicidal. She was a very nice person with a great sense of humor. I will miss her as will many who knew her.
I just found out a next door neighbor took her own life yesterday. Somewhat surprising but she did have a lot of emotional ups and downs however I had no idea she was feeling suicidal. She was a very nice person with a great sense of humor. I will miss her as will many who knew her.
travelaround
Well-known member
Qxxx - does the butane stove have all the precautions of the propane burner I have? With the propane, I'm supposed to store it outside. How? I have no outside storage to my van. Is butane the same? I guess that's the most important part. Well, I brought my one-burner induction cooktop into the van. It is electric but I have a built-in inverter and 110 plug in the van - or could use the 110 in my lithium Rockpals battery... just to heat some water in the morning. I think it might help chase away the chill... and then warm water for a sponge bath would be a welcome change. This morning I had a sponge bath that was freezing! lol... enough of that. I have to get my act together. I often regret that I don't have a trailer or RV with every convenience already in it.
TA, I don't know about butane, HDR and others would know that. As a minimalist, I just use the Coleman single burner stove with the green canisters. Last about a week in general. For good or for bad, the canisters live under the bed, lol. I figure the little green bottles are as safe as you can ever be with combustibles, no long lines running around the van from an outside 20 gallon bottle.
When it comes to heating, I've only ever used the stove for a bit in the morning just to take the chill off. Don't know about Happy Camp, but where I live it's supposed to get down to 10F this week and snow.
EDIT: silly me, I never thought to warm some water while heating up the van in order to take a sponge bath afterwards, duh ...
When it comes to heating, I've only ever used the stove for a bit in the morning just to take the chill off. Don't know about Happy Camp, but where I live it's supposed to get down to 10F this week and snow.
EDIT: silly me, I never thought to warm some water while heating up the van in order to take a sponge bath afterwards, duh ...
You are doing a build. You can cut through the exterior wall of the van and/or your cargo trailer and install a vented propane box. The metal, fire resistant, airtight to the interior, box is in the interior but only a fitting for attaching a hose or metal gas line is accessible from the interior. The access to the bottle is a louvered door on the exterior of the van.travelaround said:
You can find used, vented propane boxes at RV surplus companies. I know there are several such places in California but you will need to get recommendations from people who have dealt with those companies. Then call on the phone and ask if they have any small vented propane cabinets and what are the dimensions. Ask them to email a photo.
If you don't know what they look like and how they are used just go and visit and RV dealer and look at some of the vans and small RVs. Or else ask people who have done this to share information with you. As I have never installed one I won't presume to give installation advice other than it is basically cutting a hole through the wall of the correct size and using a proper gasket seal to make it water tight. Of course there is also the task of making sure everything works correctly and safely for the bottle including the hold down straps inside of the compartment.
travelaround
Well-known member
This is the first I've heard of a vented propane box attached to a van. I will look into that. I have several reasons to visit the RV repair place now. I keep my green propane canisters in the boxes attached to the front of my cargo trailer but also bought the hose attachment in case I want to set up a larger propane tank. However I don't have the cargo trailer with me most of the time. It is 1:44 am... I I'll try the induction cook stove in the morning. The insulation I've installed makes a huge difference in the winter liability of this van.
SheketEchad
Well-known member
Hi Dean and Buster! It's clear skies and 45 in Q this early morning.
Happy Monday and safe travels to all (•‿•)
Happy Monday and safe travels to all (•‿•)
B and C
Well-known member
Good morning. Where is Dean anyway? He hasn't posted in a while. I hope he got on the road, it was supposed to happen in October.
if you have room under your van you could have this tank setup installed. https://www.vanlifeoutfitters.com/i...erneath-a-promaster-van-with-remote-fill-kit/travelaround said:
travelaround
Well-known member
Meant to say "WINTER VIABILITY" not liability. Propane under van looks good. It is expected to drop to 14 degrees at night later this week. I hope weather reports are wrong... that it will just rain. I'd take a vacation south for a few days but my daughter will be here next weekend.. snow or no snow. They want to get out of the North Idaho winter. They've been living in a skoolie and are just kind of over it now.
crofter
Well-known member
Western OR is supposed to get a 'bomb cyclone' this week with the worst on Tuesday. Today we had pea size hail and I expect freezing conditions tonight altho not forecast. Cell service is now bad and I am standing in the street to send this. Time to hunker down. -crofter
travelaround
Well-known member
Snow.
maybe you should have wintered over in Seattle.travelaround said:
Partly sunny today and for the next 4 days. But it will get down just below freezing in some parts of town. Not right where I am as though . I am right next to Puget Sound and the water is close enough to modify the air temperature a couple of degrees warmer in winter and cooler in summer. I have a little cube heater in my trailer and my trailer is insulated so I will still be able to work inside it finishing up various things on the build.
