hi I'm Kara! here are some photos and ramblings about my van Karl.

[cptnsunshinee]

Hey y'all! Been lurking this site for a while. Karl is a Chevy Express 1500 and has had minimal modifications thus far. I got the van with great planning, just a couple weeks before I had to drive from Miami, FL (where I am from, I know, I'm sorry) to Pittsburgh, PA. Given my complete lack of skills, knowledge, and charming tendency to procrastinate, I accomplished very little before my maiden voyage. With help from a couple friends I was able to work on the floor and a bed frame. I spent about 5 months traveling the east coast, and returned to Miami in November to work and make some money. For the past few years I've worked seasonally growing organic vegetables and fruits, which I really love. Now I'm getting antsy to head to the west coast and am wondering why I haven't spent all this time making Karl a more hospitable living environment?! Anyway...


here's a photo of Karl on a good day!


this is me brushing my teeth while driving, which is a common occurrence... I enjoy the confused looks at red lights.


here's Karl transporting three kayaks.


despite not having insulation or an air vent, these flamingo lights actually improve my quality of life by about 36%  :heart:


here I am enjoying some warm hummus in my living room, which will hopefully look more impressive one day. Featured is also my towel drying rack, shade cloth, creep peeping security system, and my cooler which I absolutely never use... I'm also hoping to implement advancements in those departments in the near future.

back to rambling! sorry if this is the wrong place for this whirlwind of thoughts and questions but here they are...

I plan on sticking to more moderate climates, but this summer I did find myself freezing a few times in ~40 degree F weather (I am a wimp from a swamp). more often I found myself in the sweltering heat wondering if I would suffocate during the night. The heat was only completely unbearable one night in Philadelphia--it was so hot I got out of the van and spent a couple hours sleeping on the ground next to it  .

I think using reflectix and maybe really thin polyiso on the walls sounds like it'd make the most sense for me. but I'm still trying to wrap my mind around some simplicities of the operation such as... how the heck to even attach it or the paneling I cover it with to the wall?! pardon my ignorance as I'm sure that sounds like a pretty dumb question but so many tutorials I read seem to breeze right over that detail because it is probably so obvious lol... I get the air gap thing! can be done with bubble wrap? 

I definitely need a fan/vent. does having one on the floor also really make a huge difference? and is installing the vent before or after insulation recommended?


ALSO I am 5'10" and am really dreaming of converting the roof to a hi top... I haven't found anywhere in Florida that does it. Is that modification on a van silly now that there are so many actual hi tops available? are there any cons to doing that I might not be aware of? I'm wondering how it'd affect the resale value... or the ability to have a roof rack.

I really want to install solar. does anyone have enough to power a refrigerator?! that'd be so great.
I have also wedged my bicycle along the back doors of the van but doubt that'll fit into my rebuild schemes... wondering if there's a safe way to attach it to the outside without having it stolen or totally rusty.
I am also dreaming of getting a kayak but am worried about blowing my stealth and also about that being stolen. I've spent a decent amount of time in cities as well as middles of noweheres.. I imagine stealth is less of a concern on the west coast.

I have about 8,000 other questions but I'll leave it at that for now... this site is rad and I've spent so many hours adoring the things I've seen! hope to delve deeper into the van life community in the near future.
cheers!

 

[Charlotte's Web]

Welcome to the Mad House!

Charlotte's Web

 

[DannyB1954]

Welcome to the forum. There is a lot to learn here. Another good resource is Youtube, just search for minivan or suv camper.
Two other groups that might be helpful to you are couch surfers and Boondockers welcome. Do a search on those and you will find out if they have something to offer you.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Kara! Karl looks very cozy! If you don't get answers to some of your questions try asking again in the appropriate forum. Some people don't read all of the forums such as the Newcomer's Corner but they will probably notice a specific question about something that they have experience in.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[BradKW]

In a bizarre coincidence, my neighbor's pink flamingo lights actually lower my life quality by 42% and I wondered where it went! So be aware there's an extra 5% floating around out there waiting for ya to pick it up...

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

That's a damn fine name for a van! Yup, sure is. I bet he's a sexxy beast. Not that I would have any bias towards such a name. Nope, not me.

Adding a hi-top - Seems not all that hard and or expensive ... all things being relative. You can order them to be shipped and any body shop would be HAPPY to take your money to install it. If you're handy you might be able to install it with a helper or two. If your van is a known quantity and you have it tuned and well maintained buying another JUST because it has a topper might cost you more in the long run in terms of maintenance and upgrades. You're just gonna have to do the math on that. It might also be an excuse to take a road trip. Just make sure you have living arrangements for the several days the van will be in the shop.

I too am struggling at the moment on how to attach insulation to the roof of by bus so don't feel bad about that. The build can be pretty daunting.

Solar has MANY variables as to whether you can run a fridge. First, you will need to know how big a fridge you want and how much current it draws. For example my Engel 46qt draws a max of 2.7amps. Running at full blast 24 hours a day (which I hope it never does) would be 24x2.7=64.8 amp hours. There are some loss calculations that I'm not gonna get in to so lets say full blast 24 hours a day I would need 100 available amp hours worth of battery to run the fridge for one day. Since batteries can really only discharge about 50% you would need a battery with 200ah and the ability to put 100ah back in every day. 200ah batteries = ~$200. 200watts of solar = ~$200. Charge controller, cables, fuses etc = ~$200. The fridge can be pricey $400-$1000 for big ones with freezer and fridge. Bottom line is YES, you can run a fridge off solar in a van.

200 watts of panels and 200ah of battery would get you refrigeration, lighting and the ability to charge most small electronics. Solar has a bit of a learning curve, so be prepared to do a LOT of reading and planning.

 

[Queen]

Hello, and welcome, Kara! Love love love your van set up, and kudos for not waiting for perfection before starting out.

 

[ArtW]

Welcome Kara! your van looks pretty good to me, I'm a simple type
when it's hot, climb a mountain, it's cooler up top, when it's cold, go down the mountain, it's warmer below, keep a decent sleeping bag for cold weather, it makes a real diference being wrapped instead of just under covers
I would get the roof vent before insulation, myself
Reflectix requires an air gap to work right, here's an article that might help
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/heat-cold/dealing-heat-cold/

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL    

I just read through your post and I can assure you that answers to your questions abound here.  Looked at the photos of your Van's interior as well.

One of the first things I thought of was the first solution I came up with for my past Vans.   Those rear windows look like they don't open.   Some Vans come equipped with tilt out rear windows and it is easiest to find those on a auto wrecking yard.   There isn't a lot of demand for them so you can usually pick them up reasonably.   But make sure you get both the window and the gaskets that they seal against. (even the screws that hold them in place when they are taken out....you'll need them to install these windows in your Van)

These can make the first }}} BIG {{{ improvement for you both at night sleeping or when on the road driving.

It is easy to make mosquito net screens with "no see-um's" mesh material and cloth edging tape.  I've made mine using that plastic magnetic strip stuff that comes on a roll.   So when I open the windows at night I can place the screens around the window openings and keep the bugs out.   Some times it cools down enough in the night I need to close the windows as it gets too cool.   You can also make these for your front door windows and roll those windows down a bit so you will have cross ventilation from one end of the Van to the other.   If you want to spend a bit more money you can make a large screen for the side door and even the So in the day time with your front door windows down and screened and the side & back doors open and screened your Van can be like a Screened in porch while you are comfortable and bug free inside.

If you return to Florida and have access to a sewing machine one place where you can get Mosquito Net cheap in 72 inch running width is Campmor

https://www.campmor.com/c/72-in-tight-weave-no-see-um-mosquito-netting-61001

Sewing centers will have the cloth edging in various widths.  I found 4" folded in on itself and pressed with an iron would make a decent 1" boarder and contain the magnetic strip sewn into the screens.  I strongly recommend using nylon thread as it won't rot if it gets wet should rain blow in on it.  

If you are going to seek a High Top installer,  you may want to save the money you would be putting on a roof vent. 

These are just lessons from my experience.  Everyone will have different views on this matter.

I noticed you spoke of the "Creepy Peepy's" and a rough security system using a towel.   I went to a window place that sold film coatings.  They had this silver reflective film I purchased and installed on the inside of the rear windows before I installed them.  Put the film over the window and used a razor blade to fit it, then a spray bottle of water after peeling the clear cover down from it.  Simple job.  But you can't see inside very well through it.  You could get dark smoke film if you wanted it too.   I later found these black vinyl Louver rear window covers on a wreck and purchased them.  I can still see out of them in the rear view mirror but it is nearly impossible for anyone to see in now.  These are held in place with those larger paper clips from the dollar tree store.

Two of these on each side of the window.   Once installed the outside wire is squeezed together so it can be removed.  When the rear windows are in the locked closed position no one is going to steal the Louvers.  I change these once a year, as they tend to rust.  But a dollar buys a pack of 8 at the dollar tree store.

But these simple and not so expensive additions to your Van can make it much more comfortable both in camp and on the road.

I'd invite you to look through my websites below if you haven't already.  One is about setting up a Van like you have,  and the other is a Portal of information that can be handy to have when on the road of at home planning your next venture.  I'm still adding to it and intend to better organize the links into categories once I reach 100 links.

All the best in your travels.

 

[hepcat]

I got the van with great planning, just a couple weeks before I had to drive from Miami, FL (where I am from, I know, I'm sorry) to Pittsburgh, PA. Given my complete lack of skills, knowledge, and charming tendency to procrastinate, I accomplished very little before my maiden voyage. 

this is me brushing my teeth while driving, which is a common occurrence... I enjoy the confused looks at red lights.

I have also wedged my bicycle along the back doors of the van but doubt that'll fit into my rebuild schemes... wondering if there's a safe way to attach it to the outside without having it stolen or totally rusty.

First, I really enjoy your sense of humor and your sense of adventurousness.  You go girl!

And, no... there's NO way to attach a bike to the outside of a vehicle without it becoming a target for theft... and it's about the WORST thing (other than leaving your bike outdoors when you live at the beach) that you can do to a bike.  Keep your bike inside, safe with you, and out of the road dirt and grime that they get while hanging on the back/top of a vehicle.  

The next best thing is to buy a Bike Friday and store it inside too.  It has less of a footprint, but is a better ride than most 700c roadies.  I've had a couple of Bike Fridays, a New World Tourist and a Pocket Rocket.  I only recently sold the NWT after picking up an HP Velotechnik Grasshopper fx folding bike.