New Here, Saying Hi.

[NWShortyFord]

Been a member of a fewe other automotive forums in the past and they were a great enhancement to my knowlegde and pleasure. I used to own a variety of 4x4's, mostly vintage ones. Now I have been traveling the west coast with the wife in a '75 E-100 for 3 years. The van is small but it has been very comfortable over the years as we have progressed. Very warm in the winter and powerful in the highway. We've lived in the Redwood forests of California, backroads of Arizona, traveled the coast highway, practically lived on the beach in Huboldt county and now have been enjoying the interior of Western Washington. This will be our 3rd winter in the Seattle area so if anyone wants to know anyhting about fighting the wet stuff let me know. The rig is outfitted with most of the usual stuff, batteries, inverter, soplar panels, stove, bed, etc...but really the thing that stands out about this van is the outside...I will have to get pics. It is about as far from "stealth" as you can get...but here it is 100% legal and accepted to live in a van so we get away with it. In fact the paint and murals have always been something the local law enforcement has enjoyed, with a van like mine I would surely be noticed if I cause trouble, and they know that.

Anyway, glad to be here and can't wait to learn more.

 

[gramakittycat]

Welcome to a place filled with many kind people and a lot of information.I'm new here also.Cheers!

 

[GrantRobertson]

but here it is 100% legal and accepted to live in a van so we get away with it.

Really? I love the Pacific NW. Where all is it legal to live in your vehicle? Seattle? All of Washington? What?

Thanks.

 

[LucyImHome]

Just googled it. According to Seattle gov, 72 hours on any city street, then move to another block. Violation is a $39 ticket and you can be towed.

 

[NWShortyFord]

It is legal here in Seattle. I have talked with many LEO's and they are actually very accepting of this lifestyle here. Often times if we do talk it is because they know I am potentially privy to something they are trying to figure out and since I see a lot through my windows I have been helpful to them, they usually comment on "what a tight ship" I run or whatever because it is nice in here and I am usually watching T.V., cooking or reading and generally being normal. People who, like myself work for a living, aren't drug addicts(lots here!) and generally blend in with "normal" society don't get a second look, they even let the crazed addicts live in 33' campers without registration for years and there are programs for those people to get their vehicles back if impounded for free. It isn't for everyone, but I like the amount of good work around here(ships, boats, fishing, etc), I worked restoring a 52' sailboat last summer for example.
But back to the question at hand. Yes it is very accepted, especially in North Seattle. If you know the area you may even know what I mean. I am from the southwest, coming here was vey different, very liberal.

I wish I knew more, because I usually just travel without too much concern with the legality of my going to sleep at night, but I do know it is very legal here. And if you already love the NW you know it isn't as wet or cold as people think.

Hope that helps...and GO HAWKS!

 

[cyndi]

Welcome to the CRVL forums, NWShortyFord! I sure hope you'll share some pictures of your van. I love an old van!

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.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome Shorty! And, yes, pictures please. Of both the outside murals and the shipshape inside if you don't mind.

 

[Matt71]

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to seeing more of your post. My wife and I will be traveling the country together next year and I'm very interested in hearing from couple traveling in vans.

 

[jimindenver]

Welcome to the forum.

We had a E100 for 15 years, great truck.

 

[NWShortyFord]

I have a couple pics I need to figure out how to download off my phone, but I'm hoping to redo the interior panels and ceiling and repaint the outside with the help of a local artist here in seattle. He paints a lot of cartoon animals doing intereting things, his murals are all over town and would be really cool to represemnt the NW when on the road. I will have to get my camera out of storage or get a new one for the retrofit this spring. Just have to source a few things and wait for drier weather. Luckily for me I have a place to tear the van apart with plpug in pwoer for tools and stuff.

 

[Luisafernandes]

I have a couple pics I need to figure out how to download off my phone, but I'm hoping to redo the interior panels and ceiling and repaint the outside with the help of a local artist here in seattle. He paints a lot of cartoon animals doing intereting things, his murals are all over town and would be really cool to represemnt the NW when on the road. I will have to get my camera out of storage or get a new one for the retrofit this spring. Just have to source a few things and wait for drier weather. Luckily for me I have a place to tear the van apart with plpug in pwoer for tools and stuff.

Hi! Welcome!
Have you tried using Tapatalk? It's an app for smartphones, and that's how I upload all my pictures and videos. [emoji106][emoji604]

 

[NWShortyFord]

Sorry, have a really, really dumb phone. Cheap $5 tracphones are all I have. I have a nice Pentax in storage but my last dog ate the charger, and with my schedule and finances I have neither gone to get it or replaced it yet. Might go this week, the weather is starting to become more tolerable around here and I need to take some winter stuff in and summer stuff out...hopefully I find the camera in my labrynth of a storage locker.

 

[Luisafernandes]

Sorry, have a really, really dumb phone. Cheap $5 tracphones are all I have. I have a nice Pentax in storage but my last dog ate the charger, and with my schedule and finances I have neither gone to get it or replaced it yet. Might go this week, the weather is starting to become more tolerable around here and I need to take some winter stuff in and summer stuff out...hopefully I find the camera in my labrynth of a storage locker.

There's an app for your dumbphone also, it's called; smokeatalk.
Here's what you do. First you make a fire, ok? Then you get the pictures you want to upload and throw them into the fire...with me so far? Then, as the pictures burn, they rise up as smoke, up-loading the signal to the World Wide Web. What? What's so funny? You don't think it'll work? Of course it does, everybody does it [emoji23][emoji1][emoji56]
Just kidding, please don't try that![emoji1]
In any event, in my case I found Tapatalk to be the fasted and easier way to upload pictures to this site. Others may have different ways of doing it.
Walmart sells smartphones for a $100 and less. You probably could get Tapatalk downloaded on one of them. [emoji1][emoji106][emoji604]

 

[gypsychic]

There's an app for your dumbphone also, it's called; smokeatalk.

Luis, you never fail to make me smile. Thanks!

Shorty,

Welcome. I can't wait to hear more about your adventures. Three years on the road. I bet you have a lot more stories. I'm looking forward to your pics also.

I live in Portland and I'm not yet in my van but slowly (very slowly) getting ready. I'd love to hear more about how you deal with moisture in the humid PNW. Has it been a problem for you? If you look through some past posts you'll see moisture control has been a pretty regular theme. Just wanted to put it out there for you to start a thread on how you deal with it in the PNW because I'd imagine if you can deal with it here , you can deal with it anywhere.

 

[NWShortyFord]

Nice to hear from another PNW local. Yeah, the moisture is just intense...this week it is going to rain all week long and wont be sunny till at least monday or tuesday so no way I am staying 100% dry. I've got it down to a science as far as when and how to de-mold things and air things out to dry as need be. The first year I was wet all the time and cold. It sucked. I can say insulation is key. Any part of the interior that is bare metal WILL turn into its own little water productionn site. Even the insides of the walls attract moisture and I need to re-panel and insulate so that stops for good.

My LEAST favorite thing the condensation does is that it soaks the underside of the mattress. I hate it.
I work on a yacht and the boat guys all have the same problems us van dwellers do. Here is some stuff I might try for the mattress problem. I have found when dealing with water is to go to the marine guys and see what they are doing, if I could I would do a lot of little tricks to my van that I have seen on boats.

Haven't tried these products yet, but am thinking of trying one of them when I make over the interior this year.
http://www.fisheriessupply.com/galley-and-boat-furniture/mattress-anti-condensation-pads