(Part 2) Top products from r/VanLife

Look into updating the plumbing to PEX (white /red) if possible. It's a nightmare to go behind all the fixtures, but PVC (grey pipes) gets old and if it cracks it's a major problem.

Also roof and window seals, another bane of the old RVs. Make sure they're all good, or redo them. Leaks like that, aside from mold, tend to swell anything water comes in contact with.

Fridge, furnace and water heater - clean everything as best as you can. Burners especially. For the water heater - flush it good a couple times and replace the drain plug with a zinc anode to extend its life. Upgrade them all as soon as you have the means to.

Amazon also has propane and CO detectors. Make sure they're up to date, and put at least a 50w solar trickle charge panel on the roof for your house battery, as the propane detector has the nasty habit of draining it.

Finally, I'd look into upgrading whatever furniture you can. Mostly the folding couch if there is one. Motorhomes like this are / were designed for seasonal living in, and everything inside isn't designed for full time occupancy. Add the fact that it's a moving vehicle and thus subjected to vibrations and flexing. Last thing you want is your stuff to come apart while you expect it less.

Source: I'm on my 4th RV and been through all the crap I'm telling you about 😁

I'm a bit late to the discussion, but you got me thinking about this for myself. I did a DIY sauna one time with a friend on a multi day camping trip and it was amazing. It was pretty ghetto seeing as how we used a tarp as the structure, and heated rocks in the fire. We dug a hole in the tarp structure to hold the rocks (the ground was dirt). We stuck the rocks in the fire when we woke up, and kept the fire going all day. When we were done making the tarp structure after dinner, we took the rocks (which were glowing by this point) out of the fire with a shovel, and put them in the hole in the tarp structure. I was very surprised at the amount of steam that came off when we poured the water on once we were inside. Word to the wise, don't continually hydrate yourself with beer (it's very easy to do), you will not feel well in the morning (you obviously sweat out a lot of water in the heat).

More to the point, you got me thinking about purchasing a cheap large tent, and a bucket like this. You would also need rocks that could be heated. But essentially the same as before; build a fire around the rocks, heat them for 1 hour + (the longer the better), set up the tent. After an hour or so, dig the rocks out of the fire, put them in the bucket, and then go in the tent, and splash water on the rocks. A portable tent and bucket could very easily fit in a van.

For heating Im someone who gets over heated in 50°F weather (idk the celcsius conversion but essentially its cold for most people). In my case i would find a personal space heater, as the one i own already makes me sweat with one blanket on and the thing on low heat pointed at me. Idk what the power consumption is but if u just keep the van well insulated and are cozied up with a bigger electric heater than maybe you'll be fine.

As far as water goes I would just get a big 5 gallon bottle from the grocery store (unless that's just a stupid American thing idk). Often keeping one and just bringing it back to the store u can refill it for way cheaper than the original purchase.

Also for a toilet ive heard composting ones are pretty great but thats something I havent looked into yet.

When it comes to how you would power the van id say that one will be hard because I heard the UK is mostly cloudy meaning solar could work but youre not going to get much out of it and really only could charge a phone or something off it. There are giant battery packs you can buy like
this: CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD Intelligent LCD UPS System, 1500VA/900W, 12 Outlets, AVR, Mini-Tower https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FBK3QK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gLXqDbNZ1G63C.

obviously that's american plugs so find something suitable for your power draw and for your socket type. That you would have to plug in somewhere else to charge though which could take some time #1 but it would at least be portable in a sense rather than strapping batteries down and having those external camper plugs that you would have to drive somewhere to charge up.

You can get a camping stove. They pack tiny, and they can still be used for making real food. Lack of refrigeration means you need to buy stuff fresh daily.

I personally like the classic Trangia kit http://trangia.se/en/ that's made in Sweden, but there are many options, just pick what you think might work.

Lots of people seem to like Jetboil https://www.jetboil.com/

Just make sure you have a fire extinguisher if you're going to be playing around with open flames.

Of course, if you can spare space for a folding stove, cooking would be even easier. For instance, https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000020943NP-Classic-Propane-Stove/dp/B00005OU9D - but with this you need larger propane bottles and hoses and stuff, so it doesn't pack quite as small.

The stove is a campchef that can be found here Camp Chef Camping Outdoor Oven with 2 Burner Camping Stove https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0013LLSZG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lH80BbV4NPPG2
Works a treat :)
It's the short Wheelbase and the bed is lengthwise, I'm 6'3".
This setup is the max space efficient without sacrificing usability of the kitchen.

This one has okay flow rate, still need to see how practical it will be. I'm positive I'll be ok though, otherwise replacing it with an electric one.

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FHQL6K/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You could invest in a solar shower, 5gal is enough for ~2 quick showers, heats up in the sun in an hour to very warm water (~98 degrees).
I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Elements-Gallon-Summer-Shower/dp/B000J2Q0T4/ref=sr_1_3?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1511274152&sr=1-3&keywords=solar+shower&dpID=41IIRjP0y1L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

and I love it!

I'm on solar only, so conventional AC is pretty much out of the question. IMO, even the swamp cooler route would result in too much wet air in the van. I use an [Endless Breeze] (https://www.amazon.com/Fan-Tastic-Vent-01100WH-Endless-Breeze/dp/B0000AY2Z6), a Maxxair and keep the doors open to provide a (sometimes minimal) breeze. I keep the open doors on the opposite side of the sun, or put up my canopy to keep it shady. Just remember that you'll probably want some mosquito netting to keep the bugs out when your doors are open.

My secret it to avoid humid areas in the summer (usually east of the Mississippi). It makes the days and (especially) nights much more bearable. Still, it will get hot some days. Your body adapts after the first few weeks and it's honestly not that bad thereafter. Source: Lots of time spent in Escalante, Mojave & Southern Arizona in June/July.

Thanks it is this stuff rolled on. Real easy.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Z539W6?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Dropper seat posts also help make the bike small when storing it on a pull out.

I am converting a van and will use something like this:

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https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Cycle-Hitch-Locking-Mount/dp/B000ACAM7E/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=bicycle+front+wheel+mount&psc=1&qid=1572292256&sr=8-7

You can use these on a pull out or on the wall to secure your bike. The item you pictured is really only for your house, in a vehicle it would let your bike flop around.

I was thinking something along lines of this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UFXHQI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3nGMAbT1DKVYR

This battery has 66 AH so this could run a fan for 12 hours as long as its under 2 amps or so.

Another option would be a dual battery system that you could charge from your alternator. This battery would be completely separate from your starting battery. This would also be cheaper than a solar system. I did something like this in my van:

https://youtu.be/1zrwHyy4qyY

Maxxair 00-06200K MaxxFan Ventillation Fan with Smoke Lid and Manual Opening Keypad Control https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002OW5JIU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WmimDb9JE62K0

Managing 12 Volts: How to Upgrade, Operate, and Troubleshoot 12 Volt Electrical Systems Updated Edition

Hmm. When you say butyl tape, is that the same as putty tape? I bought this for my install. Just assumed it was right. Now I'm not so sure...

This is the fuse:


https://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-AMG-100-High-Current-Stud-Mount/dp/B000PSPFSY/ref=mp_s_a_1_31?keywords=100+amp+fuse&qid=1563641870&s=gateway&sprefix=100+amp+fuse&sr=8-31

The bus bar is factory one in a 2018 Promaster. It has a connection for an after market fuse.

The only way I can think of to do this in an Astro van is with a portable shower with maybe a hose to your van's water supply and a portable toilet where you poop into wag bags.

FWIW, they do make small safes that can be attached by a steel cable to the frame of your vehicle. I wouldn't expect it to stop a prepared and determined thief, but it'll deter the overwhelming majority of smash and grabs. Not perfect but better than nothing for someone that really feels like they need a gun. They also make a shotgun version that locks just around the trigger/action of the shotgun.

Absolutely worth it. I have an Engel fridge and I originally wasn't going to do solar. But I found that If I wanted to park for more than a day or if I didn't drive at least 50 miles everyday, the battery would slowly drain down to the cutoff point within a week. I installed one 100-watt panel and I can leave the van parked for as long as i want and the battery stays charged and I never have to turn off the fridge.

I just use a continuous-duty solenoid that connects the house and main batteries when the ignition is on for alternator charging. Nothing fancy. And a sunsaver charge controller for the solar here's a link list I made for a friend who installed a similar setup:

Solar Panel:
http://www.amazon.com/Grape-Solar-GS-STAR-100W-Polycrystalline-100-watt/dp/B00CAVMMMG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438626722&sr=8-1&keywords=grape+solar

Mounting Feet:
http://www.amazon.com/Grape-Solar-GS-ZB-Fab1-Zippity-Off-Grid/dp/B00MS8AKUM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1438626722&sr=8-5&keywords=grape+solar

Connectors:
http://www.amazon.com/Islandoffer-Pairs-Female-Solar-Connectors/dp/B00A8TRKJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438633077&sr=8-1&keywords=MC4+connectors

Charge Controller (don't skimp here and don't get an MPPT controller for just a panel or three):
http://www.amazon.com/Morningstar-SS-20L-12V-SunSaver-Charge-Controller/dp/B007NNHUHI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1438633118&sr=8-3&keywords=sunsaver

Battery:
I got the x2 Power from Batteries plus. it's not bad, but the battery i should have gotten is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Lifeline-GPL-27T-AGM-Battery/dp/B004OA25PU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_200_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0P8HYGYQ24QVWZARFF4Z - which Batteries plus should be able to get, which means less or no shipping.

Fuse Block:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Blade-Block/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1438633797&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=blue+sea+fuse

Volt meter:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BZPNICG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Solenoid:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064MX7US/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687442&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0050I94XG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0F2ZN9606RB53XSFR2EC