(Part 3) Top products from r/VanLife

I made a crate that is really deep, and put my little succulents in there. I use the 4 inch terra-cotta pots for them, and even if they’re sideways on a steep angle), they’re okay.

For the small terra-cotta pots, I put my succulents in small plastic/nursery pots, put moss on the bottom of the terra-cotta pot, then put the small plastic ones inside the terra-cotta pots. This way, I can move them to a countertop to water, the look nice (the plastic pots alone they come in Irk me), and they aren’t stuck being glued down/rotting. I’m still not sure if I want to glue them to the crate so I’m doing this to leave that option open. :) Basically, I put a pot inside a pot, and using moss for presentation purposes.

For my bigger babies, I bought the “self watering” containers. The bottom snaps off and is a tray, so I glued the bottom tray to the shelf, and snap off the top to also put on a different watering tray. I used a contact cement to adhere them, and so far they have been really sturdy. I feel like the shelf would come off before my plants, lol. Basically, I let them be, they snap off the tray when I need to water them, then put them back on. Easy, they stay sturdy, and nothing is left to risk rotting roots!

When you pot them, try to put them further down? This way, if you bump or are on an angle, you’re not stuck with the soil and plant getting tossed around!

These are the containers I use from amazon. I love them, and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003599IUG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pvWyDb4A16S9H

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.

No problem. And yes its fine to have the car running while charging, its like having something plugged in to the cigarette lighter while the car is running. Speaking of which I would go with something a lot less robust that doesn't have to be hard wired to the battery with those terminals like the link you posted. Try something like this that you can just plug in to the 12V outlet on the dash:

https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-Power-Inverter-Adapter/dp/B004MDXS0U/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1539870706&sr=8-13&keywords=car+cigarette+lighter+adapter

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Keep in mind that 300W you calculated probably means 300W when all of your devices are plugged in at the same time. So you won't constantly be drawing that many watts.

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

Nescafe is actually not horrible, it has far less acid in it than fresh coffee, but yeah. An Aeropress is dirt cheap and makes absolutely stunning coffee. https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B0047BIWSK

Also, you can get an aftermarket filter so you don't have to keep getting paper filters: https://www.amazon.com/Altura-Mesh-Aeropress-Stainless-Reusable/dp/B00JVTQHVC/

Edit: changed link to point to 12 volt fan instead of 120 volt fan. My bad. Also, it's fine to wire a solar panel directly to a fan. The varying power levels won't be an issue.

https://www.amazon.com/Hopkins-SP570804-Go-Gear-Oscillating/dp/B003SS62PS

Could be wired directly to

https://www.amazon.com/ECO-WORTHY-Solar-Panel-Watt-Module/dp/B00OZC3X1C

You'd have to leave a window cracked and just Velcro the panel to your roof when you park. When the sun comes out, the fan comes on.

1. We got the stainless steel backsplash cut to size from a local steel shop. It cost us about 90 bucks. The stainless steel was grade 300, which has too much nickel in it to be magnetic so we had to put a thin layer of 26 gauge steel behind it that we pieced together from small squares found at Home Depot. Everything was glued onto the wall with subfloor adhesive.
   

2. We had a time finding child safety locks for the cabinets that were strong enough. The first kind we bought broke off the drawers the first time we hit the brakes while driving. The second set we bought lasted about 2 weeks then just kind of fell apart. After much trial an error we found that these were strong enough and also offered the ability to disable after weve parked somewhere for a while: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GCJMLG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one worked well for me for a year in a motorhome: https://www.amazon.com/Alfa-AWUSO36NH-Wireless-Long-Rang-Network/dp/B0035APGP6

I always kept it by a window, though if you had an externally mounted antenna, you would get a better signal.

If you're going to be using it at campgrounds, use a VPN.

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

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002W8DM5I?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

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