Vandwelling 101: Those Rainy Days or Dust Storms

Today is day two of dust storms and high winds. You need to plan ahead for those days where you're cooped up in the van.

Both rainstorms and dust storms mean VAN buttoned up tight. Yesterday was 25 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph. It was also in the 80s. Vans retain heat. There's also the moisture from your breathing.

Try not to boil water or cook on those days. Van gets a musty smell quickly. I tend to snack all day rather than eat big meals
Bathing...quick washup with wet washcloth. Seal in zip lock bag.

Ok, you've been on Facebook half the day, watched hours of video, what next...
Often I putter with cleaning/organization while listening to an audio book. And there is always naps.
I have a Chihuahua named Mona. On rainy days, she holds it as long as she can. She's learned about the windy dust storms...out, quick per close to van, and she's ready to jump back inside. In the beginning, I had to hold her, comfort her, and keep telling her She's safe. Now...just get out of her way do she can pick her comfy nap spot.  She instinctively knows now that the van is her safe place.

Another thing I like to do on weather days is read...either paperback or e-books.

So, I hope this helps.

See ya down the road
LOU

Vandwelling 101 - A Clean Van Is A Happy Van

Keeping the van clean is much easier and less overwhelming than having to deep clean it.

I thought I'd share a few of my personal tips & tricks.

Your van shouldn't smell...funky or excessively of air fresheners. Most air fresheners merely mask the smell.

So how to keep the van smelling fresh? There are a couple of things that make a van smell musty or funky.

Moisture: you can get condensation just from breathing. The answer is simple: Crack a window or open the windows/doors an hour or two a day.

Feet odor: one of the biggest culprits in van funk is dirty smelly feet. Using a small basin, wash your feet at least once or twice a day. Make sure you dry them completely. If you wear closed shoes, you need two pair. Rotate daily, leave open with some baking soda in them on the off day. Clean socks!

Dirty Laundry. Dirty clothes stink. Keep the laundry done, make sure clean clothes are completely dry before putting away. Air dirty clothes, then store in tied up plastic bags.

Food. Food crumbs get in seats and carpet. Use a dry scrub brush, a carpet sweeper, or go to car wash & use the powerful shop vacuum.

Bedding: wash or air out often to prevent funky smells. You can spray all fabric/carpeted areas and head liner with vinegar spray bottle. This will kill odor causing germs.
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The potty. Trust me it can be smelly. Empty daily if possible. Rinse with a bit of dawn and water. Toss some baking soda in. Add water to urine jug.

I use very simple homemade cleaning products.
It's amazing how well your nose will become more aware of smells once you stop using excessive store bought cleaners with scents

These are my favorite cleaning items. They work well, are budget friendly, and are very environmental friendly.

Vinegar & water. Half vinegar and half water in a spray bottle. (1:1)

Murphy's oil soap: used for greasy spots, food spills. One cup Murphy's oil soap to 3 cups water (1:3) great for cleaning the dash .

Baking soda: use anywhere you'd use comet in a house. Also used as fire extinguisher and deodoriser.

Dawn dish soap: I keep smallest bottle sold of dish soap.

See ya down the road
Lou

Vandwelling 101 - You've Never Done Your Own Van Maintenance?

I see so many new dwellers at the mercy of mechanic shops or they ruin their engine needlessly.

The following are some very basic things that any vandweller can learn to do,

You really want a manual for your van & engine. The two really good ones are Chilton and Haynes. A manual will cost approximately $30 at any auto parts store. Even if you rely on mechanics, you'll want one as a reference so that you understand the repairs needed.

You need a tire gauge and I recommend getting a 12v tire compressor. The tire compressor plugs into your lighter socket. They run $5-$10. A tire gauge is less than $2. The information as to how much air is on your van. Open the driver's side door, there will be a sticker telling you how much air should be in your tires. On mine, that sticker is partially torn. So you go to the physical tire itself. It will have the max load and a number in psi. That is the number your gauge should read if tires are properly inflated.

You need to know how to check your oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid. Sometimes if you have a leak all that is needed is replacing a hose. That is usually inexpensive, easily done, and can mean the difference between a running vehicle and a blown engine.

Do not overfill fluids. Transmission fluid is checked after engine is warm (running 20 minutes or driven 7 miles). Vehicle must be level with engine running.

Oil can be checked hot or cold. You check on the dipstick, refill in the cap that says oil. You check oil with engine off.

All of these checks can be done by anyone. Lift your hood, check your fluids. Use a tire gauge to check your tires.

Do not drive on low oil, low oil pressure, low coolant, or an overheated vehicle. Carry oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid with you.

These few simple things are the difference between a running vehicle or scrap metal.

See ya down the road
Lou

Vandwelling 101 - Daytime Parking Urban Areas

Everyone says arrive late and leave early at your nighttime parking spot. So, when your head is still foggy and that first cup of coffee hasn't kicked in, where do you go? Here's my experience on it.

Wake up, potty dog (remember to scoop that poop), brush hair or throw hat on, pull the windshield Sun protector down, and head for the nearest gas station with coffee/hot water. Grab coffee or hot water and breathe.

Head for a city park with a parking lot. Bonus points if it has shade tree, toilets, running water.

I refill my water jugs, empty potty jugs in bathroom down toilet or at a portapotty.

My trash is usually a Wal-Mart shopping bag or less. Don't put any bags with human waste in them in trash at park.

Don't park next to bathroom or playgrounds. That's just creepy and will make families a bit uncomfortable.

I try to park where I can have privacy while my side barn doors or my rear barn doors are open.

Even better when I find the ones with shaded picnic tables.

I use my backpacking stove in urban areas. If I'm at a park with picnic table, then I pull out my two burner propane stove. I can make breakfast, lunch, and make extra so there's leftovers for a cold dinner.

If you use a charcoal grill...take extra precautions with fire safety. Always pay attention when cooking with any open flame or coals. Too many huge fires start with a careless camper.

Rotate the parks you use and don't congregate with large crowds. Two to three vehicles together sharing the spot is more than plenty.

Be responsible about your trash and gray water.

Before you leave, check your area to make sure it's clean and tidy. No trash blowing around. If it was there when you got there,.pick it up anyway.

Keep dogs on leashes, under control, no excessive barking. Keep music volumes down so you don't annoy others. In other words, be respectful and considerate. Shirts on for guys, ladies it's not necessary to be half naked. People bring their families to parks.

Drinking in public...not a good idea. Draws attention to you, can lead to a DUI and your home being towed.

Remember, how you conduct yourself affects lots of other vandwellers.

See ya down the road
Lou

Vandwelling 101 - Lightweight Foods

When you're in a van, a lot of the old forgotten ways to store and preserve food actually work better than modern methods.

I travel without a refrigerator or modern conveniences, and I like to eat well. I'm not big on eating out or fast food.

My main implements are my 6 quart pressure cooker and my cast iron skillets. Using those I can cook as well over a campfire, a propane stove, a Coleman backpacking stove as I can in a regular house kitchen.

A friend dehydrated his own beef crumbles. You take hamburger and fry it up. Drain, rinse, fry twice more. Then put away in sealed glass jar.

Another friend carries a pressure canner. When she finds a good buy, she cans it in her van on the spot
Weight and space is always an issue in a van. I like to carry lots of food, but I also like it to be lightweight and not too bulky.

Some of the things I carry are freeze dried or dehydrated foods.

The nice thing about the freeze dried foods is they are not so high in preservatives and artificial ingredients. Their shelf life is ten years unopened, a year once you open them.

I love my freeze dried dehydrated foods. I like Augason Farms, but there are also other good ones out there: Thrive Life, Bear Creek, Wise.

I prefer freeze dried garlic bits to garlic powder. They're a much better flavor.

I also carry macaroni, and various kinds of pasta. Add a sauce, canned meat, and a vegetable, and you're eating well.

The cheese blend power and the tomato powder from augason farms: I buy in number ten cans, about $29, and they generally last me a year with heavy use.

A number ten can of the meat substitute lasts me about a month eating it once or twice a day. At a cost of approximately $10- not a bad deal. I've had friends tell me that their freeze dried meat is excellent.

I can highly recommend the dehydrated potato shreds. A number ten can of those go really fast around me.

Rice: rice keeps well, no expiration date. I like to carry at least a 20 pound bag. Often I'll take it and put it in quart sized zip lock bags.

Dry beans, split peas, lentils, barley: excellent value nutrition wise and space weight wise.

I also like the small cans of chopped ham or chicken breast as a meal base.

Root vegetables keep well and can be used in meals even when they shrivel a bit. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorites.
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Celery and cilantro are easily dehydrated here in the desert. Sit in a glass and out of the sun. When dried, I store them in a glass jar. Empty instant coffee jars are easily repurposed as food storage.

It's actually easy to carry months of food with no refrigeration.

See ya down the road
Lou

Vandwelling 101 - Let's Talk About Kinds Of Vans

Ever since the days of flower children and vw vans, there has been a mystical draw toward that life.

You're looking at van advertisements. There are all these terms and types of van. Your head starts spinning as you try to find your dream van.

So let's define a few of the terms for you.

Vans come in two heights (standard and high top), and in two lengths (standard and extended) and two types of fuel (gasoline and diesel)

There are 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, and one ton (standard or dually).

There are passenger vans, cargo vans, conversion vans, and camper vans.

Are your eyes crossing yet? Let's take some of the mystery out of van shopping.

If you plan on towing, I'd suggest at least a 3/4 ton van. Ford e250 or Chevy g20 or Dodge 3500.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it's enough to take the mystery out of van shopping.

Half ton vans: Ford e150, Chevy g10, Dodge 2500, tows about 4000 usually.
3/4 ton van: Ford e250, Chevy g20, Dodge 3500, tows about 6000 pounds usually
1 ton van: Ford e350, good tow vehicle. Chevy g30

Passenger van: 3 sets of seats (front, middle, and usually a rear bench seat)

Cargo van: driver's seat, front passenger seat, rear space empty. May or may not come with cage behind front seats.

Conversion van: rear seat turns into a bed. I've had both Ford and Chevy conversion vans. The Chevy folds into a bigger more comfortable bed.

Camper van: has bed, stove, dinette (usually makes into a bed), sink, potty, shower, fresh water tank. Not all will have all of these, but they have at least 3 of the above list to be considered a camper van.

Prices from low to high (generally)
Passenger, cargo, extended passenger, extended cargo, conversion, high top passenger, high top cargo, camper, high top camper.

This is by no means the definitive van reference guide, but it will take a lot of the confusion away when van shopping.

Thanks to Ky for correcting me on the Chevy van sizes.

See ya on the road
Lou

© Tumbling Tumbleweed 2017

Vandwelling 101 - Oh Shit...Being Responsible and Green

There are many out there who just aren't responsible about pee and Poo. It needs to be talked about how to be environmentally safe.

Improper disposal of your urine and feces (pee n poo) can lead to many illnesses, sometimes life threatening.

Giardia is an intestinal parasite found in water contaminated with feces (human or animal). That clear mountain spring...could leave you very sick or dying.

Typhoid & Cholera were common illnesses caused by contaminated water when wells were the usual water sources. Many foods get recalled from e coli contamination...someone pooped in the fields.

Dysentery...Also known as diarrhea or the trots...caused by contaminated water or improperly cleaned dishes.

These feces spread diseases and infections can kill you and your pets. Learn to be responsible and green

It's not a glamorous topic, but if you want to be a vandweller, then you need to look at this and learn proper safe methods of disposal.

In urban areas, I look for a port-a-potty. I empty my urine bottle and my poo bucket daily. I duck in, empty them, rinse with a bottle of water, add a splash of laundry soap in them and put them away.

When boondocking, I use cathole method. Make sure you are a minimum of 200 feet from any water source or dry wash.

Human urine, dilute, (equal amount of water to urine) pour at base of tree at least 200 feet from water.

They make an incinerating toilet that I have been eyeing for off grid use. It's pricy but it's also very safe method. https://incinolet.com/

You can compost but it requires proper knowledge of how to compost and ensuring compost heap or barrel reaches proper temperature. It's not just piling your human poop up like a former neighbor of mine did. There's actual science to learn and follow. Almost any agricultural extension office will have free or low cost booklets on composting.

Learning how to properly handle human waste keeps us from being a third world disease borne society.

You're either part of the problem or part of the solution. Do your research.

See ya down the road
Lou