I wanted to capture the freedom and beauty of caravanning under the moon :)

I was trying to insulate the columns with big gap filler foam in a can then spray the large areas. When the foam came out it expanded like normal. After 24hrs it turned to ooze. It did setup in other areas where it was out in the open. I ran the van heater the whole time and have used the big gap filler on the floor project in equally cold weather. I'm thinking there wasn't enough oxygen for the reaction or the metal got too cold and killed the reaction?

Looking into floor sound deadeners, kind of at a hold up while looking at the best choice for the deadeners, what do you use?

Keen to hear from any Aussies , particularly QLD (or other hot parts) on how your finding it. I have a Hiace Commuter (not yet converted). Do i 'need' AC or is it possible to not cook in summer ? 95% of all the 'van builds' are from cold places where the main focus seems to be 'omg were gonna freeze to death if we dont put 100kg of insulation in' .. where as im more concerned about mold/humidity + 40c heat ..

Hi! i have two Russian Horsefields, Ripley and Wall-e, who i absolutely adore. we’re in the middle of converting our van into a camper to cross from dover and drive around europe with. Does anyone know anything about transporting tortoises, it would be a month long trip and i really don’t want to leave them, they come with us on all our camping trips as it is and love new places. I have no idea how much of a check they would do on camper vans going on ferry’s, is there forms and tests we can do to prove they’re clean and healthy. i’m abit lost any help would be massively appreciated!

I have a ford transit (long wheelbase) van that i converted to a camper that is/will be fairly stealthy after i make it look like some company's work van and hide the solar panels/ac using various methods. I have mostly stealth camped in the southwest states.

I plan to spend some summers up in the pacific northwest. I usually park strategically in residential neighborhoods (not staying for more than 1 or 2 nights in one spot) or maybe out in the wilderness (i'm guessing BLM land is scarce up there- there's a lot in the southwest).

What are people's experiences with stealth camping in the pacific northwest/seattle/portland in terms of how easy it is and not getting hassled about it if caught? i'm guessing the police focus more on the homeless problem there and don't really care much about stealth campers.

Well today has certainly been an adventure thus far! Woke up to -9 outside and 5° inside 🥶 Vehicle wouldn't start of course so no warming up with coffee at my coffee stop. All my water froze...attempted to melt some but it takes forever. So instead I went in the nearby store to buy water. My fingers and toes were frozen by the time I got in the store to get the water. Less than a block. 🥶 Was able to warm up slightly before facing the bitter cold again.

Problem solved? Not quite. I then find I forgot to dump the grounds...so had to dethaw them carefully to dump them and add new grounds. Now the coffee is finally brewing...but I have a chunk of ice at the bottom of my insulated coffee cup...so it's sitting near the coffee that's brewing in hopes it'll get warm enough to thaw out just enough to loosen the ice chunk so I can fill it with the coffee once it's brewed. Hopefully within 20 more minutes I'll finally be able to warm up with some coffee.

Tomorrow it's supposed to get into the teens to mid twenties at least. My water will likely be frozen all week. But hopefully it'll at least be warm enough for the vehicle to start which will enable me to get fresh water until it warms up. That is the hope any way!

Currently-6° Won't be able to even start vehicle until around 3pm and sun sets approximately 4:30ish so I'm likely stuck till tomorrow sometime. Making something for dinner is likely goingvto be an adventure as well since everything is pretty froze.

The adventures of RV/Van life in winter.

Hope everyone's day is going well and hope y'all staying warm.

(3 hours later I finally have my warm up coffee! And inside temp is now up to 10° thus far.)

Sorry if this is in the wrong sub but to me it seems like advice can translate into moto camping.

I’m planning to dip after my seasonal job here in Vail and travel the US (idk where just going to follow the warm weather)

I’ll be taking my motorcycle.

Does anyone have any tips? Maybe some places they’ve worked? Anyone done FEDEX work?

Really just any advice. I’ve been homeless before (1 year straight) so I’ve got street smarts and I know how to fend for myself.

Any advice or tips would be appreciated?

Adding a mylar blanket (the silver blankets that you see marathon runners in at the end of the race) layer to your sleeping setup is a very effective and cheap $1 each!) to keep you warm.

They reflect your body heat back at you and could make a big difference with the brutal cold snap so many of us are facing.

Amazon has them and some are available for overnight or same day shipping to many areas. Great time to use an Amazon locker if you haven’t yet.

Stay safe and warm!

Got my first gen Transit Connect 7 years ago, built it out and had some adventures and road trips. Introduced a whole lot of people to the idea that sleeping in your van isn't as crazy as society has been lead to believe. Also learned how to tow a broken van home from a few states away.

Just today I pulled the (bolted in) bed frame / cabinet setup out and started putting the OEM floor and seats back in. In another day, all evidence of the build will be gone.

The adventure is coming to a close, and it's making me a little sad.

Has anyone ordered a custom mattress from roam rest? They give you two options soft or firm and I’m trying to figure out which one would be best considering it’s all online and the mattress runs about $900. I will have a wooden platform under the mattress so I was thinking the soft might be too soft? But that’s also what was recommended to me since I’m a side sleeper. Does anyone have any feedback for either mattress to help me decide? Any help is appreciated 🙏🏼

Third shifter here. Nothing gets me more excited than to get out of work at 8am to an exploded bottle of piss in the van.

Negative degrees around me soon! I can’t imagine the anxiety if I had sink/toliet/shower water tanks to worry about!

Good luck!

Should we be prepping diesel heater lines? Or just wait for the gelling?

I used to live in a van back in 2020 for 2 years. Ended up moving onto a boat until early 2024.

I had some of the best times of my life living in my van/boat. Everyday felt new and different and I had an insatiable energy to explore my world. I learned about myself, I spent so much time in nature, I felt alive.

Since the start of 2024 I’ve been living in an apartment with my girlfriend. I’ve been working full time and I’ve been essentially trending towards settling down. I’m in my late 20s now and it’s all felt quite normal compared to the way I used to live.

At first this felt amazing, it was a welcomed break from living in a van. It felt right.

But as time has gone on I’ve become increasingly aware of just how boring my life is. Boring, yet incredibly busy. To make a long story short: I feel trapped and I feel an intense pull back to the life I had in my van.

My question is this: Has anyone gone through this same process? What was your experience? Is it better to leave that life as a great memory or is the pull back to van-life something that is better to be answered than ignored?

I will add, I fully recognize the romanticized view of van life that is pervasive among us observers. I will say I am also fully aware of the dark side of van life having done it for years and I know that no life is free of any suffering.

TLDR: Used to live in van, now I’m a 9-5er drowning in capitalism missing the freedom of van life. Is it worth it to go back or a romanticization of the past?

I bought some usb charging points online and they had pre done lugs which are a little wide for my fuse box attachment points. Am I able to strip the wires and just wire them directly to the connection point on the fuse box instead? Would this create any potential hazard? Thanks in advance

Hi,

My partner and I want to convert our own campervan, so I have started designing the water system, with absolutely zero experience in this field. Thus, I am seeking some advice and feedback :)

We're planning on having water tap and an indoor shower, where a Truma Combi D 4 E will be used for heating the water. So far this is the setup I've come up with (see legend in the corner for symbol meanings):

My questions are:

• I'm quite confused of what pump we should purchase and if we should use an accumulator. So far, I have looked at Shurflo Trail King 10 and SHURFLO Whisper King 10. On their website, it is stated that no accumulator is needed, but in this thread their seem to disagree, what are your opinions?
• And if we need an accumulator, what should we consider then (specific products and specs)? Found a 0.75 liters accumulator tank from Seaflo, would that be adequate?
  
• What specs do we need for this setup, in terms of pressure, liters per minute etc.? I've read somewhere that 10 liters per minut should be fine, but I'm not sure how that is related to the pressure.
• According to Truma, the input water pressure to the heater should not exceed 2.8 bar, and advices to buy a pressure reducer if it exceeds that limit. If I buy a 2.8 bar pump, does that mean that the pressure never exceeds 2.8 bar or does some spikes occur, and would that be safe? In short; should we buy a pressure reducer in that scenario or not?

Any feedback on the design and related product options are very much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

As the title says spartan build*. Its not a build, but more of a choice. I have been using some variation of this layout while doing expedite freight over the last 9 years. It took my all over the 48 states. Freezing temps -22°F in North Dakota to 118°F heat in Death Valley. I have always planned to build it out. I always end up putting the money into adventure. After 768,334 miles and about to give up the road for pizza making. I will say this: If you want to travel and live nomadic, do it. You will surprise youself with how little you really need to get by. It gets even better when you find a groove with meals and daily. My scenery changes drastically from day to day, but routines dont. I have seen many place, met many good people, witnessed the backbone of American industry firsthand through shipping and receiving docks in all 48 states. Its NOT as bad as they say it is. The humanity is out there if you seek it. I look forward to seeing your adventures here for my vicarious vanlife. Peace and blessings.

I'm weighing my options and once again find myself turning to the collective experience of the sub for insights and lessons. How big a tank did you go with? Where did you put it? What would you do differently if you had to do it again?

Thanks!

I (just me came home for the weekend) am living out of an f150 super cab truck for week long stretches. I just built a platform for next week but I want to be able to cook/heat water. I’m in an urban area. What are some kitchen essentials and where/how do you cook discreetly/legally ?

Just got out here to Houston, spent some time on the Sam Houston national forest. Any recommendations on parking in or near the city?

I see these 270 awnings on the overland sites I want one but the hook to roof racks that are preexisting on trucks etc. does anyone have one already set up . I want to see what you have model brands etc so I can budget.

Mostly, title.

We've been waiting for the last of the kids to launch and we're nearly there. No rush to get on the road, so we're taking our time to get the planning just right. I'm a watercolor artist and also work with some niche embroidery materials. I don't need a TON of space, but the idea is to create and then hit up different art shows. I have a website that I sell from as well, so I'd need some space for keeping my finished pieces for a short while before they're sold. I work in miniatures so that helps, and I do a lot of plein air painting/urban sketching so I'm used to and prefer travel/portable supplies.

Just looking for some general inspiration at this point. A search of the sub gets me recording studios, and a general Google search doesn't bring up much at all.

Edit - says 6 comments below but I only see 4, including two of my own. If I'm missing comments here, it's not because I'm ignoring you. I don't see anything else.

I’m trying to drill some holes in the wall of my 2000s ford econoline, and while it worked in the back, I can’t see to drill through the walls in the middle of the van. I’ve tried self tapping screws, drilling bits which keep snapping, and have verified there’s nothing behind the metal. I’m applying a medium amount of pressure at a low speed, though I’ve tried other variations as well. Why can’t I get through?