may be a dumb question - do y'all run your vent fans while you run your diesel heaters, specifically overnight? not sure if the chinese diesel heaters bring in air from outside or not / if that air needs to be vented out. seems like you'd be losing a fair bit of heat, but I'd wager that's better than suffocating

Anybody want to share some good camping near Tucson?

https://flatlinevanco.com/collections/transit/products/transit-rear-door-platform

Can these style racks withstand use as a ladder (with footpegs installed)

I'm going crazy trying to quiet down the solenoid type pump that comes stock with the heater as it's a bit too risky for the water system to shut the heater off overnight. Currently I have the thing wrapped in a pool noodle, completely encapsulated in a box stuffed with rags. It's maybe half as loud as it was in the open but still fairly annoying.

I've only seen an email listed for mr. Browning, is there anywhere that to purchase in the US that doesn't involve international shipping, customs, etc?

So I just handed the keys off from my apt and officially moved in full time, so far the nightly lows have been between 18-20 degrees Fahrenheit and so far I’ve used one small can of propane in my little buddy. And so far i really have nothing to complain about the whole experience has felt extremely freeing so far. But a few questions have arose. First off I have curtains on every window behind the driver seat but when I’m hanging out with my partner I tend to sit up front with the passenger seat reclined all the way back and I feel a considerable temperature change through the windows, is there an easy thing I can make for this to make it a bit more insulated that’s not going to take up a ton of space to pack away. Secondly my partner works 3rd shift so all of the heat in the van gets wiped out when they leave in the morning and I get quite cold quite fast, is there a better way to retain the heat in the mornings or do I just have to suck it up and run the heater a bit in the morning before I go back to sleep, thanks for reading I apologize for the lengthy post

I ordered a diesel heater and am seeing that the cigarette output on my Bluetti won't put out enough amps to power it. Would this AC to DC converter work? https://www.amazon.ca/Anbull-Converter-Adapter-Transformer-Version/dp/B0828GPDS4/ref=pd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0_title?pd_rd_w=7EVhu&content-id=amzn1.sym.132f1a2b-de6d-4eb4-9982-d6fe080f8827%3Aamzn1.symc.40e6a10e-cbc4-4fa5-81e3-4435ff64d03b&pf_rd_p=132f1a2b-de6d-4eb4-9982-d6fe080f8827&pf_rd_r=WZMKN6Z1K4GSKQYZPB38&pd_rd_wg=S7nF2&pd_rd_r=47638351-2874-4da0-bdee-e07af93995aa&pd_rd_i=B0828GPDS4

Or is there a simpler solution my monkey brain isn't aware of?

Thanks in advance!

Any suggestions for more comfortable driver/passenger replacement front seats (2015 Mercedes Sprinter)?

Going from the starter battery to the Litime 40a DC/DC charger. The charger manual says input from 16-30' is 6AWG and 60a fuse. The distance for the positive wire is 21' maybe up to 25'. A wire gauge chart is telling me 1AWG for that distance to stay around 3% voltage drop (42', 60amp current).

I still don't know if I need to run the negative wire from the charger back to the starter battery or chassis ground it (or ground it to the chassis grounded negative bus bar that will be the common ground of my inverter, fuse block, DC/DC charger output).

Is the 2AWG or 1AWG correct? If I use the chassis ground, does that reduce the length of the wire (from 21' positive + 21' negative to 21' positive + 3' negative) so I can use a smaller 2AWG WIRE?

The DC/DC charger is 40amp. Am I gaging the wire size on the 60amp fuse required by the manual? Is sizing the wire for 40amps or 60amps correct? Still, 21' 40amp that's a 2AWG wire, correct?

The previous owner had a wheelchair lift that had a 70a circuit breaker between the starter battery and lift. The wire (about 21') and fuse are still there, but the wire looks like about a 4AWG, I guessing because of the lift not being critical, so closer to a 10% voltage drop.

I want to use the existing cable run and access hole near the rear door. I suppose I could get the charger closer to the middle of the van and make the cable 5' shorter, but that's still in the 1AWG range (32', 60amp)

Edit: just looking at the cost for the cable and want to make sure I'm getting the safest while not overspending because of a miscalculation

December 1st my fellow van lifers! So i have a 1987 Dodge Ram Van 2500 · Van 3D. Only has 29k miles on her. Been redone but was basic and will be re doing the build myself. Would like to have a manual for it and so forth. It has alot of connections in the conversion that i am not sure what they do exactly 🤣 So i was hoping to get a good manual online but havent really found one for my specific year. Am i missing something? Thanks for any and all advice and appreciate yall reading

Just purchased a Chevrolet Express 3500 , 4 window short bus conversion , looking for full time off grid livable in high and low temps. Need electrical/design/layout inspiration, anyone could share their favorites I appreciate any inspiration/ideas to get me started. Thanks!

bus inside

So we need to seal a roof-rack plug on our van with Dicor and go over the gutters with it as well to make sure it's leak-free but it's been around freezing and under recently and won't be changing for months. We've read it's not ideal to use it under 40° but we don't really have a choice. Will it effect the way it cures THAT bad or should we not worry and go for it? Thanks in advance!

Hello! I just wrapped up a 4 month US tour in my 2011 Sienna. I worked as an outdoor educator on the road and had a blast. My build met all my needs except one REALLY big want: my mountain bike. I am going to re-vamp my build this winter to adjust some things such as consolidated food storage and a wider bed as well.

Here is where I can really use some advice. How can I comfortably store my mountain bike on the inside of the car? Due to lifestyle, I need the option of interior storage should I bring my bike on the road with me. I have attached a model I made years ago that I am considering bringing to life + some reference pictures from when I experiemented with the idea more. I am considering a rooftop mount for casual bouncing around/periods of regular biking. I also have a rooftop box so I can stomach the loss of interior storage in exchange for carrying my bike!

Thanks for the help!

Anybody living in a Chevy G10,20 or 30? I have a G20 I’ve been working on for a while and I’m thinking of using it full time in the future. I know there’s lots of sprinters and pro masters just checking to see how many 80’s and 90’s vans are being used.

Hey everyone was hoping to get some opinions on an issue I've been having. Bought a new Vevor 2kw diesel heater and finally got everything hooked up and running but it's producing a lot of white smoke out of the exhaust. Took it apart and there doesn't seem to be any clogging and the atomizer screen seems fine. I was having issues with air getting in the fuel line after the pump but as far as I'm aware that shouldn't be creating this issue. Thanks for any help!

Does anyone have any experience with hitch mounted storage boxes? I'm looking at something like this to store my grill and stuff in, i have a Promaster 3500. https://www.stowaway2.com/max-cargo-carrier-black TIA

I've got a handful if I do need one.

Black Friday has deals and would like to do the mini, but need to make sure that my partner and I can feasibly have work calls going on at the same time. We dont have to go on video and rarely will be on calls the same time, but one will always use internet, and other on video at once. Would prefer mini but need to know if that wont work.

Hey there! I’ll be leaving my van for a month in cold, below-freezing temperatures. How should i prepare the van to sit for a while?

I have an isolated solar power system run by a lithium battery. would it be wise to disconnect this? Also, should i disconnect the van’s battery?

Fair warning, this is a variant of the "what do I do for work?" question.

I have been in a state of existential paralysis since I graduated in 2022. My initial plan was simple: become a freelance translator, get a van, travel around doing open mics. After busting my ass in college and a year of in-country experience, I got a spot at the best translation program in the country. But I was dissuaded by numerous grads who told me that my plan wouldn't work in large part because AI has put the field in peril, especially the type of work I would've been doing. I've been in limbo ever since, and I even ended up in a psych ward as result (I am bipolar).

I have a stable job now, a 9-5, and I'm sure like many of you I hate it. It enables me to save for a van, but if I do it for more than a year it will feel like the end of the world. But I don't know what else to do. I've been preparing apps for grad programs in area studies, and more recently considering becoming a speech language pathologist. But I don't know if either of these are good choices for living in a van. I can't see any clear paths to remote work with option #1, and I know telehealth is possible with #2 but it would take years to get to that point, and I don't know if it would actually work, much less if I would even enjoy the career. Apps are due mid January, which is putting me under a lot of mental strain.

I should also note that I moved to NYC to live with my friends and pursue my creative goals, with the idea of doing freelance work. I failed miserably -- I barely went to any open mics or advanced that pursuit in any way, and failed miserably at going freelance with anything. I attribute this to the paralysis and a very fragile mental state. I live with my parents now. I really want to move back in a van, because that's where all my friends are and I liked it there in spite of everything.

If I could, I would be a full-time musician. But that's obviously an unstable career path and, while I am told I am a very good singer, I am still very much an amateur on my instrument, with a weak grasp of theory to boot.

If anyone has any words of advice about how I can balance these things and above all make the van work, I would be very grateful. Nothing has been helpful and my mental state is perpetually terrible.

I have recently installed the new renogy DC to DC 40a charger (one that senses if the vehicle has turned on or not).

I wasn't really seeing much charge, so I bought the Bluetooth connection and saw that I'm charging but only supplying something around 0.2 amps if that. I don't have a smart alternator.

When I check the voltage at the starter battery (engine running) it's around 14.5ish but then when I check the voltage at the DC to DC charger input it's around 13-12.5, also says similar numbers on the app.

Is this voltage drop? and is it affecting the charge? I used 4awg so it's not the wire gauge. I don't have a clamp so can't check the current going in to the charger right now