Can I just hammer-shape the steel chimney to an L shape for the window? I plan on having it run partially out the door while stationary. Thought I could save me some bills. Or would I just risk making my place smell like fumes and then me dying because if it?

Waste of money for this? How do I make it work, can only vent through window, risky or efficient?

Greetings! I've been studying #vanlife and voluntary vehicle residence since 2022, including a 7-month stint in my Honda Civic, and I'm hoping to recruit more folks to share their perspectives and experiences for this anthropological research project.

If you're interested, you can visit https://coloradocollege.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lFTjGW7wP6xK98 to earn $5 for completing a brief online survey, plus $10/hour for an ethnographic interview (virtual or in-person) if you'd like to keep the conversation going. Thanks!

This research has been approved by the Colorado College IRB and is being led by Dr. Allison Formanack (aformanack@coloradocollege.edu).

Has anyone every ran two 40 amp DC to DC chargers wired in parallel to create one 80 amp charger? If so, was there any issues, i.e excessive heat, charging speeds, etc.. Also, I have a LiTime 40amp DC to DC charger, if that makes any difference.

I realize the political climate is changing a lot which is why I’m making this post. So maybe cities that generally give vanlifers/ cardwellers the least amount of problems would be a better question.

Starting remote work from my car and the last thing I need is a knock on the door during a call because of overly-strict crackdowns on parking. What town, cities, or settlements have the best reputation for being Vanlife friendly in the US? Bonus points for being near a national forest or other type of public land.

ADU's are becoming popular, it's a second unit such as a converted garage or a small additional room. Her supposed land lord kept raising prices, $80 and then another $80 after 12 months saying it's electricity and bills.

I just got a eco delta flow 1000W, lent it to her for a week, says she was barely reaching 60% in the 3 days she used it. In those times, she did the same thing, has her computer running and would turn on an ac unit from time to time. Only things she has on is a small fan and a cat fountain, and a light bulb. Her water bills might be it but I'm sure she doesn't use it much.

Goes to say how much bs rental increases are now. I don't disagree that the rent in anywhere has risen up and I'm sure her renter has every reason. But I think it's a little unfair to suspect that she's using up more electricity and driving the lot's bills up when by lending her my eco delta, she ran her whole room with it and barely made a dent. Could she be lying? Doing this made me realize and appreciate portable stations and solar power more...

It's not too noticeable, but I did do a complete 90% charge while doing some work, no one seemed to notice. I'm always a customer of theirs, but whenever I see a free power outlet, I try to see if I can charge. Is this unethical?

I live in Maine and plan on doing van life for the next 3-5 years until I can buy land. Probably going to do cheap winter rentals to get through the coldest months until I feel confident enough with my van in the winter.

I’m looking for any advice anyone has about anything! Lol. I’m purchasing a van (most likely a promaster) and then giving it to a custom van company rather than building out my own. I’m looking at around $80k total for the van + build (paid off over time!!). What are your thoughts on the price?

If anyone has spots in southern Maine for water, dumping, and safe sleeping please drop them in the comments! Also overall advice on switching to van life would be helpful. I’m SO excited for this next chapter of my life. I know it’s going to come with a lot of stress and lessons to learn but the freedom is priceless.

Thanks so much my Reddit friends !! 🖤

Are these power banks going to get better in time so should I just invest one a year or so from today? I've been stumbling on people arguing online that power banks have hit a max R&D, you can only put in so many in such a small size.

Is lithium ion better than lithium phosphate? If lithium phosphates have more cycles than the former, is this what to look for in a power bank?

What are the difference between Watt hours & Watt continuous?

The jackery series for example, you can even include a solar panel for an additional $500, it's around $850 right now, so it's a big investment. I want to be able to run my 2 stereo PA system, my laptop and a mic as I travel around hosting events. I also wouldn't mind it as a backup power for when I need my mini fridge or to turn on my other entertainment appliances.

I also like the solar panel option. I can just leave it out the sun and get free energy indefinitely?? What's not to love about this?!

Omg so does this mean if your living in your vehicle, your considered “homeless”??

Bio: Senior on fixed income (social security), living in my van/trailer going to Oregon from Illinois. Have 4 pets (over the limit to get any apartment rental) so can’t rent an apartment right now, but have applied for multiple section 8 senior housing waiting lists. Those can take years. Hoping to stay in campgrounds in my travel trailer for a few years but don’t know the steps to become a resident of my new state (Oregon). What can I have as my address? Can I have the campground as my address? Do I need that first before getting a new drivers license & registration for my vehicles? I’ll have to change addresses on my cell phone accounts too right? What about banking? Do I keep my old bank in Illinois until I get a new bank in Oregon? But in order to get a new bank account, won’t I need a residential address? I’ll admit this is overwhelming. Please advise.

Is starlink an option? How much do you pay per month what’s your setup and can you really get internet anywhere?

I'm wondering if anyone has ever developed a good flow for long haul type of meal preps, such as vacuuming, sealing meats. Think it'll be impossible to perpetually run a cooler for forever so is meal prepping just not feasible for van dwelling lifestyle?

A lot of aquarium rubber pipes come in super affordable and they're very strong made for concealing water. A simple plastic rectangular container as a sink, you can cut a hole on the bottom, use the rubber pipe to drain grey water down the bucket on your foot level. The clean water is in a 10 gallon water tank with a spigot, it's at the top on your head level, gravity gets the water down for your sink.

Better than a USB powered water pump where you always need to charge it, but if you don't have a standing van, this will come in handy. However, I've used aquarium water pumps to my advantage. they use so little power all you need is an outlet with an on and off switch or just plug them in or out.

Finally, you can use an aquarium syphon system to squeeze the rubber syphon and simply drain the water out your grey water container. You can even use an actual aquarium as your clean drinking water container, you can also see what's in it but get an acrylic one because glass is strong but not durable during bumpy trips. There are also aquarium heaters you can put in your grey water tank to heat water up, they're super efficient and look like a miniature baton with only an electrical outlet sticking out. Thoughts?

Going to phoenix arizona, gonna be living in my car for 3 months there. Any advice on where I can park to sleep at night. Also any advice at all in the procedure of living food choices and whatnot would be great! TIA!!!

I want advice because I want to move out there end of july or 3rd week of August.

Just as I asked and noted above. Do you head to the west coast (Vancouver, BC) for winter? Does anyone "rent" a parking spot to avoid "the knock"? How do you maintain an address for your driver license, health insurance, etc.? How do you make money?

I'm starting vanlife in late 2024 but I want to make a game plan to help ensure my success. Serious replies only, please. All Canadian vandweller responses are appreciated.

#NomadLife.wiki

I hope you like this van life wiki. Please let me know if there's anything I should add there! Thanks!

Anyone recently stayed in Reno? Need some decent places to park, i'll just be sleeping in the back seat of my car. I hear Atlantis is good, but I'm not sure.

Effective July 1st, Reddit is implementing changes to their third-party API services that will effectively kill off all third-party apps and many external tools that Reddit users and moderators have come to rely on.

We won't rehash points that many of you have already been reading about — details of the changes and the discussion surrounding them can be found on the announcement post here, and the initial response on /r/modcoord: https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/13xh1e7/an_open_letter_on_the_state_of_affairs_regarding

Instead, we'll just briefly talk about why we consider this important, and what it means for you, the average Reddit user:

###Third-party Reddit apps are going away

If you make use of a third-party app to browse Reddit, such as Apollo, RIF, BaconReader, or Narwhal, those apps are going to stop working on July 1st of this year.

Reddit have implemented enterprise-level pricing for their API that they state is intended for third-party apps, however the pricing model they've released is unconscionably high, nearly twenty times what it's believed their API services actually cost to operate. The developer of the Apollo app expects that keeping their app running would cost upwards of twenty million dollars a year, and will no longer be able to offer their app. Effectively, this change is an elimination of third-party apps in everything but name. The developers of RIF and Narwhal also expect they will be forced to shut down their apps.

###Reddit content is about to become worse

Many subreddits make use of third-party tools to support their community, including custom browser extensions, bots, and archival services. Many of these services are likely to stop working, robbing communities of tools they have come to rely on to manage their content. The Pushshift API, which powered sites like Reveddit, has already ceased functioning. Many more tools are expected to cease working after this change goes into effect. We can surely expect the legacy old.reddit.com to be next on the chopping block — the mobile browser site, i.reddit.com, has already been removed.

That means that you, the user, can expect to see more spam, more FUD, more trolls, more stolen content, and more reposts in your communities.

The mod tools offered by the default app and website also pale in comparison to what's offered by third-party apps and plugins. This means that communities can expect less moderation, worse moderation, and less transparency after these changes go into effect.

###Reddit content is about to become less safe

In addition to the pricing model, Reddit is blocking the display of NSFW content in third-party apps. That means that even if the app developers find a way to keep their apps running, your beloved porn is going away.

This also means that anyone viewing a user profile via a third-party app will be unable to view post histories on NSFW subreddits. Many communities serving underage users take steps to prevent posting by individuals with NSFW posting histories; the ability to do this outside of the official Reddit app is about to be crippled.

In short, this means more OnlyFans spam, and more porn directed at kids.

###Reddit is about to become less accessible

Accessibility tools like screen readers simply do not work on New Reddit and the official iOS Reddit app. This change will effectively exile the Blind community from Reddit overnight. Read more about this here.

So what are we doing?

As a subreddit, we do have some sway here. Reddit requires its user's content in order to survive — if we stop posting, Reddit stops making money.

To that end, we will be joining hundreds of other subreddits in a Reddit-wide blackout. On June 12th, 2023, participating communities will set their subreddits to private in protest of these changes, depriving Reddit of the content and traffic it needs to survive. The intent is to force Reddit to reconsider these changes and come to a reasonable compromise with app developers — who have stated they are willing to pay reasonable API costs — so that we can ensure that Reddit stays as safe and accessible as possible.

This isn't a decision we're undertaking lightly, but we believe that we do have the capacity to force change here, and we'd be remiss as members of this community to not take the few steps we can to attempt to ensure a better and safer Reddit experience for everyone.

Read more about the issues here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/comments/13yh0jf/dont_let_reddit_kill_3rd_party_apps/

https://www.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/13ws4w3/had_a_call_with_reddit_to_discuss_pricing_bad/

https://www.reddit.com/r/redditisfun/comments/13wxepd/rif_dev_here_reddits_api_changes_will_likely_kill/

https://www.reddit.com/r/getnarwhal/comments/13wv038/reddit_have_quoted_the_apollo_devs_a_ridiculous/jmdqtyt/

https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/1401qw5/incomplete_and_growing_list_of_participating/

Hey all! Just jumping in here as I've been in the van for a few months and really wanting to continue as long as possible, because it's hugely changed my life and mental health for the better.

Wondering if anyone has been talking about the increasing issue of Wildfire smoke. I live in the PacNW and have been staying fairly local, intentionally. I'm starting to stress that this near-disaster situation (currently crushing NY the way it has out here in the past few years) is going to hit us again this year and I'll have to either get a place to stay, get hotels, or drive somewhere else to avoid (which means cancelling a lot of plans). Not end of the world, just thinking. Lucky I have options.

I knew this would come up for me, but I hadn't really considered how other people might be impacted by or dealing with this and just wondered if it's on anyone's minds - if any of y'all have dealt with it, how you're thinking about it, etc. Seems like a big conversation as the world changes in scary ways.

Can anyone help guide we rookies here on the differences between, and pros and cons of RVs, fifth wheels, campers, vans, etc?

I’m sure each puts a very different perspective on this non home/apartment life Thank you

I’m looking for differences in how you felt, or thought, or acted from when you lived in a decent car to now living in a nicer van. Thanks for any insight.

I'm in Maryland right now. Last winter was milder, I am thinking of going further south for the rest of the cold weather at least, and have an older cat with me who needs to be warmer too. I've heard Florida and Georgia aren't vandweller-friendly; what about coastal areas of the Carolinas and Virginia? Even the DC area looks to be a bit warmer than where I am now. I know there are apps that purport to tell you who's ok with us but the apps I've seen have entries dating back to 2006...I'm looking for recent personal experience

Hey everyone, who of you wants to talk about toilets?

We are a German company that produces portable & high-quality composting toilets as an alternative to other expensive composting toilets, cassette toilets and DIY-solutions.

Our goal is to establish our affordable products in the USA as well, after having built an excellent reputation in the European market. Are there any outdoor enthusiast from this community who is interested in sharing some feedback with us? Hit me up :)

Title should say Echo Dot.

Right off the bat, I don't fully understand how Echos use electricity. I don't know how much they use being on standby, waiting for someone to say, "Alexa..."

I'm wondering if it's possible to have an Echo communicate through my iPhone as a hotspot, to send commands to things plugged into my power station through a smart plug.

I'm trying to figure out ways to do things like have an electric blanket cycle on and off every couple of hours while I sleep. All the offline timers I see only allow you to turn things on and off once per 24 hours.

Can anyone testify to whether or not the stock bed in a conversion is comfortable, bad for your body when sleeping on it, or should replacing it be automatically worked into my budget?

Hi there! I am a total Noob Nomad. I am at the beginning of my Nomadic journey and quest.

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My story is simple. I am a "rent refugee" originally from NYC, and I have spent the last 20-30 years moving further north away from NYC in order to find cheaper rents. Every 2-3 years the rents seem to increase beyond my means forcing me to move again. I am looking at going Nomad as a solution to this "rat race". BTW, I'd be very interested in connecting with any New York Van Dwellers, especially in NYC, Brooklyn or Queens. I would love the return to NYC embracing a "stealthy" urban lifestyle.

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Going "Nomad" has been one of my "secret fantasies" for decades, I never realized that there were other people out there, just like me. LOL😁. Now that I'm 71, this is definitely on my "Bucket List".

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I've always had this fantasy of having a completely mobile Internet connected habitat ever since I saw that amazing iconic albeit fictitious Volkswagen Bus featured in "The X-files" & "The Lone Gunmen" in the early 2000s.

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I am giving myself a year and a bit to do the learning and the research, acquire a vehicle, and build it out and finally hit the road by 2024. I have already ordered Bob Wells' book, and signed up for his Udemy courses.

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I am trying to determine the best first low-budget "starter" rig which would be The best Van for Conversion for a "Urban stealth rig' for my purposes. I'm looking primarilty at Ford Econoline E150 as probably the cheapest "starter" cargo van. I am open to other ideas.

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BTW, are there any Cargo Van Conversion Kits available? Is there anybody out there who produces a Cargo Van Conversion kit? I'm specifically looking for a conversion kit for a Ford Econoline E150 Cargo Van.

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Blessings!

Looking to link up with New York Van Dwellers

Looking to connect & link up with any Nomad, Van Dwellers located in New York State, NYC, and Brooklyn.

Hey all finishing up a solo cross country trip alone with my dog, I am a woman. On the way to the east coast I used KOA’s but pulled in so late they assumed I’d canceled. Then I saw literally limitless areas to park, so on the way back i parked at a flying J. It was quiet, peaceful, felt safe. Honestly far quieter than any of the campgrounds I’d paid for all year for my trips. Then I wondered, why aren’t truck stops mentioned more? Is it frowned upon? I slept so well that I was thinking of doing it again. Thoughts? Fwiw it was in the Midwest, and I will be heading into Nevada tonight so I don’t know if that makes a difference.