Coffee at the P-era

Coffee at the P-era

It’s a Saturday following the first week of training for my new job. The first morning to sleep in my own bed. My living-elsewhere-wife (whom I love) was nice enough to take care of my pets while I was gone as well as to clean up the house a bit. I used to be much cleaner, but I’ve lost motivation this past year and a half with the separation. While we were living together, it was the opposite. She would seldom, if ever, clean. It seemed that I was doing almost all of it. Lately, I’m of the attitude, “what’s the point?”

In any case, I’m writing some of this at the Panera Bread while having two buttered bagels, chocolate-filled croissant and coffee in a mug. The mug part is nice when you’re out and about. I do this at Starbucks as well. They even discount my coffee by ten cents (from what I remember) when I have it this way. It’s so much more satisfying and it tastes so much better in a mug. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s the heat retention, the feeling of the ceramic against my lips, or the subtle taste or sensation difference when sipping out of it. Regardless, I highly recommend it. All you need to append to an order of a Venti Vanilla Latte is , “in a mug,” and they’ll do it.

A footnote to the $0.10 mug discount at Starbucks is that there isn’t one unless you bring in your own cup. They must have been giving me the discount anyway. I’m not complaining though. It’s still a good idea.

In my home life, my intense irritation from the dogs’ noises is back. They were very glad to see me when I came back home though. After awhile, the constant demand for attention was starting to get on my nerves. There seems to be nothing worse than not being allowed to let yourself concentrate on something because you’re expecting to be jarringly interrupted. I emphasis jarringly because that is exactly what it feels like. It’s like someone slapping you hard in the face while you’re in the hard, REM phase of sleep. I can’t take the abrupt switch between modes. It’s very upsetting to me. Fortunately, they didn’t make any noises during sleeping hours. For the record, the interruptions are really getting on my nerves. I love the dogs, but they are having somewhat of a toll on my sanity. I’m don’t think that I’m exaggerating.

I feel guilty because they’re so sweet. It’s obvious that they’re not intending to cause me pain. They’re just dogs doing dog things. If I could train them differently, I would try.

Regarding my current mode of transportation, I’m thinking that my brakes may need to be replaced. The pedal doesn’t feel right. The only problem with this is that I don’t have a lug wrench, which is supposed to come with the car, to take the wheels off to do the job. I have no idea how much they cost. $50? $100? I don’t have this kind of money right now. At it is, my wife is trying to help monetarily at least until I get my first paycheck. I barely have enough to buy food, pet food, and gas. I can’t even pay my mortgage.

In any case, I need to get going and try to fix this car. I’ve looked up the cost of a lug wrench and it’s only $15 – $30 at O’Reilly’s. Harbor Freight has them for $10, but I’m not positive that they have them in stock. Take care.

UPDATE

It turns out that my right inner pad was pretty bad on the S-10. It’s interesting that the other caliper’s pads were in much better shape. However, I didn’t notice any pulling to one side when braking. It’s also interesting that I didn’t hear any pre-warning that the pads were getting low. Hmm. Is one of them not working? I don’t know.

In any case, I did the poor man’s brake job this time since I qualify for that status. I tested it and all was good. I have rear brake pads that I intended to use for the Extreme that had the major bridge accident, but I didn’t put them on today. I was thinking that it may be the fronts and I was correct in thinking that. I had no idea they were that bad though. Based on the picture, I definitely need a new rotor, but I’ll have to wait until I can afford to fix it.

I also purchased a lug wrench. It was only $20 from O’Reilly, so I’m finally have something to take my wheel off when I need to do so.

U/Dys topia

In looking through my Apple notes, I came across some pondering questions I had previously written as a reflection on a video featured on social media some time ago. Van-related? I’m not sure, but worthy of thought before getting on the bandwagon of societal perfection.

• What chains will you exchange for the world you think that you want or the world others think you should want?
• What chains will you force others to bind for the world you think that they should want?

The Noise

Here I lay once again before I go to sleep, having earned the relative quiet I desperately craved earlier. I only hear the occasional car whizzing past the 25 MPH city limit interspersed with the sound of the cat cleaning himself.

As I said, Earlier had a different set of parameters. Earlier had my fingers pressing into my scalp as a reaction for deal with my ears’ pain of my dogs’ barking.

And <poof> …the quiet is gone. Earlier has returned. Chaos has been restored. I just want some uninterrupted sleep. I may just sleep in the van tonight to get some.

Creative blog posts

I’m writing to announce that I’ll be writing any daily prompts and other creative blog challenges over at Prompt-a-Muse so the content here doesn’t get mucked up. The usual calamity that is my life and my van will remain here. Thanks.

Continue

via Daily Prompt: Continue

Continue, continuing, to continue, to be continued. This is what I’m doing. Just one more step. Just one more stage. Just one more day. Just one more. It always seems to be just one more thing until I’m successful, until I have peace, until I can relax, until I won’t be interrupted, until I’m happy, until I’m content.

I’m continuing, but sometimes, lately many times, it’s hard to do so. Sometimes, to continue is the action which confirms that you think the oasis is not really just a mirage. All you see ahead are phantom plateaus of comfort yielding only blowing sand combined with the burden of heat when you have a closer, hopeful look. It’s hard to continue on to the next vision of replenishment when you start expecting mirages instead. But what if? What if it’s not a mirage? Do I turn away? Do I stay where I am; neither forward or backward?

How many times will I be disappointed, disillusioned, led astray the next time that I decide to continue? On to the next trap? How many oasises have turned into mirages upon my arrival?

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Wow! Isn’t that depressing! The one-word prompt.

Updates while back in bed

Good morning, readers. I’ve taken care of the dogs, used the last of the pancake mix to make breakfast, had lemon tea instead of coffee, and watched some race chase scenes on YouTube. For some reason, I was feeling tired, so here I am back in bed writing this post on my phone. The dogs were kind enough to not bark in the middle of the night, as they usually do, so I actually got some regular sleep for once.

Life Update

I haven’t written about the van in awhile, but this is really more of a life update.

I’m employed

Firstly, I’m finally employed, but for much less than I was earning as a computer programmer. My first day was on the first, a Friday, which is pretty odd to me, but that’s okay.

The commute to my first day was rather eventful. While driving down the interstate, the on-board toolbox on the pickup flew open, so I had to pull over and close it. Later, an empty coolant jug, secured by a bungee cord, started flailing out the back of the bed. I thought that I would have to pull over again, but somehow, it went back in. I can’t reveal the next part of the catastrophic commute without revealing where I’m now working, so I’ll leave that to your imaginations. I would have been right on time if not for this mishap, but I wasn’t. I was fully expecting to be fired, but wasn’t. The day got a little better from there.

Sold the property

Secondly, I was able to sell the property that I was attempting to rehab. I lost a lot of money, but I needed what I could get out of it. Unfortunately, I can’t cash the check because the LLC is not current. I thought I could sign it over to myself, but I can’t. I also have no money to do that. Evidently, it’s a law that a check made out to a business must be deposited in an account. Since that account is closed, the check is merely a piece of paper until then. I absolutely need the money because I need gas and food, and bills need to become current. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t think that I’ve ever been in a situation where I’m so financially destitute.

The Van

The van remains without changes. I start it once per week and let it run for 20 minutes just to keep the battery fresh. I can’t afford the insurance or the registration for it, so it sits in my driveway until then.

Van Plans

My next steps for it are most likely going to be:

• Tune-up
• Sensor replacements
• New Tires (including spare)
• Fix tranny problems
• Fix exhaust
• Build a bed to replace the stock bed-seat combo.
• Put reflectix on windows.
• Get van insured and registered.

There’s a lot more to do, but this is a lot to start.

Climate Control Hell

Originally published on Blogger on 2018-07-19

Following Churchill’s advice

Well, I finally made it all the way through Climate Control Hell after realizing that I was halfway through. In case you’re wondering, the vent selector was not working properly. They are controlled/powered through the vacuum of the engine’s intake manifold. It was a hard problem to source due to a number of factors.  Being that I’ve never experienced this problem before, the sourcing of a vacuum leak can be difficult, and it was hard to find a proper diagram of the engine’s vacuum hoses, I’d say that I’m doing okay with it.

I tried a number of things to help in this regard, including the purchasing of:

• Purchasing a new vacuum reservoir ball.
• a 3-way check valve that was missing.
• a new vacuum selector that was part of the climate control selector.
• various vacuum hoses
• a Chilton’s book for the van
• a Chevy service manual for the van (online).

I initially had tried the new vacuum hoses, reservoir, check valve, and the new selector component, but these did not solve the problem. It turns out that I was led astray by the previous owner’s misrouting of one of the hoses; hooking it into the gray-colored bi-level actuator line. I surmise that the previous owner also had this problem and tried to make it work, but could not do so.

To make a long story short, after consulting the Chevy service manual, which had a proper hose diagram for the vacuum controls, I discovered that the source was supposed to be coming from a beige (cream) line which extended directly from the vent selector mechanism and through the cowl/firewall. It turns out that this line was either cut or broken off under the hood. I couldn’t see it previously because it was hidden behind the window washer reservoir. After hooking up a new line to the cut one, it worked perfectly. I’m so thankful that it turned out to be a simple fix once it was identified.

Solar Update

The solar setup seems to be operating properly thus far. It is charging the battery when required, keeps it at a float charge when it is charged. In addition to the pattern of flashing LEDs on the charge controller, the voltage monitor that I installed alongside the USB/12v outlets is helping me determine what is happening during the charge cycle. I’m comparing the output with the specs of the charge controller’s documentation. Thus, I can see when it’s in boost mode versus float mode versus equalization mode. For additional monitoring, I have an amperage monitor and a charge percentage monitor, but these are not installed yet.

For usability, I have the following items hooked up to it:

• Fantastic Fan
• USB and 12-volt outputs
• Voltage monitor
• Side lights on right-hand side (their power was previously supplied by the starter battery). Unfortunately, they still have incandescent bulbs, but I’ll eventually replace them with LEDs.
• The remaining tasks for the setup to be complete is including a 30-amp fuse between the charge controller (it’s a 30-amp PWM charge controller) and the battery. Based on the wattage of my panel, the manual recommends an 8-amp fuse between the controller and the panel. When I get another panel or panels having more wattage, I’ll have to up the amperage of this fuse.

As far as the performance of the system, it’s been great. The Renogy package, which includes a 100-watt panel along with a PWM 12-volt 30-amp charge controller, is working well.

Regarding the panel’s placement, it would have been nice if I could have put the entry hole underneath the panel, but it didn’t turn out that way. In order to have more surface area for another 100-watt panel, but the clearance did not allow the panel brackets to lay flush and caused the panel to rock back and forth. Thus, I had to move it next to the input hole. Eventually, I’ll either add a new 100-watt panel or replace it with a larger panel wielding more wattage.

I decided against putting the panel in the back since I wanted to put some kind of roof rack there. I figured that it would also support the most weight in this location.

The Adventures of BondoMan

Yesterday, I repaired the damage on the fiberglass top where one of the previous owners had scraped into something. It had revealed the fibers underneath in a pattern that was about the size of my palm. This is also the first time that I have ever worked with Bondo. I had seen the fiberglass repair kits where one rolls a section with a roller and special adhesive, but only after having purchased the Bondo. The canister states that it works for repairing fiberglass, so I stuck with it.

The first time that I was mixed the Bondo, it started hardening before I could fully get it applied. The second time was a charm after realizing that I applied too much hardener into the mix. After prepping the surface, I smoothed it onto the damaged area, waited about 40 minutes, and then sanded what I could with what I had available. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get it perfect, but it is repaired and I won’t have a leak. I’ll have to wait until another time if I want a new stab at perfection, but it works for now. I was also able to scrounge some white Rustoleum 2-in-1 primer to finish it. From a distance, it looks good. I’m assuming that most people won’t see it at all because of its height.

Next Steps

I haven’t decided my absolute next step yet, but my goal is to have a van that is road-worthy, is livable, within my abilities, and without spending a lot of money (because I don’t have any).I wanted to create an upper shelf or cubby hole that extends along the left-hand side of the van. I want to avoid doing this with wood because of weight considerations and potential for mold formation. I’m considering using PVC Trim to do this task because of these issues. I think it’s cheaper than wood, but it’s lighter too and less susceptible to mold. I want to mitigate mold as much as I can without gutting the entire van and starting from scratch. Thus, I’m going to keep the carpet, the standard bench/bed combo, and the velvety walls.

Additionally, I would like to insulate the ceiling of the van to slow down the heat radiating through the top. I’m considering Thinsulate because of its R-value versus thickness seems good to me. However, I don’t know how much the material costs. A radiating barrier here, from what I’ve read, requires a 1/2 inch gap to be effective, but I don’t want to lose that much headroom. Thus, I will relegate this material to the windows instead once I can afford to purchase it. In all seriousness, I’m considering putting it in the front windows of my house which have direct sun exposure in the afternoon. My bedroom gets really hot at night, and I believe the heat from the intense sunlight in the afternoon is one of the reasons.

I am also concerned about the performance of the engine as well as the transmission. Thus far, I had performed a radiator flush, an oil change, installed a new thermostat, added lots of transmission fluid since it was very low. As I previously mentioned, I also fixed the climate control selector functionality.

In my driving, the engine performs sluggishly and the transmission does not shift well either. After the engine warms up, it loses the reverse gear. I’m hoping that the addition of the fluid will help in this regard, but I’m fearing that it is only a stop gap to having more trouble in the future. I would like to have it serviced as soon as I can get some money together. I still have to supply the engine with new plugs, cap, rotor, and wires. The engine only has 99,000 miles on it.

I’m also thinking that the doghouse is going to get hot and contribute to the van’s comfort after driving it for awhile. That can either be a blessing or burden based on the season. I’ve seen an advertisement for a material to be applied as a panel, like Rattle Trap, which could help keep that heat from radiating into the living space. I’ll have to check my Facebook activity log, but I think it’s called X-Mark. I’ll update when I know. Again, I don’t know its cost, but the demonstration seemed nice. It also serves as a sound dampening material, which will also help with engine and road noise.

So far, I just have to get a job of some sort. I’ve been laid up with gout in my left foot for weeks, which I’m still experiencing. The pain is excruciating, especially if something lays on it such as a sheet. I can’t even put a shoe on yet and I’ve had it for about a month now. I’m taking a steroid pack after a previous treatment was not entirely effective, but being pain-free is turning out to be a long process.

Starting work, once I have employment, is going to be hard since I can’t wear anything other than a sandal, as well as limping, being in pain, and not being able to stand for a long time. We’ll see what comes forth. Thus far, I’ve only had a couple of responses stating that they’re not interested.

Decision re: host

I’ll try to make this post brief. I think that I’m going to continue this blog using WordPress. There are a couple of reasons why I think this is the best choice. Perhaps it’s not the most informed choice since I didn’t painstakingly research the issue, but it’s the one that is going to be made.

The first reason is based on what’s happening in the censorship front within Google, which includes their search engine and YouTube. The selective filtering of results within Google as well as the draconian Goolag/purgatorial features that YouTube is now rolling out is rather chilling. Additionally, Blogger has already shut down blogs without warning or for a reason that is anything more than generic. The Dennis Cooper blog erasure, which existed for 14 years before suddenly vanishing, really makes me weary of this happening to me. Now, would WordPress.com suddenly do this to me? I don’t know, but I don’t see a history of it in my searches. Regardless, keeping your own backups of content is the responsible thing to do. Don’t depend on a faceless host to do this for you when that is not their role.

There is another article recounting that Blogger is banning blogs containing sexually explicit content. While I don’t intend to go into this realm either, would a profanity-laden rant land my blog into the velvety flames of Goolag’s memory-hole?

While I don’t expect to write anything very controversial in this blog, it’s uncertain what is going to be considered as such in the future. I just don’t want to risk being a victim of an algorithm or a fervent person within Google that would want to mess with my freedom of expression because they didn’t like my politics, hair color, religion, pet choices, the MPG that my cars get, or anything else that may displease their fancy.

While some may say that this is Google’s right because it is a private company or that it isn’t a First Amendment violation; that it only limits the government’s action to exclude one’s speech, then I would say that is a conflation between the the culture of free speech and the First Amendment. It’s easy to see that Google is against free speech; it is against people from speaking freely on their platforms. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be actively trying to suppress it through such bromides as hate speech and diversity. Allowing people to freely express controversial ideas and opinions without violence or vengeance used to be what separated the U.S. from dictatorships. I don’t believe anyone should have to be afraid of retribution from an employer, intimidating shit-stirrers such as Antifa or the KKK, or the government itself because of his or her thoughts and beliefs.

My second reason is in regards to potential expansion. If I wanted to offload this content onto an independent host that uses WordPress, the migration of content may be easier. I could be wrong here as well, but it would be really short-sighted of WordPress.com to not be compatible with its .org equivalent.

As far as the current comparison between the two items. There is a limit of space on WordPress.com unless I want to pay. I also like the themes much better in the Blogger version of the page, but that could be fixed with some effort. The myriad of plug-ins for WordPress will be helpful too.

If I ever create videos, I will most likely upload them to a YouTube channel. As long as they’re “advertiser-friendly,” then all will be good. I can always post other videos to other platforms or mirror them using VidMe, LiveLeak, or other platforms yet to be found and named. For this blog, at least, I don’t think that I’m going to have any concerns.

In any case, thanks for reading. I’ll see about migrating the content from Blogger over the next couple of days.

Camping in the driveway

Originally published on Blogger on 2018-08-11

Origins

As per usual in my life, it seems that I’m only grasping towards the mountaineering rope only when I’m teetering off the cliff. This time is no different as I proverbially grasp for dear life when facing the rocks below. Yes, this is a most obvious exaggeration although it doesn’t seem that way sometimes when you’re in the moment. Perhaps I’m just oblivious to the comparative state I’m actually in. I don’t know.

Truth be told, I’m quite an anxious person given to breaking down when the world socks me in the jaw as I race towards its fist. I am also very sensitive to high-pitched noises as well as interruptions when I’m trying to concentrate. I think that these idiosyncratic parts are leading me to my devolvement as a person. Nobody seems to be taking any of this seriously. They must think that I’m joking or being manipulative. I don’t want people to know these things, but it’s probably obvious to everyone while I’m simultaneously being oblivious to their observations about it.

As it stands, my latest round of internalized trauma being that Otis, my beloved black cat, may have brought back some parasitic friends with him, also known as fleas, when he escaped the other day. I could control the problem with the dogs, as they were confined to the downstairs by a gate within the first few steps of the stairway. The cats are typically indoors. I have made the mistake of letting Otis peruse around the backyard while I serve as warden because it made him happy. He’s been pretty good for about a couple of weeks. Because he was being good, I started supervising less and less. As a result, he wandered off the property. I couldn’t find him after I was looking for him for a few hours. It wasn’t more than an hour before I noticed he was missing. There’s more to the story, but since this is a blog about vanning, we’ll shorten it to him coming back on his own accord later that afternoon.

Unfortunately, his excursion led me to my current problem. When you see them jumping on your pants, you have a really big problem. When I saw one in my bedroom, I freaked out. I couldn’t sleep there. In choosing a place to sleep, it was an opportunity to test out the built-in bench/bed option in the van.

While carrying my normally inaccessible sleeping bag and Therm-a-rest ground layer that were stored in a side closet, a pillow, ice water, Amazon Tap, iPhone, temperature/humidity gauge, and my keys, I made the trip to the van. After doing so, I wanted to make a head count of the pets before heading to my newly found sleeping capsule. What do you know? Otis was missing again. I honestly don’t know how he got out.

Using Bailey, my dog with the largest, most smellifunctary nose, we canvassed the back yard looking for him since he wasn’t anywhere in the house. I was about to give up and wait for him to reappear, but Bailey wouldn’t come back inside; giving me a sad look telling me that she wanted to keep looking for him.

I have to say that Bailey was right. We kept looking and smelling around. Bailey’s bark (and nose) told me that Otis was hiding out underneath my S10 pickup. From there, Otis moved to under the settee (one of the new words I learned from my wife; it’s a wicker bench) on the front porch, and then within the key lime hydrangeas from which I snatched him up and put him back inside. I really have to diligently watch the doors because he wants to run out at every opportunity now. It helps that he wears a bright orange collar with his name and my phone number embroidered upon it.

So I was finally able to attempt some rest, but Bailey insists on going with me. This partly made me very anxious because I was really tired and I felt that the dog was restricting my freedom. It is really sweet that she wants to tag along, but sometimes, I just want to be alone. The only way I could get away, without a commotion, was to leave via the front door and come back around to the side of my house. Even now, Otis is perched over my left forearm as I’m typing this blog. These pets are clingy.

The Pod

I finally arrived at the pod ready to convert the bench to the bed, lay out my sleeping bag that I hadn’t used since Paddlefest 2016, and sleep away. The first thing that I had to do was get some light, which was supplied by my sidelights. Their power source was converted from the starter battery to the solar-powered one. I have not had the money to change the incandescent bulbs to LED yet. The current ones use a lot of energy, so I was cognizant to limit their use. The quality and brightness are really inadequate, so a better solution needs to be realized. Unfortunately, a lack of money means a lack of everything except for the idea (I’ll bet there’s a pun in the previous sentence somewhere.)

My next task was to charge my phone. This was made quite easy due to the USB ports I installed on the side. Next, turning on the Fantastic Fan to get some cool air as well as to help forestall any condensation from forming inside the van.

When using an exhaust fan, it’s important to not open all the windows, but a chosen one in order to direct the breeze to a desired location. Keeping this in mind, I opened one of the rearward side windows with the screen so that the breeze came right to me as I lay on the bed. It was really surprising how much air came through this one window at the Fantastic Fan’s lowest setting. One might say that it was fantastic. The cool air certainly felt great.

The other fantastic feature is that the exhaust fan was blowing all night while charging my phone on my single 105 aH AGM 12-volt battery with lots of energy to spare. How much? The voltage monitor was reading 12.3 volts. I’m not sure what this means as a percentage of what the battery could hold though. I didn’t think to hook up my percentage monitor. Of course, it’s only accurate when there’s no load on the battery. Otherwise, I think that it underreports what’s left.

As far as the bed/bench is concerned (should we call it a mobile settee), it wasn’t long enough for me. I am 5’8” (173 cm) tall. It wasn’t unusable, but my feet were just hanging off the bed. If I were any taller, it would definitely be a problem. Sleeping diagonally would be an option when I am the only one sleeping here.

The cushioning, while entirely suitable for bench seating, is barely adequate as a bed. I could feel, albeit barely, the metal bars separating the sections. It just wasn’t soft and thick enough to be a bed for more than a couple of days. I would suspect having back trouble if sleeping on it for more than that. Perhaps I could have tried the Therm-a-rest padding, but I was using that to prop up my head instead. For another night, I’ll try this and use something else to do that.

Other than the cushioning concerns, it was comfortable. The van’s inside temperature was in the 60s (16ºC), but its humidity was over 80%. I’m thinking that I need some solution, such as silica-gel, to mitigate the high humidity. I’m sure that these conditions are helping to breed lots of mold.

The morning after

It was really nice to wake up this way. Having natural sunlight gradually entering the confines and hearing the sounds of the street was nice. I may be writing from a perspective of novelty, but I liked it. It’s like I was a kid camping out in the back yard, except that I’m a pathetic 48-year-old man camping in my driveway.

Bailey, Ching, and Otis were quite happy to see me as they all greeted me. Gandalf the cat was also happy, but due to his dog fears, sequestered himself to the stairs.

Conclusion

So, should I keep the existing bed/bench combo? For now, I have no choice but to keep it. But, when I get more funds, I will explore replacing it with a bed/bench solution. Perhaps I could have a bench with a slide out for the bed part. Additionally, having a much thicker foam mattress in lieu of what exists now will make for a much better experience. I will have to design something, but in conjunction with my storage and kitchen needs. However, the top is not tall enough for me to stand. Perhaps I’ll make it have an outdoor kitchen instead. My other, much larger problems, still have to be addressed.

Introduction

Previously published on Blogger on 2018-07-08

Why?

You may have been here. You may be on your second trip. For me, I don’t learn so easily and completely as I should. I haven’t worked out all of the details, but I’m essentially exchanging my unemployed, separated life in a huge home as well as an investment property to a nomad living in a van. I’m currently in the process of obtaining employment, selling my home, my investment property, as well as selling much of my stuff. I don’t know what’s going to happen to my pets. I have two dogs and two cats. I am hoping to take one cat, but the other big dog loves the van. She always wants to spend time in it. I don’t think that I could keep her in it without it being destroyed or spending a fortune on climate control so she’d survive. The cat would do better in these conditions, but some accommodations would have to be made to ensure his comfort.

Given my inability to pay my mortgage consistently, I bought a very cheap van in order to have a place to live. Currently, I’m not confident enough to think that I can resolve these problems on my own. I just want to be happy while avoiding stress.

After I purchased the van, I ran up the things that I would need in order to bring it up to drivability standards. It needs a lot of stuff, but that’s what you get by buying a van on the cheap.

The Van

It is a 1993 Chevy G20. I believe that they call it a Sportsvan, but I could be mistaken. It has the side suicide doors as opposed to the slide out door that you may see on other vans. It has a fiberglass top that is useful for getting into the van for seating, but I can’t stand up inside of it.

It is powered by a 5.7L V8 with Throttle Body Injection and a automatic transmission.

Projects

Thus far, I have the following projects going on:

Fantastic Fan

A Fantastic Fan is a ceiling fan/skylight. It exhausts air through the ceiling, although with the one that I purchased, the fan can reverse directions as well. I know that you could just wire a switch to reverse the direction of the DC motor, but it’s nice to have it built-in. It helps with lessening the condensation which can build by occupying a van for a number of house, particularly while you’re sleeping in it. It also helps keep the van cooler during warmer weather. I am also considering the addition of a portable, 12v dehumidifier as well. We’ll see how it goes.

I had installed installed it last week. It was a bit scary cutting through the van’s ceiling, but it got installed without issue. Putting back up the headliner is quite another issue. Perhaps if I had help?

Solar Power

Here is my current setup:

• 1 – 100 watt Renogy monocrystalline solar panel with mounting brackets.
• Renogy Wanderer 30 amp PWM charge controller
• Mighty Max AGM 12v 105aH battery
• BlueSea ATO fuse block
• BlueSea negative bus bar

Current power draws	Future draws
Fantastic Fan USB and 12v (cig) outputs (for charging phone, Kindle, etc.) Voltage monitor Interior side lights on right-hand side	12v fridge Interior lights Laptop Casio keyboard (convert to use 12v somehow) TV (convert to use 12v somehow) Sink pump

Climate control problem

Right now, the van has problems with its venting selector. When proper vacuum is applied, I only get vent air. When I remove the vacuum source, I only get defrost and floor air. This problem is the most frustrating and annoying because I have to take the entire dashboard apart in order to fix the problem. Also, the source is elusive because it’s most likely a vacuum leak. I’ve replaced a number of parts already, but haven’t been able to fix the problem yet.

The reason for this problem is that GM decided it would be good idea to use the engine’s vacuum as a way to open and close vents in the system, thereby changing the flow of air from floor to vent and elsewhere. Unfortunately, vacuum hoses don’t last forever. They become dislodged. They become brittle and leak. I’ll be able to fix this eventually.

Moving Forward

For my next blog post, expect to see some photos of some of the changes that I’m making as well as more of my mindset leading me in this transition. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about it thus far.