The Van in Review

So, I received a message from WordPress that I’ve been blogging for a year today. Wow! So, I’ve been messing around with this van, and the house while still being married for that long. What has changed?

For whatever reason, the ordered list tags are not appearing in the web browser in Safari or the WordPress Reader. I’ll see if I can modify the underlying HTML later to make it show. It’s supposed to be a numbered list. UPDATE: The WordPress Reader was creating an OL tag for every list item, e.g., <ol>list item</ol>. It’s supposed to be: <ol><li>one list item</li><li>another list item</li></ol>. Now, the weird, huge opening quote before the list is another matter than I can’t seem to pin down other than I’m only using the block quote tag to enclose the list in a gray block.

The Van

Let’s start with the positives, including upgrades and maintenance:

1. Tune-up: plugs, wires, distributed cap, rotor, rechargeable air filter, MAP sensor.
2. Radiator flush and refill
3. Fixed vent selector that was due to a hard-to-find vacuum leak. Also, the previous owner routed the vacuum hoses incorrectly.
4. Replaced vacuum hoses and window-washer hoses to deliver the cleaning solution.
5. Rebuilt transmission.
6. Oil changes
7. Installed Fantastic Fan roof vent
8. Installed 100-watt solar system including fuse panel, charge controller, and 100aH AGM battery.
9. Removed captain chairs and bench/bed, which was really heavy.
10. Installed a full-size steel bed frame from IKEA along with PVC extensions for storage underneath.
11. Insulated the ceiling and sides of the fiberglass roof.
12. Repaired the fiberglass roof to prevent leaking.
13. Installed wood roof and sides.
14. Wired LED lights into the ceiling
15. Purchased a 12-volt Alpicool fridge along with a 12-volt hookup.
16. Installed some USB outlets for the cockpit as well as the living quarters.
17. Installed a new stereo that is capable of Bluetooth and USB.
18. Upgraded the charge controller when the old one wouldn’t clamp onto the wires anymore.
19. Rewired the house wiring to be neater and more logical.
20. Installed a table
21. Purchased a butane stove
22. Fixed a leak through the dash that was drenching a circuit board which was, in turn, preventing my transmission from shifting out of first gear, causing my speedometer to go crazy, and affect my braking.
23. Replaced interior cabin lights as most of them weren’t working.
24. Installed a dimmer switch for the LED ceiling lights.
25. Converted an IKEA Dioder light set from 120v to 12v. Wired directly into van.
26. Replaced front shocks
27. Purchased a portable toilet
28. Installed Reflectix for the windows.
29. Tinted rear, barn doors, and driver-side picture windows.
30. Installed a continuous-duty solenoid to assist in charging the house battery.

Wow! That’s a lot of changes. There’s a lot more to be done. Granted, there could have been a lot that should have been done, but apparently I’m an anxiety-ridden slacker. I haven’t even got tires yet.

I don’t know what I’m doing

A week or two ago, I was really frustrated. I was frustrated about the van’s layout and being able to do everything that I could do to make it look like the other layouts that I’ve seen. Seeing the myriad of Instagram posts and YouTube vlogs showing carpentry perfection in photo form gave me hope that, I, too, can do this. I just wish that I was as talented and experienced as them.

I want these things. I want to create these things. I want the beauty of them to influence a smile and spring satisfaction in myself.

Unfortunately, I’m restricted by my own shortcomings, such as a lack of knowledge, time, and money, but having an abundance of inconsistency, second-guessing, and trepidation about the consequences of my inevitable screwups.

I wish I had someone to help me, but I don’t have anybody, locally, at least. I wish that I had some inspirational words to demonstrate what I can overcome, but I don’t. Having said that, I will get through it, but it’s not gonna look as nice as I want it to be, it’s not going to be the beautiful creation that I envisioned, which would really be a amalgamation of others’ ideas. It’s not going to be perfect, but it may be functional. At least, I hope that it’s going to be functional and not fall apart.

Van Update

As far as the van goes, the transmission has been fixed. The third time was the charm as it shifts fine. Now, I can move on to the other items I have waiting for me.

I began insulating the van using some foil-lined foam that I got at a discount because it was damaged. I have seen videos saying to use 3M super 77 spray adhesive. I followed the instructions, including preparing the surface, spraying, waiting until it was tacky, and attempted to affix it to the ceiling, but it did not work for me. Perhaps it was too heavy? Perhaps the fiberglass underlay was not good enough for adhesion?

In any case, I was a bit pissed off. I didn’t want to go back to the store. I didn’t want to go spend more money. Eventually, I found some wide washers to go with the 1-1/4 inch screws previously purchased. I used those to screw the insulation into the ceiling. The ceiling itself is fiberglass, but not a hightop. It is strengthened by a number of 1 x 6 (?) boards that run the length of it. They are, in turn, masked with fiberglass to integrate them into the structure. The solution worked, and I can remove the sheets if I need to at a later date.

My next step is to run some spray foam in between the joints, and then try to cover the insulation with something that looks decent, is thin, and doesn’t attract mold.

Well, that’s all I have for today. If you have any ideas, encouragement, or anything that you’d like to say, please make a comment. As always, thanks for reading.

Gear jammer

Transmission update

A small update about VANessa’s gear box. The mechanic determined that it had a leak that either developed after the initial rebuild or was always there (he didn’t specify). As a result, the clutches seized up. When he tried to remove them from it, he accidentally cracked the case. He’s now trying to find a new core (entire tranny).

I didn’t notice anything weird, other than power that felt held-back, until I had almost arrived at the Home Depot. It felt like the brakes were applied, but they weren’t. It wasn’t until I tried to pull out of the loading spot that the problems were prominent and debilitating.

In light of this development, the question I’m posing to myself is whether there was something I could have done to prevent damage. I attributed the sluggish power to worn-out front springs and shocks. I didn’t think the transmission was the culprit until I couldn’t go into reverse gear. I didn’t notice any leaking either. I took any transmission issues out of the equation because I assumed that it had been fixed.

In any event, he’s going to make it right, so I’m not too upset. I can still use my pickup in the interim, which, itself isn’t doing too well. From the meter test I performed on the battery while the motor was running versus not, the alternator is definitely charging. However, as mentioned in a previous post, I think the cables themselves have issues. Case in point, after attempting to leave the library after borrowing some DVDs, the S10 had no power whatsoever. I was just about to call AAA when I decided to pop the hood to take a look. After only jiggling some cables, the motor was able to start right up without an ounce of hesitation. Thus, I think the connection to the battery is inconsistent. Therefore, the alternator is unable to consistently charge the battery. As soon as it stops raining, I’ll attempt to buy a positive cable to match my new negative one, and install both of them. I’m thinking that this will solve the issues in this regard.

Not out of the proverbial woods (yet)

I have a couple of topics to write about today. Let’s begin.

VANessa™ and her potential progress

Cue visions of a sine-wave graph because that’s how it feels. To summarize, my transmission got fixed last week only to have to return it to the shop today. I expected to get tires and a new exhaust, but those are now on hold.

To start, I was mildly enthusiastic about starting some work on the interior yesterday. I went to the Home Depot and bought some hardware, boards, Reflectix for the windows, plus other ancillary pieces to start the conversion. After loading my van and attempting to pull out of the loading space, the reverse gear stopped working. After trying various tricks to try to get it into gear, I take an opposite tact by turning the wheel all the way to the right, eeking forward enough to, with only a half-inch to spare, clear the four-foot high, yellow, concrete, permanent pylon marking the corner of the space. I’m currently awaiting word for what went wrong.

Kratom update

I’ve been continuing a daily dose of a level ¼ teaspoon, but I’m mixing it with hot chocolate, which was suggested on a Reddit post within r/kratom, instead of chasing it with orange juice as I had previously done. The taste is tolerable and I’m not subjected to the powdery mud storm using the prior method.

As far as my mood and motivation goes, it has definitely improved versus not using kratom at all. If you’re experiencing anxiety or depression, it is something you should investigate. In the past, I have taken various prescriptions for depression, which had included Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, Welbuterin, Lamictal, plus various other supplements such as St. John’s Wort. While some of these drugs had varying degrees of success, they were invariably met with a variety of negative side effects whose burdens became increasingly harder to bear over time. Additionally, they take about a month to start working. For me, those side effects, depending on the drug, included a fever and sunburn, sensitivity to light, loose stool, poor libido, insomnia, never feeling fully rested, always feeling wired, and after awhile, feeling like a zombie.

I know that it’s only been a week or two, which includes periods of inconsistent usage, but the results are outstanding and the side effects have been minimal. I may get a small headache around the sinus region. Also, with my current dosage, I don’t experience any nausea like my first time taking it.

The best thing, thus far, is that I’m less anxious and not constantly stuck in my head, yet, I don’t lose my emotions; it hasn’t zombified me. I also interact a little more with people as I was previously avoiding them as much as possible. Before taking kratom, trips to the grocery store had become variations of me clutching to my shopping cart while trying to fight my breathing; alternating between held breaths and forced exhales. Needless to say, I wasn’t having a good time.

Given all of this good news in such a short time, I still have to watch out for any tolerance issues that my research had warned me about. For now, I’m going to try to keep a daily morning dose of ¼ teaspoon and see what happens. I’ll continue to keep you posted on my progress.

Edited for a more alliterative word choice and paragraph structure.

Happy New Year, kratom, plus other updates

Kratom update

I stopped taking it for two days instead of just the one. Since it was New Year’s Eve, I didn’t want to drink alcohol and have the “supplement” in my system. I was worried about how the combination would affect me. As it turns out, I didn’t drink on NYE, so it wouldn’t have mattered.

So, after not having it for a couple of days, I had reverted back to feeling down. However, it didn’t start right away. I could either chalk this observation up to just having a variety of moods independent of any changes, or that the substance stayed in my system for more than 24 hours. Both could have played a part. I’ll have to research how long it typically remains in one’s body.

Given a choice, the latter theory makes more sense to me when I consider my most recent dosage history.

Dosage

1. ½ tsp before breakfast: Mood lifted, but minor headache and temporary, slight nausea.
2. ¼ tsp before breakfast: Mood lift continues, but absent of negatives.
3. No dosage, but started to revert.
4. No dosage, and reverted further.
5. ¼ tsp before breakfast: No noticeable changes, feel very anxious and very sensitive to noise and touch, needed space. I have felt this way before taking anything, so I do not think these are symptoms of withdrawal.
6. ½ tsp (today) but taken after breakfast and measured on a digital scale as 1.25g. Thus far, I do feel a mood lift, no nausea, but a slight headache concentrated around the sinus region.

So, as far as dosage is concerned, do I take a ½ teaspoon on the first day and ¼ teaspoon each subsequent day, take something in between ¼ and ½ as a consistent dosage, or some other option I hadn’t thought about? In any case, more deliberation is needed.

Ingestion methods

Before I move onto the next topic, I have to warn you not to mix OJ or most other liquids in with the powder. It doesn’t dissolve well, it tastes horrible, and the powder is so fine, it’s like you’re inhaling part of it. I had to chase the concoction with unadulterated OJ. I also had to drink another helping from the glass to help ingest the remaining residue that stuck to the sides. It was nasty. My previous strategy was much preferable. See my first blog entry on the subject for more information.

Van news

Nothing to report on the van front since I hadn’t heard back from the mechanic yet. Perhaps he was optimistic about Tuesday?

As it is, I’m afraid to start my pickup since it doesn’t seem to be charging the battery. It’s the second time that I had to charge it. I think it’s either the battery cables, which look like a rather wonky retrofit complete with liberal amounts of electrical tape, the alternator, or something is drawing power when the automobile is not running. In either case, it’s freaking cold out there today. It was -4°F (-20°C) this morning. My furnace could hardly keep up. I’m hoping that he fixes the van soon because I really don’t want to work on the S10 in this weather.

Kratom update and van news

Kratom Update

Since I posted yesterday, I followed through with cutting the Kratom dosage by half; from ½ to ¼ teaspoon. I also repeated the OJ chaser method of ingestion taken before breakfast. If you want to know more about what happened yesterday, click the link.

I’m here to report that I’m still impressed with the results. Thus far, it still lifts my mood, allows me to focus on tasks better, and minimizes the second-guessing, indecisive labyrinth of inefficient loops within corn mazes that has swept the remains of my brain for so long. The reduced dosage is better because the mildly negative side effects are gone. I don’t experience any nausea and I don’t have a headache like I did yesterday. Yay for me! If the trend continues, then perhaps I can get a decent job again. Perhaps I’m being too optimistic? Perhaps not.

Now that I know it works better than any anti-depressants have ever worked in my entire life, I’m going to have to learn how to manage it. From what I have read, the stuff can be addictive. Additionally, I understand that one can develop a tolerance for it, which would require an increasing amount to get the same effect over time.Therefore, I’m going to have to think about how often I should take it so this does not happen. Thus, I’ll have to do more research. I’ll keep you up to date as to my progress.

Van News

Hey! Remember when this blog was created to document my potential foray into van life? Well, here’s some of that content now.

I was finally able to get my van’s transmission looked at. The anxiety about this decision was killing me, as seemingly every decision has been doing, but I was able to do something. I honestly think that the Kratom had something to do with it.

When I arrived at the garage, the mechanic was busy and, through his secretary, asked me to come back in 20 minutes. I obliged and headed to the local Chick-fil-A. While at the counter, I blurted out that I would have a #2. Given the pervasiveness of double meanings in these modern times, I said that didn’t sound very good. The “joke” flew over their heads, but it wasn’t that funny anyway. My spicy chicken combo was just as good as if I hadn’t made the joke.

After around 20 minutes, I headed back to the place, which is nestled in a neighborhood, believe it or not. The mechanic is a stocky, older gentleman who test drove it right away with myself in the passenger seat. During the drive, he mentioned that used vans are becoming harder to come by; that more people are wanting them. Based on some of the prices I’ve seen for 20-year-old vans, I think he’s right. I originally thought that I may have paid too much, but perhaps not.

When I arrived, he diagnosed the problem after driving it, which is what I figured. It needs an overhaul. The price seemed reasonable, includes a 12-month warranty, and would probably be ready by Tuesday.

Afterward, he drove me back to my house where he recounted some of his travels, and told me about a good BBQ place nearby. It’s only open on Fridays, and then only open as long as the food is available. Once the food’s gone, they close up. I’ll be checking this place out once they open back up after the New Year. I’ll also report back to you on my findings.

So, that’s it for the updates. I’ll follow up soon with more news, either van-related, or otherwise. Thanks for reading.

Van plans – the prequel

My plans for the van are going to amp up a little bit from what they’ve been these past few months. It’s finally registered for the year and insured for a full six months. To keep its limbo from causing problems, I’ve been starting the engine and letting it run for 20 minutes once per week. It helps keep the battery in shape along with the other components.

My next priority regarding the van lies with the transmission. As my last blog entry revealed, it won’t shift out of first gear. Previously, before topping the fluid, it wouldn’t shift at all once it warmed up. It also had delays in getting into gear, so this is an improvement. I’ve read about solutions such as vacuum or other linkage adjustments, but I’m unsure which solution would apply. The question is whether I attempt to fix it myself starting with the cheapest and easiest options. If I take it someplace, I don’t want them to immediately say that it needs a rebuild if the solution is much simpler. On one hand, I could save money if the symptoms match exactly to what someone else had done. On the other, I could be wasting time and money. I’ll see if I can get a recommendation from someone.

I want to tackle this first because it’s the biggest obstacle to being able to drive it other than through the local streets at 25 MPH. Otherwise, I could damage the transmission.

The next pressing item is the tires as well as the front shocks and/or springs followed by the exhaust. I may be able to do the exhaust myself. I could also do the shocks as well, but not if it needs springs. I don’t think that I have the tools for that. Once it’s more roadworthy, I can map out an interior design that would include a bed, storage, insulation, water tanks, sink, a 12v fridge and burners.

Of course, I have some work to do on the house as well. I have to budget my money wisely if I want to satisfy both worlds, not to mention searching for new employment.