Great to see another couple our age doing the traveling in a converted van. You guys have a lot of electric stuff. I am curious about your electrical setup. How much are your solar panels, what is your battery setup and what is the capacity of your inverter. All in all a very nice and practical setup. Is your toilet a natures head composting toilet or something similar? I subscribed to your channel and look forward to follow you on your Alaska trip. We are a Dutch couple in our early 70’s and travel parttime in our ProMaster City type van. Happy travels.
800 watts solar, 600 ah CHINS batteries, 3000 watt Victron Multiplus. We built the toilet using a urine diverter from the Throne Composting toilet company. Thanks for subscribing and enjoy your travels.
I kept the sink and shower gray water separate to minimize plumbing under the van. I also like that the 10 gal tank for the shower fits nicely under the van and doesn't really impact ground clearance. Second, it's nice to be able to empty the 4 gal sink gray water tank at any rest area.
I love the toilet. That is the first elongated toilet seat I have seen inside a van and exactly what I need for my van. I cannot use those tiny little ones everyone uses.
Really nice van tour. Just about covered everything ✅️, And all without making it a music video too👏, Viewers should be kept interested. Not entertained. Nowadays, not enough of one, and too much of the other.
It has been nothing but a problem with significant frost build-up which them impacts the temperature control. We may do a short video describing the problem. Our version did not come with a circulation fan so we added one which has helped but hasn't solved the problem. Overall, we like the size of the refrigerator.
@@grayandgrumpy I am so sorry to hear that you've had problems with it. I'm Grumpy, too 😁. Sorry if I sounded rude. I've been up all night with my stomach screaming at me for trying to eat healthy. 😂
We have a DIY 2017.. our layout is perfect for us and yet very different. We currently have an outdoor shower with a Coleman propane Hot-Water-On-Demand which is fully self-contained Toilet question? Can you elaborate on the type you use? We used a composting marine toilet called a Natures Head, although expensive it is completely odour-free and super easy to maintain. Shower Question? I saw the grey water for the kitchen sink.. do you have grey water storage for the shower?? Heating? I Heard a reference to a heated floor? is this an Aqua-Heat? Propane or Electric or either? We use a gasoline Webasto, the draw back is the cold floor on bare feet. Solar Question? how much solar panel capacity? How much Battery & type? We have 200AH Lithium and need to put in another 200AH to run the fridge, lights and furnace after the sun goes down. PS: We did a 3 month trip across the country to Newfoundland: even 30 days on the rock was not enough!!
The best thing about van conversions is there isn't one right answer. Whatever works for you is best. Toilet is built around a urine diverter from the Throne Composting Toilet company. Shower has a 10 gal gray water tank under the van. We have a propex propane heater but we also installed 110V underfloor heating. Unfortunately the 110 heated floor draws too much energy and it will only be usable when connected to shore power. 800 watts of solar with 600 ah battery bank. It's a shame more van lifers don't put Newfoundland on their bucket list. We really enjoyed our time there.
Great tour guys! Such a well planned layout - can’t believe how much storage you’ve managed to cram in and you’re not wanting for any appliances. Here we are toasting our bread in a frying pan 😅
We are on the heavy side and need to be aware of what we put in the van. We have a video addressing our van weight. "Fully loaded" minus clothes and food we are at ~ 8900 pounds.
My question is about keeping cool. I would need an aux air conditioner living in Florida. Have you boondocked with your van, and if yes, how many days does your power last? That looked like a lot of solar. We love to cook, so your set-up is perfect.
We boondocked for about 4 weeks in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia last summer. We drove several hours everyday which charged the batteries. The most we ever used on a night was about 20% of the 600 ah battery bank. That included heating the 4 gal hot water tank, lights, TV, hair dryer. It's 800 watts of solar.
I want to reach this level, have been empty nesters since 2022 and once our kids get more settled into adulthood I plan on building a van. I really appreciate these types of videos!!
It's sorta hard to explain. The first bike goes wheels first and sits at a slight angle. The second bike goes hinge first and dovetails with the hinge on the first bike.
Thank you, I thought it was just me getting old with those headlights. Half the time I barely believe they are even on!! Love the silver van. Love the layout. Very nice.
@@grayandgrumpy that a fair amount of watts for that space. our van doesnt have that much roof area but would be nice to add fixed solar. thanks for the reply and enjoy your sunday :)
I'm trying to figure out an easier way to get mine in the garage area too. Someone suggested trying to use the lid of a plastic storage bin to help slide it in the back of the van.
Very nice setup. Love the white design stickers inside. Curious about your e-bikes and how you like them? Cost and brand? Very nice setup! Your explanation for each feature was precise and to the point without rambling. Just enough space for exact what you need…nothing more! Enjoy Alaska!
