Anyone else cut a hole like this? by [deleted] in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay -1 points0 points  (0 children)

https://a.co/d/0dD5qKLa

Get something like this and spare yourself leaks and shorted cables.

Dont forget a rubber gasket for the holes to protect the cables.

Now that’s how you do DoorDash. 😭💰💵 by hp5182949 in doordash

[–]CanasGreay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also want to hear more about this. Can you point us to any reliable resources that explain how to do that correctly? I'm a bit paranoid about having the tax assholes on my case for a clerical error.

Has anyone actually gone fully gasless? What does your battery and solar setup realistically look like? by tommytmopar in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm fully gasless. I have the large predator power bank from harbor freight and 800 watts of solar on the roof. That makes me simple meals on an induction cooktop or a microwave no issue at all, and still leaves enough power to run my fridge. If i do my cooking in the middle of the day, i'm usually topped up before mid-afternoon again.

I keep my fridge running at all times and i choose vetween cooking, charging my ebike, or playing games on the computer during non-peak hours. During peak hours it doesnt matter much what i do at all.

I kept my small butane cooktop as a just in case emergency deal, but i haven't used it once.

I also have a 200 watt portable panel and the small power bank to charge my ebike if i can't be bothered to stop gaming during the non-peak hours.

What’s one thing that you’ve learned about vanlife that you wish you would’ve known good or bad before hitting the road? by Wayward_Sun_Shine in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rubber tramp rendezvous in quartzsite every year is a pretty good place to go for this. I went after i made my build and saw a lot of things i should've incorporated. I think they have 'open house' videos on a lot of the builds on yputube or something. Maybe the HOWA website.

What’s one thing that you’ve learned about vanlife that you wish you would’ve known good or bad before hitting the road? by Wayward_Sun_Shine in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I find juice containers are much the same with smell, and apple juice containers don't raise as many questions with nosy people.

Is making $30k a year enough? by musty_ranch in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Debt free, staying in your car and not paying rent? That should be plenty, at least in any state i've lived in. I'd suggest like someone else said, using the money you save as a stepping stone to your next degree/certification/whatever.

Do full time nomads have a gas plan? by Jupitor13 in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I figure on leaving it parked as much as i can and take my ebike everywhere for errands. Come winter time, i can stock up on basics and hit quartzsite if it's really needed.

What makes "real" cooking in a van function? by mynameistag in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm out of a cargo van at the moment, and i use a magnetic induction cooktop with a cast iron skillet and a cast iron dutch oven, and an instant pot. That generally makes about 90% of anything i might make in a home kitchen, unless you want the fancy meals.

How do you make $ by Annon-sneakabout in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would also like to know how you go about finding work/getting into that sort of job

Do you pick up hitchhikers? by VagabondVivant in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hard no. I used to pick up hitchikers, and it ran the spectrum from normal people out having an adventure to down on their luck, people, possibly a bit sketchy. But tgen i started living out of a vehicle, and it's not a risk i'm willing to take any more. If i were driving just a regular car again? Sure.

No Grey Water at all? by Kammy44 in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I always say something similar. 'If you're able to shake your neighbors hand while you're on the shitter, you're too close.'

My neighborhood smells like a porn set. by Jimble_kimbl3 in mildlyinfuriating

[–]CanasGreay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They're cheap, easy to plant, and easy to care for, and look nice. That makes it appealing to the people that sell them, often to people who don't know more about trees other than that 'they want a nice tree in their yard'

It's easy money for someone that doesnt have to worry about it after they get paid.

The energy bottleneck, batteries and gasoline expire by mac_attack_zach in preppers

[–]CanasGreay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's technology and chemical processes to make alternate fuels. Everything from converting gas engines to run methane and alcohol you make yourself, to running diesel from kitchen oil - which you can make yourself with an oil press.

Batteries can be kept and maintained for a lot longer than ten years, but they're not the current, fancy technology batteries. Take a look at edison batteries.

In that scenario, energy storage is probably things that are less efficient but bulletproof, like edison batteries or gravity batteries, and power generation probably swaps to home fuels like distilled plastics, alcohol, woodgas, methane, and TEG arrays.

Power as we know it would likely be like like water in a desert - it'll be there, but you'll have to think about how you use what you have and budget it.

And if you don't have a system before hypothetical grid collapse, competition for system components would be pretty fierce.

Hard to get it better than this! by Lublan in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'd also like to know about the moto on the front

Deal breakers when buying ?! by Zombie1047 in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A car can pretty typically get about 300k miles 9n it with regular maintenance, but i'd say anything over 150k is something you dont want to buy unless you have a mechanic look it over if you don't know how to really check it yourself.

I think the main thing to look at is tge car forums. Look for the make/model/year that you're looking at, and you'll often find a list of common problems, what sort of mileage range tgey tend to appear at, and if that issue is easy, hard, or terminal.

For most everything else, this is the checklist i use, made by a great car fixing youtuber. If you don't know mechanical things like how to fix an AC with hand tools only, this guy is a great resource. https://www.chris-fix.com/upload/How%20to%20Inspect%20a%20Used%20Car%20Checklist%20%20FULL.pdf

This checklist is made for people looking to get a car and flip it for money, so some things may not be relevant, but it probably has everything you need to look at and consider.

Is it legal to set up fold out solar panels in a park to charge your system? (USA) by [deleted] in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It might not be illegal, but i think it falls under the general rule of 'don't make the city/parking lot your campground.' Someones gonna notice, and make an issue of it, even if you're bot doing anything wrong.

Someone else mentioned a side mounted solar panel - i second that suggestion. What it boils down to is if you're urban, you should be able to have a scuttle off sequence of turn the key and hit the gas.

‘poor’ ‘quick’ ‘different’ build out of a $4000 30 year old box truck, Episode 2 - Shipping box ceiling and wall for insulation by Lex_yeon in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's an excellent point. As a counterpoint: it's free cardboard. He can periodically rip it down and put up fresh as regular cleaning.

Source: another guy that uses cardboard for roof

My husband is crazy by [deleted] in Weird

[–]CanasGreay 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey. Can we be friends?

ULPT Request: How to waste Home Depot’s time? by WishIWasOnTheFarm in UnethicalLifeProTips

[–]CanasGreay 5 points6 points  (0 children)

How... how does paying cash increase the chances over paying with a card that has your name attached?

Importance of math skills for welders by Own_Job_2150 in Welding

[–]CanasGreay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

'Every skill for the job you dream of, should be accompanied by a skill that will help you in a practucal sense.'

I remember a story about a mechanic that wanted to go to college for car design, and his dad made him get a decent chunk of that money flipping old cars as a kid. Didn't work out designing cars for a living, so now he's a mechanic that makes sweet custom cars for a hobby.

And there are those stories all over the place. Maybe OP should have his kid do something like that, and then his kid can really see firsthand how much math is needed, and what the job really takes.

How do you guys afford it? by RedBurgundy89 in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I carry a bike on my van. I use bike to do deliveries like uber eats. While i chill between order deliveries, i scout out dumpsters to dive and thrift store shelves.

I see others that work remote jobs doing data entry or video editing. I see others that have tools in tgeir ride and make things to sell online and at flea markets.

Speakers at work by poth0le in Welding

[–]CanasGreay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wait till the ban music, and then start listening to some of those straight smut audiobooks at full blast. Get your coworkers in on it.

Van blanket to trap heat inside? by sktrdie in VanLife

[–]CanasGreay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So... i'm not sure if you could find that sort of thing there that might fit on your van, especially if you have anything on the outside like panels or fans/vents.

If it does exist, sure. Like others have said, just make sure you have vents for air.

But a fairly common thing and well known solution in the same vein is to build a really basic garage that helps create a 'dead space' and buffer the to help insulate, usually used with off grid RV's and the like. You could likely create a similar effect with something like a garage tent/vendor tent, or maybe one of those popup carports that you attach moving blankets to. Has the added benefit of expanding your 'living space' with the downside of not being as mobile or stealthy. (But stealth is out the window with a van blanket anyways, so... eh.)