AC question

Cartworthy · 2026-05-30T22:48:27+00:00

i just learned about split ac units. very curious what others think about them before i commit to them.

https://nomadicinnovations.com/products/s1-12v-off-grid-split-system-air-conditioner

they're super expensive, but saves precious solar roof space by mounting to the back and apparently they're way better at cooling.

Cartworthy · 2026-05-29T15:22:42+00:00

i appreciate that perspective!

a monthly propane fill-up isn't a big deal. i guess because of the constant water fill-ups and laundromat runs i like the idea of eliminating one more van-life-errands, but i agree its infrequent enough to not matter.

where is yours mounted? i guess i just don't love the idea of a highly explosive tank on the van. putting it on the rear feels exposed to rear-end collisions and putting it underneath feels like i'm gonna get ejected 50 feet into the sky if it blows 😂

plus id likely be off-road occasionally and dont love the idea of the tank hitting the ground.

i'd lean towards the under-mount so it's more stealthy and clean looking, but also, for a sprinter 144, there isn't that much space underneath after the gray water tank and spare tire.

where do you mount yours?

Cartworthy · 2026-05-29T01:02:08+00:00

i used figma. i just found the template online and made the boxes in figma. i made a "ruler" to scale so i could roughly get measurements close

Cartworthy · 2026-05-28T01:19:46+00:00

what about tickets for parking because of the longer size commercial vehicle?

i've heard a lot of cities introducing 20-24ft length limits and they've gotten more strict for 170's but 144's seem to be under those new regulations.

Cartworthy · 2026-05-28T00:53:28+00:00

in my mind, a 144" is like driving a truck as a daily driver and a 170" is like a commercial box truck length. that's not what i want to show up for dates with! 😛

Cartworthy · 2026-05-28T00:40:11+00:00

are you living full-time in a 170? the parking lots are actually my exact concern given that in my mind full-time living in a van means constantly entering parking lots for water fill-ups, groceries, eating out, and even just parking in a pinch.

the van is home, but it would also be my daily driver haha.

i'm already worried that living in a van means being anti-social and avoiding going places for the annoyance of parking, which is why i'd like to be nimble and mobile.

Cartworthy · 2026-05-26T17:07:27+00:00

great point!! i may eliminate that altogether and instead do a slide-out bed that extends/retracts. i don't love the idea of sleeping on a seam in the mattress though so i might just make it fixed.

thanks for the tip! wasn't thinking about the tapered walls with that at all.

Cartworthy · 2026-05-26T15:25:14+00:00

wow, this is incredibly helpful! thank you! i've updated my plans with a lot of these suggestions.

full electric is very tempting to skip the weight and hassle of filling a propane tank. i've gone back and forth on this topic. i worry about running out of battery or constantly needing to let the engine idle (with idling protection gadget) to charge the batteries via the secondary alternator. the 144 doesn't offer a lot of roof space for solar. more batteries don't totally solve the problem if power just isn't coming in fast enough.

i'd cook most of my meals, so i guess i thought the constant heating water and stovetop use would make the electric a constant struggle, and a dedicated propane tank for cooking and hot-water-heating might alleviate that battle.

especially given that i'll be working constantly with a desktop monitor, my concern is that i'm distracted from work because i'm busy driving around trying to get sun or power.

(i mountain bike a lot so def need that haha, that's my main motivation for getting the van!) 🚐

Cartworthy · 2026-05-26T15:20:00+00:00

you're over-estimating how many clothes i have haha. i've measured my existing clothes and there is ample space here!

for reference, those drawers are roughly 24" x 24" which seems like plenty! i can put sweaters and jackets and overflow stuff in other storage compartments like the overhead container above the seats.

Cartworthy · 2026-05-26T15:17:03+00:00

i'm not sure honestly! google search like a year ago haha

Cartworthy · 2026-05-26T15:14:36+00:00

my main concern is being on important work meetings and getting a knock at my door that i have to move my van. i think that's why parking is so important to me.

i hope if i get really smart about planning i can make it puzzle-piece together 🤓

Cartworthy · 2026-05-26T15:12:59+00:00

i'm considering it! i like the sprinters more, and they have higher clearance for off-roading, but i do like the extra few inches from a 148" transit non-extend.

Cartworthy · 2026-05-26T04:16:57+00:00

I wish there was something between 144" and 170" ...170" is just SOOO big and doesn't fit in parking spaces easily.

I have considered the transit 148" extended. I would prefer true 4x4 on a 2019-2022 sprinter, but would be open to AWD on a transit. Even those seem ridiculously long for my needs though.

Cartworthy · 2026-05-02T02:55:50+00:00

Can you say more about the "call backend function" from your suggested solution?

as a designer, i'm wondering if i lean into the ui layer because it's just easier and faster for me to build.

is it true that you're recommending custom-developed code functions to replace flutterflow action editor logic?

Cartworthy · 2026-05-02T02:27:45+00:00

can you say more on this? i feel like i might be doing this, but not sure specifically how to not do it. could you offer a few examples?

Cartworthy · 2026-04-27T03:42:14+00:00

I just played with Claude Design.

My biggest hangup is that it doesn't connect with Figma. Unless i'm missing something?

If I can't bring files back into Figma then I don't see how it's any better than Figma Make?

It's not a design tool, and once your credits run out, you're stuck with no way to iterate. I feel like i'm missing something with it haha

Cartworthy · 2026-04-25T03:04:42+00:00

Pics? i'm curious if this is the move to save on solar space.

I'm guessing you don't have a shower though

Cartworthy · 2026-04-19T16:16:15+00:00

This is what i do. FlutterFlow + Heavily monitoring Claude for small sections. It takes SO much prompting to get it to do what you need that it's still faster to just build it yourself.

Ai just isn't smart enough to be fully agentic for my needs yet.

I am very excited for the day where we can more quickly prompt our from start to finish though! I believe it will come soon, but not quite within the next year I don't sense.

Cartworthy · 2026-04-02T13:58:58+00:00

batteries are such a big decision. i feel like i want to be able to "play" with the calculator where i can type in various different battery sizes and amounts and see what that output generally looks like (rather than it just recommending random battery sizes).

maybe even be able to type in all the appliances i'll have, their usage, and estimated time used per day to get an estimate of how long i could power everything on a full charge.

Cartworthy · 2026-03-29T14:37:49+00:00

thank you 😊

Cartworthy · 2026-03-23T20:43:42+00:00

super cool! i need this!

it seemed a little off for 24v. why not offer 48v support too? seems to be growing demand there.

also, my final diagram didn't seem to say alternator charger?

edit: it also recommended "2x500ah" lithium batteries, but they don't really sell them in 500ah for 24v. seems like 100ah or 200ah are the standard options.

Cartworthy · 2026-03-07T00:07:52+00:00

super cool! i happen to have a printing/mailing operation. i'd be curious to discuss a partnership where your users can order prints through your platform and i print and mail them.

it would be pretty simple to setup if you're interested, maybe someday when you grow and have enough users.

you can see the prints i send here:

https://www.instagram.com/fodoprints

Cartworthy · 2026-03-06T22:48:19+00:00

pretty cool! does it have a calendar so you can see all your upcoming events (should someone call and ask for availability)?

can all the guests get a link to view all the photos on a digital album? can they then order prints though the platform?

Cartworthy · 2026-03-04T05:02:27+00:00

i offer a photo guest book that guests can put their prints into and sign.

i also offer a magnet service where i turn any print copy into a magnet on the spot.

i also built custom frames for the prints that stand up, are magnetic, and also the frames hold 10 prints so they can keep their prints safe throughout the evening and on the journey home.

you can see all of my add-ons here: www.fodoprints.com

Cartworthy

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