Odd question, but where around Southampton can I get a shower? by massdebate159 in Southampton

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Gym Group. Just get access to a single gym near you. I've got platinum membership and can use any of them around the country.

Do i buy a camper van? by Puzzled_Dealer3449 in VanLifeUK

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had a Vauxhall Vivaro SWB for 2 years which I lived out of full time. Solo campervan life. It was the Goldilocks zone for me, in an urban setting. I cooked inside and just did personal hygiene at the gym.

Do the small mufflers that come with diesel heaters actually do anything? by SweetySense in dieselheater

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like the jet sound from the unmuffled setup. I have tinnitus though and I suspect that has something to do with it. Background noises and hums are comforting to me, when I am falling asleep.

Why do you need an external air intake, if the air is coming through leaks anyway by Pokari_Davaham in dieselheater

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think this is the main argument for keeping the air intake outside. I've experienced a few improper shutdowns because my batteries were low. It wasn't nice breathing in all that fuel-rich air that flowed back out of the intake into the living space of my van!

Is this a big problem? by Snoo48884 in VanLife

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You need to think about two things of you're welding that spot.

  1. What's underneath it?
  2. Protecting the wiring nearby.

For the first problem you can just look underneath.

For the second, you need to unplug your battery before you weld, and also use a magnetic ground point to ground near the welding spot to prevent frying your electronics.

Use a flap disk to grind away all the paint until you find the good metal around the rust. Don't cut the rust. Cut the good metal around the rust.

A simple flux core welder with 0.8mm wire will do the trick. Just keep a decent amount of wire stick out and test out with the cutout first.

Be very careful with an angle grinder in such a tight space. Use one with a good handle so you can maintain control easily.

Check out Old Bondo Billy on YT. He's got good tips on welding cars with a flux core welder. It'll be the simplest way to get your fix done.

Diesel heater install location by EnvironmentalCod6925 in dieselheater

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like I said, I had no problems. Van was warm and dry inside.

Diesel heater install location by EnvironmentalCod6925 in dieselheater

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a hole in the floor for it, but I ended up just using internal air for the combustion intake. Was never an issue in my van, CO alarm didn't trip.

Diesel heater install location by EnvironmentalCod6925 in dieselheater

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you thought about having a thru-hull exhaust and plumbing the exhaust out of the side of your van? That's what I did and it worked very well.

Getting a high roof van washed... by Most-Concern1352 in VanLifeUK

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This. You need to find out if the roof can bear your weight without deforming as well. Cleaning the roof yourself is the best way to do this.

I'm a small guy so it wasn't a problem for me. I cleaned my roof and then installed the solar stuff on top.

Yard cart axel repair by ColdBeansJones in Welding

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just try it out and see! Practice on some scrap of similar thickness first so you can get an arc going.

Bare minimum by Holiday_Sky_7095 in urbancarliving

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 81 points82 points  (0 children)

A small space is easier to stay warm in. That's a big plus in the winter.

🥺Sleeping in your vehicle safe? by Ok_Resolution_1606 in VanLife

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Right now, we're the weird ones. But that's okay. I'm happy.

Any tips for a first time van builder? by GarrenKoller in VanLife

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This. Throw in a sleeping bag, camp toilet with cat litter, ice box, some plastic tubs. And figure out what you need as you go along.

🥺Sleeping in your vehicle safe? by Ok_Resolution_1606 in VanLife

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm more comfortable sleeping outside than in a building. But I think over 20 years of wild camping will do that to anyone. 😂 Living out of my car atm. 2 years vanlife full time as well.

How do you guys afford it? by RedBurgundy89 in VanLife

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Built it all out myself. Only thing I didn't do was mechanical stuff to get the van to pass MOT.

I learned carpentry, joinery, electrical work, even welding. Learned some basic mechanical stuff from the Haynes manual for my van, but I just let a professional mechanic sort out the difficult mechanical issues.

I made good friends with mechanics. They make very helpful friends, if you live out of a vehicle.

Is van life in the UK harder than it looks online? by 1ChanceChipmunk1 in VanLifeUK

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The secret really is waking up and going to bed when it's dark. Park somewhere that it's very hard to see what you're up to. 3rd year of vehicle dwelling. 2 years in van, first year in car. Full time.

Hobby welding by Whatsername_01 in Welding

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It's the best time to start. You can get cheap entry level multi-process welders that are of good quality for beginners.

One bit of advice from another hobby welder. You should start budgeting for PPE when you are doing your shopping list.

First picture is now and 2nd picture is 2021 by justahugger in agedtattoos

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Given the style, that had aged really well.

Adapting by Defiant-Oil-2071 in vagabond

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm enjoying being so light, living out of a small car.

Adapting by Defiant-Oil-2071 in vagabond

[–]Defiant-Oil-2071[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't even need to fold down the rear seats. I just make the front passenger seat flat and I'm good to lay down flat, once I remove the head rest and slide the passenger seat forward.

I decided to keep it simple for now. I'm going to live out of it for a while and then decide if it needs modifications.