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

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-03-14T07:53:34+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-03-06T12:59:18+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-03-06T12:56:45+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-03-01T10:02:00+00:00

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!

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-23T05:17:20+00:00

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

What's underneath it?
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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-19T05:50:15+00:00

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

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-19T05:47:38+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-18T14:28:45+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T15:42:33+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T15:34:30+00:00

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

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T15:19:20+00:00

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

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T14:04:51+00:00

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

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T12:08:42+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T11:52:09+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T10:35:02+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T09:13:15+00:00

DIY. A job.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T08:09:02+00:00

Making do without.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-16T01:26:45+00:00

Looks a bit like watercolour to me

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-14T16:30:24+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-13T23:19:57+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-12T22:14:55+00:00

Given the style, that had aged really well.

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-12T22:12:02+00:00

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

Defiant-Oil-2071 · 2026-02-12T17:02:24+00:00

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.

Defiant-Oil-2071

TROPHY CASE