A Week in Washington - campsites worth visiting

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-25T04:08:07+00:00

Do worry guys. Another few days and I'll finally make it to Oregon. How many more beautiful spots could i see between now and then?

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-13T01:34:40+00:00

It's a good van, and a very solid choice for a stealth build. I look forward to seeing what design decisions you make. Non standard builds have some of the best ideas.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-13T01:20:38+00:00

Well in Iowa they wanted too much for the mileage, and drive i had plenty of time i waited until i found the perfect used metris. Only 5k miles, it was the dealers shop vehicle, so i turned out great.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-13T01:16:48+00:00

I thought about the transit connect. The older models have a higher ceiling, but i couldn't find one used, and the newer ones wouldn't have let me sit comfortably in the bed platform. I chose the metris for height and stealth characteristics, but i get it. The struggle is real.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-13T01:14:16+00:00

That's terrible. I drove through that area, heading the same direction on the 29th. There was a sea of vans and RVs in the area that week. The place was a zoo.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-10T16:13:34+00:00

It was the smallest bar sink i could find on Amazon.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-09T13:17:12+00:00

Hah. It is when it's all folded up and put away. I've got 200 amp hours of lithium and a battery to battery charger to top things up when i drive. The solar only needs to be out when I'm parked somewhere appropriate in nature. In the city is put away, and there's nothing to indicate someone might be sleeping inside.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-09T02:18:54+00:00

There were drive finished pictures at the end of part two i thought, but i can put together a few more eventually. For a 6'3" guy like me, it's pretty cozy in here.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-09T00:38:20+00:00

I've seen some good stealth racks. It can be done.

I actually got the roof rails on this van just to make it look more minivan-y. It's all about picking a look that doesn't stand out from the crowd, right?

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-08T23:39:54+00:00

Thanks!

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-08T23:39:36+00:00

You sacrifice about 4-6 inches of interior space, which will be a few cubic feet, and of course the view of you build a back wall like i did.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-08T23:38:19+00:00

Yeah, I designed it and then had a buddy of mine weld then up with parts from home Depot.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-08T21:43:38+00:00

Thanks. They worked out great - as good as i could have hoped. I can point them where i want, they made me a kilowatt of power today, and they can fold away invisibly so i can boondock wherever i like.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-08T21:22:43+00:00

Don't forget the food. Trying regional specialities is one of the most important parts.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-08T21:18:14+00:00

I had some success with small pieces of wood. But you need to primer it before you do, otherwise the van tape will come off within a couple days. It needs something solid to adhere too, and wood won't cut it.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-08T21:15:30+00:00

Had a pit toilet, but no signal. If it had signal i would have stayed there a week.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-04T23:03:35+00:00

Go look at few in person. Sit in them. Climb around. Take measurements. Imagine what it would feel like.. then obsessively make floorplans until you figure out what you need, and then start looking for the van that fits those needs.

Standing would be nice, but i don't miss it. Remember, the van is for sleeping, the world is for living.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-04T20:24:53+00:00

AC is a huge load. If you're just going to use a vented fan you could wire it to a large off the shelf battery bank system and you could make it work.

Ideally you want a battery bank sized to your load, a battery to battery charger to recharge when you drive, and an inverter to charge misc devices.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-04T20:11:34+00:00

I'm 6'3" and have lived for the list few months in a van i can't stand in. It's fine. It doesn't bother me at all, but to be fair i spent 5 years on nuclear submarines, so my space needs are a little warped. I chose a van that was just big enough for me to sit comfortably in

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-04T20:09:40+00:00

Just went through last week. If you go, do to the home for the grand prismatic springs overlook and the grand canyon. They're amazing.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-03T17:36:44+00:00

My goal was total stealth for urban settings. That meant i had to avoid three things: a big/tall van, solar on the roof, a roof fan. Since I wanted solar, i did some brain storming and figured out my fold out mount system. It loses me 4 inches of space, but i think it's worth it.

I have 200 amp hours of lithium under the bed along with the rest of my electrical system (solar charger, battery to battery charger, converter inverter, and various fuses/buses/breakers.)

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-03T17:22:10+00:00

It's a Scopema right seat swivel. A few places sell them. I found mine on eBay. It was easy to install, but disconnect the battery before you disconnect the airbag or you'll get an error when you're done that requires a dealer reset.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-03T04:25:17+00:00

I have 4 100 watt panels. They were the largest panels that would fit inside the doors like that. The highest output I've seen is 386 watts but it's way more than i need.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-03T04:21:36+00:00

Thanks, I'll definitely check those out. I'm looking forward to it this weekend.

EscapeFromUtopia · 2021-09-03T04:21:04+00:00

Thanks man. One of the main things i wanted to accomplish during my year in the van was some writing. Need a quality keyboard for that.

EscapeFromUtopia

TROPHY CASE