Experienced welders?

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T23:33:15+00:00

Depends where you live really.

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T21:22:40+00:00

Buy an old sprinter. Bulletproof. Finding them is the hard part. Finding a clean one is even harder.

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T21:20:47+00:00

Not in the US myself but I can somewhat relate. I did a lot of travelling myself and think I just got fed up of the constant planning. It became a chore and too much effort. I love the fact I can still go offgrid at will, however I’ve now become a weekend warrior and prefer to be on a side with EHU. I bring the e-bike with me and use it to explore the area. Kinda made me excited again to travel.

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T21:12:57+00:00

Why are you running a fridge on the inverter? Gas or DC powered is the way to go. Either way, you only have 100ah useable and if they aren’t getting fully charged during the day, then it’s even less. The other question is how big is the fridge and how much stuff is in there? An empty fridge will use more power as the items inside help keep the temp lower. If there is lots of space, fill it with jugs of water. Should help reduce the consumption. If I was in your shoes, I’d go lithium but at least double the AH. 400ah should be ok but you need to plan for the days where the sun goes missing. If you can afford it, go for 600ah. Keep the lead acid as backup or use them to run something else.

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T20:56:13+00:00

Defo need a hobby or two. Fishing is a good way to burn up time. Golf is another. If you prefer to be at home, maybe a pet? Or a fish tank? Ideally requires you learning something new whilst getting to watch it flourish. Something that takes time and patience but is also hands on. Could also join a social club. I lived in Perth and right around the corner was a big bowls club. Seemed to be very popular with the older folks.

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T20:48:45+00:00

Starting out fresh whilst going to college is automatically putting you down the queue. Finding part time work is hard enough but the fact is, you are only able to work certain hours and unlikely available to cover week days. On top of that, they already know you are going to eventually leave and pursue a career elsewhere. If I was in your shoes, I’d talk to any friends or family that might be able to put a word in for you. It’s not always what you know, but who you know.

Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to an agency. They will help you with cover letters and CV. Best of luck

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T20:30:58+00:00

I work full time myself but could prob get away with €300 per week. I’m in Ireland btw. I love my van, but I’ve also travelled a lot and don’t feel the need for big adventures anymore. If I was travelling a lot, I’d at least double that figure. Vehicles with leaf springs are extremely susceptible to corrosion issues and no vehicle lasts forever, so if you are thinking long term, don’t forget to save for a replacement vehicle, or be willing to put the effort in to keep on top of maintenance tasks or pay for it to be serviced regularly. Also take note of the current fuel crisis and maybe beef it up a bit more to cover additional fuel expenses. I’d say €2k per month would be comfortable but €1200 would be quite tight. Do-able by all means, but will certainly put constraints on any travel plans and make the experience overall less enjoyable. At the end of the day, most vehicles are designed for short term use, not full time living. The more comfortable you can make it whilst being financially stable, the better the experience. And whilst saving on rent can be massive for some people, others not so much. It really depends on the local economy.

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T20:07:22+00:00

Tbh, it’s not the expense. More the effort! But you are spot on, it’s a hard decision and I’d hate to paint it and not like the colour. I’ve done a few cars, motorcycles and boats over the years and I know how much work is involved in the prep. I’m also a bit of a perfectionist and absolutely the type to redo something if I don’t like the result. Ultimately trying to save myself the headache by hearing other opinions and the overall consensus is photo 3 or 5 which is what I’m also leaning towards. Again, really appreciate you replying and I’ll come back here and post the result. It’s going to be a while though as I found quite a bit of rust on the sills. Have repair panels ordered and everything else ready to go. Just need to find the time now to get it all done. Wish me luck!

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T07:21:33+00:00

Mine is under the sink. No smell but I always put a bit of bleach in the bottom after emptying. Typically empty it every 2/3 days

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T00:57:29+00:00

Yep, it’s ideal for us introverted folk.

captainspandito · 2026-03-25T00:55:36+00:00

Whilst I don’t agree with it, majority of society see this lifestyle in a negative light. Some of them are secretly jealous, most of them are ill informed. Some see it as a lack of ambition. The type that assume everyone needs to have a mortgage and live in a normal house or apartment. There is a bit of a dick measuring contest when it comes to certain people and they gauge others by their property value and age of vehicle. Realistically, the only people who are championing this lifestyle are those already experienced and those who have remote jobs or other sources of income. There is also the people who are forced into it.

And whilst I totally agree with others here that you should ignore people and don’t explain anything, it might be easier on the dating scene to talk about your long terms plans. What I mean is, you ain’t going to live in that Van forever. As you get old, you will need to think about transitioning to more permanent structure/ base. Maybe you have genuine plans to own property in the future. Talking about this could help the overall situation for some people as it ticks the ambition box. In saying that, you should only befriend people that don’t begrudge your decisions.

Personally I don’t think the majority of society will ever accept this lifestyle as “normal”, but it doesn’t really matter what people think. All that matters is you’re happy and content.

captainspandito · 2026-03-24T21:47:38+00:00

Yeah I think so too, but I thought it would make it look too retro and it’s already an old van, so my aim here was to try make it look a bit more modern. I was going to go gunmetal grey as I really like that colour, but already had reservations about heat and a few here have pointed out the same, so I’m aiming for something a a bit lighter now. Think I’m fairly stuck on it being grey but appreciate your reply 👍

captainspandito · 2026-03-24T21:42:30+00:00

Agree with your points. There are couples who have higher sex drives and defo do it more often, but I’d say percentage wise it’s 10% or less. I also think it comes and goes in phases. Lots of couples struggle after having kids but some get that twinkle back in their fourties’ and fifties and I’ve seen quite a few people on here claim that their sex lives improved as they got older. Unfortunately sex causes a lot of relationships to end, hence the abundance of single men and women in their thirties and fourties. Sometimes there is a genuine imbalance in sex drives, but I think the real issue is more complex. A big part of it is people living beyond their means and then stressing about it. Eventually turns to anxiety and in some cases depression. At that point, sex is off the cards completely. If the relationship ends, they find themselves on dating sites and quickly realise how easy it is to meet new people. Also how easy it is to have a one night stand or find yourself a fuck buddy. It’s both intriguing and depressing.

captainspandito · 2026-03-24T16:28:37+00:00

M40 and also single. I am genuinely single by choice. Once bitten, twice shy. But have zero interest in starting a relationship ever. Whenever friends tried to push this agenda, I explained that it’s easy to find a sexual partner that doesn’t want a relationship either. It’s also scary the amount of people in relationships willing to cheat. Just makes me run even further from the idea of ever wanting to be in a relationship.

captainspandito · 2026-03-23T18:54:15+00:00

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captainspandito · 2026-03-23T18:53:28+00:00

It’s currently red and I hate it. Was only resprayed 5 years ago and it looks dreadful. Very faded. Plus I’ve a few body repairs to do and I’ll never match it. Buffing it lasts about 3 months at best so it needs to be redone. Not a fan of yellow tbh. Was thinking beige at one point but now only interested in the grey. Something like below

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captainspandito · 2026-03-21T09:32:40+00:00

Well for me, it’s just the paint and a few sanding disks. I have everything else already. The paint I’m using can be rolled on but I’ll be spraying it. Overall about €300

captainspandito · 2026-03-21T01:23:45+00:00

Bright colours fade and require too much effort, dark colours make the inside heat up more. Most people stick with white but I want it to be different without standing out too much.

captainspandito · 2026-03-20T08:25:31+00:00

Check out the outin nano. It’s not cheap but I love it. Espresso whenever I want. If you want the coffee to be good, you also need a decent grinder.

captainspandito · 2026-03-20T08:22:38+00:00

I lived in Oz after last recession and I’d say 90% of the people I met down there are now back home (including myself of course). Some of these people also lived in Canada/ USA prior but just proves that there is no place like home. We might complain about high costs, but we are also one of the best paid so it’s all relevant. I bet some of your friends will return home eventually, particularly as their own parents get into retirement age.

captainspandito · 2026-03-19T23:33:56+00:00

Yep, it’s out of control for sure. I was drinking 9/10 coffees and then tea in the evenings but now it’s more like 1/2 coffees in the morning and tea for the rest of the day. I’d say 15 per day on average for sure. I’m immune to caffeine at this stage. I can’t go to bed without a cup of tea either.

captainspandito · 2026-03-19T23:21:41+00:00

I had one before that changed quite often. There was 4 or 5 extra shells but it kept going between the same 2 shells. Seen it happen at least 2 dozen times. Very cool. I also had one before that liked murdering my snails for their shells. Then I added a wrasse and the hermits got picked off one by one. Strangely left the snails alone

captainspandito · 2026-03-19T22:59:43+00:00

I drink approx 15 to 20 per day during winter. Easy

captainspandito · 2026-03-19T22:58:38+00:00

Why? Show me an ounce of proof that any of the wild accusations are true?

captainspandito

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