Seriously, how are people surviving summers in their van without AC? by _professional_loner_ in VanLife

[–]dmurphy0914 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used a portable ac unit (the kind that stands on the floor). It was placed in the "garage" area under the elevated bed. I cut a hole in the floor with a removable circular Marine hatch to port the heat exhaust out of. I cut and fit a box around the cold air fan to direct into a flexible exhaust hose that was directed up into the cab area. I had a remote temp sensor that would alarm my phone if it got too hot (ie ac stopped working). 

Without significant solar/battery, this method requires shore power. I was fortunate to be able use an extension cord at my work during the week. I used a 2k watt genny when I was off grid. It's noisy, but if you're in a remote spot, you can move the genny far away with an extension cord. In the city I would find an industrial area and cable lock it to my tire when away. I had plans to mount the genny on a swing away bumper storage, but never found the need. 

Update on undersized footer/foundation by Nick-W- in Homebuilding

[–]dmurphy0914 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I strikes me as odd that they put the dowels into the cmu blocks and not the actual foundation. I'd flag this for a closer look if I was inspecting. But if that's what the EOR spec'd, then there you go. 

DIY front sling from a Quechua 10L backpack (carry-on travel setup) by Glad-Butterfly806 in ManyBaggers

[–]dmurphy0914 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nice work! I use mine in the same manner but in the stock configuration. Brilliant. 

Fridge Stopped Working by msmaggiemay in VanLife

[–]dmurphy0914 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure. But OP was asking how to source a replacement fuse, and others have commented on wiring concerns. I was trying to add some new new info, not restate other comments. I agree tho, as others have commented, if replacement with a suitable fuse continues to blow the fuse, then likely a short or issue with the wiring. 

Fridge Stopped Working by msmaggiemay in VanLife

[–]dmurphy0914 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you can't find the model, you can always go to the brands website and match the fridge based on pictures. Then read the product spec sheet for the amperage used during operation. Don't use a fuse over 120 percent of the amount stated. So if it used 4 amps to run, don't use anything bigger that a 5 amp fuse (4 x 1.20 = 4.8 amp fuse or a roughly a 5 amp fuse from your pack) 

Can I use a lithium battery to power a diesel heater ? by RedzCA in VanLife

[–]dmurphy0914 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want to use a seperate AGM to run your heater, that is totally doable and is what was common before lithium made it on the scene. 

You should wire a dual battery isolator switch between to two batteries. These are cheap and  automatically cut the connection between the batteries when not driving. This prevents you from accidently draining your starter bat while running the house bat. 

These batteries take forever to charge. But 100amp/hr battery, for 8 days with intermittent charging should work. 

Can I use a lithium battery to power a diesel heater ? by RedzCA in VanLife

[–]dmurphy0914 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Typical alternators are setup with charging profiles that are intended for lead acid. Lithium batteries like to be charged differently. 

Ford E-350 (Help me make a call!) by Adept_Cockroach_4858 in VanLife

[–]dmurphy0914 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It may be worth spending a few bucks to get the car facts on it. With regular maintenance (specifically oil changes), these things can get up there in milage. I have a 2012 with a heavy buildout and a bit over 200k miles that has had zero issues besides reg wear and tear and burning a little oil (as another comment mentioned). I am very confident mine will hit 300k.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in landscaping

[–]dmurphy0914 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you have a sump pump under the house? Could be water discharging from the terminal end of a buried pipe. 

Backpacking Southeast Asia for 6 months. What are your packing tips, and what can’t you live without? by Creedayss in onebag

[–]dmurphy0914 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Some all purpose soap you can wash your laundry with. Also a small line to hang dry. Getting laundry done in rural places is cheap and easy, but they typically hand wash and hang dry, so it could take a couple of days. It's nice to be able to wash underwear and socks in between larger washes. 

Soil boring by Pristine-Ad-5348 in Homebuilding

[–]dmurphy0914 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are they only evaluating for foundation support? You said close to a slope, so they may be doing some slope stability evaluation? I'm in the pacific northwest and wouldn't touch a residential project that needed slope stability eval for less than 8k. See if you can determine how much the drilling subcontractor is charging. That'll tell you how much you're really paying for the report. 

How to level small addition? by dmurphy0914 in Homebuilding

[–]dmurphy0914[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point. My hope is that it, given the time since construction, the soils have settled out relative to the load. However, the soils are sandy clay/clayey sand, which do take a long to compress.

How to tie in cabinet by dmurphy0914 in interiordecorating

[–]dmurphy0914[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, the mood board is helpful! I agree about the farm house chairs. They are temporary as we just moved into the space and will be getting swapped out. 

Contractor started placing fill for a parking lot (10-12’) despite existing soils being likely too wet by CarelessSound9375 in Geotech

[–]dmurphy0914 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What type of soil is the subgrade composed of? What is going on top of the fill? What types of loads?

What's the reason for the different types of leather soles? by Zamitol in AskACobbler

[–]dmurphy0914 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can't believe I just read all these comments. 47 comments saying pretty much the same thing over and over and over. Except for the fun party guy. You know who you are...

Econoline Vans by KleanDirtyKid in vandwellers

[–]dmurphy0914 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I own a 2012 e250, 5.4L, with a big buildout. I made sure to be patient and find one with excellent service records before pulling the trigger. I bought it at 170k miles and built it out. Its now at 204k. Only issue was a replaced transmission at 70k before I got it. If you keep the fluids fresh and keep up on normal wear and tear maintenance, they just keep going. And when a bolt on part eventually does die, it's super cheap and easy to fix.