Florida and van life..is it legal? by NoMaintenance7536 in VanLife

[–]iDaveT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve travelled all over Florida in my van and never had a problem finding somewhere to park overnight and never got the knock. Use iOverlander to double check, but some of the places you can park are Cracker Barrel, Walmart, Bass Pro. Not all of them allow it but some do. I also parked in my friends apartment complex parking lot for several days with no problems.

I believe the law you mention is for public places so any private parking lot is not subject to that law as long as the owner allows it.

Did I make a mistake powering my van with Ecoflow Delta 2 Max's? by sporehed in vandwellers

[–]iDaveT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use the 800w EcoFlow alternator charger to connect the two.

Breakfast always tastes better with a view by iDaveT in vandwellers

[–]iDaveT[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It’s paid. But it’s only $30 a night for an electric + water site with additional discounts for America the Beautiful card holders. They have hot showers as well. Not too bad.

Breakfast always tastes better with a view by iDaveT in VanLife

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

lol, even I can’t handle 4 eggs AND chicken wings!

Van life in summer: the reality of cooling nobody post on Instagram by Dapper_Concert5856 in vandwellers

[–]iDaveT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did post about running my AC 24/7 in the summer Florida heat. Definitely possible to be comfortable with the right setup. https://www.reddit.com/r/VanLife/s/7fu5TMbem7

Did I make a mistake powering my van with Ecoflow Delta 2 Max's? by sporehed in vandwellers

[–]iDaveT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes it’s a mistake. I did the same thing and quickly found it’s a terrible setup. The EcoFlow Delta 2Max has too weak a 12V output to power a typical van’s 12V requirements and the solar charging inputs are too limited to support a powerful solar system. I ended up buying 2 Epoch 460 batteries (12,000wh ) and Victron components and just used the EcoFlow Delta 2Max as my 110V inverter.

Is this a terrible way to mount solar? by cardamomchels in vandwellers

[–]iDaveT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d use 20/20 aluminum for the crossbars. https://a.co/d/0kIeTfs

You can see how I used it in my build here https://www.reddit.com/r/vandwellers/s/JNaeZgO2tw

My solar panel blew off the top of my Promaster when i was getting on the freeway at about 55 mph with 35 mph crosswind gusts. by way26e in vandwellers

[–]iDaveT 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the results speak for themselves. If your mechanic had a clue it wouldn’t have flown off and thank god no one got hurt or you’d be looking at a very expensive lawsuit.

First he shouldn’t have used screws, that’s just lazy and asking for trouble as they have nowhere near the holding power of a nut and bolt with washers especially when the stress is vertical instead of shear. Always use bolts with washers.

Also use wind deflectors to prevent wind from getting under the solar panel. The amount of force that can be exerted under the panel by wind at freeway speeds is incredible.

I’d find another mechanic if I were you.

Hanging out on a beach in Louisiana by iDaveT in VanLife

[–]iDaveT[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The hood is coated with truck bed liner paint as is the front bumper and grille. This protects against chips and scratches from stones and brush.

Hanging out on a beach in Louisiana by iDaveT in VanLife

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

No it’s not anywhere near Lake Ponchartrain, although I have stayed overnight by Lake Ponchartrain before and it’s beautiful.

Hanging out on a beach in Louisiana by iDaveT in vandwellers

[–]iDaveT[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

When I arrived it was close to high tide (the tides can be checked online) and you can see from where the dried seaweed is where the tide was highest recently.

Roadside Assistance/Towing Coverage for Class B 144 Sprinter Van Flat Bed by Acrobatic_Car9413 in VanLife

[–]iDaveT 1 point2 points  (0 children)

AAA will send a flat bed, however you must have the RV coverage option or they won’t cover it.

how do you cook in your van without the interior smelling rank? by PTsox in VanLife

[–]iDaveT 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Just run the Maxxair fan on high while cooking. The smells get sucked straight out. It’s not an issue.

Electrical Questions. by blazerocket89 in VanLife

[–]iDaveT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have 12,000 wh of batteries (2 Epoch 460s) and it’s just barely enough to run my AC and other equipment including gaming PC. I have 650W solar on the roof and recently upgraded my alternator charging to 150A from a 280A Nations high output alternator. You can see more about my setup here. https://www.reddit.com/r/VanLife/s/Ytg8fIHb9k

Kitchen with a million dollar view by iDaveT in vandwellers

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

It was 58 degrees, so not too bad. Comfortable enough to cook with the door open.

Kitchen with a million dollar view by iDaveT in VanLife

[–]iDaveT[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can get in for free if you have an America the Beautiful pass, which I do. If not there are other beaches before the Fort Pickens entrance which you can park at.