251 Is It Safe to Visit the US? USB Tester, Remote Jobs, Digital Nomads

Yep, it's time to talk about Insulation. Flames accepted. We'll also discuss tapping into fuse blocks, review a USB monitor, visit a famous movie site, plug FarOutRide.com and hear a "hot" tale.  AD: Robinhood I’ve found an app that makes it dead simple to buy and sell stocks, even if you don’t know what you’re doing. And that app, is Robinhood. I’ve used it for years without a hitch. No contracts, no hidden fees, no gotchas. When you open your account, they’ll give you a free stock. That’s right, one share of a publicly traded company will be yours. It could be a big name like Apple or Google, but more likely it will be a smaller stock, like Zynga or Sirius. You will have to enter your bank’s information. But if you’re willing to do that, there’s literally a free stock waiting for you. And for me - and that helps keep the show going. Give it a try is join.robinhood.com/jeffw118 If you decide it’s not for you, sell the stock, keep the money and close your account. Easy peasy. I promise to only promote products that I use and trust, and Robinhood is one. If you have a different experience, please let me know. And thanks for giving it a look. TALES FROM THE ROAD - WE WANT YOURS! Send us your Tales From the Road and if we use the on the air, you'll receive a College of Curiosity SWAG bag, including some things appropriate for #vanlife. We'd prefer audio, but text could work and we'll help get it done for you. Send it to: jeff@builttogo.com. Thanks! A Place to Visit: Chain of Rocks Bridge Route 66's crossing of the Mississippi River Filming location of Escape from New York Creepy murder site Visit Chain of Rocks Bridge Product Review AOC 16-Inch Ultra Slim USB Monitor Plug it in and you have an instant 2nd monitor, now power needed! About $85 at the time of publishing.  https://amzn.to/3lxCmZD Mac instructions Resource Recommendation Far Out Ride A great resource of all things #vanlife  https://faroutride.com/   Some links are affiliate links, and the podcast host will receive a payment if you order from them. Anything provided by a manufacturer for review will be fully disclosed. All reviews are the opinion of the podcast host.

9 Joulu 202030min

You've got your empty van. Now what? We're here to help - here's a method for getting things going and staying the course. We'll also visit Saguaro National Park, check out UCO Candles, learn how to charge laptop computers, figure out which octane to use, and hear a scary story.    AD: Robinhood I’ve found an app that makes it dead simple to buy and sell stocks, even if you don’t know what you’re doing. And that app, is Robinhood. I’ve used it for years without a hitch. No contracts, no hidden fees, no gotchas. When you open your account, they’ll give you a free stock. That’s right, one share of a publicly traded company will be yours. It could be a big name like Apple or Google, but more likely it will be a smaller stock, like Zynga or Sirius. You will have to enter your bank’s information. But if you’re willing to do that, there’s literally a free stock waiting for you. And for me - and that helps keep the show going. Give it a try is join.robinhood.com/jeffw118 If you decide it’s not for you, sell the stock, keep the money and close your account. Easy peasy. I promise to only promote products that I use and trust, and Robinhood is one. If you have a different experience, please let me know. And thanks for giving it a look. TALES FROM THE ROAD - WE WANT YOURS! Send us your Tales From the Road and if we use the on the air, you'll receive a College of Curiosity SWAG bag, including some things appropriate for #vanlife. We'd prefer audio, but text could work and we'll help get it done for you. Send it to: jeff@builttogo.com. Thanks! A Place to Visit: Saguaro National Park An overlooked and otherworldly wonderland near Tucson. https://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm Product Review UCO Candle Lanterns Probably the best candle for #vanlife, but not really a heating solution https://amzn.to/3moCP1n   Some links are affiliate links, and the podcast host will receive a payment if you order from them. Anything provided by a manufacturer for review will be fully disclosed. All reviews are the opinion of the podcast host.

2 Joulu 202030min

Thanks for helping us get to 50 episodes! This time, we're taking a break from our normal format and presenting you with 50 #vanlife tips, and some news. Thanks for listening, and here's to another 50!    TALES FROM THE ROAD - WE WANT YOURS! Send us your Tales From the Road and if we use the on the air, you'll receive a College of Curiosity SWAG bag, including some things appropriate for #vanlife. We'd prefer audio, but text could work and we'll help get it done for you. Send it to: jeff@builttogo.com. Thanks!     Some links (Amazon) are affiliate links, and the podcast will receive a small payment if you order from them. Anything provided by a manufacturer for review will be fully disclosed. All reviews are the opinion of the Podcast Host.

25 Marras 202032min

Which full-size van should you choose? Let's take a look... We'll also review 4-way stretch fabric, ride on the Possum 2, visit Coral Castle, explore HMDB.org, and invite folks to send their own Tales From the Road. And we'll explain the difference between starter batteries and leisure batteries.   TALES FROM THE ROAD - WE WANT YOURS! Send us your Tales From the Road and if we use the on the air, you'll receive a College of Curiosity SWAG bag, including some things appropriate for #vanlife. We'd prefer audio, but text could work and we'll help get it done for you. Send it to: jeff@builttogo.com. Thanks! Resource Recommendation Historical Marker Database A crowd-sourced list of historic markers across the country. There is a corresponding app as well. http://hmdb.org A Place to Visit Coral Castle Just south of Miami in Homestead, this historic structure was constructed out of enormous coral blocks that were carved and placed by one small man.  http://coralcastle.com (Check for COVID times.)   Some links (Amazon) are affiliate links, and the podcast will receive a small payment if you order from them. Anything provided by a manufacturer for review will be fully disclosed. All reviews are the opinion of the Podcast Host.

18 Marras 202032min

Why not get a School Bus? Or an Ambulance? Step Van? RV???!!! We take a look at the pros and cons. Also, a fix for melting Velcro, magnetic phone holders, adventures in ZimZam, and how much solar should you have? ZimZam The space between Zambia and Zimbabwe on the Victoria Falls Bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls_Bridge Resource Recommendation AAA for Maps High-quality maps free with your membership Product Review: Magnet phone holders Standard: https://amzn.to/3kf7yMw Supports wireless charging: https://amzn.to/2IujOM9 Q&A: How Much Solar? Solar charges your batteries Size your batteries to your needs Solar wattage should equal battery amp hour capacity 100 watts of solar for 100ah of AGM battery. Lithium can use about twice as much solar per ah. Tech Talk: Shoe Goo Velcro Fix Velcro is great, but the adhesive melts in high temperatures Fix: use sew on, no adhesive velcro Staple it on or... Use Shoe Goo, which doesn't melt   Some links (Amazon) are affiliate links, and the podcast will receive a small payment if you order from them. Anything provided by a manufacturer for review will be fully disclosed. All reviews are the opinion of the Podcast Host.

11 Marras 202031min

We have 5 ways to check to see if you're ready for vanlife. We also explore alternate uses for Frisbees, talk about FastCaps, visit the Oriental Institute and talk about air bag issues. 5 things to check to know you're ready for #vanlife.   Like camping? Like problem solving? Have enough money? Figured out relationships? Have a mission? A Place to Visit Oriental Institute When someone mailed to package to "Indiana Jones," it was delivered here. This is the closest you're going to find to "Junior's" home base. https://oi.uchicago.edu/   Resource Recommendation Odd little fixes for your annoying cabinet problems. https://fastcaps.com   Product Review: Frisbees!  Nice, heavy glow-in-the-dark model They can be used as: Cutting boards Bowls Fire fans Screw holders (for repairs) Way to knock something out of a tree Wind block for stove Attention getter   Q&A: Airbags? If you remove seats, you may have issues with airbags. There ARE solutions involving resistors, but you'll need to do research for your particular situation.   Some links (Amazon) are affiliate links, and the podcast will receive a small payment if you order from them. Anything provided by a manufacturer for review will be fully disclosed. All reviews are the opinion of the Podcast Host.

4 Marras 202031min

You hope it will never happen, but what if it does? You have to plan for a crash, and maybe having knives on a magnetic strip isn't a great idea. Also, we'll visit the Drive-In, talk about Command Strips, stay warm without heat, and catch up some news as well.  Not my actual rig, but pretty close Crashing your Rig Watch this video to gain understanding of what happens during a crash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cibwyhcLEwc (no sound).  Really. Watch it. A Place to Visit Drive-Ins are a thing you can do in your van! If you're heading to Florida for the cold season, check out this gem! Silver Moon Drive-In Resource Recommendation There's a junk yard or RV salvage yard near you. How do you know? Because you clicked below. http://junkyardsnearme.com/ Product Review: Command hooks are a great temporary (or maybe permanent!) solution for van life.  https://amzn.to/35KRJI2 NEWS BBC: Traveller families win court battle over living on land they own CBS 4: More Americans willing to try the van life due to pandemic survey finds Fodors: Here's what vanlife is really like Insider: A British man spent over 1,000 hours transforming a jet engine into a camper trailer for family road trips Q&A: How can you stay warm in winter without heat? Best thing: a good sleeping bag Remember that the rating isn't for comfort, it's for survivability.  Good info on sleeping bags from Section Hiker.  A good selection: https://amzn.to/35FBiwS Some links (Amazon) are affiliate links, and the podcast will receive a small payment if you order from them. Anything provided by a manufacturer for review will be fully disclosed. All reviews are the opinion of the Podcast Host.

28 Loka 202030min

An article claims there are 20 Reasons to NOT do Van Life, but are there really? Let's take a look. We'll also explore some new electric vans, talk about condiment packets, visit Arco, Idaho, and use Wikipedia to learn about our vans. And some gift ideas! A Place to Visit Arco, Idaho EBR-1 - First Nuclear Reactor The Devil Boat Resource Recommendation Wikipedia Yeah - you know this, but did you know that they have extensive details on your van, where it was built, what other models share components, and the history of the engine? Take a look! Product Review: Restaurant condiments may seem like a good idea for #vanlife, but make sure you rotate the stock. Q&A: Gift ideas for vanners? Redbox Gift Cards - https://www.redbox.com/gifts Multitools (a MUST!) Interesting dried foods USB Fan Nylon Bags Some links (Amazon) are affiliate links, and the podcast will receive a small payment if you order from them. Anything provided by a manufacturer for review will be fully disclosed. All reviews are the opinion of the Podcast Host.

21 Loka 202030min