028 High or Low Top? Gillette Castle, Oregon Coast, Curtain Divider, Ikea Eket, American Van

Yes, you can cook with household electric appliances if you're careful! Some are better than others. We'll visit LL Bean, talk about Kelly Blue Book, get chased by a Tow Truck, discuss van weight, and review the Sea Eagle 370.  A Place to Visit   LL Bean is open 24 hours and has been for over 100 years! Part museum, part catalog store - it's a fun place to hang out at 3AM.  LL Bean Flagship Store Resource Recommendation Kelly Blue Book A time-honored way to find out how much a vehicle is worth.  Product Review: Sea Eagle 370 A large, inflatable kayak that allows you to take your #vanlife onto open water (up to Class 3 rapids!) SeaEagle.com Electric Cooking Products: Portable Induction Cooktop Mini Instant Pot Panasonic Inverter Microwave Pure Sine Wave Inverters 12v Microwave 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.

14 Okt 202030min

A letter from Kansas prompted me to rant a bit about toll problems in the US. We also discuss RainX, doing a Video Game Tour, point out things in your van that you shouldn't cover up, tell a tale of  Clem and the police,  and show how to avoid using up all your "hot spot" data.    A Place to Visit Consider a tour of places from a video game, TV show of movie! We did a Fallout New Vegas tour and had an great time finding all the hidden things.   The Real Place From the game, Fallout: New Vegas   Resource Recommendation Turnpikeinfo.com - good resource of all toll information TollGuru.com - great tool for calculating expenses Peasy - an app that pays toll with your plates (but not everywhere). RV Toll Pass - the "one transponder to rule them all" but watch out for fees. UNI - the best pass for folks traveling in the East. Covers 18 states.  Product Review: Rain-X It works. The best product is probably the original, but for the other require much less effort. Link to products: https://amzn.to/2SzgBMP 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.

7 Okt 202031min

Is Stealth a myth? No, but it's not what people think. We'll also visit a natural wonder in Massachusetts, talk about the Smooth 4 Gimbal, commiserate about needing to remove spray foam, and point out a solution for morning condensation.  A Place to Visit Purgatory Notch, Sutton, Massachusetts A natural wonder in southern Massachusetts.  Purgatory Chasm State Park Resource Recommendation VaZhiyun Smooth 4 Gimbal It allows completely smooth shots under shaky conditions. Zhiyun Smooth 4 https://amzn.to/2Gh4kd Complete Review (YouTube) Product Review: Terry Cloth Sponges Great simple way to remove morning condensation from you windshield.  https://amzn.to/33g8TNJ Vanlife News ProMaster Safety Features (CNET). How a Van Can Be Ideal For Someone Disabled (NY Times, Paywall). Winter Vanlife (Washington Post). 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.

30 Sep 202030min

Winter is coming, but that's no reason to stop #vanlife. We'll visit some of the gods living in Illinois, talk about solar shower bags, OBDII port scanners, and listen to an odd tale of physics.    In this episode, we ask some hard questions about the ethics of #vanlife, explore Bishop Castle in Colorado, explain why you put in the floor first, recommend Fakestop and discuss electric heat in a van.    A Place to Visit Garden of the Gods, Illinois Nope, not the one in Colorado or even the one in Hawaii! Garden of the Gods Recreation Area in Herod, Illinois. Resource Recommendation Vanly.app It's an "Air BnB" for van parking spaces. Product Review: Solar Shower Bags They work, but they're better for heating water than taking showers.  https://amzn.to/32T7BYM Tech Talk: On Board Diagnostics II (OBDII) ports can save you money. Consider carrying a scanner. Cheap option: Hyper Tough HT309 OBD2 Code Reader Full-featured option: Autel AutoLink AL609P Pro OBD2 Scanner 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.

23 Sep 202029min

Choose the adventure! Tell me where to go and what to do, and I'll comply.  New Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/339664633746373/   In this episode, we ask some hard questions about the ethics of #vanlife, explore Bishop Castle in Colorado, explain why you put in the floor first, recommend Fakestop and discuss electric heat in a van.    A Place to Visit Bishop Castle Wear sturdy shoes and be careful! http://www.bishopcastle.org/ Resource Recommendation Fakespot, a tool that helps you find deceptive product reviews.  http://www.fakespot.com Electric Heat? Just as with AC, it draws so much power that it's usually impractical for battery living. It can be very handy if you have a plugin. What I have: https://amzn.to/2ZCceEK

16 Sep 202029min

Choose the adventure! Tell me where to go: https://linkto.run/p/BLTP1S9A Poll closing soon! New Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/339664633746373/ I *think* we've come up with a way for you to have a HOT shower in ANY van. Also, we'll visit Rhode Island, review the Sea Eagle 370, discuss Air Compressors and recommend FarOutRide.com.  HOT shower: Heat water on your stove, add it to a bucket with cold water to make it the right temperature, and then use a folding dog pool as the shower enclosure and use a portable batttery-powered pump and shower head combination. Optional hula hoop and shower curtain if you have a van you can stand in.  The Tub (A folding dog pool). https://amzn.to/3k3UMkl The Shower/Pump (Battery powered pump and nozzle) https://amzn.to/2R4RoJz The Tank (a folding bucket) https://amzn.to/3idAvs0 Product Review Sea Eagle 370 A rather large inflatable kayak, but quite large enough to go camping with. https://www.seaeagle.com/SportKayaks/SE370 A Place to Visit Rhode Island! Coventry Cairns The Van Wave!

9 Sep 202031min

This bonus content, we explore the music of the episodes and interview Simon Wagg, the composer.  This episode contains no #vanlife content. To reach Simon Wagg, you can email him at: SimonWaggMakesStuff@gmail.com.  Simon about the time he wrote this music.    Simon Wagg's Soundcloud Music (Sirmooge.) The Music: Tech Talk (8 Bit Drum) by moonheart  Renegade Phalanx SlimKR FrenchRoast (unavailable online) Devoline Miamo How To Enjoy Ghost

5 Sep 202046min

Some tips don't fit in any category, so we're lumping them together in our 10 Obscure #vanlife tips. We'll also travel down a burning highway, visit the largest pyramid north of Mexico, explain how step bits can make your build easier, and ask you to consider a hammock.  Obscure #vanlife tips: Color changing led lights, only $14! https://amzn.to/2GnHUH9 Little Free Libraries Leave a book, take a book https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/ Product Review Step bit This little thing can be just what you need when your hole's too small or you're not needing precision. https://amzn.to/3hVcXb9 A Place to Visit Cahokia! The largest pyramid north of Mexico is near St. Louis. Really! https://cahokiamounds.org/

2 Sep 202029min