Ski RV's, who's sleeping in parking lots?

[El Chupacabra]

https://www.amazon.com/Electrowarmth...12v+mat&sr=8-3


I think this is the one I have. Twin size. I run it sideways on our almost king size bed, so shoulders-knees are heated. I like it, work better than a heated blanket because it’s under you. Combined with a heavy down comforter, you can stay pretty warm, even without the heater running

Thanks! We have a heated mattress pad for home use, and it's great for warming up the bed before getting in. Would be nice to have that in the camper too.

[simple]

A little behind but friend got a Scout camper for the Tundra

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Yeah I haven't had roommates in over 10 years (girlfriends don't count). Not doing that again.

That's the problem. If all my clients weren't waiting for the crash that isn't gonna come I wouldn't be considering something so foolish.

[skibum193]

Just picked up this beauty from my fiancé’s good friends. 1981 Toyota with only 139k on it, with a 1978 FWC Fleet pop up.

Stoked for some good adventures, and hopefully not too much wrenching... I have enough house projects as it is.

[m2711c]

looks very warm...

[Conundrum]

Just picked up this beauty from my fiancé’s good friends. 1981 Toyota with only 139k on it, with a 1978 FWC Fleet pop up.

Stoked for some good adventures, and hopefully not too much wrenching... I have enough house projects as it is.

Winning.

[lifelinksplit]

Just picked up this beauty from my fiancé’s good friends. 1981 Toyota with only 139k on it, with a 1978 FWC Fleet pop up.

Stoked for some good adventures, and hopefully not too much wrenching... I have enough house projects as it is.

If I wasnt 6'3" I'd be all over that. Throw some 31's or 33's on that and you're good to go anywhere. I had an 88 for 5-6 yrs and only replaced the alternator(22re not r). Love those little yotas. And solid front axles..

[~mikey b]

FWC will redo the canvas and make it 6’6”

[Yukonrider]

Just finalized a handshake deal to buy my buddies Sprinter van and get back on the road after two years of renting. I tried pretty hard to get a place this winter, but am worried about long term resort closures and couldn't commit to a $1000/mo lease in a house with 3 other roommates in a town which will be a rona cesspool come Christmas.

So #vanlife it is!

My plan is to follow the snow, hit up a bunch of places I loved on my 2017 trip but didn't spend enough time in because the '17 Mountain Collective pass only allowed 2 days each at any of the resorts. The Ikon is now giving you 5, so I can spend pretty much a week in whatever town; which will allow me to get a better sense of what the place is all about. And as a bonus I'll be packing a motorcycle and a mountain bike, so if there are shutdowns I can just disappear into the desert or the PNW for a week at a time totally isolated.


I have been a very outspoken detractor of Sprinter vans to this point. I think they're unreliable, poorly built, and overly hyped, the upside is getting 25mpg at 75mph. That will increase mobility by a factor of 3 over the 8mpg at 60mph the truck camper and trailer setup got.

I'm excited, and hopefully I don't get flamed for being Uncle Rico super spreader

[Huskier]

...couldn't commit to a $1000/mo lease in a house with 3 other roommates in a town which will be a rona cesspool come Christmas.
...
I'm excited, and hopefully I don't get flamed for being Uncle Rico super spreader

If it's full on vanlife with all the amenities on the inside, allowing you to steel yourself away from the unwashed masses on the side of some back road somewhere between ski days I actually think this is an ok plan, even factoring in some travel (not that I'd encourage that). I mean you're essentially self-quarantining during off-hill hours. Most of the Covids coming in have known exposures to same-household contacts. Vastly preferable to a room mate sitch.

[TurxSki]

...I mean you're essentially self-quarantining during off-hill hours...

Sh...?
shopping? shitting? showering? etc?



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[nickwm21]

What’s the max height for sleeping perpendicular in these vans? I feel like #vanlife is not possible for us humans that are >6’.... parallel sleeping just kills interior space too much.


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[m2711c]

shopping? - delivery

shitting? - in the woods

showering? - moist towelettes

[Yukonrider]

What’s the max height for sleeping perpendicular in these vans? I feel like #vanlife is not possible for us humans that are >6’.... parallel sleeping just kills interior space too much.


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All the ones I've ever been in are 170 wheel base sprinters which fit a queen sized bed in the back sleeping parallel. Not many sleep perpendicular unless they're short, like 5'9" would probably be the limit for comfortable full stretch. But I've never actually slept in one.

The 17 can fit a queen parallel with room for a full dirtbike in front of that, so plenty of living space.

[shirk]

What’s the max height for sleeping perpendicular in these vans? I feel like #vanlife is not possible for us humans that are >6’.... parallel sleeping just kills interior space too much.


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Promaster with it's straighter wall profile will sleep 6ft and a bit across, the Transit I think is just barley able to fit 6ft depending on how your build out the walls and insulate. The Sprinter you can got a little pop-out faux window that will get you 6ft + across.

[concretejungle]

6'2" in a Promaster 1500. If I slept as stiff as a board with the bottom of my feet against the wall my head barely touches the other side. I do not sleep like that and although I would take a couple extra inches of width it's not an issue.

[frorider]

Since this Width info is buried in this thread, good to refresh it here. This is one of the main downsides of Sprinters compared to competitors but for 3 grand (I think) you can get the fiberglass inserts to widen the upper body.

I’m 6’3”, sleep crosswise in my Transit with 1” foam insulation in the wall recess where OEM window glass would be.

[shirk]

but for 3 grand (I think) you can get the fiberglass inserts to widen the upper body.

This is why Sprinter builds are a billion dollars. Fuck 3k for fiberglass bumpouts.

[Huskier]

This is why Sprinter builds are a billion dollars. Fuck 3k for fiberglass bumpouts.

HAH!

$1600 for the UNFINISHED janky fibreglass pieces
$300 for the basic rv window PER side
$700 FOR PLASTIC TRIM RINGS. (Add $200 for fancy LED lighting built in.
$3-500 to have the things finished/upholstered
$1200 to have a body shop do the install -mandatory otherwise it voids the warranty (what)

Try $4500 all-in. Granted you can diy and cut a lot of cost ( some of which I am) but I'm still pretty miffed at the MASSIVE disconnect between cost and what's actually supplied.

[Huskier]

shopping? - delivery

shitting? - in the woods

showering? - moist towelettes

In my case:

Shopping: Grocery run prior to departure, gear garage turns into a pantry

Shitting; Thetford cassette head (empty every 2 wks)

Showering: Bosch Electric on-demand water heater and 24-inch shower stall fabbed out of 80/20 and FRP plastic board

I'm in a 144 so it's going to be -tight- but if I needed to go completely off-grid for 2 weeks to quarantine I theoretically could. The dodge looks like a 170, which would fit all of the above with ease

[Micol]

Shitting; Thetford cassette head (empty every 2 wks)

does anyone know if you have this placed where it will be freezing temps, can you fill the flush water with some sort of alcohol or use antifreeze ? if you mix with blue will the blue freeze?

[Yukonrider]

does anyone know if you have this placed where it will be freezing temps, can you fill the flush water with some sort of alcohol or use antifreeze ? if you mix with blue will the blue freeze?

Maybe use RV antifreeze?

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[Micol]

^thinking that...i believe i avoided that in the class c i had in past because it had a single fresh water tank...but this thing would be on its own so no issue ever having the antifreeze in your fresh water u might cook or clean with...

ok what would freeze? the solids , maybe the blue, ?? cause that could be a real PIA for trying to empty ...really impossible if frozen

[climberevan]

^thinking that...i believe i avoided that in the class c i had in past because it had a single fresh water tank...but this thing would be on its own so no issue ever having the antifreeze in your fresh water u might cook or clean with...

ok what would freeze? the solids , maybe the blue, ?? cause that could be a real PIA for trying to empty ...really impossible if frozen

I can confirm that adding a couple of gallons of rv antifreeze to a black water tank will not prevent it from freezing. Last winter we had to build a tent of reflectix around the whole rear end and run the generator for about 5 hours with its exhaust going in there and the power running heating pads on both tanks and heat tape on the drain pipe just to get everything flowing. Revelstoke library parking lot FTW.

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[Yukonrider]

^thinking that...i believe i avoided that in the class c i had in past because it had a single fresh water tank...but this thing would be on its own so no issue ever having the antifreeze in your fresh water u might cook or clean with...

ok what would freeze? the solids , maybe the blue, ?? cause that could be a real PIA for trying to empty ...really impossible if frozen

What is this blue you speak of?

RV antifreeze is designed to be used stand alone, diluting it at all will make it not work.

Even undiluted it can turn into a slush in the coldest of temps.

When I had a black tank I would just keep a a gallon of RV antifreeze in the bathroom and slosh it in to flush. Lasts way long than expected. The Kicker being you have to have a warm place to dump it. Black tanks in full time winter is a super no no.

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