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

[altasnob]

rad display with all relevant monitoring data

rad displays seems obsolete at this point. Most fancy components, like Victron stuff, has bluetooth and app on your phone so your fancy display for all your components is just your phone.

[Trackhead]

rad displays seems obsolete at this point. Most fancy components, like Victron stuff, has bluetooth and app on your phone so your fancy display for all your components is just your phone.

True, but you still need a battery monitor to get a display on your phone, which is still extra $$.

[Trackhead]

Weekend in camper and skiing. Parked at a rural hot springs. Ski, soak, sleep, repeat.




Camper clothes line. Diesel heater does a great job drying out wet swimsuits.

[Snow Dog]

That's something that's never addressed - where to hang wet stuff. A friend put a rod in the bathroom/shower which was perfect to hang wet gear. It had ducting from the furnace too.

[evdog]

Only thing I can't find is if it has a built in heater for cold temps. Van will have a heater but still, I'd like to be able to leave that off and be able to maintain the battery via shore power and/or solar while the van sits in the driveway, or just generally as needed. edit: Another plus; you can just bring the thing inside if you're home and not using it.

I'm interested in hearing other's experiences with all options too. Realistically though, the time I would spend learning and doing it all myself, and then the cost of getting backup when I fuck it up, or just straight-up paying someone else to do it all. It all adds up.

I went with a component build for my truck. Something like a Goal zero or Bluetti may have been simpler in theory, but if I recall the models that were available at the time lacked certain plug types which would have limited what solar panels I could use. And with my Super pacific camper I couldn't add any additional height to the truck or it wouldn't fit in the garage. So thin flex panels were my only option, which meant a component build would work best. At the time it was also about $1000 per 100Ah for a power station. The lights and a number of other things I would be connecting were all on 12v DC power which are easy to connect to a component system. It just seemed like it would go together better for a vehicle build. I also didn't have much use for a power station away from the truck, so no advantage there.

I had zero knowledge of electrical before putting my system together. Youtube came to the rescue. It turned out to be a lot simpler than I expected once you get the basics down. Check out Will Prowse' channel. He is very good at explaining solar/electrical systems and has some sample designs on his website that you can use. Go back to the earlier vids. He has a bunch labelled "Beginners Start Here". A few I watched:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFHn_xoMsAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX4s-bxn4fs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRRKHYwB3Uo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uobUwjCLfok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJBGbufexEM

The system I built was basically this but scaled down to a 100Ah lithium battery and 200W of solar. https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/si...-charging.html

Victron makes the gold standard battery monitor, but if you want to go ghetto like me, this does the same thing for $41

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

I have the same battery monitor. No bluetooth/app, but it does everything I need it to.

[SchralphMacchio]

That's something that's never addressed - where to hang wet stuff. A friend put a rod in the bathroom/shower which was perfect to hang wet gear. It had ducting from the furnace too.

That's what we do. Secondary tension rod right in the middle. We use both the main shower curtain rod and the tension rod (2 adults 2 kids of wet snow clothes). Bathroom fan open and exhausting 24/7 (MaxxFan Deluxe is the shit, lowest speed is only 0.1A @ 12VDC). Variable damper on the bathroom heat vent so that I can control heat loss vs drying speed.

[beaterdit]

I went with a component build for my truck. Something like a Goal zero or Bluetti may have been simpler in theory, but if I recall the models that were available at the time lacked certain plug types which would have limited what solar panels I could use. And with my Super pacific camper I couldn't add any additional height to the truck or it wouldn't fit in the garage. So thin flex panels were my only option, which meant a component build would work best. At the time it was also about $1000 per 100Ah for a power station. The lights and a number of other things I would be connecting were all on 12v DC power which are easy to connect to a component system. It just seemed like it would go together better for a vehicle build. I also didn't have much use for a power station away from the truck, so no advantage there.

I had zero knowledge of electrical before putting my system together. Youtube came to the rescue. It turned out to be a lot simpler than I expected once you get the basics down. Check out Will Prowse' channel. He is very good at explaining solar/electrical systems and has some sample designs on his website that you can use. Go back to the earlier vids. He has a bunch labelled "Beginners Start Here". A few I watched:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFHn_xoMsAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX4s-bxn4fs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRRKHYwB3Uo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uobUwjCLfok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJBGbufexEM

The system I built was basically this but scaled down to a 100Ah lithium battery and 200W of solar. https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/si...-charging.html


I have the same battery monitor. No bluetooth/app, but it does everything I need it to.

Thanks for this, great data point. Gonna check out those vids for sure. Three more days on the Bluetti Holiday sale.

[evdog]

Will has some videos on Bluetti and other power stations as well that would be well worth watching since you're considering those. His reviews are not biased by sponsorships since he makes money from people buying stuff using affiliate links, and he buys a lot of the stuff he tests.

[Trackhead]

Bathroom fan open and exhausting 24/7 (MaxxFan Deluxe is the shit, lowest speed is only 0.1A @ 12VDC). Variable damper on the bathroom heat vent so that I can control heat loss vs drying speed.

We bought a six speed reversible fan on Amazon for $130 that works amazing. So quiet on low and same, almost zero power draw.
RV Roof Vent Fan 6-Speed-Reversible https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B66Z77X6..._FGgRaQ8XOF3Ht

[SchralphMacchio]

Right on Trackhead.

It’s very wet here, so the biggest thing for me with the MaxxFan Deluxe is the integrated rain shield that allows us to keep the fan going while it’s raining or snowing, while camping or at home. When we get home from a trip and I hook up to shore power, I immediately run an electric heater inside the cabin and run the fan exhaust on high speed because we have so much wet crap that accumulates in the cabin over a ski or shoulder season camping trip (I also leave our snow covered skis in the under bed storage during the work week, but our bed platform has gas lift springs and I point the heater fan right into the opening) - and I don’t have to worry about whether it’s going to rain while I’m drying out the cabin. Hell, sometimes when it’s dry outside I leave the vent cover open while towing just to help dry out the cabin interior!

On that note, we also have the Froli travel platform under our main mattress, so no worry about wet skis being under a moist mattress. Zero condensation or mold problems there.

[Trackhead]

Yeah the ability to run in all weather would be nice.

[~mikey b]

seen in local FB page

1973 GMC Sequoia · Driven NaN miles

“RARE” 1973 GMC 23’
Sequoia. runs great and shifts good comes with 2 pallets of spare parts including interior,exterior, tune up, brakes and Generator (most are NOS).

[m2711c]

ain’t that teh EM–50 urban assault vehicle? that fucking thing is so fuckin’ sweet. specially if you’re banging through some border crossings at high speed.






fact.

[m2711c]

home sweet home for the next two weeks… Japanese folks is fucking tiny. this thing supposed to sleep seven people. there’s barely enough room for me and my shit in here.












事実.

[singlecross]

^^^ sweet! I’d love to hear the details of renting an RV in Japan I’m on Hokkaido in Tokachi-Dake for the next 3 days on a guided backcountry tour. Thinking of staying on solo for a few more days after the tour is over. Was just wondering about RV rentals in Japan.

[climberevan]

^^^ sweet! I’d love to hear the details of renting an RV in Japan I’m on Hokkaido in Tokachi-Dake for the next 3 days on a guided backcountry tour. Thinking of staying on solo for a few more days after the tour is over. Was just wondering about RV rentals in Japan.

Short answer is $$$.

I had a connection that rented me beater cars in Niseko for like US$40/ day, but he kind of ghosted after my last trip so I'm thinking the authorities might have shut him down. It definitely seemed weird to just show up in a random car lot and give some dude $1500 and get keys in exchange, no paperwork of any description.

[Cruiser]

Whoa, you can get Utica Cub in Japan?

[Name Redacted]

Whoa, you can get Utica Cub in Japan?

Ha, I noticed that too. We get em in CO, had some with skiing yesterday in fact.

[jackattack]

home sweet home for the next two weeks… Japanese folks is fucking tiny. this thing supposed to sleep seven people. there’s barely enough room for me and my shit in here.












事実.

that upholstery looks tits

[m2711c]

^^^ sweet! I’d love to hear the details of renting an RV in Japan I’m on Hokkaido in Tokachi-Dake for the next 3 days on a guided backcountry tour. Thinking of staying on solo for a few more days after the tour is over. Was just wondering about RV rentals in Japan.

renting the RV was ridiculously easy. couple of e-mails and done. I took the gaijin package they offered. Pretty much included everything that I was going to need.

I did it at the last minute too. Reservation was made just last Wednesday. seems like it’s the slow season for rv’s. they had a bunch sitting in the lot when I picked mine up.

i went with Japan C.R.C. They were one of the few companies that had rentals in northern Honshu, which was helpful because it’s about an 8 hour drive from Tokyo. they have locations in Morioka, and Hachinohe. they picked me up at Hachinohe Station and will drop me off there again when I’m finished.

The price wasn’t too bad either. It’s coming in at about $150-$160 per day. Which isn’t too far off from the price you would pay for a decent sized car that would fit skis and have four-wheel-drive.

Company site to be found here;

https://japan-crc.com/en/

deets on the vehicle found here;

https://japan-crc.com/aomori/detail?...=82&page=2#cal

The second page in Japanese, so you’ll need to use Google Translate.

[fatnslow]

seen in local FB page

1973 GMC Sequoia · Driven NaN miles

“RARE” 1973 GMC 23’
Sequoia. runs great and shifts good comes with 2 pallets of spare parts including interior,exterior, tune up, brakes and Generator (most are NOS).

Does it belong to Bill Murray ?

[skaredshtles]

renting the RV was ridiculously easy. couple of e-mails and done. I took the gaijin package they offered. Pretty much included everything that I was going to need.

I did it at the last minute too. Reservation was made just last Wednesday. seems like it’s the slow season for rv’s. they had a bunch sitting in the lot when I picked mine up.

i went with Japan C.R.C. They were one of the few companies that had rentals in northern Honshu, which was helpful because it’s about an 8 hour drive from Tokyo. they have locations in Morioka, and Hachinohe. they picked me up at Hachinohe Station and will drop me off there again when I’m finished.

The price wasn’t too bad either. It’s coming in at about $150-$160 per day. Which isn’t too far off from the price you would pay for a decent sized car that would fit skis and have four-wheel-drive.

Company site to be found here;

https://japan-crc.com/en/

deets on the vehicle found here;

https://japan-crc.com/aomori/detail?...=82&page=2#cal

The second page in Japanese, so you’ll need to use Google Translate.

Did the rental come with snow tires?

[m2711c]

Yes. 4wd too.

That’s another benefit of renting in the northern Honshu area instead of Tokyo. Tokyo don’t get much snow, so having to fit snow tires is an extra expense per day. Up here everything already has snow tires on it.

[singlecross]

Excellent info… thanks very much. I too was impressed with the Utica Club dedication. Well done

[simple]

Yes. 4wd too.

That’s another benefit of renting in the northern Honshu area instead of Tokyo. Tokyo don’t get much snow, so having to fit snow tires is an extra expense per day. Up here everything already has snow tires on it.

Chalk that up to a responsible society and I'm sure to some degree law and order. Same in parts of Europe. They actually use snow tires!