Did you consider buying a camper van? They are quite common as a lifestyle traveling around Australia, in the US people use giant RVs but these are not practical at all and not a conscientious selection.
How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
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Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#32So why didn't he just buy an RV? Not to take away from his accomplishment, but isn't this just the most engineery thing to do? Instead of leaning on another industry that has spent decades perfecting exactly what he is trying to build, he spent all the time he could have used actually exploring the world building what is certainly an inferior solution in every regard.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
I read your story on reddit a little while ago. Its a really interesting choice and I applaud your sense of adventure. What I don't get was the swap to a Mercedes diesel. Your argument for it made sense, but why not a toyota diesel, for example? :)
At the time I thought it made sense... of course hindsight is great. If I wanted a Toyota diesel, I would have just bought a Toyota, but I didn't want that. The reason for the merc is that the engine I chose (the OM606) is the most sophisticated non-computer controlled diesel possible - actually it came from the factory with a computer, but by using the injection pump from the earlier OM603 it can be made fully mecha…
I also remember the reddit thread. There were a LOT of people questioning your decision to tour Africa, with some scary sounding warnings.
Have you run into anything as dangerous as they made it seem?
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it deserves to be slightly more nuanced than that. There is a category of things that are small, used rarely, but very necessary. Medicine & tools always come to mind. For me, if I don't use my screwdrivers for a year that doesn't mean I should get rid of my screwdrivers.
Arguably, it means just that. If you only use a tool once a year, you should just borrow/rent them when you actually do need them. Our lives are cluttered with occasionally used 'just in case' items that we really don't need.
That's minimalism taken to an extreme, which is just as thoughtless as hoarding.
A screwdriver costs less than $5 and takes a minimal amount of space to store. Yes, the slippery slope is when you have a thousand tools falling out of your closet, but again, thought and moderation.
The "if I haven't used it in the past year" rule is a great idea overall, but it's not appropriate for this example. Now if we're talking about a ball-bearing extractor, yeah rent/borrow that unless your livelihood depends on it.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it deserves to be slightly more nuanced than that. There is a category of things that are small, used rarely, but very necessary. Medicine & tools always come to mind. For me, if I don't use my screwdrivers for a year that doesn't mean I should get rid of my screwdrivers.
Arguably, it means just that. If you only use a tool once a year, you should just borrow/rent them when you actually do need them. Our lives are cluttered with occasionally used 'just in case' items that we really don't need.
There are inarguably items that should be held"just in case", like an epipen. The interesting discussion is how to identify those items - factors like cost of acquisition, immediacy of need when it occurs, cost of storage, etc.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#36>, I have a pee bottle and a 5 gallon jug. Line the jug with two trash bags, and cover the poop with kitty litter. Then toss it in a dumpster.
1.is this legal to dump trash in somone else's dumpster without owners permission?
2. Is it ok in the US to dump poop in dumpsters? I know nursing homes incinerate poop but not sure if there is a law specifically against dumping human waste.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#37So why didn't he just buy an RV? Not to take away from his accomplishment, but isn't this just the most engineery thing to do? Instead of leaning on another industry that has spent decades perfecting exactly what he is trying to build, he spent all the time he could have used actually exploring the world building what is certainly an inferior solution in every regard.
One word: Stealth.
He can park this van on virtually any street in the world and sleep for free, and nobody will be the wiser. Try that in an RV and many places the police will be called on you in 30 minutes.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#38The fact that one (in a lot of countries) has to do this in a van, because of regulations, is kind of tyranny: Either you get in-prisoned in debt/rent, or you get to live in a van or on the streets.
I don't think you really have to do it in a van. If you're going to work remote and don't mind being lonely, you can buy a house just about anywhere in the country, which means you can find a house for $50k instead of $500k. If you check out his list of things he likes about van living, most have more to do with working for himself rather than all the traveling. He doesn't come across as one of the wanderlust folks.
All of the work to make this van livable could have just as easily been done to a shack in the woods. The biggest hurdle these days is reliable internet if you want that. You would need a better bathroom situation than "the nearest McDonalds" too, but well water is often an option.
The one question he didn't answer is how he bathed. It's very easy when you're living as a lonely bachelor to slowly morph into Grizzly Adams because there's nobody in a thousand miles who cares about you or how you smell.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#39I did something similar. I wanted a vehicle I could explore the world with, so I turned my Jeep into a house on wheels with fridge, drinking water and filtration, solar and dual batteries, interior cabinets and a custom modified pop-up roof so I can stand up and walk around in the Jeep. I joked about applying for a home owners grant :) The full pictures and story are in this album - http://imgur.com/a/OLK3o I'm drivi…
You're still alive! I remember reading about you and everyone tore you up for your route in africa.
Re: How I Built a Custom Camper Van (2015)
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
At the time I thought it made sense... of course hindsight is great. If I wanted a Toyota diesel, I would have just bought a Toyota, but I didn't want that. The reason for the merc is that the engine I chose (the OM606) is the most sophisticated non-computer controlled diesel possible - actually it came from the factory with a computer, but by using the injection pump from the earlier OM603 it can be made fully mecha…
I also remember the reddit thread. There were a LOT of people questioning your decision to tour Africa, with some scary sounding warnings. Have you run into anything as dangerous as they made it seem?
Nope, not one single thing. And I've been talking to many, many people traveling here, including people backpacking, and they are loving every second.
People here are extremely friendly and welcoming, and the landscape is breathtaking. "Africa" does not deserve the reputation it has.
I've never met anyone that has traveled in Africa that would say otherwise.