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150 days of living and coding in a van

ruby-on-wheels.github.io

421–430 of 445 posts

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#421
post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really think he's saying he doesn't use a washer/dryer. He states very clearly that he washes and reuses them.

> He states very clearly that he washes and reuses them. No, he very clearly does not state that he washes or reuses them. Here is the clothing section, in full: --- I enjoy doing laundry about as much as doing dishes. I get my clothing custom made in China for prices you would not believe and have new ones regularly shipped to me. Shipping is a problem. I wish container ships had nuclear engines but it’s still much…

"it takes less water to make my clothes than it would to wash them" rather implies that he does not wash them (otherwise the most logical wording would be "it takes less water to make my clothes than it does to wash them")

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#422
post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the UK you can get 40G for £30 a month. I imagine you can do at least as well in most EU countries.

Which network? Three has an offer like that but I found connectivity quite weak once you leave larger cities. Although that appears to be the issue with most/all networks here. I currently use vodafone and can't remember when I last had 4G outside of major cities.

I think all the networks can be hit and miss depending on the specific location.

Apparently it can also vary at any given moment, depending on equipment failures and access to equipment issues.

I'd recommend getting a couple of cheap-ish pre-loaded data SIMs from EE and Three, and have your main data SIM with someone else.

I carry a 500MB/month EE 4G SIM that was cheap in Argos, in an unlocked 4G EE wifi router dongle. I have an O2 (MVNO) SIM in my phone.

Plus an assortment of pre-loaded (but not activated) SIMs in the event I need Three, or need more data.

I've not had any luck at all with Voda, but should I give them another shot?

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#423
post #418

Nice writeup. I also live in a vehicle. I have a 25ft (7.6m) former airport shuttle bus I've converted to my home. It took me over six months of full time work and it's still not complete. I've lived in it for a bit over four months. Overall it has been good but not without challenges. I'm currently busy working which has led to neglecting stuff I need to finish on the bus. I can't travel far until I finish these thi…

This may have been asked before but I can't seem to find it: where do you typically shower or use the restroom? Truck stops? Or just ad-hoc as the situation allows?

I have a shower. I don't have hot water right now though so I've been showering at my gym and coworking space.

Most people who don't have showers in their vehicles join chain gyms with a lot of locations (Anytime Fitness, Planet Fitness, etc).

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Solar panels make their ecological footprint after 3 years of use and last for 30 years. 80% of the material in solar panels is recycled from old solar panels. So no matter how you turn it, solar panels are a lot alot more environmentally friendly than convential energy sources.

>80% of the material in solar panels is recycled from old solar panels. That doesn't pass the sniff test. Solar cell production is on a strong upwards curve, if 80% is recycled from other panels then supply would be bounded by old solar stock recovery, which is not the case. I can't see how 80% of solar panel material, even if we're talking exclusively about the PV cells and not the surrounds, could be from old solar…

In fact it is 90% http://earth911.com/eco-tech/recycle-solar-panels/ and there are nee processes that reach 96%.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#425

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you do for internet? I don't have any intention to live full time in a vehicle, but I want to be able to take off for an arbitrary amount of time and work while away. I've done a few test outings but generally end up reinforcing my conclusion that cellular is not overly reliable when you're more than an hour or so outside a moderate-sized town. I currently have to carry equipment for two separate carriers (AT…

Not affiliated, but I just want to plug opensignal.com[1], extremely helpful when going somewhere if network coverage is something you care about. [1] https://opensignal.com/networks

I use that regularly. I also use this [0] for a bit more accuracy in finding actual towers, though its search interface is kind of restricting.

[0]: http://www.antennasearch.com

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#426

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ha! I'm not a native speaker. I used the word "van" because I didn't want to write "campervan" all the time. But maybe "camper" would have been better? > A campervan (or camper van), sometimes referred to as a camper, or a caravanette, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term mainly describes vans that have been fitted out, often with a coachbuilt body for use as a…

In the US your linked RV is a Class A. Yours would be a Class C Campervan in the US is associated more with Class B's The difference is Class A is a complete custom body, Class C is a cutaway where the cab is built by the chassis maker but the house body is not like yours. Class B is basically a van body on the outside. There are variations, Super C's, B plus and so on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recreatio…

I should rewrite all URLs or move into an actual van! Otherwise people can call me a liar!

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#428
post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the UK you can get 40G for £30 a month. I imagine you can do at least as well in most EU countries.

Which network? Three has an offer like that but I found connectivity quite weak once you leave larger cities. Although that appears to be the issue with most/all networks here. I currently use vodafone and can't remember when I last had 4G outside of major cities.

It was a friend who got it last month, but I can't find it now. I thought it was EE, but I only see 30G offers on their website now. If I find it I'll update.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#429

It would appear that “van” has a different definition in Europe. In the U. S. I think most would consider that a Class C RV. I’m not just being pedantic, as there is loads more room in the authors rig than our VW Westfalia, or even a Chevy conversion. I’d live full-time in what’s pictured (and plenty of U. S. retirees do just that), no problem, but I’d have to have a genuine need before I’d consider more than a month…

uk: it's a motorhome

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#430
post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to let go - I got 4G mobile wifi earlier this year, its fast as heck and sometimes when I don't get a signal.. I don't connect to the internet! Can always read a book, or go for a walk. I'm kind of extreme though; I've been using cellular data almost exclusively since 2001 so its nothing new. I've spent plenty of time out of range. I think that if you are out of range and you need to connect; its time to mov…

How do you handle sms and voice over data or do you forego it all together?

No I have a mobile phone for voice calls. In the beginning I used dialup, then GPRS or EDGE directly through the phone (cable and later Bluetooth connection). Then I got a separate device for data, first an ICOM 3G USB dongle which I used for many years but as of this year I'm on 4G, with a Huawei 4G mobile wifi thing.
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