Getting the Stink Out
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by Andrea Laue
3y ago
Did you spend time in the Pacific Northwest this summer? If so, you too likely have an odor problem. Our van smelled like a campfire after 10 days in the Cascades!  Brian with rag dirtied cleaning the van fan. Most of the clean up is straightforward. Take the down comforter to a laundromat and wash. Clean the fan.  Wipe down all surfaces with Simple Green. Put an open container of baking soda in the living space. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.  Given the persistence and severity of the smoky air, we also decided to replace the cabin air filter. This took a little research, which itsel ..read more
Visit website
If at first you don't succeed, build the galley again.
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by brian king
3y ago
The finished final (?) version of the galley We’ve been using the van for over a year with the front 1/3 unfinished, the wall across from the sliding door a blank space of fuzzy white insulation. We knew this section, the galley, would be the hardest project. So, we covered the insulation with clear plastic drop cloth and played outside instead. It was the ice that finally made me do it.  We’d been using a cooler, and it was just so annoying.  Especially that time in Death Valley.  Ice does not belong in Death Valley.  It’s just unnatural.  Yet, we tried.  Eventu ..read more
Visit website
A Place for the Good Stuff
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by brian king
3y ago
I like stuff.  I have quite a bit of it.  But paring down to only necessities and getting the most out of a small collection of just the good stuff also has its appeal.  It’s pretty consistent with what a lot of the Tiny House people promote and becomes a requirement for extended trips in the van.  But even this limited collection of stuff needs a place – we can’t just leave it rolling around the back of the van.  So we had to come up with some storage solutions.  To start, we added a large cabinet above the bed for clothes and two drawers for miscellaneous items ..read more
Visit website
A Table for Two
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by Andrea Laue
3y ago
Table with olallieberry pie from Duarte's! I can’t believe Brian is letting me write this post. We’re both generally pumped about our van, but I can’t match his enthusiasm for efficient storage solutions and our convertible table. I tell myself this isn’t entirely bad. The table is pretty cool, I admit. (Brian will tell you more about storage in a separate post.) In short, the foot of the bed converts into a table and two bench seats. That conversion involves little more than folding the mattress, opening two latches on the table post, and raising the top. It’s magic! Or, it’s good design and ..read more
Visit website
One Nighter
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by Andrea Laue
3y ago
Brian walking in Henry Cowell State Park. The "van plan" is to maximize the number of adventures on remote back roads. Sometimes life doesn't cooperate, however. Then, the challenge is finding adventure--or at least a little beauty--close to home. A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my leg (DVT). Treatment has kept us close to home and me on the sofa. A week off can seem like a pleasant indulgence; a month off feels like a sentence.  Last Friday I was awarded a slightly longer leash, and we ran with it. Booking a site at the only local campground with availability, we he ..read more
Visit website
Get your shikibuton on
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by Andrea Laue
3y ago
You know you're in trouble when your van mattress is every bit as comfortable as your home mattress. Who needs more incentive to skip work and get outta town? Not us... Sleeping in a van promises to be much more comfortable than a tent, provided you can find a good mattress. What makes a good mattress? Our criteria included: queen size, firm, durable, tri-fold, removable cover, affordable, not entirely bad for the environment, and made locally, or at least in California. The Futon Shop's "shikibuton" met all of the criteria above. What is a shikibuton you might ask? We did. It's basically a ..read more
Visit website
Not Your Plumber's Van
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by brian king
3y ago
What’s the difference between a plumber’s work van and a #vanlife adventure-mobile?  Better scenery and a bed.  We’ll be working on the scenery later.  For now, we’ve taken care of the bed. Our requirements were pretty simple this time.  We wanted the bed platform large enough for a queen size mattress, high enough to store a lot of stuff under it, but low enough for us to sit up comfortably (remember, we’re really tall).  Plus bonus points for a design that could transform part of the bed platform into a table and seating area. QUICK LOOK Materials Cost: $1,500 (appr ..read more
Visit website
It's Electric. Boogie, woogie, woogie.
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by brian king
3y ago
I don’t know anything about electricity.  As far as I know the lights in our house are illuminated by black magic revealed to Thomas Edison in exchange for his soul.  In other words, everything I know about electricity I learned on the internet in a couple weeks.   That’s totally safe, right? We started by researching and discussing all the possible things we could electrify.  We agreed immediately luxuries like TV and air conditioning were out.  This is an adventure van, not a retirement home.  Eventually we narrowed it down to lights, an exhaust fan, a small fri ..read more
Visit website
Plan C
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by Andrea Laue
3y ago
It rained in Red Rocks. The road to Eureka Dunes was impassable. They had just graded the road to Mahogany Flats Campground at the foot of Telescope Peak. There we went. Brian looking toward Telescope Peak. There we found jaw-dropping views of the Sierras to the west and Badwater Basin to the east. Mt Charleston still held snow, as did the tippy top of Telescope Peak. Looking down to the green canyons below, we knew our plan for the next day. Surprise Canyon is one of several drainages for Telescope and the Panamints. I knew desert canyons could be surprisingly lush, but Surprise took me by ..read more
Visit website
Dry Run
12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife
by Andrea Laue
3y ago
Not exactly. The forecast read: 1.25" rain with winds at 25 mph, gusting to 40 mph. So, we went camping! Our hearts were set on a March 5 trip, thinking it appropriate to celebrate the 4th anniversary of our meeting. As a dry February passed, we worried El Nino would return in March, a resurgence we'd need to welcome as residents of drought-stricken California.  Besides, rain would be a good test for the camper van, right? The calm after the storm. Embracing a pragmatic optimism, we looked for local campgrounds surrounded by redwoods. The coastal mountain forest would offer some cover an ..read more
Visit website

Follow 12foot4 :: Ram Promaster #vanlife on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR