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  1. VanWaLife

    Keeping equipment alive in the garage

    This might work for you. I use a 2amp version so I can leave all my USB devices in the car charging without draining the battery.
  2. VanWaLife

    Basic hand pump water jugs

    Personally I'm partial to the typical round water cooler style 5 gallon jugs. A major benefit of these is that they can be exchanged nationwide at places like Home Depot for a fraction of the cost of a new jug, so if you find they've cracked or filled with spiders between trips you can exchange...
  3. VanWaLife

    Inverter - how large to charge electric chainsaw?

    Since it sounds like you haven't bought the saw yet it may be worth mentioning many of the major electric tool manufacturers sell car chargers (cig plug style) for their lower voltage batteries (18v, 20v, etc) .
  4. VanWaLife

    Custom Leaf Springs?

    Last time I talked to these guys about it they were building custom leaf packs, never ended up using their services, might be a good way to go if you're near Portland. https://www.oregonautospring.com/
  5. VanWaLife

    How long does it take a water tank to freeze?

    You may as well have asked the airspeed of an unladen swallow... I get nervous about my setup when daytime Temps are around 40f and nighttime temps are around 25f. My approach for colder Temps is to fill the tank with hot water and insulate at night. Here's my write up for how I get that done...
  6. VanWaLife

    12v High output USB charger

    I do not have an answer to your question, just sharing my solution to the same problem, which is to use the Milwaukee Top-Off power supply. Somewhat more versatile than a wired charger since you can charge away from the truck. But you will also need M18 batteries and a M18 car charger for a...
  7. VanWaLife

    Pi, EGT, AFR, Boost, Temp - Digital dash build

    This sounds like a cool project. I use PLX Devices products to monitor AFR, water Temps, etc, but their app for monitoring on the phone barely works, and doesn't support logging.
  8. VanWaLife

    Probably asked 100 times, what’s the best economical off-road jack, no hi-lift style

    Well I like the Safe Jack product line. They sell a base that will make bottle jacks and hi lifts much more stable, and bottle jacks / jack stands with extensions to accommodate various heights. Only economical if they help you avoid an expensive tow or a broken foot. Otherwise they seem...
  9. VanWaLife

    GPS Vehicle Tracker

    I've been using TKSTAR USB chargeable GPS devices (from China via Amazon) for many years. I had 3 or 4 of the 3g devices, but newer sim cards are not compatible. I currently run the 4g TKSTAR devices with a Google Fi data only sim card. As there is no monthly charge for data only sims if you...
  10. VanWaLife

    Electric Chain Saw

    Stihl and Milwaukee and probably a bunch of other manufacturers make small pruning chainsaws (4"-8"), but if it were me I'd be hesitant to buy outside a brand I already have batteries for. I've got Milwaukee stuff including their 16" chainsaw, which I like a lot, and my move is to bring a...
  11. VanWaLife

    Wanted: Custom sewn cover for 10 gal Roadshower

    OK well I went down the rabbit hole and figured I'd turn this thread into a write up of what I did. I started with a 12' long chunk of 8" ballistic nylon with velcro for about $170 (ouch), and a 50' roll of 24" foil backed insulation for $80 (ouch again)...
  12. VanWaLife

    Beginner looking for advice on setup

    I don't have any comments on your schematic, but I have added a second battery and a lot of electrical components under the hood of my Toyota here in the PNW...one thing to get figured out before starting is where rain is going to drain when it rolls off the hood, and add standoffs to your...
  13. VanWaLife

    How do you transport denatured alcohol?

    I like this little plastic Trangia bottle
  14. VanWaLife

    How Do You Store Your Garbage?

    Yes, it is bolted through the top of the tool box with some silicon sealant to keep water out...also drilled some drain holes in the pan. Seems very secure so far, although I haven't gone wheeling to fully test it yet.
  15. VanWaLife

    How Do You Store Your Garbage?

    I got a small can years ago that I've grown fond of, and I recently got a barbecue drip tray, some bolt eylets, and a few straps to get it mounted nicely on the rig. I also like the look of towing industry cans / mounts...
  16. VanWaLife

    GPS Tracker for Theft

    Well I don't know how common these are for your average thief of mid 80's Japanese steel. My thinking is guys after these rigs will be on the toothless / teenage side of the car thief continuum, not the international criminal mastermind set that is probably more focused on late model G-Wagens...
  17. VanWaLife

    Circuit Breaker Advice

    As it seems you've got your initial question about circuit breaker size answered and we're now in the part of the post where everyone offers unsolicited advice / criticism I want to get my two cents in. I recently installed a high amp Speedway relay / fuse combo to get ignition switched power...
  18. VanWaLife

    How strong is unistrut?

    Well the different K factors represent different bracing configurations, but it's probably going to be plenty strong as a column anyhow, it's the beam type loading where you could get in to trouble. But you probably won't, really depends on what it is connected to and how it is connected. You...
  19. VanWaLife

    GPS Tracker for Theft

    I've used a number of different Tkstar trackers. They are usb rechargable, not 12V. I leave mine plugged into a switched usb outlet, so it doesn't run the battery down, but you could probably also get a little solar panel with USB output and plug it into that. What I like about the tkstar...
  20. VanWaLife

    Propane questions

    Here's what I'm using. Usually the devices designed for the green bottles have the regulator built in, at least my Coleman-fold-and-go and my Buddy heater do. I don't think switching to the big tank requires a different regulator. But devices like BBQ's and hot water heaters that are designed...
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