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Sprinter Adventure Van

Sprinter Adventure Van

Building the Escape Pod

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Category: Plumbing

Posted on October 2, 2017

Why we tried not to make holes in the outside of our van

Notice the rust bubbles where the screws enter the van metal. The stainless screws haven't rusted, but the sheet metal they are attached to has.

It’s tempting to add hatches, sockets, ladders and racks on the outside of the van to provide better access to utilities and to provide places to strap stuff on.

The problem is, every hole and every screw or bolt is another place where you’ve breached the protective paint layer, so it’s an opportunity for the van to rust.

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Posted on August 24, 2017August 8, 2017

Do composting toilets smell bad?

Composting toilet in the van

We were concerned that every composting toilet reviewer had somehow lost their sense of smell at the same time they started using the unit. How could a bucket full of poo NOT smell bad? Well, either we both lost our nose function too, or the composting toilet we installed really doesn’t produce any nasty fumes.

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Posted on May 13, 2017

Installing the Nature’s Head composting toilet in a Sprinter

Composting toilet in the van

We just bought the Nature’s Head composting toilet. After testing it out in our spare bathroom for a week, we installed it in our van. Here’s how we chose to fit it in.

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Posted on May 11, 2017August 8, 2017

Choosing a composting toilet

Nature's Head toilet

We love our bucket and bag toilet solution, but it’s not really suitable for longer term use inside the van. We decided to try out a composting toilet instead. First, we had to find a suitable one.

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Posted on October 27, 2016

Hot water options in an electric van

Hot and cold faucet

We don’t have a propane tank in our van, so we heat our water using the electrical system. It’s a choice that works for us because we have a large battery and solar system. Here’s a description of our system and the other options you might consider.

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Posted on September 16, 2016

Grey water really is grey!

A shower and shave on the left, a shower and hair wash on the right

The water you’ve used for washing yourself or your dishes is known as grey water. And guess what? It really is grey! It’s not likely to be good for watering the neighboring bushes, especially if you plan on staying in the area for a while. It’ll start to stink and attract flies.

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Posted on September 3, 2016September 3, 2016

80/20 sink cabinet build details

Sink cabinet built from 80/20 aluminum extrusion

Several people have asked for the exact specifications of the sink cabinet we built. It fits really well behind the sliding door pillar and in front of the bench seat in the third row position. Here’s a detailed look at the design and the parts you’d need to order to build your own.

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Posted on August 18, 2016September 3, 2016

Sink cabinet built with 80/20 aluminum extrusion

Sink cabinet built from 80/20 aluminum extrusion

We’ve been driving around with a prototype sink cabinet made from shipping crate wood for a while now. It was time to finish the job. We used aluminum extrusions with t-slots in each side to make the frame, then slid 1/4″ bamboo ply in to the slots to make side panels.

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Posted on August 5, 2016August 8, 2017

Toilet tent for the modest van camper

Pop-up toilet tent

Normally the places we choose to camp are deserted. Nobody but the wildlife to see us pooping. Sometimes though we have neighbors, so we bought a $40 pop-up toilet/shower tent.

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Posted on August 5, 2016August 5, 2016

Pooping in the wild

5 gallon Reliance poop bucket with toilet seat lid

Camping away from organized sites has loads of advantages, but there are very few outhouses in the wilderness. Some areas (like Moab) don’t let you dig holes in the ground to poop in. You need some kind of container. It doesn’t have to be too smelly and gross though.

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