Hello and can anyone help?

Newbie's Corner
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Introduce Yourself…

I have a Chevy g30 camper, and I have under a month to prepare. My lease is ending, I can’t afford to renew it and I can’t afford to pay 1st and last months rent anywhere else. I have nowhere else to stay unless I consider a shelter but if I can make the van work I would prefer that. It doesn’t have any ac or house power but it starts and drives. I have a goal zero 1000w battery bank but no way to charge it. I have been trying to reach out to companies but they are not affordable. It is so hot, I don’t know what I’m doing and I have some tools and a couple thousand left on my credit card to make this work. Is anyone willing to help?

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Hi,
First off, where are you located? Secondly, what type of help do you need? Thirdly, I have had fantastic results with a few affordable ($20-35) usb rechargeable fans to keep the interior more comfortable. They recharge via a usb auto cigarette lighter/power port.

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I work in Tempe 85281 and I have the van in phoenix, 85042. I have watched so many YouTube videos but I am so overwhelmed. I am on anti anxiety medicine and I need help making decisions or I panic and end up making no decisions. I’m afraid of biting off more than I can chew. Most of the time I break things or fail to finish what I’ve started. I would really like someone I can pay to help me diy this or consult. To start I want to be able to have a game plan, and some sort of power so I can sleep in the bed and not overheat. I work 9am to 9pm Monday through Friday and often on the weekend so that is my other struggle

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Greetings!

oooooooh… A “Wide One” Chevy, now that’s a rare beast. Most of the “Wide One’s” were Dodges… Or maybe it’s from a different company.

Is the interior intact, or ???

Since you’re working the hottest parts of the day, that’s a huge plus. You should be able to keep your goal zero charged at work, and possibly while driving via the cigarette lighter outlet.

If overnight heat is a problem, they have cooling blankets available on Amazon. Mine are USB powered, and provide both heating or cooling, while using very little power. They have non powered ones as well, and the cooling blankets work very well.

Amazon also has a wide variety of cooling clothing, towels, wraps, & more. Just dampen them and they can keep you cool for hours.

Rechargeable USB fans are also good, and they can be found on Amazon for cheap too. Walmart sometimes has them too. Misting fans can be awesome as well, and can chill you to the bones.

Since I live & work from inside my rig, I use either a swamp cooler, or a Peltier heat pump to keep my whole rig comfortable 24/7. Both are liquid candle powered instead of electric/battery.

I have a 3-way RV style fridge/freezer that I bought used for $50. I converted mine to run using a cooking oil liquid candle instead of propane. This allows me an electric/battery powered free fridge/freezer. Conserving power is easier than creating more power.

Living in a van/RV can be quite enjoyable once you get everything figured out. Bee careful not to get sucked into making stupid choices at the suggestions of promoters. Cheap, simple, & easy for the win.

Cheers!

"A wise man learns from both the successes & failures of others." ~ Off Grid


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The interior is there minus the sink. I have the original 3 burner stove but it is in storage as well as the original mattress. Those need to be replaced and everything else is pretty much stock. It has a fridge and heater but I’m not sure if they work. I don’t think there is any A/c in the van so I ended up taking advice from others here and bought a usb/ battery fan. It’s not great but it was only $20.

I don’t have a house battery yet so I’m not sure what other electrical problems I’ll encounter. I am slowly cleaning it out and learning as I go. It has no flooring and some of the trim is gone, the ceiling is drooping and many things are so old and brittle they are breaking quite easily. I have been using the cigarette lighter to charge my phone but I’m nervous to put any more load on my starter battery. I replaced the battery but I’m not sure how good the alternator is.

My current task is making these window covers using reflectix. I have some done but this van has a lot of windows

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Greetings!

Try to keep it as original as possible, that’s where the value is. Restorations are great, but remodels kill the value.

Reflectix window covers attract a lot of unwanted attention, along with any other curtains etc. Dark tint is a much better choice.

There is probably a house battery, or a place for one somewhere.

Corkscrew upholstery pins work great for repairing head liners.

Many auto parts stores can check your alternator for free.

Get a trigger spray bottle and a rectangular dishpan at the dollar store for a sink & water delivery. In hot weather, you can also spray yourself and sit in front of the fan to cool yourself off quickly.

If the floor is down to bare metal, cover with foam board, plywood, then indoor/outdoor carpet.

Cheers!

"A wise man learns from both the successes & failures of others." ~ Off Grid


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Yeah it’s mostly original from what I can tell and down to bare metal but was covered in house paint at some point. I am not sure if I should use a wire brush to get it down to metal or not. The wood is not great, it is breaking to the touch. Should I be keeping this wood too?

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That lock on the ground is what secures the rear door. It doesn’t lock on its own. There are lots of areas that look like the trim is missing too. To keep it original do I replace it or keep it as is? I want to be comfortable as I live in this thing and right now it is an oven sitting in there. The battery powered fan is not cutting it in this 100°+ weather here in Phoenix, AZ. I will take advice from here about getting the windows tinted

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I bought two 100aH agm deep cycle batteries, and a battery isolator 80amps. My alternator only puts out 60amp I think. I just need to get fuses and some other parts to install

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Greetings!

If you put a fan blowing out, with windows on the opposite end open, you should get a breeze through the whole place. When inside, a damp t-shirt with a fan blowing on you can feel wonderful.

I would probably paint the floor with truck bed liner, followed by sheet foam, plywood, then carpet.

It looks like the kitchen is missing, and much of the rest looks pretty rough… Even though the wood is falling apart, maybe it could be used as templates for a rebuild if it isn’t salvageable.

Cheers!

"A wise man learns from both the successes & failures of others." ~ Off Grid