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i am glad this thread (so far) has been a safe space. <3 i haven't spent any time traveling solo in the states, primarily because of this shit. traveling can be exhausting enough without the constant reminder that i am a woman. sometimes i'd just like to forget.

are you required to have insurance on a sail boat?

how long do you think that will last you for? i am guessing i could survive at around $500/month easily, but that's based on my van travels. i have no idea what expenses life at sea could entail

Wow, that's incredible! I'm really inspired that you could live aboard a boat that long and learn how to sail without spending loads of money. I'm currently in the same boat (heh heh), saving up for a rig so i can travel internationally. how much do ya think you might have to save?

thanks for the post! everyone i've talked to seems to think sailing is real difficult, but the more i read about it, the easier it seems. what boat do you have and where have you sailed to? or are you still learning the ropes?

I disagree. I won my first auction last summer for a great new Osprey pack that ended up being half price including shipping. And I'm not even experienced. Also. search tempest is great for searching through the entirety of craigslist, not just the local pages.

does anyone know the status of black bear ranch? my friend and I are trying to visit as part of our commune road trip, but we haven't been able to get in touch with anyone.

i just read on the Black Bear site that they prefer a call/email/letter in advance. you might consider doing that as a courtesy anyway. i've not been a part of a commune for any length of time but i'm currently traveling around visiting intentional communities. there are a lot of great places...

welcome! where are you at/headed? we're in oregon headed to cali, perhaps we could meet up!

yeah, what commune? and welcome! : )

dang. that's good to know, since i plan on going next year. maybe it's not heaven on earth like i expected...haha

ahhhh i wish! i'm in carbondale right now. if i could figure a way to get in without paying...:P

thanks for the responses, everyone! i find your perspectives very valuable and insightful. how would i go about finding a regional gathering? are there any happening in the next few months?

I believe I used the word "cool" ; ) things you have to be drugged up to enjoy are not "bad", just not something I would go out of my way to add to this journey. I'm asking for people's experiences. I really want to hear what people have to say and whether THEY had a good or bad experience or...

i've been on the road for a few months and i have a few months ahead of me. my initial plan was to go southwest, then up the west coast, probably making the national gathering in July. well, so far i've made it to colorado and there is still so much to see in the desert and California. if i...

I pretty much got it all from Amazon, except a few things I bought from ebay. Where are you? I would look into three options: a) Amazon lockers b) General Delivery through the USPS c) find someone with an address in the place you're at. I'm sure lots of people would be willing to accept...

we're in St. Louis right now headed towards Kansas City, Colorado, California, Oregon, whateverrrrr... would love to meet up! :)

i just found this site that auctions off items the government no longer needs. maybe stealing panels is a lot cooler, but it looks like this is a complete setup and the bid is currently only $300? https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/auction/view?auc=1831778

yeah, i set the charge controller to 14volts. we'll see if it works and doesn't blow up! having solar is really magical. being able to watch movies in the middle of a national forest, completely disconnected from civilization...there's nothing like it ; )

the battery came with no instructions. : \ on the battery itself it says cycle use is 14.5-14.9V and standby use is 13.6-13.8V. what is float voltage?

Thanks for asking. I've been living in my van since last Sunday (the 9th). The solar panel was mounted that day and we've been tweaking the configuration since. Today, I figured out how to adjust the output voltage on the charge controller. I set it to 12.8 volts (Previously it had been set to...

let us know if it works!

i know this will be an unpopular opinion, but when i look beyond the petty rhetoric (statements like "authoritarian asshole" lulz), i think there are some issues worth talking about here. i read through the thread about the flags and was a bit confused. was the guy banned for his comments in...

awesome! that's beautiful! : )

okay, so, translation for me: 12.8V is the most voltage I should expect to read from this battery? I currently have everything wired up and I just made a smoothie and charged my phone using energy from the sun! I've been double checking the voltage with a multimeter as well, but I'm worried...

woooooo! i got the cheap charge controller to light up! not completely sure what most of this means or how to manipulate it to work efficiently (or at all?) but at least it lights up. another question: on the battery, it says cycle use is 14.5-14.9V and standby use is 13.6-13.8V. my...

welcome! i'm in the process right now of converting my van. let me know if you have questions. : )

Wow, for not having a picture that is a very useful and creative diagram. Thank you so much! How do i figure out which fuses to use where? i read somewhere that it is based on wire size, but won't it also be affected by the load or the components i want to protect?

so i bought 10-12 gauge butt connectors to splice the 10 wire with the 16...is this safe or will it be too loose? i figured since its heat shrink, it could shrink enough to fit a 16.

is that for AGMs too?

thank you! how do you monitor the state of your battery(s)? i had assumed i could just do it with a multimeter, but i read somewhere that it isn't accurate...

i have met many people who believe that conforming is a good thing, at least to a much larger extent than i am comfortable with. but you make a good point. i think there is a kind of judgmental attitude that roots itself in people who think they are anti-conformist and it becomes very easy to...

so how do you tell the difference? are those in the first group miserable while those in the latter are content? until very recently, i believed that everyone thought like me deep down. but now i'm not so sure. i want to believe that everyone has just been crushed into this mold by society...

this is so cool! you seem like a very generous and thoughtful soul. giving people a place to sleep is no small thing. welcome to the community! it's great to have you. : )

was it a long, painful process of trying to fit in or have you always known? bonus: do you think anyone really is "normal"? does their inner soul truly resonate with social norms, or have they just conformed?

Crazy how that happens, isn't it? You seem like a wonderful person and I hope you find ways to explore and get out of your mind in CT! I've never spent much time in the NE, but i've heard it's beautiful! do you do any cycling? I have a friend in Boston who bikes around the NE all the time...

also. is it possible to splice two wires together of different gauges? the mc4 connectors are 12 and my wire is 16. i need the 16 to make it into the terminals of the charge controller, as pictured above.

these terminals look like they only fit 16awg and smaller. good thing my inline fuses are coming Monday. this is by far becoming the most expensive part of my van build. oh well. : )

hey Drew, if i get those butt connectors that you posted an image of from amazon, do i need a special crimping tool? or can i use a wire stripping tool? i watched a video on youtube and he used a special tool and i'm so tired of buying new tooooooooools.

that is a pretty quaint and cozy dwelling space you've got there! i hate to be that guy, but do you not have anything separating the back from the driving area other than a curtain? it just seems that you have a lot of stuff that is not tied down in any way, and in the event of a crash, that...

welcome! this site gives good advice sometimes

yeah, that's a good way to think about it! get some rest! i saw a video of a guy attaching wires together with a wire nut. is that not advisable?

i don't follow...

turns out i'll have to splice wires together anyway if i'm going to be using inline fuses...

mmmm if i'm going to have to buy more things to splice wires, i might just buy the $6 mc4 extension. i've been doing too much DIY lately and it keeps delaying my start date for traveling. : P

hmm yeah, i was wondering about that. i've never spliced a wire tho. first time for everything? i think i'll take the battery to the LAPS or hardware store and find something that fits vs. ordering blindly on amazon/ebay (after the ball joint thing magically solves itself and i have a...

i would go with a van. i might be biased tho. : P a bus will give you more space, but for short-term traveling that is not going to be as important. also, i believe in going with a smaller space first and then when/if you upgrade, anything larger will feel HUGE. i would also suggest that...

why didn't y'all tell me i needed mc4 connector things? : P got all my stuff today. i paid a bit extra to get my battery in two days vs. a week, cause i'm hoping to hit the road sometime next week. (if i ever finish this ball joint replacement on my van. ughhh) are all battery terminal...

it's in the works :)

when are y'all heading up to WA?