'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
6
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Rialta (or similar) owners roll call. Unite and post a pic

I've caught at least 3 new people in the forum this year claiming to have a Rialta, so I wanted a headcount to connect faces to names and share experiences.  Feel free to connect with me on fapbook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100818256773744.3282966.8329234&type=1&l=2aa5d7cf57

Current known owners to be updated:  Me, Tynan, Brian, Paul Newcomb? (unconfirmed), Joe in Portland, Hysul (08 Coachman Freedom Express), Shacky (2009 Rialta), Robert Crouse (www.cccgis.com/Rialta.htm), Jason Martin ('95 FD), Dave Rickey (5000BTU AC and high-power antennas),

Former R.I.P. owners:  Austin Y., Tommy N., Peter Parker


bonus pic on how I fixed the shoddy drawers:


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Rcrouse
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I have a 1995 Rialta Q/D you can see it here http://www.cccgis.com/Rialta.htm


Robert Crouse

Hi, my name is Jason! My philosophy for life? Don't settle, let go, no obligations, single-task, and deliberate practice.
Jason Martin
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Wow, I really like the paint job. The exterior looks fantastic!

'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
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WHOA!  Nice work with the spacious bathroom!  Thanks for documenting the build with all the great pictures!  Cool scooter and dachshund too :)
Rcrouse
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Thanks

I been working on mine for several years. I used to Own a RV business (I grew up in the biz starting at age 10).

I spend several weeks a month in mine and I got tired of taking "Bird Baths" in the sink all the time, plus the wife does not like to use the bath houses at the campgrounds (nor do I).

Robert

Hi, my name is Jason! My philosophy for life? Don't settle, let go, no obligations, single-task, and deliberate practice.
Jason Martin
1
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Hey guys, this is my 1995 Rialta FD; I bought it off eBay back in November 2012 with around 62K miles on it. Haven’t had a chance to take many pictures until now, it’s been in and out of the shop for the last couple of months (had to get the transmission rebuilt which took a few weeks, and had a custom $2500 JL sound system installed - figured what the heck, if it’s gonna be my home AND my car stereo, might as well go all out). 

Haven’t done too many mods yet, mostly been fixing any problems and repairing the interior (filling in holes in the wood, repairing cabinets and drawers, fixing/upgrading furniture etc). This post is quite long as I’m also using this thread to document all of my progress so far, so feel free to skim! :)

Here’s some pics of the exterior:


I’ve taken the Rialta out on a few trips now, and have really enjoyed it; even lived in the Rialta with Tahoe's snow & ice for 10 days, and she took good care of me! (Once I got chains, it was much easier to navigate the ice and snow, lol). The heater kept me plenty warm too, as long as it had enough resources to work properly!


If you notice on the picture above, I broke the bumper. I was backing up into what I thought was a just a fluffy wall of snow...and *crunch*! It was a wall of concrete, just buried under snow. Doh! Just the back left skirt was demolished; I should be able to order a new one for about $99, also going to check any Winnebago junkyards and see if they might have any I can procure =)


Here’s a shot of the bedroom. I love the full-size bed, I’m 6’2 and it fits me just perfectly. 

One of the sliders for my drawer completely came off and was bent, had to remount it and re-bend the metal to make it work better. Also, the CO detector was dead, so it was replaced.

Here’s a shot of the kitchen. I love magnets! At the risk of sounding like a nancy-boy, I absolutely love my magnetic salt & pepper shakers I got from Bed Bath & Beyond. They look like little rabbit ears or something, and mount underneath my microwave. Also, the Magnetic Knife Bar is fantastic, it’s the second one I tried (the first one was too long to mount properly, the second one is more proportional and matches the color of the wood). 

Above is another shot of the kitchen, showing my NorCold Refrigerator, Paper Towel Rack, and my rubbermaid storage setup. 

Here’s the stove & sink. The stove is really clean; according to the previous owner, it had never even been used! (He always ate take-out food and didn’t cook for himself in it). 

My trusty level meter =)

Here’s a shot of some custom carpentry work; a spice rack mounted to the cabinet above the kitchen. Also the plastic bag holder works well, given that my SimpleHuman trashcan takes plastic grocery bags =)

Here’s a shot of the kitchen drawer. When I bought this RV, the drawer was in really bad shape. While I was in Tahoe, I attempted to open the drawer, and it fell out and completely disintegrated! My Dad helped me rebuild the drawer piece by piece, putting in extra wood blocks to stabilize, drilled screws into it instead of using those crappy weak nails that came stock, and remounted the sliders. 


Here’s a shot of the bathroom. It was pretty clean when I got it, other than a little bit of mildew in the roof in the bathroom — bombed it with Clorox and it took care of that little problem =)

Here’s a shot of where my 10” JL 10W6V2-D4 subwoofer is placed. Had to ship it back and get it RMA’d, it shorted out during my trip to Tahoe. Driving back with no bass all the way from Tahoe -> SF -> LA was painful, LOL! I only had my system for a little over a month before the subwoofer crapped out. The sub can handle 600W with no problem, and I’m only pushing 500W with it, so it probably was just a faulty unit from the factory; testing it with a voltmeter showed a short. At least it is covered under warranty; I should have it back again here really soon!  

BTW, when I was getting the system installed, I was trying to figure out where to place the Subs. I saw that Tynan placed his where the stock heater is, facing the driver & passenger seats. After consulting with a few audio shops, they actually recommended to put the sub facing sideways, since bass is omnidirectional; this also gives the sound waves a surface to hit and reverberate off of, similar to being in the trunk of a car.

Above is a shot of my JL C3-650 6.5” speakers. These guys sound crisp; it’s a combination speaker and tweeter in one combo (the speaker/tweeter can be separated as well, but in this situation it makes more sense to have them combined)

Here’s a shot of the solar system panel. Not sure the exact wattage of the panel, but when I bought the RV it came wired with one solar panel already installed, as well as this panel. It’s handy to keep my eye on the battery voltage, as well as know if I’m getting any sunlight to charge the battery. Also, above that is my trusty ol’ thermostat which kept me alive in freezing Tahoe :)

Here’s my amp, the JL HD900/5. It’s an amazing little amp, and powers the entire RV just by itself. 500 watts goes to the subs, the remaining 100 watts is split between the four channels (FR, FL, RR, RL).

Here’s a shot of the front of the cab. The pull-out table which I use to eat and use my laptop on (my mobile office/desk) was rickety as hell, pulling on it made it wobbly. With my Dad’s help, we pulled the whole desk assembly out, rebuilt it with strong wood screws, then put it back in and mounted it properly. Now it’s mounted solid, like a rock!

These are the JL Audio C5 Series 6.5" 3 Way Component System Speakers. These components ROCK! Sounds so crisp and clean, I’ve heard parts of my favorite songs that I’ve never heard before on other speakers. 

This is my headunit, a Sony DSX-310 BTX. It’s OK, but I’m going to be upgrading to a Pioneer AVH-X7500BT when it comes out in March (Single-DIN large video screen, rear facing camera, touchscreen compatible with my iPhone apps/GPS, line-in for music production/laptop feed, bluetooth, etc). 


OK, that was the tour of my new RV — well, new to me anyways =) Thanks for reading! I'll give more updates when I get more upgrades done. [A few upgrades coming up: I'm going to mount a monitor/TV, wiring LED strips that I can control the color/patterns with an Arduino micro controller, as well as match the ambient lighting with average color being displayed on my computer, and new video head unit with rear camera for backing up.]

'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
0
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Nice Jason!  Thanks for sharing!  My rear corner bumper covers were repaired with fiberglass when I bought it.  Glad you're enjoying it!  To you and Tynan, I'm curious to find out how often the subwoofers even get used as you won't want neighbors attention when parked and most of us ride motorcycles/bicycles for getting around. 

Creator of SETT. Adventurer.
Tynan
0
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I've been surprised how little of the bass you can hear outside. It can be overpowering inside and totally silent 5-10 feet away. I use mine all the time while listening to music.

Hi, my name is Jason! My philosophy for life? Don't settle, let go, no obligations, single-task, and deliberate practice.
Jason Martin
0
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Thanks! Was fun to document the whole process, I'm glad I finally have some pictures now!

Honestly, I'm surprised at how well my Rialta seems to insulate sound. When I have my system on, it has to be up pretty loud to be noticeable from the outside, I've done a few tests. Granted, you wouldn't want to have the subwoofer at a high level while stealth parked in front of somebody's house if you planned on staying in the same spot for a while, but I use it all the time in transit, any time I'm chilling in a parking lot, camping, friend's driveways, anytime I'm out during the day, etc. I also tend to frequently move spots while I am urban camping, so I just try to keep the levels chill during night time and I've never had a problem. 

When I'm in the front driving in the cab, I have my subwoofer level set to maximum, but when I'm at the desk or on the bed, I turn it down to about 1/2 or 3/4 because at max level it's just overpowering when you get close to the sub. Right now I am just controlling the low frequency levels via the amp or head unit, but I am getting a nice subwoofer control knob installed professionally when the RMA sub comes back from the factory. So, when I want to be more low-profile and stealth, I can turn the knob really low, or off; if I'm just out and about or at a place that is more tolerant with loud sound, such as a campground during the day? Then I'll def crank it! :)

BTW, with subs, I'd recommend maximizing sound quality rather than maximizing for SPL (especially if noise pollution is a big consideration). The JL sub I got has a high frequency range it can reproduce, I set my crossovers at 80Hz on my subs for the LPF filter, and the HPF filter is also at 80Hz; I'm quite happy with the performance of it (when it works, that is, haha). I made sure to get a 10" sub instead of a 12" sub, because I like tight punchy bass for the electronic music I listen to; 12" subs are louder and have a laggier bass that tends to work better with rap music. 

A digital nomad since 2008 I'm constantly looking for ways to maximize my experiences through a minimalist lifestyle.
HYSUL
1
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I don't have a Rialta, I've got a 2008 Coachman Freedom Express. I bought it on consignment 2 years ago with only 3000 miles on it. I didn't really know much at all about RV's at the time, I just new that after visiting 30+ countries I should spend some time exploring my own. And what better way to do it than go whole hog!? My main criteria was that it needed to be small enough to maneuver in tight spaces, and have big enough storage for a couple bicycles, kiteboard, snowboard & parachute, and have room for a friend or two. 

These are the pics from when I first bought it, but it's pretty much unchanged other than some of the stickers peeling off. So now it just reads "xpress" which I'm fine with! ;)

I recently completed my goal of circumnavigating the US, and so now I'm back in California, kinda wondering what to do with my life again! hahah I have grown to really love the RV lifestyle -- especially once I learned I could run my fridge of propane and didn't need shore power all the time! I did stop by an RV dealership the other day to look at some smaller options. Who knows what the future holds...




'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
0
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Sweet; thanks for sharing!  I like the floor plan.  Have you lived much on the street with it?  One thing that gives it away as an RV is the addition over the truck cab, without that and decals, it might more easily be mistaken as a box truck.  For those of you wondering, I think this is a 24-foot model.

A digital nomad since 2008 I'm constantly looking for ways to maximize my experiences through a minimalist lifestyle.
HYSUL
0
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The solar option is one thing I've been pondering since I'd like to have more access to free power and not have to go to Starbucks or pay $40/night at a RV park every time I want to charge my laptop.

Software Engineer Extraordinaire
Joe
1
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Ohh wow! The interior of that thing looks brilliant.What's going on inside that exterior door? (Goes under the bed?) It's a good candidate for getting stuffed full of batteries!

That floor plan looks crazy efficient. What's it got for water tanks? What part of California?

No generator and your alternator does not charge your batteries? Wiring your alternator up to your batteries would be pretty trivial, assuming you can route a thick enough cable. Solenoids are available cheap anyplace that repairs RVs.

If you don't have a battery monitor in the very least get a voltage reader you plug into a 12volt socket, and plug that into one that runs to the house batteries. Be sure not to let the batteries drain too low or you could shorten their life span. Presently rocking it in the winter with out enough sun for solar, I try and never let them drop under 11.9volts.

I assume you're using a 12volt plug for your laptop, and not the 120? 

A digital nomad since 2008 I'm constantly looking for ways to maximize my experiences through a minimalist lifestyle.
HYSUL
0
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Yeah, that exterior door leads to tons of space under the bed. That's where I keep my bike and other outdoor sports gear. I'm sure that space could be better maximized though. 

Water tank I believe is 30gal. 

I'm currently in LA, but heading back up to the Bay Area for a bit and hopefully Tahoe for some snowboarding!

There is a generator (I rarely ever use it) and the alternator does charge the coach (and engine) batteries. I just wish there was a way to not have to use gas all the time. I think I may have let the coach batteries get too low and now they aren't as efficient. The other day the fridge started clicking because there wasn't enough power so that's when I broke down and plugged into shore power for the first time in weeks.

The battery monitor that came with the unit isn't very detailed. It's got 4 lights. Red, Orange, Yellow Green. Who knows what levels those translate to. 100, 75, 50 25 would be my guess.

Yeah, just the regular 12volt plug for the laptop. It's a MacBook Air, so it's pretty good with power, but still. I want more POWER for less money! :)

Software Engineer Extraordinaire
Joe
0
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Those 4 LED ones are based on voltage. I'm _guessing_ the max is 13.8 or 14.1 volts, and the bottom is 11 or 10.5. $15 gets you this: http://www.amazon.com/Equus-3721-Battery-Charging-Monitor/dp/B000EVWDU0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357273513&sr=8-2&keywords=battery+monitor+12volt which is much better than that thing.

You'll see it shoot up to 13.8 volts when your engine is running. That's the float charge from your alternator. I wish you could run the alternator through the MPPT solar charge controller because those things vary voltage to get very optimal charges. It takes a long time (10 hours I've read) to charge batteries past a certain state with a 13.8 volt float charge. In other words, you can charge your batteries from 11.9 to 12.3 volts very quickly, but after that the benefits start to diminish. The point of a float charge is it wont overcharge your batteries. It works good for a starter battery, but not very good for house batteries.

If you let the lights go out too many times your battery might not hold a charge too well any more. but that's ok, bigger batteries = bigger fun :)

Voltage doesn't really tell the tale accurately. You program a real one with your bank's mAh capacity, and it tracks what's going in and out of them. I use: http://www.amazon.com/Clipper-BM-1-Battery-Monitor-Instrument/dp/B00067XVP8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1357273640&sr=8-4&keywords=battery+monitor+%22bm-1%22

Creator of SETT. Adventurer.
Tynan
1
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Nice job with that cabinet. I may have to do something like that, too... my drawers are falling out and are really annoying.

Dave Rickey
0
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Ran into John Dukes in Austin a month or so back, and just got around to following his link and posting here.  I have a 98RD (other years it was called a QD, it's the model with a dinette bed and middle seats), which I have modified fairly extensively.  

1) Middle area now has an "apartment size" refrigerator and plastic dressers for storage. 

2) Removed the roof AC and antenna mast.

3) Mounted two 235W solar panels on the roof, a 60 amp MPPT charge controller, two large inverters (2000W pure sine and 1200W modified sine), and 4 Group 27 batteries (one forward, three in the rear storage compartment.

4) Installed a 5000BTU window-type AC between the microwave and the little bar sink under it.

5) Bunch of electronics, including a Clear Wireless modem, a couple of big antennas, and a 24 inch LED TV and WD media player.

I yanked the old fridge and use that area for storage, and I've built window covers and a "soft bulkhead" behind the cab out of two layers of Reflectix fabric, and a lot of glue.  I've also replaced all of the carpet.  I'll post pictures of the mods later, after I've figured out how to make Google+ images work for sharing, meanwhile here's a gallery of pictures taken right after I bought it:

http://plus.google.com/photos/102572290306871917125/albums/5534722982050372385

--Dave

'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
0
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Thanks Dave!  I'm glad I caught you that night, the AC you rigged up is inspiring; everywhere I had read would say it couldn't be done.  I think I've decided to go with a 5000btu window unit like yours; the smallest most efficient 9000btu mini split systems I found seemed to all be rated over about 650 watts and cost over $800, while the window units are closer to 500 watts and can be had for $50 lightly used.  I even found some interesting indirect evaporative cooling systems that don't add humidity to the cabin's air, but none small enough are in production yet.  Once I have the AC, I'll decide where to put it: either replace the guts in the roof unit with the window unit's, take out my generator and place it there, or build an enclosure inside like you have.  Keep ya posted.
Those monster antennas you have are really baller too; I might get back with ya if I decide I need to rob more signal.

Software Engineer Extraordinaire
Joe
0
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I'm going to look more into it this weekend, but has anyone claimed their RV as a residence for tax reasons? There's some federal tax benefits for money invested into solar setups, if I understand correctly.

'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
0
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I never did, but may have chalked em up in some business expenses though.  Interested to learn what you find.
Shacky
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Sweet solar setup!  I recently purchased a 2009 Rialta for fulltime living with the girlfriend, dog, and cat.  Was down at the Slabs last week and had Mike install about 240W worth of panels but didn't even consider building a shelf above the AC unit for it.  We'll soon be heading towards Alaska to spend the majority of the year and will decide if we need more when the trip is over.

Shacky
0
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PS - need to scour this site religiously now to see how to optimize the living conditions.  Rialta is a QD.  Leaving the front seats down as the fulltime bed and the rear benches stay as is and is our "reading room".
No mods done but just received the Wave3 today and looking forward to getting it installed (no idea how though).
Keep up with the informative posts!

'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
0
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1. Post a pic of that sweet rig of yours.
2. Search for Ty's old RV posts
3. Find his video tours on YouTube
4. then buy his $2 RV book

I've started a few threads that are RV related that might help too; you'll find a link to my photo album too.
Shacky
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Don't have many pics of the minuscule amount of upgrades we've done but...
Here is a video from the day we toured the Rialta and decided to buy it - http://vimeo.com/46548448#
And we started a FB page to document our adventures (mostly running related) - https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Summit-Seeker-Rialta-RV-Home-to-a-Couple-of-Mountain-Running-Hippies/479582762066580?fref=ts
Don't think we'll do too much to the RV until we get back from Alaska later this year.  Our goal is off-the-grid boondocking and this will be our initial foray into the unknown.

BTW, had breakfast at a little place near the beach in San Diego yesterday.  The owner asked about our RV and mentioned he had bought an RV and was currently upgrading it.  Intends to give up his house and move into it fulltime.  I gave him my email addy and asked for pics and progress reports.  Especially interested in the compost toilet he says he is working on.

Software Engineer Extraordinaire
Joe
0
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If you don't use the propane hookup on the fridge disconnect that and re-fit from there. I don't know if there will be room to Y adapter there but before cutting a pipe it's worth a shot. Should all be 3/8ths. The hose you want is sold in the grill supplies section of Lowes/Home Depot. It's just a hose, don't get one with a regulator. You'll probably want to install a shut off before the hose too.

The more professional way would probably be cut and route a new line under the RV and drill a hole to route it up into the cabin behind a cabinet near where the heater will be. Be careful of the line touching hot exhaust pipes and stuff (at least I assume that's bad). At least in my QD, the hose coming out from the kitchen area isn't fantastic, but it could work better in your setup.

Best bet is to do it in the home depot parking lot. I had to make 4~5 trips before I got all my fittings right. Date a cashier if you must.

I'm in Portland and I don't regret owning a Wave 6 btw.

'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
0
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No sense in cutting the propane line when there's a perfectly nice flare fitting there at the fridge!  I don't see the need to run a second line under the RV either... since you guys probably aren't (and shouldn't be) using your furnace, there's a perfectly nice propane line with a flare nut running to that dinosaur too!  I used a quick connect adapter and a 10 foot hose for mine; had to go through 3 propane specialist before I found one that sold the quick connections.

Shacky
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Thanks for the info.  We use the LP for the fridge quite a bit.  Routing a new line sounds ideal and will look into it.

Peter Park
0
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Haha, I hate this thread because it makes me wish I still had my Rialta. I still look around for parking spots whenever I go somewhere and take a close look at any RVs I find.

There's one other guy I believe in Portland besides Joe that lives in a RV. Teejay I think he goes by.


Software Engineer Extraordinaire
Joe
0
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Software Engineer Extraordinaire
Joe
1
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(copy/paste ate my post in Opera)

I'm boon docking in a Rialta full time outside of Portland OR. Been doing so for 3~4 months.

Pretty customized, heavily inspired by Brian's work (and obviously Tynan's)

Weather isn't very forgiving right now. Hitting freezing or lower at night. Lots of humidity issues. Solar is worthless atm.

I haven't traveled south because of a lack of free time and, you know, :effort: Aside from the weather issues, Beaverton OR is really nice if you want something quiet.

I've come up with yet-another-cabinet rebuild I want to do in here, but I need a place to do the wood working. Once I'm some place longer term I intend to find a shop or rent someones garage or what have you.

Still need to document/etc this stuff at some point.


'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
0
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Cool Joe, I added you to the list.  Now "pics or it didn't happen" ;)


Software Engineer Extraordinaire
Joe
1
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All these interior pics are from when I first moved in 4 months ago.

I'm rocking the same curtains still (JC Penny light blocking ones recommended by Brian) except I've put light blocking fabric inside of the windshield one. The light coming in/going out under it is still an issue. My fabric skills are lacking.

I'm going to move my fridge under the desk where you see my laptop and add a draw. I'll leave the right side under it open so I can keep my bag/shoes/etc under there. Sounds better than a door or more draws. My charge controller/inverter are on the wall under the window on the right side by the smaller desk (what I now use as my main desk). I'll move the inverter/charger to under this counter top once it's done to hide them from view. (That's the wood working I mentioned)

You can just see a SIRIUS and battery monitor mounted on the wall at the top of the image.

I made my fridge open into that hallway area. mega-woops. You need to blindly reach in and feel around for stuff. Cabinet trim and a cabinet door missing in pic. Once the fridge is moved, I can put hooks/magnets under that fold down counter piece to hang stuff. Can fit another nice draw under the existing one, then, too, for pots/pans. 

Still need to figure out how to make that wall-ceiling corner fabric look better. See note about fabric skills.

The bed in the back is a double sofa thing. I leave it as a bed full time with the latex foam Tynan recommended. I'm mildly over 6' and I _just_ fit on the bed with no issue, without sleeping at an angle, when fully stretched out on my back. 6'1" may not work so well. There's a lot of storage space under it. A fridge next to your head can be bothersome at night, but depending on where I'm boon docking, it may be quieter than what's going on outside. It bothered me so much as first I lined the interior of those cabinets with sound blocking foam. I can mostly sleep without ear plugs now, although I do sometimes wake up paranoid over random noises.

It's getting under freezing temp at night lately. I run an Olympian Wave 6 on low or medium so I leave the window near my head cracked for fresh air, but if it gets much colder I may not be able to do this. It's already extremely uncomfortable at times. Even my feet where the window is closed get very cold. These things aren't well insulated. Sleeping in a wife beater, socks, and lounge pants under a heavy blanket and a comforter, makes this easier. I'm from the Boston area and was always very conservative with heat, but I suspect I may need to find a room to rent for a month or so soon.

Wow, what a dump! it took me a while to figure out how often you need to clean/ remove trash, where to keep what, and so forth to stay fully organized in here. Place sparkles now.

You can see I replaced my ceiling. Part was rotted out under the corny looking carpet so I wanted it gone. In that pic I still needed to put the trim in where the boards join. Part of it inside one of the back cabinets was touching the metal frame. Condensation wicked into the wood and I cutting wheel'ed it out with a dremel. All inside of a cabinet so you can't normally see it, but still a word of warning to anyone thinking of replacing their ceiling. I painted the back of the ceiling with kilz or that-other-brand of anti-molding paint because I foresaw the potential of moisture. Ultimately, a synthetic materiel would be more optimal.

Condensation has been a big issue. There's a 12volt dehumidifier but without solar 3 or 6 amps (depending on the model) is an unrealistic amount give up this time of the year. It hasn't rained in a week and a half and all of the condensation has cleared up for the time being. Before if I let me blankets hang off the the side of the bed they'd touch part of the metal frame and end up damp from condensation. Moist comforter on an already cold night is not pleasant. Anything left on the floor will be slightly moist come morning. The windows would get covered in moisture. I had to remove all of the metal screws holding my ceiling to the joists because water was condensing so well on them.

It seems that the metal frame gets the coldest. I assume it's because it's the thickest/densest/most exterior metal. Any screws/bolts going into it, as well as any place it's exposed, will cause dew. Condensation being a factor of relative humidity and moisture. So even if the RH% is low enough, the temperature getting too low will cause dew. (See: dew point)

Note my sweet cutting board. It fits as a sink cover. I made it the full size but it broke in half (note: use a water proof glue -- in the picture it's 3/4ths, it's now 2/4ths). I like it better now, I can use the sink and keep the cutting board in place.

I've since installed a soap dispenser and replaced that faucet with one that reaches further into the sink. I've also replaced that black switch for the kitchen light on the front of the cabinets with a double one. The second switch was so I can control the water pump easier. The factory switch for it is in the bed area.

You can see I got the solar panels very flush. 2 on the side in the picture, 1 on the other. Image is at a bridge spanning over the Whishkah river (of "from the muddy banks of..." fame), Washington.

It took me this long, but I no longer worry about the panels flying off every time I drive :)

Creator of SETT. Adventurer.
Tynan
0
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To be more warm at night:

- Put the olympian on top of your stove, facing back. 

- Pull out the bathroom and open the door so that it partially blocks the front from the back. The warmth will all stay in the back part.

Also... yours has medium? Mine only has high and low.

Tynan

Software Engineer Extraordinaire
Joe
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Medium is pretty nice. I've never run it on high overnight but low wasn't always enough in Portland.

Thanks for the tips. I think the worst of the winter is gone.

Some notes for people considering one:

Most google results tell you CO is a problem but it's CO2. I wondered about long length constant exposure to low levels of CO under my alarm's warning level, so I bought a CO meter to see what my ppm's were. It read 0. I ran the heater on low for 12 hours with the RV fully closed off while I was in a house and it read... 0.

CO2 isn't so easy/cheap to detect/measure. Anyone want to lend me a spectrometer? O:)

Tynan, I'll be in the bay area no latter than March 5th. I'll give ya a tour of my RV sometime.

'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
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Nice!  Thanks for the detailed post!  I ripped all my trim fabric out but also have a different floor plan with no fabric on the cabinet doors; if it looks bad with it removed, maybe add a some strips of aluminum, wood, or mirror or simply use fabric paint.  Wish I could had advice about the condensation problem; it's not that bad in Texas.  My first marine fridge, a Norcold, was 2-3x louder than my current Isotherm CR65; its compressor is designed differently and is mounted atop the fridge via four substantial neoprene or silicone feet to further dampen vibration, maybe try that.

Will running the Wave 6 on high help much on heat or does it drink propane to fast?  I'm not impressed with my Wave 3.  I have a lot of excess power and think about building an electrolyzer to burn oxyhydrogen in a more conventional gas space heater & water heater.  What dehumidifier do you use and roughly how many gallons of water/day will it produce?  If I could generate my own water and gas, I'd find an alternative way to dispose of sewage (composting toilet maybe) and never need to move!!


Beware: Unreasonably ambitious individual on his way to become the very best in everything.
Florian
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Im really interested to get into this, although I live in Germany. Im trying to figure out if it could work to live 24/7 in that climate here, but Im not sure. Also im overwhelmed by the hundreds of RV choices. I would really appreciate it if some current owners could give me their opinion:

- Can heating be sufficient during winter or will it be really uncomfortable all the time? (several months of snow?)

- Will energy production be way worse than say San Francisco?


Thanks!

'95 Rialta-dweller, VFR800-rider, builder of cool things
John Wes
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Europe has tons of sweet van-based caravans that we don't have in the U.S.!  I don't know anyone doing this in Europe, just do your own research and pick a well built rig with a layout you like.  Tynan recommends the Wave 3 catalytic heater, but it's not enough heat for me.  If it stays below freezing for extended periods of time, you'll have to experiment with keeping your water pipes warm.  I can't help with your second question, but if it helps I could go several days without sunshine with my set-up, but that hasn't happened to me in Texas.  If Germany doesn't fit, move to somewhere that does.


Beware: Unreasonably ambitious individual on his way to become the very best in everything.
Florian
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Thanks for your advice. I spend the last 2 hours researching and it seems like it could work here in Europe :) Might as well try!

Visual Artist, Traveller from Berlin.
wischi
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Hi Florian, I'm from Germany, too.

And, let me tell you "normal" caravans you can buy in Germany all provide enough heating for the winter. Only problem is that you will need to exchange Butane/Propane Bottles relatively often. 

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The 2012 RV Tour

    

For new readers to the site, or old readers who haven't been paying attention, I live in my small RV. I bought my first RV in 2007, and except for short term travel rentals, I haven't lived in a house or apartment or any other non-wheeled dwelling since then. This sounds rather extreme, but I honestly don't feel like I live in a car.

When I'm parked my RV feels like a small house, complete with all of the comforts of a stationary home. Of course, these niceties haven't come easily-- I've spent hundreds of hours working on my RV, coming up with new ideas and implementing them in the home depot parking lot. Because I actually live in this thing and the improvement process is ongoing, it's never possible to say that I'm done. That said-- I can't really imagine too much more that I can do to this thing. I only have one or two big ideas left, and no immediate plans to implement them.

A Short Trip to Alaska

One night, while in the RV working on SETT, Todd suggested a trip to Alaska. I said I'd be interested in it, forgetting that in our group of friends, this low level of commitment basically always results in a trip happening. A couple weeks later I bought a really decked out 2001 KLR 650 motorcycle specifically to drive from San Francisco to Alaska, bought a knife, and stopped shaving my beard. That was about all I could think of doing to prepare for the trip.

Our departure date came a month later, and five of us met in downtown San Francisco with our bikes ready to go. Without much fanfare, we headed North, towards Canada.

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