Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 06:46:45 -0700
Reply-To: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Those undersink hoses!
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2007070302342837@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
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Hiya, Troy -- thanks for the followup on the hose thing. An interesting
idea, bringing the sink drain out the side of the van. Do you have a
link to that discussion on the other site?
I'm less wary about cutting a hole in the side of the van than I am
about putting a 90-degree elbow in the sink drain line. We had an
experience with a rogue coffee bean last year that caused all sorts of
drainage problems. It had lodged in the ball valve of the garden hose
shutoff I'd screwed onto the sink drain outlet. After it had been dealt
with (swiftly and humanely, I want to emphasize) I vowed that that line
would forevermore remain clear of obstructions or narrow parts. But
there has to be a way to get that stupid thing out of the way under the
sink.
Metal lath as a stove grill hole plugger-upper sounds like a simple and
inexpensive solution. That stuff is some kind of mild steel, isn't it?
Might get real rusty after the first couple of uses.
You bet I'm in full van mod and prep mode. That's because in five days
I'm leaving on a camping trip. First six nights I'm on my own, camping
my way up 395 behind the Sierra Nevada mountains. Then I pick up Mrs
Squirrel in Reno, where she'll have been attending a conference, and
we'll camp for another five nights or so. The temps in the lower
elevations on the east side look to be in the 100's during the day, so
we'll be staying up high. Al Knoll, Mark Drillock, and Pete (don't have
his last name, lives in Murphys, CA), and a fellow I met in Joshua Tree
National Part named Jim who works at the Tioga Pass Resort during summer
all have kindly provided excellent suggestions for places to camp. And
I've pulled ideas from the "Best of Tent Camping" books,* northern and
southern California editions, as well.
A-and then, in August, we have our favorite site reserved in the Laguna
Mountains. It's right in the middle of our tropical moisture
thundershower season. Last year we found ourselves in a delightful warm
summer downpour followed by hail and thunder, and then by brilliant blue
skies. Such things are commonplace in some parts of the country, but if
you live in coastal Southern California, like we do, anything resembling
weather is sufficiently rare that it becomes a novelty and worth seeking.**
* Subtitle: "A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RV's, Concrete Slabs, and
Loud Portable Stereos."
** Except for that snow stuff. Mrs Squirrel comes from Mediterranean
stock and finds anything below, say, 70F to be (in her words) "fur-EEEzing."
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
Troy Delnicki typed:
> Hi Mike:
>
> There was talk on another site about routing the drain out the side of the
> van via a 90° elbow. This particular person actually cut hole in the side
> of the van, mounted a decorative face plate that had a garden hose
> connector under the lid. Very slick idea. I suspect the decorative piece
> could be purchased from Go Westy as the stock water inlet. Personally, I
> would be a little wary about cutting a hole in the side of the van, but
> it's actually much more functional and practical than the stock drain. I
> suspect one could also just reroute the hose via some 90° connectors
> (visit your local Ace hardware or depot for hose barb fittings). I would
> guess that adding more 90s would slow the drain flow down a bit, but I
> think that would be a minor inconvenience for the added space. (on my list
> to do;)
>
> Speaking of the depot, I was over there this evening and spotted some
> metal lath. Nice thick stuff (3/32") with perfect size holes (diamond
> shaped) to fit over the stove grate. It's thin enough so that the lid can
> close-- yet another way to deal with the grand canyon holes in the
> grate/grill.
>
> Cheers!
>
> You ever going to get out there and do some camping Mike? Sounds like
> you're in full van modification mode? I'm getting ready to head off to
> Valdez Alaska, can't wait!
>
> Best,
>
> Troy
>
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