Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 14:30:57 EDT
Reply-To: Ssittservl@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: S Sittservl <Ssittservl@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Misc. dumb questions
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> *Please don't read if you're easily annoyed by goofy newbie posts*
>
> 4. The refrigerator seems like a PIA. Would I be truly lazy and worthless if
I
> just put a block of dry ice in there when I travel? Also, I think my sink
pump
> is broken. Is that worth the trouble to fix, or should I just carry a jug of
> water?
Actually the refrigerator is a Dometic :-) (I say that primarily
to hide my complete ignorence of what "PIA" means.) I like having
a fridge; it will run for about 2 weeks on propane, and you don't
have to mess with finding ice every day or two. Also, enough ice
to cool the thing would take up a fair amount of space, and the
fridge is none too big to begin with.
On the other hand, the fridges are apparently a bit on the weak
and failure-prone side. (Individual experiences seem to differ
widely.) Some people like the ice route, because, well, an ice
box always works. (How many posts have there been to the list
saying "Help me fix my ice box"? Zero.) If you choose ice,
you can say that you're not being lazy and worthless, but rather
you're choosing tradition and reliability over finicky modern
complexity.
As for the sink pump, I think it's pretty cheap and easy to replace.
A jug (in the fridge, especially) is great for drinking water,
but running water for washing up and such is pretty nice.
My biggest problem with the Westy sink is that goofy, slippery
control knob. "Off" is somewhere in the middle, and unmarked.
To save water, what I really wanted was to be able to (for example)
squirt a little water on my hands, soap up with the water off,
and then squirt a little more to rinse. With the knob, I'd
end up using about twice as much as needed, plus get soapy
water all over the counter. So, I mounted a momentary-contact
pushbutton next to the spigot, and use that most of the time.
Worked out well, and cuts down on splashing too (since the water
runs for a shorter time). (I have to admit I did a bad job
with the button - due to my poor wiring inside its little case,
it has spontaneously turned on and stuck occasionally. I'll
need to replace it soon.)
> 5. I know I'm not the only one who wants a toilet in my van. Suggestions?
> Smart-aleck remarks?
I concur with the Porta-Potti advocates. We have Thetford's
155L, and it just sits on the floor beind the passenger seat.
I thought we'd have to tie it down somehow, but we haven't,
and it's never tipped. It was very inexpensive at K-mart.
It's been especially valuable for us since we have a
two-year-old, but all of us are glad to have it, especially
when camping at night. We leave it in the van all the time,
whether camping or not. I keep thinking about installing
some sort of interior curtain around it (we already have window
curtains), but so far "privacy" has consisted of everyone closing
their eyes and pretending they don't hear anything, and that's
actually worked out fine.
The potti also makes a pretty good spare seat, so we can have
three people eat at the back table. It's a bit on the short side,
so I'm thinking of adding a little cushion on the top to raise it
a bit, and perhaps a cover to put over it for the sake of guests
who find the idea of eating dinner while perched atop the commode
to be something other than a positive contribution to their dining
experience.
Odor has been no problem, except when I failed to empty it
for about 6 days during our trip last week. (There was a
good reason, for it, really...) Choice of chemical might make
a difference, too - I had just switched to a new, much-less-
poisonous one than the chemical that came with it.
Emptying is a rather yucky experience, but not horribly so.
Last time, I covered the bowl of the toilet I was emptying
it into with plastic wrap, except for a little opening for
the porta-potti drain pipe, and that cut down on splahing
considerably.
Thetford's at www.thetford.com. I don't work for them; I
just piddle in their products.
(I can't believe I said that. I am SO embarrased now.)
> :o) Kristin
-Steven
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