I just have to ask a question.
The Museum of Modern Art NYC purchased an AS to add to its collection of all time great industrial designs. There is good reason for this. Trust me when I say that your unit has very good bones. Decades of trial and error, thousands of hours of hard work, and millions of miles of towing went into deciding what is needed with regard to form and function.
If there are design flaws in individual models that need to be addressed (70's rear baths etc.) you can be assured they have been discussed in this forum.
It seems to me that you really need to focus on your personal goals for this project and not overwhelm yourself with all the small stuff that you really don't need to reinvent (or rethink) at this time. Maybe later, as you gain experience.
After all, when you buy tires, I hope you won't spend a lot of your time deciding whether they actually need to be round or not. Pneumatic rubber ones will do just fine.
Forgive me. I'm just an old Art teacher who is used to writing critiques.
My question: What is a "real toilette"? Do you really intend to install a ceramic toilet with a flush tank and a heavy tank lid? Why? Inquiring minds want to know.
Bill - The real toiletter will just be the bowl - everything else (lid - tank) will be hidden away and replaced. with a much lighter solution. (but lets be honest, thats something I might want, and just can't have, but its high enough on my desires list to look into. Call it a personal goal)
The lofted bed is concerning me - but perhaps a part of prepping the thing for towing will just involve rolling the mattress and tying it down between the axles. I feel like the rest of the weight added won't be as much of an issue, but then again, I will have to really start mocking it up and shooting ideas off people who know more than me (which is a point that I am not at all at yet)
Ben Lewis's much anticipated question of the day!
So I have been looking for a chest refridgerator to help elminate cold spill (if I want the opportunity to run this beast off the grid energy wise (solar) I am going to have to limit every aspect of my energy consumption - cold spill is the spill of cold air into the room when you open a cabinent style fridge)
ANYWAY - there is a smaller version . . . so I might downgrade.
but the real question is Does anyone know if a freezer can be easily modified to produce warmer tempature?
This one has two "zones" with independent thermostadts.
the drawer can be set from 17degF to 26degF and the top is -10degF to 0degF
I would like to leave the bottom as it sits and adjust the top to be a fridge.
Random thought of the day (which would requre me to have a unit in my possession) would be to see how they are seperately controlled and just shut off the top, and attach the two. I'm pretty sure thats how my crappy mini fridge works (the freezer keeps the rest of the thing kinda cold, while freezing its little box)
Anyway - if anyone knows anything about these things/ has done something like this before - I would love to get some input on this.
(I know this is too soon and all, but I have the time, so I am just throwing out ideas as I get them)
- I am sorry that my train of thought is so hard to board
1988 C20 Suburban 454
1967 Safari 22' (like a fish)
"genius, talent, and luck have very little to do with success. The Successful all have one thing in common - persistance"
but where am I going to purchase propaine if society breaks down?
How am I going to get a propaine tank back to my airstream on my bicycle?
(the second question is more relevent than the first I would imagine)
__________________
- I am sorry that my train of thought is so hard to board
1988 C20 Suburban 454
1967 Safari 22' (like a fish)
"genius, talent, and luck have very little to do with success. The Successful all have one thing in common - persistance"
Check out NovaKool. They offer a line of "off-grid" fridge/freezers that use a high efficiency DC compressor. You can get a good price on one at Backwoods Solar. You might also contact the Backwoods folks and chat about your ideas. They are into the "off-grid" lifestyle and would have some good insights.
And perhaps if you play your marketing cards right and agree to some interiews/news stories (featuring the products, of course) when your project is done, you might be able to get the things you want for cheap or free!
Susan
__________________
"Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?"
1984 310 Limited Motor Home "The Rockin' A"
1974 31' Excella (soon-to-be carhauler)
1974 20' Argosy Motor Home
And perhaps if you play your marketing cards right and agree to some interiews/news stories (featuring the products, of course) when your project is done, you might be able to get the things you want for cheap or free!
Just a suggestion: You have a limited amount of onboard fresh water and limited waste storage. A household flush tank uses the same amount of precious water whether you are flushing a teacup of urine or a full load. This will greatly restrict the amount of time you can stay independent. With a marine or RV type toilet and flush valve you have some control over how much water you use per flush.
Given that you have a limited amount of onboard fresh water, wouldn't it be a good thing if you could recycle your gray water for flushing purposes as opposed to water you need for drinking and cooking? I suspect you might need some kind of easily cleaned filter screen to take care of particles (cookie crumbs fish eyes etc.) that might be in your gray waste tank.
Sorry to be such a potty mouth, but if someone figures out how to do this, I might have a go at it myself.
Best,
Bill
Oh yes, there are marine and rv toilets with ceramic bowls.
(and that Bob's Yak Trailer is awesome, but costs $300 and weighs more than my bike, I think I'll make my own.)
__________________
- I am sorry that my train of thought is so hard to board
1988 C20 Suburban 454
1967 Safari 22' (like a fish)
"genius, talent, and luck have very little to do with success. The Successful all have one thing in common - persistance"
but where am I going to purchase propaine if society breaks down?
How am I going to get a propaine tank back to my airstream on my bicycle?
(the second question is more relevent than the first I would imagine)
Cursh,
Just curious, are you really thinking of this unit becoming some sort of survivalist bug-out mechanism WTSHTF?
My wife and I have gone over this extensively -- there is a wildly different set of design problems between taking a few weeks off of the grid and managing a TEOTWAWKI event. I can share a couple of comments on that front, provided you are interested and the Mods don’t think it will cause a group free-for-all.
__________________ Digger Bear
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
I agree with 2air'
The first priority get this rig stuck back together. There are plenty of options that can be pursued when the basics are out of the way. Save the fun stuff for last.
With regard to the question "Can I haul propane on my bicycle?": You bet you can! People in the rest of the world do just that every single day. You just need a third world bike or some kinda bike trailer, which (like alternative toilets) are already on the market.
Before you begin to lead yourself astray, ask yourself: Is what I am about to say or do the result of a feeling, a fact, or an opinion? All of us trip over this question every now and then. Maybe this will help add focus to future decisions. Good luck to you, Cursh.
Bye for now--I'm hitching up and heading to the lake! Hi Ho!
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