Car Camping / Trip Reports / Photos / Buildouts / “Overland” / Expedition Rigs Area (homeless?)

I tried boiling water in one of our kitchen pots, problem is almost all food has some oil in it. And it takes a lot of water to clean the pot 100%. Water is precious in the desert, etc. Was this an issue for you, or you pack a special pot for boiling water only?

 

I've been debating on how to add a hot water shower... Heat exchanger added to the existing 12 gallon tank takes up no more storage room... But those tanks are easy to use.

 

that thing looks like a portable distillery, imagine making moonshine on the go while on the trail?

 

Honestly I'm not a fan of manually carrying and pouring big pots of boiling water far from civilization. The risk of accident, spilling, scalding.

That is why I use the stock Zodi extreme burner

I built a heat exchanger plus mixing manifold. Even mounted the manifold in the engine bay, but stopped short of splicing into coolant loop...

I think heat exchanger plus tank is a very exciting prospect. It does involve some complexity, and heat /pump should be regulated, etc. From time to time I think about finishing the project. I like the Valterra ABS tanks.

 

I pack a coffee pot that is only used for boiling water. It's a GSI, stainless steel, about 12 cups.

By filling the shower about 1/2 way with water, and adding a pot of boiling water, I end up with about 90* water - for the first shower. When I get to it, it's down to about 80*. But, I can easily "refresh" it with more hot water.

By using the heater, you put more heat into the metal of the container, so it probably radiates heat longer.

I never though about residual food/oil in the pots - you don't want anything like that in the shower unit.

 

I've learned over the years anything that shiny will generate questions from neighboring campers. Especially if you mount it to the exterior of your rig.

Fortunately it comes with a black carry bag.

For what it is, is a great stand alone shower. I use it on my kids in the back yard when my wife brings them home as sandstorms from the beach.

Outdoor showers are awesome!

Thanks Scott!

 

"sandstorms from the beach" - that's funny!

 

Yeah I've wanted to build one for a while, just get sidetracked on other projects.

I need to sit down and piece together a kit and go from there.

Use the cold water from the tank to mix with hot from the exchanger, with the ability to instead pull water from a stream through the exchanger.

Currently i just have my 12 gallon tank with a sprayer and faucet in the bed.

 

Great weekend and way to bring in the New Year, but mud is my kryptonite and there was an abundance of it.

 

^Welcome back! Mud! Be cleaning for days! Weeks! Months!

 

Where was this? Reminds me of home...

 

Thanks.

Don't remind me. I'm kinda a clean freak and perfectionist so this will indeed be a lengthy cleaning process.

10+ years ago I had my 1989 Toyota truck out in Ocotillo Wells during a thunderstorm and being the young buck I was, I thought it'd be fun to go do donuts and and purposely get the truck muddy as possible. To this day there are still mud clumps and stains in the nooks and crannies.

Nowadays I precoat the undercarriage and drivetrain in a mixture of WD-40 and CRC when mud is a possibility. Also keep wheel spin and speed down as much as possible to minimize the impact.

Working at a automotive repair shop, I've seen what mud does in the long term if not cleaned and there is too much of it over time. Nasty stuff.

This was just west of Sedona, Az.

 

That's great. I went mudding too. Once. Hehe.

Way too much work. I'm very much the same way. Once a year, it seems I'll spend 3 hours cleaning under the truck, painting, etc. I close up the frame holes with duck tape or gorilla tape. Works very well.

I haven't started coating the undercarriage yet. Wd40 was recommended to me by a few people in discussing frame cleaning maintenance etc. I thought of using silicone spray or fluid film.

The other day I was at a Auto Zone and an old dude working there told me before he goes to mudding by the Salton Sea he will go to the dollar store and buy cooking oil and spray that under the truck! LOL Cracked me up. I bet it works great!

 

Crom, off hand, where are some of those frame holes? About how many are there?
Asking for a friend.

 

Two places for me.

Front wheel wells. The side of the frame. 5-6 or so.

Older trucks don't have plugs. Newer ones do. I sealed the holes with tape. Two years still solid. This is really important if you're in the rust belt. Get that salt brine shit in there it will rust from inside out.



Rear of frame, I had frame plates welded on so seal the 4 holes in those wheel wells too.

You can see one of the holes in this picture.

 

To those of you who haven't been to Sedona, put it on your list. It's a bit touristy, but it's still a great place to check out.

Pro-tip to those with a girlfriend/wife - The town has killer restaurants, shopping, views, spa's, easy hikes and is very classy and "high-end". There are also some great local spots within minutes of the town to go off-road. It's a perfect mix to keep both you and her in good spirits.

As the ol' saying goes: "Happy wife equals happy life"

 

It's the rule of 3: 3 hours of cleaning for each hour of mudding.

Fuck that.

 

I totally agree about Sedona.

 

nice shot...what do you shoot with?