What Worked For Two.

I was asked how the van work for 2 people so thought I'd write it down as I think about it.

It worked good, as I knew it would.  But I was a bit surprised that Hubby had thrown his work bag in to take and when I asked why he said because it had everything he would need in it.  What!!  "My van has anything you might need Mister!"  Now we're talking a big bag here, one that we had to keep moving out of the way...
IT IS NOT COMING NEXT TIME. 
Because anything we might need is already in the van!

So how did things go...
The Bed.
He made this to be used as a single but to be able to be pulled out and used for two.  It was easy enough to pull out and push back in even when we were both in the van with the doors shut.  After the first night he didn't want to put it back as a single but the second morning after sleeping in it I said I would.  He seemed a bit surprised at how easy it was   We swapped sides after the first night as he is taller than me and needed more leg room and him being in the centre of the van stopped his feet touching the toilet but I could still get in and out easily.

The Toilet. 
We still took this but I *knew* I wasn't going to be using it when he was in the the van with me.  I mean, who does that!  Lots of people apparently but not this little black duck.
Because we did have more stuff with the 2 of us it also wasn't as easy to put up the privacy curtain so duing the day it was easier to call into public loos along the way and at night it was less stressful to get out of the warm safe van into the cold dark night to pee. 
It was used sometimes though as the composting toilet at the campground left a bit to be desired.   I just asked him to go and check out the beach conditions and he wandered off for a smoke.

Toilet Bag.
This is the bag that I made to hide/carry the toilet.  It worked great when we had to get to the car battery as it was just a matter of lifting it up and out then back in again.  And pulled up you couldn't see that there was a toilet there at all. 

Cooking.
We planned to do coffee and cook meals outside the van but on a couple of occasions when it was raining we did need to use the stove in the van.  With the bed as a single there was plenty of room to pull the little side table down to sit the stove on and with the window open a little bit it was (I hope!) safe enough.  We just sat on the bed to eat.

Table.
I have seen the table that I want to get but when I went to buy one the shop didn't have any so that was going to be a problem.  Luckily we found one at the campground that had been left behind.  With 2 people the little table that I have out the back of the van is not good enough.  I need to get a proper one before we go away again.

Lights.
I have a solar light set up near the front of the van, it can be reached from the front and the back and work really well but is not bright enough to read by.  Hubby has put a battery in the back of the van and given me a 12vold light with a long cord.  This can be used in or out of the van and is bright enough to read by.  The battery it is connected to is charged by a small solar panel 

Mechanical.
The van runs well and we had no trouble at all with it.  Except after rough corrugated roads when the battery connections came loose.  The first time I hear that ominous *click* we were out the middle of nowhere with no Mobile phone reception and not many cars.  If I was by myself it would have taken a coffee and some thinking about what to do. Hubby just *hummffed*  pulled out the esky, lifted out the loo (in it's great little bag!) and pushed the connection back in place.  This happened a couple more times before he tried banging the box under the car and had the connection connect that way.  Easier than pulling stuff out even though that wasn't hard.  He is going to have a look at it when he has time and see if it needs tightening or a new wire or what.  In the meantime I will keep away from rough corrugated roads but if I do shake it loose it is something that I can fix.

Security.
Had the husband so I wasn't scared at all.



I will come back and update this as I think of things but there I don't think there was anything that didn't work.

What Worked, What Didn't.

I've been thinking about my first trip away and what I need to change to make things work better and you know what,  not much needs changing at all.

What Worked:
BED.
Very comfortable and plenty big enough as a single.
TOILET.

Between the loo and my *Whiz* there was no need to worry, no matter what the time or where I was.
I had my *wee wipes*, a bottle of Vinegar and cloths for hand and body washing.
Like my nifty carrier?  Made from a 2litre OJ bottle.  keeps everything together and out of the way.
COOKING.
The little propane stove worked good.  It was only used to heat water for coffees and to heat up some frozen meals that I took though.  I have 2 extra propane cylinders in the van but  I was worried about them getting too hot and exploding.  Would they do that?  Anyway, to make myself feel safer I have them in a couple of stubby holders and then in a foam box.  This bit of insulating makes me feel safer.  I have stubby holders around the can of flyspray as well.

What Didn't Work:
ESKY.  This didn't have a handle so no way to hold the lid on tight and it got knocked off a bit the first night away.  Because of that the stuff didn't stay frozen which would have been a problem if I was planning on being away longer than 2 nights.
Hubby has now fixed that for me and all I need to do is check that I have enough *ice bricks* to put in there before I leave.  I didn't have enough this trip bcause I presumed the ones I had in the freezer would still be there.  They weren't.
WATER.
I had plenty but the esky bottle that held 5 litres leaks.  Luckily I noticed as I was putting it in so didn't take it and put in another bottle but didn't use half what I took.
CLOTHES.
Took too many, as I always do.  A clean pair of tracky daks to sleep in would have been nice.
PRIVACY.
The curtains worked well except I wasn't happy with the back window.  The curtain on that worked when I was camped and had it up but it was down when I was driving but if I was just parked in town or a picnic area it left the back window bare and anyone could see straight into the back of the van.  I don't like that so I have bought a sheet of stuff from Auto 1 and will put that up.  I wanted some window tint stuff but they didn't have any but for $10 I am going to give this stuff a try.  Still to put it on though.


Updates to come.

Van Was Stolen...

Not Really but it is gone, has been all week and I don't know when it will be returned.
Daughter L has borrowed it to practice her driving.  She is on her L's and will be going for her test in a couple of weeks time.  That's when I might get it back.  Or when I am ready to work on it.  Whatever comes first.

In the mean time nothing is getting done with it or for it. 
Nothing was getting done with it when it was here but that's not the point.

There is still stuff I could be doing.  Like getting gear together.  Yep, I still haven't done that.

I bought some plates and bowls for it and want to sew a bag to keep them in to protect them...I have the material here...have had the stuff for it all week but no...Sewing machine is here on the floor waiting to be put to use...Still haven't started.

But I'm going to.  This weekend...Really...

Now it's out there and this weekend I will:
Get the bag made.
Finish getting a tub filled with stuff I will need.
Find something to use as a cover for the mattress.

The Whizz Is Here.

I wrote a bit about Female Urinary Devices a while ago and said that I was thinking of getting myself one.

Well I did.  I bought myself a present. It is purple.  Need I say more?

 

 I bought it from a lady in Perth, WA at http://www.ezypeezyproducts.com.au

I haven't tried it out yet but will have a play in the next few days.  

We are off to Green Head in a few weeks time and I will be use it up there  then report back.

Expensive Shower.

We have been given a shower unit, one that was no longer needed at
Hubby's work as they have upgraded to an inside shower.

This unit runs on gas and heats the water so you can have long hot showers when camping rough out in the bush.



Hubby likes it, it is what he has been using for the last year or so
when working away, and wants to take it with us when we go away again. 
I kinda think it is big, it will take up more room then the 12volt one that we have, we will have to take a bigger gas bottle...It does run on small gas cylinders but as they are not refillable I wont want to use them.  It is heavier and taking the gas will add a bit more weight to the car.  Not really issues for me though as I wont be driving his car or paying for his fuel so maybe they shouldn't be added into the equation...

As I won't be driving, paying, setting it up or packing it away again I probably shouldn't have any say in it, aye?
But I will have...smiling face here...
But in the end, his car, he drives, he pays so I will allow him the final say, aren't I a nice little wifey.

And I do appreciate the fact that we were given it so the least I can do is give it a fair trial.

Will let you all know my thoughts on it after we have used it in a camp situation.